If you, or any other freeper have tried the canned butter, I would be interested in your opinions.
>>>Canning butter. That intrigues me. Have you ever tried this, DelaWhere?<<<
That was my reaction too. I have about a dozen pounds frozen, and had seen some canning recipes, but I sure didn’t want my ‘stash’ to go rancid.
In one of the articles I read, they explained that the pre-treatment was the determining factor for storeability. According to that article from I think it was Wisconsin Extension Agent said that water or moisture in the butter was what enabled it to go rancid. It explained that after you have driven out all the water, it could be canned and stored for long periods. That’s what the paddle boards were used for in making butter - the more water you removed, the better the butter quality was.
The shaking is an essential part in developing the texture we are familiar with and not being separated.
I’m going to try it sometime, probably this fall after main canning is done.
Without the canner, I would probably go with a whole bunch of dried foods, and hot water bath what I could - safely. Peas, corn, beets, celery, peppers, tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, bean seeds, string beans even meats can all be dried easily - If your stove has a warming oven, I would use that to the fullest. That would be ideal for the meats - Oh, by the way, you do not have to add all the salt and spices that they use on jerky either.
You could actually prepare some hearty soups and stews already mixed with dried ingredients.
If you are inclined to use the canner, you can probably get all the parts you would need, gaskets, gauge, etc. from:
http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/cannerparts.htm
Even if it is an off brand like the old Montgomery Ward one I had, they had a cross reference on it for parts that fit. It is part of the Red Hill General Store where I bought my new canner instead of fixing up the old one. Prices seem to be reasonable too.
Note the section on Smoking to Dehydrate meat..
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Drying Meat
Drying, smoking, and salting were the only methods of preserving meat for thousands of years. Early American settlers dried much of their meat because they could not carry a fresh supply when traveling across the country. Today, dried meat, more commonly known as jerky, is usually prepared in an oven instead of being dried in the sun as it was years ago.
Jerky is a popular snack. It is sold almost anywhere that carries snack foods - from grocery stores to gas stations. It is a favorite with campers, hikers, and hunters because it is compact, lightweight, and keeps a long time.
Drying meat is considered “playing with food” by some people because, thanks to today’s modern food industry, fresh meat is almost always available. But jerky has value as a convenient backpacking food and as a nutritious snack food. Besides, jerky is fun to make at home, and it costs only about half as much as an equal weight of commercially made jerky.
PREPARING THE MEAT
Any lean meat can be dried. Beef and venison are especially good; fish and poultry dry well, too. Be sure to use fresh, lean meat and cut off all fat and connective tissue. Fat becomes rancid easily and will spoil the dried meat.
Partly freezing the meat before cutting makes it easy to slice. Slice with the grain into long, thin, even strips. Slice with the grain instead of crosswise makes the jerky chewy and less brittle. The strips should be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, 1 to 1-l/2 inches wide, and 4 to 12 inches long. Thin slices of meat will dry faster than thick ones. Any wild game meat should be frozen for at least 30 days to lower the chances of trichinosis infection by killing parasite larvae.
Meat may be dried as is, or it may be seasoned to suit your own taste. Salt and pepper are the basic ingredients. In the drying method, however, salt is used only as a seasoning, not as a preservative. It is crucial, therefore, that the oven temperature be maintained above 140 degrees F. to prevent spoilage during the drying process. Keep in mind that too much seasoning will overpower the meat flavor.
Place seasoned meat in a crockery, plastic, glass, or stainless steel bowl or pan, and cover. Marinate the meat overnight or for about 12 hours in the refrigerator at 40 F. (4 C.).
The marinade recipe on the following page makes delicious jerky.
Marinade Recipe
5 lbs. lean meat
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. each pepper, garlic powder, ground ginger
2 tsp. hickory smoke-flavored salt (optional)
Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add strips of meat and stir to coat all surfaces. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove strips, blot off excess moisture.
The flavor of jerky can be varied by marinating the strips in mixtures such as teriyaki sauce, sweet and sour sauce, hot chili sauce, or your own favorite marinade. Or you may simply coat the meat with the marinade. The marinade should not contain oil because oil will become rancid and spoil the meat. For full flavor allow enough time for the seasoning to be absorbed into the meat (about 12 hours).
DRYING METHODS
Oven Drying
Arrange the seasoned strips of meat on cake racks or directly on oven racks. The edges of the strips may touch, but they should not overlap. Leave space at the edges of the racks so that air can circulate around the meat as it dries. Set the oven on the lowest possible temperature and maintain at about 140 degrees to 150 F. (60 to 65 C.). Use an oven thermometer to check the temperature. To prevent the meat from sticking to the racks, turn the strips over every hour or so.
Keep the oven door slightly ajar to allow the moist air to escape and to control the oven temperature. An electric fan placed in front of the oven door will help the air circulate and shorten the drying time. When drying marinated meat, you may need to line the bottom of the oven with aluminum foil to catch the drippings. Oven drying takes from 10 to 12 hours.
Drying in a Food Dryer
You can also use a food dryer for making jerky. Place the slices of meat on the racks. Put a piece of aluminum foil below the bottom rack if necessary to catch the drippings. Leave l inches of space around the foil to allow hot air to rise from the heating unit. Turn the strips of meat over occasionally to keep them from sticking to the rack.
Do not dry seasoned meat at the same time you are drying other foods in the dryer because the meat will give a strong odor to the other foods. This is also true if you are drying meat in the oven. Making jerky in the food dryer will take a little longer than in the oven because the temperature is usually slightly lower.
Smokehouse Drying
If you have a smokehouse, you can use it for making jerky. Lay seasoned strips of meat on racks or hang them from the ceiling of the smokehouse. Starting temperature should be 80 degrees F. (27 C.), then it should be increased gradually to 120 F. (49 C.). Smoke the jerky until it is the desired texture (24 to 48 hours).
Use any hardwood such as hickory or oak for smoking. Do not use pine, fir, or conifers because the resin (sap) bums and creates an undesirable smoke. Put aluminum foil or a metal tray under the meat to catch the drippings. If you don’t do this the drippings will bum and produce smoke that gives the meat an unpleasant flavor.
Air Drying
Meat strips can be air dried, but this requires very hot, dry weather. Place strips on the grill of an outdoor barbecue. Or string them on heavy string or fishing line and hang outside in a sunny, airy place for several days. Bring the meat indoors at night so that it doesn’t absorb moisture.
Air drying is not as satisfactory as oven drying or smoking because the temperature cannot be controlled. Also, the meat may be exposed to insanitary conditions from dirt in the air. Outdoor drying may invite unwanted guests such as dogs, cats, wild animals, and insects. If practical, cover the meat loosely with cheesecloth to prevent contamination.
TESTING FOR DRYNESS
Don’t let the meat get too hard and dry for your taste. If the jerky is not dry enough, though, it will spoil. The finished product is dark brown or almost black and feels hard and dry. Test a piece by bending it. It should break like a green twig -not snap clean like a dry stick. Be sure to let the jerky cool before testing, because when it is warm, it will still be pliable no matter how dry it is. The final product will be about a fourth of the original weight.
http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/html_pubs/DRYING/dryfood.html#meats