Pressure Canning Venison - Lessons Learned

hodgeman

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Joined
Mar 4, 2012
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Delta Junction, AK
Im interested in trying this as I have about 20 lbs of "grinding meat" in the freezer. When you say you use it in place of ground, do you think its better than grinding or do you guys do this because you dont have a grinder? With a grinder you will yield quite a bit more because of the added fat. interested in some opinions on this vs grinding?

It's not a replacement for ground meat, but it's nice to have some venison on hand that doesn't require defrosting and is shelf stable. I don't prefer it over ground in some things (spaghetti for example) but you can make some tasty dishes fast. You can make soup or stew in less than 1/2 hour. Really good in camp in the fall before you get the fixings for liver and onions or tenderloins!
 
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
82
It's not a replacement for ground meat, but it's nice to have some venison on hand that doesn't require defrosting and is shelf stable. I don't prefer it over ground in some things (spaghetti for example) but you can make some tasty dishes fast. You can make soup or stew in less than 1/2 hour. Really good in camp in the fall before you get the fixings for liver and onions or tenderloins!
I have even been known to open a jar and eat a bit with a fork as a snack.
 

4ester

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Nov 2, 2014
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Steep and Deep
Canned Vension is some great stuff. I will agree on the cold packing, as cooking it twice tends to dry it out. We do some as stew meat, which is great for stews, BBQ, etc. The rest we just cold pack ground meat, which makes it super convenient for tacos.

Glad to hear so many still pressure can. It's kinda a lost art.


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bwlacy

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Joined
Feb 11, 2015
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424
Location
West Michigan
Here is a photo of the cold pack recipe after it is done. It doesn't look the most appetizing, but it's really good. There is some shrinkage, but it isn't too bad. The jar in the photo is a pint jar. I don't have any first hand experience with quart jars.

View attachment 47688

Looks the same to me as the ones I hot pack. I'll be trying the cold pack method this weekend probably. I have the last batch of meat that I want to can this year.
 
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mmccolloch

Lil-Rokslider
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Oct 11, 2015
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Looks the same to me as the ones I hot pack. I'll be trying the cold pack method this weekend probably. I have the last batch of meat that I want to can this year.

Let us know how it turns out!
 

Bulldawg

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Aug 8, 2014
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Minnesota
So how long have you guys stored canned meat before eating it? I just found some long lost jars and I'm wondering if they could be good for this long


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Joined
Jan 23, 2014
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805
Location
Wisconsin
Last year I canned venison for the first time. Did the hot pack method, mainly because that is the way that the couple that was helping me does it. Put in a few gloves of fresh garlic in each jar and it is very good. I have eaten it straight out of the jar. I really did not have enough this year to can. Next year I plan to take a few extra animals just to can.

Has anyone tried to can a whole roast? That is what we eat the most of, and I would hate to lose all of them if the freezer goes out.

Could ground meat be canned, I am guessing it would have to be cold canned? Would it still be cooked to much?
 

Hayguide

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Nov 2, 2016
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107
Location
Hayward Wisconsin
We have canned Venison for many years, this year we tried using the same method- but with Geese. It turned out great, its very tasteful and actually a little hard to tell from the venision- best geese I have ever had- and I wasn't real fond of goose until this canned stuff hit my plate-awesome is all I can say- try it.
 

bwlacy

WKR
Joined
Feb 11, 2015
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424
Location
West Michigan
I did 7 quarts today with the cold pack method. All sealed and look good. There is a little more head space in the finished jars than the hot pack. It was a lot faster and easier that is for sure. Haven't eaten any yet. Later in the year we'll see how it tastes compared to the hot pack, if there is any difference.
 

Agross

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Jan 25, 2017
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Michigan
My wife and I started canning venison about six or seven years ago. Turned out excellent and we do it every year now. We use it for several things. Regular BBQ sandwiches, enchiladas, burritos, mix it with beef gravy and homemade noodles(delicious), or just put it on mashed potatoes and pour on some beef gravy. We have always cold packed it, until this thread I didn't know there was any other way. We chunk up the meat, add some onion and sometimes a little garlic or jalapeño peppers , and then put some suet on top before canning. Turns out great. So easy to just grab a jar and make something quick that tastes great. I gave my last two jars from last year to my father inlaw for his deer camp this year, he was blown away, loved it, and then asked exactly how to make it.
 
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