Venison usually refers to deer meat but it can also include any wild game meat such as elk, carabao, and antelope. Canning venison is a great way to preserve the fall harvest and fill your shelves with shelf stable foods for quick meals.
It will also free up freezer space and help prepare you for power outages.
Neither my husband nor I grew up in a hunting family, fishing yes, hunting no. However, when we moved to this area we met many people who hunt and over the years we have become a family who eats wild game. Each fall you’ll find me canning venison as it’s my favorite way to preserve venison (and beef).
I’ve had a love/hate relationship with venison since the first time I ate it at a friend’s house. There have been times I had it and it was wonderful and at times hardly edible. There are a lot of variables such as the age of the deer and how it was butchered that will determine how “gamey” the meat is. We (as in I) do not like the “gamey” taste although I know many people who do.
Canning venison seems to remove the gamey flavor and once you add onions and garlic it really makes for a nice quick main dish.
In full disclosure, I have to say that I was a bit worried about eating canned venison the first time. The finished product doesn’t look very appealing (in the jar). However, when I opened the jar my daughter said “That smells good!” and you know what? It did.
I put it in a skillet, simmered it for 15 minutes and added some flour to make a gravy. The meat was very tender and tasty. I’ve been canning venison (and lots of other meats) ever since.
Tips for canning venison
Contrary to what some sites say, you do have to use a pressure canner to can meat. It is a low-acid food which is not safe to can in a water bath canner.
Also, you cannot put the flour in the jar to make the gravy ahead of time – the flour can coat the jar and mess up the process.
If you’re worried about the meat tasting strong or gamey, you can add a little tomato juice or sauce to the jars before canning. This will mellow the flavor of strong-flavored wild meats.
Canning venison is just like canning any other meat and you can use these same directions for canning wild game, such as elk or moose, and beef or chicken. The process is the same.
Even though venison doesn’t have much fat, remove any excess fat and any silver skin, which is the connective tissue. It can seem tedious but it really does go quickly and will make for a better end product.
Each quart jar will hold about 1 1/2 pounds of cubed venison or beef. That should help you figure out how many jars you need.
It’s recommended that salt be added to the canned meat, it’s just for flavor not for safety so it can be omitted if you want to. Also, you don’t have to use canning salt, any pure salt is just fine.
You can also add any dry spices such as black pepper, garlic or onion powder to the jars without compromising the safety.
Here are some tips for using a pressure canner. Pressure canning is super easy, just follow the directions that came with your canner. This is the pressure canner I have and I really like it. I like that it doesn’t have a gasket I have to worry about and that I can can 7 quarts or 18-19 pints in one batch.
I also like to use reusable lids for our canned venison. I try to use them for any canning that I do for our family as it really cuts down on the cost of canning. If you’re using metal disposable lids, make sure to use new lids as they are for single use only.
I like to keep track of all my home preserved food with these worksheets. You can get a copy emailed to you by filling out the form below.
Raw pack vs hot pack for canned venison
There are two ways to can venison (or beef) and both result in super tender meat. You can either raw pack or hot pack the venison.
Sometimes I choose to raw pack the meat simply because it’s faster, but I do think I get a better end product for storing when I hot pack the venison. Sometimes when I raw pack venison there isn’t enough natural meat juices to cover the meat.
You don’t need to add water or broth when you raw pack venison as the meat will make it’s own juice during the canning process.
Just know that it might not make enough juice to fully cover the meat in the jars, and it’s totally fine. The meat is still safe, but the meat not covered will darken over time.
Canning venison with the hot pack method means that you precook the meat in a small amount of fat before you put in the jars. Then you pour the drippings, broth, or hot water over the meat. This helps you know that there will be enough liquid to cover the meat in the finished product but it takes a little longer.
When you serve the meat you need to heat it up, some resources recommend boiling home canned meat and vegetables for 10 minutes before serving but that is no longer the recommendation from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. But it’s probably not very tasty straight out of the can, so go ahead and heat it up.
How to can venison with the raw pack method
- Wash canning jars and lids in hot soapy water.
- Put the pressure canner on the stove and add water according to the manufacturer directions.
