FN-188

Canning

Meat

Poultry, Red Meats, Game and Seafoods

Pat Beck, Nutrition Specialist

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.

Based on "Complete Guide to Home Canning,"

Agriculture Information Bulletin 539, September 1994 revision.

North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58105

Reviewed and Reprinted December 2003

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:

1. 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.

2. Leave weight off vent port or open petcock. Heat at the highest setting until steam flows from the petcock or vent port.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Regulate heat under the canner to maintain a steady pressure at or slightly above the correct gauge pressure. Quick and large pressure varia- tions 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.

6. 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-walled canners cool more rapidly and

are equipped with vent locks. These canners are

depressurized when their vent lock piston drops

to a normal position .

7. 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.

8. 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 notice- ably 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 1½ 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 1¼-inch headspace.

Raw pack — Add one teaspoon salt per quart, if desired. Fill jars loosely with raw meat pieces, leaving 1¼-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

5½ cups water

5 teaspoons salt (separated)

3 pounds ground beef

1½ 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 5½ 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.

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 ammo- nium 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 3½-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.

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.

Table 1. Recommended process times in a dial-gauge pressure canner.

Chili Con Carne

Hot

Pints

75 min

11 lb

12 lb

13 lb

Fish

Raw

Pints

100 min

11 lb

12 1b

13 1b

Soups*

Hot

Pints

60 min

11 lb

12 1b

13 1b

Quarts

75 min

11 lb

12 1b

13 1b

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

*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

Pints

75 min

10 lb

15 lb

Rabbit

and

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

*Caution: Process 100 minutes if soup contains seafood.

Chili Con Carne

Hot

Pints

75 min

10 lb

15 lb

Fish

Raw

Pints

100 min

10 lb

15 lb

Soups*

Hot

Pints

60 min

10 lb

15 lb

Quarts

75 min

10 lb

15 lb

For more information on this and other topics, see: www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu

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