Home Canned Beef Stew

This is our absolutely favorite recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Home Canning Cookbook from 1973.  I purchased it the first year it was published, and my book is VERY well used.    The original recipe called for flour to thicken the gravy, and I canned it that way for many years, but now I can it without thickening and add it when I heat to serve, as that is the USDA approved method.    

I usually can this in pint jars, I use several for company.  This is a favorite for drop-in guests – a few minutes to heat it up and you have a dish that everyone enjoys that tastes like you cooked for hours.  I add frozen peas when I heat it up; I don’t like canned peas.  I try to never drop below 4 pints of this delicious stew in my inventory, and usually can 2 batches every time.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

  2 ½     pounds  Rump Roast, Trimmed -- 1 1/2" cubes

  1         pound  Potato -- 1'" cubes

  1         pound  Carrots -- 1/2' slice

  6         ounces  Celery -- 1/2" slice

  8         ounces  Onion -- coarsely chopped

  2        teaspoons minced garlic     

 1         quart  Water

  4         teaspoons  Catsup -- 1/2 tsp per jar

  4         teaspoons  Worcestershire Sauce -- 1/2 tsp per jar

  4         teaspoons  Beef Base -- 1/2 tsp per jar 

             Additional Boiling Water as Needed -- (from pot for sterilizing jars)

• Brown meat on half sheet pans in 400° oven for 15 minutes, turn and brown additional 10-15 minutes. keep warm.
• Prepare carrots, celery and onion, peel and dice potatoes last.  Add vegetables to 6-8 quart pot, cover with water; bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.  VEGETABLES DO NOT HAVE TO COOK.  Turn off heat.
• Wash jars, keep warm until filling.  Prepare lids according to manufacturers instructions.
• Add seasonings per jar.  Divide beef among jars.  Divide veggies among jars.  Pour hot meat juices, then hot water into hot jars, leaving 1-inch head space.  Remove bubbles with plastic knife and wipe jar rim carefully with hot wipe before sealing.  Cover and seal, place in pressure canner (with 3 quarts simmering water), exhaust steam 10 minutes, process in pints 1 hour and 15 minutes at 10# up to 1000’ elevation.  Let pressure drop of own accord (about 30 minutes), open canner, remove jars to clean towel and let cool and seal, setting apart to allow air to circulate.  Remove rings and wash jars carefully.
• About 8 pint jars
• Quarts need to be processed 1 hour 30 minutes at 10# pressure up to 1000' elevation.

EQUIPMENT:  Half sheet pan, stock pot or Dutch oven, chopping board, pressure canner, 13 x 9" pan with paper towel for jar filling, jars, lids and rings, funnel, lid magnet, jar lifter, plastic knife, 4 quart measure for water, clean towels.

ABOUT:  3 medium potatoes, 8 small carrots and 3-4 stalks celery and 1 large onion.  Keep chunks of meat and veggies fairly large to prevent overcooking (for 8 pint jars)

TO SERVE:  For each pint, drain liquid into measure, add enough broth to make 1 cup.  Pour into saucepan, leaving 1/4 cup in measure.  Add 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch to remaining liquid, stir well.  Heat remaining contents of jar with liquid, add other vegetables if desired, heat through, 5-10 minutes. Add thickening to stew, cook an additional 2-3 minutes.  Makes 2 small servings.   1/2 cup other veggies, for example, frozen green peas or green beans, thawed and drained, can be added to broth and heated with mixture.

Cost in 2011:  $1.10 or $8.77 per 8 pint recipe if rump roast is $2.79 a pound, carrots $1.29/2#, potatoes 2.49/5#, onion 39¢/#, celery 77¢ bunch.   This is a 33% increase in price from 2009!