Happy Monday Morning to you all!
I am very excited about the rest of this week as we touch on a few other items and ways of preserving that we do here at the real Welcoming House.
Today and tomorrow we are going to be talking about different ways of processing and preserving meat in different ways...ways that will allow to take advantage of meat sales when they happen, or if you take a jump into the exciting journey of raising your own meat, as we do with Rabbits.
I have, over the last few years, developed very strong preferences for preserving particular ways with different meats. For the longest time, I had the desire to do it, but not the equipment or the gumption. Just like many others who have written me over the last year, I too was afraid to jump into pressure canning, and it was one of the last things that I did as I began to understand the meat situation in our country, and how dependent NOT doing it made my family on electricity and a freezer that worked.
Today we are going to cover pressure canning of meats, with links for the different types of meat, and tomorrow we are going to cover dehydrating meats...and why I choose each option for each kind of meat. So grab your cup of coffee, and settle down for a lot of clicking, because for a lot of today I am going to send you from one post to another back into the archives!
I do moderate the blog a lot, flitting from taking care of my family to checking on here. I would encourage you, if you have questions, please PLEASE put them into the comments. I will do my best to jump on it and answer it as soon as I can, whether with a direct answer, or a link to my blog posts or another's. I take this privilege seriously, and want you to know how much I appreciate all of you who take the time to come over here and read.
I DO have a couple announcements, quickly. I am thrilled to announce that one week from today will be the launch of my newest book, Growing Your Own Medicine, which was born off of the series that I completed last year around this time. It is a comprehensive herbal primer that will teach you how to companion plant, grow, and use many different herbs in starting a herbal medicine chest for your family.
With the numerous questions swirling around about health care, and wanting to teach others how to take care of their family as best they can at home, this book is sure to be one that many of you will love and hold on to. It takes the scary out of growing and using herbs for your family, and shares with you the enormous amount of trial/error and research that I have devoted to the subject in the last four or so years. I want to thank the many of you who have been praying for me as I have dealt with family illness and struggled to finish it and get it into E-book format. I already have another one started, and hopefully will have a second volume available in the same format and in same teaching process early this summer that will round out the knowledge and complete the series of books.
My second announcement is that very soon the Welcoming House will be much easier to find on the Web, simply by typing in TheWelcomingHouseBlog.com! I have had the domains purchased for some time,
but have neglected to link things up for some reason.
but have neglected to link things up for some reason.
And, we are GROWING! You will also be able to visit my "Welcoming House Store" with products that I either recommend or personally have made, and another link to a page where I will be writing and publishing my personal devotions and Biblical teachings
that many ask about and would like to read.
So, just putting a bug in your ear to see what is coming up that is new around here!
But for now, let me quickly walk you through the simple process of pressure canning your own meat, with links and recommendations for you to follow.
Canning meats is a matter of preference in how you do it. I personally mostly cook up chicken, turkey, etc and then can it up. I find it more appetizing than simply doing a raw pack where you stick the meat in the jar, wipe the rim, pop on a lid and process it. However, when it comes to beef or venison chunks, as well as pork or ham, I definitely prefer a form of raw pack, but where I simply cube the meat up, add hot boiling water and salt, and process from there. Start simply, with basic instructions that I list, and then go from there.
I have a dear friend who now sautes her cubes in olive oil and seasoning for just a very short time, then packs it, and her family likes that better.
Experiment with preparation, but not processing times, is the name of the game. Below you will find links for each kind of meat that I pressure can with the exception of pork, and that is because I process pork in the same way I do Beef for cubes, or I process it like chicken if I want shredded pork for pulled pork sandwiches or tamales.
Just remember if you are using any seasonings, all will intensify, and a few go bitter, most notably Sage. Plus, having the plain meat enables you to fit it into any dish, without having to make the same meal over and over.
Here we go:
How to PC Chicken/ Turkey/ Etc
How to PC Beef/ Venison/ Etc.
(this also includes a short directive on how to can ground meats)
How to PC Pork/ Bacon/ etc.
