Canning Meat
Poultry, Red Meats, Game and Seafoods
HE-188, Reviewed and reprinted December 2003
Pat Beck, Nutrition Specialist
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Poultry, red meats, game and seafoods are low acid foods and must be processed in a pressure canner to assure their safety. Use the processing time and pressure that is specified for each type of product.
General Tips for Quality Products
- Can only good quality poultry, red meat, game and seafood.
- Chill home-produced meat soon after slaughter to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower
- to prevent spoilage.
- Keep all work areas sanitary and meat clean.
- If meat must be held for longer than a few days before canning, freeze it.
- Keep frozen until ready to can it.
- Trim meat of gristle, bruised spots and fat before canning. Too much fat left on
- meat can lead to sealing failures.
- Have dial gauges on pressure canners checked annually.
- All pressure canners need to be vented for 10 minutes.
Ask for HE-173 Home Canning Low-Acid Vegetables for more information on pressure canners.
General Procedures
Jars and Lids
Use Mason-type canning jars no larger than the size specified in the directions for the specific food being canned. Use two-piece self-sealing lids. Buy only the quantity of lids that will be used in a year and follow the manufacturer's directions for preparing the lids.
Mayonnaise-type jars are not recommended for use with foods to be processed in a pressure canner because of excessive jar breakage.
Filling Jars
After filling jars with food, release air bubbles by inserting a flat plastic (not metal) spatula between the food and the jar. Slowly turn the jar and move the spatula up and down to allow air bubbles to escape.
Salt may be added if desired. When canning meat and seafoods, salt seasons the food but is not necessary to ensure safety.
Adjust the headspace and then clean the jar rim (sealing surface) with a dampened paper towel. Place the lid, gasket down, onto the cleaned jar-sealing surface. Uncleaned jar sealing surfaces may cause seal failures.
Then fit the metal screw band over the flat lid. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines enclosed with or on the box for tightening the jar lids properly.
Using Pressure Canners
Follow these steps for successful pressure canning:
- Put 2 to 3 inches of hot water in the canner. Place filled jars on the rack, using a jar lifter. Fasten canner lid securely.
- Leave weight off vent port or open petcock. Heat at the highest setting until steam flows from the petcock or vent port.
- Maintain high heat setting, exhaust steam 10 minutes, and then place weight on vent port or close petcock. The canner will pressurize during the next three to five minutes.
- Start timing the process when the pressure reading on the dial gauge indicates that the recommended pressure has been reached, or when the weighted gauge begins to jiggle or rock.
- Regulate heat under the canner to maintain a steady pressure at or slightly above the correct gauge pressure. Quick and large pressure variations during processing may cause unnecessary liquid losses from jars. Weighted gauges on Mirro canners should jiggle about two or three times per minute. On Presto canners, they should rock slowly throughout the process.
- When the timed process is completed, turn off the heat, remove the canner from heat if possible, and let the canner depressurize. Do not force-cool the canner. Forced cooling may result in food spoilage. Cooling the canner with cold running water or opening the vent port before the canner is fully depressurized will cause loss of liquid from jars and seal failures. Force-cooling may also warp the canner lid of older model canners, causing steam leaks. Depressurization of older models should be timed. Standard-sized heavy-walled canners require about 30 minutes when loaded with pints and 45 minutes with quarts. Newer thin-wailed canners cool more rapidly and are equipped with vent locks. These canners are depressurized when their vent lock piston drops to a normal position .
- After the canner is depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. Wait two minutes, unfasten the lid, and remove it carefully. Lift the lid away from you so that the steam does not burn your face.
- Remove jars with a lifter, and place on towel or cooling rack, if desired.
Do not retighten lids after processing jars.
Cooling jars
Cool the jars at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Jars may be cooled on racks or towels to minimize heat damage to counters. The food level and liquid volume of raw-packed jars will be noticeably lower after cooling. Air is exhausted during processing and food shrinks. If a jar loses excessive liquid during processing, do not open it to add more liquid. Check for seals, wash jars, label and store.
Reprocessing unsealed jars
If a lid fails to seal on a jar, remove the lid and check the jar-sealing surface for tiny nicks. If necessary, change the jar and add a new, properly prepared lid; and reprocess within 24 hours using the same processing time. Headspace in unsealed jars may be adjusted to 1-1/2 inches, and jars could be frozen instead of reprocessed. Foods in single unsealed jars could be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within several days.
