Canning venison

[hitthebricks]

12 lbs pressure for 1.5 hrs. for 2/3 venison and 1/3 pork.

Second batch had a cloudy/milky type residue towards the bottom of the jar when done, is this normal?

HTB

[thirdeye]

Hot pack or cold pack?

Do you have hard water? I usually use bottled water for canning, at $1 a gallon it is a little insurance.

[LABS4ME]

Could it be pork fat? I always can only close to 100% lean venison...

[jentz]

Did you salt it? any spices.What was added?

[FishLocker]

I have switched to using the oven instead of the pressure cooker for canning venison. Turns out to make a lot less mess and is easy. I did alter the recipe as we do not use much salt, so once cut up I use about half the salt and mix it into the meat before packing into jars.

Clean meat of most of the fat and as much silver skin as you can but you don’t have to get too picky. Cut into 1 inch chunks or smaller.

Into the bottom of a clean mason jar add 1/2 in slice of an onion (and a half of a hot pepper if wanted). Start adding meat to the jar and pack as tight as you can use the handle end of a wooden spoon to pack and try to get rid of air pockets.

Leave about 1 inch of space from the top, add another slice of onion (and another pepper) and 1 tablespoon of salt for a quart jar and 1/2 tablespoon for pint. Wipe the top of jar clean put on a new lid and ring, lightly tighten (not overly tight so steam can escape).

Put jars on a cookie sheet and put into oven 200 deg. for 4 hrs.

After 4 hrs lay a towel on counter top and set cookie sheet on towel to allow jars to cool and seal. After a couple hrs the jars should start to pop and seal. After totally cool check to see if the the jars sealed the ones that didn't should be put into the fridge and eaten first the others can be stored at room temp. for years.

The meat can be eaten straight out of the jar on crackers or bread, warmed with bbq sauce, added to cooked onions and peppers for fajitas, added to cream of mushroom and extra mush and put over rice, noodles, or biscuits.

The list goes on and on for uses and last lot longer than the freezer and it is already cooked. ENJOY

[thirdeye]

Could it be pork fat? I always can only close to 100% lean venison...

I'll get a layer of fat on top from pork, but it's easy to identify. The cloudiness is what's odd.

[LABS4ME]

To each their own... I will NOT tell anyone what they should do, but I certainly would not come on here and say that oven cannng is a safe method to can meat. If you choose this method, that is at your risk, but it is not an accepted way to can meat. I know you can go on a hundred forums and guys say they do it all the time, but would you rather take their word for it? Or scientist and dieticians at universities that study it. I'll choose the latter. It only takes one bad jar of meat to regret your decision... You cannot tell if your meat has botulism by taste or smell. This is the stuff that kills.

Every extension service will say the only way to can meat and to insure that Botulism is destroyed is by pressure canning. None will say that oven canning is an approved safe method, nor are the porcelien canners. Canning under 10 lbs of pressure will raise the boiling point to 240 degrees. This at 75-90 minutes insures total destruction of all bacteria. Even at 212 degrees, you cannot insure total destruction of botulism. I will not risk my health or my families health by improper canning... I have a friend who did for years, he said his Dad so it is B.S. that you have to pressure can... ater having kids and reading some stories on line about illness and death due to improper canning of meat, he decided to spend the 80 bucks and buy a pressure cooker to do his canning. Pretty cheap insurance.

Good Luck!

Ken

[BobT]

To each their own... I will NOT tell anyone what they should do, but I certainly would not come on here and say that oven cannng is a safe method to can meat. If you choose this method, that is at your risk, but it is not an accepted way to can meat. I know you can go on a hundred forums and guys say they do it all the time, but would you rather take their word for it? Or scientist and dieticians at universities that study it. I'll choose the latter. It only takes one bad jar of meat to regret your decision... You cannot tell if your meat has botulism by taste or smell. This is the stuff that kills.

Every extension service will say the only way to can meat and to insure that Botulism is destroyed is by pressure canning. None will say that oven canning is an approved safe method, nor are the porcelien canners. Canning under 10 lbs of pressure will raise the boiling point to 240 degrees. This at 75-90 minutes insures total destruction of all bacteria. Even at 212 degrees, you cannot insure total destruction of botulism. I will not risk my health or my families health by improper canning... I have a friend who did for years, he said his Dad so it is B.S. that you have to pressure can... ater having kids and reading some stories on line about illness and death due to improper canning of meat, he decided to spend the 80 bucks and buy a pressure cooker to do his canning. Pretty cheap insurance.

Good Luck!

Ken

Completely agree, 100%!

[thirdeye]

I have switched to using the oven instead of the pressure cooker for canning venison....

Open-kettle canning and oven processing is not recommended by the USDA or any of the county or state extension offices because these practices do not prevent all risks of spoilage, you might want to do more research on this just so you know where you stand. The fact is, people certainly are not dying like flies, in fact most GI related issues are kind of tough to diagnose, and if the truth be known... a restaurant salad bar is a pretty dangerous place when it comes to bacteria.

