The pressure canning process used to preserve beef in jars makes the meat tender and perfect for many dishes

Start with clean jars. It doesn’t matter what kind. Wide, narrow, quart, pint…whatever your preference.You also need rings to fit your jarsAnd pressure canners. The big one on the left will hold 16 quart at a time, the other two will fit 7 quart or 10 pint. So, potentially we could do 20 quart at a time. Unfortunately, the canners are so large that only two can sit on the stove top at the same time. That means the third was either cooling or being filled while the other two processed. Salt. This is canning salt, but regular old table salt would work fine too. Lids. We heat the lids before placing them atop the top of the jars that have been wiped clean of any debris that results from packing the jars. Then tightly screw down the canning rings.And of course, beef. Talk about knowing where your food comes from…this beef was raised by my grandpa. The pasture is right outside the window from where we canned it.Here, my grandma starts by trimming any excess fat from the pieces of meat and cutting any pieces that are too large into a more manageable size.This was my “special job”. I guess you regress a little when you are in the company of people that witnessed your first steps. I took the trimmed meat and packed it into the jars as tightly as possible. Fill to the neck of the jar to leave a little room above the meat. Rookie canners- that’s called headspace.

This space is needed for expansion of food as jars are processed, and for forming vacuums in cooled jars. The extent of expansion is determined by the air content in the food and by the processing temperature. Air expands greatly when heated to high temperatures; the higher the temperature, the greater the expansion. Foods expand less than air when heated. This is why you must leave more headspace when using a pressure canner.Once the jars are filled they look a little bit like they belong in a science museum exhibit…or a serial killer’s basement. But don’t worry, the meat cooks and it’s all good.Now each jar gets a teaspoon of saltAnd a tablespoon of waterThen into the canner. I add water to the canner until it reaches about halfway up the side of the jars.After you screw down the lid clamps of the pressure canner as tightly as possible (in the same manner that you tighten the lug nuts on your tires, in opposite pairs) heat the canner until steam is shooting out of the canner’s vent pipe.

Once you flip down the vent pipe, pressure begins to build inside of the canner. Watch the gauge. Once the pressure reaches 10, you will want to stabilize the pressure by adjusting the stove’s burner temperature. Quarts of beef need to remain at 10 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes. Pints remain at 10 pounds of pressure for 75 minutes.

By Krista’s Kitchen.
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You can see the recipe here: cookingwithkrista.blogspot.com
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