# What is your favorite way to can poultry?



## backtocolo (May 1, 2012)

We have done it a variety of ways. Browning and adding stock. Boiling it in broth for a couple of minutes before jarring. Cold packing with water. Raw chicken with just a pinch each of salt and pepper. 

We prefer just the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper. 

What about you?


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## netskyblue (Jul 25, 2012)

I roast it, shred it, and can it in chicken broth. I typically don't add salt, as I salt whatever I'm using the chicken in.


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## bunnyman1 (Aug 1, 2008)

We do the same as netskyblue except we cook the chicken on top of the stove. I usually forget to add salt to the jars but it works out fine...just salt it when I use it.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

I raw pack with just a little bit of salt for plain chicken. I also make broth with the necks, backs, and non-meaty wings. Then, when I can the broth, I pull the cooked meat off of the backs and wings and can it with broth. It's great to use for chicken noodle soup. Since I also can diced carrots, green beans, corn, and diced tomatoes, soup is a very quick meal!

I just wanted to add that I don't add any water to the jars when I can raw chicken.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I drop it in the jar raw, add a pinch of salt, and cover with water. I shred it when I open it for whatever I am making.


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## Jeepgirl86 (May 18, 2012)

I bake a few chickens, pick them when cool, put in jars with boiling water or broth and then whatever I have left over I make enchiladas with. lol


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## MichaelK! (Oct 22, 2010)

I debone the carcass, using the bones to make stock. I then cold pack cubes of raw meat into jars and process with the broth I've made.

As I debone the chicken, I'll refrigerate the meat while I'm making stock. I'll fry the bones in hot oil to brown them, adding an onion and maybe a pepper if I've got one around. I then add water and bring to a slow simmer. I'll toss in a carrot/celery/spinach to enrich the broth. After it's simmered for a few hours, I'll fish out the bones and gleen off any remaining meat.

Sometimes I just used the chicken meat straight for stir-fry, or freeze the remainder in a ziplock bag. If I do that, I'll just can the broth by itself. That gets used for the base for risotto, tamale pie, or other broth requiring dishes.


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## Leister Square (Feb 7, 2010)

I do like Mekasmom does. Raw, salt or not, no broth or water in the jar. Makes its own. But use wide mouth as the jar acts like a glass casserole dish and just won't come clean without a good scrubbing with a green thingie. That's hard to do with a regular mouth jar, believe me!
edited to say: The chunks of chicken can be shreaded or even baked or fried if you leave them large enough. They hold together nicely.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

I also can the meat raw, with a little salt and no liquid, in widemouths. If I'm canning left-over cooked meat, then I'll add broth because it needs it.

I tend to can whole boneless breasts (trimmed to fit in the jar), and whole thighs & legs bone-in. I also leave the skin on, it feels nasty afterwards so the pets get it, but it does keep the meat very moist and tasty.

I also boil down the carcasses and the trimmed pieces, then can up half as stock (with meaty bits).and half as broth (clarified stock). I also do a few cans of wings that I've browned in the oven and packed in buffalo hot sauce.


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## Karenrbw (Aug 17, 2004)

I buy 10 pound bags of leg quarters when they go on sale for $4.00. I can get a full load of quarts from a bag (7 quarts). I put all the chicken in a stock pot and cover with water, add salt and pepper and cook until the chicken is done. Debone, remove skin, skim fat. Divide chicken between 7 quart jars, add 1 cup chopped carrots, 1/2 cup chopped celery, cover with stock from cooking. 90 minutes at 10 pounds. If I have excess broth left, I save a little bit of chicken and can pints with a small amount of chicken.


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## flowergurl (Feb 27, 2007)

How many chicken breasts fit in a quart size jar on average? I know the size of them varies. It is just DH and I. I was wondering if I should use quarts or pints for chicken breasts.
How long does chicken canned like this still good for?


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I cook it, pull off the bone, and then can it with a pinch of salt.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

flowergurl said:


> How many chicken breasts fit in a quart size jar on average? I know the size of them varies. It is just DH and I. I was wondering if I should use quarts or pints for chicken breasts.
> How long does chicken canned like this still good for?


Good rule of thumb is a pound is a pint. I can generally fit:
2-3 whole boneless breasts with the tenders in a pint
3-4 bone-in breast in a quart
4-5 boneless breasts with the tenders in a quart
Half a broken-down chicken with bones in a quart
Half a deboned chicken in a pint
A whole deboned chicken in a quart

You can fit a little more boneless meat in when you cut it into slices or cubes, but not that much more. These are normal-sized breasts, about 6 oz each, from normal-sized fryer/broiler chickens about 3-4# (mature chickens are a bit larger depending on breed).

A cup is a good portion-size estimate, and since it's just the two of us, I tend to can primarily in pints and half-pints... quarts are better for families.

Home-canned chicken, processed and stored properly, is usually good for 1-2 years. If the seal is unbroken, the chicken will be edible longer than that; but the flavor, texture, appearance and nutritional value will begin to degrade.


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## flowergurl (Feb 27, 2007)

Excellent Plickety Cat, that's just what i needed to know. Thanks!


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## jmtinmi (Feb 25, 2009)

PlicketyCat said:


> Good rule of thumb is a pound is a pint. I can generally fit:
> 2-3 whole boneless breasts with the tenders in a pint
> 3-4 bone-in breast in a quart
> 4-5 boneless breasts with the tenders in a quart
> ...


I use boneless/skinless breast and cut them into chunks. I put the jar on a food scale and zero out (tare) the weight. Then I fill the jar to 12 ounces.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

flowergurl said:


> How many chicken breasts fit in a quart size jar on average? I know the size of them varies. It is just DH and I. I was wondering if I should use quarts or pints for chicken breasts.
> How long does chicken canned like this still good for?


 
I purchased split chicken breasts for $1.29/lb this week. Each breast averaged 1 1/2 lb. I figured (spelling?) 2 breasts to a quart. Even if I could get more in the jar, why? There are only two of us, so 3 lbs. is a lot of chicken. The doggies get the leftovers.

The chicken will be good for _years,_ I'd say at least 5 years_._


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Since we don't have a refrigerator for leftovers, I try to can everything in single-meal portion sizes for one or two people. And since our cabin is small, I can in the smallest jars to fit those portions so I don't waste space in the pantry. So most of my canning is in wide mouth pints and half-pints. I save quarts for things that don't need refrigeration when opened, like pickles and dry goods.

I used to can in quarts a lot because that's what I had I learned; but I soon discovered that I was feeding at least half a jar to the dog so it wouldnt' go to waste. While that may save us a bit in dog food, it was costing us more overall. It was more cost effective to use smaller jars for the people food and then can up the scraps and less desirable bits for the critters separately.


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