# Preparing poultry stock for pressure canning



## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

Hi Guys, 

I am preparing my turkey/chicken stock for pressure canning (first time), and I'm finding that it's impossible to get every tiny little fleck out of the stock. (We have no cheesecloth, nor can we find any in any stores in town) I have strained it through a fine mesh strainer several times. 

What do you do when you are canning stock? Do you worry about the teeny tiny little pieces?


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Do you have any flour sack towels? You can find those just about anywhere and they work just as well as cheese cloth.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I wouldn't worry too much about those microscopic teeny tiny pieces of meat.

I have used coffee filters to strain things in the past, such as filtering cooking oil. It's slow going, but it will work.

You can also use a piece of old pillowcase or some such.

Regarding cheese cloth, any paint store, or any place that sells furniture refinishing supplies will have it.


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## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

Walmart has cheesecloth. In the paint dept. Also has muslin and the flour sack tea towels mentioned. So does Ace Hardware. Got one of those? I try to get as much as possible out. If I can see it it needs to be removed.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

I just use a fine mesh strainer and it works fine for me.


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## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

We live in a Wal-Mart-less town, the grocery store didn't have any and the hardware store was closed... did another pass with the strainer before jarring it up. I wish I had thought of the towels! DH and I did not have a smooth first time with the pressure canner, but I think it turned out all right.


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## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

Of course NOW I am paranoid because there is sediment at the bottom of the jars, and the tops look a little cloudy. There is a thin layer of fat that didn't get strained out. Ah, the joys of first time pressure canning. I remember being paranoid like this when I first started with the boiling water bath stuff. 

My fellow canners, what does your broth look like when it sits on the shelf?


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

Mine has fine sediment on the bottom and a thin layer of fat on the top and it is a golden color in between.


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

blynn said:


> My fellow canners, what does your broth look like when it sits on the shelf?


We canned 18 pints of chicken broth yesterday. Here's one of them.


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## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

Well mine looks pretty much like yours Country Lady, except it looks like some of the fat is sliding down the side of the jar on the inside. :?:

I love when people post pictures of their canned goods. Always such a lovely sight! Thanks jamala and Country Lady for answering my question.


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

blynn said:


> it looks like some of the fat is sliding down the side of the jar on the inside. :?:
> 
> 
> > I think you are absolutely right. Some fatty skin had gotten in with the bones I'd been saving this time and I had a time getting it all out. I told DH, whenever we know we'll be using this batch to put a jar in the fridge prior to using it and drain it through the mesh strainer. My next batch, I'll make sure I use bones only. Isn't it fun canning the broth?


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Is the fat bad to have in the canned broth? I just got a pressure canner for Christmas and haven't used it yet, but planned on doing broth. The fat is where the flavor is, but I guess I'm concerned that it could create a problem.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

It's not a problem unless you're trying to make "fat-free" stock. When the stock is heated it's hard to see the fat until after it has been processed and has cooled. If you don't want it in the stock it's easy enough to remove when you open the jar.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

The last broth I canned I did not strain it. It made really good soup. I left the tiny pieces of meat in. It also had tiny pieces of garlic and onion. YUM.


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## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

How long did you process it for, Ruby? 

County Lady- I mean my stock looks like there is fat running down the inside of the jar, yours looks really nice!


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

blynn said:


> How long did you process it for, Ruby?
> 
> County Lady- I mean my stock looks like there is fat running down the inside of the jar, yours looks really nice!


Well, I'm not Ruby, but I can answer your question.

If you do not strain the meat out of the stock, process pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes at 10 lbs pressure. If you are above 1000 ft., process at 15 lbs.

What you are seeing as "fat running down the inside of the jar", is probably not fat at all, but collegen or protein from the meat. Fat will not run down the inside of the jar, but will float because it is lighter than the stock.


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## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

Hmm. Well, I strained mine with a fine mesh strainer, but not with cheesecloth. I did process for 20 minutes at 15 lbs pressure. Think it'll be okay, or did I spoil the broth?


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I think you are just fine. Enjoy your stock.

I save all my chicken bones after dinner each time and store in the freezer. Yesterday I got out all the bones and my 16 qt. stockpot and made stock. I added 2 1/2 gallons of water, a bunch of carrots, celery, onions (and peels), and a small bunch of peppercorns. Brought this to a very low boil, turned down the heat to a bare simmer and left it to go all night. Of coarse, it was 10 pm by then. I got up this morning at 5 a.m. turned off the stock and started removing the bones and veggies. I have the stock on the back porch cooling and took the meat that was left and veggies and the bones and canned it in quarts for the doggies (a tiny shi-tzu and a Siberian Husky). I had more bones than I needed, so I stuck the extras in the fridge. I know you aren't suppose to give chicken bones to dogs, but that is because they splinter so badly, but when you can them they turn out very soft. Doggies like calcium, too. Waste not, want not.

I should get about 15-18 pints of stock.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I think you did just fine. Enjoy your stock.


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## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

There's no telling how many gallons I've canned and consumed over the years and I've never used more than the average kitchen strainer. In fact I'm prone to sieving some of the celery & onions through the strainer prior to canning. I do seem to recall an issue about fat insulating against heat so I make lower (Not low) fat stock now.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

I did can in quarts at 90 minutes. I guess I did good because we've already used it all and did not die. LOL


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## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

Thanks, I feel less paranoid now.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

I normally strain through fine mesh. Let it sit to cool and settle, lift of the hardened fat layer, and then carefully ladle out the "clear" broth from the middle, and use the broth with the sediment on the bottom for my canned soups. My clear broth jars usually have a micro layer of fat at the top and sediment at the bottom (like 1/32 of an inch), and about 1/2 of gelatin on the top if I used a lot of bones and "parts" making the stock... but I usually try to save those for actual gelatin.

I also vote for using muslin, flour sack towels, old sheets (no fabric softener!!) and coffee filters in lieu of cheesecloth if you can't find it when you need some.


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