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This Simple Skillet Sweet and Sour Chicken is sweet, tangy, and comes together in about 30 minutes! Follow along as I make this dish over on YouTube ! Jump to recipe Who needs takeout when you can make this Simple Skillet Sweet and Sour Chicken! We made the decision to eat from our pantry during the Pantry Challenge in 2022 and haven’t looked back! Nothing tastes better to us than homemade. Eating home-cooked meals not only tastes better, but helps to save money, eat healthier, and improve our cooking skills. If you’d like to learn more about the Pantry Challenge and what it can teach you, you can find it here . Don’t get me wrong, going to a restaurant used to excite me. A meal I didn’t have to plan, prepare, and then clean up after? YES, PLEASE! But that comes with its own negatives. The prices, the waiting, the prices, keeping the kids occupied. And did I mention the prices?! Not to mention the often times the food is lackluster and service can really be hit or miss. Call me crazy, but I truly believe eating homemade, real food is where it’s at. I love that this dish comes together so quickly and with minimal effort, which is perfect for a busy weeknight. And the leftovers are definitely worth fighting for! Ready to get started? For this Simple Skillet Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe, you will need: Chicken I typically use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but chicken thighs are absolutely delicious as well. Don’t limit yourself to just chicken. Shrimp and pork both pair perfectly with this homemade sweet-and-sour sauce! Onions and Peppers I like to use a yellow onion and a red bell pepper for this recipe because they both offer a mild sweetness that balances the acidity of the vinegar. It also adds a bit of crunch and texture to the dish. Ketchup A good quality ketchup can help to add a sweet and tangy taste to the homemade sweet and sour sauce. Ketchup can also add a little color to the sauce and help to give a shimmering texture that covers your chicken. Apple Cider Vinegar Vinegar will add a tart, acidic flavor to the dish that balances out its sweetness. Soy Sauce Soy sauce offers salt and umami components to help balance the sweet and sour. Spices and Seasonings For a rich, well-rounded sauce, don't skimp out on the seasonings and spices! Brown Sugar It wouldn’t be sweet and sour without a sweet component, right? Granulated sugar will work fine as well. I prefer brown sugar because it has that subtle taste of molasses. Making this Simple Skillet Sweet and Sour Chicken is Easy! You’ll want to start by mixing the ingredients for your sauce in a large bowl: Ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce/coconut aminos, water, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, ginger, and brown sugar. Next, season chicken pieces with salt and pepper then cook over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes. Add onions and peppers and sauté with the chicken pieces for just a couple of minutes. Add sauce mixture to the pan and coat chicken, onion, and peppers. Reduce heat and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to rest for about 3 minutes before serving over rice or noodles. Ingredients 4 chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch pieces ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1 medium onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces ½ cup ketchup ½ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup soy sauce ¼ cup water 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons onion powder ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 cup brown sugar Directions To a large bowl, add ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, water, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, ginger, and brown sugar. Gently stir to combine. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Over medium-high heat, cook chicken until about halfway cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add onions and bell pepper to chicken. Stir. Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes. Add sauce to chicken, onions, and peppers. Stir to incorporate sauce. Reduce heat to simmer. Place lid on skillet if available. Simmer on low heat for approximately 3-5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Turn off heat and allow mixture to rest for approximately 3-5 minutes. Sauce will continue to thicken as it sits. Serve over your favorite rice or noodles. If you made this Simple Skillet Sweet and Sour Chicken, we want to hear about it! Let us know if you enjoyed it or if you made any substitutions in the comments below. Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here  to sign up for our newsletter today!

Tender, juicy chicken, smokey homemade barbecue sauce, and a creamy combination of mozzarella and sharp white cheddar piled onto an easy homemade crust make this pizza a fun family favorite. Take-out pizza will be a thing of the past once you try this delicious homemade version! Jump to Recipe When you love the taste and cost savings cooking at home provides it's easy to be inspired. After home canning the Best Homemade Barbecue Sauce recently, I knew I had to make a homemade pizza with it. And what goes better with barbecue sauce than juicy chicken and crispy bacon? Restaurant pizza just doesn’t even come close to this deliciousness! Making a homemade pizza almost completely from scratch may seem overwhelming but with just a little preparation, it really does come together pretty quickly. Even on the busiest of weeknights, it's easy to get dinner on the table fast by using homemade convenience items. If you aren’t quite prepared to make this pizza from scratch, don’t worry I’ll give you my best store-bought recommendations! To Make this BBQ Chicken Pizza you will need: Pizza Dough Homemade pizza dough is made up of simple pantry staples like flour, yeast, salt, and oil. Mixed with warm water for just a few minutes and with a quick rise of about 10 minutes, you can have a homemade pizza crust ready to go by the time the chicken is done cooking! If your local grocery store has fresh pizza dough available in their bakery, I highly recommend picking up a few. They freeze well and thaw pretty quickly making them great to have on hand for a quick meal. In my neck of the woods, I can find fresh dough at Publix. Aldi has refrigerated pizza dough as well, but it isn’t as fresh tasting as the one from Publix, in my opinion. If you’re really in a pinch, a Pillsbury pizza crust will be just fine. Barbecue Sauce We absolutely love my homemade barbecue sauce . It really is the BEST. It's a home-canned recipe that definitely takes a little time, but it is so worth it. My future self is always so happy for my past efforts! You can make a semi-homemade barbecue sauce in about 15 minutes and there’s no home canning required! Simple ingredients like ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and a couple of spices are really all you need to make a quick and easy semi-homemade barbecue sauce. Semi-Homemade Barbecue Sauce 1 cup ketchup ¾ cup brown sugar 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 ½ Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer over low-medium heat for approximately 10 minutes. We enjoy Sweet Baby Ray’s original barbecue sauce. Aldi’s store brand is extremely similar, and both are very affordable. Chicken I like to use a boneless, skinless chicken breast for