Canning recipe limitations

[carbon]

Always wondered if you could can any recipe and process it based on how the meat is cut up (ground, chunks,etc). Can I process a regular recipe or are there certain recipes that are canning tested and others would have some weird issues? Obviously taste would be another concern, but say if I cook gen tso's chicken or curry or something and process the chicken according to the cut sizes and my jar sizes...anyone know? Thanks

[Nicodemus]

Usually the reason for using approved canning recipes is that they've been tested for safety by professionals. By safety I mean that the correct acidity and such are reached to ensure that the food is safe to eat after it has been stored.

When you "wing" a canning recipe, there is generally no way to be sure.

[PorcupineKate]

Always wondered if you could can any recipe and process it based on how the meat is cut up (ground, chunks,etc). Can I process a regular recipe or are there certain recipes that are canning tested and others would have some weird issues? Obviously taste would be another concern, but say if I cook gen tso's chicken or curry or something and process the chicken according to the cut sizes and my jar sizes...anyone know? Thanks
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I know flour and high fat contents can cause problems in canning and safe storage.  You do not want to thicken any sauces that would be canned.  You can do that when you reheat the dish. 

Many canning books warn spices will get stronger after canning.  I don't know if you would need to adjust the spices. 

I would also love to find more recipes beyond chili and soup...

[nelson96]

Given that canning has been around for over 200 years and recipes still don't get much more elaborate than chili and soup, I would recommend preserving ingredients separately. 

If you still want to prepare dishes ahead of time try . . .  Heat and serve MRE's or freeze dried entrees . . . .  Or try "recipe's in a jar", where you simply seal dried ingredients in a jar. 

[carbon]

I see...I don't want to venture into canning some regular recipe if that is just not common practice. I suppose I will have to look into storing the ingredients separate. Thanks much for the info :-)

[Frugal Upstate]

Now I had always understood that you could can other recipes in a pressure canner with the following caveats:

1-you must can for the amount of time that the item that needs the LONGEST is supposed to be canned for.
2-in a mixed dish certain items will turn mushy (ie if a vegetable only needs 10 min but the meat needs 90, your veg might be completely disintegrated)
3-you cannot use thickeners like flour or cornstarch. You shouldn't add much in the way of fat (although meat frequently has fat & you can that...)
4-certain spices intensify with canning.  I've seen notes about sage in particular getting a weird flavor.

So the impression I've always gotten
Is not so much that other recipes are unsafe, but rather that they don't come out very appetizing because you have to overcook some of the ingredients to make sure the protien is done.