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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Canning Venison

It's that time of the year! Time to process the deer meat harvested this season.

This is a portion of the two deer...



cleaning up the backstraps....




I left a couple of the backstraps whole for future projects. :)



cut a few steaks, cubed a bit of meat, trimmed up some roasts. The burger isn't pictured here.




Time to can a bit for quick winter meals.

This is my favorite way...

I make a mixture of 4tsp beef bouillon combined with

1 tsp onion powder and

1/4 teaspoon of seasoned salt

sliced onions and garlic cloves



I fill my clean sterilized pint jars with raw cubed venison, top with one garlic clove, a few slices of onion and about 3/4 tsp of the beef bouillon mixture.

Leave 1" of headspace.

Do not add any liquid, the meat makes it's own while in the pressure canner.



Wipe the jar rims with a damp cloth..make sure they are clean and not chipped. Place hot lids on and tighten.




I keep the lids hot... but not boiling.




I put the jars into my pressure canner.



Be sure to follow the instructions for your own canner..

for my location I pressure can the meat at 12lbs of pressure for 75 minutes. (pints) It's different for each location.




The hot jars seal as they cool on the counter....




The canned venison is a real treat during the winter. Served over hot smooshed potatoes or over a bed of buttery egg noodles.

I don't think I can wait that long...might have to make a batch of noodles so I can have a taste. :)





It's a bit of work but well worth it. Having venison in the pantry is a pretty good feeling!

31 comments:

Big Dude said...

This time of year, I think frozen backstraps could make it ok if you overnighted them. I'm sending an email with a deer question.

Drew @ How To Cook Like Your Grandmother said...

What does it do for the texture? Is it better to use the tougher cuts or the more tender ones, or does it not matter?

Old Smoke said...

I have never have tried home canned meat, BUT I have helped home can and eat fresh caught tuna. It is outstanding!!!!!
I bet canned venison is too!!!

cowgirl said...

lol Larry they might just make it!
Hope that shoulder works out well for you. Good luck with it!

cowgirl said...

Hi Drew!
Most venison is the same as far as tenderness...It's all lean meat. The shoulders and some other areas have more connective tissue and silver skin that's hard to cut out. I find that cooking the meat whole (like a shoulder) and then removing the connective tissue is a lot easier than spending hours trying to cut it out.
Canning makes the meat tender...about like pot roast.

Hope that makes sense! :)

cowgirl said...

Hey Rick, I bet the fresh canned tuna was great! Did you add anything to the meat while canning or just can it dry? (no liquid)

Rocco said...

i don't know anybody who eats better then you jeanie!

Aaron B. said...

I've had beef canned like this, and even tough lean parts end up pretty tender. Great idea to do vension the same way, since we can take a lot more deer than the freezer space we have available during the short season.

KYZ said...

Probably a stupid question, but do you keep this refrigerated or is it shelf-safe? If so, how long have you kept this on the shelf before using it?

Jeff said...

That sounds really good? Do you do anything else with the canned venison? Looking for other ideas.

cowgirl said...

:) Thanks Rocco!

cowgirl said...

Thanks Aaron, it's so handy to have on the shelf! Good luck with your hunting. :)

cowgirl said...

KYZ, not a stupid question! It is shelf safe as long as the jars are sealed. Once opened they need to be used or stored in the fridge. I try to use mine up in a year.. but they do last longer.
Good luck to you!

cowgirl said...

Thanks Jeff, This canned venison reminds me of pot roast in gravy or beef tips in gravy. It's good over smashed potatoes, noodles, baked potatoes, in stroganoff, over toast or hot biscuits.. in pot pies, or a quick stew...

When I heat the venison, I make a gravy with the drippings by either adding flour and seasonings or my favorite way is just to use one of those little gravy packets. Either brown, onion or mushroom gravy.

Hope it works out well for you! :)

cowgirl said...

Another option is to heat the canned venison in a pan, drain the juice and add a BBQ sauce.. it would make great sandwiches.

Frugal Canadian Hermit said...

Thats interesting Jeanie. I know I will try this one sometime. I gotta go and bag me deer first. Actually, I think I'll wait till I'm all settled in the cabin, then it's look out Bambi.

cowgirl said...

Thanks Mark! Good to see ya. Hope the building and work are going well. Could you close the door up there, some of your cold air made it all the way down here. lol

Bushman said...

Great post Cowgirl. I love canned venison but haven't done it in awhile. No excuse. When I did mine I added beef broth, garlic and onions. It is awesome. Momma likes to make enchiladas and burritos out of it. She was skeptical at first but now she will eat it right out of the jar.
Your deer? I didn't see any pictures. Might have missed the post.

cowgirl said...

Thanks Bushman, I like the sound of your burritos and enchiladas!
Yes, I'm way behind on posting pictures. lol
Thanks again..

Mark Overton said...

Howdy!

I came across your canned venison recipe and gave it a try for our first attempt at canning meat. The only change we opted for was to marinade the meat for 24 hours in red wine with the onion and garlic.

Spectacular!

Thanks very much!!

Mark
Shawnee Kansas

cowgirl said...

Mark that sounds delicious! Thanks for the tip and thanks for stopping by! :)

bandito422 said...

I was always told I had to use actual canning salt when canning meat to help preserve safer. Will the mixture you use do the same thing long term (say 1-2 yrs)?

Hoping you see this soon as I had planned to start in a few hours when I stumbled across this website.
Thanks in advance!

cowgirl said...

Yes Bandito.. When canning, use non iodized salt! Canning salt works great. Yes the mixture here will store for a few years. I try to use venison up before the next hunting season but have had some for over two years.
Good luck with your hunting and canning.

Thanks for stopping by too. :)

Deborah said...

Thanks for the detailed instructions! Canning venison for the first time today!

cowgirl said...

Deborah, thank you!! Hope it turned out well for you. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Bushman said...

LOL Found it! Last time I did it I poured beef broth into the jars and I used quarts instead of pints. Think I'll try your way this year. Thanks again for all your great recipes!

cowgirl said...

Great Bushman! :) Hope it works out well for ya. :)

Unknown said...

going to try your recipe for the first time in a couple of hours if i hear back from you, just wondering how many pounds of venison you used for this? hope to hear from you soon :) (sounds delicious)

cowgirl said...

Tracy I'm sure I didn't see your post in time. Hope you had great luck with it.
I don't weigh the venison, I just fill how many jars my canner will hold at a time.
Deer season is in full swing here and I have a house full of company and hunters. Hope to be canning more meat soon.
Good luck to you and thanks for stopping by!

Jen said...

Great sounding recipe! My husband just got a deer and is bringing it home this weekend. I'm going to try and can it on Sunday following your recipe. One question - would I follow your instructions the same if I'm using quart jars instead of pints? I realize I'll use a little more onion, garlic etc, but still no liquid even with quart jars? Thanks!

cowgirl said...

Jen thanks! Yes use more onion, garlic, etc.. Quart jars need to be processed for 90 minutes.
Good luck with it!