Canned Chicken

Shh.. I will let you in on a little secret,  I am not amazing.  Even though people think that I am because I have learned how to do really cool things like can chicken, the reality is: canning chicken is seriously easy.  Our local grocery store had a crazy good deal on chicken--only 97 cents a pound!  I bought the limit and decided I would can all of it.  I ended up getting just over 20 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  You can bottle other parts of chicken, but seriously why would you?

First, I cleaned and sanitized all of my equipment and pint jars.  I started to heat up 3-4 inches of water in the pressure canner. (Note: you have to bottle chicken in a pressure canner--there is no safe way to do so in a water bath canner or steamer.)

Then I put 1/2 tsp table salt in each jar.  I lined up all of my jars on the counter so I could be extra careful about cross contamination, etc.  I sliced each breast into about 1 oz pieces,  think "about the width of your thumb".  You can put them into whatever size you want really, as long as it stays uniform throughout the entire cutting.  Then, using a canning funnel, I filled each jar almost to the top, with about 1/4 inch headspace.  Once I loaded all of the jars, I washed my knife and cutting board.   I wiped the rim of each jar with a clean paper towel.  This is important to the seals on the lids really take.  You are supposed to tighten each ring, with "finger tight" only, meaning not too hard.  They seal because of heat and pressure, not because you are Hulk.  Now you say a prayer and start loading the jars into the pressure canner. I was able to fit 20 pint jars, in two layers, in the canner.

Dried Beans can be EASY

We all know that dried beans are good for us, and so cheap but it is SEEMS SO HARD remember to plan ahead to let them soak, and blah blah blah....you lost me at plan ahead.  In the end, I usually use store canned beans because of convenience.  I want to be better.  Today's post is about pre-canning dried beans to save money, time, and probably most important in this equation--the amount of trash that comes from making chili or soup.  (All of those cans go somewhere!)

In Utah we live at about 5000 feet above see level so when I can beans, I use 13 PSI for 75-90 minutes depending on the jar size.  This year I am canning quarts of beans,  I always use at least that in every recipe.

The basics of canning beans can be found here: National Center for Home Food Preservation

Beans or Peas - Shelled, Dried: All Varieties

Quantity: An average of 5 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 3¼ pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints--an average of ¾ pounds per quart.

Quality: Select mature, dry seeds. Sort out and discard discolored seeds.

Please read Using Pressure Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning.

Procedure: Place dried beans or peas in a large pot and cover with water. Soak 12 to 18 hours in a cool place. Drain water. To quickly hydrate beans, you may cover sorted and washed beans with boiling water in a saucepan. Boil 2 minutes, remove from heat, soak 1 hour and drain. Cover beans soaked by either method with fresh water and boil 30 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon of salt per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart to the jar, if desired. Fill jars with beans or peas and cooking water, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process as recommended in Table 1 or Table 2 according to the method of canning used.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Beans or Peas in a dial-gauge pressure canner.
			Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	Process Time	0 - 2,000 ft	2,001 - 4,000 ft	4,001 - 6,000 ft	6,001 - 8,000 ft
Hot	Pints	75 min	11 lb	12 lb	13 lb	14 lb
	Quarts	90	11	12	13	14

Table 2. Recommended process time for Beans or Peas in a weighted-gauge pressure canner.
			Canner pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of pack	Jar Size	Process Time	0 - 1,000 ft	Above 1,000 ft
Hot	Pints	75 min	10 lb	15 lb
	Quarts	90	10	15

I found a really great recipe for using my canned beans over at Simply Canning.  It seems like the recipe for amazing baked beans is the holy grail that I have been trying obtain my whole life.  My Grandma Shirley is known for her amazing beans.  I have her recipe and have tried it several times, but I never seem to get it right.  It seems like the beans are always a little too firm.  This recipe is a snap!

Simply Canning Easy Baked Beans

2 quarts home canned pinto beans, or white beans

1/2 c molasses

2 T brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dry mustard

2 tbsp ketchup

1/2 cup boiling water

1 tbsp dried minced onion

Directions:

Heat all ingredients, simmer for 10 minutes or until heated through.