Canning Roast Beef for Delicious Meals All Year Round

Canning roast beef is an easy way to ensure you have delicious, homemade meals ready to enjoy all year round. In just a few steps, you can preserve your roast beef and store it in jars for use throughout the year. Let’s go over the basics of canning roast beef, so you can start with first-time canning! Home-canned food is an adventure, but a year from now, when you see all of your own meat jars and other projects that you’ve done in the last year, you’ll feel so much more self-reliant and accomplished.

The Benefits of Canning Roast Beef     

The benefits of canning roast beef are numerous! The most obvious benefit is that you don’t have to worry about spoilage or contamination because all of the bacteria have been killed off by heating. Additionally, cans are lightweight and stackable, so they take up minimal space in your pantry or cupboard; this makes them highly convenient for food storage. Finally, canned foods last much longer than fresh foods—upwards of 10 years if stored properly! So if you plan on stocking up on several months’ worth of supplies at once, preserving them through the canning process would be an excellent choice!  

Equipment Needed 

Before you begin canning roast beef, it’s important to make sure you have the right equipment. You will need a pressure cooker or boiling water canner, canning jars and lids, tongs and clamps, a ladle, a funnel, and a jar lifter. Additionally, you will need seasonings of your choice, such as garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaf, or even a cup of onions (fresh). Once you have all these items ready, it’s time to start prepping your roast beef for canning. 

Safety Considerations 

When canning any food, safety should always be a top priority! Always make sure that you are following all safety guidelines when preparing your canned goods to avoid potential spoilage due to bacteria growth caused by improper storage temperatures or unclean equipment/jars/lids etc. Additionally, discard any canned goods that have been stored past their recommended shelf life, as they may no longer be safe for consumption, even if they appear sealed properly upon inspection. 

Choose Your Cut of Meat Carefully 

When selecting the cut of meat, it is best to use a lean cut without much fat. This will ensure that your roast beef stays preserved for as long as possible because excess fat can cause abnormal spoilage much more quickly and cause all your hard work to go rancid. Additionally, choose a cut that has minimal connective tissue, as this can make the texture tough when canned. Boneless beef chuck roast and top round are two great choices for canning because they are tender, provide plenty of flavor, and produce a delicious beef broth. 

Preparing Your Beef for Canning (Hot Packing)

For a hot pack method, the first step to canning beef roasts is to prepare your beef for the process. This means ensuring that the roast is cooked thoroughly and cooled before you start preparing it for canning. Once your roast is cooled, it should be trimmed of any additional fat or connective tissue and cut into cubes around 1 inch in size. You may also want to trim off any gristle or sinew that might otherwise make your finished product unappetizing. 

Once your meat has been prepared, it’s time to move on to the next step: packing the jars. To do this correctly, you will need wide-mouth jars with lids and rings designed specifically for home pressure canning. It is important to note that regular Mason jars are not suitable for pressure canning since they cannot withstand the high temperatures required for safe food preservation. If using pint-sized Mason jars, fill each jar with about one pound of meat cubes; if using quart-sized jars, fill each jar with two pounds of meat cubes. 

You can also do the raw pack method, which will require you to pack the meat into clean mason jars. You can fill the jars with an acidic liquid, such as red wine, tomato juice, and hot broth. This can do two things: add flavor, and reduce the processing time. While beef is not one of the low-acid foods, adding more acidity shortens the amount of time needed.

Don’t think you have to have your beef cubed constantly, either. You can use ground beef bought from the store or even wild game and other cuts of beef put through a machine at home to make ground meat. Raw beef in this process does not have to be big chunks of fresh meat!    

Once your jars have been filled with roast beef cubes, add a teaspoon of salt per jar and fill each jar with cold water until all the meat is covered by an inch of liquid. Place lids on each jar and screw on rings until they are finger-tightened—do not over-tighten! Once your jars have been prepared and sealed properly, place them in a pressure canner according to its instructions. The time needed in the canner will vary depending on the size of your jars (pint or quart) and their altitude above sea level; consult a reliable online source or pressure canning cookbook for more information on timing specifics. 

Next Steps After Canning 

Once you’ve canned your roast beef correctly and safely, there are several ways to enjoy it later down the road! One of our favorite recipes involves heating up some canned roast beef in a skillet with onions or peppers for a delicious stir-fry dish in just minutes. Or try adding it to tacos or burritos for an easy weeknight meal that will satisfy everyone in your family! Alternatively, if you want something more traditional, try making a pot roast with potatoes and carrots – add your already cooked canned roast beef into a slow cooker with all of those ingredients for 6-8 hours before serving! 

Canning roast beef is an easy way to stock up on delicious meals throughout the year! By following these simple steps, you will be able to easily preserve your roast beef without having to worry about spoilage or food waste due to expiration dates passing too quickly. Whether you’re looking to stock up on quick weeknight dinners or want an easy meal solution when hosting friends and family home this summer, canning roast beef will surely provide delicious results!  With just a few simple steps outlined above and some patience while waiting for the canister timer to go off–you’ll soon be enjoying tasty dishes made from canned roast beef all year round!