pizza, but you could certainly use a couple of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. This is also a great way to use up any leftover chicken! To make things super easy, you can purchase a rotisserie chicken and shred it at home in just a couple of minutes. Red Onion Fresh red onions offer a mild tanginess and a bit of freshness that marries well with the other savory flavors. Bacon Am I the only one who thinks bacon makes everything better? Crumbly crisp bacon is a must on this savory pizza! To really speed up this process, you can purchase microwavable bacon at the grocery store. Cheese We love a blend of creamy mozzarella and sharp white cheddar cheese. However, a blend of provolone and parmesan would also be delicious. We think freshly shredded gives the best overall flavor because it doesn’t typically have the preservative coating found on store-bought shredded cheeses. A quick store-bought option is Tillamook Italian blend. It's delicious, convenient, and the ingredients are pretty clean. Let’s Make BBQ Chicken Pizza! First, you’ll want to prepare your dough. If using store-bought, just follow the package directions. If using homemade, you can follow this recipe . Next, cook the bacon until brown and crispy in a medium skillet over medium heat. Remove from skillet and place a paper towel-lined plate to allow excess oil to drain off. When cool enough to handle, break the bacon into smaller pieces. Add diced chicken breast to skillet with residual bacon grease. Cook chicken for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned on all sides. Remove from heat and place on a paper towel-lined plate to allow excess oil to drip off. I usually just pile the chicken on top of the bacon to avoid dirtying up another plate. I’m a rebel that way. Top prepared pizza dough with about ½ to ¾ cup of prepared barbecue sauce, circling it around the dough but leaving about a 1-inch rim of crust. Begin layering the cooked chicken and bacon pieces. Top with sliced red onion and shredded cheeses. Bake in a 400-degree oven for approximately 16-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting into slices. Allowing the pizza just a few minutes to cool will help the cheese stay intact rather than sliding off immediately. Make this recipe with me on YouTube! Ingredients 4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 large chicken breast, diced ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ½ red onion, diced 1 ½ cups shredded Mozzarella cheese ½ cup freshly shredded sharp white cheddar cheese ½ - ¾ cup Homemade BBQ Sauce Homemade Pizza Dough Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare dough according to recipe or package directions. Over medium heat, cook bacon in a medium skillet until brown and crispy. Remove cooked bacon from skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Break bacon into pieces. Add diced chicken to the hot bacon grease left in the skillet. Cook chicken for approximately 5-7 minutes or until cooked through completely. Remove chicken from skillet and add to a plate lined with paper towels. Add barbecue sauce to prepared pizza dough leaving a 1-inch rim for the crust. Top with cooked chicken, bacon pieces, and red onion slices. Top with shredded cheeses. Bake for approximately 16-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Allow to cool 5 minutes before cutting. If you made this BBQ Chicken Pizza, we would love to know how it turned out. Let us know in the comments! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here  to sign up for our newsletter today!

Tender chicken, fresh broccoli, and flavorful rice mixed with a homemade cheese sauce create a mouthwatering dinner that is ready in no time! Jump to Recipe What is it about a casserole that's just do deliciously comforting? It seems no matter the season, a good casserole always seems to fit the bill and be a crowd-pleaser. This one is definitely a family favorite! We enjoy hosting dinner with friends and family and this dish is one of my favorites to serve because of its ease and simplicity. This recipe is simple enough for a busy weeknight but special enough to serve to guests. I make a big batch of my Honey Butter Yeast Rolls to go along with it. For a special treat, I serve my Mint Chocolate Fudge for dessert! This quick comfort food is hearty and filling, making it perfect for big families or as a budget-friendly meal prep. Pantry staples make this recipe one to keep in your arsenal of quick, easy-to-prepare recipes. It is a kid-approved favorite and a winner at potlucks! What we love about this recipe: Quick and Easy - It comes together with simple, pantry ingredients. Versatility - From the cut of chicken to the crispy topping, almost all of the ingredients have easy swaps, making it perfect for the busy cook! Plan Ahead - This casserole can be prepped up to 2 days in advance, and then baked when you’re ready. Freezer Friendly - Do yourself a favor and prep a double batch of this delicious casserole. Keep one in the freezer for a busy weeknight. For this Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole, you will need: Chicken I use chicken thighs for this recipe because the dark meat is a little more forgiving and doesn’t dry out as quickly as chicken breasts. However, feel free to use what you have on hand. Rice Simple white rice is what I use for this recipe. Brown rice would be delicious as well, just take into account it requires a few extra minutes of cooking time. Chicken Stock This helps to add flavor to the rice. Broccoli My family prefers fresh broccoli florets however I have made this dish using frozen and freeze-dried broccoli and no one could tell the difference. Half & Half We enjoy the creaminess that half and half brings to the dish. Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce Tastier than that stuff in the can and super easy to make! Cheese I use cheddar cheese for this recipe. If you like a little extra spice, try using pepperjack. Spices Adding flavor is easy with just a few simple spices. Crushed Crackers I typically use crushed Ritz crackers. Breadcrumbs, Panko, and crushed cornflakes will also add texture and a beautiful golden topping. Serves 4-6 Ingredients 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 2 cups rice 4 cups chicken stock 2 cups chopped broccoli ¼ cup butter, melted 1 cup half and half 1 1/2 cups Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ½ onion powder ½ teaspoon garlic powder 2 teaspoons dried parsley 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded ½ cup crushed crackers (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake chicken thighs for approximately 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow chicken to cool slightly before shredding with two forks. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of chicken stock to a boil. Add rice and boil for 2 minutes. Cover saucepan and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork. To a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients except the crushed crackers. Mix well to combine. Add mixture to a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and top with crushed crackers. Return dish to oven and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until topping is lightly toasted. Want to help our small family business in a big way? Share this recipe with anyone who enjoys delicious, homemade food! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here  to sign up for our newsletter today!

