a new meat canning thread (Fuzzy)
General Topic
I haven't run a canning thread in awhile and I've revised my instructions a bit. Here goes guys:
Canning venison and other meats preserves it, without refrigeration, it preserves it for years without freezer burn, it preserves it, in a pre-cooked state, so that preparation takes only a few seconds or minutes, preserves it in a state that is safe and easy to transport, and takes up very little space.....
canning Canning tenderizes tougher cuts, and seals in all the natural juices, canning tends to eliminate strong flavor from game meats.....
spices can be added, and tend to be more flavorful than if added during regular cooking; what you do with it is up to your own tastes, canned sausage is good in meat sauces, on pizza, in casseroles, in gravy, and chili, same with canned burger; canned chunk meat is good as-is, or in stew, chili, hash, barbecue, pot pie, sandwiches, and many other things, canned steaks/cutlets can be breaded and fried, or eaten as-is, or on sandwiches.......
Canning Deer and other meats :
*****Do not use open-kettle canning method for meat.
Use a modern, good quality pressure cooker, designed for canning, and capable of reaching and holding the pressures listed. The method I use is my own and works for me. I make no representation as to its safety or suitability beyond the fact that it does work well for me. I assume no responsibility or liability for accident, illness, or injury resulting from use or misuse of these instructions. *****(added 12/10/10) I am now certified as a VPI Extension Master Food Safety Volunteer so the “disclaimer” above is rescinded
Rules: Always use clean boiled CANNING JARS (no mayonnaise, pickle or mustard jars.) Always use new lids, designed for the jars you are using. Always be sure your meat is clean, fresh, and safe.
Always use a pressure canner for canning meat. Always process jars at least as long as the times given, at or above the pressures listed.
Never process meat using these instructions at over 4,000 feet above sea level. **( see revised instructions for over 4,000 feet below)
Never use any canned product if seal is broken, lid is bulged, lid is rusted, or if there is any doubt as to it’s safety. Never cut corners. Never place frozen meat in jars.
Meat can be cold (ice crystals in meat) but not frozen; jars will crack. Never use damaged or chipped jars.
Raw Pack: Deer meat chunks: place in wide-mouth quart jars, force air out with wooden spoon, and fill to within 1 and 1½"of top of jar (just below shoulder) pour in 1teaspoon salt, if desired, clean rim, place lid, gently tighten rim.
Deer spareribs: leave all meat on ribs, chop into 2-3" squares, place in jars same as meat chunks, except, top with 1 tablespoon sausage Seasoning. Clean rim. Place lid on jar.
Deer Sausage: season and grind sausage to taste, roll into 2" balls, dop in jars, press in with wooden spoon to force out air, fill to within 1 and ½" of rim. Clean rim. Place lid on jar.
Deer burger: same as above.
Deer-n-pig: my favorite! Cut deer tenderloin (back-strap) and fresh pork tenderloin or lean fresh pork butt, into 2" cubes, place in jars as above, add 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon rubbed sage, Clean rim, place lid on jar. Do not add any liquid to raw-pack…. When a canner load of jars is full place in canner, with hot (not boiling) water. Boiling water will crack jars when cold.
Increase heat until canner is at a rolling boil, then place lid, allow steam to vent 10 minutes and set pressure. Use 10 psi up to 2,000 feet, 15 psi 2,000 to 4,000 feet. When canner reaches set pressure, start timing, hold at or above pressure for 90 minutes, or more. Longer times or higher pressure will cause sparerib bones to become cooked and "chalky".
Dressed, Scaled Fish , or fish fillets: same as Deer meat chunks. Dove Breast; same as deer meat chunks.
Hot pack:
Squirrel, rabbit, or chicken: Smoke whole dressed squirrels until done, cut into pieces and remove ribs, place in jars as tightly as possible, with 1 and ½" headspace, and cover with boiling beef bullion, clean rim, place lids on jars.
Meat Stew: fill jars with hot stew to within 1 and ½" of rim, clean rim, place lids on jars.
Deer meat chunks: cook meat in salted water until fork-tender, place in jars, within 1 and ½" of rim, cover with broth, clean rims, place lids on jars.
