Hot dogs are delicious, and for many of us, linked to summer holiday celebrations from our youth, but keeping them long term can be problematic. Canning your hotdogs is a tasty and straightforward solution. Moreover, a single hotdog has plenty of fat and salt inside. Normally, that’s not the healthiest solution, but in an emergency, having both fat and plenty of salt can save your life. Thus, a few jars of canned hotdogs make a significant impact in a survival pantry. Like Vienna sausages, you need to prepare them carefully. While some canned goods, like jam, are relatively low risk, hot dogs are more like canning pumpkin. They need extra precautions when you prepare them at home to prevent accidental poisoning yourself. Fortunately, I will walk you through the steps, and it’s not difficult once you know what you’re doing.
How do you can hot dogs? To can hot dogs, you need pressure canning equipment and a liquid to store them inside. If you’ve never had pickled or spicy hot dogs, then this is the perfect time to try them. However, any slightly salty sauce will do, like barbecue, broth, or even beans for a DIY beanie-weenie.
Steps to Can Hotdogs
Hot dogs, like any pressure canned food, require a little extra TLC to do correctly. However, that doesn’t mean it’s complicated. Anyone can learn to can hot dogs for survival, even children who are used to working in a kitchen. Below are all the steps and equipment you need to succeed.
You will need quite a bit of sauce, so make sure you have around two cups per jar you plan to can. It’s a good idea to have extra sauce and cans in case you end up with more hotdogs than you’d initially anticipated. I’ll share some tasty sauce ideas later.
Water bath canning is incredibly popular. However, when canning hot dogs, you absolutely cannot use that method. It’s vital to sterilize the contents of your canned hot dogs. Otherwise, you might end up accidentally making yourself violently ill or worse once you’ve stored your food for a while.
When you’re learning to pressure can, a superb option is the Presto 01362 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker. Not only does the Presto come with a generous twelve-year extended warranty, but the helper handle makes it easy to use. Moreover, the pressure regulator and a sixty-four-page instruction guide will help you get every meal or canning project right. Learn more on Amazon when you click here.
Step By Step Canning Guide for Hot Dogs
If you are making your sauce, it’s a good idea to prepare it first. Set it to the side and allow it to cool. Alternately, you can opt to use premade sauces, ranch-style beans, broth or vinegar. Once you’re ready to can, follow the steps outlined below.
- Gather your ingredients and equipment together.
- Fill your pressure cooker with water.
- Add your jars and lids and rings for sealing.
- Boil to sterilize the containers. It’s not necessary to pressure cook your water at this point.
- Cut your hot dogs into two-inch pieces to prevent them from bursting. You can slice them smaller if you prefer, or leave them whole if you don’t mind.
- Bring your sauce to a boil and add the hot dogs.
- Simmer ten minutes.
- Put hot dogs and sauce into your cans. Try to fill each jar to within an inch of the top. You can use a can vacuum sealer to put the lids on tightly if you prefer. In that case, follow the filling directions that come with your machine.
- Make sure your pressure cooker is boiling and place cans inside. You should set it for ten pounds of pressure and cook the sealed jars for an hour and a half.
A set of twelve Ball Mason 32 oz Wide Mouth Jars from Amazon will hold a lot of hot dogs. You can make enough to have your favorite summer meal once a month for an entire year. Plus, this set comes complete with the bands and lids to get the job done. Have them delivered to your door when you order here.
Equipment for Pressure Canning Hot Dogs
When I can hot dogs and other foods, I use all of the following items. While several of these pieces of equipment are optional, I don’t suggest skimping. You’ll get tons of use out of your canning equipment, so it pays to have everything.
- Pressure Cooker- Using this is essential for food safety when canning hot dogs.
- Standard Pot with a Lid 6-8 Quart Size or Larger (optional)- A regular pot will allow you to simmer your hotdogs in the sauce without stopping to wash the pressure cooker.
- Jar Racks- To cool your cans evenly, you need racks to allow airflow all the way around your containers.