Tomorrow we are going to be covering how I deal with ground meats, and why I rarely pressure can them due to the taste of my family. However, there IS a way to store hamburger, turkey sausage, ground poultry, etc, without having to have a fridge or a freezer. Seriously! So check back tomorrow for that information and let me know what you think of the recipes! :) Dont forget to look over my Amazon recommendations because these are the products I know I can stand behind and say are wonderful tools that will really help you in the kitchen and in your journey to becoming more self-reliant that dedicated to the grocery store!
Chicken Coconut Curry
Coconut Chicken Curry uses green curry paste, which might be a little much for those of you who are feeding kids, so be sure to add it after you take out portions for kids who arent going to react to spice very well. This is the recipe I printed and keep in my cooking binder. I use canned cubed chicken, my own tomatoes and skip the tomato sauce, going for more of the coconut yumminess by stretching the sauce with either milk, or almond milk, depending on what we have on hand. I also add the green curry paste right at the end after dishing out the kids' plates. When we have it, I put large chunks of pineapple, and bell pepper in the pan only a few minutes before serving.
Simple and Fast Beef Stroganoff
In a large pan, add the following: one pint home canned beef chunks, two cans cream of mushroom soup (or use this recipe for making your own simple cream soup mix), two cans mushrooms, add a tsp of garlic salt, 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of thyme, and 1 tsp of minced, dried onion. To all of this add one can of water and 1/4 cup of dried milk. Stir slowly and allow to bubble until the onion is re-hydrated and the mixture is thick. Meanwhile, in another pan filled with salted water, cook enough egg noodles for your family's tastes, and also set aside (1/2 cup of yogurt or mock sour cream) to warm up on the counter while the meal is cooking. right before serving, add cream cheese or mock sour cream to the sauce, warming it first by adding a small amount of sauce to the cream cheese, then adding it back into the pan. To serve, place noodles on each plate and then top with the sauce. My family loves this meal served with green peas and fresh rolls. Especially if we just happen to have a peach cobbler for dessert! :)
Orange Pork Stir Fry
In a non-stick fry pan, or wok, heat up a small amount of olive oil. Once it is hot, immediately add one pint of cubed pork butt, drained, and let sear for about two minutes, turning. Be gentle as it will be tender. Remove and immediately add the following to the pan: either two bags frozen stir fry veggies, or one each of the following: one cubed eggplant, one cubed zucchini, one onion in small strips, one can water chestnuts, one red and one yellow sweet peppers cut in slices. Add chili powder, garlic, a dash of sesame oil, and 1 tsp of salt to the wok. Once the onion is translucent, add back in the pork, and sear for another two minutes. Meanwhile, in a glass measuring cup add the following: one cup orange juice, prepared, one cup water, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 Tbs cornstarch. Stir until very well blended. When the time is up, turn heat down, and pour the liquid into the wok. Stir to coat everything, and put lid on, then wait a few minutes for it to thicken up. Serve over a bed of brown rice, and top with toasted sesame seeds.
The Welcoming House Turkey Tetrazini
Turkey Tettrazini: Using a pint jar of home canned ground turkey, fry this up in a little olive oil, seasoned with tarragon, and basil. Remove meat from pan and make a basic white sauce using the same master mix as the Stroganoff above, and adding the liquid from the jar to make it with. Add back in the meat, and one bag frozen peas and carrots, or one cup dried peas and carrots re-hydrated. Serve over homemade Whole wheat egg noodles.
I have a dear friend who now sautes her cubes in olive oil and seasoning for just a very short time, then packs it, and her family likes that better.
Experiment with preparation, but not processing times, is the name of the game. Below you will find links for each kind of meat that I pressure can with the exception of pork, and that is because I process pork in the same way I do Beef for cubes, or I process it like chicken if I want shredded pork for pulled pork sandwiches or tamales.
Just remember if you are using any seasonings, all will intensify, and a few go bitter, most notably Sage. Plus, having the plain meat enables you to fit it into any dish, without having to make the same meal over and over.
Here we go:
How to PC Chicken/ Turkey/ Etc
How to PC Beef/ Venison/ Etc.
(this also includes a short directive on how to can ground meats)
How to PC Pork/ Bacon/ etc.