Sausage patties: Fry sausage patties, until done thru, drain grease, place in jars witrhin 1 and 1/2" of rim, cover with beef bullion, clean rims and place lids on jars. Place hot-pack jars in boiling water in canner, and return to a boil, place lid on canner, vent steam for 10 minutes and process (quarts) at least 90 minutes at 10 psi at up to 2,000 feet; 15 psi 2,000 to 4,000 feet
*** (0ver 4,000 feet, up to 6,500 feet process 110 minutes at 15 PSI) I have NO DATA for canning at over 6,000 feet
Thanks, great info with easy to follow instructions.
I love canning meat. Each fall I try to can most of a deer, and have also found Canada geese can very well. My family loves it!
iv been canning venison for 20 years it's very versatile my favorite is in pint jars 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 clove garlic & 1 jalapeno pepper fill with venison pressure cann 11psi for 90 minutes. I also do fish mostly tuna 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil & the same 11psi for 90 min
1 jar canned venison 1 bag mixed frozen veggies 1 can cream mushroom soup = instant venison stew
I've had very good luck canning northern pike as well.
Maybe I should shoot one more deer
jmiller I used to eat pickled pike as a kid and loved it. Is that how you've canned your pike?
Funny you posted this today, cause this is my night
Thanks, Fuzzy. I've been threatening to do this for years.
Any reason i cant put deer chunks, potatoes and carrot into jar and can that up?
I have never had canned meat. What’s the texture like? Timex’s pic with jalapeño and garlic looks fantastic!!!
yooper89 I pickle pike as well, but when I pressure can them I just use a little salt. After they are pressure canned they taste very similar to canned tuna. The bones all dissolve.
the meat is like it's been in a crock pot all day it falls apart & surprisingly it's dry all the liquid in the jar has come out of the meat but it absorbs the liquid back when you warm it in a skillet...as far as the jalipino canned venison it makes the best ever pulled meat Mexican dishes or just put some on a plate with a slice of onion & a slice of cheese & warmed in the microwave or toaster oven & put on bread is an awsom sandwich.
another great use is if your lucky enough to live in an area with plenty of deer & generous limits is to cann a few deer with nothing added for dog food. dogs go absolutely bonkers over it & I can't think of anything healthier you could feed them. a big doe will do 40-50 pints
When you place the jars into the pressure cooker how tight are the lids?
Mule Power, when you fill the jars DONT crank the bands down super tight, firm fingertip pressure.
Grizzly, yes you can add any veggies you like (raw) before canning, for a "in the jar stew"
jingalls, as stated above, the texture is very like slow cooked (crockpot) meats, but the flavor is richer .
timex, I salvaged a car-hit doe this morning on the way to work (she wasn't dead so I finished her with ay carry gun and flagged down a deputy for a salvage card) I'll be canning most of it for dog food but I'm hoping the hind quarters will be ok for burger
APauls that looks great!
timex on pints you'd be ok with 75 minutes at >10 psi (unless you're at over 4,000 feet elevation) ...save you a little time and electricity or propane
yea I know pints 75 quarts 90 but my cooker holds 7 quarts or 20 pints & I fill it full with pints so I just do 90 minutes with the pints. with that much meat in it .it takes for ever to get to pressure. but that's how iv always done it
Will the veggies soften up in there since you said raw? If you cook them will they end up mushy?
onions are the only veggies iv tried other than the jalipino & they hold up ok but I believe most will be mushy the jalipino is
I’ve canned venison, raw pack, and hot pack, and chicken, seems the meat is a little dry, why?
Buff the vacuum formed when the jar seals pulls the juices out of the meat. If you warm it up (simmer) with all the juices in a pan it will re absorb them
Mule power, the veggies will soften up, similar to what you's get in a slow cooker or pressure cooker or by slow simmering or braising
timex that's cool.... yes a full canner does take quite awhile to come up on pressure, longer time is fine doesn't hurt a thing. I am usually doing several loads with two canners going so time becomes an issue...I'll have 3 to 5 dozen jars of meat raw packed and "staged" in a cooler when I start canning, and run both canners for 6 to 8 hours or more.....I used to can meat for 24 hours straight when I was putting up 7 to 10 deer a year
so one of my favorite crock pot recipes is called the Mississippi Roast Here’s the beauty of this roast. It’s so simple! You’ll need:
a chuck roast ( deer roast) ranch dressing mix au jus gravy mix butter jarred pepperoncini peppers All of this comes together to make the tastiest, tenderest, most delicious pot roast ever.
