Canning deer meat at home is incredibly easy and the taste simply can’t be beat! You can simply package raw venison with just two ingredients.

That’s it. No kidding. Only two ingredients. Deer and salt. No water or broth. They can do it in their own juice. You really can any domestic or wild meat. Beef, moose, pigs or even poultry.

Why can deer meat do it?

If your family is like ours, by the time January rolls around, your freezers are full to burst! We literally have 3 freezers and each of them is filled to the brim.

Canning venison is the perfect way to give your freezers a break. The meat is stable and perfect for preparing a great tasting dinner in no time!

The process for canning meat is incredibly easy, but you need a specialized pressure canner. Although our grandmothers may have canned meat with water bath canning pots, we now know that this practice is not safe! Meats have low acidity levels, so the extra heat that pressurized canners produce will save your family from the possibility of foodborne illnesses, such as botulism.

What tools do you

need for pressure canners? jars for

• preserves jars for pints caps

for canning canning bands

Optional ingredients for adding onion

• peppers

• and garlic freshly
• cracked black
• pepper

Ingredients you need for the canned

• raw package deer – cleaned, rinsed and trimmed from fat and cartilage.
• teaspoon of salt per quart jar

Step by step – how to pack raw venison

1. Prepare jars, lids, and pressure canning pot according to the manufacturer’s instructions

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2. Trim venison well of all fat and cartilage, or any damaged meat

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3. Cut into pieces, cubes, strips or slices.
4. Pack meat in hot jars. Use a plastic or wooden spoon or chopsticks to remove some of the larger air holes in the jar. You won’t be able to delete them all, but try to delete the larger ones. Leave a head gap of 1 inch. (The space between the meat and the edge of the jar.)
5. Add salt. (Some people add two teaspoons per quart, but prefer less salty.)
6. Wipe the edge of the jar with a damp paper towel or a clean, damp cloth.
7. Apply the caps. Place the bands by squeezing only the tip of your finger.

Add the jars to the pressure canner. Attach the lid. Turn the burner to medium high. Once it comes to a boil, the pot will release steam. Let it ventilate for 10 minutes.

Add a

weighted meter or dial meter. When the meter reaches the right psi (pounds per square inch), for your elevation above sea level, start your timer.

You should keep the pressure at this level all the time. If the pressure drops below the specified pressure, start the timer again.

For pressure and times at specific altitudes, please refer to the table in the recipe notes below.

How to Pack Venison

Hot Venison can also be pressure canned in hot packet. It’s not really harder, but it results in extra dirty dishes that you need to clean. I usually choose the raw package just because it is so easy. Canning stews, soups, spaghetti sauce and more will save you a lot of time on a busy night.

Add some olive oil to a

1. cast iron

skillet. Add

2. pieces, cubes, strips or slices of venison

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3. Brown deer everywhere

. Pack the golden deer

4. in hot jars

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5. Add tomato juice, venison broth, or water to the pan in which you browned the meat. Scrape the drops of meat and heat the liquid. Fill the bottle with the hot liquid, leaving 1-inch head space. (The space between the meat with the liquid and the edge of the jar.)
6. Add salt. (Some people add two teaspoons per quart, but prefer less salty.)
7. Wipe the edge of the jar with a damp paper towel or a clean, damp cloth.
8. Apply the caps. Place the bands by squeezing only the tip of your finger.

Add the jars to the pressure canner. Attach the lid. Turn the burner to medium high. Let the pot release steam for 10 minutes.

Add a

weighted meter or dial meter. When the meter reaches the right psi (pounds per square inch), for your elevation above sea level, start your timer. Keep the proper psi throughout the process. If at any time it falls below the target psi, you should restart the timer.

For pressure and times at specific altitudes, please refer to the table in the recipe notes below.

What cuts

of venison should you make? Back and front leg cuts

like sirloin, top round, bottom round, and shoulder are your best bets. To find out where they are in the deer, see Cuts of venison and how to use them.

How

to Use Canned Deer

There are countless ways to use venison that you have canned for a quick dinner. Use your imagination and create some delicious recipes. Let me know what you can think of!

• Prepare a quick stroganoff with sautéed onion, celery, carrot and mushrooms. Add venison. Pour mushroom soup cream over everything. Serve with rice, noodles or spätzle.
• Make a quick soup with several vegetables (canned or frozen vegetables work well), add the venison and venison broth.
• Make a curry with vegetables and curry powder. Thicken with cornstarch mixed with water. Serve over rice.
• Use it for “shredded deer meat,” add BBQ sauce, and make barbecue sandwiches.
• Tacos, enchiladas or taquitos. Add cumin, chili powder and garlic or use taco seasoning. Add canned tomatoes. Warm through. Serve with hot tortillas and toppings.
• Make careless joes with sloppy joe sauce or make your own sauce.
• Make southern venison and crackers with a sausage sauce.
• You can make a quick stew with vegetables and deer meat.

Fast chili

• is a good choice with beans, onions, and tomato sauce with chili spices.

Want to learn more about how to master venison cooking? Don’t miss our Ultimate Guide to Cooking Venison. Complete with over 70 recipes!

If you need help identifying which cut you are using, check out our article Identifying Deer Cuts. It will give you a lot of ideas on how to cook each piece of meat.

What to serve with canned venison?

• mashed potatoes
• cooked noodles
• pasta
• spätzle
• carrots glazed
• parsnips More

delicious grilled

venison recipes venison

• back straps

canned venison

• fried chicken

venison

• enchiladas venison venison
• chorizo

Italian

sausage Canned venison is an easy project and a great way to preserve your crop without taking up freezer space!

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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

enjoy. And have fun cooking!

originally published January 20, 2022

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