OT- Pressure Cookers

[Iron_Marshal]

I think I am about to lose "man points" for this post, but I want some advice about pressure cookers.

I hunt and I use every bit of the meat. Roasts, jerky and ground leftover bits mostly and I put the majority in a chest freezer (though the jerky does not make it that long).

Does anyone here can their meat? I was going to purchase a rear peep sight/ghost ring with a bit of money I just made from the sale of a .380 AMT, but the more I dwell on the subject I think I want to buy a pressure cooker to can the meat. No freezer needed to keep the meat and it will be shelf stable for a long time.

This may seem an odd topic, but I have a sneaking suspicion I will bring out the Betty Crocker in some of you.

[Chas.]

I used to can chili made with ground beef. Worked well and canned chili is very handy. I quit when I move to a place where I had no garden. Without a garden, canning just wasn't worth it. I did learn a valuable lesson though. Red pepper gets hotter the longer it's marinated. By the time I had eaten down to the last can of chili, it would stand your hair on end.

[Mac in Mo]

I don't think you lose man points by cooking. I think it is an important skill to have. I think most guys on here probably have some skill to a certain point. It goes with being outdoors a lot. One of my best friends is a chef and he can whip up stuff on a camp stove that you would not believe. Another good friend makes jams and jellies that are better than any store bought I've ever had. My Grandpa was an Army cook in WWII,I learned a lot from him on camping and fishing trips growing up. I love to cook a good meal for my family, I probably cook more than my wife does.

As far as the pressure cooker goes I have a brand new one that I have never used. I keep it because one day I am going to learn to use it. My Mom used to make the best ham and green beans in hers. Makes my mouth water thinking about it.


Kevin

[Rusty]

I don't do it the wife does. I'll tell you this for sure and certain... MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THE FOOD UNDER PRESSURE FOR THE PROPER AMOUNT OF TIME!!!

Check with the home economic dept. of your local extension office to get the right times.

[Bruce]

My wife and I started canning two years ago when we retired. We use both the water boil and pressure cooking methods. Each is different, but both are great. We have canned some meat, stews, soups and all kinds of vegetables. We love the products. Most pressure cookers and boiler cookers will have a instruction booklet for different recipes with them. Do use good quality jars (Mason) and follow the instructions to the tee. When you start, make sure you set aside that day w/o other interferences. BLUE BALL has a good book and I am sure there are others. A must have is a kitchen timer with a buzzer - use it. When it says to just hand tighten the jar lids - don't torque them down - just snug them on. Buy your jars and lids/tops in the off season (now) and make sure they match. There is regular, wide, wide mouth etc.. and they are not the same. Depending on how many you will feed determines the size of jar(s) you will need - pint/ quart etc.. We have found that pints are more than enough for us. Jars and the screw on lids are reusable, but the tops are not. Only fill up the jars to the height recommended. When you take the jars out of the cooker, make you you sit them on a thick pad or rack (both) while waiting for them to seal, which is a popping sound that you want to hear. Don't sit hot jars on your wifes favorite wooden dining table.

While you are at it, try pickling also. It is easy and the taste is the best and you can tailor it to your individual preferences. I don't know what kind of stores you have nearby, but Walmart's in our area carry everything you will ever need. They should be on the shelfs soon.

Todays pressure cookers are very safe when compared to past years, but make sure you follow the process. Most have some type of pressure popper valve, a steam flow and a rocker and each has an order in the process. The times quoted for cooking are once the rocker starts rocking on our model. Once the cooking is complete, don't rush the cool down or pressure relief. I recommend you make a quick reference card for the process that plainly has each step/process with the cooker listed in order and the que to go to the next step.

P.S. Buy the jar tongs, measuring spoons etc. that are recommended - unless you already have them. Most cookers can cook five to seven jars (depending on size) per process. Make sure you use the correct jar rack for your process - they come with the unit, but each has a different purpose. There will always be a rack used in our unit - never sit the jars on the pan bottom.

Canning/pickling has become an awaited yearly event with us and we really enjoy it and the food. I recommend that you try both cookers. It is not very expensive to get started.