The question is - could i do this in the canning method? just hold the butter?
so a pint or quart of cubed meat, a teaspoon of each seasoning packet, and a pepper or two - just hold the butter untill its time to eat ?
olebuck I'm sure you could. I'm gonna be canning some deer this weekend, I'll do a test run and let you know how it turns out. I'm thinking if you could run the recipie with the butter in the jar ...I'll try a jar with and one without...no salt or other seasonings?
how much butter per pound of meat?
Fuzzy, its heaven. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu-1AxRkWSI
I've been canning for years. All kinds of vegetables and meat. One thing...after the lip "pops" it's sealed so remove the rings before you store...you're not relying upon them to maintain seal. If there's any "residue" under the ring it will make future removal very difficulty, plus they'll rust.
good point cornpone ...I remove the rings and wipe the jar down with a damp cloth before storing. store in a cool, dark place with controlled humidity for longer shelf life.
Never done meat canning before. Saving this to my favorites!
We put some up a couple weeks ago and it turned out great (1st time canner). One thing I learned is not to smash the meat into the jar, I thought i needed to "pack" it in there. Those overly packed jars lost liquid into the pressure cooker. I'd say pack lightly leaving the required head space at the top of the jar.
Regarding the Mississippi Roast....works great with a neck roast or shoulder roast!
olebuck....my girlfriend found that Mississippi roast and we tried it a few months ago. Im not a fan of roast but that was the best ever. we cut several roasts this year!
olebuck I did 23 p8ints with your recipie last night. I put the butter right in the jar. the way I filled the jars was:
1 "pat" (about a tablespoon) "real" salted butter in jar 1st
1 pickled pepper (I used pickled cherry peppers b/c my local supermarket didn't have pepperoncini)
fill jar half full of raw venison chunks cut into about 1 and a half to 2 inch cubes
add a teaspoon each of the Ranch dressing powder and Au Jus powder
fill the jar the rest of the way (to the shoulder) with meat, packed just enough to force out air pockets (as Dirty D describes above)
wiped jar rims and processed (pints) at 10 PSI for 75 minutes
all jars sealed and it smells awesome~! I'll open a jar this weekend and give y'all a review on Monday
Mule Power, shelf life is subjective. It's "safe" as long as the inside of the lids haven't rusted and the seal is intact. There are some physical and chemical changes that happen slowly over time and they happen faster if the jars are stored in lighted areas and/or at high temps. Stored in a cool (under 70 degrees F) dark place, with controlled humidity to prevent rusting, you'll probably not notice any quality degradation for at least 5 years. I've opened and eaten canned venison that was over 10 years in the jar. Pork fat develops off flavors sooner than beef or deer fat but even lean pork is as good tasting as ever after 5 years if properly stored.
The "official" line (what I have to tell you as a Food Safety Professional) is to follow the jar lid manufacturer's guidelines. Most lid producers USED to say one year, now most are saying a year and a half. That's VERY conservative in my personal opinion.
Been doing that Mississippi roast trick on elk neck and hocks. Turns out amazing!
Fuzzy. you are the man. i hope its good - otherwise ill take the blame - and you can come shoot one of my MS deer.
lol...I've NEVER had an offer like that sir!
You say a cool dark place. Is a fridge a good or bad idea? A cabinet in the kitchen fine?
yes a cabinet or shelf in a dark room or basement. As long as it doesn't get hot (over 80 degrees) for long periods or below freezing. I store mine in a cabinet.
olebuck, it tuned out AWESOME! canning it with the butter worked very well. The sauce has a great flavor and a gravy-like texture and mouth feel....
uuuhhhh...I mean it's TERRIBLE! let me know where to come to shoot that MS deer ;)
I am totally new to this. Can anyone post some pictures of their pressure cookers or make any brand recommendations? Thanks!
Fuzzy thanks for this thread! I learned a ton. I’ve been wanting to can for years after eating some canned deer a friend had. I’m finally motivated to do it. I always have so meat I’m looking for new ways to make it. Between this and the sous vide I’m going to be a changed man in the kitchen.
I have 3 of them but the big presto is what I use for canning it'll do 7 quarts or 20 pints.
Do you stack the pints ? everything has to be in the water, right?
I have another question.... pros and cons of the digital programmable pressure cookers??? Also I don’t see actual pressure gauges. How do you know when you’re at 10 lbs and is it ok to use higher pressures?
Update: I see a 16 quart Presto fir sale with a gauge. It doesn’t look like any of the digitals have gauges.
