Canning chicken at home is easier than you think and not only stocks your pantry, but can make on-the-fly meal prep even easier. Just grab a jar, pop the top, and you’re ready to add cooked chicken to your favorite recipes (like tacos, pizza, pasta, and more). Gather your pressure canner and equipment, and follow these tips for end up with jars of delicious chicken for your pantry shelf.
Our freezers are currently overflowing with our own farm-raised meat.
And even with 3 personal freezers, and one commercial freezer, there’s only so much room in there…
We’ve recently been delving deeper into raising beef cattle (it’ll be available for purchase soon, by the way!), and while I’m getting super creative in the kitchen with making short ribs recipes, beef shank recipes, and other beef cuts, there’s still a lot of beef to try squeezing into the freezers.
On top of that, we raise meat chickens (because you can’t just eat beef, you guys), so there needs to be space for the chickens in the freezer, too. And when the garden is in full-swing in the summer, I usually try to shove my produce in the freezers too, at least until I have time to can them. So I freeze tomatoes, freeze my green beans…I even freeze my peach pie filling.
I’ve canned other meat before (here are my tips on canning beef, pork, venison, or elk), but chicken is a recent addition to my home-canned meat adventures since I usually prefer to roast whole chickens. (For example, are 30+ whole chicken recipes).
That being said, if you find chicken on sale, or you have a bunch of whole chickens you need to clear out, piecing them out and canning the meat is a perfect back-up.
Here are my tips for canning chicken safely. If you follow these procedures carefully, you can stock your pantry with canned chicken that is super useful for not only emergencies, but also for quick and easy meals.
Why Canning Chicken is an Ideal Pantry Filler
- It’s a great preparedness measure for when the power goes out.
Sometimes when we lose power during one of our bajillion blizzards (Wyoming is fun like that), I get a bit nervous about how much food I preserve in the freezers.
- It’s perfect for quick and easy meals.
I’m not awesome at meal planning, and sometimes I forget to defrost stuff in time for dinner. This is one of the primary reasons I adore my pressure canner for putting up broths, beans, and meats– no defrosting required.
- It saves me freezer space.
I already mentioned this one, but it bears repeating. Anything that relieves my “freezer tetris” situation gets my vote.
A Super-Duper Very Important Warning
You must, must, must use a pressure canner if you plan on canning meat– no exceptions. Since chicken meat is a low-acid food, a regular boiling-water canner will not be able to heat it at a high enough temp to make it safe for storage.
I know pressure canners may seem intimidating at first, but they are actually simpler than you think. I have a full pressure canning tutorial here. It’ll walk you through the process, and teach you how to pressure can without blowing up your house (always a good thing).
For more details on why you need to use a pressure canner, check out my recent article on why canning safety is important.
What You Need to Know Before You Start:
Prep Work before Canning Chicken
If you are butchering your own chickens, you need to dress them out and let them chill for 6-12 hours before you start canning them (more details about that here). If you are using chicken bought from the store, they have already been dressed and chilled and are ready to go. Make sure the chicken(s) are completely thawed before you start the canning process.
Next up, decide which canning method you prefer:
1. Raw Pack or Hot Pack?
There are two options for canning meat: the raw pack or hot pack method. In the raw pack method, you put the raw chicken into a jar and process it. In the hot pack method, you cook the chicken (just a little bit) before you pack it into the jars and you also add some liquid and then process it. According to Clemson State University, both methods are fine, but the hot pack method might give you slightly better canned chicken for long storage. (source).
There is no need to pre-cook your chicken since it cooks in the pressure canner. So I personally prefer the raw pack method. However, I’ll include instructions for both canning methods below.
2. Bones in or bones out?
You get to choose if you keep the bones in or take them out before you can your chicken. This depends on if you are using a recently butchered chicken, a whole chicken from the store, or if you chose to use boneless chicken breasts or whatever else.
You can use any type of chicken parts, boneless or with bones for this canning chicken recipe.
If you choose to keep the bones in, you will have to cut the chicken pieces up before canning and make sure you can get those pieces to fit into the jars. There will also possibly be more wasted room in the jars if you keep the bones in.
If you use boneless chicken breasts or thighs from the store, you can make nice uniformed cubes of chicken for the jars. It’s up to you!
Ingredients and Equipment Needed for Canning Chicken
* TIP* Before you start, clean up your kitchen and prep the area with the proper equipment and ingredients. This the #1 thing I always do that helps to reduce stress during the canning process. 🙂
Have the following items ready-to-go before you start:
- Pressure Canner (this is the one I have and love!)
