I've successfully "corned" (salt brine cure) beef, venison & bear meat. Is there any reason I can't do the same w/ chicken or pork? I have a huge ancient freezer full of meat & fear it (freezer) will die any second. Not enough jars to can everything right away. The books say previously frozen meat is inferior for canning...comments? advice?

-- Cathryn Feral (cat@infoready.com), August 12, 2000

Answers

What books? I would like to hear how you "corned".

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), August 13, 2000.

Cathryn & R.

See if your local library can get you a loaner copy of Putting Food By, by Hertzberg, Vaughan and Greene. They say frozen meat can be successfully canned, and mention a freezer failure as a possible need to. Just defrost it slowly in the frig and can it like fresh. They give a recipe for brining pork. They don't mention corning chicken, but do provide several pages on canning it. R. - most books of this nature include recipes for corned beef. A trick I've heard of is to fill any unused space in a freezer with water bottles. If they freezer goes out it gives you a couple of more days grace period.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 13, 2000.

I've corned pigtails, following a recipe from the frugal gourmet in "Our Immigrant Ancestors" They were then cooked with beans, kind of like a "hoppin john" Pretty good! Can't see why you couldn't corn the rest of the parts!!

-- Sue (sulandherb@aol.com), August 16, 2000.