GRANDMOTHER OLIVE TELLS US ABOUT CANNING PORK

I hope that I haven't completely confused so far in canning meat.  Pork can perish a lot faster than other meats so it should be canned within a day or two after it has been slaughtered.  You should keep it in the refrigerator at about 32 degrees but not freezing, if you are not processing it the day it is slaughtered.  One thing you should be aware of is that some pork may have trichinosis which you may contract if the meat is not cooked.  Do not eat any pork including sausage that has not be completely cooked.

So before canning the meat, cook the meat until the temperature at the center reaches 160 degrees.  Test all the pieces that you are cooking, not just one, to make sure the center of all of them reaches 160 degrees.  This means the center with bone or without bone - it must reach 160 degrees.  When pork is put in the pressure canner it must be cooked at 240 degrees.  Again I am using the dial-gauge-pressure canner.  If you are using the weighted-gauge, the process times are different.  Make sure your pieces of meat are trimmed lean of fat.  Pieces like hams and shoulders would be better cured than canned. I am repeating myself, but weather you use hot pack or raw pack, cook the meat slowly until rare (160 degrees).    Use the bimetallic food thermometer to make sure the meat has reached that temperature. Cut up meat as with beef.

Hot Pack

Pack meat loosely in glass jars, leaving a 1 inch space at the top of the jar.  If you desire you can add salt at 1/2 teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart.  As the same with beef as pork, add boiling meat juice, broth, tomato juice or boiling water leaving a 1 inch space at the top.  Make sure the cans are sealed properly.

Raw Pack

Pack meat loosely in glass jars leaving a 1 inch space at the top of the jar.  DO NOT add liquid.  If you wish to add salt add 1/2 teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart.  Again make sure cans are sealed properly. Put cans in pressure canner.

Process time for both Hot Pack and Raw Pack is 75 minutes per pint for 11 pounds or 90 minutes per quart for 11 pounds on the dial-gauge pressure canner.

Pork ground meat and sausage are canned in the hot pack like ground beef was.  Again you shape meat into patties, balls oor it can be packed into jars without breaking up.  Cook pork until lightly browned, skimming fat from drippings.  DO NOT use fat in canning.  Saute meat until it is brown and fat is drained off. Again pack patties, balls or ground pork into jars leaving 1 inch at the top.  Meat should be covered with boiling meat juice, tomato juice or broth leaving 1 inch at the top of the jar.  Make sure jars are sealed correctly.  Place jars i pressure canner with process time for pints at 75 minutes and quarts 90 minutes for 11 pounds of meat. Again, the model of pressure canner and altitudes can change process time so check for your area and pressure canner.

Sausage

After you cook pork, do as was done in hot pack beef sausage.

I will not tell about curing and smoking, as I said previously,  Anna will be telling about that later.  My next post I am going to try to get poultry and game on there.  I am not going through all of the game that can be canned just the common ones like deer.

Follow God,
Olive