Summer may be over, but that doesn’t mean we have to go without our favorite seasonal flavors! Fresh produce is always welcomed at our home, but fresh local produce… well, that gets a special seat at the table! As I mentioned in my previous posts, Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers and Double-Chocolate Orange Zucchini Muffins , I was able to snag a fantastic deal on some local produce recently. We've made our way through the onions, peppers, & zucchini, which were diced or shredded, and stored in the freezer. Now, it's time to get to the 50 pounds of peaches sitting on the counter! Preserving peaches can seem like a daunting task because they require an important extra step. To get the best-looking, best-tasting products, it's important to remove the peach skins. To do this, simply place them into boiling water for approximately 60-90 seconds, then run them under cold water. The skins pretty much just slip right off! After stocking my cabinet full of Peach Jam over the summer, I knew I wanted to try the next item on my canning to-do list: Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce. I closely followed the recipe in my Ball cookbook which you can find here or online here . This turned out great! It has a fantastic, sweet flavor with a hint of tang. Because this was my first time making it, I made this recipe exactly as written. Next time, I think I will add double the spices and Worcestershire to give it that spicy heat we like! But all in all, it is delicious, and we will definitely enjoy it with pork, chicken, and over burgers. Yield : Makes about 8 (8 oz) half pints Ingredients : 6 cups finely chopped, pitted, & peeled peaches (about 3 pounds or 9 medium) 1 cup finely chopped seeded red bell pepper (about 1 large) 1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 large) 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 14 cloves) 1-1/4 cups honey 3/4 cup cider vinegar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes 2 teaspoons dry mustard 2 teaspoon non-iodized salt (I used Pink Himalayan) Directions : Prepare boiling water in canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a thin commercial barbeque sauce (about 25 minutes). If desired, puree in batches in a food processor, or use an immersion blender to help break down the peaches. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim, and center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until the jars are full. Process for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove the lid and let jars stand for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here  to sign up for our newsletter today!

Freshly ripe peaches are turned into delicious homemade Peach Butter, making summertime so much sweeter! Jump to Recipe We are knee-deep into food preservation this week, friends! I mentioned in my Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe and my recipe for Double Chocolate Orange Zucchini Muffins how I recently scored a great deal on some fresh, local produce from a nearby farm. My kitchen has been going non-stop for the last couple of weeks, preserving all of those yummy fruits and vegetables! We’ve made our Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce , and now it's time for Homemade Peach Butter! I use this recipe found in my Ball canning cookbook which you can find here . So, what is Peach Butter anyway, you ask? Unlike its peachy cousins, jam, jelly, and preserves, fruit butters are typically made with the pulp of the fruit that's cooked down into a concentrated spread. The final product results in a silky, smooth consistency. Jelly is often made only with the juice of the fruit and while it is more spreadable than jam, it isn’t as smooth as fruit butter. Jams and preserves have larger bits of fruit which results in a thicker, chunkier product. All are absolutely delicious, and all have their place in my pantry! One way I like to use this summertime favorite is in my Peach Butter Waffles or as a topping on homemade buttermilk pancakes. Warm Peach Butter is phenomenal as an ice cream topping or mixed in a bowl of oatmeal. Peach Butter is even fantastic in its simplicity on a piece of homemade bread! Yield: About Eight 8-ounce jars or Four Pint Jars Ingredients 4 ½ pounds fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped ½ cup water Juice and zest of one lemon 4 cups granulated sugar Prepare for Canning: To prepare jars for canning, I like to place my clean, room-temperature jars into my canning pot with room-temperature water. I allow my jars and water to come to the same temperature at the same time. You don’t want boiling water; you’re just heating everything up. Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter space where you intend to place your hot jars once removed from the canner. Once your sauce is ready for canning, carefully remove the jars from the pot using your canning jar lifter and empty the hot water back into the pot. Place the hot jars on the prepared kitchen towel and begin ladling in the sauce. Tips & Tricks for the Canning Process: If you have a water bath canner, you’ll want to use it here. I don’t have a separate canner for water bath canning, so I just use my pressure canner with the rack. However, I do not lock the lid in place and allow the canning lid to sit slightly ajar. If you don’t have a water bath or pressure canner, no worries! You can simply use a large stock pot with a makeshift rack. Your pot should be tall enough so that the water covers the jars. To make a DIY canning rack, you can simply tie five or six canning rings together and place your jars on top. If you have an Instant Pot rack you can use that instead. The main thing is you don’t want to place your jars directly inside the pot. Air and heat need to be able to circulate around the jars completely to ensure proper processing. When placing your rings onto the jars, you want to tighten them with just your fingertips. If the rings are too tight your lids will buckle and can result in an unsealed jar. If you don’t tighten them enough, the water can seep into your jar and ruin your product. Directions You'll want to begin by preparing the peaches. After washing the peaches with cool water, boil them in a large stainless-steel stockpot for approximately 1-2 minutes until the skins become loose. Remove peaches from hot water and quickly rinse under cold water. The skins should slide right off pretty easily. Coarsely chop the peaches, then drain the water from your pot. To a large stainless-steel stockpot, combine peaches, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until peaches are soft, about 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree just until a uniform texture is achieved. You don't want a liquid mixture; it should still have some thickness to it. Measure out 8 cups of peach puree. In a clean large stainless-steel saucepan, combine peach puree and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and holds its shape on a spoon. Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving ¼ headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace if needed by adding more hot butter. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Place jars in canner, ensuring they're completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool for at least 24 hours, remove band, and store. After Processing: Once your Peach Butter has completed the 15 minutes in the canner, remove the lid from the canner completely. Allow the jars to rest in the pot for about 5 minutes or so. This will allow them to adjust to having the lid taken off of the canner. Carefully remove the jars from the canner using your canning jar lifter and place on the prepared kitchen towel. Allow the jars to rest on the counter for 24 hours and listen for pops of the lids (my favorite part). Remove the rings from the jars and gently press the center of the canning lid on each jar. If the lid pops back up, your lid did not seal properly, unfortunately. It happens! If it's just one jar, place that one in the refrigerator and use it within a couple of weeks. If it's several jars, remove all of the lids, wipe the rims of the jars with vinegar, add new lids, and reprocess again in the canner. If your jars are all sealed properly (YAY!), use a little vinegar or soap and warm water to wipe the outside of the jars before storing. Store jars in a cool, dark place. If you enjoyed this delicious Homemade Peach Butter recipe, would you let us know in the comments below? We’d love to hear from you! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here  to sign up for our newsletter today!

