Canning Chicken

Hi folks this is so easy, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to home can chicken. It does not take a whole lot of money either.  Home canning is a great way to stock up on a great sale even if  you are single. or a large family.  Also you can get your food storage in gear by home canning.  One advantage I like is that there is no preservatives.  Yay!  Right?  Right..:)  Saturday I picked up this 3 lb bag of boneless chicken. Yes it's only 3 pounds!!  So what?  Ahem, anyway,  I planned on cooking  about just a pound so I thought i'd defrost it just enough to break off a portion, but  I got too busy.  Anyway, It completely defrosted.  I haven't cooked it and it is Monday morning so I thought i'd preserve it for another day or year.   Remember my motto...."waste not want not".

This method is called "cold pack" because it is being canned raw.  If it was cooked it would be called "hot pack".  I washed the jars and lids well, cubed the chicken and put them in the jars leaving a little more than one inch headspace.  I added 1/2 teaspoon salt like so...

Make sure you wipe the rims well with an barely damp towel.

Also, make sure you have the lids simmering before you cover.

Now the jars  are ready to put in the canner.  Add a couple squirts of vinegar in the canning water, (any kind) to prevent the jars from getting cloudy. Make sure there is at least 2 to 3 inches water in the canner. I always use 3 inches for my canning.  Today I am thinking small scale, since I don't have a large family and if I used a whole quart jar well, it might go to waste.  I am using  1/2 pint, whick is 1 cup =8 oz jars so I will put them in for about 65 minutes on high.  1 pint jars go in the canner for 75 minutes.  And the quart size jars go in for 90 minutes. You must follow your canner's instructions on how to get the right pressure.  Anyway, they should look like this before going in the canner.

Voila, I now have 8 jars of  8 oz each of cooked canned white chicken chunks ready for anything anytime:)

 Smiling yet?  I hope so.  Any Questions?  If I don't know I will find out our you can check for yourself as I did.  Thanks Bexar Pepper.:)  I'm just paying it forward.:)

Blueberry Chicken salad I made 5/29/12.  No preservatives right here!  

There are many things you can make with canned chicken.  Tacos, enchiladas, chicken salads.  Here is a quick easy green salad where I just opened the can of chicken on a bed of greens.  Added a few condiments, and some blueberry kombucha vinaigrette, and voila!  Here you have a filling salad.  Be creative, and start saving money.  Prepare for that food storage you have been thinking of.  I made this salad, because I was hungry, and had nothing prepared for dinner...so I thought.:))  Now I'm ready to eat.  So till then...

Many blessings,

Mary Helen