Is 16 qt a good size? The only other one I see with a gauge is 23 quart and that seems huge. I was thinking 8 but I don’t see any with gauges.
Mule Power and John MC, the instapot and other electric pressure cookers are NOT suitable for canning low acid foods (ie: meat, beans, soups, stews, corn, etc) they are ONLY to be used for processing acidic foods like jam, jelly, pickles etc.
grizzly, if you have a canner that's deep enough to allow stacking you can stack pints, half pints etc. everything does NOT have to be in the water, since it's the steam that does the work. Even when single stacking you only want enough water (3" or so) in the canner so that it doesn't run dry during the canning cycle, you want the superheated steam to contact the jars, not the liquid water phase
Mule Power the sizes listed are total volume capacity not the number of jars you can process. You also want to make sure you're getting a pressure CANNER and not a pressure COOKER. The 23 quart model should process 7 quart jars or 16 pint jars per load. For me that's a minimum size. Anything smaller will work you to death since you're looking at two hours and 15 minutes at least to come up on pressure, process (quarts) 90 minutes and come off pressure. So if you are planning to do a whole deer (40-60 pounds of meat) you're looking at three to four loads, of quarts, and four to six loads of pints. That's an 8 hour canning day plus. With the smaller 16 quart canner you'll be running five quarts or seven pints and a whole deer would take you a whole weekend to can. Go big.
look for "Presto" or "Mirro" brand and look for ones with the weighted gauge ("jiggler" )pressure control, rather than the dial pressure gauge. The dial gauges have to be calibrated yearly and you have to visually monitor the pressure and adjust the burner though-out the canning cycle. With the jiggler you can keep a listen on it and do other stuff.
https://www.amazon.com/Mirro-Polished-Aluminum-Pressure-Cookware/dp/B000RNH7PQ?tag=bgl-epd-20
this is a really good unit at a good price
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=mirro+pressure+canner&view=detail&mid=4FC1FFD502B8426155204FC1FFD502B842615520&FORM=VIRE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90bhL8B0ha8#action=share
I have one of the new versions of the pressure cookers. It is the "plus" models that is supposed to be safe for canning meats. I did a small batch a few months ago and just had my last jar of the canned meat. It seemed fine to me. Good point though that not all are safe for canning meat.
I looked at that Mirro on eBay. It was $10 more than your Amazon listing. But 5 minutes after looking at it I got a message from the seller. He made an offer of $60 and free shipping. Sold! I’m ready Fuzzy!
Anything else I should get to make life easier?
Another brand to look at is All American. More money but high quality. You only need to buy one once.
Mule Power, I recommend the Ball Canning Company "Blue Book". They are a wealth of information and a great reference and have some good recipies. Also a canning tool set, jar tongs, canning funnel, and magnetic lid lifter. A silicone counter mat is great to set jars on and heat resistant too. That should get you started.
Shiraz42 can you share the Brand and model of your pressure cooker, I'd love to check it out!
My presto has a water level mark on the inside 3 quarts bring it to the line. Fuzzy I'm not doubting your knowledge but iv been using the same presto with the gauge for 18 years & never had a problem & have never read elsewhere about calibration of them in fact iv always read 11#s for sea level & that's what I do. My presto has a 15# shaker & ocaisonly we cook with it & the gauge matches the shaker at 15#s I also can a lot of tuna 80 pints this summer along with venison & never a problemin this pic bluefin tuna on the left & yellowfin on the right it' sooo good & good for ya
My mom was a child in Germany during WWII. When the 9-11 attack occurred, she became concerned about food shortages, so she canned one of the deer I shot in SE MN. It was delicious. I need to break the pressure canner and give it a try next season.
Timex I understand. FDA/ and State Extension services recommend yearly calibration of gauge canners. I'm not surprised to hear that your (quality brand name) canner gauge has held accurately for decades. The idea of calibrating isn't that they need adjusting so much as that they MAY need adjusting.
Yes 10 pounds (on "jigglers" or 11 on gauge canners) is the recommended pressure for sea level up to 2,000 feet. I an at a bit under 2,000 feet and run my canners on 10#
around here a lot of homes and cabins are at well 2,000 to 3,000 feet and we recommend running 15# if you are at or over 2,000
definitely use the water level line if your canner is maked with one. Otherwise about 3" before adding jars is a good mark for depth
https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/testing-dial-pressure-canner-gauges
here is a reference for the yearly calibration recommendation. Most State University Extension sites recommend the same, as does Ball Canning Company
Fuzzy, I have the Power Cooker Plus. Here is the page in the page in the owners manual where it talks about canning raw meat. The previous page does talk about the higher potential for spoilage with the lower acid foods.
