# Bottled Meat



## wyogoob

Running out of freezer space? A good way to preserve meat, especially "wild" tasting game animals like geese, sage grouse, raccoon, bear, antelope or moose, is to can it in a pressure cooker. Just store it on the shelf. Here's how:

*Bottled Meat *
Ingredients:
12 lbs Meat cut into 1" to 2" chunks
7 cubes Beef Bouillon 
6 cups Water
1/2 cup Cooking Oil
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Salt

optional:
1 1" cube of beef fat for every jar of meat
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper (seeds removed) for each jar of meat

Canning Instructions:
> Trim fat off of wild game meat.
> Add salt, pepper and oil to meat then place in a large roaster or pot. Stir meat until it is "oiled up".
> Place meat in preheated oven set on "broil". Brown meat, stirring often, but don't overcook.
> After meat is browned rinse clean in hot tap water.
> Pack meat tightly into 1 pint jars to within 1" from the top of the jar.
> Dissolve bouillon cubes in water, bring to a boil. Fill jars of meat to within 1" from the top.
> Process at 15 lbs pressure for 60 minutes. (6,000' elevation)

> If desired add a piece of fat to the top of the meat. It will melt during processing and leave a layer of fat on top. It is the traditional way to can beef or pork. Combined with the solution in the jar it makes great gravy.
> For a little bite, put a slice of fresh jalapeno pepper on top of the meat before canning.

> Makes 11 pints. (The recipe is based on pint jars canned in a 22 quart canner. A 22 quart canner will process 22 pint jars; 2 rows of 11).

Use for BBQ sandwiches, stews, soups, have with noodles or just eat out of the jar.
Keeps on the shelf for a long time.



For canned de-boned rabbits, grouse and waterfowl use chicken bouillon instead of beef bouillon and leave out the beef fat.


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## tapehoser

Awesome! I've been wondering how that was done. Perhaps I will try it this year.

Thanks!


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## Bears Butt

Thanks! I have tasted some done this way (venison) and it is VERY GOOD!!! Especially with Ritz and a cold brew! Yummy!


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## JAT83

hmmm...sounds pretty good!


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## stick_man

When I was a teenager, my dad used to always make a venison stew and bottle it. It was great! The bottling process seems to take a lot of the gamey taste out as well, maybe it was just the added veggies or whatever.

We used to also boil up the bones to make a tastey broth that was used with bottling just the chunks of meat. 

It is a great way to preserve some fine meat.


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## sagebrush

when i bottled some meat I never put water in the jar, i did add the bullion cube one per jar. i put the fresh meat in the jar put in the pressure cooker and it turned out much like yours.

this is the way the pressure cooker recipe book said to do it.


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## wyogoob

sagebrush said:


> when i bottled some meat I never put water in the jar, i did add the bullion cube one per jar. i put the fresh meat in the jar put in the pressure cooker and it turned out much like yours.
> 
> this is the way the pressure cooker recipe book said to do it.


Yes, that's fine. The meat will make it's own juice. I used do it that way with pork and beef.

The reason I opened this post up again is to say I ate a jar of deer meat from 2001. I checked the jars for a seal and cooked it like you would beef and noodles. It was 48 hours ago and I'm still OK, Just in case, I gave some to the dog so it could spend eternity with me if things went poorly.


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## wyogoob

Running out of freezer space?

This is a good way to put some deer away.

bump


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## wyogoob

It's hunting season so I'm bumping up this thread.

Bottled meat is great stuff.


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## swbuckmaster

man thanks for the idea. If im lucky this year im going to bottle most of minet. my freezer went out on me and I lost some meat this year. I dont want to have that happen again.


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## Rictanica

Thanks for bringing us board NEWBIES into the loop of the past recipes, Wyo! This one looks excellent.


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## wyogoob

Brown the meat:


Add broth, a piece of beef fat, and a slice of jalapeno:


Canned 12 jars while I did a little paperwork:


Looks pretty good:


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## hunter_orange13

It does taste pretty good, but there's something about the looks of meat in a jar.. I just don't like how it looks.. 

But I have tried it, and it does taste pretty good actually!


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## NHS

Once you get past the memories of things in jars in 12th grade biology, there is nothing better than bottled meat!!


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## wyogoob

NHS said:


> Once you get past the memories of things in jars in 12th grade biology, there is nothing better than bottled meat!!


You were in 12th grade! I'm jealous.


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## wyogoob

It's that time of year again.

Bottled 15 jars of antelope. Half the jars were topped with jalapeño, the other half salt pork:


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## Cooky

My granddad bottled all his venison. I remember thinking it was quite the treat when he broke some out. He usually served it over homemade bread with the juice thickened to make gravy. 
I just got hungry.


