Personally, I'm with you, add seasoning later, but if she insists on seasoning in the jar you should be fine.

Just be sure to look up the times for each ingredient if using fresh. Dried are not a problem in any way, just go easy as they get stronger in the jar.

Deanna

Dried seasonings are always OK, but you risk bitter or extra-strong flavors once the chicken has been processed.

Personally, I don't mess with meats and would stick only with salt. The old "rule" about processing a product for the longest time of individual ingredients is no longer valid as pH, water activity and density of the combined product can still play a role.

If she wants garlic and onion flavors, I would pre-cook the chicken for hot-pack with the garlic and onion then remove the meat and pack as directed. Any residual stock could be strained and canned or frozen.

Again, with the long processing time she may not care for the flavor. Garlic, especially, may become bitter or too assertive.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Can Chicken

I'm thinking I remember reading on here that when you add fresh you just make sure that you use the processing time for whatever needs processed the longest in the recipe

As Carol said, that is a very old guideline and more often than not, no longer applicable due to the other variables involved.

Like the others above, canning plain with just the salt gives the best results IMO. The few times wife or I ever tried adding other ingredients we always regretted it when the jars were opened. It always sounds good in theory to add those other flavors but doesn't work in actual practice. People just don't understand the effect that the PC processing is going to have on those added flavorings.

But if she insists on doing it then dry herbs and spices only, not fresh, and only in small amounts. She can always add more after opening.

If she wants garlic and onions then used dried garlic and onions.

Dave

Just a note, because I've been following the rule of using only the tested recipes and avoiding "process for the food with the longest time" because i believed it was outdated information. In the new Ball Blue Book, 37th edition, which is dated 2014, page 98 (the section for Meats, seafoods & vegetables), under "Good Things to Know", "combination recipes," Ball includes this statement: "The length of processing time for combination recipes must safely preserve the ingredient requiring the longest processing time. Follow individual recipe for ingredient preparation, jar size, and processing time." As Dave has mentioned before, when I asked about this, the results may not be optimal because some foods may be overprocessed by processing for another item that requires a longer time, but this is information from a reliable source.