I'll forward that info to the Food Safety Lab at VPI, I'm sure they'll want to test that unit.
Ok Fuzzy next question... is there any reason I shouldn’t use the 15 lb pressure weight? It seems like the more the merrier can’t hurt or will it have a negative affect on the contents of the jars?
Got my utensils, got the Blue Book.... ready to go!
Mule Power, no real reason not to use 15# unless you're canning bone-in (the bones will cook soft and become "chalky" and be tough to remove from the meat) or adding a seasoning (like sage) which develops off flavors under prolonged high heat.
and of course more energy input, it'll cost you a little more in propane or electricity
https://forums.bowsite.com/tf/regional/thread.cfm?threadid=249139&messages=2&state=VA
https://www.facebook.com/events/473570896639902/?notif_t=plan_user_invited¬if_id=1578418124938544
would anyone be interested in a link to a video presentation and power point presentation from the canning class? If so I'll try to put one together
Absolutely! Always learning and there’s nothing like actually watching an actual demonstration.
I can vouch for the end product. Delicious and non-lethal. Fuzzy knows the subject.
I’d like to watch the video too, Fuzzy. Nothing like a good video to see how things are done.
Thanks.
Great! We will do it then.
Randy I'm so glad to know you enjoy the canned meat. Especially in light of what your Christmas present is this year.
So we now have enough people registered to run the class and we have a new hire assistant who is tech-savvy enough to record video. This may just happen!
Great I'll pick a few off tonight for class ;')
Thanks for the update. Every year I tell myself I'm going to can some, but never get to it. Next year!!!
Dave, bring em! I'll put you up for the weekend and even buy your beer (I have good credit now so I can float a loan)
Dave, bring em! I'll put you up for the weekend and even buy your beer (I have good credit now so I can float a loan)
Rodney, what part of Tennessee are you in? The class is in Bland VA about an hour and fifteen minutes drive "upstream" of Bristol.
Be glad to have you.
Fuzzy, any updates on the Power Cooker Plus and would you recommend that I continue to use it for canned meat? I only did 3 jars for a test and have used them all and they seemed good to me.
What do you use canned meat in
What do you use canned meat in
Canned meat is great in stroganoff. Quite possibly the quickest, easiest and tastiest meal you can make is to put a jar of canned meat and one can of cream of mushroom soup in a pot. Heat and stir it up, then pour over mashed potatoes. It is shockingly good. My wife and I both work and have kids so I've come to appreciate the quick fix dinners.
1 pint canned venison 1 small bag mixed frozen veggie 1 can cream of mushroom soup = instant venison stew
Fuzzy, I wish I was up in the tri-cities area and I'd register for the class. I'm all the way out in south-central TN. 6.5 hours away. I'll definitely watch the video if you do one.
Fellas not to demean anyone or discredit fuzzy in any way he's enlightened many to canning game meat & that's a great thing. But it's not rocket science 20 years ago I got tired of needing 3 freezers I'd heard of canning fresh cought tuna & figured I could cann venison so I researched it bought a presto canner & started. Yes it's a learning process to it but in 20 years of canning venison & fish. Iv never had an issue with bad meat. Leave 1 " head space clean jar rim before placing lid finger tite band. If double stacking pints or jelly jars use an aluminum plate between. Perhaps way back then if I had a class or video I'd have utilized them but I managed just fine with some books at the library
Timex you are right. It's not rocket science and you can learn it from books. Ball Blue Book is a great resource. I've done a bunch of classes with "self taught" folks as well as beginners and I always find a few things that can be fine tuned for efficiency, and sometimes for safety.
Honestly I am always learning new things as well.
It sounds like you are an autodidact, some folks do really well at self-guided learning, others need, want, or prefer guided instruction.
