Grease/Fat

[mommato3boys]

Originally Posted By: Crazy4Canning

My husband asked me this same question after reading about 'hamburger rocks' on the very same website and another survival website he frequents.

Some people are willing to take this risk, some are not. I am one who is not....I just can't find a way to do this safely.

P.S. I've forbidden my DH from trying this with my dehydrator....

C4C, I don't use a dehydrator, I had rather dry mine in the oven. I use the dryed ground beef for soups, stews, and gravy. It makes wonderful chili. When we are camping I just toss it in and cook it right along with the veggies or dry beans. There is enough salt on the meat so I don't have to worry about adding salt. I use A LOT of salt when I am drying it. If was using it in every day cooking I would soak in water and rinse it before using it to remove some salt. I did find a pack when we move a couple of weeks ago and make bisuits and gravy it was still good. No rancid smell and it cooked up just fine and it still tasted like ground beef.

I cook mine on the stove top drain rinse and cook until there is no liquid. Put in gallon jar, add hot water (I bring the water to a boil then pour over the ground beef) covering the ground beef by 2 or 3 inches. I want to make sure the fat floats and does not touch the ground beef. Let it set in the refrigerator over night. Next day remove fat, drain rinse and return to skillet and cook again until dry adding salt as I go. I spread it out in a thin layer in the bottom of a 9x13 pan (this way I can stir it during the drying process and not send it flying all over the place) sprinkle salt over the top and bake at 200 degrees until it is dry and reduced to sand and gravel.

I understand everyones concern about it not being and approved way of processing but it did work and we like it better than the ground beef packs that you can buy in the store. This is one of those post that probably should go over in Mother's forum where she discusses those NON-approved ways of doing things.

[Prudy]

Have you tried boiling the ground beef (use the liquid for stock after separating the fat off) first, draining and rinsing well and then spreading out on a pan in the oven?

 

Boiling the beef works very well to remove fat, and you can use the liquid so those important nutrients are saved. Boiling is a nice way of getting fairly clean fat for soap making also.

[Crazy4Canning]

Interesting. Very interesting. Hmmm. Methinks I'll try this in a week or so when the apples stop invading my kitchen.

 

How do you store it? Do you vacuum seal the bags, use a zippy or toss in a jar?

 

Thanks for your posting, it is great!

[Violet]

I know some are drying "hamburger rocks".

However, it is not safe to do so. It doesn't have nearly enough salt to bind up the water, called water activity, to get enough moisture out of it fast enough before it can spoil.

Then, there are millions of little surface areas all over that ground meat to grow bacteria.

Even jerky with ground meat is no longer considered safe to make.

The meat also sits in the temperature danger zone too long before it would dry.

Oh, I did contact Elizabeth Andress at USDA about it and that was her response to me.

 

[Crazy4Canning]

Thanks for keeping us safe, Violet.

[Campy]

I have a question about this. (I might even learn something from all you knowledgeble people )

 

First of all I know absolutely nothing about canning.

 

Why is it that ground beef is not safe to can, yet they sell #10 cans of freeze dried ground beef ? (Provident Pantry & Mountain house)

[Violet]

Campy, ground beef is safe to can, just not dehydrate at home...

The dried stuff commercially is done with commercial equipment and commercial preservatives. We can't duplicate those things at home. That is freeze dried meat, not just dehydrated.

[sassenach]

You can cook it first, thats how alot of folks do it, drain and rinse the fat away,dehydrate, vaccuum can it in canning jars, and if its stored cool and dry, it will keep just fine for at least 6 mos. or more. food-preserving groups on yahoo has many members that do this. I have cooked it, drained and rinsed it and dehydrated it on cookie sheets in my oven, it is still good even in a ziploc bag. For BOB. I also do keep it just in a mayo jar or canning jar after its cooked,rinsed and dehydrated in the oven for a quick addition to meal making anytime I want it. But either way, its kept fine. But I do put the jar in the freezer.

[Violet]

Yes, Arby, some do, but it is not USDA safe....

 

[Campy]

Thanks for the explanation. I was getting the impression (from not reading everything COMPLETELY) that you were talking about canning, not home dehydrating.

 

Thanks again.

[AMarthaByHeart]

I just bought a 10 lb. bag of 20% ground chuck from Sam's. I boiled it and will bag it in ziploc bags when cool. I have never tried it this way before but read where it could be done. Now my questions for the experts.

 

1. If recipe calls for 1 lb. of hamburger meat (hbm), how much cooked would it be, cooked hbm= 1 lb. raw hbm

I measured a little over 2 c. for 9 bags. Would this be about right for 10 lbs? (allowing for the 20% fat)

 

2. Can I let the fat congeal, then save it in ziplocs and put in the freezer? I read on this thread about using it for soap. Are there any other uses?

Since this thread is older, has anyone learned anything different?

 

3. Can I use the liquid for beef broth? Do I need to add vegetables to it, cook it again, strain it, and freeze it? It sure would save the possibility of clogging up my sewer line if I poured it down it--been there done that lol.

 

4. Now for the length of time the meat, grease, and broth can stay in the freezer?

 

5. Could I can any of it at a later date? (understanding I can't can the grease)

 

Thanks in advance.

[AMarthaByHeart]

Duh--it dawned on me last night that I save chicken stock all the time. I guess it would be the same principle as the chicken in freezing the beef stock. I had never done hamburger meat before so that was why I was asking the questions. I haven't ever made soap before though. I finally decided it might be hard to get all of the meat out of it so I don't know what I will do with the fat.

 

 

P.S. I put the pan with the beef stock in the garage to gel the fat overnight. This morning, I strained it through cheese cloth after I retrieved the fat. It was pretty and off white. The stock is clear. So--whala--I think it is going to work. I guess I was too lazy to think about what to do. Now, to get some chicken done.

 

If there are any good suggestions, I would appreciate them,though . Thanks.