How Long is Canned Meat Fit for Consumption?

More and more housewives prefer to preserve meat in jars, than to store it in the freezer. The reasons for this are many and varied, but in first place is the fact that canned meat has a much more of a preserved taste and aroma than frozen meat.

Last but not least is the convenience of simply opening a jar and preparing a delicious meal for the whole family in no time, which is important for everyone who's working full time.

However, the most important question that everyone asks is how long is canned meat fit for consumption.

Unfortunately, there is no single answer to this question, because the quality of home-made canned meat depends, to a large extent, on the quality of the meat, as well as the strict following of the canning rules.

Experts recommend the use of standard omnia jars with a capacity of not more than 1 liter. Before the process of canning meat, the jars should be washed with hot water and left to dry, covered with a towel, to prevent them from collecting dust.

Depending on whether you are going to preserve raw or already fried or otherwise heat treated meat, the time for sterilization of the jars is determined by those factors. Whichever of the two options you choose, you should not forget that the jars are filled up to 0.8″ (2 cm) below the top. So they shouldn't be full to the very top.

After the caps are placed correctly and tightened, sealing then comes next, which is done in the following way. The jars of meat are placed in hot water and are boiled.

The sterilization time of the jars varies from a minimum of 1 hour for jars in which the meat has already been cooked and a minimum of 2 hours for raw meat.

Properly sterilized, jars of meat can have a shelf life of more than 1 year. However, it is recommended that they are used within the next 3 to 6 months.

It is important when you open the jar of meat to hear a clear sound from the depressurization of the jar. In case you have doubts about the freshness and quality of the meat in the jar, in no case should you eat it. Just open another one.