# Canning without Liquid



## MahemMary (Mar 22, 2006)

Has any one canned meat with out liquid (in the jar)? - in other words just the meat. I think the term is dry canning.


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Most beef canning recipies for raw pack do not say to add liquid.

My experience with beef from the freezer is that some liquid needs to be added so that the product is covered with liquid after the canning process.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

I never add liquid when I can fresh meat


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Would canning deer be done as beef? Dry?


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Yes..


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

I've done beef and chicken. Both make a bit of broth as they cook.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

MahemMary said:


> Has any one canned meat with out liquid (in the jar)? - in other words just the meat. I think the term is dry canning.


Yes, it's also known as raw pack as compared to a hot pack. I prefer it as it's much faster to do. You end up with less in the jar as the meat shrinks and the juices don't totally cover the meat.


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## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

I just opened some beef chunks of roast this week. It was raw packed without liquid added, and therefore the top layer of chunks was not really covered in liquid.

It's about 2 years old, and it was delicious. I poured out what liquid was naturally there after processing and made gravy with that. MMmmm it was real good.


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## homemaid (Apr 26, 2011)

Pork is also done this way just chunk it up and put it in the jars. They make their own juice..


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## PackerBacker (Jul 17, 2013)

homemaid said:


> Pork is also done this way just chunk it up and put it in the jars. They make their own juice..


Chicken too.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Thank you. When I butchered the last deer I took this season, I filled about 1.5 1 gallon freezer bags with small chunks of meat. I didn't have time to can it at the time so I put them in the freezer. Is it alright to thaw them out and then can it?

I have 3 chickens remaining to butcher. When I do, I plan on freezing the breasts, and canning the rest.
What is recommended to can chicken, just chunks and a pinch of salt per pint jar?


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Dixie Bee Acres said:


> Thank you. When I butchered the last deer I took this season, I filled about 1.5 1 gallon freezer bags with small chunks of meat. I didn't have time to can it at the time so I put them in the freezer. Is it alright to thaw them out and then can it?


Yes.



> I have 3 chickens remaining to butcher. When I do, I plan on freezing the breasts, and canning the rest.
> What is recommended to can chicken, just chunks and a pinch of salt per pint jar?


BBB or NCFHP has recipies.


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## PackerBacker (Jul 17, 2013)

Dixie Bee Acres said:


> Thank you. When I butchered the last deer I took this season, I filled about 1.5 1 gallon freezer bags with small chunks of meat. I didn't have time to can it at the time so I put them in the freezer. Is it alright to thaw them out and then can it.


Yes although I try not to freeze and then can simply because both actions degrade the quality to a degree.



> I have 3 chickens remaining to butcher. When I do, I plan on freezing the breasts, and canning the rest.
> What is recommended to can chicken, just chunks and a pinch of salt per pint jar?


Chicken can be canned many ways. Pieces with the bone in, raw or cooked. Or deboned raw or cooked. Salt is never required but up to you and your tastes.


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## HerseyMI (Jul 22, 2012)

po boy said:


> I never add liquid when I can fresh meat


Me either... yet my jars always have liquid to within an inch of the top after processing. Hot-pack sounds like a PITA I don't know why anyone would want too?!


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## PackerBacker (Jul 17, 2013)

HerseyMI said:


> Hot-pack sounds like a PITA I don't know why anyone would want too?!


I used to think the same thing. Until I tried it.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

yall need to book mark this in ya favorites.


http://nchfp.uga.edu/


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Pretty much any raw meat can be raw-pack canned without added liquid. The fat nd juices from the meat will come out as it cooks in the canner, so you end up with a couple of inches of liquid in the bottom.

The only meat I would strongly recommend pre-cooking and hot packing is ground meat, otherwise it tends to get grainy and comes out in a solid ugly lump.

Now, the quality of the results of raw packing vs. hot packing is entirely subjective. Some folks don't mind that the top layer is a bit dry and darkened with raw packing and prefer that the meat stays chunkier than it would in hot packing. Others prefer that the meat in hot packing tends to be juicier and softer with the added liquid, and precooking allows for some browning and your liquid can add more flavor. It's a personal thing, so try it both ways to see which you prefer. Raw packing really only saves you a significant amount of time when you have a huge amount of meat to can all at once.

I tend to raw pack whole pieces of chicken/quail/duck/goose/rabbit and pork/beef/caribou/moose roasts and fillets; and tend to hot pack stew chunks and ground.


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## HerseyMI (Jul 22, 2012)

PackerBacker said:


> I used to think the same thing. Until I tried it.


Yeah... I should try it once I suppose. What is the advantage though?

With cold pack, just make sure you put plenty of water in the pressure canner surrounding the jars... wallah... osmossis occurs.


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