Canned Beef Chunks / Stew Meat (Raw Pack)

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1Understand before you begin that beef is a low-acid food and must be processed in a pressure canner; a boiling-water bath canner is never safe for meat, no matter how long you process it.
2. 2Wash 7 quart jars in hot soapy water or a dishwasher and keep them hot until filling time; wash new lids and prepare them exactly as the manufacturer instructs.
3. 3Trim all visible fat, silverskin, and connective tissue from the beef, since excess fat can affect the seal and give the finished product an off flavor, then cut the meat into uniform 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes.
4. 4This recipe uses the raw pack method, meaning the beef cubes go into the jars uncooked; raw pack is appropriate for larger cuts of meat like this and saves a step, while hot pack (browning the meat first) is used when you prefer a firmer texture or when canning ground or shredded meats.
5. 5Pack the raw beef cubes loosely into the hot jars, without pressing them down, so liquid can circulate freely between the pieces.
6. 6Leave 1 1/4 inches of headspace at the top of each jar.
7. 7Raw-pack meat releases its own natural juices during processing, so added liquid is optional; if you prefer a fuller jar or plan to use the liquid later, ladle boiling water or boiling beef broth over the meat to cover it, keeping the same 1 1/4 inch headspace, and add salt only if you want it for flavor.
8. 8Run a bubble tool around the inside of the jar to release air trapped between the meat pieces, then re-measure and adjust headspace back to 1 1/4 inches if it has changed.
9. 9Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean, damp cloth to remove any fat, blood, or juice, since even a small amount of residue on the rim can prevent a proper seal, then center a lid on the jar and screw the band on fingertip tight.
10. 10Set the jars on the rack inside the pressure canner, add water as directed by the canner's manufacturer, lock the lid, and vent steam continuously for 10 minutes before pressurizing.
11. 11Process pint jars for 75 minutes and quart jars for 90 minutes at 10 pounds pressure in a weighted-gauge canner up to 1,000 feet elevation (15 pounds above 1,000 feet), or 11 pounds in a dial-gauge canner up to 2,000 feet (12 pounds from 2,001 to 4,000 feet, 13 pounds from 4,001 to 6,000 feet, 14 pounds from 6,001 to 8,000 feet).
12. 12Turn off the heat when processing ends and allow the canner to depressurize naturally; never quick-release a canner full of meat.
13. 13Once the gauge reads zero, wait 2 more minutes, then slowly release any remaining pressure, wait 10 more minutes, and unlock the lid.
14. 14Remove the jars to a towel-lined surface and let them cool, completely undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours.
15. 15Check that each lid is concave and does not flex, wipe the jars clean, label them with the contents and date, and store them in a cool, dark place for up to about 1 year.
16. 16Before eating, boil the contents of any jar hard for 10 minutes to destroy any possible botulinum toxin, and throw away, without tasting, any jar with an off smell, spurting contents, or a lid that did not seal or is bulging.