The easiest way to can venison
The flavor and texture of canned venison is unlike anything I can describe. It’s tender, tasty and makes an excellent addition to any stew or hearty dish you make!
Canning venison is simple and quick.
What takes the longest is processing the jars in the pressure canner. Preparing the meat and filling jars takes no time at all.
Here is my step-by-step instruction on how to can venison:
- Wash as many quart jars and lids to fit into your pressure canner.
- Heat jars in a saucepan filled with water brought to a simmer. Keep jars in hot water until ready to fill.
- Cut chilled meat into pieces suitable for canning. Cut the slices across the grain into 1-inch thick cubes. Trim away any gristle and excess fat.
- Fill each hot jar 3/4 full with meat cubes. – DO NOT ADD ANY WATER. Processing will produce an excellent rich broth all by itself.
- Add 1 teaspoon of beef base to each quart jar. (I use Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
- Wipe rims of jars and secure lid and ring.
- Follow your pressure canner instructions to process meat.
- My pressure canner instructs me to process quarts for 90 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure, but again please refer to your pressure canner for guidance.
What I find the most amazing is even if your meat is tough, canning it will tenderize it to where it just melts in your mouth.
Thanks for stopping by!
Tracy Lynn
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Hi Tracy…when I can venison, I put a garlic clove in each jar along with 1/2-1 tsp of canning salt. Adds yummy flavor!
I would have never thought of the garlic…what a great idea! Thanks for sharing it with us!!
Thank you so much for the canning venison instructions, we eat only what we take from nature, wild hog, deer, fish mostly and a few farm raised chickens, goats etc. We usually freeze everything but I have canned jelly and vegetables before. I wanted to learn to can or dry meats so that if we lose electric power we don’t lose all our hard earned food. I love your web-site. God bless you and your family.
If you have never tried canned venison before you are going to love it. I tell people that when I can it this way it falls apart as if you had cooked it all day. It is yummy!
This sounds great and I agree that even tough meat when canned comes out tender, we found this out with some pork we had. I am still waiting for the men to find some deer, and I look forward to canning it. Thanks for sharing all your wisdom with us at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings
Do you have to have a pressure canner? I can veggies but just use boiling water and a pot.
Stacey,
For canned meat…yes you have to pressure cook it.
We just tried this with one of our deer. I have no idea what to do with it now. I don’t like the texture so can hardly swallow it. Any ideas? I tried on sandwiches with bbq and stroganoff but didn’t like either way.
Dori,
Thanks a shame the texture is getting you. I use mine mostly for vegetable beef soups and stews. Have you tried it in that yet?
I’d like to can moosemeat. I don’t own a pressure canner, can I just use the water bath and cook longer?
Audrey I would never can meat in anything but a pressure canner. Pressure canning is the only safe method for canning meat that I know of. My advice is I wouldn’t chance it.
Do you need to cook the meat first or does the pressure canner do the cooking for you?
No there is no need to cook the meat first.
Can I can frozen deer meat?