I Canned Chicken

There is this company around here that you can get really great prices on boneless skinless chicken breasts. The downside to it is that they come fresh and in 40 pound boxes that you have to deal with right now. Last year I bought 80 pounds and it took us the whole year to use it. So, I figured this year I would replace the 80 pounds and buy an extra 40 and try to pressure can it.

Yah, I haven't really canned anything before. I did do butter after watching a homemaking meeting on it, and it was really easy. But with chicken, we are talking germs and raw meat and all kinds of scary stuff that can kill a family. And then add in a pressure cooker and there is all kinds of stuff I wouldn't normally consider even touching with a ten foot pole. This is all new territory for me.

I have this problem. I can't be defeated. I want to be able to do anything that I want to do. And I wanted to learn how to can chicken because it is something I didn't know how to do. 

So, I got my hands on a pressure canner. Grabbed all those jars that my mom had given me. Cleaned it all up. Got the 120 pounds of chicken, threw 80 of it in my freezer, and then loaded about 19 jars with the remaining 40 pounds of chicken. All the little tidbits and fat that was cut off the chicken I put into a large stock pot with onions, carrots, and celery, and let that bad boy boil for several hours. I made my own broth! I know broth is better if it is made from boiled bone, but I didn't have any of that available. And I was grateful for that because I don't like to deal with the bone. I also canned broth! 

I took those 19 jars of raw chicken, 15 jars of broth, put the boiled lids on top, screwed the bands on the jars, and placed 7 at a time into the pressure cooker with some water.

 Then I turned up the heat, let the pressure dial get to 11, and 90 minutes later turned off the heat, let the pressure come completely off, and wha la! I had canned chicken.

 I never knew it could be that simple. It took a lot of time, but so simple.

I have already used it in 2 meals and it was so easy. It made throwing together a last minute supper almost as easy as throwing in a frozen pizza. I LOVE having canned chicken on hand. And it tastes pretty good too. I wish I had only thrown 40 pounds into my freezer and canned 80. I love the convenience of having the chicken already done and how it literally falls apart to the touch.

Here is a label that was on one of the jars I got from my mom. Looks like my Gramps, who passed away shortly before Taneal was born, used these jars to can jelly. So cool!