- Canning jars, lids, and rings (either quarts or pints will work)
- Canning utensils (this Lehman’s canning tool set has everything you need)
- Salt (optional: for flavor only, but I like this one)
- Chicken (bone-in or boneless, specific parts or whole chicken cut in pieces)
You can use either pints or quarts. Pint sized jars are usually the perfect amount for using in one meal, so if you don’t like the idea of leftover chicken, use pint sized jars. I personally don’t mind using quart jars and having chicken ready to use for another meal later that week. (Not to mention my kids eat a LOT of food…)
Try my favorite lids for canning, learn more about FOR JARS lids here: http://theprairiehomestead.com/forjars (use code PURPOSE10 for 10% off)
How to Can Chicken at Home
Directions:
1. Prepare Your Pressure Canner
Fill it with several inches with water, and turn the burner on low so it can begin to heat.
Check out my step by step guide to pressure canners for more instructions if you need them.
2. Prepare Your Chicken
If keeping the chicken with bones, separate the meat at the joints and make sure the pieces will fit into the jars. Cut up boneless chicken into pieces. (Remove the skin from your chicken if you like– I did.)
3. Pack into Jars
If Using the Raw Pack Method:
(Although it’s not 100% necessary, I sprinkled my raw chicken pieces with garlic powder, salt, and pepper and lightly browned them in a skillet before I packed them into my jars. They were still technically “raw”, but I wanted the finished product to have a bit more flavor and color.)
Fill the jars with the meat pieces and add salt, if desired (use 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt for pint jars, and 1 teaspoon for quart jars).
Top off with hot broth or water, leaving 1-inch headspace at the top.
If using the Hot Pack Method:
Boil, bake, to steam the chicken until it is about 2/3 done.
Fill the jars with the meat pieces and add salt, if desired (use 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt for pint jars, and 1 teaspoon for quart jars).
Top off with hot broth or water, leaving 1-inch headspace at the top.
4. Remove Air Bubbles
A plastic knife, butter knife, or canning utensil works just fine.
5. Affix the Lids
Wipe the rims of the jars to remove any residue, adjust the lids/rings (finger tight only), and process in a pressure canner as follows:
- For jars without bones (both hot and raw pack methods), process pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes
- For jars with bones (both hot and raw pack methods), process pints for 65 minutes and quarts for 75 minutes
For Dial-gauge pressure canners, process jars at 11 pounds pressure (altitudes of 0 to 2,000 ft) or at 12 pounds pressure (altitudes of 2,001 to 4,000 ft).
For Weighted gauge pressure canners, process jars at 10 pounds pressure (altitudes of 0 to 1,000 ft) or at 15 pounds pressure (altitudes above 1,000 ft).
Canning Chicken (How to do it Safely)
Canning chicken at home is easier than you think, makes meal prep a snap. Just grab a jar, pop the top, and you’re ready to add chicken to your favorite recipes (like tacos, pizza, pasta, and more).
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Category: preserving
- Method: pressure canning
- Cuisine: chicken
Ingredients
- Pressure Canner
- Canning Jars (pints or quarts)
- Chicken (both bone-in and boneless work)
- Salt (optional: for flavoring)
Instructions
- Prepare your pressure canner.
- Prepare your chicken. If keeping the chicken with bones, separate the meat at the joints and make sure the pieces fit into the jars. Cut up boneless chicken into pieces. Remove the skin from your chicken if you want.
- Raw Pack method: Fill your jars loosely with meat pieces, leaving 1 1/4 inch headspace. Sprinkle 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. salt on top of pints jars, and 1/2 – 1 tsp. of salt on quart jars, if desired. Hot Pack method: Lightly cook your chicken (you can boil or bake it). Fill your jars with lightly cooked chicken, and hot chicken broth or water, leaving 1 1/4 inch headspace. Sprinkle 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. salt on top of pint jars, and 1/2 – 1 tsp. salt on quart jars, if desired.
- Remove air bubbles from the jars with a canning utensil or a knife.
- Wipe the rims, adjust the lids/rings, and process in a pressure canner as follows: For jars without bones (both hot and raw pack methods), process pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes. For jars with bones (both hot and raw pack methods), process pints for 65 minutes and quarts for 75 minutes
- For Dial-gauge pressure canners, process jars at 11 pounds pressure (altitudes of 0 to 2,000 ft) or at 12 pounds pressure (altitudes of 2,001 to 4,000 ft). For Weighted gauge pressure canner, process jars at 10 pounds pressure (altitudes of 0 to 1,000 ft) or at 15 pounds pressure (altitudes above 1,000 ft).
Canning Chicken: Your Questions Answered
How Long Does Canned Chicken Last?
It’s recommended that most home-canned items are at their best for about 18 months. However, as long as the seals on the jars are good and they are stored in a cool, dark location, they can safely last much longer than that!
Can You Use a Water Bath Canner for Canning Chicken?
NO. Do NOT use a water bath canner for canning chicken. Chicken is a low-acid food, which is unsafe to can in a water bath canner. You MUST use a pressure canner for canning chicken. Please see my Guide to Canning Safety for more details.
