All American 921 - Preparing Meats, Seafoods, and Beans

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PREPARING POULTRY, RED MEATS AND SEAFOODS FOR CANNING
Directions for canning cut-up meat applies to beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, and meat from large game
animals. Use only good quality meat. It is essential to use absolutely fresh meat from animals that are
healthy and have been butchered and handled in a sanitary manner.
If meat must be held longer than a few days, freeze it. Store frozen meat at temperatures of O°F (-18°C) or
lower until canning time. Cut or saw frozen meat into pieces of desired size. If frozen meat is thawed before
canning, thaw it in a refrigerator at a temperature of 40°F (4°C) or lower until most of the ice crystals have
disappeared.
When canning meat, take special care to keep all utensils and equipment as clean as possible. Scrub pans,
knives and kitchen tools in hot soapy water and rinse well with boiling water.
Tender cuts of meat can be canned in large pieces; less tender cuts and small pieces are good candidates for
stew meat or ground meat. Bones are good for soups. Meat can be raw- packed or cooked and hot-packed as
plain or rolled roasts, steaks, soups and stews, meat loaf, hash, chili or mincemeat.
To prepare broth, place bony pieces in saucepan and cover with cold water. Simmer until meat is tender.
Discard fat. Add boiling broth to jars packed with precooked meat and poultry.
Do not use flour on meat or in gravy when it is to be canned. The flour forms a coating of starch that makes
sterilization difficult. For thick gravy, add flour after jar or can is opened for use.
Always pack liver separately, as it will flavor everything else in the container.
CHICKEN OR RABBIT
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 1 hour in water containing 1 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 1 teaspoon salt per quart to the jar, if
desired. Fill hot jars with pieces and hot broth, leaving 1
1
⁄
4
-inch headspace.
Raw Pack – Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart, if desired. Fill hot jars loosely with raw meat pieces, leaving
1
1
⁄
4
-inch headspace. Do not add liquid. Adjust lids and process.
Process time for Chicken or Rabbit Weight Setting at Altitudes of
Style of Pack Jar Size Process Time 0-1,000 ft Above 1,000 ft
Pints 75 min 10 lb 15 lb
Quarts 90 min 10 lb 15 lb
Pints 65 min 10 lb 15 lb
Quarts 75 min 10 lb 15 lb
Without Bones:
Hot and Raw
With Bones:
Hot and Raw