Canning Albacore

[hamachi51]

Albacore season is almost here and I am looking for some instruction on canning. I would like to use a pressure cooker to get rid of any weirdness that may come with just a water bath. Also, spicy is better. Many thanks,
Ray

[Kareem Korn]

Oh shit, I'm going to be with my dad this weekend and I will get the procedure him and my mom used to use. I remember comming home in the middle of the night and cutting up 1" cubes and handing them off to my mom. She used spring water w/no salt for my dad and oil w/salt and sometimes a pepper for us. I'll find out for you. Also I want it to stay going in the family.

[HeatherLynn]

I have canned many cans in the past.
We usually do around 500 to 750 cans per session.
I use a vegetable or chicken broth as the the liquid, Knoors vegetable or chicken mix works well. You can get it at Costco.
This maintaines the albacores moistness and imparts no flavor.
Then I add jalapenos in some of the cans, some habanero's in some cans, nothing in others, etc...... Just add what you like.
Seal and cook!
If you like I can post some pictures.
Good luck.

[hard dogg]

Type "canning 101" in the search at the top. There was a thread about a year or so ago, with that title that gives a great explanation of how to can.

[Barbarosa]

FYI, if you use a water bath or pressure cooker odds are you'll get sick or worse! You have to use a pressure canner (pressure canners can be used as pressure cookers, but not vice-versa). Yes, some people use pressure cookers without problems, but the capacity and diameter of standard pressure canners have all been factored into the recommended safe processing times; if you use a pressure cooker you're taking a guess at how long to process the product. Just my $.02.

Canning fish is pretty easy, but you have to be meticulous about cleanliness. It helps to have several cutting boards (some for prep, one for final trimming), lots of sharp knives, clean containers to put prepped fish into, garbage pails at the ready, disposable gloves, squirt bottles of disinfectant, you get the picture. It’s actually quite fun and the fish is great.

Here’s a link to help get you started. Just go to google and type in safe home canning of fish and you’ll get lots of hits.

Homecanning.com

[Stanley]

I'm using Chuam's Canning Service, that is....if I catch a friggin' tuna this year!

[denis]

you need to boil the lids for 15 mins and the jars. in a pressure cooker cube the fish and when you fill the jar leave 1 inch atleast from the top. make sure the rim is clean when you screw the lid on.then put into the pressure cooker?water 3/4 the way up the bottle for 90 mins at 15 pressure.fill the jar with any of the above resp.

[Jan from Humbol]

Some places rent pressure canners and one other item of advice...
Do it outside as if you pressure can in the house there will be a "Tuna Cannery" smell for a week to ten days lingering through the entire house.

[nunyabizness1]

Here is some basic info on canning that might be helpful:

Canning Tuna

<HR noShade SIZE=1>Tuna may be canned either precooked or raw. Preooking removes most of the strong-flavored oils. The strong flavor of dark tuna flesh affects the delicate flavor of white flesh. Many people prefer not to can dark flesh. It may be used as pet food.

Note: Glass-like crystals of magnesium ammonium phosphate sometimes form in canned tuna. There is no way for the home canner to prevent these crystals from forming, but they usually dissolve when heated and are safe to eat.

Procedure: Keep tuna on ice until ready to can. Remove viscera and wash fish well in cold water. Allow blood to drain from stomach cavity. Place fish belly down on a rack or metal tray in the bottom of a large baking pan. Cut tuna in half crosswise, if necessary. Precook fish by baking at 250º F for 2-1/2 to 4 hours (depending on size) or at 350º F for 1hour. The fish may also be cooked in a steamer for 2 to 4 hours. If a thermometer is used, cook to a 165º to 175º F internal temperature. Refrigerate cooked fish overnight to firm the meat. Peel off the skin with a knife, removing blood vessels and any discolored flesh. Cut meat away from bones; cut out and discard all bones, fin bases, and dark flesh. Quarter. Cut quarters crosswise into lengths suitable for half-pint or pint jars. Fill into jars, pressing down gently to make a solid pack. Tuna may be packed in water or oil, whichever is preferred. Add water or oil to jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt per half-pint or 1 teaspoon of salt per pint, if desired.

Adjust lids and process following the recommendations according to the canning method used.

<TABLE cellPadding=5 border=1><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=6>Table 1. Recommended process time for Tuna in a dial-gauge pressure canner.</TD></TR><TR vAlign=center align=middle><TH colSpan=2></TD><TH colSpan=4>Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of</TD> </TR><TR vAlign=center align=middle><TH>Jar Size</TD> <TH>Process Time</TD> <TH>0 - 2,000 ft</TD> <TH>2,001 - 4,000 ft</TD> <TH>4,001 - 6,000 ft</TD> <TH>6,001 - 8,000 ft</TD> </TR><TR vAlign=center align=middle><TD>Pints and Half-pints</TD><TD>100 min</TD><TD>11 lb</TD><TD>12 lb</TD><TD>13 lb</TD><TD>14 lb</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<TABLE cellPadding=5 border=1><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=4>Table 2. Recommended process time for Tuna in a weighted-gauge pressure canner.</TD></TR><TR vAlign=center align=middle><TH colSpan=2></TD><TH colSpan=2>Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of</TD> </TR><TR vAlign=center align=middle><TH>Jar Size</TD> <TH>Process Time</TD> <TH>0 - 1,000 ft</TD> <TH>Above 1,000 ft</TD> </TR><TR vAlign=center align=middle><TD>Pints and Half-pints</TD><TD>100 min</TD><TD>10 lb</TD><TD>15 lb</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[dave kitt]

make sure the tuna is bled well

[chuam]

Here is Harry's tutorial on how to do it.

http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/fo...ing-101-a.html

BTW, if you catch albacore and want it canned I can do it. All I ask for is 25% of the cans and you pay for the jars that are used. Shoot me a PM and I can fill you in on the details.

[SHIRLEYB]

Easiest recipe I found was cut tuna up into chunks, I like 1/2 pints and fill them an inch from the top, try not to leave air pockets, 1/2 teaspoon salt, no liquid is needed as the tuna will make plenty of its own, trust me. Screw the lids on finger tight and cook at 12 to 15 lbs of pressure for 90 minutes in a pressure canner.