Canning is a very simple and straightforward way to preserve meat for a long time without the need for a refrigerator or a freezer. Canned pork can keep for up to 2-3 years or even longer in a cool, dark place. Though the taste qualities may begin to decrease after one year, the meat will still be safe to eat well past that point.
This recipe has been in the family for a very long time. It requires only a few simple spices, yet the flavors and the aromatics are vibrant and enticing.
I used to make this canned pork with just salt and spices, but some time ago, I added some caramelized onion in a few jars. The result was mind-blowing. Caramelized onion added a touch of sweetness and a load of savory flavor. It took my pork to a whole new level and improved the color better too. Needless to say, this variation stayed, and that's how I've been canning pork ever since.
In this recipe, I use Cure #1 and cure the meat for 24-48 hours. Curing salt makes the meat beautifully pink, it looks more appetizing. It enhances the flavor and also serves as a hurdle to any potential bacteria growth, before or after canning. It's not required, you can make canned pork without it, but it makes a big difference to how canned pork looks and tastes.
When raw-packing meat, don't pack the jars too tightly. This way, you can fill them up all the way to the top - the meat will shrink during processing and make headspace. I like leaving about a 1/2" of headspace, and it seems to work perfectly well for me.
Food safety when canning meat
Canning meat is fairly straightforward, but you must follow some basic rules to ensure that your canned meat will be safe to eat. Those include using a pressure canner, keeping the meat cold, using clean utensils, processing at the right pressure/temperature and for sufficient time, among other things.
If you are new to meat canning, please read my guide on how to can meat before attempting this recipe.
Homemade Canned Pork
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs pork butt 1000 g; fat trimmed off
- 1/2 tsp cure #1 level; 2.5 g
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt one level, one heaping; 9 g
- 1/2 tsp allspice 1 g
- 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 g; ground; or a mix of pink, black, and white pepper
- 1 clove garlic pressed or minced
- 3 bay leaves 1 per jar
- 3 Tbsp caramelized onion one tablespoon per jar; you may also use raw onion slices
Instructions
- Cut the meat into 1-inch pieces. Mix the salt with Cure #1. Place the meat in a bowl, sprinkle with the kosher salt and cure #1 mix, and mix well. Cover and cure in a refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
- Take the meat out of the fridge, sprinkle with the ground allspice and black pepper, add the pressed garlic and mix well.
- Before proceeding, review the detailed guide on how to can meat.
- Pack the meat (not very tightly) into 16-oz (1 pint) mason jars, leaving 1/2" headspace, adding one bay leaf per jar, and topping with one tablespoon of caramelized onion.
- Wipe the rims, place the lids on top and screw on the bands finger-tight.
- Process at 250F (15 PSI) in a pressure canner for 70 minutes (see notes 1 and 2).
- Remove the canner from heat and let it depressurize naturally.
- Using a jar lifter, carefully remove the jars and place them on a towel or a cooling rack to cool down to room temperature for about 12 hours.
- Remove the bands. Wipe the jars with a damp towel or paper towels. Test the seals.
- Store in a cool, dark, and dry place for up to 2-3 years. The most optimal storage temperature is about 35F-59F (2C-15C).
Special Equipment
- Pressure canner
- 3 wide-mouth pint (16 oz) jars
- Wide-mouth funnel
Cathy says
I made this yesterday and because one of my lids did not seal, I was able to taste it.
Firstly, I only sat the pork in the salt for 3 hours because I didn't have time for longer. I did not have the other ingredient (Don't even know what it is). Everything else was the same as the recipe.
It smelled SO good I was really excited! After tasting it, I think it was very salty but absolutely delicious. Maybe I'll use less salt next time.
Thanks for the recipe. Much appreciated 🙂
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Glad you liked the flavors.
Salt or perception of saltiness is very relative and taste specific. Some like is saltier, some less. There is no right or wrong here. What's salty or not salty for some may not be perceived as such by others. If you like less salt, reduce the amount. If you want more, add more. That's true for every recipe. I adjust all my recipes to our tastes.
To put things in perspective, in many of his canned meat recipes, Stanley Marianski specifies 18-22.5 grams of salt per 1000g of canned pork. This is typical for some types of sausage, like some salami products which may contain up to 30-35g of salt per 1000g of meat. A typical smoked sausage that I make has about 13.5g of salt per 1000g of meat, commercial smoked sausages go as high as 15-16g. In this recipe, it's 11.5 grams per 1000g of meat.
