Saturday, February 5, 2011

Canning Ham

I've been trying to stock up on canned meat, so every time I see anything on sale, I snatch it up.  My latest endeavour was ham.  Ham is so versatile - it can be used in soup, many bean dishes, with eggs, hash browns and even ham salad.  It is very easy to prepare, just cut it into chunks, put in canning jars, cover with boiling water, add salt and cap off.  I canned pints, so I processed the ham for 75 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.

Cutting up the ham
Miss Calamity filling jars
Jars of ham lining the shelves

A full larder, a happy wife makes!

8 comments:

  1. My bacon is suppose to come in on the 17th then I will get busy canning it. Now I want to can ham. I love home canned meats. They taste so much better. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. I have been googling various things, trying to discover some type of list that tells how long to process different meats, etc. What do you use to know the correct time and pressure, when you're canning? Most things I have found are lists of recipes, which is not what I'm looking for.

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  3. So many people are leery of home canning meats. My elderly mother tried to talk me out of trying it, remembering her childhood of either icky soggy meats, or dangerously poor sealing.

    Modern understanding of proper methods makes this project safe, and meats are just too easy. No peeling, pitting or blanching. I'd rather do 3 batches of pork roast than a single one of tomatoes!

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  4. Elizabeth-- Find the Ball Canning Guide on-line, or the US Dept. of Agriculture site on home canning. Thee is a table... X many minutes at X amount of pressure, and how to adjust that for the altitude where you are. (things are different for sea level than they are for high altitudes.) Perhaps there is even some sites if you just Google High Altitude Canning? Not sure, but I know the Ball site has it in there somewhere.

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  5. 5 quarts of ham chunks cooling on the stove. I'm so happy!!

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  6. I can about 500 quarts a year, I suggest that if you are going to stack jars that you use the bands on the bottom jars put them on loose just so the bands take the weight of the top jar. If they are stored in the basement or root cellar the changes of temperature can pop the lids on the bottom jar. This is due to the uneven weight of the top jar. Kevin

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  7. Just a little heads up for the cook.... if you want to be taken seriously....maybe you should remove your rings next time you prepare anything in your kitchen....just saying....

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  8. I do ham and it is so handy. SInce many of uses are for for sandwiches, I process without added liquid. Works great and then minimal draining.

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