Canning beef stew is a great way to have meals-in-a-jar for lunches, quick dinners, and even emergencies. You can even use venison, lamb, pork, or other wild game in this home canned beef stew recipe.
I spend a few days each summer canning beef stew. I also make other soups and stews, but we love beef or venison stew the most. While it’s hot outside, I enjoy putting together beef stew in a can because I can use fresh garden food.
My “recipe” for beef stew is more of a step-by-step guide, but I’ll give you some amounts. No thickening agents like flour, cornstarch, or arrowroot should ever be added to our canned beef stew (or any home canned products for that matter). You can make changes based on what your family likes. ).
I use these worksheets to plan and keep track of my home preserved food. You can get the worksheets emailed to you by filling out the form below.
Canning beef stew is a great way to preserve a hearty flavorful meal to enjoy for months to come. Typically, a pressure canner is recommended when canning low-acid foods like meat and vegetables. However with proper technique, you can safely can beef stew without a pressure cooker.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process step-by-step. You will learn how to choose the right ingredients, make the recipe, put the food in jars, process them, and store it. With a little time and work, you can use things you already have to make beef stew that will last for a long time in your pantry.
Benefits of Canning Your Own Beef Stew
Canning beef stew offers several advantages
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Convenience – Home canned stew is quick and easy to prepare. Just open the jar and heat!
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Customization: Choose your favorite vegetables, spices, and cut of beef to make the recipe your own.
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Cost savings – Homemade canned goods cost a fraction of store-bought versions.
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Storage life – Properly processed jars can be stored for 12-18 months.
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Natural ingredients – Control exactly what goes into your recipe when canning at home.
Step 1: Choose Quality Ingredients
Start with fresh, high-quality ingredients for best results.
Beef – Select well-marbled stew meat or cubed chuck roast. Avoid lean cuts which can become tough.
Vegetables – Opt for firm carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, peas, corn, etc.
Seasonings – Use salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, garlic and other soup seasonings.
Liquid – Beef or chicken stock provides great flavor. You can also use wine or tomato juice.
Step 2: Prepare the Recipe
Next, prepare your beef stew recipe as you normally would. Here are some tips:
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Cut beef and vegetables into small, uniform pieces for even cooking.
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Sear beef cubes in batches to brown them prior to simmering. This adds richer flavor.
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Simmer the stew slowly until the meat is very tender, about 2-3 hours. The cooking process continues in the jars after canning.
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Season the stew to your taste. You can always add more salt later if needed.
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Use a thickener like flour or cornstarch towards the end to create a gravy-like texture that holds up to canning.
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Let the stew cool completely before packing into jars.
Step 3: Fill the Jars
Now it’s time to fill the mason jars. Make sure all equipment is sterile.
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Use wide mouth quart or pint size glass jars with new lids and bands.
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Carefully pack the jars full with stew, leaving 1-inch headspace at the top. The chunks of meat and veggies will float, so press gently to fill spaces.
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Release any air bubbles with a non-metal utensil. Add more stew to maintain headspace if needed.
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Wipe the jar rims clean before putting on the lids. Ensure the sealing edge stays free of food particles.
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Attach lids just fingertip tight, do not overtighten. This allows air to vent during processing.
Step 4: Process the Jars
With the jars prepped, it’s time to process them. Here’s how:
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Place rack in the bottom of a large stock pot or canning kettle. Add enough water to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches.
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Use a candy or jelly thermometer to accurately monitor water temperature.
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Load sealed jars carefully onto rack using tongs or jar lifter. Keep them upright and fully submerged.
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Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, start timing according to the chart below based on your altitude. A gentle but steady boil must be maintained the entire processing time.
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When time is up, turn off heat. Allow canner to cool and depressurize for 10 minutes before removing jars.
Recommended Processing Times
Follow these tested processing times for beef stew without a pressure canner:
Quarts
| Elevation (feet) | Processing Time |
|---|---|
| 0 – 1,000 feet | 75 minutes |
| 1,001 – 3,000 feet | 80 minutes |
| 3,001 – 6,000 feet | 85 minutes |
| Above 6,000 feet | 90 minutes |
Pints
| Elevation (feet) | Processing Time |
|---|---|
| 0 – 1,000 feet | 60 minutes |
| 1,001 – 3,000 feet | 65 minutes |
| 3,001 – 6,000 feet | 70 minutes |
| Above 6,000 feet | 75 minutes |
Step 5: Cool and Store the Jars
Once processed, follow these final steps:
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Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Do not retighten bands.
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Check lids for an airtight seal once completely cooled. Press down on the center – it should not flex up and down at all.
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Remove screw bands. Wash and label sealed jars with contents and date.
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Store in a cool, dark place between 50°F to 70°F. Avoid direct sunlight or temperature fluctuations.
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Use within 12 months for best quality, though sealed jars can last up to 18 months.
