CANNING DEER MEAT

PETE WARD

"WELCOME TO MY OUTDOOR WORLD"

"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 it’s 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.
Rules:
1) Always use clean boiled CANNING JARS (no mayonnaise, pickle or mustard jars.)
2) Always use new, boiled, lids, designed for the jars you are using.
3) Always be sure your meat is clean, fresh, and safe.
4) Always use a pressure caner for canning meat.
5) Always process jars at least as long as the times given, at or above the pressures listed.
6) Never process meat using these instructions at over 4,000 feet above sea level.
7) 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.
8) Never cut corners.
9) Never place frozen meat in jars. Meat can be cold but not frozen; jars will crack.
10) 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, drop 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, 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 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 within 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, and process at least 60 minutes at 10 psi at up to 2,000 feet; 15 psi 2,000 to 4,000 feet
Hope this helps.