Simple One-Jar Meals (Pressure Canned)
Raw pack meat-and-vegetable meals. Everything goes into the jar uncooked, covered with hot broth, and the cooking happens during processing. Six variations off one method, all with the same processing time. From The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving.
Amounts below are per batch — 2 quart jars or 4 pint jars. You must process at least 2 quarts or 4 pints at a time for the canner to hold proper pressure and temperature.
Ingredients
Chicken Chili Verde — chicken broth
- 2 lb boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch chunks
- 1 cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup sliced green onions
- 1 cup roasted salsa verde
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 4 tablespoons sliced pickled jalapeños
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Chicken Curry — chicken broth
- 2 lb boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch chunks
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup peeled and diced potatoes
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
Chicken and Gravy Dinner in a Jar — chicken broth
- 2 lb boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch chunks
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 1 cup finely chopped onions
- 1 cup peeled and diced potatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 4 tablespoons dry white wine
Pot Roast in a Jar — beef broth
- 2 lb boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut in 2-inch chunks
- 1 cup peeled and diced potatoes
- 1 cup diced onions
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 cup dry red wine
Beef Stroganoff — beef broth
- 2 lb boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut in 2-inch chunks
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
Shredded Chipotle Beef for Tacos — beef broth
- 2 lb beef brisket, trimmed and cut in 2-inch chunks
- 2 cups sliced onions
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 8 garlic cloves, sliced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 chipotle chile peppers in adobo, finely chopped
Instructions
Prepare the pressure canner and the jars. Keep the jars warm until you fill them.
Combine the prepared ingredients and dry seasonings for your chosen variation in a large bowl.
Working one jar at a time, pack the ingredients and any remaining liquid seasonings tightly into the hot jar, leaving 1-inch headspace. Ladle hot broth over, leaving 1-inch headspace — you may only have room for a few tablespoons. Remove air bubbles and apply the band fingertip-tight. Set the jar in a pressure canner holding 2 inches of simmering water. Repeat until all the jars are filled.
Lock the lid on the canner. Turn the heat to medium-high and vent steam for 10 minutes. Put the counterweight or weighted gauge on the vent and bring the pressure to 10 psi on a weighted-gauge canner, 11 psi on a dial gauge.
Process quarts 1 hour and 30 minutes, pints 1 hour and 15 minutes — the same for all six variations. Turn off the heat and let the canner return to zero pressure. After 5 minutes, remove the lid. Let the jars cool 10 minutes, then take them out of the canner.
Notes
To serve the chicken chili verde or chicken curry: tip the jar into a saucepan and simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Serve over rice.
To serve the chicken and gravy, pot roast, or stroganoff: tip a quart jar into a saucepan and whisk in 2 tablespoons flour until smooth, or 1 tablespoon for a pint. Simmer over medium heat 10 minutes, stirring often. For the stroganoff, take it off the heat and stir in a big spoonful of sour cream.
To serve the chipotle beef: drain the jar and shred the meat, keeping the broth. Sauté a sliced onion in oil until soft, add the beef and ½ cup of the broth, and simmer 10 minutes. Serve in warm tortillas.
Altitude: times assume 1,000 feet or below. Higher up you raise the pressure, not the time. Weighted gauge goes to 15 psi anywhere above 1,000 feet. Dial gauge: 11 psi to 2,000 feet, 12 to 4,000, 13 to 6,000, 14 to 8,000, 15 to 10,000.