  Being without electricity during the tornadoes made me appreciate canned goods all the more. Once we got the generator going, things got easier, but so much of life was topsy-turvy with the destruction, mess and time demands that canned items were a blessed relief for cooking meals. My canned hamburger came in especially handy. Canned hamburger is amazing for whipping up tacos or nachos, Sloppy Joes, spaghetti, soups, casseroles and anything else that requires ground beef. It is already cooked, ready for spices and seasoning and cuts any recipe time in half. I also cook sausage loose (not in patties) to use on pizza and can the very same way. Either one is great. We are very fortunate here to have a store called CHEFS that provides bulk purchase of just about anything you could want. Ground beef comes in 10 lb chubs for much, much cheaper than at a normal grocery store. And the meat is very high quality, less fat and ground fine. I buy several of these chubs and process the meat, winding up with around 10 pints of cooked, ground meat ready for a quick meal.  To make sure that my jars are sterile, I use a waterbath canner to boil them in water that completely covers.  Meanwhile, I cut the chubs into approximately one pound chunks and put them in a large bowl.  In a large pot, I brown the hamburger a little at a time, adding about a pound at a time, until most of the ground beef is browned. It does not have to be cooked all the way through. That will continue in the processing.  When all of the hamburger is lightly browned, a small amount at a time goes into a colander that is placed inside a large bowl. The grease is drained this way so that the meat is nice and dry and non-greasy. I place the drained hamburger in the jars and then put a little more meat into the colander to drain and so on.  Using a canning funnel, the meat is placed into jars. I use pint jars because I can figure right at a pound of meat (weight before it was cooked) per jar and that makes it easy for use in recipes. The hamburger is packed down pretty tightly by using a spatula or wooden spoon to tamp it between additions. The jars are filled to 3/4″ – 1/2″ headspace.  The rims of the jars are wiped with a warm, wet cloth to remove any oils.  Lids that have been warming in nearly boiling water are applied.  The rings are tightened and then loosened back a little less than 1/4 turn  The jars are processed in a pressure canner for 90 minutes for pints and quarts.  When the jars cool, a little fat will show up that is extracted in the processing. To use, just open a jar and pour it into a pan, brown a little bit and add seasonings or sauces for your favorite recipe. Or for pizza, just brown a little, add salt and pepper and sprinkle on pizza. You can do the same thing with your canned loose sausage.  |
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Tags: canned hamburger, canned meat, canned sausage, ground beef, preparedness
This seems like a useful project and your great directions make it seem do-able. I’m not very good at canning but you will be my go-to person if I ever decide to improve my skills!
I also cut up whatever cheap cut of meat is on sale and can it. We have bought family packs of London broil and cubed then canned it. We raw pack it because pressure canning cooks it. Then we have shredded meat for tacos, sandwiches, etc. So fast and easy.
Do you find that canning changes the consistency of the ground beef? When I can’t some chili last year, the meat became soft. Do you have that problem?
Christian, I have canned chili as well and that gets a different texture because of the liquid involved. Because the hamburger is canned dry, it keeps more of its integrity. It is like very cooked hamburger, but makes the best taco meat and meat for spaghetti, etc. We are really enjoying it. It also keeps a better flavor than when canned in sauces or in chili. I now only can my spaghetti sauce as the tomatoes and veggies and when we make spaghetti, add a jar of the hamburger. Much better flavor than when canned together. Hope that helps!
This sounds fascinating! How long does the canned ground beef last?
Shirley, I know it will last a year – but we eat it fast – but I have set one aside for two years just to see how it does! 🙂
Hi, I just found your website and your facebook page, which I have liked! I am new to canning, and am trying to find what pressure to use when I can in the pressure cooker. I live in central Oklahoma. Any help is appreciated! Thank you
Kim, I sent you an email, but just in case you don’t get it here is the response:
Thank you so much for reading the blog and joining the FB page. And a fellow Okie! Yay! 🙂
Regarding your question, with pressure canning, the rule of thumb is 10 lbs pressure for pretty much everything, however, if there is something that requires less or more, it will be indicated in the recipes you find online or in canning books. I recommend beginner canners get the Ball Blue Book of Canning, which can be found at Walmart or Lowes or any place that carries canning supplies. It answers all questions and gives pressure amounts and times for pretty much everything.
I hope that answers your question! And thanks again for joining us!
I have been water bath canning pickles and jelly for years. Just finished my very first pressure canning about an hour ago (carrots & green beans) and I’m so excited that it worked!
HB meat and corn scheduled for tomorrow!!
Great to finally find a fellow Okie on here!!
Hi Rodeo Mom!! Another Okie. Yayyy. And congrats on your canning adventure. You will looooove the hamburger. I use it for tacos, spaghetti sauce, casseroles, chili – anything that requires cooked, crumbled hamburger. It is so fast and wonderful. Thank you for reading the blog!
Can u add cream gravey to sausage mixture and then can that? Is their a negative outcome when adding dairy to this meat? Do u put ANY seasonings in meat while pre-cooking it?
I’m a Texas Gal… And a newby to canning…. But have some ingred. I want to do this weekend. Thanks so much!
No, Jeanette, I would not add anything to the meat. I would make your gravy at the time of use and add the canned sausage. The length of time of processing is going to change the properties and the taste of the gravy. I don’t think it would work to your satisfaction. 🙂 as far as seasonings, you can add those if you like, as your sausage will be seasoned, for example. I do not season my hamburger, though, because I use it for so many different things that I want to be able to season it as I use it. Hope that helps!! And good luck with your adventures in canning.
Thank you for your blog. I have learned a lot and love to read your posts.