Canning Venison

Cubed and Raw Pack

Canning Venison is so easy I wish I had started years ago. These directions will also work for canning meats such as beef, elk, pork or venison.

The first time I tried canning venison I could not believe it was so easy. I thought surely there was something I am missing. Nope, nothing missing. Our meat tasted great!

Any meat must always be processed in a pressure canner.

Your shelves are full of canning jars with ground or cubed elk.... what do you do with it? Make supper of course!

Click here for information on cooking with home canned wild meats.

How to can venison

< Gather your canning supplies

pressure canner
canning jars
canning seals and rings
jar lifter
canning funnel
bowls
large spoons
sharp knife
towels and dish cloths

Ingredients

Venison (or other meat specified above)
canning salt

Procedure

Cut away any bruised areas, gristle, and excess fat. (If you are lucky enough to have any fat on your deer)

Slice across the grain into strips about 1 inch thick.

Then cut into chunks the size you desire. You can divide into lengths to fit your jar, or cut into cubes.

My kids all help in processing our meat. Here my 6yo is cubing meat for canning. And yes, he is closely monitored of course.

Pack into hot jars, leaving 1-inch head space. canning venison

Add canning salt if desired. I've seen it recommended that you add 2 tsp per quart. I tend to like to only lightly salt our meat. I only use 1 tsp per quart. Do not add liquid! This was the hardest part for me to get. You really don't add liquid. The meat will produce its own juice.

Sometimes this juice will not fill the jar or completely cover the meat. That is ok.

You'll notice in the picture at the top of the page, one jar has more juice than the other. These jars were packed identical and were in the same canner load. That is just how it came out.

If you are concerned about this try looking at canning venison hot pack directions. You'll get a more consistent appearance with more liquid in the jars with that method.

Wipe the rims of your jars clean.

Place the warmed lids and screw bands on finger tight.

Place jars in your preheated pressure canner. Do your best to make sure the jars are not touching each other. For my canner this is a tight fit so sometimes it takes a little maneuvering.

Follow pressure canning instructions using the processing times below.

Don't forget to adjust the pressure requirements for your elevation.

Process

Process
Quarts - 1 hour 30 minutes
Pints - 1 hour 15 minutes

Adjustments for Pressure Canner
Altitude in Feet	Dial Gauge Canner	Weighted Gauge Canner
0-1000	10	10
1001-2000	11	15
2001-4000	12	15
4001-6000	13	15
6001-8000	14	15
8000-10,000	15	15