Bou'bound one thing we do at the classes is share recipies and prepare meals with canned meat. A few of my "go to" meals from canned meat are:
Shredded venison tacos (warm canned chunk meat in a skillet, add taco seasoning) Spaghetti (using canned burger in the meat sauce)
Chili (using canned chunks or canned burger)
Breakfast casserole ( warm canned sausage in the skillet, line 9" baking dish with scratch biscuit dough, bisquick dough or canned biscuit, add warmed sausage, beat 6 eggs and pour over, top with 8 ounces shredded cheddar, bake @ 350 degrees for 25 minutes
Stroganoff as blue buck says
Try Timex's stew recipie (Im going to, sounds great)
use Canned chunks in shepherd's pie (line pie pan with mashed potatoes, add 1 pint canned meat, 1 cup brown gravy, 1 can each canned green peas, canned corn, and canned sliced carrots, top with thin layer of mashed potatoes bake at 350 for 30 minutes then 400 for 10 minutes
use canned chunks in pot pies
use canned burger in sloppy joes
brown I pint canned sausage in deep skillet with a little oil, add 1 can Rotel and simmer 5 minutes, dump a box of Stove top suffing on top, (don't stir) add 1/2 cup water or broth cover skillet and "steam" the stuffing for 10 minutes before serving
Shiraz I asked the Food Safety tech team at VPI to check on that unit last month, so far I haven't heard back (they'll have to buy one and install data-logger probes and run the canning cycle to see if it meets and holds pressures and temps)
I would love to try that someday I’ll be in Crossville,TN in the summer till Christmas.Fuzzy I grew up in Mountain City TN not far from Bristol.Good and thanks for posting Lewis
Lewis I know Mountain City very well. We will be offering a canning class in or near Hillsville or Galax later in the year if you're gonna be in the area?
Just keep me updated might make a trip up and fish Watauga good luck Lewis
Fuzzy/timex/etc, Thanks for sharing your knowledge!! This is great information!
today's newspaper in Bland Va (the doe in the bowl and on the table is a stickbow kill ...lol)
Lewis I hope to see you then!
we are sitting at 13 registered for the class with experience and skill sets ranging from "never even seen it done" to "been doing it since I wore long pants". We have three instructors so I'm hoping that producing a short video presentation of the key points will be possible.
olebuck I just wanted to tell you that we opened some of the canned "Mississippi Mud" venison yesterday, put it in the instapot with some fresh mushrooms and baby carots added and ran it 15 minutes, with cheesy potatoes (from home canned potatoes) as a side, and an apple crisp made with home canned local apples best darn supper ever!
the canning class was a success. 9 of the 13 registered actually showed up (that's par for "pay-at-the-door classes) and everyone had a good time, we all learned a lot (self included) had a great meal and put up two canner loads of pints of meat. We canned bear sausage, bear chunks, deer burger, deer chunks, angus beef and moose chunks.
We looked at several styles of canners including an "instapot" style that is advertised for home canning. We learned that old-school is still best. Tests run on the "instapot" style have shown fluctuations in pressure (and therefore temperature) which reduces liklelihood of heat penetration and sustained temps high enough to ENSURE inactivation of C. botulinum spores. We still can't recommend use of electric pressure cookers/canners for processing low-acid foods (ie: meat, beans, mushrooms etc) until manufacturers can present data showing the canners will reach and continuously hold over 10 PSI (or 15 at over 2,000 feet) for the full 75 or 90 minutes processing time.
I asked the assistant for the video and, well, guess what guys, no-one videoed. I'm sorry, I forgot to remind her.
here are some pics. I'm the over-fed, leaping gnome with the bald spot in the blue and white checked shirt
Good looking stuff there Fuzzy sounds very interesting Lewis
it was lewis. The food looked good too ;)
Like my dad always says when there’s lots of produce or meet, “We eat what we can and can what we can’t.”
good stuff Fuzzy and Timex,,,thanks
that Mississippi Roast is on my "cook next week" list,,,
Has anybody thrown meat in the smoker for 20-30 minutes and then canned? Seems like it might make a good sandwich.
Blue Buck, I smoke and then can meat quite a bit. It's great!
smoke then can is the absolute best way to can squirrel btw
I plan to give it a try. I just started canning a couple years ago and my family loves it. I've been just adding 1 tbsp of Better Than Beef Bouillon per quart jar and turns out great. Looking forward to smoking and then canning.
Ok, Fuzzy.....I took your advice and started canning. :-)
I got the Mirror 22 quart with the 3 weighted(5, 10, and 15 lb) jigglers, 2 dozen wide mouth quart and 2 dozen wide mouth pint Ball jars, and some jar tongs.
So far, I've done squirrel quarters, rabbit quarters, dove breasts, chicken (drumsticks and breasts, and broth I had frozen in freezer bags), ground beef and ground sausage, and some pork butt.
