Canned Ham, Chunked

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1Understand before you begin that ham is a low-acid food and must be processed in a pressure canner; a boiling-water bath is never safe for canning ham or any other meat, even though ham is cured.
2. 2Wash 6 quart jars in hot soapy water or a dishwasher and keep them hot; wash new lids and prepare them exactly as the manufacturer instructs.
3. 3Trim the ham of thick surface fat and any rind, since excess fat can interfere with a good seal, then cut the ham into uniform 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes.
4. 4This recipe uses the hot pack method, which is recommended for already-cooked or cured meats like ham: heat the cubed ham through in a pot with a small amount of water for about 10 to 15 minutes until it is hot throughout, since hot packing removes more air from the meat and gives a fuller, better-sealing jar.
5. 5Pack the hot ham cubes loosely into the hot jars, without pressing them down, so liquid can circulate around the pieces.
6. 6Leave 1 1/4 inches of headspace at the top of each jar.
7. 7Ladle boiling plain water over the ham until it is covered, keeping the 1 1/4 inch headspace; do not add extra salt, since ham is already cured and salted and additional salt is unnecessary.
8. 8Run a bubble tool around the inside of the jar to release trapped air pockets among the ham cubes, then recheck and adjust the headspace to 1 1/4 inches.
9. 9Wipe the jar rims completely clean of any fat or liquid, center a lid on each jar, and screw the band down fingertip tight.
10. 10Load the jars into the pressure canner, add water as directed by the manufacturer, lock the lid, and vent steam steadily 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 (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 once processing finishes and let the canner depressurize naturally on its own; never quick-release a canner of ham.
13. 13Wait until the gauge reads zero, then wait 2 more minutes, slowly vent any remaining pressure, wait 10 more minutes, then unlock and open the canner.
14. 14Move the jars to a towel-lined surface and let them cool completely undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
15. 15Check that each lid has sealed, wipe the jars clean, label with contents and date, and store in a cool, dark place for up to about 1 year.
16. 16Before eating, boil the ham hard for 10 minutes to destroy any possible botulinum toxin, and discard without tasting any jar with an off odor, spurting liquid, or a lid that never sealed or is bulging.