Has anyone pressure canned dual purpose chx?

[NorthwoodsChick]

I’m taking in unwanted roosters & cockerels for meat this year instead of broilers.
I would like to pressure canning the meat. My question is, for those that have canned chicken, is there a difference in texture between a bird raised to 16 wks versus 24 wks or even a year?
In prepping is it best to debone?
Thanks in advance.

- Mel

 

[Molpet]

I have not canned them. I roast 16 wks and pressure cook the year old.
Maybe try posting in https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/egg-chicken-other-favorite-recipes.25/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I’m taking in unwanted roosters & cockerels for meat this year instead of broilers.
I would like to pressure canning the meat. My question is, for those that have canned chicken, is there a difference in texture between a bird raised to 16 wks versus 24 wks or even a year?
In prepping is it best to debone?
Thanks in advance.

- Mel

@Ridgerunner may have some insight/suggestions.

Have you pressure canned any chicken at all before?

You may find a difference in texture depending on the age, maybe not. Pressure canning, to me anyway, makes meat tender and juicy. At

For chicken, you can debone if you wish, but you can certainly leave the bone-in.
I can poultry raw pack with bone-in. This lessens prep time.
Breasts can be cut up or packed "whole", I pack whole legs or thighs in the jars. When I open a jar, the meat falls right off the bone.

You can always experiment to see what "age" of bird you prefer to process - track your cans (write it on the tips) so you have some data to refer back to. I'd say that pressure canning will make an older bird more tender, but can't say 100%, just my thoughts due to the canning process.

 

[Justagalwithchicks]

I also raw pack my chicken when I pressure can . It always comes out tender, but I have not done an older bird or rooster. I would think it would be the best solution to make it tender. Do not judge the chicken by it's looks once canned. It never looks that great, but tastes good. Good luck!

 

[DemeterAD9]

I plan on butchering and canning some cockerels and 1yr old hens too so I'm also starting to get a game plan in place. I think I'll be skinning and piecing out my birds to can them bone in.

As for tenderness, I don't think that will be an issue. We regularly can venison and you cannot tell the difference between a young or old deer. It is always tender and pulls apart easily much like pulled pork. I imagine any canned meat will be about the same.

 

[Ridgerunner]

@Ridgerunner may have some insight/suggestions.

I'll try Wyatt but I have not canned chicken meat before. I have pressure canned a lot of vegetables and soup however as well as hot water bath canned jams, jellies, and some other high acid things like tomatoes.

I'll include a link to an article I found on the USDA website that I found about how to pressure can meat. Add no liquids and it gives processing times. If I were to pressure can meat it is what I'd go by.

https://www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/Canning Meat Poultry and Game.pdf

I have pressure cooked chicken before. It is one of the recommended ways to cook an old bird and make it fall-off-the-bone tender. It works well. I'd expect pressure canning meat to work well too.

As a cockerel goes through puberty the meat changes. The texture becomes more stringy (or tough) and the flavor becomes more intense. Some people call that "gamey". Pressure cooking takes care of the toughness factor but you still have the flavor. Some of us like that added flavor, some don't. Old roosters are especially tough and strong. There are certain ways to cook them to make them tender enough to be edible. Stews and slow cookers can work great. Pressure cooking is also recommended.

Personal preferences can be pretty important to many people. Some of us will be very happy with the texture and flavor of an old rooster pressure canned, some will not. My suggestion is to try it and see for yourself how you like it. Decide on what you want, not a recommendation on the internet. I love trial and error. That way I can make up my own mind.

 

[Tex452]

I plan on butchering and canning some cockerels and 1yr old hens too so I'm also starting to get a game plan in place. I think I'll be skinning and piecing out my birds to can them bone in.

As for tenderness, I don't think that will be an issue. We regularly can venison and you cannot tell the difference between a young or old deer. It is always tender and pulls apart easily much like pulled pork. I imagine any canned meat will be about the same.

I can venison also, along with fish, pork, beef and chicken.
I don’t think there will be any problem getting them tender.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I’m taking in unwanted roosters & cockerels for meat this year instead of broilers.
I would like to pressure canning the meat. My question is, for those that have canned chicken, is there a difference in texture between a bird raised to 16 wks versus 24 wks or even a year?
In prepping is it best to debone?
Thanks in advance.

- Mel

Yes we have done it for along time. We usually do old birds that are too old for roasting for pressure canning.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I'll include a link to an article I found on the USDA website that I found about how to pressure can meat. Add no liquids and it gives processing times. If I were to pressure can meat it is what I'd go by.

Why add no liquids? We always added water, & some canning salt to ours, & it turns out fine.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That's what the article said, it did not say why. When I bake chicken I do not add any water but wind up with a half of a cup to a cup of liquid. I thought it might have something to do with extra liquid cooking out of the meat. But you have experiences with pressure canning and I don't.