How to Cold Pack Beef

If you are an avid hunter and tend to give away your meat because you have limited space in your freezer, you should consider learning how to cold pack beef. It is the process of placing the uncooked beef into glass canning jars, adding some spices, sealing the jars and storing them in the pantry for future use.

How to Cold Pack Beef

1. Boil the empty canning jars in a stovetop canner for approximately 30 minutes. 


2. Allow the canning jars to cool.


3. Cut the raw meat into cubes or strips about 1" wide and 1/2" thick. The meat will be easier to cut if you place it in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes before cutting.


4. Roll up the strips of meat and place it in the canning jars, or fill them with the cubes of beef.


5. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to each jar if canning in quart size jars or 1/2 teaspoon of salt if using pint size jars.


6. Sprinkle the meat with seasonings of your choice. The seasonings will soak into the meat as it ages.


7. Put rubber-gasket canning caps on the jars and tighten a screw-on lid on each jar.


8. Put the jars in the empty stovetop canner and fill with water to cover the jars.


9. Boil the canned meat for approximately 3 hours to force out air and moisture and to kill bacteria.


10. Remove the jars after the water has cooled and retighten the lids.


11. Store the canned beef in a cool, dry place away from the light and heat.