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## Moostickles

I usually bottle 1/2 an elk a year. I never thought of adding a jalapeno to it, that sounds delicious!!!


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## wyogoob

UtahHuntingDirect said:


> I usually bottle 1/2 an elk a year. I never thought of adding a jalapeno to it, that sounds delicious!!!


Cool, half an elk is a bunch! Do you put a piece of fat in the jar? It's just something our family always did.

The piece of jalapeno only adds a little bit of flavor. If you leave a few seeds attached to the piece of pepper it will have considerable bite to it.


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## 2full

We have bottled deer and elk for a long time, as my family before me did.
I have to hide and dole it out to the son-in-laws and grandkids. Is very good stuff !!!
The peppers are a great idea, I will do some in part of the batch this year for sure.
We have bottled the J peppers with onions like that for years. (Also have to hide those)
Don't know why we never thought of that idea.....Thanks


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## Moostickles

I haven't tried the fat either. Does it add to the flavor much?


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## wyogoob

UtahHuntingDirect said:


> I haven't tried the fat either. Does it add to the flavor much?


Not much. It's as much a tradition thing with me than anything. Growing up we canned beef and pork, even pork sausage. All of it had lots of fat. During processing the fat was cooked out and formed a thick layer on top of the meat in the jar.

Ya know, we humans have been pouring fat on top of meat in storage containers for thousands of years. It is a way to preserve the meat, keep air away from it.


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## GaryFish

As a kid, we bottled venison all the time. I might have to do that with the elk here in about a month. My deep freeze died two years ago, so I'm pretty limited on space. Thanks for the reminder Goob.


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## roper

My mother used to bottle deer meat all the time, we loved it at our house. I helped a friend get a cow elk a few years back. I then left the next day to go to Arizona and hunt pigs. When I returned home there was a box of elk steaks in the freezer and about 12 quarts of bottled elk waiting for me. It was as good as I remembered, but when they processed it they had added 3-4 wedges of onion to the meat in the jar. I thought that it made for a real nice flavor. But maybe it had just been a long time since I had had any bottled meat, I don't know. It may be something you want to try.


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## wyogoob

roper said:


> My mother used to bottle deer meat all the time, we loved it at our house. I helped a friend get a cow elk a few years back. I then left the next day to go to Arizona and hunt pigs. When I returned home there was a box of elk steaks in the freezer and about 12 quarts of bottled elk waiting for me. It was as good as I remembered, but when they processed it they had added 3-4 wedges of onion to the meat in the jar. I thought that it made for a real nice flavor. But maybe it had just been a long time since I had had any bottled meat, I don't know. It may be something you want to try.


Thanks for the tip on the onions, I will try it.


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## elkmule123

Is this any cut of meat or to you use more of the choice meat to bottle?


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## Packout

We use almost any cut to bottle, but don't bottle best cuts. I dry age the backstraps and tenderloins. We do trim the fat off and also any "easy" silver. The better the cut, the less "jelly" in the bottle. My family really enjoys bottled deer. Very easy and convenient.


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## Doc

We've been doing the bottling thing for years and years. We add a slice of onion, water and salt, no bullion. Haven't added any fat. Any deer fat that you miss will be at the top and it's easy to skim off when you open the bottle. My kids have started doing it this year with their deer. My grandson has a cow elk hunt coming up and we are planning on bottled meat and jerky, with a few steaks from the backstraps. Not like the kid has any pressure from his parents.

Fall apart/tender meat with a great shelf life and it can be used in so many ways.


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## lifes short

How about posting some of the ways you use your bottled venison.

I like to mash up some potatoes 
sautee some onions until golden brown
drain a pint of venison and dump it in the potatoes
mash it up some more
dump in the onions
salt and pepper
mix it well
serve with creamed or whole kernel corn
dinner


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## elkmule123

Well I gave it a shot at bottling some of my deer. Man it took a bit of effort  Every thing was going good, until about 2/3rd of the way through the cooking. The pressure canner started to loose pressure out the side. As much as this part sucks, it was kinda a good thing. I guess I didn't put the lids on tight enough and almost all the beef broth boiled out of the bottles. So after getting it all set up again, I started to heat up the pressure canner and I can get it to seal tight enough to hold pressure. Tried it a few times, even broke out some vise grips which helped to raise it a bit more in pressure, but not enough to reach the 15 lbs. So I had to borrow my IL's pressure canner and got it done. I was half tempted to pop the top of one and try the meat, it should be REAL tender now with all the extra cooking, but decide that I'd get more satisfaction at the time seeing it on the self :grin:


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## elkmule123

I got looking at my bottled meat last night, and noticed a white powder looking build up on the bottom of the meat cubes. Is this normal?


