I know that people have been using water bath canning for meat and fish for a long time, and it's your choice to do it that way, but all official sources say to pressure can only. Not only is it far safer, it takes way less time. I never understood the resistance some people have to use a pressure canner. They cost a few bucks to start but you can do double the amount that a water bath can in the same time frame, and the risk of poisoning yourself or others is virtually eliminated. And you don't have to sterilize jars, either, just make sure they are clean. That saves even more time.
canned moose
- Thread starter norland
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gottagetmemoosebye
CGN Regular
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- Newfoundland
On Gatehouse's side here: I bottle my moose with a pressure canner. Quicker than a water bath, results are delicious and absolutely no worries about food poisoning. Got my pressure canner from Amazon for $125 bucks shipped and it works wicked.
Bottling Moose saves on freezer space, makes for a quick weekday supper. Shot a big Bull Moose on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula 2 weeks ago. Gonna make most into bottled Moose or sausages.
Bottling Moose saves on freezer space, makes for a quick weekday supper. Shot a big Bull Moose on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula 2 weeks ago. Gonna make most into bottled Moose or sausages.
I ate the stuff fairly often growing up Labrador, its great for excursions out and about or lunch when fending for yourself! Caribou, Moose, whatever. As others have said it's not pretty. but it's damn good when you warm it up. We liked to throw it in the frying pan with veggies from last nights dinner, then put some beets and some sweet mustard pickles beside it. Damn, I'm hungry too......I think there's some bottled rabbit in the pantry right now
back in the day, they didnt have such a thing, people were poor so a pot of boiling water and some jars was a simple option. Its just continued cause if its not broken, dont fix it.
I'm confused (I'm a little slow sometimes), so some replies talking about canning - I assumed that would be an all metal can like a tin of soup? The last reply shows a bottle of meat but refers to it as canned.... Shall I assume everyone that is referring to canning is the same as bottling??
All preserving of food in jars or cans is termed "canning". However, most people have better access to the bottling style since actually using cans is a much different process. Equipment and supplies are more expensive as well simply due to the fact of supply and demand. I know that, as an LDS member, I can rent the canner and buy the cans and lids from the Bishop's Storehouses, but we only ever did that with dry goods. Never even thought to attempt with meats or fresh foods. I may have missed out on something...
that being said, we can a couple of dozen jars of wild meat every year. Love it. Quick fries and gravy, stir fries, stews. 15minutes from start to finish, if the veggies are leftovers.
ETA: I guess I should point out that the only cans available to us were #10 cans. Kinda big for canning a meal, unless it was a stew or something...
that being said, we can a couple of dozen jars of wild meat every year. Love it. Quick fries and gravy, stir fries, stews. 15minutes from start to finish, if the veggies are leftovers.
ETA: I guess I should point out that the only cans available to us were #10 cans. Kinda big for canning a meal, unless it was a stew or something...
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Republic of Alberta
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Last time I looked a the price of tin cans it was ridiculous. They were something like a buck each with the lid, I can buy cans with food in them for a buck. I would like to know where guys are getting cheap tin cans because for the money I just use jars. Also keep a stock of lids for a SHTF back up supply.
This, right here. I bought 200 lids both of wide and regular last year and put them in storage. Not to be touched, EVER! I know that when SHTF, I can re-use lids ( my mother and grandmother did all the time, at least twice each and I know that hobos traveled with the same lid, time after time using them to can the leftovers in case they didn't get a meal the next day) but until then, I will continue single use only.
Technology advances. Sometimes it's a good thing, sometimes not. But if we can eliminate having to sterilize jars, cut the processing time in half or more and have a safer finished product, it's foolish not to take advantage of this, unless you have lots of time to waste.
People still are not rich and dont feel the need to change something that works fine or waste money on something they dont need. You do what you feel you need to do.
My wife has been doing this with bear meat since 1976.
I'd shot a pretty big bear at the end of October and she was 8 3/4 months pregnant time and I was working full time.
