Yes You Can Can Chicken

Been canning chicken breast...and I thought it might be a good time to pop in a little tutorial for anyone that would like to take the plunge and can meat.  I found boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale for $1.99/lb and bought 4 packages to go with the 1 package I already had that needed to be put up.  In all it was about 18 pounds.

Step 1....You need a pressure canner that is in good working order.  This is not a boiling water bath project unless you are inviting unwanted guests to your pantry...and maybe have a good burial policy.  :)

Step 2.....Sanitize your jars.  I now do this with an actual DISHWASHER!  For the first time in our entire married life I actually have a working dishwasher.  By the way, I am in love with it. 

Step 3....gather your ingredients.  You need chicken, water (for the canner), and salt.  I use Kosher salt.....it is another new love of mine....

Step 4....Cut the meat into cubes.

Step 5....stuff your meat cubes into your jars...leave 1" of headroom, which means just fill them to the big rim.

Step 6....add salt.  Use 1/2 tsp salt per pint jar.

Step 7... Cap the jars and put them into the canner. You add no water or liquid to the jars....the chicken will do that.

Step 8.....You add water to your canner.  Follow your canner's instructions because each one is different.  Processing time is different as well, depending on where you live.

Step 9....process your jars.  This means that you heat the canner with an open steam valve....until you get a good steady steam.  Let the canner steam for 10 minutes then close the valve.  Once the valve is closed, you begin to build pressure.  For our geographic elevation, we process at 11 pounds.  Once the pressure has built start the timing...for pint jars it is 75 minutes.  Watch this closely, if it goes too high you can break jars or blow seals...which means all  your work is shot.  If it goes too low, you have to begin timing all over again.

Step 10...Once processing has finished, turn off the heat and allow the canner to come back to 0 pressure.  This will take a few hours for it to cool.  Once it is down to 0 open the valve and let it stand for 10 minutes, then open the canner and let it sit overnight to cool.

Step 11...Pull your jars from the canner, remove the rings, and wash the jars.  If the seal is good it will not be broken by washing the jars....

Step 12......Mark your jars with date and contents, and find a place in your pantry for them!

Queenacres Canning Rules:

1.  Always properly vent the canner.

2.  Keep the canner at appropriate pressure.

3.  Always process for the appropriate time.

4.  Always allow the canner to decompress on it's own.

5.  Remove the jar rings after processing.  Always.

6.  Never store jars with rings attached.  This can hide a seal failure.

7.  When in doubt, throw it out!

Properly canned and stored food will last for years!  We eat 4 year old canned meatloaf here and it is delicious AND safe!  Take the time, and be aware of important details.  Remember your family's health is at stake, you want to do it safely.