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## wyogoob

elkmule123 said:


> Well I gave it a shot at bottling some of my deer. Man it took a bit of effort  Every thing was going good, until about 2/3rd of the way through the cooking. The pressure canner started to loose pressure out the side. As much as this part sucks, it was kinda a good thing. I guess I didn't put the lids on tight enough and almost all the beef broth boiled out of the bottles. So after getting it all set up again, I started to heat up the pressure canner and I can get it to seal tight enough to hold pressure. Tried it a few times, even broke out some vise grips which helped to raise it a bit more in pressure, but not enough to reach the 15 lbs. So I had to borrow my IL's pressure canner and got it done. I was half tempted to pop the top of one and try the meat, it should be REAL tender now with all the extra cooking, but decide that I'd get more satisfaction at the time seeing it on the self :grin:


Many number of things can cause the liquid to boil out of the jars. It's called siphoning. Maybe you had a sudden loss of pressure or sudden temperature change. Loss of liquid is not the end of the world, what's important that the meat seen an uninterrupted certain temperature for a given amount of time.

Only you know what went on when you processed the meat. I would look on the internet, especially state, university or federal government info websites on canning for answers or read some canning books. You will find a long list of things that can go bad, or good, when canning meat. Maybe something will stand out.

I've had liquid siphon a couple times. Once from taking the weight off during processing and once from taking the lid off the canner too soon.

.


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## wyogoob

elkmule123 said:


> I got looking at my bottled meat last night, and noticed a white powder looking build up on the bottom of the meat cubes. Is this normal?


Got me. I looked at some canned antelope and canned elk from 2011 and seen some fat here and there but nothing that looks like that.

Are the jars holding their seal now that they're on the shelf?

.


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## wyogoob

This site has a good read on loss of liquid.

http://www.pickyourown.org/canning-problems-loss-of-liquid.php


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## elkmule123

Yeah everyone is holding there seal, I'll take a look at the link and see what I can come up with. Thanks!


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## elkmule123

Looks like I did two things wrong, to explain the liquid loss. I packed the meat to tight and I cooled the canner down too quickly when I lost the pressure. I'll have to dig more on the site for the white stuff. It doesn't mention anything on that.


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## Packout

I just looked at the meat I bottled this year and don't see anything white on it. Hope you find out what the white is-- looks like a growth to me. Watch it and see if the white area increases. 

We do pack the bottle somewhat tight, but always leave them below the shoulder of the bottle to accommodate liquid. I'd wager 1/2 the bottles have meat slightly above the liquid after they cool.


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## wyogoob

*16 months old - looks good*

If there's a drastic temperature or pressure change the liquid will get sucked out and it doesn't matter how tight the lids are.

Here's a jar of antelope from Sept 2012. I don't think it's changed in appearance since the day I bottled it.

16 months old - January 2014:


Canned on Sept 2012:


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## wyogoob

2011 Antelope before processing:


2011 Antelope after processing. The meat was browned and then rinsed off in hot water before packing into the jars. It looks really good:


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## wyogoob

Antelope 2012 before processing. There is some shrinkage if the meat is browned. Here it took about 17 lbs of meat to do 15 pint jars:


The jars are topped off with a cube of beef fat and/or a slice of jalapeno: 


Antelope 2012 after processing:


These have a little "fuzz" on them, probably blood, from not browning the meat enough.


.


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## elkmule123

Thanks for the pics. I'm still a bit puzzled as to why I'm getting it. I did start completely over after all the issues that I initially had. We'll see I guess. I hate loosing all that meat.


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## longbow

Here's a few bottles of grizzly bear meat. I tried a slice of it's backstrap and it was terrible so I thought bottling it would tame it down a bit. I was wrong. I've had really good black bear before so I was excited to try a Kodiak grizzly. I feed a little bit to my dogs every day just to free up my bottles.


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## longbow

elkmule123 said:


> Thanks for the pics. I'm still a bit puzzled as to why I'm getting it. I did start completely over after all the issues that I initially had. We'll see I guess. I hate loosing all that meat.


I read somewhere that using regular salt instead of canning salt would leave a white silt like that. Could that be the problem?


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## elkmule123

Wow! Yeah, I just used salt from the round Morton cardboard salt containers. I didn't realize there was a difference in canning salt and regular salt. Do you have a reference by chance? Thanks BTW


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## longbow

I don't really have a reference. I just remember my mother saying something about it a jillion years ago. However I did find this link.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081017135734AA6WS7Y
From what I gather, it doesn't make any difference in the taste.


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## wyogoob

longbow is right. Table salt (iodized salt) is not for canning, sausage making, jerky or meat curing. Use "Plain", "Canning", Curing", "Pickling", or "Kosher" salt.

http://extension.psu.edu/food/preservation/faq/canning-and-pickling-salt

Using table salt in place of plain salt bears no health risks; it's purely a cosmetic thing.

.


