Deer season is almost a statewide holiday in my home state of West Virginia. School and stores are closed, and local news is atwitter. Forget Thanksgiving, when school lets out on the Friday before Thanksgiving Break, the students aren’t talking about how much turkey they will eat. They’re buzzing with excitement for the beginning of deer season. Heck, our school even has camo day on that Friday! It’s a time to spend with family in the outdoors, embracing traditions of the past. An important part of that tradition is preserving the harvest, and one of the easiest and most effective ways I know is canning venison, or as the old-timers here say, “put it up in jars.” Here’s my simple time-tested way of canning venison.
Why Bother Canning Venison?
Wouldn’t it be much easier just to pack it up and freeze it? Well, there are several benefits of canning venison. First of all, you don’t have to worry about your freezer failing during a summer storm and losing all of your harvest. I learned this lesson the hard way after the derecho of 2012. The power went out for over a week all over the state, and many folks lost their deer meat. I was one of those, and boy was I thankful for my canned venison!
The second benefit is that the meat comes out fully cooked and with a delightful texture. It’s almost as if you spent all day roasting it to tender perfection. I find that with the addition of a few spices, the gamey taste is diminished. Canned venison is perfect for recipes requiring shredded beef. My family prefers the flavor and texture of canned venison over frozen venison.
Last of all, I think you’ll be surprised at how simple it is to can venison. The first time I tried it, I was surprised as well. You can raw-pack venison, which means you don’t even need to add water or broth to the jars. Basically, just stuff the jars with meat, screw on the lids, and put them in the pressure canner! It’s that easy!
What Are the 5 Steps to Canning Venison?
1. Prepare the Venison
Start by selecting whole muscle meat with little fat or gristle. If any fat or gristle is present, be sure to remove it. Chop the venison into half-inch cubes.
2. Prepare the Canner and Canning Jars
Wash and sterilize your canning jars. I find the easiest way to sterilize is to pop them in the dishwasher on the “sterilize” setting. Put lids in a warm water bath to soak until they are needed. Gather up enough rings for all of your jars.
Fill your pressure canner about halfway with water, then put it on the stove over medium-high heat to boil.
3. Add Venison to Canning Jars
Add venison cubes to canning jars, leaving one inch of headspace. You can add salt or other seasonings at this stage. I like to add a little bit of canning salt and black pepper to mine.
4. Seal with Lids and Rings
Remove bubbles, and wipe the rims with a clean towel. Place a lid on each jar, rubber side down, and secure with a ring. Do not over-tighten the rings!
5. Process Jars
Place filled jars on a rack and lower into the warmed and prepared pressure canner. Place lid on the pressure canner, and seal. Wait until you see steam, then place the proper weight on. Make sure to adjust for altitude; you can find a chart below.
Process pints for 1 hour 15 minutes, or quarts for 1 hour and 30 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure. When timer is up, DO NOT REMOVE WEIGHTS! You must wait for the pressure to reach zero before removing any weights. Please do not try to speed up the cooling process. This can result in poor seals or even cracked jars!
When pressure returns to zero, carefully remove weights and open lid away from you. The hot steam can cause burns. Carefully remove the jars and place them on a kitchen towel or rack to cool. Listen for the “pop” sound that indicates a jar has sealed. Discard any jars that do not seal after jars have cooled.
Altitude Adjustments
Altitude–Weighted Gauge
0-1,000 ft. — 10 lbs.
1001-8,000 ft. — 15 lbs.
Altitude–Dial Gauge
0-2,000 ft. — 11 lbs.
2,001-4,000 ft. — 12 lbs.
4,001-6,000 ft. — 13 lbs.
6,001-8,000 ft. — 14 lbs.
Canning Venison Tips and Tricks
- This canning method works not only for venison, but also for beef, lamb, mutton, pork, and veal!
- Label your jars with the contents and the date it was processed, to help with organization.
- You can make a variety of meals quickly and easily if you have a jar of canned venison! It lends itself nicely to everything from enchiladas and tacos to sloppy joes and chili. Check out my recipe for venison enchiladas!
You can find my venison enchilada recipe here
Have You Tried Canning Venison?
Leave a comment below and let me know how you like it! What kind of things do you make out of canned venison meat? Let us know in the comments below!
