Canning Ham?

[Amishway Homesteaders]

OK here is Question # 275398 on what can I Can?

 

we can get the ends of 'lunch meat' ham off the bone ( 1 pound chunks- vacuum sealed) for $1.00 each.

 

We use them lots of ways from chopped up with eggs, ham salad, 'sticks' for lunch with salad,with cheese and crackers, etc.

But I want to know If and How to can them so we have a supply all winter?

Now they are already cooked and I know that some liquid will come out when we Pressure can them in chunks and 'sticks'?

 

Looked online and in every book we have and no help- all of them start with uncooked ham?

 

So what do you think?

pint jars wouild work for us but how long to can them?

 

seeing they are 'cooked' can we just waterbath them to seal in the freshness? (I don't think so).

 

[Violet]

Sorry, no. Not lunchmeat ham. Ever read the ingredients ? They have modified corn starch, which is a thickener. Some have dried milk powder. Things not safe to can. You need to freeze it. I just went and got a package out. It has dextrose, which is sugar. Not saying sugar is unsafe, just that it is in there, too. You need to look at every single ingredient in a food. Even things like packaged taco seasoning is not safe to add when canning, as they have thickeners. Things most people do not think about. Unless you find a food listed at the National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia, most likely it will not be safe to can.

If it could be safely canned, it would be in a pressure canner. Doesn't matter if a food is cooked or not, it is the ph and density that determines the safe method.

 

[Amishway Homesteaders]

Yup !

that was what I was thinking but was hoping that maybe I was missing something.

 

I guess we will be freezing it for use later on.

 

but I don't always remember to take things out of the freezer to use that day.

That is one of the main reasons I like canning -

if we get home and need to make a quick meal all we have to do is walk into the cellor and pick this jar and that jar and within a 15 minutes we are sitting down to a good meal.

 

Thanks,

[Crazy4Canning]

Remember that you ARE able to can regular ham. From my understanding, if you cut it raw off the bone, it acts like chicken when cooked in the pressure canner.

[Amishway Homesteaders]

OK here is what the label says:

 

HONEY HAM

water added

ends and pieces

 

then under that

CURED WITH: water, honey, salt, dextrose, May Contain: Sodium Lactata, Potassuim Lactate, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Accorbace, Sodium nitrite, Seasoning (salt,sugar), Flavoring ?

 

so what does that mean about canning it?

 

* * * Oh , and it was 1 1/4 pounds packets for $1.00 each