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## elkmule123

So the bit of searching I did, when table salt is used the white cloudy stuff settles to the bottom of the jar/bottle. Not on the bottom of the meat cubes. I have come across one web page that mentioned white mold growth with some other colors of mold, but there wasn't a picture or mention of where the mold was growing. So far mine is only white.


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## wyogoob

elkmule123 said:


> So the bit of searching I did, when table salt is used the white cloudy stuff settles to the bottom of the jar/bottle. Not on the bottom of the meat cubes. I have come across one web page that mentioned white mold growth with some other colors of mold, but there wasn't a picture or mention of where the mold was growing. So far mine is only white.


It's not mold.

Mail a jar of it to me. I will eat it. If I die it's no good. just kidding

.


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## Packout

Here is what I would do--

https://ask.extension.org/ask

USU Extension services are incredible at helping the public. They also have extension offices around the state, but I'm not sure if they have a canning expert at each one. Let us know what they say.


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## 2full

We make a killer stew at deer camp with our bottled meat: 
1- bottle deer meat
1- can sliced potatoes
1- can carrots
1- can green beans
1- can or bottle gravy. Can use a dry gravy mix, usually plenty of moisture in the bottle of meat to make the gravy.
Just throw it in a pot big enough to hold it all, and let it simmer for a while till it comes to a light boil.
Easy, quick, and all in one pan.

Serve with some good rolls.........:mrgreen:


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## wyogoob

lifes short said:


> How about posting some of the ways you use your bottled venison.
> 
> I like to mash up some potatoes
> sautee some onions until golden brown
> drain a pint of venison and dump it in the potatoes
> mash it up some more
> dump in the onions
> salt and pepper
> mix it well
> serve with creamed or whole kernel corn
> dinner


We probably use ours for BBQ more than anything else:

1 pint - bottled meat
1/3 cup - minced onions
1/3 cup - favorite BBQ sauce

Mix well, heat in the microwave, serve on buns with chips and a dill pickle.


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## GaryFish

Nice top of page Goob!

I've used bottled venison to make a nice sauce over noodles. One quart of venison, one can of cream of mushroom soup, heat to a slow simmer - and then serve on top of wide egg noodles with a side of home canned green beans.


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## wyogoob

That's a great way to use bottled meat *GaryFish*.

Hey, I'm making a strong run for the 2014 Nobel Prize in "Forum Top of the Page."


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## GaryFish

Heck, I'm just happy that 2full "liked" my post. I thought it was just you and me in this forum Goob. It's nice to know someone else comes around.


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## elkmule123

Packout said:


> Here is what I would do--
> 
> https://ask.extension.org/ask
> 
> USU Extension services are incredible at helping the public. They also have extension offices around the state, but I'm not sure if they have a canning expert at each one. Let us know what they say.


Will do, thanks for the link.


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## 2full

Shucks..........I had the last post on page 5 !!!, and one earlier in the thread.
I like this forum, share the ideas with the wife all the time.


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## elkmule123

So far they have referred me to this link.
http://nchfp.uga.edu/questions/FAQ_canning.html#15

He isn't sure what the growth is but is going to ask his food scientist colleagues and get back with me.


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## wyogoob

Meat can be directly packed into the jars and canned without any pre-cooking or it can be browned in a big pot in the oven first. Browning helps retain the natural flavors and minimizes shrinkage.

In the picture below the bottled meat on the left was not browned first. The juice is cloudy and it contains a lot of "mothers" from blood leaking out during processing. 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of vinegar can be added to each jar before processing to help keep the juice clear.

The meat in the quart jar on the right was browned in a big canner in an oven set on "broil." The juice is noticeably clearer than the juice in the pint jar. A cup of oil and some salt and pepper is added to the pot and the meat is stirred often to brown the chunks of meat evenly. After browning the meat can be rinsed off with hot water before packing in the jars.



The fat on the top of the meat in both jars is beef fat from a small chunk of fat place on top of the wild game meat before processing.


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## GaryFish

You're going to need bigger bottles if you plan on doing this to the bison this year.


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## wyogoob

GaryFish said:


> You're going to need bigger bottles if you plan on doing this to the bison this year.


Ah, ha, ha, ha, boy that's the truth. If I get one much will be given away and a lot will get bottled. I just won't have the freezer space.

.


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## Critter

wyogoob said:


> Ah, ha, ha, ha, boy that's the truth. If I get one much will be given away and a lot will get bottled. I just don't won't have the freezer space.
> 
> .


Buy a bigger or another freezer.

I remember back in the early 70's when you could put in for all the OIL tags in Utah each year. A man that worked at Geneva Steel put in for moose, bison, and a desert bighorn. This along with a elk and deer tag. He had also planned on a African safari that year also.

