Does canned meat need to rest after canning process?The reason I’m asking is yesterday after canning I used a couple pounds of meat for stroganoff.The meat was still hot from canning and was very chewy.I’ve been canning for years and never had tough meat.The deer was given to me from my brothers grandson taken in the youth hunt.
The deer was shot in the shoulder and dropped in its tracks but has to be shot again so high adrenaline could be a factor.I haven’t had a chance to eat any steaks or chops yet.It was a 135 pound spike buck so I’m thinking it should be a good eater.

It shouldn't be chewy. How long did ya can it and at what pressure?

I pushed the canning button and set for an hour-pint jars just like the last 50 times I did it.

Can't help with a electric canner but meat times are 75 minutes for pints and 90 minutes for qts @ 15lbs of pressure. But it sounds like you ate it and didn't die lol, maybe the pressure wasn't quite right?

Sounds like something was not right to me. I have never had meat I canned be chewy. I have zero experience with an electric canner but using a canner on an electric or gas burner, the total processing time is a lot longer. It takes time to purge the air from the cooker, then build up to the needed pressure before the processing time clock even starts. I believe Catch22 processing at pressure times are correct but the pressure required depends on your elevation. I am close to sea level and process at 10 lbs.

What you have may be OK to use immediately but I definitely would not trust it over time.

I think all meat needs some time to age

I cut a cow 2 weeks ago but everything got frozen right away so a week later when I thawed some steaks they were tough , generally a week in the fridge and things age enough to not be tough

if he shot it this weekend during youth season and then you canned it up right away , I would try the canned meat in 2 weeks I expect it will be more like you are used to from canned meat.

the high temp cooking will make it rubbery and time will let it relax

when you know what to look for you can check the age of meat by the bounce back when you press it

very fresh meat bounces back

i do just like catch22 90 min. at 15 pounds

For pints I do 10 lbs for 90 minutes. What the canning book said to do. Always came out good. Won the blue ribbon for canned deer a few years ago at the county fair.

Did you use any beef suet when you canned it? I've used bacon before when I couldn't find any suet.

"Tougher where there isn't any", Tut

Never had tough meat come out of my pressure canner.It will even dissolve fish bones and make squirrels tender.

Did you hot pack it?

I’ve noticed stuff I hot pack (brown before canning) is maybe a tad tougher than cold pack stuff.

But a long ways from what I’d call “chewy”.

I tried to can shank meat off the legs , will never waste my time again with it, it goes into burger or sent out for Trail Bologna.
I thought it would get tender , but there's too much blue skin and gristle .

Never canned. Always grind into burger. A fresh deer needs to age a few days. It becomes more tender. My club has an old beer truck bed with refrigeration. I let deer hang after skinning and gutting, for at least a week at 38°. Two weeks is better. At three weeks it starts to get mushy when ground. Great for roasts though.

This is dry aging. A fan is blowing all the time.

Pressure for Ohio should be only 10-11 pounds unless you're above 2000 feet by the dial gauge.
I used a 15 pound weight for years and kept the dial gauge at 11-13 pounds.
Think the highest point in Ohio is around 1500 + feet.

PRESSURE CANNING MEAT, VEGETABLES, FISH, SEAFOOD, SOUP: ALTITUDE AND PRESSURE CHART
Altitude feet / metres Weighted
Gauge lb Dial
Gauge lb Weighted
Gauge kPa Dial
Gauge kPa
0 - 1000 / 0 - 305 10 11 69 76
1001 - 2000 / 306 - 609 15 11 103 76
2001 - 4000 / 610 - 1219 15 12 103 83
4001 - 6000 / 1220 - 1828 15 13 103 90
6001 - 8000 / 1829 - 2438 15 14 103 97
8001 - 10000 / 2439 - 3048 15 15 103 103