Adjust for altitude
As altitudes increase air becomes thinner, and this affects both pressures and boiling points in home canning. Using the water bath process times for canning food at sea level may result in spoilage if you live at altitudes of 1,000 feet or more. Water boils at lower temperatures as altitude increases. Lower boiling temperatures are less effective for killing bacteria. Increasing the processing time or canner pressure compensates for lower boiling temperatures. Select the proper processing time and canner pressure for the altitude where you live.
The altitude in North Dakota varies from 800 feet above sea level in the east to 3,000 feet in the west. The map below shows the approximate altitude of areas of North Dakota.
For more specific information regarding altitude in your county, contact Your county extension office.
Recipes
CHICKEN OR RABBIT
(duck, goose, turkey or game birds)
Procedure: Choose freshly killed and dressed, healthy animals. Large chickens are more flavorful than fryers. Dressed chicken should be chilled for 6 to 12 hours before canning. Dressed rabbits should be soaked one hour in water containing one tablespoon of salt per quart and then rinsed. Remove excess fat. Cut the chicken or rabbit into suitable sizes for canning. Can with or without bones.
Hot pack -- Boil, steam or bake meat until about two-thirds done. Add one teaspoon salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Fill jars with pieces and hot broth, leaving 1-1/4 inch headspace.
Raw pack -- Add one teaspoon salt per quart, if desired. Fill jars loosely with raw meat pieces, leaving 1-1/4 inch headspace. Do not add liquid.
Adjust lids and process according to Table 1 or 2.
GROUND OR CHOPPED MEAT
Bear, beef, lamb, pork, sausage, veal, venison
Procedure: Choose fresh, chilled meat. With venison, add one part high-quality pork fat to three or four parts venison before grinding. Use freshly made sausage, seasoned with salt and cayenne pepper (sage may cause a bitter off-flavor). Shape chopped meat into patties or balls or cut cased sausage into 3- to 4-inch links. Cook until lightly browned. Ground meat may be sauteed without shaping. Remove excess fat. Fill jars with pieces. Add boiling meat broth, tomato juice, or water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add one teaspoon of salt per quart to the jars, if desired. Adjust lids and process according to Table 1 or 2.
MEAT STOCK (BROTH)
Beef: Saw or crack fresh trimmed beef bones to enhance extraction of flavor. Rinse bones and place in a large stockpot or kettle, cover bones with water, add pot cover, and simmer three to four hours. Remove bones, cool broth, and pick off meat. Skim off fat, add meat removed from bones to broth, and reheat to boiling. Fill jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process according to Table 1 or 2.
Chicken or turkey: Place large carcass bones in a large stockpot, add enough water to cover bones, cover pot and simmer 30 to 45 minutes or until meat can be easily stripped from bones. Remove bones, cool broth, strip meat from bones, remove and discard excess fat, and return meat to broth. Reheat to boiling and fill jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process according to Table 1 or 2.
STRIPS, CUBES OR CHUNKS OF MEAT
Bear, beef, lamb, pork, veal, venison
Procedure: Choose quality chilled meat. Remove excess fat. Soak strong-flavored wild meats for one hour in brine water containing one tablespoon of salt per quart. Rinse. Remove large bones.
Hot pack -- Precook meat until rare by roasting, stewing or browning in a small amount of fat. Add one teaspoon of salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Fill jars with pieces and add boiling broth, meat drippings, water or tomato juice (especially with wild game), leaving 1-inch headspace.
Raw pack -- Add one teaspoon of salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Fill jars with raw meat pieces, leaving 1-inch headspace. Do not add liquid.
Adjust lids and process according to Table 1 or 2.
CHILI CON CARNE
3 cups dried pinto or red kidney beans
5-1/2 cups water
5 teaspoons salt (separated)
3 pounds ground beef
1-1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped peppers of your choice (optional)
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 to 6 tablespoons chili powder
2 quarts crushed or whole tomotoes
Yield: 9 pints
Procedure: Wash beans thoroughly and place them in a 2-quart saucepan. Add cold water to level of 2 to 3 inches above the beans and soak 12 to 18 hours. Drain and discard water. Combine beans with 5-1/2 cups of fresh water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Drain and discard water. Adjust lids and process according to tables 1 or 2.