Guess what? He drew all the tags that he put in for. A reporter for the local paper asked him what his plans were. He said it quite simply "Buy another freezer."



GaryFish said:


> And just like that, Critter nails top of page! Dagnabitall!


Whoop, whoop, whoop, top of page, top of page. Hadn't even noticed that.

Thanks for pointing that out Gary.


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## GaryFish

And just like that, Critter nails top of page! Dagnabitall!


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## wyogoob

Bottled antelope on the left was not browned. Lots of "mothers" covering the meat and on the bottom of the jar. The juice is cloudy.

Canned meat on the right was browned first. Not much crud floating around or on the bottom of the jar. Juice is clearer.. I think it tastes better this way.



.


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## NHS

I have a question regarding this topic. Will meat that has not been properly canned have a bad or different smell than meat that has canned properly? I would think that if the seal wasn't good, or if there were bacteria multiplying in the jar, it would be STANKY when opened. Correct? I don't want to unknowingly partake of something that has started to turn.


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## swbuckmaster

If its bad it will stink like a dead elk


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## wyogoob

NHS said:


> I have a question regarding this topic. Will meat that has not been properly canned have a bad or different smell than meat that has canned properly? I would think that if the seal wasn't good, or if there were bacteria multiplying in the jar, it would be STANKY when opened. Correct? I don't want to unknowingly partake of something that has started to turn.


It can go either way. Canned meat that smells fine and had an unbroken seal can still be bad.

Does your canned meat smell bad?

.


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## NHS

No, it smells and tastes great. Six months from now I was hoping if I did something wrong I could find out about it because of the smell and not have to find out about it by breaking my 28 year no puking streak.


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## wyogoob

NHS said:


> No, it smells and tastes great. Six months from now I was hoping if I did something wrong I could find out about it because of the smell and not have to find out about it by breaking my 28 year no puking streak.




Bottled meat, if processed correctly, is good for "several" years.

.


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## massmanute

The dangerous bacteria is the one that makes botulism toxin. You can't taste it. However, if the product does smell or taste like it is spoiled then for sure it is not safe because that means that some bacteria (not necessarily the botulism bacteria) were not killed. This is a sign that if the botulism bacteria were present when the product was canned then it might not have been killed by the canning process.

Also of note, heat inactivates the botulism toxin. I don't recall the duration of cooking, but if you cook the food for a certain period of time after you open it then the botulism toxin is not a problem. Think "belts and suspenders".

Anyway, meat canned according to approved canning procedures, is very safe to eat. The US government has performed very extensive tests on canning procedures, and you can download the relevant canning procedures for free. They can also be bought in printed form from several sources.

Also, your county agent can test your pressure canner. This is a good thing to do if yours is a gauge-type canner. I believe that testing is a free service. The weight-type canner does not need testing as they never go out of adjustment due to the physical principle employed to regulate the pressure.


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## NHS

I am 99.9% sure I did it correctly. I vented the cooker for 10 minutes before I began to pressurize it. When the gauge hit 15 lb/psi I set the timer for 90 minutes, then let it cool. So far so good. My non-vomit streak is still intact!


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## 30-06-hunter

Goob, can meat be canned just using a steam bath type canner, or does it need to be a pressure cooker?


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## swbuckmaster

Pressure cooker!


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## elkmule123

It has to be the pressure cooker, which gets the jars and meat hot enough to kill the botulism bacteria.


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## massmanute

To be a little more accurate, according to current FDA recommendations it should be a pressure *canner*. An ordinary pressure cooker is too small to give the necessary heat profile, including heating up and cooling down time profiles.

Although a pressure cooker could, in principle, be used if tests were done to determine the right heating program, the tests have not been done, so ordinary pressure cookers are not approved for home canning.

Also, as others have commented, a water bath canner cannot be used to safely can meats. The same comment applies to other low-acid foods, such as most vegetables.


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## wyogoob

30-06-hunter said:


> Goob, can meat be canned just using a steam bath type canner, or does it need to be a pressure cooker?


I'm not sure what a "steam type canner" is.

If you can prove you have the recommended "x" amount of pressure for the recommended "x" number of minutes you are OK.....relative to your elevation. Pressure relates to temperature. The more pressure the hotter it will be.

Back home at 500' elevation meat was processed at 10 lbs for an hour. Evanston WY is 7,000' elevation so it's 15lbs for an hour. We need 5 more pounds of pressure, more or less, up here to get the same temperature as back in Illinois.

.


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## massmanute

wyogoob said:


> I'm not sure what a "steam type canner" is.


I think the reference to a "steam canner" is probably referring to something like this.

http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-400A-7-Quart-Aluminum/dp/B0000DDUCJ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414475761&sr=8-1&keywords=steam+canning

This type of canner is controversial. It is not recommended by the FDA, even for acidic foods, because it has not been sufficiently tested by the FDA. In any case, it would definitely be unsafe for canning meats because it does not reach the required temperatures to kill the botulism bacteria.

