# Canning whole chicken breasts...



## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

Does anyone do it? Sliding a few whole chicken breasts into wide mouth pint jars and setting it loose in the canner? Maybe brown it on each side a bit first to keep the shape a bit.

The reason is because some days I just would want a chance from the cubed chicken I have now in the jars.

Any reason why it wouldn't work?


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

You will have less meat per jar but it would be fine. You might consider boneless chicken thighs or breasts, this would still give you the shape you want with less void in the jar.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

I haven't done the whole breasts, but I do cut them up in big pieces (anywhere from half to a quarter of a breast). It seems to give me the best bang, so to speak - big enough for recipes with large pieces, and small enough to get a better fit in the jar. I know what you mean about not always wanting the cubed chicken - so I can both little and big pieces (not in the same jar).


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

WWhermit said:


> Does anyone do it?


Sorry ... but no ...


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I've canned chicken breasts but have always cubed them. I have canned whole legs and thighs, you need to pressure them a little longer to make sure the bone is cooked through but they came out fine.


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

We processed a whole bunch of whole turkey breasts. Works fine. Filled up the jars too - breasts are malleable, just poke and push and squeeze and you can fit a lot into a jar.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I have canned very large chunks of chicken breasts after the whole bird has been cooked.


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## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

Well, I bought 14 lbs of chicken breasts, and they fit into 7 quart mason jars fine. I did slice them in half on an angle, because many of them were about 3 inches thick, and wanted to make sure they were cooked through.

They fit very tightly, but came out great. I'd recommend this to anyone that doesn't want to eat only chunky chicken after SHTF!


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

WWhermit said:


> They fit very tightly, but came out great. I'd recommend this to anyone that doesn't want to eat only chunky chicken after SHTF!


Yeah, I figure the bigger pieces will be good for breading and heating up, or for adding honey bbq sauce and warming up on the grill.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Davarm said:


> I've canned chicken breasts but have always cubed them. I have canned whole legs and thighs, you need to pressure them a little longer to make sure the bone is cooked through but they came out fine.


The processing time for chicken with the bone in is less then chicken without bone.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

PackerBacker said:


> The processing time for chicken with the bone in is less then chicken without bone.


Did not know that off the top of my head, thanks!

Hum....

Question: skin or no skin?

I've recently got rather picky with my chicken, been buying natural organic whole chickens, roast them, eat them one day, pick off extra to make some chicken salad, then make broth leaving in crock pot for four days, drinking broth from it all the time... And I can just tell the difference now between natural and other chicken.... :ignore: I do think it's helped me keep colds away and I'm feeling so much better...

^^ has nothing to do with this post, sorry.... Still drinking coffee and just felt like saying...


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## MetalPrepper (Nov 25, 2012)

This also has nothing to do with chicken (but I did can some, cut into 3 cuts per breast).....if I wanted to can some pork with white beans, like soup, would I cook the beans first?


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

MetalPrepper said:


> This also has nothing to do with chicken (but I did can some, cut into 3 cuts per breast).....if I wanted to can some pork with white beans, like soup, would I cook the beans first?


Either way. It depends on how you like your beans. If you like them on the firmer side I wouldn't cook them first. I like them on the softer side so I'd at least soak them first but probably partially cook them.


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## Prepper69 (Jan 25, 2013)

Going to try whole boneless chicken breasts today...was wondering if yall just put them in the jars and when they come out have the breasts "cooked together" meaning one chunk of meat??? I was thinking of putting a piece of parchment paper between them to keep them seperate....what are yalls thoughts???


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## MetalPrepper (Nov 25, 2012)

When I did mine they were like quarters and they didn't fuse they were separate like I put them in. VERY cooked though. I used a jar the other day for a chicken casserole and they still had chicken consistancy.


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## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

Prepper69 said:


> Going to try whole boneless chicken breasts today...was wondering if yall just put them in the jars and when they come out have the breasts "cooked together" meaning one chunk of meat??? I was thinking of putting a piece of parchment paper between them to keep them seperate....what are yalls thoughts???


When I cooked mine, I first heated up a skillet and let the breasts brown for about 2 minutes on each side, then took them out and set them aside. I did 14 lbs like this.

Then, I loaded 2 lbs of breasts into each quart jar. It was a tight fit, but if you squeeze them in a bit, they should fit. Wipe the jars well, and can them for 90 mins.

When they came out, just like all chicken, there was more liquid than before cooking, and the breasts were seperated by the liquid. They came out perfectly!


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## Prepper69 (Jan 25, 2013)

Well after talking to a couple of people I decided to just put them in the jars and can them....waiting for the last batch to cool off to take them out of the canner then it is off to bed for me...I am beat after 2 days of canning  But very grateful for all the stuff I was able to do for my family's future  

I will try one some time this next week and let yall know what I think of it. thanks again for the replys to my questions


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