How do You Use Canned Chicken?
Unlike store-bought canned chicken, homemade canned chicken is not gritty or tasteless. I even think it’s better than crockpot chicken, which can often become grainy and dry.
Instead, homemade fresh canned chicken is moist and flavorful and perfect for any meal that needs shredded chicken in it. It’s great for chicken soups, chili, enchiladas and tacos, pasta dishes, pot pies, pizzas (it’s great on my delicious homemade pizza crust), and anything else where you need cooked shredded chicken.
You don’t need to cook it again, just pop it open and it’s ready to go. Perfect for quick and easy dinners!
My Final Thoughts on Canning Chicken…
As I write this post, it feels as though the world is losing their minds buying up toilet paper and bottled water. Learning old-fashioned skills like canning and food preservation suddenly doesn’t seem so crazy, and I am hopeful that more folks will be inspired to take charge of their personal food supply.
Canning is one of the most-fulfilling homestead skills I’ve learned. If you’ve been on the fence to dive in, let this be your year, my friends.
If you’re ready to learn how to can, but never had someone show you the ropes– I’ve got you covered!
I created the Canning Made Easy system to help home-canners start preserving with confidence. This step-by-step eBook covers EVERYTHING you need to know, in a simple, non-confusing way.
Grab your copy of Canning Made Easy and start preserving your harvest today!
More Kitchen Tips:
- Cooking From Scratch When You Have Limited Time
- What’s in My Everyday Preparedness Pantry
- Homestead Kitchen Tools I Cannot Live Without
- Heritage Cooking Crash Course (learn to cook nourishing meals without spending your life in the kitchen)
Hi Jill,
I have tried canning chicken before but the results weren’t very good. I canned store bought breast cut into large pieces. It was very dry with a grainy texture and a metallic taste. My canner is just like yours. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Angela
Hey Angela- I’m sorry your first experience wasn’t good. Maybe next time try seasoning it a bit first? I have done cubed chicken breast as well, and it was really good– but I did seasoning and brown it slightly with some onions before packing in jars. I think that helps.
Angela,s chicken breast may have had what is called “Woody Breast”. Seriously. I purchased some boneless, skinless chicken breast this past summer to cook for dinner. I seasoned it and followed the cooking directions to the letter. When I took it out of the oven it was not edible. The meat was so tough and no matter how much you chewed, it would not break down. I googled something about “tough chicken breast” and came up with exactly what I was dealing with and it was called woody breast. I had never heard of it before but as I continiued to research found that it may have something to do with the way the chickens are bred/raised and the breast meat actually has knotted muscle mass that is very difficult to break down. I took the cooked along with the uncooked meat back to the store and gve the reason for the return – woody breast. The manager didn’t blink twice so apparently was familiar with the term and gave me a full refund.
Thanks for the info. I’ve never heard of this one.
Good day. I have a question. I canned my mostly cooked chicken with some jars thigh meat and some jars drum sticks bone in, so used 90 min.
However, siphoning happened in my bones jars, enough that the drum stick bone tips are out of the liquid in my sealed jar.
Is this safe to put on the shelf???
Thanks!
Yes it is still safe. I raw pack and rarely is all of my meat covered. As long as it stays sealed you are fine. The uncovered part might get a little dry or discolored but it’s fine.
We canned chicken on the farm for years and if the ends were not submerged, it didn’t seem to matter. They were preserved, and there were 10 kids and we never died.
It was so good, and also, we used water bath, canned for 4 hours, as my mom could never afford a pressure canner.
I can chicken now, and I think if your chicken is grainy, it’s cause it’s store bought chicken. Try getting fresh from a farmer, and you shouldn’t have a problem, right?
Please don’t listen to Thelma. DO NOT CAN CHICKEN IN A WATER BATH unless you want to potentially kill your family. I can’t stand it when people still say ” we are still alive” count yourself lucky and stop giving bad canning advice
AMEN!!!!
How long do you boil or cook a chicken before you can it?
Hi Jill…I’ve canned meat all day and the chicken was the last batch…it looks beautiful but even though I THOUGHT I had gotten all the bubbles out of the pint and a half jars, I am still seeing bubbles. Is it because the product is still hot from the pressure canner? The chicken was cooked in its own broth and I poured more over it with canning salt.
I’m just concerned because all the other meat didn’t do this. I did ham, pulled pork butt, sausage links, cubed up seasoned center cut pork chops and the chicken.
Hi Nancy,
I did some pressuring canning yesterday, using the same method with my chicken that you had used. All of the jars seem to have sealed. Although this morning, I am noticing some air bubbles as well as an orangey colored hue in the jars. I see that your post was written last June and was wondering if you had the chance to try your chicken and if so, how did it turn out? Looking forward to your response and have a great day! Thank you, Susan~
i grew up on home canned meats …… was raised on a farm….my belief is what you feed your meat is what will feed you! ive long been off the farm…but i do understand the “the mass production” farmer.. they have rules to and fed mandates to live by! your best bet for meat is to source from a small farmer …amish…some decient person raising food for therre family….ive been raising pork on a small scale for years!!!! unless they need an antibiotic or meds of any illness …..
