Ham Stock

Instructions

1. Cook ham & use meat for meals for ~ a week.
2. Take remaining ham & cut most of it off the bone, leaving some to cook with the stock.
3. To a large pot add ham bone, 3 stalks of celery washed & snapped in half, 2 onions, skin on, chopped in half, & 5 quarts of water (or enough to cover ham bone).
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer, let simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
6. Remove ham bone, celery, & onion from stock. Discard celery & onion.
7. Pick meat off of ham bone & set aside. Discard bone.
8. Put meat back into stock & put into refrigerator to allow fat to congeal on the surface.
9. Once fat is solid on the surface, remove & discard it.
10. Reheat stock.
11. Sterilize 5 quart jars & heat lids/bands.
12. Prepare pressure canner.
13. Once jars are sterilized, fill with stock (& remaining ham bits), leaving 1" headspace.
14. Clean jar rims & apply tops & bands.
15. Place in pressure canner & apply pressure canner lid.
16. Heat until a steady stream of steam has been produced for 10 minutes.
17. Place jiggler on top at 10 lbs. & once it starts rocking back & forth allow cans to cook for 25 minutes.
18. After 25 minutes remove canner from heat & let cool until pressure vent falls.
19. Remove jiggler.
20. Wait 10 minutes.
21. Remove lid & take jars from canner.
22. Set on a clean, dry, flat surface & allow to cool for 24 hours.
23. Remove bands, wipe jars down, and put away.