As a side note, I misread the post that mentions steam canner as referring to a water bath canner, but this error of reading would not have affected my most recent post in this thread.


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## wyogoob

massmanute said:


> I think the reference to a "steam canner" is probably referring to something like this.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-4...&qid=1414475761&sr=8-1&keywords=steam+canning
> 
> This type of canner is controversial. It is not recommended by the FDA, even for acidic foods, because it has not been sufficiently tested by the FDA. In any case, it would definitely be unsafe for canning meats because it does not reach the required temperatures to kill the botulism bacteria.
> 
> As a side note, I misread the post that mentions steam canner as referring to a water bath canner, but this error of reading would not have affected my most recent post in this thread.


OK, thanks. I don't know anything about those things.

.


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## wyogoob

*browning the meat first is best*

I purposely browned the meat longer on my latest batch of canned meat:


Although the picture doesn't do it justice, the broth is super clear with the browned meat:


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## 30-06-hunter

My in-laws have a regular pressure canner we can use, was just wondering.


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## wyogoob

I salvaged the shanks off my bull elk. The shanks are those super-tough muscles below and around the knee, you know, the muscles with all the tendons, the ones most hunters leave in the woods. By Wyoming G&F rule I don't have to keep them, but I usually do. Shanks are great for Salami or bottled meat. This bull had huge shanks; 18 lbs of them total. They were used for bottled meat.

Look at the size of a shank from this elk:


The white skin was removed from the outside of the muscle groups only. The meat was cut against the grain into 3/4" to 1" thick slices and then chunked into pieces around 1 1/2" wide leaving the white skin and the tendons within intact. The white skin cooks down to nothing in the pressure cooker and the tendons turn to jell.

The shank meat was oiled-up and browned in a hot oven. The meat was drained and rinsed with hot water and then packed into pint jars. A 1" cube of salt pork was placed on top in each jar. The jars were then filled to within 1" from the rim with beef bouillon liquid.



The meat was processed in a pressure cooker at 15lbs for 80 minutes. 18lbs made 16 pints:


The cooked tendons will jell the broth making for some fantastic gravy:


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## Critter

They also make great soups and stews. Throw in some beans and bits of bacon and you have a great winter meal.


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## Packout

We are bottling deer tomorrow night. Good timing as the last bottle was just finished off....


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## swbuckmaster

We bottled deer tonight. It's also a good way to clean out your freezer of older meat.


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## CPAjeff

I have never bottled meat, so... sorry for the dump questions!

How long will bottled meat stay good?
Can you open a bottle and eat it right then, or do you have to cook it more?


*I should have read the other nine pages worth of posts before asking! Found the answers I was looking for.


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## GaryFish

My experience is that it'll keep great for a year, and after that, it just isn't as good. I've had some that was about 4 years old, and it was fine - didn't make us sick.

As for eating it straight - you can do that. The bottling process cooks the meat. When using it to make a dish (stroganoff is the BEST for bottled venison), further cooking will help to fuse whatever flavors you are trying to get, but the meat is already cooked.


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## CPAjeff

Its a great time of the year to revisit this thread. 

Last night, I bottled the meat from an antelope shot earlier in the week and now I just need to get the courage to try some of it! ;-)


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## wyogoob

Way2go!!

Uh...I assume the 1st pic is of raw meat?

The meat is not browned?

2nd pic is processed meat?

The jars looked "squished" in 2nd pic?

Did the lids seal OK, go "pop"?

Feed some to your mother-in-law and wait 48 hours before you try it. :smile:

.


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## CPAjeff

wyogoob said:


> Way2go!!
> 
> Uh...I assume the 1st pic is of raw meat? Yes.
> 
> The meat is not browned?No, I missed that part of the thread.
> 
> 2nd pic is processed meat? Yes.
> 
> The jars looked "squished" in 2nd pic?I got a new phone and have to resize all the images to 1920x1200 before UWN will accept the picture in the upload window. Those poor jars look short and fat instead of tall and slender. Kinda like me anymore...
> 
> Did the lids seal OK, go "pop"?Yes sir!
> 
> Feed some to your mother-in-law and wait 48 hours before you try it. :smile: The sad thing is, I actually like my mother-in-law. Does anyone have a mother-in-law they don't like?? I have a bottle of meat for her to try... ;-)
> 
> .


I have 8 tags left for the fall, so I am hoping that I will have this process down pat!


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## wyogoob

CPAjeff said:


> Its a great time of the year to revisit this thread.
> 
> Last night, I bottled the meat from an antelope shot earlier in the week and now I just need to get the courage to try some of it! ;-)


I took the liberty of fixing the pictures for you.

