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jars of canned chicken chunks

Pressure Canned Chicken

Pressure canned chicken is a wonderful way to preserve chicken that is shelf-stable and ready to eat! Canned meats are the convenience food of the homestead! It’s perfectly cooked and ready to add to any quick meal. Whether you are taking advantage of a great sale at the grocery store or you raise your own chicken, home-canned chicken is safe and easy to prepare at home in the pressure canner.

Ingredients

  • Pressure canner (required)
  • Clean glass canning jars.  Always inspect the jars for any nicks, chips on the rims or sharp edges that might prevent the jar from sealing.
  • Clean canning lids
  • Clean canning rings
  • Vinegar
  • Tongs
  • Ladle
  • Canning funnel
  • Jar lifter
  • Tool to remove bubbles and headspace tool (optional)
  • Chicken (approximately one pound per pint jar)
  • Canning or sea salt
  • Broth (for hot pack only)

Instructions

Freshly butchered chicken should be properly aged at least 12 hours before canning.

  • Prepare canning jars by heating jars, and keeping them warm until ready to fill.
  • FOR RAW PACK: Remove excess fat and skin (if desired).
  • Cut chicken into your preferred sizes. Chunks, slices of whole chicken breasts or bone-in drumsticks and thighs.
  • Pack tightly into canning jars. Leave 1 1/4" head space.
  • Add canning salt or sea salt if desired. 1 tsp for quarts, 1/2 tsp for pints.
  • Remove air bubbles.
  • Clean the rim of the jar with a paper towel moistened with vinegar.
  • Add a NEW metal canning lid.
  • Secure finger tight using a metal ring.
  • Processing time and pressure depend on your altitude. See Notes below.
  • FOR HOT PACK: Cook chicken two-thirds of the way to doneness.
  • Cool enough to handle and cut meat into desired pieces.
  • Prepare the broth by warming on the stove.
  • Add 1/4 to 1/3 jar of warm broth. Add chicken. Fill the jar, submerging the chicken in broth. Leave 1 1/4" headspace.
  • Add salt if desired. Taking into consideration if the broth is salted. 1 tsp for a quart, 1/2 tsp for pints.
  • Remove air bubbles.
  • Clean the rim of the jar with a paper towel moistened with vinegar.
  • Add a NEW metal canning lid.
  • Secure finger tight using a metal ring.
  • Processing time and pressure depend on your altitude. See Notes below.

Notes

For both raw pack and hot pack canned chicken:

Using a Dial Gauge Canner:

Boneless Chicken: Pints are processed for 75 minutes Quarts are processed for 90 minutes.

Bone-In Chicken: Pints are processed for 65 minutes. Quarts are processed for 75 minutes.

Canner Pressure (PSI) is set according to Altitude.

  • 0 to 2000 feet in elevation: 11 lbs of pressure
  • 2001 ft to 4000 feet in elevation: 12 lbs of pressure
  • 4001 to 6000 feet in elevation 13 lbs of pressure
  • 6001 to 8000 feet in elevation: 14 lbs of pressure

Using a Weighted Guage Canner:

Boneless Chicken: Pints are processed for 75 minutes. Quarts are processed for 90 minutes.

Bone-In Chicken: Pints are processed for 65 minutes. Quarts are processed for 75 minutes.

Canner Pressure (PSI) is set according to Altitude.

  • 0 to 1000 feet in elevation 10 lbs of pressure
  • Above 1000 feet in elevation: 15 lbs of pressure

© Barbra-Sue Kowalski

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