Mrs. Winger, why not can GROUND chicken breast? I’ve looked it up. Says not safe..? I don’t get why. Thank you.
You might find some answers on why it is not safe from one of these resources we mention here: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2020/07/the-best-canning-resources.html
It might be for a similar reason as why you cannot can pumpkin puree (read more about that here: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/10/how-to-can-pumpkin.html)
My pressure canner gets extremely low on water when I open the canner. Do I have my heat too high. It seems like it rattles about 4 times a minute. How much water do I need?
Common causes for this is: (1) Cool Down Time – You cooled your canner or jars too quickly from the canner after processing. (2) Pressure Fluctuation and (3) Raw Pack Recipes – You are raw packing food. (That is not bad if the recipe calls for it, but it can make liquid loss more likely).
Please edit the article to remove butter knives. You should never use metallic utensils when working the air out. These can create nicks in the jar that could weaken it durring pressure canning causing them to break.
I cut the meat into 3/4″ cubes. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Brown it on medium high heat and hot pack. I add 1/4 tsp of chicken bouillon granules to the pint jars and cover with hot water. Everyone raves over it. I use it for creamed chicken, chicken pot pie, chicken salad among other things.
Thanks for the note on chicken bouillon. I always put a beef bouillon cube in a jar when doing beef or venison and it is so much better than not using them. Getting ready to do chicken and bought both chicken bouillon and broth to add…but I hadn’t seen posts about adding it…..and thinking to add a chicken bouillon cube to sausage patties when canning.
Jill, I have.turkey.frozen over a. year. Can I now pressire can it or is it too old or possibly contaminated?
Any tips you can give about cutting up a raw whole chicken? I raised meat chickens last summer for the first time but I’ve never cut up a raw one. Thanks
Look for a good youtube video and practice makes perfect.
In your article above you mention adding water or broth to the cold pack jars, but in the recipe section there is no mention of this. I thought you just needed to add liquid for hot pack meats. Can you clarify please? Thanks!
I’m wondering that too! The directions above the recipe differ on the addition of water. I now have 8 pints if raw packed chicken with liquid added and I’m worried there will be too much liquid now if I proceed!
I’ve raw packed and never added liquid. It makes it’s own.
How many lbs of boneless thighs would be required to fill 12 pint jars?
Hi , do you roast chicken pieces , thighs and drumsticks in open pans? What temperature and for how long? Thank you
Oh also , canned bone in thighs and drumsticks can they be used whole in meals or are they mainly good for recipes using the meat shredded?
This is super helpful, Kathleen! I kept looking for answers why hot pack requires water but raw pack does not. Thanks!
I’ve canned chicken breast many times, it’s been great house for many dishes so i love having it around. I never add water to the raw chicken when I can, the chicken juices come out as it cooks so the jars are full of good natural chicken broth after the canning process. You are awesome Jill, I love love love your site and your great motivational videos!!!
I never add liquid to my jars when I raw pack either.
The All American Canner is going right now with 14 quarts, this pandemic hit when my canned meat and canned bean supplies were both low. My dad has been sick since last fall, he’s doing better now and I found 30 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast to put up. That’s a lot of chicken soup and white chicken chili!
I never put water in with my raw pack chicken breast and it’s always delicious.
My mother did not have a pressure canner or electricity. She canned chicken, pork, and beef, processing it for 3 hours. If it did not seal, we ate it immediately. We never had any problems.
We always browned the meat slightly, cubed, or, in the case of chicken, pieces with bone in. We added seasoning to the jar, whatever we wished, packed it tightly and added just enough hot water to cover the meat.
It was absolutely the most tender, tasty meat ever! We loved eating it cold, in sandwiches.
Please read this article. It’s the best, most well researched I’ve ever seen on canning.
https://justplaincooking.ca/old-fashioned-canning-methods-unsafe/
I never add liquid to my raw pack chicken on the bone. Just salt. I prefer canned chicken done in this manner to be superior to any way of cooking chicken. I was taught as a child to eat the ends of the bones as they are so tender and it’s the bone broth which is also the liquid that is in the jar after processing. You can save that in the freezer until you get enough for a healthy soup or make gravy or drink warmed. Very healthy. The chicken is juicy and melt in your mouth tender. Second to my chicken is a rotisserie chicken from Walmart or Costco. Yesterday I made BBQ sauce. Today I canned chicken legs BBQ. First I did an extra step of baking for 35 minutes in in a very hot oven so a lot of the fat ran off the skins. I didn’t feel like pulling the skins off. Placed the then partially cooked pieces in the jars, added the BBQ sauce and it is in the canner as I write this. I already had many jars of plain chicken on the shelves but I wanted some BBQ and the legs were 88c lb. Had to do it.
