Bulk Beef Purchase 2012

We buy beef on the hoof each year.  What this means is the cow is bought as a calf, raised by one of our farming friend then when fully grown we arrange to have the cow taken to the abattoir where it is processed.  The cow  is raised grass fed and hormone free.  We normally keep half of the processed cow ourselves then either the other half or the two quarters to to whoever went in with us on the cow.  If the others don't want the soup bones, heart, tongue or liver we get them.  If left with the abattoir they would simply sell them.

This year's purchase was a half of the cow which worked out to 339 lb.  We paid $630 to our farming friend for our half of the cow, then we paid $225.44 to the abattoir for butchering & disposal, cut & wrap plus HST.  This is the first year we have had to pay HST on the abattoir charges as it went into effect July 1, 2011 but abattoir charges are considered a service so are now taxable.  The total cost for meat and processing was $855.44 which works out to $2.52/lb.

Some question whether we actually save money buying beef in bulk.  The answer is yes AND we are getting a higher quality of beef than we can buy in the grocery stores.  Currently extra lean ground beef is on sale for $2.97/lb (regular $4.59/lb), top sirloin is on sale for $6.99/lb (regular $9.99/lb) and prime rib $8.99/lb.  Regardless of the cut of beef, our cost per pound works out to $2.52/lb, 45¢/lb less expensive than the sale price for extra lean ground beef.  The price per pound is up almost 20¢ per lb from last year but part of that increase is the HST.  This year, we did end up with the extra soup bones, liver, heart and tongue because no one else wanted them.  That isn't factored into the total weight of the half of beef. 

We could not make this type of bulk meat purchase without freezers.  We have two chest freezers and two freezer compartments, both side-by-side.  There are three problems with freezers.  First they are susceptible to food loss due to power outages.  This is less of a problem now that we are urban but still possible because sometimes freezers just stop working.  We actually had a brand new as in not even a month old freezer fail on us while we were on vacation.  Talk about a mess!  In general, a freezer will keep foods froze for up to 4 days if not opened.  It is very important to include a rider for your freezer on your household insurance policy to cover any food loss.  Second, foods not properly packaged for the freezer are subject to freezer burn.  This affects the flavour and texture of the food.  I know of no way to reverse freezer burn.  The food basically has to be tossed.  This abattoir uses freezer paper secured with a special freezer tape unlike the other abattoir we have dealt with that used elastics to secure the packages.  The elastics allow air in.  If packaging foods for home freezing, use a vacuum sealer if at all possible.  Third, from the moment food goes into the freezer it does cost you to store it via electricity usage.  Some home canners simply can a bulk meat purchase like this eliminating freezer costs and while I will can a very small portion (about 40 lb plus stock from some of the soup bones) of this purchase, we like our steaks and roasts.  Lessen electricity costs by using an EnergyStar® certified freezer and keep it full.

Kitchen Quick Tips - Preserving Chives

Chives can be cut into pieces for drying with scissors but you get a nicer flavour if you cut chives the same way then freeze them.

Home Canning Defatted Meat Stocks

As the time approached for the arrival of our beef on the hoof purchase, I transferred what I could from the large chest freezer to the smaller chest freezer and the freezer compartments of both refrigerators.  A common trick many home canners use when needing freezer space is can anything possible.  Rather than continuing to store the remaining two packages of beef soup bones, a package of chicken bones, and a litre container of uncooked crushed tomatoes, I decided to can them up. 

I spent two canning sessions canning meat stocks which actually ended up in three canning sessions due to seal failures on three jars.  I always defat my meat stocks because it results in a low fat stock that looks nice in the jars.  The fat and skin is left in the stock when making it because it adds flavour.  Stock making is usually a two day process when defatting as allowing the stock to cool completely makes it rather easy to simply lift the fat off the surface of the stock.

Chicken fat does not harden like beef fat does.  So I came up with an easier method for defatting the chicken stock.  I strained the hot stock then poured it into the gravy separator and let is settle.  Then I slowly poured the stock into the jars and repeated the process until all the jars were filled.  This worked so nicely that I might eliminate the cooling period for other meat stocks.

Pictured is the stock I made during the first canning session. I make tomato beef stock (far right), beef stock (middle) and chicken stock (far left).   The following session I made tomato beef stock and beef stock.  The total number of jars for the two canning sessions was 27: tomato beef stock (9), chicken (6), beef 12).  Of the total jars, one chicken and two beef did not seal.  Notice I used mainly Tattler reusable lids on the jars in this batch and all Tattlers for the second batch.  The following day, I reheated the stock in the jars that did not seal and reprocessed.  Of those three jars, two did not seal meaning my technique with Tattlers is off just slightly.   The method has been updated to tighten finger tight rather than tight with a quarter inch turn back.  I was still using a box of Tattlers from my first purchase not realizing that the method had been revised until my new shipment came in.

I put those two cooled jars into the freezer rather than process for a third time.  I could have reprocessed them but I seldom reprocess jars with seal failures as I don't like to run the pressure canner unless at least half full.  Besides, I was pressed for with the blind installers coming out and the kids arriving the same day.  I could have put them in the refrigerator to use within the next few days but we already had plans so freezing was the best option.

Home Canned Stewed Rhubarb

Home canners often freeze berries and other fruits to be canned outside of the busy canning season.    This frozen fruit is later made into jams, jellies and syrups.  I really don't freeze fruits for this purpose.  However, when I was preparing the larger chest freezer for our beef on the hoof purchase, I discovered one of the lids on a container of frozen rhubarb pieces had split.  This happens from time to time when using harder plastic containers like the Ziploc or Gladware containers.  The reason being, rigid plastic tends to get brittle when when frozen.  If dropped or something is dropped on it, the lid or sides of the container can break or crack.

I thawed the stewed rhubarb then a bit of sugar and brought the mixture to a boil.  I let simmer a few minutes then put the mixture into hot jars and processed in a BWB canner for 10 minutes.  The end result was two lovely jars of stewed rhubarb ready to be used as an ice cream topping, stirred into plain yogurt or oatmeal as a fruit sweetener or used for making rhubarb crumble .  It can be thickened slightly to use in fruit tarts.

It is always a good idea to watch for any tears in freezer wrap or plastic bags including vacuum seal bags or cracks and/or holes in hard plastic containers in the freezer.  Food packages get moved around a lot in the freezer so  can get damaged.  If you find a package that has been damaged exposing some of the food, the food can be repackaged or cooked if it is not freezer burned.  If the food is freezer burned, it is best to toss the food as the quality of the food has suffered.