Preserving Chicken (Either Raw or Hot-Filled) via Safe Canning Procedures
DIY Your Pantry Staples: Canning Chicken
Want to keep your kitchen stocked with delicious and easy meal options? Try canning chicken! This straightforward method helps preserve your favorite poultry for those busy days when cooking isn't an option.
At our humble homestead, we're all about living off the land and self-sufficiency. From canned venison, beans, and carrots to bone broth, we've got our fair share of preserved goodies. With raised meat birds, rabbits, and ducks, freezer space can be tight—that's where canning comes in!
Now, let's address the elephant in the room. Power outages are no fun, and losing your precious food stores is every preppers' worst nightmare. By canning chicken and other meats, we've found a fun and tasty way to minimize the risk of spoilage during power outages. Plus, there's nothing quite like opening a jar of home-canned chicken on a cold winter day!
Here's the lowdown on canning chicken:
Canning Chicken Like a Pro
Preparing chicken for canning is as simple as can be—no need to cook it first! Simply follow these steps:
Raw Pack or Hot Pack?
You can choose to raw pack or hot pack your chicken—the choice is yours. Raw packing means no pre-cooking, while hot packing calls for par-cooking your chicken before canning. If you're short on time (or just prefer a mess-free experience), go for raw packing!
What Type of Chicken Works Best?
Bone-in or deboned, skinless or skinned—the choice is yours! Just make sure your chicken pieces fit comfortably in the jar. Give bone-in chicken a try, but be aware that bone-in chicken takes longer to can because it requires more processing time.
Canning Supplies
You'll need a few essential tools to get started:
- Pressure Canner: A must for canning meat. No water bath canner will do the trick!
- Canning Jars: We prefer pint or quart ball jars because they're easy to find and made in the USA.
- Canning Lids & Rings: Ball lids are a great option, or go for more substantial Superb lids.
- Canning Funnel: Makes it simpler to fill your jars without spilling.
- Jar Lifter: Essential for removing hot jars from the canner safely.
- Bubble Remover: Helps eliminate air bubbles and ensure proper headspace. (Optional)
Optional Seasonings
Feel free to jazz up your canned chicken with a touch of salt or your favorite dried herbs. Just remember to stay away from ingredients containing gluten or thickeners.
How to Can Chicken
Follow these easy steps to preserve your chicken for later:
- Fill your pressure canner with 2-3 inches of water and heat it on low while you prep and pack your jars.
- Cut your chicken into pieces or use premade portions. For bone-in chicken, make sure they'll fit in the jar with 1 1⁄4" of headspace.
- Place the chicken in the clean jar, leaving the specified headspace. Remove air bubbles with a plastic knife or air bubble remover.
- Add 1 teaspoon of salt to pints or 2 teaspoons to quarts. Don't forget a sprinkle of pepper and garlic powder for extra flavor, if you'd like!
- Place the lids on the jars, wipe the rims with a towel dipped in vinegar or hot water, and finger-tighten the rings.
- Place the jars in the pressure canner, making sure there's 2 to 3 inches of water in the bottom.
- Follow the instructions for your particular canner to vent for ten minutes before placing the weight on the canner.
- Once the canner reaches the proper pressure, process the jars for the recommended time based on your altitude and type of chicken.
- After processing, let the canner come down to zero pressure naturally before removing the lid.
- Let the jars cool for 2 minutes before removing them to a towel-lined counter.
- Check seals after 12-16 hours. If a seal is broken, refrigerate the jar and use the contents within a few days.
Now you're all set to enjoy your home-canned chicken for up to 18 months! Happy canning!
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The Green Witch's Guide to Canning the Seasons
Slow down, stir clockwise, breathe in the steam. Bring magic into your life with this free guide offering seasonal canning recipes to preserve the bounty of the earth. Embrace the harvest, add ritual to your routine, and fill your pantry with jars of love and meaning. Get started on your enchanted canning journey today! Sign up here! 🌿🪴🫙
- Embark on a magical journey with the seasonal canning recipes in The Green Witch's Guide to Canning the Seasons, perfect for slowing down, adding ritual to your routine, and filling your pantry with jars of love and meaning.
- Besides canning chicken, consider preserving a variety of food-and-drink items, such as fruits, vegetables, and herbs, to enrich your home-and-garden lifestyle and expand your culinary repertoire with unique recipes.
- To further explore the art of homesteading and canning, delve into DIY cooking books and resources to master different techniques, discover new recipes, and foster a sense of self-sufficiency in your food-and-drink endeavors.
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