Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Putting up meat......No freezer required

More info., please.

Canning meat was a big game changer for us. IMO the easiest and most practical way to process a lot of game.

Neat.

There was a time that a large pressure cooker was mandatory for every farm family. Not so much any more.

Yep we always have a pantry full of canned bison or moose on hand. Its great for tougher cuts.

Always have a bunch of canned venison on hand. I also have a dozen or so jars of canned squirrel meat. When boneless, skinless chicken breast is on sale, try canning a bunch of that. Makes for quick, easy sandwiches, soups, tacos etc..... Shame that canning is becoming less common. I figure my wife and I could live about two years just on what we have canned.

How long do you expect the shelf life of your canned venison to be?
Thinking this is something I need to know more about.

Heres a link to another site I used when I started. Most pressure cookers come with a how to booklet. It's super easy and delicious! If the lid is still sealed I wouldn't be afraid to eat 10yr old canned venison.

http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID48/87.html

2 years is what most people say

I suspect that the "experts" would say 6 months to a year. I had hot venison sandwich for lunch one day this past week. I had canned the jar in 2014. It was perfect. As long as the seal is good, home canned food will last a long time. Honestly, I don't know how long......but long.

That's the official line. In actuality, if canned correctly, and then stored correctly, I have read of it lasting up to 100 years. I have no personal experience with that time frame, but I have eaten some that was 10 years old, and still fine.

Easily


I made chili with some 9 year old tomatoes last week.

The official line is 6 months to a year, but like others have said it lasts a lot longer. I keep a few dozen jars at the trapline and some of it is 5-6 years old and still perfect.

Properly canned stuff at home is no different than properly canned store bought stuff.

I'd say the shelf life is indefinite. Just like a can of green beans or or raviolis.

I'd bet theres some vets on here that'll tell you they've eatin 20 or 30yr old canned food while serving!

Canning deer meat was a revelation for me. Great for use in lots of recipes and it also let's me use tougher, nastier bits that never got used before.

Keep it dark, dry, and cool.
A basement shelf would be a revolutionary idea!


If it's sealed, it's good.
Quality may deteriorate. But it will be safe.
Vegetables will get soft, but they are still good.


How?
Get a Ball cookbook.

Canning salt, meat,
In jars.
Process.

Some like to be fancy and add chitt.
That limits your choices later.

We would fry it. Add to noodles. Add soup ingredients.
Make a ragout type dish.

Mom uses it as a cooks TV dinner.
If we came in a 8 O'Clock, we had fried canned meat sandwiches. With a side.
Company showed up and she didn't have enough out for supper?

Something based on canned meat.

Back in the 1950's my mother served us canned pheasant that had to have been shot by her father years before. I think she put it up, and she was a home economics major in college at what is now North Dakota State (preparing, as they did in those days, to become a housewife).

It was completely fine. He died in 1944 and didn't 't do any hunting at the end, so you do the math,

Norm

We cut up the meat....2 deer quarters

Cleaned and filled the jars within an inch of the top and added salt and pepper

Screw on the lids and cook for 90 minuets with a 10PSI weight

Cool off and store

What is old becomes new again. Up until the thirties, and freezers became common place, a lot of meat was canned. A family certainly can not eat a 1000 lb beef carcass before it spoils, so much of it was canned.

County agents provided instructions and requirements, as well as Kerr or Ball canning books Proteins last a lot longer than fats in storage. Fats chemically decompose over time and become rancid. The rate of decomposition is dependent on temperature. Frozen fats remain tasty much longer than those stored at room temperature.

So trim all fat from meat before canning. And store in a very cool place to extend shelf life.

Mom used to can a lot of prepared stews or soups containing venison in half gallons. Just pour out and heat.