Canning Venison

For our family's deer meat canning adventure we chose wide mouth pint jars. Our pressure cooker is a 22 quart cooker. The booklet that comes with the cooker tells you how many jars will fit for a batch. Our cooker fits 16 pint jars. We like the pint size because it is a good amount of meat for a two person supper (plus a little extra for lunch the next day).

Use new lids. You can use old rings if you are sure they have absolutely no rust and are not bent or damaged in any way.

1. Wash Jars. You can carefully wash with hot soapy water or run the jars through the dishwasher.
Place the clean jars face down on a clean towel until your are ready to start. Always be sure to check the jars, even if they are new, for cracks, chips or weirdness that might cause a problem. Do not use any damaged jars. Cracks and chips can cause the jars to explode in the pressure cooker.  Have the lids simmering, not boiling, on the stove. Remember to watch the lids because boiling can cause the seals to melt = no good.
2. Add cubed meat into the jars. Leave one inch of head space in each jar. Be careful not to touch the rim.