An Introduction to Canning Venison

There is a big ol’ liability that many of us deer hunters do not want to look in the eye: the old 1980s rust-topped freezer full of roasts and ground burger. Sure, that freezer has been loyal and reliable all through the years. However, most folks are one catastrophic event or power outage away from last season’s harvest turning into this year's fertilizer because they’re relying on one method of preservation. You worked hard to harvest all that delicious game, but all your eggs are in one frosty basket. Food preservation is a lot like retirement investing—why not diversify?

I believe that many of us have started to think a little differently here in recent times. I know I have a different mindset about protecting my family, how we live, and what we consume. Preserving healthy meals through canning meat is something I've been interested in for a while, but it's not something my family has traditionally done.

This past year, I took the plunge. I bought a pressure cooker, did the research, and learned the dos and don’ts of canning meat. After canning a couple dozen jars of meat, it has changed the way I view and store what I harvest. You can check out my experience in the video above and decide if it's something you’d like to explore.

If you’re ready to start canning meat, check outthis guide from the National Center for Home Food Preservationthat details how to safely can cubed meat (as I did in the video) but also stock, grind, and much more.

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