[rhead]

You will need a pressure CANNER for canning. The difference from a pressure cooker is in the size. My pressure cooker will hold 1 pint or 4 half pint jars. One of my canners will hold 7 quart jars. I usually make a big pot of stew and then can that instead of canning just the meat. The steaks and roast we freeze. If you are living in an area over 1000 feet in elevation make sure the canner has the capability of working at 15 pounds. I do not know of any that are not rated at 15 pounds but if you are buying a used one check the gauges or weights.

It is a little more trouble and time at the front end but you will get it back with interest at mealtime. It is convenient to fix 14 quarts of stew at the time and not much more trouble, it is also easier to get a large pot seasoned correctly. The 16 quart size Presto canner ~$80 that Wal Mart or other large store is a good starter If you really get into it the really large All American canners are the Cadillacs but they will set you back close to $400.

I have an Nationial Steamliner (predisor company of Presto) that was made in the late 40's or early 50's. It is still going strong.

[Tycer]

I've got Mirro, Presto and All American.

The Mirro and the Presto use rubber gaskets and are a bit of a pain.

The All American is a dandy. If you want one to last forever and be a joy to use, get the All American 21 qt.

Canning meat works great. Brown it and put it jars with whatever seasoning you want. It cooks during the canning process. Follow the directions. Piece of cake.

[Kansas Ed]

Canned most of my life. Homemade sauerkraut, beans, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, whatever is handy. Be warned that a lot of "manuals" give times and pressures that will turn your food to mush. If for example you used the book on canning tomatoes you would have tomato sauce instead of canned tomatoes. Most of that is done for liability, but when you get the hang of using it with less fragile foods, ask an old woman who is an accomplished canner what her times and pressures are. Don't forget to get her measures of salt too. It's very satisfying to look on the shelf and see what you have accomplished throughout a growing season. Kraut can be made during the off season also and canned during the fall and winter months.

Ed

[Doc Hudson]

You'll have to throw away lots of "man points' to catch up with me.

Not only am I a pretty darned good camp cook, but I'm also a more-or-less trained chef.

I can bake a cake whether in a regular oven or a Dutch oven that will make you hurt yourself. And I thought a Peach Cobbler I cooked at a CSA Rendezvous was going to start a gunfight. Half a dozen guys were standing around the Dutch oven fingering their pistols and arguing oveer who'd get the last serving. (Since i didn't figure they were altogether serious I thought is was right funny.)

I've done some canning, but I've never canned meat before. So all I can do is wish you luck.

[geobru]

My wife and I have been growing and canning out of our garden since 1978. We had a large family and it was a way of making a little go a long way. For many years we only used the pressure canners for doing green beans. We have two All American canners, the 7 and 14 quart models. Years ago, she took a course through the county extension service and became a master canner.

When all the kids were home, each year we canned up to 250 quarts of beans, plus several hundred more quarts of tomatos, pears, peaches, nectarines, grape juice, meat, peppers, jams, jellies, and on and on.

She used to use a water bath canner to do the fruits and acidic veggies like tomatos, but for the last several years, she started using the pressure canners to do those too. Not because you have to kill botulism spores, but because it is a lot less messy than the water bath.

She is the expert, but I do know this:
1. Have the guages checked annually.
2. Get the straight scoop on cooking times at your local extension service. They have booklets with a lot of info in them that if followed will ensure that your home canned produce will be excellent quality when it hits the table.
3. DO NOT apply kentucky windage to a recipe because you heard that something can be done. This is especially true with alkalyne veggies like green beans. Some folks add bacon to their canned beans. I am not aware of an "approved" home recipe for this mixture, and it can get you into trouble. By the way, you should always boil beans for 20 minutes when you open up the bottles for table use. This breaks down the botulism toxin if it is in the jar. A friend of mine told me about moving as a kid. His family had a bunch of canned beans that they couldn't move, so they opened the jars and fed the beans to their pigs. They went out a while later and all the pigs were DOA. They died of botulism poisoning.
4. Pay attention when using a pressure canner. If left unattended, they can build up too much pressure and cause severe damage.

Canning is similar to reloading: there are thing you should and should not do, but if done right is well worth the effort. Good luck!!

[HEAD0001]

I have been canning deer meat for years. Here is how I do it.