- Canning Tongs- Removing jars from a pressure cooker without canning tongs is dicey, and it is not worth burning yourself.
- Jars with Lids- Be aware that canning jars are often sold in packs without lids. Because you can use them for so many different things, some people prefer to buy the right tops separately. Always read your product listings.
- Pressure Sealer for Jar Lids (optional)- You don’t have to seal your pressure canned jars with a vacuum sealer, but it’s much safer. Thus I consider this essential.
- Knife & Cutting Board (optional)- Cutting your ingredients for sauces and slicing up hot dogs is a lot easier if you have these two simple kitchen items on hand.
- Plenty of Counter Space- Although this isn’t equipment like the rest, you will need a good bit of space to work in if you plan to can more than a jar or two. Make sure you sterilize your workspace.
Ingredients
It doesn’t take much to make canned hot dogs. Some people prefer lightly salted water. However, with so many outstanding options available, it seems wasteful and bland.
Instead, use slightly watered down barbecue sauce, or make a spicy pickle brine. You’ll be surprised at how many ways there are to make canned hot dogs, and all of them are delicious. With just these four essential ingredients, you can create enough canned hot dogs to last you all year.
- Hot Dogs
- Water
- Sauce or Liquid
- Spices & Bullion Cubes (optional)
The Best Sauces for Hot Dog Canning
There are a handful of excellent ways to can hot dogs. For example, a spicy vinegar brine is outstanding. The added heat of chili flakes or jalapenos goes well with hot dogs.
Familiar favorites include barbecue sauces and chili. However, there are two things to keep in mind about tomato-based sauces. The acid means you cannot store food for more than about a year.
Also, check any premade sauces or ranch beans for tomato and other high acid ingredients. Using pork and beans as a canned hot dog sauce makes a fantastic DIY beanie weenie blend. Alternately, you can opt for pure salted water, stock, or bullion base. None of these have the level of flavor you’ll find in other favorites.
Keep in mind that cream and cheese-based sauces are not the best options for canning. When you combine dairy and meat, the chemical interaction tends to go off faster than many other combinations.
Cool your cans entirely with a pair of Concord 12″ Stainless Steel Canning Racks. These simple, high-quality racks hold seven-quart jars easily. The outward angled handles allow you to move the containers safely, and a rail around the edge helps prevent slipping. See the Amazon reviews right here.
Storing Your Canned Hot Dogs Safely
According to the USDA, canned meats that are low in acid may be stored for two to five years. However, if you wish to be extra safe, or you chose a sauce with tomato in it like chili or barbecue, then you should open your canned hot dogs within a year. Moreover, once opened, eat them immediately, or store in the refrigerator up to a week.
In general, canned goods in glass jars all require the same treatment to store them safely. Primarily you need to keep your cans below room temperature but never frozen. Additionally, sunlight and other light will degrade the food inside, leaching nutrients and color.
Choose a cellar, pantry, or basement that doesn’t get very warm. You want your canned hot dogs above freezing, but typically below seventy-five degrees. If they heat up to eighty or even ninety briefly, they’ll probably be alright, but I recommend eating them as soon as possible.
When in doubt, check your containers. Any breaks, lid swelling, or leaking cans need to be disposed of immediately. Do not eat them.
Visually inspect your canned foods at least once per season. Whenever you open a new can, you should look and smell the food before eating it. When something seems off, assume it is and don’t eat the hot dogs inside. Beyond that, you can mostly assume they’re safe to consume.
Final Thoughts
Storing canned hot dogs gives you plenty of fast and savory meals, even in an emergency. I highly recommend storing several different flavors and recipes. Having choices is a luxury, and a little luxury can go a long way toward keeping you sane in an extended emergency.
Cooking canned hot dogs is easy. Over an open flame with a stick, or with sauce in a pot or pan, how you eat yours is a matter of preference. Moreover, the versatility of hot dogs means you don’t have to make the same meal over and over, even when supplies are relatively low.
So long as you can with care, you’ll have this delightful summer staple anytime. Plus, you can customize your canned hotdog menu to suit your tastes.