Does the size of the jar matter? I want to can chicken breasts in half gallons jars using standard canner. Would it still be 3 hours or would it be longer? And do you add water to your jars? Thanks.
There is no approved time chart for canning meats in 1/2 gallon jars. Quarts are the largest. Sorry.
I’m super excited to try this! I often buy Kirkland (Costco) canned chicken for chicken salad and the price kills me. I got a lot of chicken breast on sale and am gonna start canning. I’ve only done green beans so wish me luck!
Maybe this is a silly question, but is it cheaper to have meat chickens and butcher them, than to cann store bought meat?
That honestly depends on so many factors. Raising your own meat comes with many expenses, not to mention having to actually raise the birds. But homegrown meat is usually far superior to store bought meat, so it really depends. Price also depends heavily on what you feed your meat birds, such as if you decide to feed them organic feed, and so on.
What about other seasonings added before canning? Such as a dry taco seasonings.
I’m going to try taco or enchiladas seasoning. I want some jars of chicken ready to use in enchiladas, tacos, or taco salad. Has anyone else tried other seasonings?
I make a homemade seasoning mix, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, paprika, lemon pepper and salt. I use equal parts of everything except the salt and double the amount of salt as the others, example each teaspoon of other things use 2 tsp salt. mix together to use to season lots of things. When canning I use 2 tsp of this mix per quart of chicken. My family loves it.
My grocery regularly has bogo sales on chicken breasts and thighs. That’s when I stock up and can cx. The meat is delish. I always add water and am curious how to use wine to change it up. Reading these comments I may try omitting the water as i expect the broth would be stronger in flavor. I’m sure it’s not as high quality as farm raised chicken but my state requires no antibiotic use on poultry so I expect the pressure canner cleans out anything unwanted.
If you are able to free range meat birds, they need a lot less feed, and are far healthier, and a lot cheaper to raise. We bought meat birds by accident (thought we were getting a dual purpose breed and they grew huge, and very quickly! The meat is delicious and tender. Best mistake ever.
thanks for your easy to follow instruction, i have done boiling but have been hesitant to try pressure, you clear up a lot of my fears thanks
I usually boil my chickens and debone them and hot pack them. It’s a long process for me, but I enjoy it. Plus I get some nummy broth to can as well. I follow the recipe to a T. No short cuts when it comes to canning. I use my meat in the chicken and rice hot dish, cornbread hot dish aka corn bread stuffing, lol and chicken noodle soup. The benefit for me is I don’t have to cook the chicken to add to this dish….I just mix it in and pop it into the oven or crockpot….easy peasy. This year each of my adult kids get a bird bc we didn’t eat it as much as we normally do. I’m hoping they realize the good, good flavor it has and want to do their own birds….
Ok, I did 20 pounds of breasts (on sale at the grocery store). 10 pounds raw and 10 pounds like you, browning a little first. They both turned out DEE-licious!! I am so so happy to have this shelf-stable and ready to go. Thanks, Jill!
Is it safe to can with garlic/onion powder?
I canned 10 pints of chicken tonight using the raw pack method. It cooked way down so that the jars are only halfway filled with meat and broth. Is it still okay? The jars are sealing up as I type this, so I’m pretty sure they are safe in that regard. I’m concerned because the headspace is now several inches instead of 1 1/4 inch.
I had the same happen to me. I was worried that the grease got under the lid and hurt the seal but I heard the lid seal.
I, like Michelle, want to know if it is safe to season the chicken with stuff other than just salt. When I precook chicken to freeze, I usually poach it a bit in white wine and sometimes add rosemary. Can I do something similar to a hot pack chicken? I see nothing anywhere about pre-seasoning canned chicken
I found your site when I was googling for the answer to a specific question – is it okay to raw pack whole chicken breasts, or it is mandatory to cut them up into chunks?
Thanks for your help with this!
You do not have to cut it up if you don’t want to – I’ve canned it both ways and it turns out great.
First time canning chicken breast in my pressure canner, is there any thing you can do to get a better taste. Ours came out tasting like tuna ?
Please help
Yes. You need to use the hot pack method. Bake or boil your chicken until it’s about 2/3 done. Put into either quart or 1 1/2 pint jars and add hot water or chicken broth. You can also add up to a teaspoon of salt depending on your preferences. Process for 90 minutes. Chicken will taste like perfectly cooked CHICKEN instead of tuna!
I just processed quart jars of raw pack chicken. 4 of the jars didn’t seal. Can chicken be re-processed and if so do you cook it for a shorter time or do you still need to do the 90 minutes. I worry that I’m gonna end up with overcooked nasty chicken if I cook it for another 90 minutes.
