Canning Chicken

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I just can’t let my canner sit idle for too long! :) I actually just love having my canning shelves full of food choices for quick meals, soups, casseroles. It makes life just a bit simpler and still allows me to feed my family good quality homemade foods.

Yesterday I canned about 14 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. A few weeks back I did this with beef (blog post HERE). I have already used several jars for soup, enchiladas and bbq beef sandwiches. I figured it was time to add some chicken to the canning shelves.

I cut most of the fat off the chicken pieces and then cut the thighs into 3 or 4 pieces each. I planned on canning this in pint size jars. I added ½ teaspoon salt to each pint jar..



I began to pack the jars with the meat. I packed them tightly and worked to make sure there were no gaps and air pockets. I did not add any liquid. The chicken will cook and make its' own yummy broth.



I then wiped the rims clean and added a lid and ring…




And put them in the canner…



And canned them for 75 minutes (it would 90 minutes for quart jars) at 10 pounds pressure (for my altitude). You can check the correct pressure for your altitude here: http://www.simplycanning.com/altitude-adjustments.html

I ended up with 14 pint jars of chicken. 
 

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 11, 2012 at 1:02 PM

    How long are the cans good for? (shelf life)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CrystalNovember 11, 2012 at 1:07 PM

      At least a year or two.. but longer than that I am sure.. we eat them up pretty quick so they never last too long around here.

      Crystal :)

      Delete
    2. AnonymousOctober 23, 2013 at 6:44 AM

      I ate a can of turkey that I canned 6 years ago. Tasted fine. Like a slow cooked turkey and gravy. No tinny flavors as it was canned in a glass jar. Looks like dogfood when it comes out of the jar though.

      Delete
    3. AnonymousMarch 8, 2015 at 11:10 AM

      We regularly eat salmon that was canned 7 or 8 years ago. Store it in the dark, as cool as you can manage (easy in a Wyoming basement).

      Delete
  2. AnonymousNovember 11, 2012 at 1:30 PM

    What do you use that chicken for?

    Do you recook it into another recipe or add to soups....????

    Thanks
    Kelley

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CrystalNovember 11, 2012 at 1:32 PM

      Kelly, I use it in casseroles, soups, chicken salad, bbq chicken sandwiches, chicken tacos, enchiladas... any type of recipe that would require cooked chicken..

      Crystal :)

      Delete
  3. MLKNovember 11, 2012 at 1:53 PM

    I just purchased 40 lbs of boneless chicken breast from Zaycon...love canned chicken!

    ReplyDelete
  4. CherylNovember 11, 2012 at 4:34 PM

    It looks good. I need to pull some chicken from our freezer and can it. We saved our old layers to can and hopefully it will be a little more tender with canning it.

    Have a wonderful day.

    ~Cheryl

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousNovember 11, 2012 at 6:27 PM

    That looks great! I really need to get motivated and do the same.

    (PS -- We tried the pepperoni bread and it was a HUGE success.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. GBabiesNovember 13, 2012 at 6:08 AM

    I was wondering if you knew if it's okay to use a regular pressure cooker for canning, or if I need a pressure canner. I have read other bloggers who say you specifically need a pressure canner. I have a Kuhn Rikon 7 quart pressure cooker and the website says that the cooker can be used for canning. Do you have any insight on this subject? I am new to canning and want to try it out in my cooker first before buying another pressure item.

    ReplyDelete
  7. LB @ Bullets And BiscuitsNovember 24, 2012 at 9:55 AM

    Thanks for the step-by-step with photos! I am a canner but water bath. I got a pressure cooker last year for Christmas but scared to death to use it, haha. I may try this but with venison. Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJanuary 10, 2013 at 8:05 AM

    Can you do this method (raw chicken) to can chicken noodle-less soup? Would there be enough broth from the chicken? Just found your site and I'm loving it! Thanks for any ideas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CrystalJanuary 12, 2013 at 8:48 PM

      Anon.. yes you could.. the only reason I did not in my post on the chicken noodle-less soup was that I wanted the chicken broth from cooking the chickens.. Crystal :)

      Delete
  9. The ScapegoatedMay 3, 2013 at 7:21 PM

    Could I do this without salt or is the salt needed? Trying to keep as much salt as possible out of my kids diet. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CrystalMay 3, 2013 at 8:20 PM

      Yes.. you can do this without the salt! :) Crystal :)

      Delete
  10. bobbiAugust 21, 2013 at 4:09 PM

    What about throwing in some celery leaves and other herbs such as rosemary, thyme, etc?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CrystalAugust 21, 2013 at 8:23 PM

      Herbs can be a tricky thing when canning.. the flavor of some herbs can really intensify during the canning process. I tend to leave it out.. things like onions and celery are typically not a problem.. Crystal :)

      Delete
  11. AnonymousSeptember 29, 2013 at 6:01 PM

    My husband canned boneless chicken thighs 3 days ago they look dark maybe black on top, are they bad?

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousFebruary 8, 2015 at 4:51 PM

    Is this edible right out of the jar.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jim BarberApril 28, 2017 at 5:48 PM

    I have been canning deer meat for the last few years. I have been cooking it at 15lbs for 25 minutes, it come out tender. I see your cooking the chicken for 75 min. Is my extra pressure the reason mine is tender with less time?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CrystalMay 15, 2017 at 8:53 PM

      Hi Jim.. according to the standard recommendations on canning meat.. pints should be canned for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes.. this is due to bacteria.. not tenderness.. botulism is a very real issue.. it is orderless and tasteless.. and deadly.. I personally would not risk my family's life over it.. so I can according to the standard recommendations .. http://www.simplycanning.com/canning-meat.html

      Delete
  14. AnonymousMay 4, 2022 at 1:06 PM

    Can you can chicken thighs with the bone and skin on?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CrystalMay 5, 2022 at 4:19 PM

      Yes! I will be having a video out soon (on my YouTube channel) canning chicken with the bone & skin on.

      Delete

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