Beef Stock, Making and Canning
First, if you don't already can don't follow my instructions. Go get the canning bible, The Ball Blue Book.
Once you get used to it's methods you can branch out. There are other good books out there.
The thing is safety, until you understand what you are doing, don't vary. Especially when doing pressure canning, which we will be doing today.
So there is the mise above, although the celery appears in the mise for the Danish. Beef ribs, left over beef, carrots, onions, celery, salt and pepper corns. Salting stock is optional, my wife prefers it salted so we salt.
This is going to be a dark stock so we will roast the bones. There is also a frozen roast that had a bit too much freezer burn.
Now this is going to be a dark stock, so we roast the bones. That is about 20% of the total, about 25 lbs all told.
That is the meat starting to go into the stock pot.
That is the stock pot, 40 qt. I could fit an 80 qt on that stove, but I can't lift a full 80 qt pot.
Now this is going to simmer for 6+ hours, not boil, a temperature of about 180-190 F. A bubble should rise to the top every now and then.
It will take a couple of hours to come up to temperature and you are going to get scum and fat rising to the top. This should be removed.
How much water? Well you can check a number of places for ratios of bones, water, vegetables, but I cover the bones plus a couple of inches. At the end of five hours of simering there will be room on the top for the vegetables.
That is about 4 lbs of onions, and two each of carrots and celery, salt to taste and add some pepper corns.
Now this is a stock we like, you may want more vegetables.
That is the meat and vegetables in a 20 qt stock pot. We aren't going to throw that away, instead we will cool it and refrigerate it over night. Tomorrow we will put it back in the big pot, fill with water, bring to temperature, simmer for five hours, add vegetables for an additional hour and we have 4 gallons more.
That is the hot liquid from the first batch or half of it.
And it needs to be cooled to about 40 F before it goes in the fridge. In winter it would go in a snowbank, but this is spring, so it goes in an ice bath. The ziplocks in the pot contain cold freezer-packs.
That is what it looks like the next morning. We will strain it, which removes all of that solid grease.
And a couple of dozen jars, plus a few more from the basement.
That is the first batch of jars, the stock is being brought back to boiling on the stove. The jars however are only dishwasher clean (or really by hand). They don't need to be sterile because of the length of time they will be in the pressure canner.
That is the canner. This canner can not be used on a burnner over 9,000 BTU. It will hold 16 pints at once.
And there are the first dozen jars, ready for the canner. Four more are in the fore-ground.
And here are the first eight with a rack put on top for the second layer. By the way there are 3 tablespoons of white vinegar already in that to prevent a white coat on the jars.
And there are the 32 pints from the first batch of stock. All but two of these jars sealed. The two that didn't will go directly into the freezer as these pints are also freezer safe.
I didn't give time or pressure as you need to get these from your recipe and instructions on your canner. And the pressure varies with your altitude.
For more about Putting up go here or here.
Great post, very informative. I'd like to do some canning, and will probably start with fruits since they don't need to be canned with a pressure cooker (I have a pressure cooker, but it isn't deep enough).
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What a great idea! I never thought of canning my own stock but there is nothing better then homemade "REAL" stock. I have placed this in my to do list.
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You truly impress me with all this stuff.
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A pressure canner is slightly different from a pressure cooker Andrew, and I dont think they are interchangeable. So, to our host, any advice on a pressure canner - it's on my wish list?
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I was pressured into trying to can stock by Crystal from the BB of America's test Kitchen.
A pressure cooker is not a canner, although it might do pints. Check the instructions.
I've a Presto via Amazon. It was about $100 on sale. It will take 7 qts, 16 pints or 24 half pints.
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That's some great looking stock--I can only imagine with that much meat and bones it must be flavorable as can be. I've always frozen my stock rather than canning it, but since there's limited space in the freezer the canning route seems a great way to go. Nice post.
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Samething with us, freezer space just became too tight.
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Wow! I'm not even sure if I have the space or even the pots to do all this but I want to try.
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Start simple and in small batches.
I don't know where eCm is but if you have fruit coming into season do a preserve in a small batch. The hot water bath only needs to have an inch of water over the top of the jars. My first batch was 4 oz jars in a roasting pan.
Pickles and preserves (jams, jellies and the like) don't need a pressure canner, just a deep enough pan for a bath and your hardware store probably has or can order a canning set. Large thin pot with canning rack.
By the way, I only use Ball jars, don't use a canning rack and have never had a jar break.
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What a terrific step-by-step. I wish I had the energy to do it! Perhaps one day I'll be as organized as you... Thanks for visiting my blog!
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As local fruits come into season, I hope to do more step by steps.
While I don't expect to put up 40 lbs of cucumbers this summer, it will be a fair bit as I'm out of both a dill spear we like and a curry slice. I will also look for a few new types. Certainly 20 pounds.
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Truly inspiring!
You make me want to be a better cook.
And with all of this instruction, I'm thinkin it's gonna happen
I love your pate boarder. Very nice!
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Great post! I haven't canned as an adult but I grew up canning with my mother. You brought back a lot of memories.
Haven't made stock in a while either--great job. It looks wonderful!
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I never knew anyone who canned, I simply decided to start a couple of years back.
I went to the local farmer's market this AM, nothing local that I want to can yet. But I did pick up seedlings for the tomato and pepper beds.
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Can't wait to see what you make with the stock.
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There is a companion dinner menu blog, which is the 'What's For Dinner' or click on the up arrow in the top left corner of the title bar.
While the web site (http://www.vldyson.com) goes back years, I've only been posting my wife's menus and some photography here for a few weeks.
That is where you will likely see that stock being used. We also have light chicken, light veal and vegetable stocks readily available.
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This is my first - but definitely not my last - time here. Truly impressive work, puts our simple efforts at pickling to shame. Can't wait to see what else you have in the archives. Cheers!
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Without question I'll be doing cucumber pickles later this summer. Also want to try mixed vegetables.
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We planted 2 cucumber plants this year & planning to make pickles so we will be looking forward to your recipes.
K
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Sound so super
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I completely agree and I just wanted to say that I really like your blog. Is it Wordpress based?
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That is a great stock looking - I can only imagine that a lot of meat and bones to be flavored as can be. I have always frozen my action rather than canned, but since there is limited space in the freezer preserves path seems a long way to go. after Nice.
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