I’m new to canning meat but wondering if you leave bones in does that make an edible broth when you open the meat or is that just considered a brine solution?
I have grease on the top of my chicken after canning and it sat in the jars overnight, does that hurt anything?)
Can you safely can cooked shredded chicken?
I’ve lately been getting thighs on sale and pressuring them for one hour. I then de-bone them and pack the jars. This may be wrong but I’ve been processing for just 15 min as it’s previously cooked and they all seal and keep. There is an occasional one that pops later but not often. Also, I’ve been using an Instant Pot. What are your thoughts?
Processing for just 15 minutes is unsafe as is using an instant pot for canning. Please do more research and use only tested safe recipes such as from the Ball website.
hi Jim, they’re probably totally cooked and fine, and i like your thinking. i understand you’re not pressure canning in your instant pot, simply using it to cook, and then removing the bones before giving them a 15m spin in your pressure canner. however, i’d liken this to accidentally allowing the pressure to become low during the canning process. instructions i’ve seen are to stop, re-group, and start timing all over again once you’ve reached proper pressure a second time. secondly, if you cook in the instant pot for one hour, remove the bones, then pressure can for the Full recommended time, is your chicken poor quality – too mushy, etc.? once your pressure canner is locked and loaded, why not go the additional time? kind regards.
Jim,
You’re missing the point of pressure canning. The reason pressure canning is mandatory for low acid foods is that with high acid combined with boiling temp for the prescribed time- that’s enough to kill everything including botulism. With low acid foods, i.e. meats, you’re missing a component and the temp in a water bath alone isn’t enough to make your food safe. By pressure canning, not pressure cooking, you’re able to reach the necessary temperature when combined with the correct amount of time that will kill everything. So the fact that you mixed and matched pressure cooking/canning and for whatever time you felt like totally defeated the purpose of making meat shelf stable. And even though your jars sealed that does not indicate that it’s safe. Jars sealing is just a function of temperature change. It’s the sustained temp/pressure for the correct amount of time that ensures you’ve killed all the microbes. If you don’t do it hot enough or long enough the microbes can survive even in jars that seal. In fact by improperly canning a jar of meat and placing that sealed jar in your cupboard, you’ve just made the perfect environment for botulism since it’s an anaerobic bacteria. Hope this helps. Please trust and believe I wouldn’t have taken all this time to explain it if it wasn’t important. And there is more to know, so please do your research before you continue down this road.
Consult the National Center for Home Food Preservation website or the US Department of Agriculture. The method you described is not safe. Best wishes to you and happy canning.
Just recently started canning meat and I love it. I have a question on boneless skinless chicken breast I can’t seem to find and answer to. I have canned several jars with the same raw pack method you list. I want to Hot pack and leave the breast whole, or at least sliced in two for a thinner beast look. All recipes I find say to cut it up. Can I leave it whole or sliced in two and if not, why?
I leave my chicken breasts in large pieces – cut one in half and use a couple halves to fill a jar. Never an issue. I also raw pack and don’t add liquid. Hope this helps
I just realized someone else asked the same question about leaving the breast whole for raw pack and it was answered. Does that hold true for hot pack?
We followed your directions for cold packing, processed per time and pressure but a few days after the chicken sticking up out of the broth is turning very dark. Almost black in color. New jars, bands, lids. I’ve canned wild game for years, but never chicken. I must say I won’t be canning it again. Black meat says rot to me. This was a waste of money and chicken.
I canned chicken soup for the first time using the Bell canning recipe, whole chicken-made stock, strained. Took cook chicken, cubed it and re-added to stock, then added vegetables and brought to boil then simmered 30 minutes. Processed 90 minutes…well the canned results looked “off” but I followed all directions. One jar did not seal so I tried it and the flavor was “ok” but not my typical soup anymore…it was definitely overdone. I was wondering can I make a stock, then raw pack chicken (or pan sear it), add the chicken, cut up raw vegetables, then cover with strained hot stock then process for the 90 minutes so it isn’t as overcooked?
I would like to know if anyone knows a ratio to chicken meat to quarts? I have about 50 lbs of frozen raw chicken meat that I want to can. I was wondering, how many quart jars, etc I will need?
I read on another site you need around 20-30 pounds for 7 quarts. Just processed 12 meat birds, deboned the breast meat so I’m canning tomorrow.
i pull all the fat and debone the chicken for can’n but put the chicken fat skin and bones as well as the as the backs necks and even the feet in a crock pot cook on low all nigh. then i add a teaspoon of salt and pressure can the best broth around
I have a question but not about recipe. Have you or any of your followers done much canning in 4 oz jars. I have jammed/jellied myself blue. I want to can meat and veggies, but its just me now. 4oz would be an ideal serving for just me. Any advice? I’m sure Ball Bible and DOA say its a no-no. If anyone would like to comment privately, I’m on Facebook book. Rebecca Woosley, 3 ladies on my wall. TIA.