I never measured or weighed the bear, but suffice to say we rendered 9 gallons of fat off it.
We lived in a little cabin at the edge of Port Hardy with an oil stove. My parents had a prejudice common in Port Hardy at the time against bear meat and wouldn't let us use their deep freeze . Most people only saw bears at the dump and viewed them as not much more than big black rats or racoons. You might say this was some years before a certain well-known guide and hunting celebrity "discovered" the area and bought the guiding rights.
She roasted and then canned almost all of that bear in glass jars in a boiling water bath.
We ate it for years.
Finally, after days of this and her reaching 9 months, she put the last big chunk of hindquarter into a back pack and hitched into town and snuck it into my mom's freezer.
After the child was born in November and she was six month sold we went to Europe for the summer to introduce baby to my wife's parents.
When we came back we looked for the bear meat in the freezer and admitted what we'd done and asked my parents where it was.
"There was no bear meat there," they said, but there was this big moose roast that Nick (a neighbour) gave us. it was really good too."
We use a pressure cooker now but still use jars. Might even be some of the same jars. They're indestructible.
I'd shot a pretty big bear at the end of October and she was 8 3/4 months pregnant time and I was working full time.
I never measured or weighed the bear, but suffice to say we rendered 9 gallons of fat off it.
We lived in a little cabin at the edge of Port Hardy with an oil stove. My parents had a prejudice common in Port Hardy at the time against bear meat and wouldn't let us use their deep freeze . Most people only saw bears at the dump and viewed them as not much more than big black rats or racoons. You might say this was some years before a certain well-known guide and hunting celebrity "discovered" the area and bought the guiding rights.
She roasted and then canned almost all of that bear in glass jars in a boiling water bath.
We ate it for years.
Finally, after days of this and her reaching 9 months, she put the last big chunk of hindquarter into a back pack and hitched into town and snuck it into my mom's freezer.
After the child was born in November and she was six month sold we went to Europe for the summer to introduce baby to my wife's parents.
When we came back we looked for the bear meat in the freezer and admitted what we'd done and asked my parents where it was.
"There was no bear meat there," they said, but there was this big moose roast that Nick (a neighbour) gave us. it was really good too."
We use a pressure cooker now but still use jars. Might even be some of the same jars. They're indestructible.
Of course people are free to do what they want, and spend their money the way they want.
It's still true that the product they produce is less safe and takes far more time than using a pressure canner, and if you value your time at all, water bath canning is a false economy.
Its called multitasking, my brother will be bringing in fire wood, cleaning the house, working on something in the garage, etc... while the bottles are boiling. You dont have to sit there and stare at it.
I do the same thing when pressure canning. Of course, I can do at least twice as much canning in the same period of time, can stack jars on top of each other to maximize use of space in the canner, make spaghetti sauce, stews, etc. And I've already saved time by not having to sterilize the jars. I've done it both ways, and the pressure canner is far superior in every respect.
I'm sure your brother will continue doing it however he wants, but there is a much better way.
I'm sure your brother will continue doing it however he wants, but there is a much better way.
They stack the bottles too, same pot they cook jigs dinner in. Come visit some time when im home, ill show u.
Hmmm getting ideas here.. How about making prepared stews, soups, and meals and canning them? Would you cook them first or does the canning process cook it enough? My wife and I try freezing prepared meals but they never come out well.. all the water separates and the taste and texture is off.
And the canned stews in the stores is not real food at all.
May well be looking into a pressure cooker.
And the canned stews in the stores is not real food at all.
May well be looking into a pressure cooker.
Do it all the time. Meatloaf , pâté , spag sauce, curries , spicy stuff, stews etc.
The beauty of it is that there is no defrosting time involved. It is a really quick way to have great meals fast. In soups and stews the veg softens up when processed. I like to add more veg when I heat it up. Sometimes I just can the base and fluff it up with fresh veg when heating.
I recommend an All American Pressure canner. Great brand, no gasket needed.
