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Sometime in the late summer or early fall each year, Bert and I have money set aside to purchase half a beef. Once the day comes to pick it up and we’re stocking up our freezer, I always get the most excited about one particular cut: beef stew meat. I love making it in the winter time. This year, I learned how to can beef stew ahead of time so we really do have the easiest supper meal this winter.
By the way, if you’re wanting to read more about the whole process of buying beef local, check out this post here.
Why Should You Can Beef Stew
In our home, my canned beef stew is treated the way most people treat chicken noodle soup. Are we recovering from the stomach bug? Canned Beef Stew. Does every one have the dreaded vid of co? Canned Beef Stew. Is someone dealing with strep or influenza A/B, or we’ve all succumbed to the common cold? Canned Beef Stew.
On top of the fact that it really does have nutritional benefits to it (solid protein, broth and antioxidants). This is so easy to throw together on the day when you’re not feeling well and need something fast. All you do is pour the stew into a pot and heat up.
This recipe is simple in the fact that you don’t have a whole lot of extra steps to do from start to finish. The unfortunate, honest truth is that it’s going to take you 1-2 days to do this whole process. Is it worth it though? 1,000 times yes.
Depending on how many packages of beef stew meat you have (we received 8 with our beef), you’re going to be filling up a lot of quart jars (this time around I got 11 quarts). That’s a good thing–it means more meals for you. But, it also means it’s going to take you longer.
What’s the Actual Beef Stew Recipe
Sometime in the week ahead of actual canning day, I ran to the grocery store and got the ingredients. This year’s garden was a total flop, so unfortunately I didn’t have these veggies fresh. I purchased a package of carrots, 5 pound bag of Idaho potatoes, head of celery, one garlic bulb, and a package of white onions (yellow or red onions work too).
On the day I decide to make the stew, I make sure the meat is thawed. The most tedious part, the chopping and dicing, is next. My only method is to cut them into small/bite sized pieces, and I make sure to do the potatoes last. I also peel the skins off the potatoes just because I prefer to not have them there. I’m sure the stew would be fine if you left the skins on.
Lastly, I open all of the stew meat packages and let the mean drain in a colander. Then I lightly sear the meat in a cast iron skillet in butter. Of course, I’m going to add some Slap Ya Mama onto the meat cubes while I sear them, simply for additional flavor.
You do not have to sear the meat beforehand. The meat will cook completely during the canning method. I like to sear my meat simply because it offers some extra flavor to the stew.
Assemble the Jar
After you’ve cleaned and sanitized the jars (a quick run in the dishwasher while you’re chopping veggies does the trick), you’re ready to get started. Having a funnel is helpful for this step, especially if you’re using regular mouth jars. Into each jar, I put the following:
- 1 C stew meat
- 1 t salt
- 1 t garlic cloves
- 1 C potatoes
- 1/2 C carrots
- 1/4 C celery
- 1/4 C onion
- Water or Broth up to fill line
How To Can Beef Stew
And now, we begin the longest process of the day: canning the jars for storage. Wipe the jars clean and place lids over them. You absolutely need a pressure canner to can meat–it is not recommended that you process them in a water bath. This is the pressure canner I use. If canning is something you see yourself using many times in a year, you definitely are going to want the biggest one to be able to process the most jars at once. By the way, as an Amazon Affiliate, I can earn a commission off of purchases at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure here.
Fill the canner with water between 2 and 3 inches. I like to add a splash of white vinegar as well, to keep the jars looking clean (it prevents hard water deposits to build up on the inside of your canner or jars). Next, set on your stove, heat it up and add your jars. Seal the lid, let the heat build up, place the steam vent on and build up the pressure.
According to the picture, you’re going to want to pressure cook your beef stew for 90 minutes at 10 psi. Yes, this takes forever. Again, I promise you, it’s worth it. And once it’s done, and hopefully all the jars have sealed properly, that’s it! You now have ready to heat and eat beef stew at your fingertips!
Additional Add-Ins
You can throw these ingredients into your jars beforehand to can, or when you actually make the beef stew. I prefer to add them in when I actually make it. Because I love variety, I don’t want each stew to taste the exact same; I also like to experiment with it each time. Every now and then it flops, but hey, that’s how you learn (and a flop still tastes decent enough that we don’t have leftovers).
Seasonings
As far as seasonings and spices go, I pretty much don’t make any sort of meat dish without adding Slap Ya Mama into it. I know, I talk about this Cajun seasoning all the time, but that’s just because it’s so good. Hopefully by now you expected me to mention it in every recipe. If you’re a Northern cousin who just can’t handle the spice (it’s really not that spicy!) salt and pepper are a great alternative.
Having fresh herbs makes or breaks a good stew, as well. Buy them from the produce section at the grocery store, or better yet, grow your own. My favorites to add are oregano and basil. Did you know oregano is a powerful antioxidant, has antibacterial properties, and is proven to reduce inflammation? Basil is said to have these properties as well, and also is shown to help with nausea! So yeah, adding them to your Beef Stew that you’re making when you’re trying to recover from sickness is perfect.
Broth Vs Water
Absolutely, you can use beef broth in place for the water. If you purchase your meat like I do, you can even make your own beef bone broth and use that as the liquid. I’ve found that if you just use water, the flavor isn’t going to be much weaker.
A lot of people suggest making beef bouillon on the stovetop and adding that to the jars. I don’t care to do that stuff because of the additives most beef bouillon cubes have in them. That’s why if I don’t have bone broth made already, I just stick with water.
Final Thoughts
Canning beef stew is such an easy way to insure you have a meal ready to go whenever you need it. Not only are you going to help yourself feel better during those busy sick days you know are going to come up, but you also have a meal for the cold winter nights. Share in the comments your thoughts and comments!
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