4 ounce jars are just fine to can. You always use next size up that was tested. In this case, you would can 4, 8, 12, and 16 ounce jars for the 1 PINT recommendation. Only downside is “burning thru” lots of new canning lids.
I am new at canning meats, poultry and fish. I have a pressure canner. I want to make chilis and stews, do they come out ‘soggy’?
I was terrified to try pressure canning. I am 72, but it untrue, you can teach an old dog new tricks. I am looking forward to canning chicken and ground beef tomorrow. I love your blog. Thanks so much for sharing. My plan is to can most of my meat, and fill my freezer with veggies and fruits and some meat for recipes that do better with fresh meat, like roasts, hamburgers etc. I am working on building my food storage and this has been so exciting. I conquered my fear of pressure canning and did a batch of a family favorite Kidney Bean “Dish”. Thank you! Thank you again!
I have a general question as I have some chicken and pork in the freezer that I would like to get canned up. I usually can around 40 half-pints of trout each year, and it has always turned out fabulous and never a failed seal. I recently had to purchase new lids and they were the Ball Sure Tight lids. I had never used them before because I had so many of the older ones left. Recently I canned some spaghetti sauce using the new lids, as well as pickling some Chileno peppers. Doing the seal test that I have done in the past, picking the jars up by the edges of the lid, and then just pushing up a bit against the lid, they were actually very easy to just pop off. I have never had that happen with anything I have canned before. The lids were all popped down/concave as usual. Now I am really concerned about canning the pork and chicken and having seals that are not actually as strong as they seem to have been in the past, and wasting an immense amount of meat. As I said, I can pry these lids of easily by just pulling them up with my fingers – I do get the de-vacuuming sound. How easily should this be able to be done? Is it the new Sure Tight lids. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Hello, I am new to canning and just realized I made a mistake. I pressure canned four quarts of boneless chicken at 75 min instead of 90 two days ago. Is there any saving that chicken or should I just throw it away? It sealed and looks fine so I’m going crazy trying to find answers.
Oh can I relate to this! I just canned 8 jars of rawpacked boneless chicken breasts at 65 minutes instead of 75. They all sealed, and look fine but I am so hesitant to keep them. Ugh. Anyone here know if this is okay?! Kicking myself. Good luck, Lisa. I hope someone out there can alleviate our concerns one way or the other!
I think the ball canning cookbook says to pressure quarts for 75 minutes. I think you’re fine.
My questions is: can you restart pressuring your jars, i had to turnoff the stove in the middle of the process, and the pressure went down to zero. But they jars are still in the canner. Help!!
I remember reading that if your pressure or temperature goes too low, you need to bring it back to the right pressure, then begin the timing again. I’m sure my answer is too late now!!!!
I see your liquid level is down below your 1″ headspace. This is called siphoning when you lose liquid. What causes this is too great a change in pressure. I have found in my Presto canner that once the steam has vented for 10 minutes and I add my weight and wait for the weight to start rocking. If I slowly lower the temperature I do not get siphoning. The other part of this is to slowly reduce the temperature in the canner by, once the safety value drops, to wait 10 minutes before opening the lid. Then open the lid briefly, set lid down to slowly allow steam to leave the pot. I usually wait 5 minutes before repeating the steam release by lifting the lid. Of course always away from you. Then I remove the lid and allow the jars to set in canner another 10 to 15bminuts before removing the jars from the canner to a towel on the corner. This method will keep your liquid at the 1″ headspace. Happy canning!!
Just curious why is the bone in is a shorter processing time than the boneless?
The bone conducts heat to the center of the meat and assists in cooking. This is why when baking a chicken or Turkey they tell you to insert the meat thermometer in a thick piece where it doesn’t touch the bone, because it can give you a false high reading.
Can you can marinated chicken? I’ve canned with just seasonings, but never with a sauce.
Hi. We’re truckers with a dog who happens to be allergic to almost all brands of dog food, so I end up making my own. She can have chicken so we go thru lots of chicken!!! Unfortunately, trying to carry jars of canned chicken in the tractor is not an option. So, we have the food saver system. Can I use this system to can the chicken in my pressure canner? I’ve asked this question on every meat canning site I’ve come across during my research and no one has responded to date. Any advic?
