CANNING CHICKEN:

Well folks, I thought for sure, I had posted the instructions for canning chicken. I was informed that I haven’t. I have only mentioned it. Ok so here it is: this was passed on to me by our daughter. She is a wonder, and does a lot of experimenting. She also likes to bake and does a marvelous job on our waist lines. Good thing she lives out of state, or I would never lose weight.

We like dark meat on chicken and turkey.  I get the skinless chicken thighs, if they are not too expensive or on sale. I also get turkey thighs. Usually I end up getting the ones with skin and bone-in because they are cheaper. Just take the skin and fat off and de-bone the meat. Then I wash and pat them dry. Canning boneless chicken saves time when you are ready to cook. I like using boneless chicken when I am in a hurry for curry, I just dump the jar in a pan and cook.

There are two ways to can the chicken.

Hot pack- Boil, steam or bake meat until about two-thirds done. Add 1 tsp salt per quart to a jar, if desired. Fill hot jars with pieces and hot broth, leaving 1 ¼ inch head space. Remove air bubbles.

Raw-pack- Add 1 tsp salt per quart, if desired. Fill hot jars loosely with raw meat peaces, leaving 1 ¼ inch headspace. DO NOT ADD LIQUID. Wipe the rim of the jars with dampened clean paper towel. Adjust lids and process. (I use the raw method)

The process and times stated are for a dial-gauged pressure canner.
Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style              Jar           Process           0-         2,001-          4,001-         6,001-
Of pack         Size         Time        2,000ft        4,000ft         6,000ft        8,000ft

See also  Dry Pack Canning Supplies

Without bones
Hot &          Pints          75min        11 lbs            12 lbs         13 lb           14 lbs
Raw            Quarts        90             11                  12              13               14

With bones
Hot &          Pints           65min         11 lbs           12 lbs          13 lbs          14 lbs
Raw           Quarts         75               11                 12               13                14

The process and times stated are for a weighted-gauge pressure canner.
Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style           Jar              Time            0-1,000                   above 1,000

Without bones
Hot &         Pints              75 min           10 lbs                             15 lbs
Raw          Quarts            90                  10                                   15

With bones
Hot &         Pints              65 min           10 lbs                             15 lbs
Raw           Quarts           75                  10                                   15
You can marinate some chicken in sauces (BBQ, Soy Sauce, Garlic and olive oil), what- ever you like. There is Chaka’s sauce, boneless & bone-in displayed in the photo.

Preparedness Mom

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13 thoughts on “CANNING CHICKEN:”

  1. Chicken was the very first thing I ever canned so I approached the job with great trepidation. It was so easy, turned out great and I was so proud! I’ve done it several times since just to build my supplies. It’s VERY handy to have on hand. I enjoy your posts.

  2. i can chicken on a pretty regular basis but i leave the bones in as the bones help with flavor of the broth…besides, when you open that jar the chicken is so tender it falls off of the bones.

  3. Michael MIller

    With all canning, it is important to follow trusted recipes. Meats and Veggies should never (never ever). be processed in a water bath canner. The article does mention pressure cooker but it is easy for someone not familiar with canning to miss.

    I would highly recommend a canning class by a county extension office. The information you learn there could well save your life.

  4. I would like to marinade my chicken before canning it. I have a great marinade that has a yogart base. Do you all think it would be safe to do that? This will be my first time canning…..wish me luck!

    1. I wouldn’t use the marinade before canning. Yogurt is dairy based and is not good to can. Try when you open the jar to use the marinade as a sauce while heating up the chicken to serve. Check out the National center for home food preservation for more info on canning dairy.

  5. How long does your canned chicken last after canning? I really want to try this but I don’t want to get my family sick if I give them chicken that sat too long.

    1. As long as your seal is good, your chicken should be fine for three years. Keep it cool, dry, and dark. It will still be good after that, but may lose a little nutrition value each year. If you practice good rotation you should not have to deal with anything more then a few years old.

      1. New to your website and have questions re raw pack chicken- I am confused on best way to raw pack- with or without liquid? And with or with out skin?
        My books all say use liquid with raw pack…yet other literature I see on web says no liquid. Help! I ended up doing it “old fahioned” way of putting chicken breast in middle of jar, with out skin, then thighs and legs on outside and kept skin on. Used liquid with 1 inch head space. Live at 8500 ft so brought to 15 psi.
        Was this wrong method to use for raw pack and is chicken safe to keep?
        First time trying and now wondering if I did it right!

        Also question re using raw pack chicken… is there minimum time that it should be reheated prior to eating?

        Thank you in advance!
        Kim

        1. Kim, first of all if your planning anymore canning the book to get is: U.S. Dept. of agriculture= Complete Guide to Home Canning (USDA). I use this book because it has everything I need to know. As for your chicken, Raw pack,add 1 tsp salt per quart, if desired. Fill hot jars loosely with raw meat pieces, leaving head space. Do not add liquid. I put all of one kind in jar, legs, breast, thigh raw and pressure cook for 90 minutes. This cooks the chicken and releases the liquid from chicken. If you added liquid the excess liquid leaked out of jar if it was to much. Was there more liquid in jar than you put in? As long as you got a good seal it should be fine. Skin or no skin, it’s your preference. I do skin less.

          1. Thanks for the quick response!
            I only had one quart that lost some of the liquid during processing, but seal is in tact. Level of liquid in remaining jars appear to be the same.
            So is it a personnel pref to use or not to use liquid with raw pack? Even the guide with my pressure cooker said to use liquid, so this is where my confusion comes from.
            Also boneless or with bones, same thing, personal pref on that as well? I did 90 minutes processsing time with bones. I figured this is easier method and should add more flavor with bone in.
            Thank you again for the help and have a good day, Hermit

  6. Oops, checked my notes and I processed 75 minutes for quarts with bones included, not the 90 minutes I mentioned above.
    My Ball Blue Book guide also rec using liquid, so that just adds to the confusion I had : )

    1. Quarts and pints have different times, so am sure your still fine as long as the seal-sealed. Good luck and write anytime, we will try and help.

  7. Discoloration at top of jar? I canned about 20 pounds of chicken legs and thighs. I cooked them in a stock pot so I could make chicken stock as well. I then packed the jars, filled with stock, and canned them. I have good suction seals on the jars. a few weeks later I went to use the canned chicken but noticed that ALL of the jars exhibit a discoloration to the chicken ONLY at the top 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the jar. The white meat chicken I canned in the same way did NOT do this. Anyone experience this or know why? The discoloration is of a grey color. Has the chicken gone bad already? The jars still have a good suction seal!

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