Canning Meatballs - Janice's Asian Turkey Meatballs & South by Southwest too!

Another great inspired twist on canning Meatballs from my friend Janice in Texas. She recently just started doing pressure canning and I am super proud of her taking the leap to doing meat and even meatballs so quickly. Janice does a lot of her canning in Hotels since she travels with her husband while he works. It's seems like a marriage made in heaven and Janice is the type of lady that doesn't let the little things like lack of burners and equipment get in her way. She has a make shift kitchen in the trunk of the car complete with burner, pots and canning equipment. Some of the most incredible recipes come out of her little kitchen and when she's home they just get more amazing.

Here is a little bit about Janice's work on the meatballs:

"My reason for making all these meatballs is so that upon our long drive home we don't have to stop & buy take out to bring home. The Asian turkey will pair nicely w/ the plum sauce, the beef meatballs w/ the roasted garlic pasta sauce & the southwest chicken w/ the Roasted Green Chili Sauce that I canned. All I have to do is make a pot of noodles, white rice or whatever carb that would compliment the meatball lol!! My husband travels a lot for his job (catastrophe insurance adjuster) and now that we're empty nesters I go too. So a long drive home & after months of eating out then coming home we are sick of restaurant food. Now we won't have to do that. Just come home cook a pot of ... And unpack :))"

I just love your spirit Janice and want to share your recipe with all my followers!

Asian Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

3 lbs lean ground turkey

5 green onions, chopped

2" fresh ginger, grated

5 cloves garlic, grated

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 teaspoons salt, (1 per lb of meat)

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

5 tablespoons Teriyaki Ginger sauce*

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Red pepper flakes, optional

Cooking Instructions

Dump all ingredients into Kitchen-aid mixer using a paddle attachment or a regular bowl and mix well with your hands. Make a small patty & cook on fry pan to test for spice adjustment.

Scoop out using cookie scoop for uniform sized meatballs. 

Spray baking sheet w/ non stick spray & line up the balls nice & tight. 

Bake 350 for about 45 minutes, till slightly under done.

Pack hot jars with cooked meatballs, add hot chicken stock, leaving 1" headspace, remove air bubbles if necessary, wipe rim of jar clean vinegar'd paper towel, adjust 2 piece cap. Pressure can 75 minutes for pints at 10lbs of pressure for weighted gauge and 11 lbs for dial gauge. For quarts pressure can for 90 minutes.  

Yield: 60  1.5 inch meatballs

* East-West brand, Sweet Ginger Teriyaki Sauce

I'm gonna try to get 6 meatballs per pint to get an even 10 pints

South by Southwest Chicken Meatballs

Yield: 60 1.5" meatballs

4 lbs ground chicken
2 tablespoons cumin
3 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons Penzey's smoky Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons Penzey's Arizona Dreaming
1 tablespoon Penzey's 33rd & Galena
2 tablespoons Penzey's Smoky 4S (salt)
1/2 to 3/4 cup Penzey's dried shallots
1 tablespoon reg table salt
fresh ground pepper
 4-5 cups chicken stock
red pepper flakes - optional

Mix well all ingredients by hand in a large bowl or gently in a Kitchenaid mixer using the paddle attachment. Put mixture into a clean bowl, cover & refrigerate overnight (this gives the spices time to open up & the meat to relax if you used a stand mixer).  Make a test patty in fry skillet to adjust for spices at this time.  Prepare baking sheet(s) w/ foil or parchment paper. If using foil, grease lightly.  Using a cookie scoop scoop out mix & shape into balls & place them side by side on cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for about 30, leaving the meatballs slightly undercooked.  Have clean hot jars ready. Place meatballs in jars, fill with hot broth, leaving a 1" headspace, remove air bubbles if necessary, wipe rim of jar w/ a vinegar'd paper towel, adjust 2 piece cap, finger tip tight and place jars in pressure canner. 75 minutes @ 10 lbs of pressure for pints and 90 minutes for quarts.

NOTES:

The flavor of these chicken meatballs is reminiscent of tamales. 

If using extra lean chicken be careful not to burn, they cook quickly

I used widemouth pint jars & got 10 to a jar.