Try Canning Some Venison!
Once you’ve got that freezer full, where do you put the extra venison?
Wouldn’t it be nice to have some venison preserved in a way that will survive a power outage?
Enter canning! Canning is an age-old food preservation method, and cooking is a by-product of that process. As a result, your canned venison can be eaten right out of the jar! But, of course, it’s even better heated up and added to your favorite recipe.
How do you can venison? First of all, it’s very important to understand that you must use a pressure canner! This is not the time for a hot water bath canner.
The finished product. I usually stick to pint jars these days. “A pint’s a pound, the world around.” Most of our family recipes call for one pound, so a pint is perfect. (That’s a lot of “p”s, LOL.)
I had a great time canning a batch of venison and even some “beef stew” in this livestream. It’s a great step by step guide to how I do it. But remember, you should follow all your manufacturer’s instructions for your canner and jars, and follow safe recipes from trusted sources. The Ball Blue Book is a great place to start!
Here’s some other tools you might find useful. Remember, if you buy using these links, you will not pay more but Death by Bunjie will receive a much appreciated referral fee.
Now get out there and can some venison! ALL HAIL BUNJIE!
P.S. You’re gonna need lids and jars! For canning meat, I recommend pint jars. “A pint’s a pound, the world around.” Most recipes call for a pound, so canning in pints is a great start. I also recommend using wide mouth jars, since they’re easier to pack and easier to unpack when the time comes!
You won’t need to buy new bands every time you can, but they will need to be replaced from time to time. The canner reaches 240 degrees, after all—it’s tough on equipment! So those bands won’t last forever. And please use new lids every time you can. It’s not worth the risk to try and re-use those.
Man this stuff looks good, and it hasn’t even been processed yet! This is my first attempt at beef stew. How’d it turn out? Read on…
Here is where you’ll wanna use quarts instead of pints. Stews and recipes for family meals do well in quart jars. These are really more of a soup; I’ll add corn starch or flour along with the spices when it comes time to heat it up and eat it. But they’re a great meal in jar, that’s for sure! Heat up or eat right out of the jar! But I still use the wide mouth jars, lids and bands.
