How to Pressure Can Ground Beef

Marie Overton
Jan 6, 2021
3 min read

Updated: Dec 20, 2025

Knowing how to can ground beef is such benefit for your kitchen pantry. Canned meat has many reasons to recommend it. It allows you to take advantage of discounts on meat and buy in bulk, it frees up freezer space, the meat is incredibly tender and it is so convenient. It is so nice to be able to pull it out of the pantry fully cooked and use it in favorite recipes. This has been a real time saver for my family. Lastly, ground beef makes wonderful spaghetti and soft tacos.

Canning meat requires a little bit of preparation. You will need a pressure canner. Also necessary are lids, lid rings, clean quart jars, a canning funnel, a long plastic utensil, salt, a teaspoon, and a pan for browning the meat in.

Instructions to can ground beef

Hands mix ground meat in a gray bowl with a wooden spoon on a granite countertop. The focus is on the meat's texture and color.

Before putting it into hot jars, ground beef is browned and the fat drained.

A person wearing a "Maria" apron fills jars with cooked meat using a skimmer in a kitchen. Jars and a funnel are visible in the foreground.

Next, fill the jar with a jar funnel leaving 1 inch of head space.

Person in apron fills jars with white powder in a kitchen. Background has a countertop, pressure cooker, and a double sink.

Following that, add 1 teaspoon of salt per jar.

Woman pouring water from a copper kettle into jars filled with brown mixture. Apron reads "Maria." Kitchen setting, gray counter, sink.

Pour boiling water over the salt filling the spaces between the meat. Use your plastic utensil to release any trapped air bubbles. Wipe the rim with vinegar to remove any oils.

Last, place the lid on and secure it with a lid ring to fingertip tight. (For quality, American made Superb canning lids and jars follow this link and use the coupon code WP20 to get 20% off your purchase.)

Place your jars in the pressure canner and follow your manufacturer’s directions for canning.

Pressure can: Add hot water to the pressure canner according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. (Usually 3 quarts) Position the jars inside the canner. Seal the lid of the canner, and heat it on high until steam escapes from the vent. Allow it to vent for 10 minutes

Process at 10 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes if you are at sea level. If you need to know how altitude affects the amount of time you process your jars check out my canning basics video/post.

Turn off the heat, and let the canner cool naturally before you remove the lid.

Safety note: You need at least, 2 quarts or 4 pints for each load in the pressure canner.

Person canning ground meat into jars with red tongs in a kitchen. Pressure cooker, towel, and apron reading "Maria" are visible.

Storing

Cooling and Storing the Jars: After processing, allow to cool in the pressure canner with the heat off and the lid removed for 10 minutes. At the end of the cooling time, carefully remove the jars and place them on a heat resistant surface about 1-2 inches apart. Allow the jars to cool completely for 24 hours. You might hear a popping sound as the lids seal. If it is sealed well the center of the lid will be depressed down. Label each jar with the date and contents, and store them in a cool, dry, dark place. Properly sealed jars can last up to 3 years.

Jars of preserved meat lined up on checkered cloth, surrounded by green ferns. Red and black utensil on the side.

How to make adjustments to pressure canning based on altitude:

Barometric pressure is reduced at high altitudes, affecting the temperature at which water boils. This means boiling water and pressure canning methods must be adjusted to ensure safe processing. When using the pressure canning method of canning, additional pounds of pressure are required. The following altitude chart gives the requirements.