I will NOT go into how to butcher your deer. Part of having tasty wild game is proper preparation of the meat Great Venison Cooking has some video tutorials on field dressing and quartering your deer.

If you have your meat butchered commercially, check with your butcher and let them know how much of it you would like cubed. Or just have it processed into roasts. See if you save on processing costs by cutting it up yourself.

My husband and sons butcher our deer with me helping as a wrapper and canner.

For us, doing it ourselves saves on costs and we know just what we are getting and how our meat is handled.


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.

Prepare

• pressure canner
• canning jars
• canning seals and rings
• jar lifter
• canning funnel
• large pot or blancher to cook beets
• 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.

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

More Canning Meat Recipes

Venison Ground
Venison-hot pack
Venison - raw pack
Chicken
Homemade Chicken Broth
Homemade Chicken Soup
Fish
Smoked Fish

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