Canning Chicken 101

It's gross working with raw meat, but it is worth it, as it is soo much better than the canned stuff you get at the store. I have both on hand & while I liked the canned stuff used for chicken salad sandwiches, I detest it for enchiladas or things of the like.

So how do you can chicken? It is super easy...my mom wasn't lying.

Here is a list of the items you will need:

- Pressure Cooker {borrow someone's if you don't have your own}
- Chicken...I canned about 10 - 12 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Wide mouth jars -- pints or quarts. I used pints {they are smaller} & it took 16 jars to do 10-12 lbs)
- Salt
- Pepper

On your jars, like I said, I used wide mouth pints, but you could use quarts as well. I used pints since we are still a small family, but next time I think I would use quarts. A pint holds about 1 1/2 chicken breasts. I assume a quart would hold about 3.

First you need to wash your jars in the dishwasher & boil you rings & lids. While your lids & rings are boiling, trim your chicken...getting all the fat off & lay it flat on your cutting board/countertop {and be prepared to disinfect your kitchen afterwards!}. I put my jars in the dishwasher the day before, so they were already clean & waiting.

I trimmed my chicken & jarred it in groups, as I didn't want every countertop covered in chicken. When your chicken in laid out you will season it with salt & pepper...using more salt than pepper. The recipe calls for 1/2 tsp of salt in each jar with only an 1/8 of pepper. But you don't need to be exact. Once you have it seasoned then you just start putting into jars...leaving about 1 inch free at the top...again, this does not need to be exact but you need some breathing room there. Cut some chicken into halves to fill each jar fully.

Screw on your tops & rings.

Fill up the pressure cooker with 1 inch of water {or whatever the directions call for on your specific cooker}. I used my sisters & she has an apparent water line inside hers, so I used that.

Then put the rack in over the water & put your jars in. THEY CANNOT BE TOUCHING EACH OTHER OR THE SIDE OF THE PRESSURE COOKER. If you are doing a double layer, put the other rack on top of the jars & load in another set of jars. I did double layers -- 4 on top & 4 on bottom so that I could get mine done in 2 batches. The top & bottom jars just need to be staggered so that they aren't right on top of each other.

Bring the water to a boil.

Seal the lid on the pressure cooker.

Bring the cooker up to 15 lbs of pressure & maintain that.

Once the cooker is to 15 lbs of pressure you start timing for 75 minutes.

After 75 minutes, remove from heat & follow your cooker's instructions for relieving the pressure. On my sister's I had to just let it sit for about 20 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE COOKER WHEN IT IS UNDER PRESSURE.

Once the pressure is to zero you are safe to open it & admire your handy work. Remove your jars & check the seal {the tops will not pop if they sealed}.

Questions? Let me know & I'll help you. It really is so easy once you've done it! Look I've only done it once & here I am giving the instructions as if I'm a pro!! haha.

Good luck!