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Irish Jig in a Jar Canning Recipe
Celebrate the flavors of Ireland any time of year with this Irish Jig in a Jar canning recipe—a festive twist on classic corned beef and cabbage preserved in a jar. This hearty meal layers tender corned beef, red potatoes, carrots, onions, and cabbage with traditional spices and a pale ale or dry hard cider broth. Once pressure canned, you’ll have a ready-to-heat St. Patrick’s Day dinner in a jar that brings comfort, convenience, and authentic Irish flavor straight from your pantry.
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Last updated: October 7, 2025
By Diane Devereaux | The Canning Diva®
Key Takeaways
- Inspired by traditional Irish stew, combining beef, beer, and cabbage for deep, comforting flavor.
- Pressure canned for shelf-stable convenience—perfect for quick weeknight meals or seasonal celebrations.
- A wonderful make-ahead option to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day year-round.
The History of Corned Beef & Cabbage
Corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes are often seen as the quintessential St. Patrick’s Day meal, but their roots tell a much more complex story of adaptation, immigration, and celebration.
In Ireland, the traditional dish eaten on feast days was bacon and cabbage, not beef. Pork was the preferred meat of Irish households for centuries, while beef was reserved for the wealthy and often exported to England. However, when Irish immigrants came to America in the 19th century, they discovered that pork was expensive and beef brisket—particularly the tougher, salt-cured cuts known as corned beef—was both affordable and widely available through Jewish butchers in New York City.
Today, the trio of corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes remains a delicious representation of cultural blending—a dish that speaks to resourcefulness, family, and the joy of gathering around a hearty meal. The Irish Jig in a Jar recipe captures that same spirit, preserving those flavors in a way that can be enjoyed long after the festivities have ended.
Irish Jig in a Jar Canning Recipe
Makes approx. 7 quarts or 14 pints
Enjoy St. Patty’s day all year ’round with this authentic corned beef and cabbage meal in a jar. Chunks of corned beef, traditional spices, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage cooked to perfection. Simply pop a lid, heat, and eat. If you’re worried about the cabbage flavor overpowering the jar, omit the cabbage. You may always steam cabbage while heating a quart to eat.
Ingredients
- 8 cups beef stock
- 2 (12-ounce) bottles pale ale or dry hard cider
- 1/4 cup pickling spice
- 1 head green cabbage
- 7 bay leaves
- 7 garlic cloves
- 2 (4-pound) corned beef briskets, excess fat removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2-4 large potatoes (yellow, Russet, or red skin), cubed (4 cups)
- 8 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (4 cups)
- 2 large onions, chopped (4 cups)
Instructions
- Use widemouthed jars for this recipe, as it will give you more space to arrange each layer, and it is easier to remove foods from the jar when you are ready to heat and serve. (See Recipe Tip if you prefer to use pint jars.)
- In a stockpot, combine the Beef Bone Stock, ale or hard cider, and pickling spice. Bring to a boil, boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and remove from the heat.
- Cut the cabbage into 3-inch-thick wedges lengthwise and then cut crosswise into pieces that will fit easily in the jars.
- Be sure the jars are room temperature prior to raw packing. Place jars on the cutting board and add one bay leaf and one garlic clove to each jar. Next add layers as follows, tamping down each layer before adding the next: 2 cups corned beef pieces, evenly distributing the corned beef between the jars, ½ cup potatoes, ½ cup carrots, and one or two cabbage wedges on top of the carrots. Top each quart jar with 2 tablespoons onion. Be sure to keep 1¼ inches of headspace in each jar.
- Ladle the warm spiced broth into the jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles and add additional broth if necessary to maintain the 1 inch of headspace.
- Wipe the rim of each jar with a warm washcloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and hand tighten.
- Process in a pressure canner at 10 PSI or according to your elevation and canner type. Quart jars process for 90 minutes and pints process for 75 minutes.
Recipe Tip: If you are interested in preserving in pints, simply fill each pint jar with ½ garlic clove, ½ bay leaf, 1 cup corned beef, ¼ cup potatoes, ¼ cup carrots, a piece or two of cabbage, and 1 tablespoon onion. The headspace remains the same. Pint jars are a perfect personal-size corned beef dinner to take with you for lunch, or enjoy it as a quiet meal at home.
