Canning frozen meat or vegetables

**shp1055** · 08-20-2012, 12:34 PM

Can you freeze meat or veggies when bought or raised during hot summer months and then when it gets cold, thaw & can them? thereby saving utility money by not heating up the house during hot months and warming the house during cold months?

This is a serious question, because I don't know & I cannot take the heat anymore.

**Spirit Deer** · 08-20-2012, 01:21 PM

I don't see why not, but what's the point? If you have the freezer space, why not just leave them in the freezer since you've already done the work to prepare them for freezing?

You can freeze fruit and make it up into jelly later on and stuff like that.

**shp1055** · 08-20-2012, 02:01 PM

Spirit: Lights go out in the winter more than summer & its a small freezer.

**Spirit Deer** · 08-20-2012, 02:11 PM

Can you move it to an unheated porch?

I see your point about canning though.

**frugalfranny** · 08-20-2012, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by shp1055

Can you freeze meat or veggies when bought or raised during hot summer months and then when it gets cold, thaw & can them? thereby saving utility money by not heating up the house during hot months and warming the house during cold months?

This is a serious question, because I don't know & I cannot take the heat anymore.

Don't know about meat..........don't "do" meat.........but what veggies?

I don't see why not either.............BUT........was thinking that the TEXTURE on some of the frozen veggies might change enough when thawed.........and then canned...........that they might be 'mushy'..........or not 'flavorful'................

I think I would leave them in the freezer if I could....................but .....maybe try a couple jars of whatever you have...............to see how they do. I sure wouldn't want to have some "beautiful corn....or....???" in the freezer.........then can it and have it turn to mushy crud!!

How long is the power usually out for? Could you leave them in the freezer---since you have the room anyway........and then if you lose the power.........and you think they have unthawed......could you then start canning when the power comes back on?
You might be surprised how long a freezer-------even a small one--------can keep things frozen.........if NOT OPENED---during a power outage.

**MakeADollarHollar** · 08-20-2012, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by shp1055

Can you freeze meat or veggies when bought or raised during hot summer months and then when it gets cold, thaw & can them? thereby saving utility money by not heating up the house during hot months and warming the house during cold months?

This is a serious question, because I don't know & I cannot take the heat anymore.

I can frozen meat all the time.

Often I'll find it on sale, get it sliced/diced/prepped/whatever then freeze it because it helps break up the process and time commitment. When I have time to can it I thaw it and proceed with normal canning instructions.

**shp1055** · 08-21-2012, 09:20 AM

Spirit - I could can outside, but in Lou-zee-ana it's 110 in the shade and humid as heck & I just can't take it anymore at my age. Lost a friend the other day (same age as me) due to a heat induced heart attack.

FF: I'll have to try a couple of different veggies this winter and check their texture. Thanks! But to try & get my canning stockpile built up, I'll have to empty the freezer to be able to take advantage of sales, and working full time and grandkids, I'll have to do it when I get time. I'm going to try and dehydrate some of the veggies also.

MADH: Thanks! That is what I'm going to try to do; accumulate sale meats & can when it gets cooler while heating the house at the same time.

**Mish78** · 11-28-2012, 02:06 AM

This may be a stupid question (and sorry if it is) but, how do you seal the cans?

And how long do things keep for in cans when you can them yourself?

**ladytoysdream** · 11-28-2012, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by Mish78

This may be a stupid question (and sorry if it is) but, how do you seal the cans?

And how long do things keep for in cans when you can them yourself?

Hi
You would buy glass canning jars with lids. Meat would get pressure canned in a pressure canner. 90 minutes quarts. 75 minutes pints. 10 pounds pressure. You are canning the food under pressure to preserve it.
Then store in a dry not too hot, not too cold place. Should keep for several years or more with no problems.

Lots of you tube videos to watch for canning meat. Also some for canning vegtables.

Frozen veggies would not can so good. You would have mush.

I do put fruit in the freezer for making jam in the winter. That works real good.

A google search will bring up a lot of results for canning.

When canning meat, I do not put salt in. I never have done
it that way. I season the meat when I do get ready to use it.

This is a very good website for vegtables and fruit.
http://pickyourown.org/water_bath_ca...directions.php

**Mish78** · 11-28-2012, 11:58 PM

Wow...That's Great...

I'll have to give it a go.

Cheers...

**CookieLee** · 11-29-2012, 08:09 AM

Yes you can. Actually, I do this all the time with fruit. I'll prepare it then "flash freeze" the pieces on metal trays and package them up in ziplock bags until I'm ready to do some canning.

The issue is with nutrition. Different methods of food preservation affect the food's nutritional value. Freezing retains nutrition the best (over fresh) but it is an expensive way to preserve food. Canning destroys nutrition because heat is involved. Dehydrating foods is the hardest on nutritional values because you're using heat over longer periods of time and removing water. So in the issue of canning something that has been frozen, you're basically lowering the nutritional value twice - once while freezing then again while canning.

When it comes to texture, it is best to use frozen foods like meat in a mixture such as a soup or stew then can it. Meat can lose a lot of moisture during the freezing and defrosting process. But then again, you probably won't be so interested in canning meat during the hot summer months since that can be a year-round activity. Your goal is to preserve the harvest.

I invite you to re-plan your food preservation efforts. What absolutely MUST be canned during the hot summer months to preserve those foods at their best? I'd put salsa (tomatoes, peppers and onions), peaches and green beans on that list since none of those are quite as bright and pretty once frozen. (I love frozen peaches but they don't do well frozen then canned.) I'd probably prep a bunch of tomatoes then freeze them for spaghetti sauce canning later. Jams and jellies can all be done later. What else do you can?