As we wait for what hopefully will be a bountiful spring and summer, there's one thing we should do while we have a moment on these slower-paced winter days. And that my friends, is doing an inventory of the canning pantry. Even before I started canning last year, I would take an inventory of items in the pantry each February. By taking an inventory, I knew exactly what I had on hand, what I needed more of, and what items my family didn’t care for as much. It also gave me an opportunity to work through any items that may have gotten pushed to the back of the pantry. I would challenge myself to use up as many items as I could before going back to the grocery store to restock. You want to be mindful of how long the items have been on your shelves and the conditions in which they were stored. Canned products should be stored in a cool, dark place. Typically, home canned food should be consumed within 12-24 months. When home canning, you want to pay careful attention to your products. Check each jar for any changes, especially with the sealing of the lid, color, and smell. If the seal has broken, it is best to discard it. It's extremely important to discard spoiled products safely and correctly. Follow these rules recommended by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Home canning is a serious science. You want to use recipes that have been tested, approved, and up-to-date by The United States Department of Agriculture. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a wealth of knowledge and I highly recommend you read through their guides, especially if you're a newbie like me. You can find them here . Keeping track of your canning products can be as simple as using a spiral notebook, an app on your phone, a printable list like this one , or a notebooking page like this . Personally, I like using an inventory sheet. I keep it in the cabinet with my home canned goods so that it's easy to add or remove items from the list. Another good task to do during this “off-season” of gardening, is to evaluate your canning supplies and ensure you have everything you need. You can read more about that here . Currently, in my canning pantry, I have several jars of jam in three different flavors. So, I likely won’t make any more this summer, unless we can make a serious dent in it. I'm completely out of pizza sauce though, and that was one of our absolute favorites last year. I will definitely need to make more of that! The rest of the items I'm sure we'll use up between now and the end of the summer. Whether you're new to home canning or a seasoned pro, I hope these tips are helpful in your canning journey for 2023! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here  to sign up for our newsletter today!

As our gardens and local farmers' markets become full of beautiful crops, it's important to think about what we'll do to preserve all those goodies! Here are five of my favorites that I will can again and again. Make sure you're prepared for canning season by reading this ! You can read more about food preservation in my Harvest Right Freeze Dryer Review here . Pickled Cabbage Slaw Serve this crunchy, flavorful slaw on top of grilled burgers or chicken, or serve it as a side dish. It's a wonderful addition to any backyard BBQ meal! Balsamic Vinegar Onions These onions are the perfect “extra something special” to top a steak, add to a stroganoff, or in a slow cooker with beef tips . The Best Homemade BBQ Sauce This recipe has the perfect amount of seasonings, heat, and sweetness our family loves. It's full of fresh garden veggies, sweet molasses and brown sugar, and savory Worcestershire sauce. You don’t want to be without this sauce at your next family BBQ! Try my BBQ Bacon Chicken or my Homemade BBQ Meatballs ! Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce This recipe has a fantastic, sweet flavor with a hint of tang and a slow heat from the crushed red pepper. We love it on grilled chicken and pork chops. Peach Butter The sweetness of the peaches makes a simple thing like toast taste like a luxurious breakfast. Try adding some to your homemade waffle or pancake batter for a flavor that is peachy-keen! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here  to sign up for our newsletter today!

