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 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 note 1).
- 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).
Kelly
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
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.
William
After meat is cured 24 to 48 hours do you rinse the salt off before the next step.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
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
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
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
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
You are very welcome. If that’s the case, you have to make them some canned luncheon meat. I love its texture.
James
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
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
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
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
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
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
How many jars do you get total?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.