.


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## wyogoob

CPAjeff said:


> I have 8 tags left for the fall, so I am hoping that I will have this process down pat!


I fixed the pictures. Your bottled meat looks great.

The meat doesn't have to be browned to bottle, your call. Try it the next time. See if you like it.

8 tags! Are you crazy? uh...nevermind

I loved my mother-in-law too. Boy, I miss her. She was only 56 when she passed away; food poisoning they said.

.


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## CPAjeff

wyogoob said:


> I fixed the pictures. Your bottled meat looks great. Hey, thanks for fixing the pictures!
> 
> The meat doesn't have to be browned to bottle, your call. Try it the next time. See if you like it. I am for sure going to give it a try next time!
> 
> 8 tags! Are you crazy? uh...nevermind My wife said something very similar, but with a few more adjectives. I'd love to share exactly what she said, but I'd get some of those ***** thingies in my post.
> 
> I loved my mother-in-law too. Boy, I miss her. She was only 56 when she passed away; food poisoning they said. LOL - I think...
> 
> .


Top of the page - - - YES!


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## Dunkem

Hey Jeff send all the mods a bottle and we will give you our taste results!8)


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## CPAjeff

Dunkem said:


> Hey Jeff send all the mods a bottle and we will give you our taste results!8)


Next time you are in Rich County, let me know. I have a bottle with your name on it!


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## wyogoob

*Good time to bump this*



wyogoob said:


> I salvaged the shanks off my bull elk. The shanks are those super-tough muscles below and around the knee, you know, the muscles with all the tendons, the ones most hunters leave in the woods. By Wyoming G&F rule I don't have to keep them, but I usually do. Shanks are great for Salami or bottled meat. This bull had huge shanks; 18 lbs of them total. They were used for bottled meat.
> 
> Look at the size of a shank from this elk:
> 
> 
> The white skin was removed from the outside of the muscle groups only. The meat was cut against the grain into 3/4" to 1" thick slices and then chunked into pieces around 1 1/2" wide leaving the white skin and the tendons within intact. The white skin cooks down to nothing in the pressure cooker and the tendons turn to jell.
> 
> The shank meat was oiled-up and browned in a hot oven. The meat was drained and rinsed with hot water and then packed into pint jars. A 1" cube of salt pork was placed on top. The jars were then filled to within 1" from the rim with beef bouillon liquid.
> 
> 
> 
> The meat was processed in a pressure cooker at 15lbs for 80 minutes. 18lbs made 16 pints:
> 
> 
> The cooked tendons will jell the broth making for some fantastic gravy:


bumpity bump

.


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## High Desert Elk

Good idea Goob. Will keep me from having to floss as much after eating burger with less shank thrown into the grind pile.


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## Vanilla

I need to do this. 

I need to kill more animals first. 

But I need to do this.


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## wyogoob

*every other year*



Vanilla said:


> I need to do this.
> 
> I need to kill more animals first.
> 
> But I need to do this.


Yeah, once you get the hang of it it's easy. Great way to process those cuts of meat, like the neck and shanks, that many hunters discard or just leave in the woods.

Doesn't take up valuable freezer space.

Bottled meat is so versatile: soup, stews, pot pies, Stroganoff, beef n noodles, BBQ, Italian beef sandwiches, Philly sub sandwiches, or just eat it out of the jar.

Normally I make it every other year.


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## Packout

Good Bump. 
We bottle meat every year. Usually two or three times a year. You can add different spices to the bottles it works great. If I am pressed for time I will freeze a quarter or two and then bottle it later. Very Convenient. 

I think the neck is one of the most flavorful cuts on the animal. We crockpot the neck and it is excellent. 
I do agree that far too many hunters leave the necks in the field or at the taxidermists' shops.......


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## Kwalk3

I have become the dedicated shank-taker in my hunting party. I have shanks from a few bulls, a mule deer and antelope in the freezer right now. Same with neck meat. If people just learned to braise things, they'd realize what they are missing.

Shanks and Neck are extremely flavorful and tender when slow-cooked. Some of my favorite cuts on an animal. I do have some older stew meat chunks and round steaks/roasts in the freezer that seem destined for the bottles though. Looks like a good use for them and gives some variety.


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## wyogoob

Packout said:


> Good Bump.
> We bottle meat every year. Usually two or three times a year. You can add different spices to the bottles it works great. If I am pressed for time I will freeze a quarter or two and then bottle it later. Very Convenient.
> 
> I think the neck is one of the most flavorful cuts on the animal. We crockpot the neck and it is excellent.
> I do agree that far too many hunters leave the necks in the field or at the taxidermists' shops.......


Yeah buddy. Mix it up some, add garlic, onion, or peppers if you want.