This savory jam can be used as a topping for burgers, a spread on toast, or as a dip! Want to save this recipe for later? Pin it! Ingredients 2 pounds maple flavored bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 large onions, diced 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup apple cider vinegar ½ cup pure maple syrup 1 cup strong, black coffee ½ cup sugar ¼ cup molasses ¼ teaspoon all-spice ½ teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Directions In a large pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon pieces until brown and crispy. Remove cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Drain bacon grease in a heat-safe jar or bacon grease saver. Add diced onion to pan with 2 tablespoons bacon grease and sauté for approximately 12-15 minutes or until onions are tender and caramelized. Add garlic and sauté for approximately 2-3 minutes. Carefully add vinegar, maple syrup, black coffee, sugar, molasses, and spices to pan. Whisk together and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Return bacon to pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer on low heat for one hour, making sure to stir often to avoid scorching. Remove pan from heat. Carefully transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Prepare pressure canner with water and rack and bring to a low boil. Prepare 4-ounce canning jars by ensuring they are clean and sanitized. Using a canning funnel, fill jars to the ½-inch headspace mark. Carefully, wipe the rims of the filled jars with a clean paper towel or dish towel that has been dipped in vinegar to remove any residue. Add canning lids and tighten rings with fingertips. Do not over-tighten the rings! Using canning jar lifter, carefully add jars to pressure canner. Following your pressure canner’s manufacturer’s recommendations, process the jars to the recommended pressure based on your altitude for 75 minutes. Bring your pressure canner back to zero pressure based on your canner’s manufacturer’s recommended process. Remove lid from pressure canner and allow jars to remain in the canner for at least 10- 15 minutes before removing. Remove the jars with canning jar lifter and place jars on a dry dish towel. Do not place jars directly on your countertop! Allow jars to sit undisturbed for 24 hours. After the 24-hour period, check jars for proper sealing. If jars have sealed, wipe jars down with vinegar to remove any remaining residue and store in a cool, dark place. If the jars did not seal, store jars in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Note : While the National Center has not tested this recipe for Home Food Preservation, it does meet their requirements for canning meat. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

This delicious plum sauce has the perfect blend of tangy, sweet, and spice! This recipe is an easy water bath canning recipe however, it can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks or frozen for up to 3 months. The recommended canning shelf life if stored properly in a cool, dark space is about one year. Yield : Approximately 9 half pints Jump to recipe This past October we were blessed with a bushel of fresh plums from a sweet friend. Looking for recipe inspiration, to Pinterest I went! I found multiple recipes for various plum sauces but none of them really fit the bill for what I thought we would really enjoy. I also didn’t want to can a large amount of a single use condiment. Finally, I decided an Asian Plum Sauce would be perfect because of its versatility but I wanted to amp the flavors up just a bit to our taste preferences. This plum sauce is full of complex flavors! The sweetness from the sugar and plums, the tang from the vinegar, and the bold spiciness from the ginger and pepper flakes, makes this the perfect pairing for glazed chicken or pork, as a dipping sauce on a charcuterie board or for homemade egg rolls, or in our new favorite recipe, Grilled Pork Chops with Asian Plum Sauce. For This Asian Plum Sauce Recipe, You Will Need: Fresh, ripe plums that are washed, pitted, and chopped. The riper the plums, the sweeter they will be. If the plums are not fully ripened, the sauce will have a tartier flavor. You can balance the tartness by adding additional sugar until you reach your desired taste. Leave the skins on the plums as this will provide a lot of natural pectin. You will also need granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce or coconut aminos, molasses, ginger, fresh garlic, onion power, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. This recipe calls for black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. You can make this to your desired heat level and adjust both as you wish. Prepare for Canning: To prepare jars for canning, I like to place my clean, room-temperature jars into my canning pot with room temperature water. I allow my jars and water to come to the same temperature at the same time. You don’t want boiling water; you’re just heating everything up. Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter space you intend to place your hot jars once removed from the canner. Once your sauce is ready for canning, carefully remove the jars from the pot using your canning jar lifter and empty the hot water back into the pot. Place the hot jars on the prepared kitchen towel and begin ladling in the sauce. Tips & Tricks for the Canning Process: If you have a water bath canner, you’ll want to use it here. I don’t have a separate canner for water bath canning, so I just use my pressure canner with the rack. However, I do not lock the lid in place and allow the canning lid to sit slightly ajar. If you don’t have a water bath or pressure canner, no worries! You can simply use a large stock pot with a makeshift rack. Your pot should be tall enough so that the water covers the jars. To make a DIY canning rack, you can simply tie five or six canning rings together and place your jars on top. If you have an Instant Pot rack you can use that instead. The main thing is you don’t want to place your jars directly inside the pot. Air and heat need to be able to circulate around the jars completely to ensure proper processing. When placing your rings onto the jars, you want to tighten them with just your fingertips. If the rings are too tight your lids will buckle and can result in an unsealed jar. If you don’t tighten them enough, the water can seep into your jar and ruin your product. After Processing: Once your Asian Plum sauce has completed the 15 minutes in the canner, remove the lid from the canner completely. Allow the jars to rest in the pot for about 5 minutes or so. This will allow them to adjust to having the lid taken off of the canner. Carefully remove the jars from the canner using your canning jar lifter and place on the prepared kitchen towel. Allow the jars to rest on the counter for 24 hours and listen for pops of the lids (my favorite part!). Remove the rings from the jars and gently press the center of the canning lid on each jar. If the lid pops back up, your lid didn't seal properly unfortunately. It happens! If it's just one jar, place that one in the refrigerator and use within a couple of weeks. If it's several jars, remove all of the lids, wipe the rims of the jars with vinegar, add new lids, and reprocess again in the canner. If your jars are all sealed properly (YAY!), use a little vinegar or soap and warm water to wipe the outside of the jars before storing. Store jars in a cool, dark place. Want to save this recipe for later? Pin it! Ingredients 6 pounds (approximately 48 small to medium-sized) fresh ripe plums, washed pitted and chopped 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup apple cider vinegar 6 Tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos 4 Tablespoons molasses 3 Tablespoon ginger, freshly grated 6 large cloves garlic, minced 3 teaspoons onion powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked ½ -1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated Directions Prepare canning jars, lids, and rings, and begin warming water in water bath canner. Place a kitchen towel on the counter space where you will place finished jars. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 35 minutes or until the plums are soft. Using an immersion blender, blend sauce until smooth. Carefully, ladle sauce into prepared jars, leaving a ¼” headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a clean cloth or paper towel with a little vinegar. Place lids on jars and tighten rings “fingertip tight”. Carefully, place jars in prepared canner and process for 15 minutes. Remove jars to prepared kitchen towel and allow to rest 24 hours. Remove rings from jars and check lids for proper sealing. The center of the lid should not pop back when pressed on and the lid should be secure. Wipe the outside of jars with vinegar or with soap and warm water to remove any residue before storing. Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here  to sign up for our newsletter today!

