How to Can Venison

Venison refers to meat from the deer family and includes meat from both wild and farmed deer. As venison is lower in fat than beef or pork, it has seen a rise in popularity over the last few years. Canning venison provides one way of preserving the meat for consumption later. Some people like this method as the meat then does not need to be frozen.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Canning jars with lids
• Canner or pressure cooker

1. Collect as many pint or quart canning jars as you want to make up. You'll also need lids for the jars and a canner or pressure cooker. The amount of jars needed depends on the size of the deer and your own preferences. You may want to can only some of the meat and use other methods for the rest.
2. Choose whether you want to use a raw pack or a hot pack. The procedure is different for each method but both work well so it's really individual preference. Whichever you decide, cut the venison into 1-inch cubes and trim any fat off.
3. Loosely pack the venison into the can if you wish to use a raw pack. Put in ½ teaspoon of salt for each pint, but do not use any liquid. Pack the meat to about 1 inch from the top of the can.
4. Partially cook or brown the venison if you want to do a hot pack. Add the meat to the jars and then add ½ teaspoon salt per pint and fill the jar up to the last inch with boiling water, broth, or tomato juice. Be sure to get the air bubbles out of the mixture.
5. Clean the top of the jar off with a clean cloth before placing the lid on them. This helps to ensure a clean fit and also seals the lid properly.
6. Follow the manufacturer's directions for your canner. Generally, you'll place several inches of water in the canner. Adjust the canning time for altitude and process for the recommended amount of time for the meat and size of jars.

Tips & Warnings

• If the jar doesn't seal, you can either refrigerate and use the meat or you can try to reprocess the meat within 24 hours.
• Some people like to add pepper or fat to the jars of venison. Look at a few recipes and decide which one seems best for you. If you do multiple batches, you could try a different recipe for each to test them out.