I’m pretty new to pressure canning and when I couldn’t find an answer on something specific I turned to my local extension office. They were very helpful. The person I reached was very experienced but didn’t know the answer so she said let me ask someone more experienced. They called me back with the answer and she even said, wow thanks for calling, I learned something new I can do also. Maybe yours could help you too? Best of luck. I know how frustrating it is when you can’t get an answer.
hi lynn,
given that you’re over the road, also refrigerator space may be at a premium, have you thought about freeze dried raw foods? easy to transport, fabulous for allergies, just add a little water! 🙂 or do this in combination with your meat diet. PS i healed a dog’s allergies by changing to Orijen/Acana brand. they’re not perfect, none of them are, but this worked!. also, you can review problematic ingredients in dog foods on dogfoodadvisor.com highly recommend that site. also, if you feed raw, they need 80% muscle meat, 10% bones (uncooked), and 10% organ meat (with bone marrow qualifying as organ meat). and wild game or pasture raised / grass fed would be better. in your circumstance i can see these lightweight bags of freeze dried dog food making your life a Lot easier. dog food advisor may be able to help choose the best brands, too. i have used stella and chewy’s brand, and my dog loved it.
the jar pumps that come with the food saver system are not pressure canning, only removing some air, so they’re not an option for preserving raw food or cooked food. i think where they shine is for foods you open often, leave out on the counter, and want to keep under seal, like how cornflakes can become stale easily.. they’d keep a little longer if you used this food saver attachment to seal the jar lid on them. i hope you enjoy your dog, and her allergies are gone forever. 🙂
Jill,
I just pressure canned raw chicken in quart jars and accidentally only cooked them for 75 minutes (1 hour 15 min) instead of 90 min (1 hour 30 min). I basically am used to cooking with pint sized jars and did not realize I needed to cook the longer with a quart size. Do you think the chicken will still be okay for storage? I ended up cooking it at higher pressure most of the time due to my stove setting.
Did you ever find out the answer to your question? I just did the same thing so hoping to find out if it’s going to be good to eat or if I need to throw it away. Thanks!
WOndering what the answer was to adding liquid to the raw pack chicken? Add it or not ?
8 pints of thighs started in the canner now. Raw packed and topped up with broth made with bouillon paste so no additional salt added. Hope this comes out well.
Raw packed thigh cubes up to 1-1/4″ headspace, then filled with broth up to 1″ headspace – worked just fine. No siphoning and all 8 jars sealed perfectly. The meat shrunk more than I thought it would so I will par-cook it next time to get a better final yield per jar. Next up, a 20 lb. turkey sitting in my freezer. 🙂
Follow up – I raw packed the turkey last weekend. I canned the white and dark meat separately and discovered that while both were raw packed the same way – 1-1/4? headspace with cubed meat, then topped up with broth to 1? headspace, the dark meat shrunk a little more because it gave up the fat within. So there’s the difference between white and dark meat final apparent yields. The total yield from an 18.5lb label weight whole turkey with neck and giblets was 6 pints of white meat, 4 pints of dark meat and 3 quarts of gelatinous bone broth. I used my pressure cooker to make the broth and I let it go for 90 minutes at 15 psi. I did hold back enough white meat (another pint’s worth?) and a little broth to make open faced hot turkey and gravy sandwiches for the two of us since we had the house smelling like Thanksgiving already and couldn’t resist. The dog got about a cup of the broth too since she had been patiently watching and waiting.
Can you pack the raw chicken in cold jars or do they need to be heated first?
I put the cold jars into an unheated canner, then bring up the temperature of everything together on medium heat with the lid just sitting on top. It takes longer to warm up, but that’s the perfect time to clean up the kitchen. I had some jars leak the first time I tried it, so now I double check the bands and make sure they’re still snug before locking the lid and purging the air. Easy to do if you have a single layer of jars, with a double layer, it’s doable but not as easy.
Jill,
Do you put the onions in the canning jar with the chicken after you quickly brown it?
I pressure canned some shredded chicken from the refrigerator that I cooked the day before. I packed the jars and filled with hot water. Did I goof up? Is that ok?
I think you can pressure can cooked chicken, however, it might be more tough that way. I suggest double-checking by looking at some other safe canning resources for a safe canning chicken recipe: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2020/07/the-best-canning-resources.html
I’ve now canned the chicken and I see that they’ve produced their own liquid that has turned gelatinous. Is that normal? What do I do with the gel when I open the jars?
That’s the gelatin/collagen from the cooking and simmering of the bones. You can skim off the fat before canning and afterwards, when you want to use the meat.
Love this! I’ve been canning for years and just moved up to Big Bear Lake. I’m about 7500’ up in the sky. Do you have times for this altitude?
I’ve given up on baking up here , lol! It’s horrendous- I refuse to give up on canning. Just need to know how long to process the quarts at this elevation.
Thank you for the recipe and all the good information. I wish I would have had this info. when I started many moons ago.
You’ll find some great altitude adjustment info here: https://extension.sdstate.edu/altitude-adjustments-home-canning
We are so glad you are enjoying Jill’s materials!
Hi, thank you Jill for all of your information. My question, when you can bone-in chicken, is there a greater nutritional value? Like from bone marrow.
Thank you, Connie