HOW TO CAN GROUND BEEF OR VENISON WITH STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

What do you do when you run into a great sale on ground beef and you do not have freezer space?  Well, if you know me, the answer is to can it.  So, that is exactly what I did.  I seriously found an awesome deal on 80/20 ground beef and bought about 20 lbs.  Since I had so much I opted for boiling the ground beef.  It is easier to do it this way when you are canning a large amount.  It saves lots of time due to the fact you can do a huge amount in a very large stock pot and it helps with all the grease too. 

*Please note you do not have to boil ground beef to can it.  You can simply fry it like you normally would.  See bottom for more directions. 

I dumped my ground beef into a large stockpot and covered with cool water.

It took me about an hour to cook until it was brown.

You need to strain out the water and grease once it is finished cooking.

Since this is a pressure canning recipe, all you need to do is make sure the jars are clean.  Pressuring canning will sterilize the jars for you.

Fill your clean jars with the ground meat and then add either stock or boiling water.  Add your lid and rings to finger tight.

Remember to read your directions for your pressure canner.  Since mine is an All American, I fill the bottom with 1 1/2 inches of water.  

Put your jars in your canner and close your lid.  Once you canner has had steam coming out of the vent for 10 minutes, put on your weight.  Allow this to come to 10 pounds and at that point, you start timing your canning process.   If your pressure canner gets above the pounds you need reduce the heat level on your stove top.  Just be careful because you do NOT want it to fall below the correct pound amount.  If you do this you have to start all over once the pressure comes back to the correct pounds.  

Pint jars are at 10 pounds for 75 minutes.
Quart jars are 10 pounds for 90 minutes.

NOTE: If you wish you can brown your ground beef in a pan.  You do not have to boil your ground beef in order to can it.  Browning, it is just as good.  Just remember to drain as much grease as possible out of your meat before canning.  

Canning ground beef or venison is like meal prepping.  You already have it cooked so all you have to do is add some ingredients to have a meal.  Spaghetti, chili beans, lasagna, chili, soups, sloppy joes aka manwiches, etc.

If you noticed my title mentions ground venison.  You can substitute ground venison for ground beef.  Just can it the same way.  

I see some Cincinnati Chili in my near future.  

I really love to pressure can all kinds of foods.  It is nice to know you have something put up for use at a later date.  It is also nice to know that I do not have to run to the grocery store for stuff and BEST of all I know what is in my food.  No big words that you can not pronounce in my food.  

I am canning venison stock/bone broth at the moment.  I have a huge stock pot full of the yummy stuff.   

ENJOY!!