Any time I can purchase good, healthy meat for a good price, I try to do so. Once I find it, I lie to stock up because I can freeze it or can it. It’s best to have food stored in as many ways as you can. Freezers sometimes stop working, the power can go out but if you pressure can the meat, it’s here to stay for a long while.
Here are my methods for canning chicken on and off the bone. I use both the Hot Pack Method where you cook the meat first, and the Raw Pack Method, sometimes called Cold Pack ,where you put raw meat into the jars and can it.
Home-canned chicken and broth
A Few Notes
- Chicken that is pressure canned may take on a pinkish color. Its not raw, that’s just the color of the meat when canned this way. Its kind of like pork in that way.
- Be sure to keep the jar rims free from grease or the lids won’t adhere and seal. You can use vinegar instead of water on a clean cloth to wipe down the rims before adding the lids. the vinegar will help remove the grease.
- As with any home canning project you should purchase and read a Ball Canning Guide before beginning. These instructions came out of an old Farm Journal book that belonged to my Mother. I have updated the times that the jars are pressurized, but you should still get that Ball Canning Guide and that’s my disclaimer. 🙂
- All of these instructions can be used for pork as well as chicken.
- My favorite method for canning chicken in the Raw-pack without bone method which is the last one I describe in this post.
HOT PACK WITH BONE: In Which you first cook the meat, then can it.
Bone the breast (because its hard to fit the breast bone into the jars) and, if desired, saw the drumsticks off short, I sometimes use a cleaver for this. (It isn’t necessary and you can choose to do it or not with all of the following instructions. Cutting off the short end saves space because the meat usually draws away from the end of the bone and leaves a meatless bone sticking up there, just taking up space).
Leave the bones in other meaty pieces. Trim off large pieces of fat. I remove the skin.
Place raw chicken pieces in water to cover and cook til meat is medium done, or until almost no pink color shows at center of pieces. Stir occasionally during cooking to heat meat evenly.
If desired, put 1 tsp. salt in each clean quart jar for seasoning. Then pack hot second joints and drumsticks into hot jars; place with skin next to the glass. Fit breasts in the center and add smaller pieces where needed.
Cover meat with hot broth, using from 1/2 to 3/4 cup per quart jar. Leave 1″ head space. You can use the cooking water or even boil some water for this purpose. Wipe rims of jars with a clean cloth and vinegar.
Process in pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure (240 degrees F)
Pint jars; 75 minutes
Quart jars; 90 minutes
Allow to cool and de-pressurize naturally. This means to remove the canner from the heat source and do not remove the weight or open the vent.
Remove jars from canner, place on a clean towel to cool completely before tightening the rings and cleaning off the jars for storage.
HOT PACK WITHOUT BONE: In Which you first cook the meat without bones, then can it
Follow preceding directions for hot pack, with bone, but remove bone, and skin if desired, from meaty pieces before or after precooking.
Its much easier to cook the chicken and remove the bones after cooking.
Follow the directions above for packing the hot jars, Wipe rims of jars with a clean cloth and vinegar, then process in pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure (240 degrees F)
Pint jars 75 minutes
Quart jars 90 minutes
Allow to cool and de-pressurize naturally. This means to remove the canner from the heat source and do not remove the weight or open the vent.
Remove jars from canner, place on a clean towel to cool completely before tightening the rings and cleaning off the jars for storage.
RAW PACK WITHOUT BONE: In Which you do not cook the meat before canning but do remove the bones before canning.
Follow directions for raw pack, with bone, only remove bones from meaty pieces before packing into jars. You can use boneless chicken breasts, tenders and boneless thighs for this as well.
Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart, if desired. Wipe rims of jars with a clean cloth and vinegar.
Apply lids and rings, finger tight.
Process in pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure (240 degrees F)
Process pints 75 minutes and quarts 90 minutes
Allow to cool and de-pressurize naturally. This means to remove the canner from the heat source and do not remove the weight or open the vent.
Remove jars from canner, place on a clean towel to cool completely before tightening the rings and cleaning off the jars for storage.
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RAW PACK WITH BONE: In Which you do not cook the meat before canning
I use this method the most because; why cook the meat twice?
The pressure canner cooks the meat just fine. This is especially a good method when you’re busy or when you run upon a sale on chicken thighs and legs.
Prepare chicken as for hot pack, with bone, but do not precook.
Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart, if desired. Fill jars loosely with raw meat pieces, leaving 1-1/4 inch headspace. Do not add liquid.
Apply lids and rings, tighten finger tight. Wipe rims of jars with a clean cloth and vinegar.
Process in pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure (240 degrees F)
Process pints 65 minutes
quarts 75 minutes
Allow to cool and de-pressurize naturally. This means to remove the canner from the heat source and do not remove the weight or open the vent. Let the pressure release naturally.
Remove jars from canner, place on a clean towel to cool completely before tightening the rings and cleaning off the jars for storage.
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SAFETY PRECAUTION!!!
I have to add this because everyone cans differently.
When using any home-canned meat or chicken, turn it out of jar, add a little water if needed, cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before tasting or adding other ingredients. If it has an off-odor during or AFTER heating, DISCARD it. Burn or bury it so the spoiled food will not be eaten by animals.
For more reliable info on canning chicken or rabbit, check here