Followed your instructions and those on the web and youtube. Every batch has come out great. No problem with lids sucking down and sealing properly. I'm in the process of making a squirrel pot pie out of one of the jars. :-)
Did make the mistake on my last run of chicken and forgot to add some white vinegar to my pot. I see now why that is a good suggestion. :-) Not a function issue but did discolor the bottom of my pot.
All in all, I'm happy with my results and now with some experience under my belt, ready to try many more recipes. Can't wait to try canning venison and other game in the future. And veggies and fruit this summer.
Looks like it'll be a fun and productive hobby.
Thanks for your posts and info on the subject.
Joey ward just a tip my pressure cooker will only hold 7 wide mouth pint jars per layer but will hold 10 of the small mouth jars so if your doing a lot with the small mouth pints you can do 20 per batch just something to consider in the future. & it's possible your cooker is different dimensions than my presto. Especially when I'm canning tuna I do a lot at a time & the 6 extra jars per batch adds up quickly
Makes sense. I’ll have to pickup some. I’ve just about loaded up all the jars I have. Thanks for the tip.
Squirrel pot pie.
Squirrel pot pie.
Joey that looks amazing! Please share the recipie?
Timex is right you can double stack regular mouth jars and fit a lot more. I like meat in wide mouths because it's easier to get out of the jar and easier to clean the jar, and I have three canners so I can have three loads going at once.
Fuzzy, this one is just a quick, easy, recipe I've used a lot for quick meals.
Ingredients
2 (9 inch) frozen pie crusts, thawed
1 (15 ounce) can mixed vegetables, drained
2 cups cooked, diced chicken breast ( for this one I used a quart jar of squirrel quarters. I just pulled the meat from any bones) The canned jars I did with chicken should work well for the next quick pie meal.
1 (10.75 ounce) can of cream of chicken soup
half cup of milk
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Step 2
In a bowl combine the mixed vegetables, squirrel meat, cream of chicken soup and milk. Pour mixture into one of the pie crusts. Turn the other crust over and pop out of the tin onto the top of the filled pie. Seal the edges and poke holes in top crust.
Step 3
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Easy peasy….Nothing fancy. A quick meal using the canned squirrel.
Was pretty good. My son finished it up today. lol :-)
thanks Joey.
I'll whip this up this evening
any chance you'd be interested in my "Fuzzy pie crust" recipie?
better than frozen and super easy
thanks Joey.
I'll whip this up this evening
any chance you'd be interested in my "Fuzzy pie crust" recipie?
better than frozen and super easy
"Fuzzy Pie Crust"
2 and 1/2 cups plain all purpose flour (NOT bread flour and NOT self-rising. you may also see it called "cake flour" or "biscuit flour". It has a lower gluten content so it's better for pie custs, cakes, and biscuits)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lard or vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 cup ice water
you'll need a mixing bowl, a fork, a clean smooth level surface at least 18" square and something to use as a rolling pin (I've used a wine bottle with the labels taken off and rolled it out on a planed board before when I was living in the camper and had no countertop space)
put 2 cups of flour in the mixing bowl and add the salt .....
sprinkle the vinegar in (you need to try to spread it out a little and no just make a "wet spot)
stir the flour pretty well with a fork
start cutting in the shortening and working it in with the fork when it's mixed in pretty well start working it in with your hands until you can press everything into a loose "sandy" feeling ball
add ice water a tiny bit at a time and work it in with your hands just until the ball starts holding together and is no longer "sandy" but is a hard, solid mass that wont split apart when you squeeze it .... don't add water too fast and don't add water past this point. you won't need the whole 1/4 cup
lightly grease and flour your surface and your rolling pin.... put the 1/2 cup flour in the center of your surface, level it a little and press the dough ball down onto it
flatten the ball as much as you can with your hands then start rolling it out as thin as you can
when it's as thin as you can get it (1/16" or so) fold it over itself twice and start again if it starts trying to break up you may need to sprinkle a tiny bit of cold water
fold and roll the dough out several times (the more you do it the flakier the crust, I usually go for 6 folds)
cut and press the crust dough into your baking pan or pie and trim the excess
fill the crust, put on top crust and dampen and pinch the edges together (cut vent slits or poke with a fork if doing a full top crust, if you're doing a lattice crust you may want to damped the strips with water where they cross so they stick together)
First canner full of jars is about to hit 10lbs. Canned a lot of catfish this summer, excited to expand to venison. Lots of good info in this thread for those who haven’t canned before
Canning is soooo useful. We are making a big batch of chilli tomorrow and will can a portion of it.