This delicious homemade BBQ offers the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and just the right amount of heat! Jump to Recipe We have a favorite brand of store-bought barbecue sauce which we enjoy quite a bit; however, this is our absolute favorite of all BBQ sauces! I've tried my hand at homemade sauce over the years, but could never get it just right. It was either too sweet, too tangy, too hot, or not hot enough. This recipe has the perfect amount of seasonings, heat, and sweetness that our family loves. The original recipe titled “ Stampede Style ” is from The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving which you can find here . I did make a few alterations based on preference and what I had on hand. I felt comfortable making these changes, however, home canning is a science that should be followed very closely. I encourage you to review the original recipe and make changes that are recommended as safe and that you feel comfortable with. Y’all this homemade BBQ sauce is everything! We use it as a delicious sauce on BBQ Chicken Pizza , Homemade BBQ Meatballs , and even as a dip for Homemade Fried Potato Chips . It's good on just about anything, and having a whole shelf in our pantry full of this perfectly seasoned goodness makes us very happy! To Make The BEST Homemade BBQ Sauce you will need: Tomatoes I like to use Amish Paste tomatoes or Roma tomatoes. They typically have less water content than other varieties and are great for canning recipes. Bell Peppers I use green bell peppers because they're milder in flavor. If you use other colors, your sauce may be sweeter than intended. Onions and Garlic Garlic and onion both offer delicious umami flavor. Molasses and Sugar These are key ingredients for adding sweetness! Vinegar White vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used in this recipe. You want to make sure the acidity of the vinegar is at least 5% to ensure it's safe for home canning. Vinegar helps to balance the sweetness. Liquid Smoke This is a not-so-secret ingredient that helps to provide that savory, smokey flavor. For home canning you’ll need a few tools: Water Bath Canner with a canning rack Pint sized canning jars with lids and rings Canning jar lifter Wooden skewer or canning debubbler tool Do I Have To Can This BBQ Sauce? If you’re not a home canner yet, no worries! You can still make this homemade BBQ sauce. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or frozen for up to 3 months. Let’s Get Started! Yield: 6 pints Ingredients 20 cups pureed plum tomatoes, deseeded and peeled 2 ¼ cups pureed green bell peppers, deseeded 2 cups pureed onions 1 cup pureed celery 6 cloves minced garlic 2 Tablespoons ground mustard 4 dried cayenne peppers, finely chopped 1/2 cup molasses 1/2 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup white vinegar 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika 2 teaspoons ground black pepper Directions: Using a large stainless-steel pot, over medium-high heat bring tomato puree to a rolling boil, making sure to stir frequently. Cook for approximately one hour or until reduced by about half. Carefully add in pureed peppers, onions, celery, minced garlic, chopped cayenne peppers, and ground mustard. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and boil gently for approximately 45 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Continue stirring frequently throughout. If you're canning the sauce, keep the sauce hot and move on to the canning instructions below. If you are not canning the sauce, allow it to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Prepare for Canning: To prepare jars for canning, I like to place my clean, room-temperature jars into my canning pot with room-temperature water. I allow my jars and water to come to the same temperature at the same time. You don’t want boiling water; you’re just heating everything up. Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter space where you intend to place your hot jars once removed from the canner. Once your sauce is ready for canning, carefully remove the jars from the pot using your canning jar lifter and empty the hot water back into the pot. Place the hot jars on the prepared kitchen towel and begin ladling in the sauce. Ladle the BBQ sauce into prepared jars leaving a ½ inch headspace. Using a wooden skewer or canning debubbler tool, remove any air bubbles. Wipe jar rim using a clean paper towel with a little bit of vinegar on it. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled. Place filled jars into water bath canner. The water should cover jars by 1 inch. You may need to add additional hot water to ensure the proper amount of coverage. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner, and bring water to a rolling boil. Process pint jars for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude as needed. After Processing: Once your homemade BBQ sauce has completed the 20 minutes in the canner, remove the lid from the canner completely. Allow the jars to rest in the pot for about 5 minutes or so. This will allow them to adjust to having the lid taken off of the canner. Carefully remove the jars from the canner using your canning jar lifter, and place on the prepared kitchen towel. Do not place hot jars directly on a counter surface. The temperature difference can cause the jars to break. Allow the jars to rest on the counter for 24 hours and listen for pops of the lids (my favorite part!). Remove the rings from the jars and gently press the center of the canning lid on each jar. If the lid pops back up, your lid did not seal properly, unfortunately. It happens! If it's just one jar, place that one in the refrigerator and use it within a couple of weeks. If it's several jars, remove all of the lids, wipe the rims of the jars with vinegar, add new lids, and reprocess again in the canner. If your jars are all sealed properly (YAY!), use a little vinegar or soap and warm water to wipe the outside of the jars before storing. Store jars in a cool, dark place. Tips & Tricks for the Canning Process: If you have a water bath canner, you’ll want to use it here. I don’t have a separate canner for water bath canning, so I just use my pressure canner with the rack. However, I do not lock the lid in place and allow the canning lid to sit slightly ajar. If you don’t have a water bath or pressure canner, no worries! You can simply use a large stock pot with a makeshift rack. Your pot should be tall enough so that the water covers the jars. To make a DIY canning rack, you can simply tie five or six canning rings together and place your jars on top. If you have an Instant Pot rack, you can use that instead. The main thing is you don’t want to place your jars directly inside the pot. Air and heat need to be able to circulate around the jars completely to ensure proper processing. When placing your rings onto the jars, you want to tighten them with just your fingertips. If the rings are too tight your lids will buckle and can result in an unsealed jar. If you don’t tighten them enough, the water can seep into your jar and ruin your product. Freezing Instructions: This homemade BBQ sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months if stored properly in a freezer-safe container. Allow the sauce to thaw completely in the refrigerator before using. We’d love to know if you enjoyed this Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe, so click on the heart at the bottom of the post or leave us a comment below! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