Tomorrow we are going to be covering how I deal with ground meats, and why I rarely pressure can them due to the taste of my family. However, there IS a way to store hamburger, turkey sausage, ground poultry, etc, without having to have a fridge or a freezer. Seriously! So check back tomorrow for that information and let me know what you think of the recipes! :) Dont forget to look over my Amazon recommendations because these are the products I know I can stand behind and say are wonderful tools that will really help you in the kitchen and in your journey to becoming more self-reliant that dedicated to the grocery store!
Chicken Coconut Curry
Coconut Chicken Curry uses green curry paste, which might be a little much for those of you who are feeding kids, so be sure to add it after you take out portions for kids who arent going to react to spice very well. This is the recipe I printed and keep in my cooking binder. I use canned cubed chicken, my own tomatoes and skip the tomato sauce, going for more of the coconut yumminess by stretching the sauce with either milk, or almond milk, depending on what we have on hand. I also add the green curry paste right at the end after dishing out the kids' plates. When we have it, I put large chunks of pineapple, and bell pepper in the pan only a few minutes before serving.
Simple and Fast Beef Stroganoff
In a large pan, add the following: one pint home canned beef chunks, two cans cream of mushroom soup (or use this recipe for making your own simple cream soup mix), two cans mushrooms, add a tsp of garlic salt, 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of thyme, and 1 tsp of minced, dried onion. To all of this add one can of water and 1/4 cup of dried milk. Stir slowly and allow to bubble until the onion is re-hydrated and the mixture is thick. Meanwhile, in another pan filled with salted water, cook enough egg noodles for your family's tastes, and also set aside (1/2 cup of yogurt or mock sour cream) to warm up on the counter while the meal is cooking. right before serving, add cream cheese or mock sour cream to the sauce, warming it first by adding a small amount of sauce to the cream cheese, then adding it back into the pan. To serve, place noodles on each plate and then top with the sauce. My family loves this meal served with green peas and fresh rolls. Especially if we just happen to have a peach cobbler for dessert! :)
Orange Pork Stir Fry
In a non-stick fry pan, or wok, heat up a small amount of olive oil. Once it is hot, immediately add one pint of cubed pork butt, drained, and let sear for about two minutes, turning. Be gentle as it will be tender. Remove and immediately add the following to the pan: either two bags frozen stir fry veggies, or one each of the following: one cubed eggplant, one cubed zucchini, one onion in small strips, one can water chestnuts, one red and one yellow sweet peppers cut in slices. Add chili powder, garlic, a dash of sesame oil, and 1 tsp of salt to the wok. Once the onion is translucent, add back in the pork, and sear for another two minutes. Meanwhile, in a glass measuring cup add the following: one cup orange juice, prepared, one cup water, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 Tbs cornstarch. Stir until very well blended. When the time is up, turn heat down, and pour the liquid into the wok. Stir to coat everything, and put lid on, then wait a few minutes for it to thicken up. Serve over a bed of brown rice, and top with toasted sesame seeds.
The Welcoming House Turkey Tetrazini
Turkey Tettrazini: Using a pint jar of home canned ground turkey, fry this up in a little olive oil, seasoned with tarragon, and basil. Remove meat from pan and make a basic white sauce using the same master mix as the Stroganoff above, and adding the liquid from the jar to make it with. Add back in the meat, and one bag frozen peas and carrots, or one cup dried peas and carrots re-hydrated. Serve over homemade Whole wheat egg noodles.
I love the raw pack method for chicken and beef personally. It just seems to work for me. I can't wait til tomorrow though, cuz canning ground meat? Oh, yuck. I have it, and I have used it, but I don't like it. I smells like canned dog food and tastes like it smells. Maybe it's just me, but I need a different shelf-stable idea cuz this one just is not appealing to me. Thanks for all your work on this series, I'm getting lots more ideas for my stocking up.
ReplyDeleteSOME ground meats dont bother me at all, such as ground turkey sausage, regular sausage, etc. But for hamburger and ground venison.........I like the other method (tomorrow's) much better. :)
DeleteThanks for your comment and blessings to you!
~Heather