Any one on here can meat.Do you add seasoning or not,I'm thinking of canning some deer meat this year,the book says to add salt but I was wanting to know if any of you add anything else.

I don't add salt or anything. But make sure you get and use the up-to-date canning methods from your local county extension agent, or a CURRENT commercial booklet on canning. Meat is ONLY recommended to be canned using PRESSURE canning.

I usually can deer, chicken, rabbit, beef and pork. Depending on the meat, I'll add onion, or garlic and other seasonings. I disagree with kiotee because the seasonings definitely stay in the meat. Using a regular boiling water bath, the meat should be cooked for 5 hours or more to cook the meat ant to attempt to kill all bacteria, which is not gauranteed to happen.

I use a pressure cooker. A pressure cooker is the ONLY way to ensure ALL the bacteria is killed inside the jars. It only takes 90 minutes of cooking at 10 pounds of pressure (240 degrees F), which will kill ALL bacteria. A simple boiling water bath will only reach 212 degrees F, but a pressure cooker increases the heat to cut cooking time, and to endure proper sterilization. Reduced cooking time preserves the taste of added spices.

As for packing the jars, slice the meat (raw) into chunks or strips about 1/2". Then pack into jars with your seasonings. Add 2 tablespoons of water and seal with a lid and ring. For chicken and rabbit, I leave the bones in the meat (skinless).

Here is what I add for different meats:
Chicken/Rabbit: Skinless pieces, add 1tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
Beef: 90-95% lean, water, add 1tsp salt (spices optional)
Pork: 90-95% lean, water, add 1tsp salt (spices optional)
Deer: add water, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic, 1/3 medium onion

PM me if you have any other questions.

Cliff

Cold pack jars with meat chunks, pinch of salt only, pressure cooker- MMMMM GOOD

I have pressure canned for years; deer, beaver, rabbit, and fish. Carp---which most folks call trash fish---can be canned and most people can not tell it from salmon. Redhorse is also very good canned. Cut in strips to fit tightly in pint jars. Pack dry and then add one table spoon of tomato paste and a half spoon of salt. Pressure at 10 pounds for ninty minutes. It's great for making patties. Never attempt to can only in boiling water....you're tempting faith...ALWAYS use a pressure cooker. An eight or ten pint pressure cooker will be the best kitchen investment you've ever made. At one time had nearly a 1000 Mason jars.

Crowkiller

I usually can deer meat. 1pt. at a time. Pack pt jar untill 3/4" from top add water & 1/2 teaspoon of salt. If you want to add a beef boilune cube. Just make sure you have enough head space 3/4". Pressure for 90 min. @ 10 lbs or 60 min @ 15 lbs.
Later J.J. Getting ready to do so salmon as soon as it gets here!

Iv canned all my deer for the past 5 or so years.I just cut up into bite sized chunks, fill the pint jars up to within 3/4 inch from the top put the lids on an into the pressure cooker for 90 minutes. I dont add water or anything, I do add different spices when I heat it up, just depending on what im gonna mke outta it. I may try doin some beaver this year an see how it is. Good luck!!

If you don't pressure can your meat...you run a serious risk of botulism and many other problems. You must achieve 240'-250' temperature to kill the botulism spores.

While some may consider playing Russian roulette with 5 cartridges in the cylinder "safe". I don't. Sure you can get away with it...maybe for a good long time if you are really lucky. But eventually, the odds will catch up.

Listen to the USDA and pressure can your meat!!!

Years ago people canned everying using the water bath method and got away with it most of the time but to be safe definetly use a pressure cooker. I can lots of venison and add nothing else to the jar. It tastes great. I'm sure if you added onion, garlic or any other seasoning it would be good but you don't have to.

If you want a real treat try canning smoked fish. Each spring I smoke suckers, strip the meat from the bones, pack in pint jars, add one tsp olive oil and pressure cook. It's good on crackers, in sandwiches, or stirred into a chip dip.

I always put a little salt and top each jar of venison with a slice of onion.

when canning chickens, I just add a little salt.

I've never tried this, but as I can just about everything else I would also like to try doing it. After canning it, how do you prepare the canned meat? Is it fully cooked after processing in the pressure canner?

when i can it it is..
i just open a jar of deer and heat it up..

the juices i make into gravy by thickening with cornstarch..i usually serve it with mashed potatoes.

the chicken makes for really easy chicken and dumplings after church on Sunday mornin.

I have canned some domestic rabbit. I suggest taking the bones out. Also i didn't see anyone say when canning deer to remove all fat and tendons. I add one teaspoon of salt per quart of deer and several slices of onions. Do yourself a favor and follow a canning book and follow there directions for the times and pressures. Later Longear

i remove the tendons and fat..just like i do when im freezing it.

my sister ;however, doesnt..and actually the tendons soften up when theyre processed, but i still prefer to remove them.

Let me assure you that you can eat it out of the jar with a fork, but may I suggest you have some warm bread with an exceptional bottle of wine handy.

Pressure canning that long will cook anything I am willing to eat.

I have canned for the 5-6 years,did make some deer stew last year and my 6 year old boy can eat a pint of it and still beg for more.My mom used to can meat and told me how but never tried,I have books on canning,but was wanting to know how some of you can yours.I been wanting to do this would like to get away from buy stuff from the store,plus we have alot of power outages around here also.If any one has got any recipes for soups or stew I would like to try some.Thanks MB

Salt and one clove garlic for me. The gravy is tops over mashed taters, bisquets, or noodles. When the kids were little and the wife would get a cold it's what I cooked. The kids learned to expect it. I can eat deer or beef right out of the jar cold.
Would like to try canning fish sometime, a friend did and it was great. Florida mullet, the bones in, they cook down.

If someone finds the best deal on a pressure CAnner, post it up or pm me please, I want one.

I canned a whole buck several years ago, it was great, I put some barbeque sauce in some of it and it was excellent, I ate some right out of the jar

Kiotee....LOL. It's not a matter of belief. It's a matter of fact. My grandfather didn't believe in germs. But they are still real.

I taught Science, have a BS degree,extensive studies in microbiology and chemistry and have worked in the medical field. Germs and botulism are real. It's just like the common flu...not everyone dies from it...but many people do each year. How about e-coli poisoning? How about drug resistant staph infections? Are those "pretend" as well. Same premise....a deadly pathogen enters the body...result...big troubles...probably death in about 98% of the cases.

Also...canning meat was not the normal way it was preserved. My grandparents and great grandparents were pioneers, had large families and canned lots of vegetables to survive. Meat was smoked, brined and cured, dried, packed in lard, but very rarely was it canned.

Still fighting it...LOL. Consider the poor folks that got botulism from eating Castelberry canned meats. It only took a slight variation/flaw in the computer process to ruin their day when the temperature/time/pressure wasn't correct.

Do as you wish...it's no concern to me, but at least you have heard how to can meat safely...not just from me but from many others. If you choose not to "believe"....fine. You can argue all you want to...but pressure canning is the only 100% safe method. Sorry...that's just the way it is.

Still seem fictitious? How about betting your life? Let's set up a hypothetical(not real) experiment.

Get some botulism spores (remember... botulism spores-are very common and naturally occuring on many vegetables and meats, so there is a very real chance of encountering it) and mix it into your meat. Can one jar with proper pressure and time..can one with a hot water bath. Give one jar to yourself and one jar to someone else. Sit down and eat it together. Result...one of you won't be seeing tomorrow.

PS...the earth isn't flat, as used to be thought before people knew the reality of it.

What is worse- Botulism or E coli ??