It also depends on how you consume canned pork. We mostly eat it with unsalted mashed potatoes, pasta, or grains like quinoa, buckwheat, beans, etc. We find it perfect for saltiness in those dishes.
By 'the other ingredient' I believe you meant Cure #1 or sodium nitrite. Here is an interesting read from one of Stanly Marianski's books:
Nitrates
Adding nitrates to meat offers many benefits:
Meat becomes pink.
Acquires a slightly different flavor.
Slows down oxidation.
Inhibits Cl.botulinum from growing.
Sodium nitrite, commonly used as cure #1, is the strongest agent for preventing growth of Cl.botulinum spores during smoking meat. It is also added to impart the pink color to processed meats
like ham and sausages. You wouldn’t like to eat gray ham, would you? Well, without sodium nitrite a roasted leg of pork is just a roasted leg of pork, once the sodium nitrite is added it becomes
pink ham with its distinctive flavor that sodium nitrite also provides. Adding sodium nitrite (cure #1) to canned meat will definitely lower the resistance of bacterial spores to thermal processing,
but as explained earlier a hobbyist should still process foods according to the USDA guidelines.
Nitrate Safety Concerns
There has been much concern over the consumption of nitrates by the general public. In the 1970’s much research was done on the effects of nitrates on our health. Millions of dollars were spent,
many researchers had spent long sleepless nights seeking fame and glory, but no evidence was found that when nitrates are used within the established limits they can pose any danger to our
health.
A review of all scientific literature on nitrite by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that nitrites does not directly harm us in any way. All this talk
about the danger of nitrite in our meats pales in comparison with the amounts of nitrates that are found in vegetables that we consume every day. The nitrates get to them from the fertilizers
which are used in agriculture. Don’t blame sausages for the Nitrates you consume, blame the farmer. It is more dangerous to one’s health to eat vegetables on a regular basis than a sausage.
You do not need to use nitrites, however, there are many cases when you want meat to stand out, you want it to be the show piece. The example is the red color of tongue in blood sausage or
red meat in a headcheese. If you want your canned meat be of red color, use sodium nitrite (cure #1), it is that simple.
Curing is an important part of sausage making technology, so we will touch upon it very briefly as this book is about canning meats. If you want to study curing in more detail, read our 720
page book “Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages.”
Melissa says
I have two aprox 11 lb pork shoulders. Do I just add the salt per each 2 pounds? I also have tender quick not pink cure. Google says the equivalent is 1 tbsp per pound. Thanks.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Yes, that's the way to do it. The base recipe is for 2.2 lbs or 1kg. 11 divided by 2.2 is five. So, you need to multiply the ingredients by 5. I don't use tender quick, but it's fine to use it. Follow the instructions on the package. Good lukck!
ruth says
I want to can cooked pork.
What amount of time in pressure cooker do I need?
Is there a different reiepie to follow?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Ruth, Marianski (meat processing guru) in his Home Canning Meat, Poultry, Fish and Vegetables book recommends processing pre-cooked meat at the same time/pressure as raw meat. However, his cooked recipes are stews/soups/goulashes. If you are thinking of canning cooked chunks of pork, I don't know what else should change but I think you wouldn't want to can them dry, you'd need to fill the empty space in jars with hot stock/broth. Good luck!
Tricia says
Is it ok if it cures for a little longer than 48 hours ? We have a ton and may take up to 3 days to can it all .
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Up to 3 days will be just fine. Good luck!
Sherrie says
Hi, can I use pork loin for this recipe? And I don't have the "cure" so can I use something different? Thank you
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Sherrie. You can use pork loin, but it's a very lean cut so it won't be as palatable, IMHO. But, tastes differ. The curing salt is not required, you don't need to use it. If not using it, just substitute it for regular salt.
Monica says
I made this last year and it was wonderful. I did one batch with onion and one without. We still have a couple jars left. I am going to be making more this year and will try using beef with one batch. I think it will make an amazing corned beef to refry with potatoes and cabbage. Thank you for this recipe.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very welcome, Monika. Try this refried with some onions and serve mixed with pasta. A variation is with pasta and some crumbled Feta cheese. Add to vegetable stri-fries. That's how I like mine. Canned pork salad sandwich - delicious. Like tuna salad only with canned pork.
Nancy says
Do you use buter or oil to carmalize your onions for this recipe?
Thanks 🙂
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
How can I not? 🙂 I do. 50/50 butter and sunflower oil.
