{"id":16305,"date":"2022-05-04T06:24:14","date_gmt":"2022-05-04T10:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/?p=16305"},"modified":"2024-04-11T13:12:32","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T17:12:32","slug":"canning-beef-stew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/canning-beef-stew\/","title":{"rendered":"Canning Beef Stew"},"content":{"rendered":"

Home canned beef stew is a hearty and filling meal that can be enjoyed year-round. This recipe and tutorial will teach you how to pressure can beef stew with ease.<\/p>

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Having a variety of home canned ready to eat meals is an easy solution to satisfying hunger without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. When things get too busy to cook, or the refrigerator is bare, it is handy to grab a jar and heat it up for a quick and tasty meal.<\/p>

I love canning beef stew because I can make it using so many vegetables I grow in the garden, including potatoes<\/a>, carrots<\/a>, onions<\/a>, celery<\/a>, thyme<\/a>, and homemade beef stock<\/a>. Plus I know exactly what is in the jar, and can avoid excess salt, chemicals, and preservatives found in store bought canned goods.<\/p>

Tips for Canning Beef Stew<\/h2>

You will need to use a pressure canner to can beef stew. If you don’t have a pressure canner, you can freeze your stew instead. A pressure canner provides the high heat necessary to kill bacteria that can cause botulism.<\/p>

I use a Presto 16-quart pressure canner<\/a>. It holds a canner load of 7 quarts or 9-pint sized jars. Other brands of pressure canners I recommend are Mirro and All American. Each has a slightly different procedure, so follow the directions for your brand. Here are other tips for canning beef stew:<\/p>

Type of Beef for Stew<\/h3>

Beef stew meat comes in conveniently cut up in packages at your grocery store, but you can save some money by opting for beef roasts and cutting your own.<\/p>

Lean meat can get tough when heated for such a long period of time. You want to pick a cut of beef with plenty of marbling of fat and connective tissue that will break down and tenderize during the pressure canning time.<\/p>

Good beef cuts to use for canning beef stew include, chuck, chuck shoulder, chuck roast, bottom round roast, rump roast, eye round roast, top round, round tip roast, or pot roast.<\/p>

Best Potatoes for Canning<\/h3>

Some potatoes hold up better when canned than others. Use waxy or boiling varieties of potatoes. These are low in starch and high in moisture, which helps them hold up to the heat without breaking apart.<\/p>

Red, white round, and gold potatoes work well for canning. New potatoes are also great choices for pressure canning because they have less starch than mature tubers.<\/p>

Avoid canning starchy potatoes that are typically used for baking, such as russets and Yukon gold potatoes. While not unsafe to use, these will break down during the canning process, turn mealy, and leave behind a starchy residue.<\/p>

Onions<\/h3>

Any type of bulb onion will work for this recipe since the sharp onion flavor mellows as the beef stew is cooked and processed. Feel free to use red, white, or yellow onions.<\/p>

Use Beef Stock<\/h3>

The original recipe calls for cooking the stew briefly in water, and then canning it. Using beef stock infuses more flavor into the stew. You can use beef stock or broth from the grocery store, or home canned beef stock. If you are using a store bought, try to choose one without a lot of sodium, chemicals, and ingredients you cannot identify.<\/p>

How to Prevent Liquid Loss<\/h3>

Liquid loss occurs when the contents of the jar is siphoned out of the jar. It is caused by a rapid change in air pressure and temperature. If properly processed, loss of some liquid is ok, and won’t cause the food to spoil, but any food above the liquid turn dark and dry out. Don’t store the jar if the loss half the jar or more. Instead, refrigerate the jar, and use within several days.<\/p>

Siphoning is less likely to happen if you prevent rapid changes in temperature and pressure. Maintain a steady temperature, and let your pressure canner cool down naturally after processing time is complete.<\/p>

How to Can Beef Stew<\/h2>

Before you begin, it may be helpful to review this article on pressure canning<\/a> at the National Center for Home Food Preservation website, along with the instructions for your pressure canner.<\/p>

This safe canning recipe is the “Beef Stew with Vegetables” from the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving <\/em><\/a>and the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving<\/em><\/a>. Changes include swapping the water with beef broth for more flavor, and reducing the amount of salt.<\/p>

According to Ball, other safe customizations include:<\/p>