This homemade barbecue sauce offers the perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and smoky! Jump to Recipe Yield: 32 half-pints or 16 pints We love this delicious homemade BBQ sauce on BBQ Chicken Pizza , BBQ Meatballs , and Baked BBQ Bacon Chicken ! The original recipe, titled Smoky Sweet Barbeque Sauce is from The Ball Mason Jars website which you can find here . I made a few alterations based on preference and what I had on hand. I felt comfortable making these changes, however, home canning is a science that should be followed very closely. I encourage you to review the original recipe and make changes that are recommended as safe and that you feel comfortable with. Check out our other Home Canned BBQ Sauces! The BEST Homemade BBQ Sauce Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce For home canning you’ll need a few tools: Water Bath Canner with a canning rack Pint-sized canning jars with lids and rings Canning jar lifter Wooden skewer or canning debubbler tool Do I Have To Can This BBQ Sauce? If you’re not a home canner yet, no worries! You can still make this homemade BBQ sauce. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or frozen for up to 3 months. Do I Have to Use a Water Bath Canner? If you have a water bath canner, you’ll want to use it here. I don’t have a separate canner for water bath canning, so I just use my pressure canner with the rack. However, I do not lock the lid in place and allow the canning lid to sit slightly ajar. If you don’t have a water bath or pressure canner, no worries! You can simply use a large stock pot with a makeshift rack. Your pot should be tall enough so that the water covers the jars. To make a DIY canning rack, you can simply tie five or six canning rings together and place your jars on top. If you have an Instant Pot rack you can use that instead. The main thing is you don’t want to place your jars directly inside the pot. Air and heat need to be able to circulate around the jars completely to ensure proper processing. Ingredients 24 pounds peeled Roma tomatoes, chopped 1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar 1 ½ cups bourbon 2 cups sugar 6 Tablespoons molasses ½ cup garlic powder 1 cup caramelized onion powder 1 ½ cup tomato powder (or 12 ounces tomato paste) 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce 2 Tablespoons liquid smoke 1 ½ Tablespoons chili powder 1 ½ Tablespoons paprika ½ teaspoon ground mustard Directions Prepare tomatoes by first thoroughly washing them and removing any minor blemishes. Use a paring knife to form an X on the bottom of each tomato. Using a slotted spoon, carefully dip the tomatoes (maybe three or four at a time) into a large stockpot of boiling water. Leave the tomatoes in the boiling water until the skins begin to slip off (approximately 30-60 seconds) Carefully, remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and place them immediately into a large bowl of ice-cold water. Remove the cooled tomatoes to a large bowl and continue processing the remaining tomatoes. Remove the skins and cut out the stem and tough part of the core. Chop tomatoes and add to a large stainless-steel stockpot. Bring tomatoes to a boil then reduce heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree tomatoes until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 1 ½ - 2 hours or until sauce has thickened and appears darker in color. While the sauce is simmering, prepare jars for the canning process. ( See Helpful Tips ) Once your sauce is ready for canning, carefully remove the jars from the pot using your canning jar lifter, and empty the hot water back into the pot. Place the hot jars on a prepared kitchen towel, and begin ladling in the sauce ensuring to leave a ½ inch headspace. Debubble the sauce to ensure there are no air pockets. Using a paper towel with a little vinegar, wipe the rims of each jar. Place lids and rings on the jars then add jars to the prepared canner. Process half-pints and pints for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude if needed. Carefully remove lid from canner and allow the jars to rest in the open canner for 10 minutes before removing. Using a jar lifter, carefully remove jars from canner and place on prepared kitchen towel. Allow jars to remain undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Check lids for proper sealing. Wipe down jars with a little dish soap and water. Wipe dry and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Helpful Tips To prepare jars for canning, I like to place my clean, room-temperature jars into my canning pot with room-temperature water. I allow my jars and water to come to the same temperature at the same time. You don’t want boiling water; you’re just heating everything up. Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter space where you intend to place your hot jars once removed from the canner. Ensure your lids and rings are free of any damage and are near your hot jars. Tomatoes should always be treated as a low-acid food when it comes to water bath canning, and acid must be added to each jar of tomatoes and tomato products to ensure a safe-to-consume product.   When placing your rings onto the jars, you want to tighten them with just your fingertips. If the rings are too tight your lids will buckle and can result in an unsealed jar. If you don’t tighten them enough, the water can seep into your jar and ruin your product. Check the lids for proper sealing. Remove the rings from the jars and gently press the center of the canning lid on each jar. If the lid pops back up, your lid did not seal properly unfortunately. It happens! If it is just one jar, place that one in the refrigerator and use within a couple of weeks. If it is several jars, remove all of the lids, wipe the rims of the jars with vinegar, add new lids, and reprocess again in the canner. If you enjoyed this home canned Sweet and Smoky BBQ sauce, let us know by leaving a comment down below and clicking the heart button at the bottom right of the page! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here  to sign up for our newsletter today!