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Refrigerate after opening and enjoy your homemade canned beef stew!
Tips for Delicious Results
Follow these tips for safe, high-quality canned beef stew every time:
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Carefully follow the processing time chart based on your altitude and jar size. This ensures sufficient heat penetration to kill bacteria.
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Only re-process unsealed jars once with a fresh new lid. Jars that fail to seal a second time must be refrigerated immediately.
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Acidify the stew with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per quart before canning as an added safety precaution.
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Let the jars rest undisturbed for a full 24 hours after processing to fully seal.
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Visually inspect jars before storing to ensure a proper vacuum seal.
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Label jars with contents and date for easy identification later.
With this complete step-by-step guide, you now have everything you need to safely can flavorful homemade beef stew without using a pressure canner!
Preparing the Beef Stew for Canning
When I get the chance, the first thing I do is boil my tea kettle, which holds almost a gallon of water. I also prepare the jars and lids. The jars don’t need to be cleaned because the beef stew will be processed for more than 10 minutes. Just wash them in hot soapy water and rinse them.
If’ I’ve planned well, I would have set out some frozen tomatoes to thaw the night before. If not, I pull out some tomatoes from the freezer and thaw them in the microwave. I always freeze our tomato harvest first so the skins will come off without blanching. I use about two-gallon bags of frozen tomatoes because we like a lot of tomatoes in our beef stew.
I put a little oil in the stock pot and sear about 6 pounds of beef. I use whatever is the cheapest. I’ve used stew meat, roast, and even a trimmed brisket. (I’ve also made canned venison stew using the same process. ) I don’t cook it all the way, just lightly brown it.
I take the meat off the heat when it’s done and add 2 tablespoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of thyme, about 2 teaspoons of black pepper, and 3–4 bay leaves.
Some people like to use beef bullion in their beef stew, but we like the fresh taste of beef stew that is made with tomatoes better. But if your family likes a more beefy beef stew, then feel free to use bullion.
Then I put the tomatoes and other vegetables in the pot. I usually put 3 peeled and chopped heads of garlic, 4 to 5 chopped onions, 3 to 4 pounds of chopped carrots, 8 to 10 pounds of diced potatoes, 6 to 8 cups of corn, and 2 to 3 pounds of okra. I love adding okra to our canned stews because the mucilage in the okra makes the stew a little thicker without making it unsafe.
I mix everything together and add water or tomato broth (or beef broth) if it’s not enough to cover the meat and vegetables.
Bring the soup to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.
Can I water bath can stew?
No! In order to can stew safely, you need a pressure canner.
I KNOW there are people who say they (or their grandma) just boils it for 4 hours and they are still alive. However, if you check out the CDC website for botulism cases from home canned food, every single one has been because someone was trying to water bath can low acid foods.
In this case, I’m going to trust that the USDA is telling the truth and looking out for our best interests. People can do what they want, but the risk is too high for our family. Besides, a $79 pressure canner can keep us safe.
I have two pressure canners, an All-American and a Presto. I love them both!! This is the All-American pressure canner I have – I can put 7 quarts or 19 pints in it. This is the Presto I have, it’s smaller but it’s also lighter and under$100.
I understand that some people are scared to use a pressure canner, but there’s no reason to be. If you follow the manufacturer’s instructions there is no risk of blowing up your kitchen. Modern pressure canners have safety valves to prevent that.
Looking for a step-by-step guide? Check out my book Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond. It has 94 recipes and step-by-step guides on how to can meat, beans, and vegetables.
Canning Meat WITHOUT A PRESSURE CANNER!!! The Method We Have Used For 3 Generations
FAQ
Can you can stew without a pressure cooker?
What can I use if I don t have a pressure cooker for canning?
How did people can meat before pressure canners?
Can you can beef stew in a pressure cooker?
Meat, including beef stew, cannot be canned safely in a water bath canner because it is a low acid food. It requires the high heat and pressure of a pressure cooker for proper cooking and preservation.
Can You can Beef stew without a pressure canner?
This canned beef stew recipe is definitely now on my list of go-to canning recipes. If you are new to pressure canning, beef stew is one of the easiest things for you to learn how to can. Note: You cannot can beef stew without a pressure canner. Because meat is a low acid food it MUST be pressure canned.
How to can Beef Stew?
The canning part is really easy, you just have to take your time and enjoy the process. If you didn’t do it earlier, wash each jar and lid in warm soapy water. Put the pressure canner on the stove and add water according to the manufacturer directions. Fill each jar with the beef stew mixture and leave a 1″ head space.
How do you cook beef stew in a pressure canner?
Processing The Jars of Beef Stew Place hot jars into water in pressure canner (prepared per manufacturer guidelines). Lock the lid, and turn up the heat to medium-high. Once it is boiling, let the steam vent from canner for 10 minutes, then close vent. Continue heating until you reach 10 pounds pressure.