- Turn the heat to medium high to heat the water – you want it hot but not boiling (about 140F)
- Put the clean canning jars in the pressure canner to keep them hot while you prepare the venison.
- Cut the raw venison into cubes, remove any excess fat and muscle tissue (silver skin)
- One by one, remove the jars from the canner and fill each jar with the raw meat and leave a 1-inch headspace. You’ll want to firmly pack the meat down.
- Add onion and garlic to each jar if desired, if you add onion and garlic you might need to remove some meat so you still have a 1-inch headspace.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt per pint and 1 teaspoon of salt per quart, if desired.
- Wipe jar rims with a clean damp cloth.
- Top the jars with lids and screw bands on. I really like to use canning reusable lids on these because I don’t normally give these as gifts.
- Place filled jars into the pressure canner (prepared per manufacturer guidelines).
- Lock the lid
- Turn up the heat to medium-high
- Once it’s boiling and you hear steam coming from the vent, let the steam vent from canner for 7 minutes, then put weight on the vent,
- Continue heating until you reach 10 pounds pressure (adjusting for altitude if necessary)
- Process pint jars at 10 pounds of pressure for 75 minute, and quart jars for 90 minutes
- After processing time is finished, turn off heat and let pressure go all the way to zero psi
- Once the canner is completely depressurized, remove lid.
- Let the jars cool in the canner for about 10 minutes.
- Remove jars with a jar lifter and put them on a towel on the counter to cool overnight.
- Once they’re cool, remove bands, wipe jars, and store in a cool, dry place.
How to can venison with the hot pack method
- Wash canning jars and lids in hot soapy water. The jars will need to stay hot while you prepare the meat.
- Turn the heat to medium high to heat the water – you want it hot but not boiling (about 140F)
- Put the clean jars in the pressure canner to keep them hot while you prepare the venison.
- Cut the raw venison into cubes, remove any excess fat and muscle tissue (silver skin)
- Brown raw meat in a small amount of oil. No need to cook it all the way through, just until it’s at the rare stage and releasing it’s juices.
- One by one, remove the hot jars from the canner and add the partially cooked venison to each jar.
- Add onion and garlic to each jar if desired.
- Add 1/2 tsp salt per pint and 1 tsp salt per quart if desired.
- Fill each jar with the hot venison and leave a 1-inch headspace.
- Pour the drippings over the meat leaving a 1-inch headspace.
- Use a bubble remover or silicone spatula to get air bubbles out of the jar by sliding the bubble remover between the jar and the meat and gently pressing the meat towards the opposite side of the jar.
- Add hot water, broth or tomato juice to the jar to cover the meat.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth.
- Top jars with lids and screw the bands on. I really like to use canning reusable lids on these because I don’t normally give these as gifts.
- Place filled jars into water in pressure canner (prepared per manufacturer guidelines).
- Lock the lid
- Turn up the heat to medium-high
- Once it’s boiling and you hear steam coming from the vent, let the steam vent from canner for 7 minutes, then put weight on vent
- Continue heating until you reach 10 pounds pressure (adjusting for higher elevations if necessary)
- Process pint jars for 75 minute, and quart jars for 90 minutes
- After processing time is finished, turn off heat and let pressure go all the way to zero psi
- Once the canner is completely depressurized, remove lid.
- Let the jars cool in the canner for about 10 minutes.
- Remove jars with a jar lifter and put them on a towel on the counter to cool overnight.
- Once they’re cool, remove bands, wipe jars, and store properly.
Adjusting Pressure for Altitude:
If you live 1000 feet or more above sea level you’ll need to use a pressure higher than 10psi for canning meats. Use the graph below which is from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Canning Venison with the Hot Pack Method
Canning venison makes a deliciously tender shelf stable meat that will help you get dinner on the table quickly.
Ingredients
- Venison
- Oil
- Salt (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the pressure canner by adding the rack and about 3 quarts of water the canner (follow the manufacturer's instructions).
- Put the canner on the stove and turn the heat on medium. This is a raw pack recipe so the water in the canner needs to be about 180degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wash each jar and lid in hot soapy water. Put the jars in the canner to keep them hot while you prepare the venison.
- Cut the venison into 1-inch cubes.
- Lightly cook the meat in a pan with a little oil. Just until it's rare, don't fully cook it.
