Homestead mailing list

[sjc <indexer AT fairpoint.net>]

Lynda wrote:
> For home canning, IF I were to buy the same beef they are buying, it would 
> cost me $.89/lb. on sale which translates into $0.78/14 oz. tin.  BLSL 
> chicken breasts on sale are $0.99/lb or the equalivalent of $0.86/14 oz. 
> tin.  I just bought boneless pork sirloin on sale (case pricing) for 
> $1.39/lb but that is prime, farm raised (I know who is raising it) which 
> translates to $1.22/14 oz. tin.
>   
If I were a meat eater, I'd have to envy you those prices.  I did buy 
some meat yesterday for a neighbor who didn't want to get out in the 
weather, and the cheapest of it was almost quadruple those prices. 
Non-sale meat higher.   When I commented to someone at the meat counter 
I was informed that "You should have tried to buy meat three months ago; 
it was unaffordable" so I guess it was higher then, although I did not 
pursue....and I know for sure that home-grown meat is a lot higher than 
the that grocery. 
> Second, when you home can, you get to choice the quality of the meat 
> (usually home grown) and what you do with it.  Canning is usually done in 
> quarts, pints and half-pints, or 32 oz., 16 oz. and 8 oz.
>   
As far as that particular place, the meat is very likely excellent.  
They are smack in the middle of Amish country and I know Grabill well.  
I don't think a business could survive there unless they were on the 
up-and-up, given the local mores.  And if I have the right place in 
mind, that's right at the edge of the town, so would be very likely they 
have their own meat.  Typically, around there, the entire critter is cut 
into stew-size pieces when it's to be canned, and the scraps too small 
for that are ground, so not much ground meat per animal compared to 
making traditional cuts.  There is much meat in that area (in general, 
the Amish are heavy on the meat), both beef and meat goats, both of 
which the Amish can.   For they will typically can either the whole 
thing or save out a hind and dry that, excellent treat, that.  So that 
particular meat is very likely trustworthy, but that's not to say one 
could trust just any ol' place; it's just that I happen to have spent a 
lot of time there so am familiar. 

And as to canned meat:  canned without water/flavorings, it has it's 
"own" flavor, not bad but not the same as fresh/frozen.  I was always 
used to it growing up but to many it's an 'acquired taste', I'm told.  I 
do know, that as little meat as I eat now (maybe a half-dozen times a 
year, usually served at someone's house) one of the very few things I 
ever get hungry for is canned hamburger......no clue what that's 
about..  When I was a kid and we had company from away, we kids were 
always glad if the meat was canned hamburger, because the company 
invariably left a lot so when it was time for the kids to eat there was 
plenty for all.  Now I realize they didn't like it, but doesn't make me 
much difference, we had a treat that I fondly enjoy.  And they were 
adults, so I guess if they wanted they could stop somewhere on their way 
home if they didn't like it well enough to fill up when we ate at home.

SJ