Pressure Canning Meatloaf

 I was floored when I ran across a video about canning meatloaf on YouTube a few years back, but now I am extremely grateful.  I mean, who thinks of things like this.  I certainly hadn't, but love it now.

I didn't use any specific recipe for the meatloaf.  I went simple, using onion, green pepper, a little Worcestershire sauce, a little bread crumbs, and a couple of eggs then mixing until it was well combined. Basically, flavors that I know we all enjoy.

Then I raw packed the jars, leaving a 1" headspace.  Once all the jars were packed, I wiped down the rims with vinegar to cut any fat/grease from the meat, put the lids on finger tight, and placed the jars in my pressure canner.  

In the part of Tennessee that I live in, we are above 1,000 feet in altitude so I do have to adjust my canning for that.  For pressure canning, I need a 15 pound weight.  Then I pressure canned the jars, following my canner's instructions, for 90 minutes, which is the standard for any jars containing a meat product. 

Because  I was pressure canning these jars, I did not have to worry about sanitizing or sterilizing any of the jars, though I did put the lids in hot water to warm up the seals.  The pressure canning process takes care of sterilizing the jars.  

I was very grateful I had done this because just a few days later my fridge & freezer went out.  The 3rd fridge that we had in the apartment since last May.  We lost anything that was in the fridge and freezer.  I cried.  

After the 90 minutes was over, I turned off the burner and let the canner depressurize naturally.  Once the canner was completely cool, the pressure was down, I then took the jars out and let them sit overnight as well.  Then the next day, I removed the rings, washed the jars well, and labeled them with the date.  

Big Guy has already dug into one of the jars and assured me it was very yummy.  Since he didn't leave even a speck of it left in the jar and wouldn't share it with any of the dogs (his babies, cats are my babies he says), I had to believe him.

Watch the process here:

See ya soon!

Danielle