I would like to can venison per the NCHFP (canning cubes or chunks) or Ball recipes (Stew Meat). I have read here that hot pack method is preferred.

Liquid choices are water, broth, tomato juice, drippings. I am leaning towards using water with drippings, but will this produce an inferior tasting product compared to canning in broth? I do not want to use tomato juice.

What parts of the animal do you like to cut up for canning? Are there any cuts you do not like to can?

I found an estimate of 13 lbs raw venison to fill 7 qts using raw pack method. Can anyone tell me how many pounds of raw meat will be needed, using hot pack method, to fill 7 qt? I am surprised I can not find this in Extension publications.

In regards to precooking the meat, do you cook in batches and hold the cooked meat in a roaster to keep it warm until you have enough to fill a canner load of 7 qt?

Processing time is 90 minutes. Any worry the water in the canner would run dry after that long period?

For those that can ground meat; do you add any seasonings? Do you like shaping in patties or meatballs or is that not worth the effort? If canning meatballs, is there anything you (safely) add to the meatballs?

Fresh raw meat should only be kept in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days if ground, 3 to 5 if whole muscle cut (USDA). If canning can not be accomplished in that amount of time, do you freeze meat cut or ground and can at a later time? Precook before freezing?

I know there are a lot of questions here. I appreciate whatever you can answer! Thanks. :)

You need to butcher, wrap and freeze. Then put the canning off for now and you can what you want to can at leisure. Just pull the pack out of the freezer, cut it up frozen, and return it to the freezer until you have time to can it.

We prefer hot pack with broth - beef, vegetable, turkey, even chicken. Raw pack makes its own broth and some prefer that - it is just a personal preference so you have to try both and see which you prefer.

You can can it all if you wish but usually we keep the tenderloin, some steak, loin roasts and ribs frozen for fresh cooking. I can the backstrap steaks and the briskets (for bar-b-q) and most of the rest is ground and canned mixed with some pork for chili and meatloaf or frozen in burgers. I assume you are planning to have jerky and/or summer sausage made from the less-than-ideal cuts?

Dave

When using broth in the hot pack, is it OK to use something like Knorr granular beef bouillon that you mix with water? Thanks!

Dave

Just as with any other meat that is pressure canned the texture is tenderized quite a bit. Whether you think that is an improvement or not is all a matter of personal taste. As to flavor change, that all depends on how you can it - hot pack or raw pack - and what seasonings and liquids you use. Venison canned in its own broth would have little if any flavor change. But if canned in water or tomato juice or beef broth then yes you'll have flavor changes. Same effect from using salt and pepper, Cavenders, garlic, or any other herb or seasoning.

Dave