Years ago I got a 49 pound big ole bull elk neck at a local taxidermy shop. I made a sausage recipe especially for that stinky piece of meat I dug out of the dumpster at the taxidermy shop. It's called "Elknecko", one of my best salami recipes.


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## CPAjeff

My favorite thing to do with bottled meat is shred it, add one onion, and one bottle of BBQ sauce - mix everything together and let simmer for about one hour and you get one of the best BBQ sandwiches ever!

TOTP and post #100 - YAHOO!!


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## Critter

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


This is what my mom used to do except she wouldn't bottle it but have it cooked and we would have it ate way before a lot of the other cuts of meat were even touched. 

You can do the same with deer ribs cut in half and cooked. My lips are watering already and the sad thing is that I didn't get a deer this year.


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## wyogoob

MULEY FREAK published an article I wrote on bottled meat.

https://muleyfreak.com/2018/11/16/bottle-meat-how-and-why/?utm_source=google,%20muley%20freak%20read,%20social&utm_medium=social%20media&utm_term=wild%20game%20processing,%20bottled%20game%20meat

.


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## CPAjeff

^^^ That's awesome - great article!


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## longbow

I'm impressed Goob! 

I've never browned my meat in the oven. I usually brown it in a big pot on the range top. What's the benefit to doing it in the oven vs on the range top?

Chuck


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## wyogoob

*faster*



longbow said:


> I'm impressed Goob!
> 
> I've never browned my meat in the oven. I usually brown it in a big pot on the range top. What's the benefit to doing it in the oven vs on the range top?
> 
> Chuck


Thanks Chuck

Oven Pros:
Faster, more meat is being browned at any given time.
Can use a larger (33 quart canner) pot.
More uniform browning.
Less chance of scorching meat.


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## 2full

I've always used a big frying pan and browned the meat on top of the stove, with a little seasoning. 
Will do the meat in 2 or 3 batches. Then pour the drippings in the bottles. Has always been good. 
I'll have to try the pot.

Congrats on the artical, that is cool........


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## StillAboveGround

wyogoob said:


> Running out of freezer space? A good way to preserve meat, especially "wild" tasting game animals like geese, sage grouse, raccoon, bear, antelope or moose, is to can it in a pressure cooker. Just store it on the shelf. Here's how:.


One day 25+ years ago, a field tech pull out a jar of canned venison on top of a mountain to share... something I was not familiar... very tasty.

I have canned other things and have made a few different kinds of sausage and corned elk and made elk pastrami etc, but have never canned meat or fish myself. Thanks for the instructions.


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## neverdrawn

I don't brown the meat before bottling, just put it in with a little bullion and a pinch of salt. I've had many people tell me the taco's we make with it are the best they have ever tasted. My favorite for a quick lunch is to mix in a little mayo and spread it on a sandwich. Quick, easy and delicious! My mother would quite often make a brown gravy with the juice from the meat and we'd eat it all over potato's or toast, also very good.


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## wyogoob

Bump, its hunting season.


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## wyogoob

bump


Uh...top of the page.


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## CPAjeff

About a week ago, I pulled out the last bottle of jalapeno antelope from 2016 . . . the color was a little off so I let my in-laws try it first. After about an hour, with no immediate sign of food poisoning (I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing  ) I mixed the rest of it up with bbq sauce, one onion and let it simmer for an hour.

The pulled antelope bbq sandwiches were great!


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## turkinator

Haven’t bottled any meat for a few years so decided to do some last night. Followed Goob’s directions and it turned out great! Only had one bottle that didn’t seal. I also made 7 quarts of elk stock with the bones and some garden veggies. Can’t wait to use them both in some recipes, but first I need to rest. It’s been a busy few days since I got my elk on Saturday.


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## Airborne

I love this thread and cannot thank Goob enough for posting it!

Since I discovered this thread back in the spring I have been a meat bottling fanatic! The elk I killed last week--yeah, I bottled as much as I could--> 28 Quarts! I had two pressure cookers going. I didn't brown the meat this time before bottling because I had so much meat and wanted to save a step. I did 15 lbs of pressure for 90 minutes for quarts. I also bottled a mule deer back in September plus all the 2019 elk meat I thawed and put up in bottles back in the spring. I have A LOT of meat bottled up and now it's time to eat!


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## turkinator

Wife was on a business call this evening so that left me in charge of dinner for the fam. Decided to put the bottle of elk that didn’t seal to good use. Started off by caramelizing some onions. When they were done caramelizing I deglazed the pan with some white wine. Added the bottle of meat with the juices and some garlic next. Let the meat simmer for a bit. Thickened the mixture with a little flour and seasoned it with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. Served it over mashed taters. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the kids gobbled it up as well!

Lots of other ideas to use bottled meat. Can’t wait to try some more!


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