That said,... you are going to find bunches of testimonials that swear the USDA is going overboard with the rules for canning safety, and you will hear stories about grandmothers and great-grandmothers doing this for many seasons. Anyway it's something for each person to decide, just keep in mind that elderly and the very young are the two groups where you don't want to get risky with bacteria.

[FishLocker]

Thank you for your input. I did go to the USDA site on game animals and found this

"Bacteria multiply rapidly in the "Danger Zone" — temperatures between 40 and 140 °F. Cross-contamination can occur if raw meat or its juices come in contact with cooked foods or foods that will be eaten raw, such as salad. Freezing does not kill bacteria. Cooking to 160 °F kills bacteria."

and also this

"Can safely cooked game be pink?

Cooked muscle meats can be pink even when the meat has reached a safe internal temperature. If fresh game has reached 160 °F throughout, even though it may still be pink in the center, it should be safe. The pink color can be due to the cooking method, smoking, or added ingredients such as marinades. Cook ground meats and other cuts of game meat such as chops, steaks, and roasts to 160 °F to ensure destruction of foodborne bacteria and parasites. For tenderness, tough meats should be held at 160 °F longer or even cooked to higher temperatures. This will melt the tough connective tissue (collagen) producing fork-tender meats.

I could not find a place on the USDA site that warns one away from oven or recommending pressure canning of game as noted previously. I would like to read that if you happen to have a link.

I have taken jars out of the oven, opened it and stuck in a meat thermometer and was at 200 degrees. I wonder if that adheres to the message they are giving here on internal temperature to be at least 160? I could not find anything on the USDA site saying 200 degrees inside a glass jar is not the same as 200 degrees on a broiler or grill. Does the glass change the rules here? I am not being obstinate here, I really do want to know if the temperature inside the jar is not relevant to killing the bacteria some of you were talking about. Just want to be safe in my own pantry, truly.

I also did not want to hijack this thread, sorry.

[LABS4ME]

Cooking and canning are two different animals... You immediately consume cooked food, canned food has the luxury of taking one bacteria and growing it over and over for weeks or months prior to consumption... Kinda like a giant petri dish.

It may be one jar in 10,000 that regular canning does not totally make safe, the problem lies in, is it the last in 10,000 or the tenth?

Go to the Mn or Wi extension service HSOforum. I think every extension service down to the county will have the same statement... Pressure can low acidic foods such as meat in a pressure canner only. I pulled up Wisconsin and Utah websites just now and they both had that disclaimer.

[BobT]

UofMn Extension on Canning Meat for Long Term Storage

Above is the link to the UofM details about canning meat, fish, poultry, and wild game. Below is the text from that page.

Quote:

Meat, poultry, and game are low acid foods and must be canned or processed in a pressure canner to assure it is safe to eat.

Process at:

11 pounds pressure with a dial gauge pressure canner

15 pounds pressure with a weighted gauge pressure canner for required times.

Choose only good meat for canning, and handle it quickly and with total cleanliness, because bacteria grow rapidly in meat held at room temperature. If you have a large amount, store the part you're not working on in the refrigerator.

You can:

Start with properly cleaned and chilled product.

Can fresh meat and poultry within 2 days or freeze it.

To can frozen products, thaw in the refrigerator until most ice crystals have disappeared, then handle as if they were fresh.

Trim gristle and fat off meat before canning. Fat left on meat melts and climbs on the sides of the jar during processing and may interfere with the sealing of the lid.

Salt is optional in canned meat and poultry.

Fish should be canned immediately or frozen until processed.

For large game animals (deer), follow beef processing times and methods.

For small game animals and birds, follow poultry processing times and methods.

Hot packing or raw packing of product in canning jars is an option in recommended recipes - with a preference towards hot packing of meat and poultry. Poultry can be canned with bone in or deboned. For canning meat products, always follow tested methods from the USDA or University of Minnesota Extension. Do not substitute, shortcut, or guess. Botulism, which is the most severe form of food poisoning, is usually due to improper home canning. Processing times and pressures vary for meat, fish, poultry, or wild game. Check the canning section of our Meat and fish page for recommended processes.

[thirdeye]

The danger zone temperatures (40 to 140), and the minimum safe temperatures (like 145 for pork, or 165 for chicken) are for cooking and eating, cooking and holding, and cooking and reheating. Canning is a method of cooking and preservation where the jars can sit on the shelf for quite a while. I think the main point is that meat is a low acid food, so high temperature is needed to kill things like botulism spores, the temp needs to be higher than the boiling point...something around 240 degrees internal temp, so pressure comes into play. Heck at my house water boils at 203 degrees because I'm at 5400' elevation..Here are some links to check out:

Read the top of page 8 in this first brochure

http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/assets/pdf_Files/Canning%20Meat,%20Wild%20Game,%20Poultry,%20&%20Fish%20Safely%20(B3345).pdf

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/benton/news/oven-canning-unsafe

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-oven-canning.htm#slideshow

[FishLocker]

THAT is the kind of information I was looking for. Thank you very much for your feedback.