Erin says
I have made this a few times now and have made a couple tweaks to it coming up with what I believe is a fabulous option. Original way is great too!
I leave out the bay leaf and I use whole allspice berries. I also add 1/2 teaspoon Colgin liquid pecan smoke and 1/2 teaspoon Colgin mesquite smoke. I mix it all together at once and cure for 24 hours before processing with the caramelized onions.
I process some in 1/2 pint wide mouth Kerr jars that can be packed in my husband's lunch. Just pop in microwave and instant one person meal
Erin says
Correction to the amount of smoke that I used. It was 1/2 tablespoon each.
Marci says
Hello, Erin, I was wondering if it tastes similar to ham when you do it this way with the liquid smoke. I've canned leftover ham to put in soup, but the sugars in it make the final product have a weird toasty flavor. Would this be a good ham replacement for bean or split pea soup?
Dana says
Just found this recipe today and went for it. I bought 2 pork butts and cut the meat off & the fat. Salted the pork I’m planning to cold pack in a day or two per the recipe. Will add a little spices and a dash of pink salt then can. Will write new post once successful!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Good luck! I am sure you will like it. I also highly recommend trying my canned luncheon meat. I like the texture that you get from part whole/part ground pork a lot.
Veronica says
Easy to follow and quick. Canned pork a couple weeks ago. Excited to try some. Do you have any recipes that you use it for?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Veronica, I don't have any written down but I can give you a general idea of our favorite ways to use canned pork.
1. Saute some onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, or any combination of those with some olive oil. Add the pork and cook until it warms up. Then mix with freshly cooked pasta. It's the bomb. My kids love it.
If you are pressed for time, just cook the pasta and drop a jar or pork right into the pot and mix well. Serve right away. This way it's also very good, though less 'gourmet';)
2. In a bowl, mix with 4-5Tbsp of mayo or sour cream for a lighter version, salt, pepper to taste, and hand blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust the seasonings if desired. Mix in finely chopped red onion and sliced green onions. Now, make sandwiches with it. Delish!
3. Make a soup and add the meat to it. It's great in soup. Do you have a favorite dry soup sold in packages? I rarely eat those, I cook my own but I have a thing for this spicy Carribean chicken soup sold at my local Asian grocery store. I love the flavor but the soup barely has anything in it, just some noodles and chicken flavored powder/bits. Add half a jar of canned pork to the bowl of this soup and it transforms to a really good meal.
4. Love this pork warmed up, with the fat/gelatin and served over freshly cooked rice or mashed potatoes. Delicious.
These are just a few ways that we use canned pork/beef/luncheon meat but you get the idea. Lot's of possibilities. Enjoy!
Ron says
Can I do 10 lbs for 90 minutes in the pressure canner?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Ron, as of today, USDA recommends to process meat at sea level at 10 PSI minimum. For pints the processing time should be 75 minutes, and for quarts it's 90 minutes. When pressure canning above 1,000 feet, process at 15 pounds of pressure. Processing time is the same at all altitudes.
Many of Marianski's recipes call for processing meat at 250F (15 PSI) for 60 minutes for pint / 500ml jars or 50 minutes for half-pint / 250ml jars. I believe that was an older USDA recommendation. Personally, I process my meats at 15 PSI / 250F for 70 minutes even though I am located just above the sea level. This gives the meat a more delicate texture, which I happen to prefer.
Sherry says
How long do I pressure can my raw pork? Pints.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
It's in the recipe instructions - 70 min at 15 PSI.
Troy Colton says
Looks like a great recipe, I have lots of pork left from last year and need to make room for this year's pigs in the freezer.
Can't wait to try it..
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Good idea. Also look at my canned luncheon meat recipe, a mix of ground pork and chunks. I love it.
Dan says
I’m new to canning meat or using canned pork. What do you use with it when you are ready to eat
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Oh, where do I start 😉
Here are our favorite ones:
- Mix with some mayo, ground pepper, chopped onion, etc. and hand blend, then make sandwiches with it.
- Put it in soup.
- Cook spaghetti or macaroni then mix with a can of canned meat and serve right away. My daughter likes to sautee it first with some onions and mushrooms.
- Make stir frys with it.
- Heat it up on a pan and serve with eggs or hashbrowns for breakfast.
Ev says
The caramelized onion put it over the top. Thank you, we had great success with this recipe and my husband said the pork was 10x better than store canned pork
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Glad to hear that you guys liked it. Try the luncheon meat, I like the texture of the ground pork. I like using it in soups when in a hurry. So good!