Irish Jig in a Jar Canning Recipe
Servings
7 quarts or 14 pints
servingsPrep time
30
minutesEnjoy St. Patty’s day all year ’round with this authentic corned beef and cabbage meal in a jar. Chunks of corned beef, traditional spices, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage cooked to perfection. Simply pop a lid, heat, and eat. If you’re worried about the cabbage flavor overpowering the jar, omit the cabbage. You may always steam cabbage while heating a quart to eat.
Ingredients
8 cups 8 beef stock
2 2 (12-ounce) bottles pale ale or dry hard cider
1/4 cup 1/4 pickling spice
1 head 1 green cabbage
7 7 bay leaves
7 7 garlic cloves
2 2 (4-pound) corned beef briskets, excess fat removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 large 2 Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (4 cups)
8 large 8 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (4 cups)
2 large 2 onions, chopped (4 cups)
Instructions
- Use widemouthed jars for this recipe, as it will give you more space to arrange each layer, and it is easier to remove foods from the jar when you are ready to heat and serve. (See Recipe Tip if you prefer to use pint jars.)
- In a stockpot, combine the Beef Bone Stock, ale or hard cider, and pickling spice. Bring to a boil, boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and remove from the heat.
- Cut the cabbage into 3-inch-thick wedges lengthwise and then cut crosswise into pieces that will fit easily in the jars.
- Be sure the jars are room temperature prior to raw packing. Place jars on the cutting board and add one bay leaf and one garlic clove to each jar. Next add layers as follows, tamping down each layer before adding the next: 2 cups corned beef pieces, evenly distributing the corned beef between the jars, ½ cup potatoes, ½ cup carrots, and one or two cabbage wedges on top of the carrots. Top each quart jar with 2 tablespoons onion. Be sure to keep 1¼ inches of headspace in each jar.
- Ladle the warm spiced broth into the jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles and add additional broth if necessary to maintain the 1 inch of headspace.
- Wipe the rim of each jar with a warm washcloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and hand tighten.
- Process in a pressure canner at 10 PSI or according to your elevation and canner type. Quart jars process for 90 minutes and pints process for 75 minutes.
Notes
- Recipe Tip: If you are interested in preserving in pints, simply fill each pint jar with ½ garlic clove, ½ bay leaf, 1 cup corned beef, ¼ cup potatoes, ¼ cup carrots, a piece or two of cabbage, and 1 tablespoon onion. The headspace remains the same. Pint jars are a perfect personal-size corned beef dinner to take with you for lunch, or enjoy it as a quiet meal at home.
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People Often Ask
Q: What type of beer or cider should I use in this recipe?
A: Choose a beer or cider you personally enjoy drinking, as those flavors will carry through to the finished meal. I love using Samuel Adams Octoberfest for its smooth malt and slight caramel notes, or Angry Orchard Hard Apple Cider for a bright, lightly sweet finish. You can experiment with your favorite pale ale, stout, or dry cider—just avoid overly bitter beers or flavored ciders, which can overpower the traditional Irish corned beef and cabbage profile.
Q: Can I substitute corned beef with another type of meat?
A: Yes. Any meat that has been properly corned—meaning cured in a seasoned brine—can be used in this recipe. While corned beef is the traditional choice, you may also use corned venison, pork, or other wild game such as antelope or elk. The key is ensuring the meat has been fully cured prior to canning so the flavor and salt balance remain consistent with the recipe’s design. Avoid using plain, uncured meats like raw beef or venison, as they will not deliver the same result.
Q: Should I cook the ingredients before canning?
A: No. This recipe uses the raw-stacking method. The meat and vegetables cook fully during processing, locking in texture and flavor without over-softening.
Q: Why is pickling spice used instead of individual seasonings?
A: Traditional pickling spice provides the balanced blend of aromatics—like mustard seed, bay leaf, and peppercorn—that give this meal its signature Irish corned beef and cabbage flavor without needing separate spices.
About the Author:
Diane Devereaux, The Canning Diva®, is an internationally recognized food preservation expert, author, and educator with over 30 years of home canning experience. She’s the author of multiple top-selling canning books and teaches workshops across the U.S. Learn more at CanningDiva.com.
