I'm thinking of pressure canning some deer this season. I have never done this and would like some advice as to brand and size of canner, quart or pint size jars, general procedure, helpful hints, etc. I suppose most meat would need to be cut up into chunks like stew meat? The only canning I have done is a hot water bath canning of fig preserves and various jellies. I know that meat needs to be pressure canned. I saw a 16 qt. Presto canner at Walmart for $70 that holds 7 quarts or 10 pints. Not sure if this is the size that I would need. Thanks for the response!

Yep I do er every year, 3-5 cloves of garlic, lil salt, your in bidness. Dunno what cookers I got, but run 2 of em on a camp chef

Prob. pints a quart of canned meat is a lot!!

I only use quarts because the widemouth jars are easier for me to clean.

I cold pack/raw pack and I don't add liquid to the jars. Leave 1 inch of headspace at the top of the jars, wipe the rims with a paper towel soaked in white vinegar.

Here are a couple methods I use:
For milder flavored meat I cut it in 1-1 1/2 inch cubes and soak it in a salt solution overnight. Drain. Season with onion powder, salt and a bit of garlic powder. Cold pack, bring to pressure and process for 90 minutes.

For gamier meat I use a corned beef brine solution for a couple days then drain, add more corned beef seasonings, pack and process.

The first one goes good with noodles, stew or whatever, the second one I use in sandwiches a lot, both heated and cold mixed with mayo (deer salad sandwich?)

I always brown the meat ahead of packing. It is a messy extra step, but totally worth the effort due to the extra flavor. There is a huge difference.

Retort bags sealed in a chamber style vacuum packer are the way to go. I still use some jars but the vacuum bags are simpler, store better, do not break, seals almost never fail, and are easier to warm in camp or home.

Pros & cons here @ http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/127799-Retort-Canning

I'm not liking the added expense of purchasing a huge azz machine that takes up considerable space when my All American Canner does the job just fine as do others of other makes and models.

JMHO, and thanks for posting Sir.

Deeply discount the idiots over there!

I started doing the retort bags quite some time ago, before AK Butcher Supply really got the hang of it. I lucked into the right set-up because my pressure canner uses a gauge and pop-off rather than a rattle to maintain pressure.

The rattles leak too fast during cooling. This venting causes the bags to swell as the contents are still very hot and the canner pressure drops significantly.

The pop-off style maintains the air/steam in the canner far longer and by the time the pressure/temperature drops in the canner the bag contents are cool enough to not swell the bags. I have not lost more than a few bags out of hundreds. I have seen loads completely fail in the rattle-style canners.

As to your space concerns, you are correct, the vac packers are bulky, very heavy, expensive, and the bags are not cheap. But glass jars take up more space by far...

I still do some jars as they are still hanging around and do okay on small batches. Retort bags can be packed tightly in the cooker and you pack more product per canner load, by far, that way. That is a huge time saver when packing moose and caribou.

A couple years ago I did a huge batch of chili verde and the bags made it much faster and easier. It was six average black bears at one time...

Opinion noted and thanks again, Sir.

WOW ! Sounds like you do a lot of canning thus our needs/requirements are somewhat different.

284.

I personally did the majority of four big bull moose this fall... down by half from two years ago...

Yeah, we cut a lot of meat.

We do browned ground meat, raw chunk meat, and meatballs in tomato sauce. Browned goes in pints, all others in quarts. Presto canner has worked fine for years, but an All American is on my wish list.

It really is a great way to cook and preserve venison. We do pork loins as well for green chili. Jump in, you'll love it.

I browned it "1" time, no difference in taste or texture, just extra time...

I am not surprised you could not tell the difference. I have only had dozens and dozens of folks over the years try it and every one of them browns theirs...

How do the bags store on a shelf, do you box the bags and shelve boxes? I'd appreciate seeing a pic if you have one.

Also how much does six average bears change the cooking/processing time?

Ya it is more appealing in the jar, maybe the garlic??? I also throw some taco seasoning and japelenos in for Mexican dishes....

That size will suit you fine.

I use wide mouth quarts primarily.

Cube meat.

Add to jar.

Add canning salt.

Put on lid.

Pressure can.

Done.




Dave

My canner is outside on the propane burner as I type this. Doing some beef. I think it would be ideal for the OP's needs.

A little pricey but will give a lifetime of use.

https://www.amazon.com/All-American-921-2-Quart-Pressure/dp/B00004S88Z

Yes, bags go in boxes sorted by contents and boxes go on shelves or in a closet or cabinet.

What I meant with the six bears comment was that I make huge batches of stuff and that means a lot of pressure cooking. In jars the limit is set by the size of the jars. With retort bags you pack them in their tight and it cuts the number of canner loads by more than half.

I use them for just about everything including smoked salmon and meal-sized stuff like Swiss steak and the chili verde.

Besides canning salt, I toss in a teaspoon of powdered beef bouillon into each jar of cubed meat.

Thanks. I'll have to look into one of those.

You need to do a bunch of meat to make them truly worthwhile, but you will start finding all sorts of cool things to do with them once you have one...

Vacuum pack meat in marinade and it will do a better job penetrating faster...

Vacuum pack gear for your pack and it will stay dry until you need it. My niece has a packer big enough to do a big sleeping bag...

And lots more...

Canned beef and deer were my Mom's tv dinners, or the "company dropped in and I need a lot more for supper" standbys. We never added anything but salt, you lose options when you flavor it too much. Just fry it brown, great sandwhiches. Heat in a pan, broth or bouillon/water, (sour cream ?), over noodles. Good meals in minutes.