- Pack the jars with the cooked venison cubes and the drippings, leaving a 1-inch headspace. If there is not enough drippings to cover the meat, add hot water or hot broth.
- Uisng a bubble remover tool, remove air bubbles from jars.
- Recheck the headspace and add more water or broth to maintain a 1-inch headspace.
- Add 1/2 tsp salt per pint and 1 tsp salt per quart, if desired.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth.
- Top jars with lids and bands. I really like to use canning reusable lids on these because I don’t normally give these as gifts.
- Place filled jars into the prepared pressure canner.
- Lock the lid
- Process pint jars for 75 minute, and quart jars for 90 minutes at 10psi (adjusting for altitude if necessary). Be sure to let the canner vent and come up to pressure before you start timing.
- After processing time is finished, turn off heat and let pressure go all the way to zero psi
- Once the canner is completely depressurized, remove lid.
- Let the jars cool for about 10 minutes.
- Remove jars and let them cool overnight.
- Once they’re cool, remove bands, wipe jars, and store properly.
- If any jars didn't seal, put them in the refrigerator to use within a week.
Notes
If you prefer to use the raw pack method, the steps are almost identical with the following differences.....
- The water in the canner should only be about 140 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid thermal shock.
- Don't cook the meat. Add the raw meat to the jars, packing it loosely - don't press it down and pack it tightly.
- Don't add any liquid the jars. As the meat cooks it will create it's own juices.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
How to cook canned venison
Home-canned- venison is wonderful even if it doesn’t look so tasty in the jar. There are three ways I like to use canned venison.
Our favorite way is to put it in a skillet and add flour to make a gravy. I just put a bit of water in the empty mason jar and add a heaping tablespoon of flour. I mix is up to get rid of clumps. Then slowly pour it into the hot meat and stir. If it needs to be thicker I add more flour, if it’s too thick I add a bit of water. I add salt and pepper. If I want something more like Mexican carne guisada, I add cumin and a bit of chili powder. I serve it over mashed potatoes, using canned potatoes when I’m short on time.
Sometimes, we’ll cook the meat and let the juices evaporate then add bar b que sauce for bar b que sandwiches.
Lastly, I’ll sometimes use canned venison and other home canned vegetables to make a quick stew.
More Venison Recipes
Venison can be used as an alternative in any recipe that calls for red meat, although the flavor may be a little different since wild game meat is leaner than beef and most other red meats.
If you have a freezer full of venison and don’t want to can it all, there are plenty of other ways to prepare it. We love making venison jerky with some of our deer meat.
Here are 50 recipes to make delicious venison burgers, steaks, stews, chili and much more!
Do you can venison or other meats? If so, share your ideas in the comments.
How much onion and garlic do you add for a quart jar? Anxious to try this canning recipe! Thanks for sharing.
I probably put 2-4 cloves garlic and 1/4 cup of onion per jar. You can put more or less, the processing time will be the same. Enjoy!
My mother taught me how to can meat. Canning this year has helped me put her wisdom to good use. She was the best cook! Our favorite ways to use canned venison is to add the quart of canned venison& several quarts of water to a large pot along with enough boullion cubes to taste. Bring to a boil, add packaged egg noodles, turn down to a simmer & cook noodles thru. The other way we use jars of canned venison is to add bbq sauce to it, stir & heat. Place on buns, add some side dishes & dinner is served. Thanks for sharing this. Fond memories of my mama!
What great memories! Thank you for sharing your favorite ways to use canned venison, they sound delicious.
Does anyone know how long to cook/can venison without using a pressure cooker?
You cannot safely can venison (or any meat) without a pressure canner (not a pressure cooker.) If you just want to cook the meat in a pressure cooker, like an Instant Pot, then use the same times as for beef.
My grandmother/Mother always used a hot water bath and processed the jars for 3 hours to seal. We packed the meat in raw with onions, garlic and salt. It was always delicious and an easy meal to prepare.
While I appreciate the memory, there are no approved guidelines for canning meat in a water bath canner. There is a lot of risk with that method, I’m sure your grandmother and mother knew what they were doing and had processes in place to minimize the risk. However, pressure canners are so inexpensive now (I picked up one at Walmart for $70) that there’s no need to take that risk or toss food because it went bad after not being processed correctly.