I don’t like venison, except when it’s canned. It’s fantastic when canned. My mom cans it and does like the above except she adds to top of the chunked venison, a piece of beef fat, the size of your thumb.
And just for the record, I tried Fuzxy's pie crust recipe and I CAN NOT make it work. But I've never been able to make pie crust any.way.
fdp it takes practice. Thanks for the thumbs up guys. I love my canned meat too
Gotta try this. Wonder if it would work on brown bear.
WTF I'm betting it'd be great! Maybe if I pay shipping Bearman's friend can send me maybe 25 pounds (2 canner loads, 14 quarts) to try.
WTF...my uncle and his wife in Virginia can bear meat pretty frequently.
Half a tablespoon of canning salt, same amount black pepper, 1/3 of a jalapeño, and a little shake of garlic powder. Heated some up in a pan this evening and wow. Made all the work of cutting it up into chunks worth it. I see a lot of canned venison in my future
Great thread. Something I've always wanted to do but havent.haven't.
FOC, go shoot one and report back.
Venison Meatballs, gonna need the recipe on that one. yumm
Bearman - I have no access to brown bear. But I have a friend of a friend … What’s going on with the solo brown Bearman??
Bearman can you please ask your friend to send me maybe 20 pounds of meat from his brown bear? I'll pay shipping, post a step by step with photos of the canning process, and ship him back a jar and send you a jar too!
How are you guys incorporating the canned meats into a meal?
Did you put yours on a tortilla Boggsbowhunts?
Some of them sound really good. Just not sure if you guys are eating like pot roast with some sides, or putting on a tortilla for tacos, or putting on bread or bun for sandwich
We use it in spaghetti, lasagna, chilli, stew, enchilladas, tacos, any place we would use beef, pork, or chicken. And many times we mix them. Depends on whether it's ground, or canned in chunks.
Any issue doing this at 5000 feet? Easier posts hinted at it
Bowhunt, I didn’t but it would’ve been awesome that way, will have to try that next time. I’m a 23 year old who lives by himself, side dishes usually aren’t on the menu, haha. It could easily be any meal you mentioned, especially depending on the seasoning and stuff you put in it.
Bob H you need to go to 15 psi and add 15 minutes processing time at 5,000 feet. So 90 minutes for pints and 105 minutes for quarts.. Good question btw
We did stuffed baked potatoes last week with canned meat, shredded cheddar, and sour cream.
Man baked potatoes are good like that. We like to take the shredded stuff and put it in a pot and make barbecue put of it.
Then either put it on baked potatoes or make sandwiches.
Boggs - slightly off topic but how do you like the canned catfish?
We catch a bunch throughout the year and I’ve wanted to try it. I couldn’t find first hand accounts on the quality so I haven’t tried it yet.
Thanks!
Hospitable, if you like fish, you’ll love it. If you like breading and sauce, you won’t like it. It’s better than sardines or any of the other canned fish, but it is FISH and only fish. I’ll be canning a bunch next year too. Compared to cubing up deer it is way easier to just toss a few filets in a jar. I usually have so much ground meat, roasts, and steaks from wild game in my freezer that I hate to take up freezer space with fish. Very easy to toss pint jars in a pantry. I love it as a snack on a ritz cracker with cream cheese. I’m sure it would be even better if you smoked the fish beforehand, too.
From the cans I’ve given out to people, there’s only been a couple people that didn’t like it
My parents canned carp when I was a kid. The intramuscular bones got soft enough to eat. Tasted great!
I cann tuna and mahi mahi never tried freshwater fish but I'm sure it's just as good
As far as canned venison recipes go just use your imagination. A few of my favorites are some canned venison on a small plate a couple slices raw onion a couple slices swiss cheese & in microwave for a minute or so then slide on some bread for quick a hot lunch sandwich. It's great for any Mexican type pulled meat dish. A pint jar canned venison a small bag mixed frozen veggies and a can cream of mushroom soup makes a great venison stew in about 15 minutes. Just to name a few.
This link isn't specifically related to canning meat, but it IS a VERY good resource. You can save the PDF to a file and refer to it as needed.
OK - I'm doing it this year.... great post!
Okebuck call me if you need anything when you get started. I'll PM you my number