Troy says
How long does it have to sit in canning stage before you can eat it
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
It's ready for consumption as soon as you take it out of the canner and let it cool down. Wouldn't want to open a hot jar under pressure.
James says
I made this 2 years ago. Just opened the last jar and it was as fresh and TASTY as the first Jar. I've received comments from family members that it tastes a lot like corned beef, and I agree. All things said, it is really very tasty and I am preparing for the next batch today! It will always be ready on the shelf from now on.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Same experience here. Stays fresh for years. A few weeks ago I made pork sandwiches with it - I processed it with a hand blender with some mayo, seasoned with black pepper, finely chopped red onion and thinly sliced green onions. It made a delicious spread... reminded me of tuna sandwiches only tastier;)
Melissa Tidwell says
You had me at caramelized onions and garlic. This recipe is a keeper for sure! Much love and appreciation for sharing. Following your beef recipe next! <3 Mel
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Glad to hear it, Melissa. Enjoy!
Lisa says
I am so excited to try this. One question though, are you able to use the Insta pot? I don’t have the money to go out and get a pressure cooker but I do have that. I’m also excited to look at your beef recipe that other people are mentioning. Thank you so much for posting this, I can’t wait to make it!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Lisa, last time I checked, Insta Pot themselves said that their products are not recommended for pressure canning. For the final product to be safe to store unrefrigerated and eat, a certain pressure and temperature must be achieved and maintained at all times inside the pressure canner. Insta Pot could not guarantee that. That was 2-3 years ago, I don't know if that changed and if new models are certified for pressure canning. The bottom line is, if it says in the manual that your Insta Pot model is certified for pressure canning, use it. If not, you will be taking a huge risk. I would advise against it. Sorry for the bad news.
Deborah says
I'm a beginner and your articles and recipes are easy to follow. I can't wait to share my experiences, thank you so much. Deb
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Good luck.
Kathy says
Do you add water before canning? I didn’t see it in the ingredients or instructions but wanted to be sure before trying! Also, just wanted to make sure that the recipe calls for pint sized jars. Can’t wait to try this!!
Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Kathy, I don't add water but I know some do and that's fine too. I don't feel like it's needed though. Yes, it's for pint jars... it's actually in step 4. Enjoy!
Kelly says
Just wondering if I can I substitute pork loin for pork butt and if there is any adjustments that need to be made to your recipe if I do that? Thanks!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Kelly, yes, you can. No adjustments are needed, technically. But you may notice that pure lean meat will have a different texture/mouthfeel. You know, it's like making sausage with just lean meat vs 25% fat/75% lean meat, you need some fat to make it taste better. I've canned a lot of pork with just lean or mostly lean pieces of pork butt, it's always very good, but that cut has some fat in between fibers so it works well. I've never canned just pork loin though. I'd try one jar, let it cool down and taste, see how you like it. If it's too lean, you can always add some backfat, pork belly or fatty trimmings. I'd grind some lean meat with fat and mix and make luncheon meat, it's a really nice way to can pork, I like the texture a lot and it works well in soups. If you like gelatine, you can add more of it, or add ground pork skins, which will gelatinize the juices and will improve the mouthfeel. Hope this helps.
Debi says
Can you can pork loin in one big chunk that will fill the jar, instead of 1inch chunks?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
That's an interesting question. I don't know 100% but I don't really see why not. Safety-wise it should be fine. Taste/texture-wise, you'd need to try and see.
Erin says
Debi, the National Center for Home Food Preservation gives no restrictions on the size of the meat however, they do advise against pressure canning cured meat because it can change the density and firmness of the meat, thereby potentially making the heat penetration slower. Cured meats were never tested by them and safety can not be guaranteed. BUT....
With that being said, I do can corned beef and have canned this pork butt recipe. (See my posted comments on some tweaks I made.) I err on the side of caution with my meat sizes in these cases and I keep them on the smaller side.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Erin, Stanley Mariansky, one of the most prominent gurus on sausage making and especially on food safety as it relates to sausage making, wrote about the value of adding cure #1 to canned meat, though not as a substitute for the proper canning process, and many of his recipes include the addition of pink salt in his Home Canning Meat, Poultry, Fish and Vegetables book. I highly recommend reading this book.