Now the next question, since I like the taste and versatility of the low salt version of what I WAS doing...will that low salt recipe take the extra heat and pressure without getting tough? Or should I look for a new recipe for this years deer?

Thank you.

[thirdeye]

THAT is the kind of information I was looking for. Thank you very much for your feedback.

Now the next question, since I like the taste and versatility of the low salt version of what I WAS doing...will that low salt recipe take the extra heat and pressure without getting tough? Or should I look for a new recipe for this years deer?

Thank you.

I think some folks think canned meats are kind of bland, so salt is a common addition, it is not mandatory. I don't think salt (or lack of) will affect tenderness. You should be able to add more or less to suit your taste and application. Likewise if you hot pack, the broth can be flavored as well. Just curious how much canning salt you are using, a standard practice is 1/2 teaspoon per pint and 1 teaspoon per quart.

I usually do a trial run with recipe variations in either 1/2 pint jars or in pints before doing 10 or 12 jars. I keep the altitude adjusted pressure and processing time constant, then change up the flavors. Even if I process 4 jars with different flavor profiles (or maybe 2 cold pack and 2 hot pack) it can save me in the long run because I don't have a dozen jars of stuff that could have been better. I let them cool overnight and then do my sampling, and take notes of what flavors (or pack method) I like best.

[BobT]

When I can venison I use the leanest cuts I can, cube it, raw pack into quarts, drop in one beef bouillon cube, and process per the canner's instructions. It's delicious, very tender (will shred apart easily), and moist. Excellent for stroganoff or barbecued pulled venison.

[pikestabber]

When I can venison I use the leanest cuts I can, cube it, raw pack into quarts, drop in one beef bouillon cube, and process per the canner's instructions. It's delicious, very tender (will shred apart easily), and moist. Excellent for stroganoff or barbecued pulled venison.

Same here with a teaspoon of oil added, too, but likely unnecessary to even ad the oil...that's why I was curious why the original poster used 1/3 pork? Unlike any other processing of venison (brats, sticks, etc.), I never mix in pork as canning the venison will make it fork tender and moist by virtue of the canning process. I've used the finished product for pulled venison, taco meat, venison enchiladas and burritos, simmer it in beef stock and thicken for gravy over spuds, etc., etc. It's a great way to make a versatile product with uses only limited by your creativity. Good luck!

[BobT]

Quote:

simmer it in beef stock and thicken for gravy over spuds

Oooh, good idea. Maybe even add a little au jus or bourbon.

[pikestabber]

Maybe even add a little au jus or bourbon.

Everything's better with a little bit of bourbon

[harvey lee]

I agree with the pressure cooker method, no reason to cut on safety.

[OnAFly]

What's a decent pressure cooker cost?

[thirdeye]

Same here with a teaspoon of oil added, too, but likely unnecessary to even ad the oil...that's why I was curious why the original poster used 1/3 pork? Unlike any other processing of venison (brats, sticks, etc.), I never mix in pork as canning the venison will make it fork tender and moist by virtue of the canning process. I've used the finished product for pulled venison, taco meat, venison enchiladas and burritos, simmer it in beef stock and thicken for gravy over spuds, etc., etc. It's a great way to make a versatile product with uses only limited by your creativity. Good luck!

Are you thinking the venison would be more tender than the pork, or the other way around? Which ever meat you think would not be as tender as the other could just be cut into smaller cubes and the degree of tenderness would be equal.

[thirdeye]

What's a decent pressure cooker cost?

Actually you want a pressure canner. Pressure cookers vary in size and some have fixed pressure (some lower than others), so they can't be used for canning. Anyways pressure canners are between $100 and $300 depending on manufacturer. I think mine is a presto brand and 20 or 25 years old. I've replaced the gasket a couple of times and every few years the county extension or master gardeners will have a gage calibration day for free, you take your lid and they remove the gage and check it.

[delcecchi]

70 bucks and up according to Amazon. Presto and Mirro are the inexpensive ones. All well under a C-note.

[hitthebricks]

Sorry for the slow response but way to much work left to do for this time of year.

To tell the truth I am not sure about the pork. When I helped a friend do it a few years ago, that is what we did. I think it was for moisture/fat. It was real tasty!

We did then and I did this time, added 1 tsp. salt and six peppercorns/ quart.

Both batches were jared at the same time but batch two sat in the fridge for two days before it was processed.

First batch all jars sealed, second batch, 3 of 4 sealed.

If there was bacteria present, how long before the lid would pop?

Thanks for all the responses,

HTB