Self-Reliance: Recession-Proof Your Pantry by Jackie Clay & Jeffrey R. Yago & Sylvia Gist & Linda Gabris & Backwoods Home Magazine

Author:Jackie Clay & Jeffrey R. Yago & Sylvia Gist & Linda Gabris & Backwoods Home Magazine [Clay, Jackie & Yago, Jeffrey R. & Gist, Sylvia & Gabris, Linda & Magazine, Backwoods Home]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Backwoods Home Magazine
Published: 2012-12-02T07:00:00+00:00

A few last hints

Use a broth on your meat, not a heavy gravy. Thick, flour thickened gravies canned with your meat could prevent the meat from quickly heating thoroughly while processing.

Always wipe the rim of your jars after filling, with a warm, damp, clean cloth. Grease on a jar rim is your enemy; it can prevent the jars from sealing.

If a jar does not seal, reprocess it with a new, previously simmered lid right away, or refrigerate until you can. (Reheat it before you again put it into your canner.) If it’s a single jar and you’re through canning, simply use it soon in a home-cooked meal.

Always check a jar before you re-heat it to use. Make sure the seal is still firmly indented in the center and that you have to really pry to remove the lid. If it comes off easily it’s not sealed. Now look at the contents. Do they look appetizing and normal? Does the meat smell great? Before tasting the meat, heat it to boiling temperature for 10-15 minutes (longer for altitudes above 1,000 feet) before tasting or serving. You do not have to boil the meat, but make sure you heat it to boiling temperature which ever way you prepare it, be it in a casserole, a stew, roasted in the oven, etc. By doing this every time you use a jar of your home canned meat, you will ensure that you and your family are safe from food poisoning.

Always read your canning manual before attempting to can anything. It’s only common sense.

I hope you are off on the road to a whole new way of food storage. While many people home can pickles, jams, and jellies, not so many attempt meats. And because they’re so good and easy to can, they’re missing a whole lot. So, try putting up some meat. You’ll soon discover how truly indispensable they are! Good canning!