We just finished canning 14 quarts of venison vegetable soup. I prepared the venison first in the bottom of my stock pot. I then added all my vegetables, tomato juice and spices. I added two quarts of water and cooked the soup for two hours. By that time the meat was brown and beginning to be very tender. We started filling jars and according to the Kerr recipe book we processed the jars 40 minutes @ ten pounds. Unfortunately it didn’t mention making vegetable soup with venison. Having precooked the meat for two hours and the pressure canned for forty minutes, how long a shelf life will we have, if any.
Kristy, you’ll need to store the jars in the refrigerator. I don’t know what Kerr book you are referring to but 40 minutes is not long enough to process a meat and vegetable soup. Here’s an article from the National Center for Home Food Preservation with correct times for a meat and vegetable soup. Hope that helps!
I’ve been canning using a hot water bath for 35 years. Didn’t know it was unsafe till the internet. We all did it that way.
Water bath canning is safe for high acid foods…fruits, jam and jellies, pickles, etc. However, low acid foods such as meats, beans, and vegetables (that aren’t pickled) need to be pressure canned. This is not a new recommendation and didn’t come about because of the internet – this has been the USDA’s recommendation since 1923.
@patrick riley,
Could you share your directions on water bath?
Water bath canning venison is very risky. The USDA has not recommended water bath canning meat since 1923. Prior to that they recommended that low acid foods could be canned in a water bath by processing them for a certain amount of time (a hour or more) for three days in a row. The hope is that by day 3 all the botulism spores have activated and then all toxins destroyed. There are some people who say they water bath can low acid foods by processing them for 5+ hours. Again the hope is that during that time all the botulism spores have activated and then all the toxins are destroyed. Every reported case of botulism from home canned food is from not pressure canning low acid foods. You can get a pressure canner (a Presto) for under $100. That’s a great deal to ensure safety.
It was my first time canning venison. I did the raw pack method, wide mouth quart jars, 90 mins with 10 lbs pressure. All the jars sealed and came out great, but the meat is not completely covered by the juice. A couple of the jars have cubes of meat completely uncovered by the juice. Is it safe to eat after being stored in the pantry? I know the recommended time to store it is 1 year, but how long will it keep not completely covered?
That happens sometimes, especially with wild game as the meat is pretty lean. It’s completely safe that some of the meat isn’t covered, if the recommended canning process was followed, which it sounds like it was. The meat will keep as long as the jars are sealed, but the uncovered meat will discolor some (get darker). It’s still safe to eat. I just use those jars first. In the future, you can add a little hot water to the jars to help with coverage, you don’t need to completely fill the jars but an inch or two would be fine to do.
I just commented but I failed to say I filled each jar with one and a half pounds of cubed meat.
I was told not to use flour while canning ?
That’s true, you should not put flour (or any grains or thickener) in your jars while canning. This recipe doesn’t call for flour.
Can you use Tender Quick instead of salt?
No, it’s a completely different compound. Quick tender is sodium nitrate and is used for curing meats not canning.
Can I precook frozen venison to be able to can it and clear out my freezer?
Yes, you can use the hot pack method if you want to pre-cook it. If you want to just thaw it in the refrigerator you can use the raw pack method.
Also I just started canning yesterday for the first time. Potatoes. And let me just say I felt a little bit like the Grinch when his heart grew 3 sizes. Only mine was my confidence level rose 3 levels.
oh my goodness, I love this so very much!!! I’m so very excited for you!
Hello Angi…I have been canning foods for over 40 years. I really love to do this because we garden and I purchase meats from local farmers. I love the fact that you share your how to for people. I have a Distinctive Jam, Jelly & Butter business a couple of years ago and I really loved it. Maybe I can start that again if I can find a commercial kitchen. Thank you for all your hard work and amazing tips. I appreciate all that you do!
Fondly,
Terri
Terri, thank you so much for your kind words. It really made my day! Have you thought about selling your items under your state’s cottage laws? Most states have them and the items don’t need to be prepared in a commercial kitchen. Not all products can be sold under cottage laws but high acid foods that have been properly canned can be.