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

I'm at 6k ft where its 14lbs for 90 minutes with quart jars.

Old science trick to get kids thinking was to boil water in a flask by pouring hot water in the flask and rubbing it with snow (or ice) and watching as the snow makes the water boil...

The boiling point of water is pressure dependent (the old P=V/T formula) and the lower the pressure the lower the boiling point. Theoretical boiling point of water in a vacuum is something on the order of -46 degrees.

Several points... I have found a huge difference between the flavor of meat that has been browned before canning and canned raw. I will not can it unless it has been browned, even though it is a PITA extra step.

I have also gone to retort bags instead of jar. They are the same as MRE bags. Put your food in the bag and seal it in a vacuum packer. Then it is packed in the canner and cooked just like jars. Because the bags fit better in the pressure cooker you get a WHOLE LOT more bags in there than you would jars. No more storing huge quantities of jars and lids and you can just drop the whole bag in boiling water to heat it up.

There are lots of YouTube videos on retort bag canning.

Left out the critical step of putting in a stopper after pouring in the hot water.

Guy 57 cans venison
a few weeks ago he came over with some mixed in a bowl with miracle whip and onions on crackers it was awesome
He has given me cans in the past its very good

I need to start doing it myself also
Hank

Dad told me when he went into Africa the rations they were eating were from just after the end of WWI.

The most important fact about canning venison is that the better the meat you put into the jar, the better the meat will be that comes out of the jar. You need to trim all of the tallow, as even a tiny piece will taint the whole jar, tendons and blood shot meat will do the same, take your time and use good quality clean meat and you will not be disappointed.

A simple and delicious stew.

Place your meat in the bottom of the qt. jar, about 1 1/2 -2 inches high. lightly pack with canning plunger to remove air.

add:
potatoes
onions
carrots
celery
seasonings
whatever you like in your stew.

Fill with water or broth.
Can according to directions (12 lbs-90 minuets)

A couple questions for you canning guys.

1) After the 90 minutes, do you follow the directions and let the pressure reduce naturally, or do you remove the weight and release it immediately?

2) All canning instructions say to never add starches like Rice or Noodles, or even flour as a thickener. Why. all the instruction say is "don't, it will not hold up", whatever that means.

I find that following the directions helps your survival rate while canning and reloading. So yes, I leave the weigh on. Botulism is not your friend. We've canned many many batches with nary an issue for many years. Usually August is canning time when we get the previous years remaining venison out of the freezer and on the shelf. Highly recommend.

Good stuff TT, Wifey cans deer venison just like that, I drained a jar a couple weeks ago, dumped it into a skillet, poured in some homemade vinegar bbq sauce she makes, warmed it up and dumped it on a big slab of homemade wheat bread toasted, then covered it with another slice of toast, it's the kind f sandwich you have to build and eat in a bowl, a really good, fast hot supper, two cold beers, a few whole jalapenos and a fork is all it takes!

I have enough home-canned goods in my basement to carry me through a nuclear winter.
One of our favorite quick dishes is a pint of canned venison warmed in a pan, add a pkg of brown gravy mix and water, pour over rice, noodles or bread.

I can half of it plain with just meat. 1/4 of it with a spoonful of Weber garlic and herb and I'll do the last 1/4 pretty hot but I'm the only one who enjoys it that way.

This winter I plan to can a bunch of chili and stew in addition to lots of meat. The heat and serve convenience during the busy summer months is appealing.

I have always let the pressure reduce naturally and not remove the weight. Wanting to be sure my meat is safe to eat, I followed instructions. Cutting corners is not worth getting sick over.

I have read that too about starches. I have never experiment to see why. If they say it does not hold up I follow their advise.

This is so true. Same with smoked salmon. Brightest freshest fish make the best smoked salmon. As far as the canning goes, yes we brine it and do everything like we are smoking it. Put it in the smoker and when it about 1/2 of what you think is done, take it out and can it.

I just told the wife we should do this and she wrinkled up her nose like a cow farted in her face. She said she used to have a neighbor that canned meat and it "looked disgusting."

"Did you try it?"




"No"




Wimmin...

He left stuff on his meat that I cut off but the meal he made looks good.

This thread motivated me to go run my last bag of odds and ends from last deer season through the canner in half pints. They’ll be lunch with some spicy crackers on the mountain next week during the CO third rifle season.

I haven't "froze" anything deer meat, save for a few neck roasts, in years. I cut out the straps and loins, cube and can the rest. The heart, liver, tongue, kidneys, straps and loins usually get eaten within a few days to a week. I cube it, do a rinse to rid the meat of excess blood, cold pack with no water, and into the pressure canner they go. I do pints because it's more practical, but my buddy does quarts as he has more mouths to feed. He uses a tablespoon of salt, I don't.

A few weeks back, I cracked the seal on a pint from 2012 (must have missed it in the rotation.) It was just fine.

I can a lot of potatoes, tomatoes, corn and peppers from the garden, along with jams, soups, sauces and just about everything else. My problem is, I run out of places to stow it in my little cabin.



Care to share your technique for canning the squirrel? I've always wanted to try it, but never have.

I've been thinking about getting into canning as well, but know "0" about it. Are there any pressure canners that are recommended? Any to stay away from? Looks like there is one by "All American" that are USA made, but a little pricey. They do have fantastic reviews though.