Home-canned ground beef is delicious, convenient, and shelf-stable! Jump to Recipe I have a dilemma, friends. My freezers are jam-packed with an abundance of ground beef and I need to make some space fast! One way to free up valuable real estate in my freezers is for each of my family members to eat their weight in Smokey Sloppy Joes , burgers, and tacos in a pretty short amount of time. Or I can simply pressure can the meat and have it on my pantry shelf ready to go whenever I need it. Though we do love our tacos, I believe I’ll choose the latter. Why Can Ground Beef? Easy to Prepare! Even if you’re new to preserving food, canning ground beef is super easy to do. Just a few steps is all it takes to get cooked ground beef on your pantry shelves in no time. It’s super convenient! I can’t tell you how many times having this little gem ready to go has saved me at dinner time. The meat is already cooked and can quickly be added to speedy dishes like my Ground Beef & Ramen Korean Bowl , One Pan Tex-Mex Rice Casserole , or the family favorite, tacos. It’s delicious! Unlike the questionable stuff sold in the cans at the supermarket, home-canned ground beef actually tastes pretty darn good. Probably because it’s real meat, broth/water, and salt which is totally optional. The instructions in this post may also be used to can ground venison, bison, or any other ground red meat. Equipment Needed Tools You’ll need a basic canning utensils kit that has a jar lifter, debubbler wand, and a funnel. Pressure Canner Because meat is a low-acid food, you cannot water bath can it. You’ll need to use a pressure canner, not to be confused with a pressure cooker. These are not interchangeable! I have a 23-quart Presto Pressure Canner . I ordered an additional canning rack so that I could run a max-load of 18 pints at a time. Jars, Lids, and Rings Of course, you’ll need jars to can the ground beef. I have used brand name jars and no name jars and they both work just the same. Lids, however, are a very different story. Don’t go cheap when it comes to lids! Save those cheap lids for vacuum sealing or craft projects. The last thing you want is to open your canner and see your lids have failed. I’ve been there and trust me, it's not a good time. My absolute favorites are the For Jars lids, and a close runner-up is Ball brand lids. I’m not affiliated with either brand. When it comes to rings, you can use the cheap ones that come with the no-name jars as long as they are not dented, rusted, or in some other way compromised. Prepare for Canning: To prepare jars for canning, I like to place my clean, room-temperature jars into my canning pot with room-temperature water. I allow my jars and water to come to the same temperature at the same time. You don’t want boiling water; you’re just heating everything up at this point. Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter space where you intend to place your hot jars once removed from the canner. If the kitchen towel is on the thin side, like a flour sack, double up your towels. Once your ground beef is ready for canning, carefully remove the jars from the pot using your canning jar lifter and empty the hot water back into the pot. Place the hot jars on the prepared kitchen towel and begin adding the meat to the jars. Helpful Tips Ground beef must be cooked prior to canning to ensure a safe final product. Water bath canning is not an approved safe method for meat. It is absolutely essential to use a pressure canner. I like to can our ground beef plain with just a little salt. You can certainly add a variety of seasonings but keep in mind the canning process may alter the taste. The liquid in the final product is safe to consume. You have essentially made a beef broth. Properly prepared and stored, canned ground beef can last about 18 months. The integrity of the seal may begin to deteriorate after that. Siphoning of liquid may occur during the canning process, which is normal. If there is any meat above the liquid in your jars, it may become slightly discolored but will still be safe to eat. When in doubt, throw it out. Botulism can’t be seen or smelled. If your ground beef doesn’t look or smell right when you’re ready to consume it, toss it out. For more information on safe canning check out the National Institute of Food and Agriculture . Let’s Get Started! Yield: Approximately 14 pints or 7 quarts Ingredients 15 pounds lean ground beef, venison, bison, or any other ground red meat 1 teaspoon per pint or 2 teaspoons per quart of non-iodized salt (such as Pink Himalayan or Kosher) 7 cups water or beef broth White Distilled Vinegar 5% acidity Directions In a large skillet, brown the ground beef in batches until cooked through. If using a fat content higher than 10%, I recommend draining off some of the grease. Add the cooked ground beef into each jar, tapping down the beef as needed to ensure it's evenly dispersed among the jars allowing 1 inch of headspace. Add water or broth to each jar. Debubble the bar by pushing the meat around. Add more broth or water if needed while ensuring the 1-inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean dishcloth or paper towel dipped in white distilled vinegar. Place canning lids and tighten rings to “fingertip tight”. Using the jar lifter, carefully place each jar into the pressure canner. Add the canner lid and secure following the manufacturer’s instructions. Allow the canner to vent for 10-12 minutes before placing the weighted gauge on the vent. Process for pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes following the recommended psi setting for your altitude. At the end of the processing time, turn off the heat and allow the canner gauge to return to zero. Carefully, remove the weighted gauge and allow any additional steam to vent. Once the steam has vented completely, carefully open the canner and remove the lid. Allow the jars to remain in the canner for 10 minutes before removing. Using the jar lifter, remove the jars from the canner and place them on the prepared kitchen towel. Allow the jars to cool completely for 12-24 hours. Remove the canning rings and ensure each jar is sealed. Clean the jars with a warm, soap dish cloth and wipe dry. Label and store the jars in a dark, cool cabinet, basement, or cellar. If you would like to see more canning recipes let us know in the comments below! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here  to sign up for our newsletter today!