William says
After meat is cured 24 to 48 hours do you rinse the salt off before the next step.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
No, there is no need to. I put just enough salt to make the meat salted just right. Now, if you cure in a salt box where there will be excess salt, yes, you want to rinse the excess off.
Petet says
This is phantastic! I made it in the evening and the first glass was gone after breakfast! Only the clear "juice" part was quite liquid and we needed a spoon to drizzle it over the meat. Still extremely good but shouldn't it be a bit more like jelly? I'm thinking about adding some gelatine next time.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Good to hear it. I know, that stuff is amazing. You should try the luncheon meat too, it's really good. To make the juices gelatinize you can add more chopped pig skins or like you said, gelatin. More chopped skins or adding gelatin results in lips getting sticky when eating it, lol... Both ways are great though...
Thea Yegerlehner says
Thanks for sharing! I have been canning meat for years now and love adding spices! My children request canned meat as part of their Christmas gift! 😊
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very welcome. If that's the case, you have to make them some canned luncheon meat. I love its texture.
James says
Tastes Great! My only problem was with liquid boiling from the jars . I think it is due to the high canning pressure. 15 pounds. Am going with 10 pounds the next batch for 75 minutes.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
James, I've actually had that happen to me before as well. 15 PSI vs 10 PSI is not an issue. My issue was sometimes filling the jars too much, but the biggest issue was that I did not let the canner fully depressurize on its own. I know, it's hard to wait until it does but it made a huge difference for me.
Laura Shivers says
I've been thinking of canning pork but was very nervous about it so was very glad to find your recipe and instructions. My mother used to can venison and I've canned beef years ago. Now I'm back at it. Thank you
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very welcome. I too was quite nervous the first time I was making my own trying to replicate what my grandpa use to make back when I was a kid. But once you know the basics, it's very easy to make. Enjoy!
Amy says
This was fantastic! The color...taste... All of it.. made a pork pot pie the other night and was so nice just to open a jar and make dinner...thank you, thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are very, very welcome, Amy. Those jars of pork can be worth their weight in gold sometimes... so handy and the meat is delicious. Try my luncheon meat recipe, it's very similar but the addition of ground pork makes the texture more interesting... I personally love it.
Vickie says
How many jars do you get total?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Oh, I think it's about 3 one-pint jars per 2.2lbs/1 kilo. I always start with however much meat I want to can then scale the rest of the ingredients though.
Pam says
Hello,
Thank you for sharing your passion of fine artisan preparation. I was searching for tips on canning pork when I came across your site.. Can you explain what Cure 1 is. Canned meat never looks that appetizing in the can but yours looks quite nice. Since you attribute it to the Cure1 I'd love to know more.Thank you, -Pam
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hi Pam, thank you for the kind words. Cure #1 is a curing salt or salt with about 6% of nitrite added. It's a preservative, it is used to prevent pathogenic bacteria growth when making canned, smoked or otherwise preserved meats. It also prevents botulism. It also makes the meat pink instead of great and it also improves the flavour of the meat. I don't want to get into the argument of why one should or should not use nitrites, or consume processed food for that matter, but I like canned meat and I use curing salt all the time because it makes the meat taste and look good and it makes the food safer by not letting bad bacteria to grow.
LYNN BABCOCK says
Thinking about trying this one Sunday-Monday. Was thinking.. what if I smoked it after I put all the seasoning/curing salt on it? Do you think it would be good? Partially cook it. I guess I'd have to add some kind of broth to it then. I've canned some meat before, not much though. How do you normally serve your recipe after it's been canned?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Lynn, smoking meat before canning is a great idea, the smoke will add a lot of flavor. The meat should be smoked low and slow until it's rare (about 125F internal temperature). Then stuff in jars, add hot water or broth and make sure to leave 1-inch headspace. The rest is the same.
I serve canned meat mixed with macaroni, spaghetti or mashed potatoes. Buckwheat, rice, wild rice also work very well. Super simple and very tasty. You can add the meat straight from the jar to the hot pasta/potatoes and mix, or you can brown some onions, add the meat and warm it up, then mix with pasta. I also like making sandwiches with canned meat, sort of like tuna sandwiches but with canned meat instead.
Olya says
I figured the part with cure salt, now I have a question, what if instead of pint jars, im using quart jars, does pressure time still stay at 70minutes? Do i add one bay leaf and 1 tb of onion mix per quart jar as well?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Olya, quart-size jars need to be canned at 10 psi minimum for 90 minutes. I do it at 15 psi as I like the softer texture I get from it.