I cut the meat up into 1-1/2" square chunks(approx). Fill the jar up completely with meat(NO WATER). Add 2 slices of bacon, 1 beef boullion cube, 1 tablespoon of pepper, 1 tablespoon of salt. some people add 1 tablespoon of hot sauce, I do not. Add any other seasonings you want, but definitely DO NOT add any water. Put the lid on the jar and hand tighten the ring.

It takes 90 minutes of cooking time at 10# of pressure to completely cook the meat.

Turn off the water and allow pot and meat to cool down slowly. Then take jars out of pressure cooker and hand tighten rings again. Do not overtighten the lids. Be careful here. Just take the pot off the heat(slide to the side of stove), and remove the lid weight and allow to cool before you remove the pressure cooker lid. Be patient, do not get in a hurry here.

Normally I strain the meat through a strainer when I put it in a pan to cook(there will be a lot of liquid in the jar you will be suprised the first time how much liquid there is). I then heat the meat very slowly, and when it is moderately hot I strain the meat again. The meat can then be eaten at anytime. You can even eat it straight out of the jar(cold). However I prefer to strain it before I eat it. Put the strained meat in a crock pot and add your favorite BBQ sauce. The meat willl fall apart and make perfect BBQ sandwiches in just a few minutes. Tom.

[2571]

[quote="HEAD0001"]I have been canning deer meat for years.

Me too, although I so not use this recipe. Canning venison in ball jars is still quite common in northern Michigan.

[Iron_Marshal]

Thanks for the responses. I am going to morrow, Wednesday, to get the Walmart brand which is Presto. I called around the city and cannot find an All American...it is not to be had aparently. I called one hardware store that people buy peplacement parts from, thinking it would be a better Canning pressure cooker. They wanted 115.00 for the 16qt Presto. Wally-World has it for 64.00.

So, with the money I save buying the less expensive canner, I will spend on a Coleman camp stove.

[preventec47]

If it is not too late, hold off and order the biggest presto
model on the internet. For the next 15 years you will regret
if you do not.
1. throw some dried beans and or rice into the jar with the
raw meat and a little water wont hurt just to make sure
there is no air down low in the meat. I chop the raw meat
into chunks along with tomato sauce and rice and beans
in a big 3 or 4 gallon bowl and then use a huge spoon to
fill all the jars almost to the top.
2. forget the salt unless you just insist on hi blood pressure
and strokes
3. pepper, garlic, onion, bacon any other spice you can
find to flavor different jars differently so you wont get
bored.
4. The rice and beans are to soak up some juice.
5. All the canning manuals say to cook the meat first
but that is crazy. Those canners get up to 250 degrees
at 15 lb pressure and if you process for 45 minutes
at hi pressure, I promise all the meat will be cooked.

6.Make sure the glass edges of the jar are perfectly
clean when you put the lids on.
7. I personally reuse the lids. You can tell when they
are not holding a vacuum. I also reuse other jars
that are not specifically pressure cooker jars. such
as pickle jars and spagetti sauce jars. They were
used at the factory to pressure can your food so why not?
I watch for the dimple in the lid and as long as they
hold vacuum they are good. DO NOT CAN anything
at 10 pounds. Go for all the gusto and use the max
15 psi they were designed for.
There are no germs that can survive 45 minutes of
250 degrees. I mentioned tomato sauce, or barbeque
sauce ... as I said, I have lots of varities. But the
tomato sauce of what ever flavor helps because
of the acidity all by itself prevents bacteria from
growing.

If you do any freezing.....,
In my opinion, the big roasts from a deer can
best be cooked as a great big chunk in the large
pressure canner. After cooking it is much easier
to slice into smaller pieces for freezing in tupperware
AND the roasts and tough pieces will wind up being
more tender than the backstrap or tenderloin
if you cook them a little longer. If you open it
up after 45 min, and the bones dont pull right
out, go ahead and cook again for another 5 or 10 minutes
to suit your preferences. Usually I cannot pull the meat
out in big pieces because it falls apart.

Oh btw some people have also found whole carrot
sticks and small potatos in the jars with the deer
meat. Just put em in the jars raw with the meat.

Why not make a meal out of it ?





S