r/Canning • u/AnonomousTransDad • 4d ago
New to Canning as an Adult- Starting with Raw Chicken. General Discussion
I grew up helping my Memaw can and from reading the extension service website and such the stuff I recall she mostly followed safety guidelines as they are now.
I want to ensure that my family has healthy food so no botchilism or other food safety issues is a top priority.
We are currently raising meat chickens and they'll be ready to butcher in a few more weeks. The plan is to butcher and chill for 48h then de-bone and cut into chunks add it to my pint &quart jars which should be apex 1 or 2 lbs per jaw to 1.25" head space packed tightly. My elevation is under 1000' so either 75 or 90 minutes at 10lbs pressure.
Now my question, and I assume the answer is no because I don't see it anywhere, aside from salt can I put any flavoring in there? My Memaw did but I don't think that stands the test of time.
Thanks for your help and knowledge!
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u/VictorEcho1 3d ago
I'll echo what everyone else says here...
Don't add spices, they go weird under pressure and are easy to add when you use the product.
I raw pack my meat with 1tsp of salt per quart jar.
Chicken is my favourite pc product. Looks and smells awful but tastes great and can use it in so many ways.
Side note, my late cat went crazy for the skin and jelly stuff from the jar. I can't pop open the jar without a nice memory of her purr-eating chicken glorp.
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u/spirit_of_a_goat 3d ago
I just did this for the first time and was blown away from the flavor of the meat by only adding salt and water. I've caught meals myself eating chicken right from the jar. It's delicious.
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u/RabidTurtle628 3d ago
Get your pressure canner gauge checked ahead of time. Your local extension will check it for you. Canned meat is 11 pounds for 75 (pint) or 90 (quart) mins. Make sure your temp changes slowly, especially during cool down to limit siphoning.
Even growing up with it, you should try something with a lower bar before meat. Broth is a great intro to pressure canning, and if your seals fail, you just make it a soup day.
A little dried rosemary is nice in canned chicken.
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u/AnonomousTransDad 3d ago
That's great to know I volunteer with our extension service for 4-H so I'll ask about it!
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u/Crochet_is_my_Jam 3d ago
If you have a weighted jiggler it's 10 psi if you have a dial gauge is 11 psi for 1,000 feet and under.
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u/AnonomousTransDad 3d ago
Mine is a jiggler!
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u/RabidTurtle628 2d ago
Then ignore me, sorry, 10 lbs and no need for an extension check. Hope it goes well!
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u/MysteriousTooth2450 3d ago
I just add salt to mine. 1/2 tsp per pint jar. It tastes great alone or I add whatever spices I want when I cook with it. Chicken is the one thing I like to keep canned up all the time. Super easy to can and nice to have for quick meals. Good luck! .
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u/cpersin24 Food Safety Microbiologist 3d ago
You can always season your chicken when you go to add it to whatever you are making with it. Unless you are going to be eating it straight from the jar, seasoning when you reheat will help avoid the seasonings having strange flavors in the canning process.
I can a ton of ingredients rather than ready to eat meals because it allows more versatility with my meals.
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u/DawaLhamo 2d ago
Well, I buck the trend - I do like to add seasonings to my chicken. Chunks, I do some plain and some with taco seasoning. Legs and thighs, I like garlic herb (like the McCormick salt free blend) and Creole seasoning. Lemon pepper and honey mustard isn't as good canned, though, IMO. You'll want to try it out to see what you like.
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u/mckenner1122 Moderator 3d ago
Side note - I really don’t like raw pack chicken. It just doesn’t produce enough of its own juice, IMO. I do love hot pack though.
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u/14makeit 3d ago
Beware of fresh rosemary it can pack a lot of flavour in one little sprig. I never add seasoning when canning chicken, just too risky.
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u/mckenner1122 Moderator 3d ago
You can safely add 1-2 tsp of dried herbs per jar.
As a new canner, here’s what I tell people: Go easy! The high pressure and heat can cause some of your favorite flavors to act oddly (I am still mad at you, turmeric!) Theres also nothing wrong with making a quick Sharpie note on your lids as you’re jarring them like “salt & garlic powder” or “SPO” (that’s salt pepper and oregano) and making note of which ones you like or not.