SOUPS
Vegetable
Dried bean or pea
Meat
Poultry
Seafoods
Procedure: Select, wash and prepare vegetables, meat and seafoods as described for the specific foods. Cover meat with water and cook until tender. Cool meat and remove bones. Cook vegetables. For each cup of dried beans or peas, add 3 cups of water, boil 2 minutes, remove from heat, soak 1 hour, and heat to boil. Drain and add meat broth, tomatoes, or water till covered. Boil 5 minutes.
Caution: Do not thicken.
Salt to taste, if desired. Fill jars halfway with solid mixture. Add remaining liquid, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process according to Table 1 or 2.
FISH
Blue, mackerel, salmon, steelhead, trout, and other fatty fish except tuna
Caution: Eviscerate fish within two hours after they are caught. Keep cleaned fish on ice until ready to can.
Note: Glass-like crystals of magnesium ammonium phosphate sometimes form in canned salmon. There is no way for the home canner to prevent these crystals from forming, but they usually dissolve when heated and are safe to eat.
Procedure: Remove head, tail, fins and scales. Wash and remove all blood. Split fish lengthwise, if desired. Cut cleaned fish into 3-1/2 inch lengths. Fill pint jars, skin side next to glass, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add one teaspoon of salt per pint, if desired. Do not add liquid. Adjust lids and process according to Table 1 or 2.
Table 1. Recommended process times in a dial-gauge pressure canner. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of ------------------------------- Style Jar Process 0- 2,001- 4,001- of Pack Size Time 2,000 ft. 4,000 ft. 6,000 ft. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chicken Without bones: or Hot Pints 75 min 11 lb 12 lb 13 lb Rabbit and Raw Quarts 90 min 11 lb 12 lb 13 lb With bones: Hot Pints 65 min 11 lb 12 lb 13 lb and Raw Quarts 75 min 11 lb 12 1b 13 1b ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ground or Hot Pints 75 min 11 lb 12 lb 13 lb Chopped Meat Quarts 90 min 11 lb 12 1b 13 1b ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strips, Hot Pints 75 min 11 lb 12 1b 13 1b Cubes or and Chunks Raw Quarts 90 min 11 lb 12 lb 13 lb ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meat Hot Pints 20 min 11 lb 12 1b 13 lb Stock, (Broth) Quarts 25 min 11 lb 12 lb 13 lb ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soups* Hot Pints 60 min 11 lb 12 1b 13 1b Quarts 75 min 11 lb 12 1b 13 1b ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fish Raw Pints 100 min 11 lb 12 1b 13 1b ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chili Con Hot Pints 75 min 11 lb 12 lb 13 lb Carne ------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Caution: Process 100 minutes if soup contains seafood.
Table 2. Recommended process times in a weighted-gauge pressure canner. ------------------------------------------------------------- Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of -------------------- Style Jar Process 0- Above of Pack Size Time 1,000 ft. 1,000 ft. ------------------------------------------------------------- Chicken Without bones: or Hot and Pints 75 min 10 lb 15 lb Rabbit Raw Quarts 90 min 10 lb 15 lb With bones: Hot and Pints 65 min 10 lb 15 lb Raw Quarts 75 min 10 lb 15 lb ------------------------------------------------------------- Ground or Hot Pints 75 min 10 lb 15 lb Chopped Meat Quarts 90 min 10 lb 15 lb ------------------------------------------------------------- Strips, Hot Pints 75 min 10 lb 15 lb Cubes or and Chunks Raw Quarts 90 min 10 lb 15 lb ------------------------------------------------------------- Meat Hot Pints 20 min 10 lb 15 lb Stock, (Broth) Quarts 25 min 10 lb 15 lb ------------------------------------------------------------- Soups* Hot Pints 60 min 10 lb 15 lb Quarts 75 min 10 lb 15 lb ------------------------------------------------------------- Fish Raw Pints 100 min 10 lb 15 lb ------------------------------------------------------------- Chili Con Hot Pints 75 min 10 lb 15 lb Carne ------------------------------------------------------------- *Caution: Process 100 minutes if soup contains seafood.
Based on "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin 539, September 1994 revision.
HE-188, May 1989
Reviewed and reprinted December 2003
