Pressure canning ham - Ask Extension
my question is, can you pressure can ham. I have canned beef and chicken in the past and have a large ham that I will have leftovers from Thanksgiving...
Knowledgebase
Pressure canning ham #855590
Asked November 20, 2023, 2:06 PM EST
my question is, can you pressure can ham. I have canned beef and chicken in the past and have a large ham that I will have leftovers from Thanksgiving. In searching the Internet I get ambiguous answers on whether you can can ham. It seems to center around the density of the meat. Wondering if you have any suggestions or comments on whether I can do this or not. If I cut the meat into smaller chunks so the heat can penetrate the meat would that be appropriate or you do you suggest not to attempted it? Thank you for your input.
Mason County Michigan
Expert Response
Hi, I can only recommend research based methods, and while I understand your questioning, canning brined or cured meats is not an approved, research based method. The following resource from Clemson Extension explains this further (click the link to access their references): (https://www.clemson.edu/extension/food/canning/canning-tips/55home-cured-brined-corned-meats.html):
The short answer to the question is that no science-based processes are available for home canning of cured, brined or corned meats.
The texture of some cured, brined and corned meats is firmer than that of fresh meats; thus, heat penetration into the cured, brined or corned products might be more difficult. That would mean the process time would need to be longer and using the process for fresh meats would result in potentially unsafe product. Curing can make meat drier than fresh meat or can leave it with a higher salt level, then covering liquid could be absorbed into the flesh and penetration of heat into the meat would be much more difficult. Again, using the process for fresh meats would result in potentially unsafe product. On the other hand, adding salt, nitrite, nitrate and/or antimicrobial agents like nisin makes Clostridium botulinum more susceptible to heat and the required process time for some cured meats could be shorter. If so, using the fresh meat process would result in an overcooked product. Research on each product would be needed to determine a safe canning process.
Dr. Elizabeth Andress at the National Center for Home Food Preservation, said that she cannot find any evidence that the USDA meat canning research on currently accepted methods included cured meats. There was an early mention of corned beef in some reported results in the 1940’s work on meats, but the origins of that were never uncovered in an extensive literature review done in the 1980’s and corned beef was dropped by USDA in later home canning publications. According to Dr. Andress, “Because these products have not been in USDA recommendations for decades, and I do not know how it might affect the processing, I am not going to recommend that I know it is the same.”
Dr. Andress said further “….I don't make up processes for low-acid foods. The USDA legacy work in canning of meats at home is what we have. Even if some work was done in the past, I suspect the variety of cured meat products we have now would have to be taken into consideration and re-considered. I think someone would have to come up with a worst-case scenario for heat penetration in all the possible variations and then do the testing.”
So the bottom line, folks, is that the directions in USDA guide for canning do specify fresh meat for poultry and fresh ground meat. The strips, cubes and chunks directions say "bear, beef, lamb, pork, veal, venison" but do not say ham or corned beef. Clemson Extension recommends that home canners follow directions only as written and only for the specified product.
The short answer to the question is that no science-based processes are available for home canning of cured, brined or corned meats.
The texture of some cured, brined and corned meats is firmer than that of fresh meats; thus, heat penetration into the cured, brined or corned products might be more difficult. That would mean the process time would need to be longer and using the process for fresh meats would result in potentially unsafe product. Curing can make meat drier than fresh meat or can leave it with a higher salt level, then covering liquid could be absorbed into the flesh and penetration of heat into the meat would be much more difficult. Again, using the process for fresh meats would result in potentially unsafe product. On the other hand, adding salt, nitrite, nitrate and/or antimicrobial agents like nisin makes Clostridium botulinum more susceptible to heat and the required process time for some cured meats could be shorter. If so, using the fresh meat process would result in an overcooked product. Research on each product would be needed to determine a safe canning process.
Dr. Elizabeth Andress at the National Center for Home Food Preservation, said that she cannot find any evidence that the USDA meat canning research on currently accepted methods included cured meats. There was an early mention of corned beef in some reported results in the 1940’s work on meats, but the origins of that were never uncovered in an extensive literature review done in the 1980’s and corned beef was dropped by USDA in later home canning publications. According to Dr. Andress, “Because these products have not been in USDA recommendations for decades, and I do not know how it might affect the processing, I am not going to recommend that I know it is the same.”
Dr. Andress said further “….I don't make up processes for low-acid foods. The USDA legacy work in canning of meats at home is what we have. Even if some work was done in the past, I suspect the variety of cured meat products we have now would have to be taken into consideration and re-considered. I think someone would have to come up with a worst-case scenario for heat penetration in all the possible variations and then do the testing.”
So the bottom line, folks, is that the directions in USDA guide for canning do specify fresh meat for poultry and fresh ground meat. The strips, cubes and chunks directions say "bear, beef, lamb, pork, veal, venison" but do not say ham or corned beef. Clemson Extension recommends that home canners follow directions only as written and only for the specified product.
