Latest / Valley Hatchery Podcast / Chicken Supports Insights - Episode 46: The Canning Mistake That Makes Home-Canned Chicken Unsafe

Transcript

Chicken Supports Insights - Episode 46: The Canning Mistake That Makes Home-Canned Chicken Unsafe · Valley Hatchery Podcast

• 0:08
  Matt: Hi everyone, welcome back to the Chicken Insights Podcast.
• 0:12
  Matt: I'm Matt and I'm joined by Connie.
• 0:15
  Matt: And today we're talking about home canned chicken and specifically a mistake that can turn what seems like a practical preservation project into a food safety concern.
• 0:26
  Connie: Yeah, canning can be great, a great way to think about preserving food from the homestead.
• 0:31
  Connie: But chicken isn't something where you want to guess your way through the process.
• 0:37
  Matt: Exactly.
• 0:37
  Matt: Today we're going to talk about water bath versus pressure canning.
• 0:42
  Matt: Why do processing times you see in tested recipes matter and what you can do with broth when you're processing meat birds?
• 0:49
  Connie: All right, let's get into it.
• 0:51
  Matt: All right.
• 0:51
  Matt: Let's start with the big question.
• 0:53
  Matt: What's the mistake people can make when they try to water bath canned chicken?
• 0:58
  Connie: So I think the biggest thing to understand is that you just can't take a water bath recipe you're comfortable with and apply it to chicken.
• 1:08
  Connie: The food and the preservation method have to match.
• 1:12
  Connie: Such as a water bath, I believe, is just for canning like pickles, jams, jellies, and fruit.
• 1:20
  Connie: Whereas the pressure canning is for meat, poultry, fish, beans, vegetables, and soup.
• 1:28
  Connie: As pressure canning raises the temperature above the boiling point of water, allowing foods to be safely processed when using a tested recipe and proper processing time.
• 1:42
  Connie: This is for the proper preservation.
• 1:46
  Connie: Again, I do not recommend meat, poultry, and stuff to be water bath.
• 1:51
  Matt: Right.
• 1:52
  Matt: So the mistake isn't necessarily that someone is trying to preserve chicken.
• 1:56
  Matt: It's assuming that the same process works across different types of food.
• 2:01
  Matt: Yeah, and that's where following a tested method becomes really important.
• 2:05
  Connie: Absolutely, Matt.
• 2:06
  Connie: So where do those canning times and processing instructions actually come from?
• 2:12
  Connie: And why shouldn't we just make up on our own?
• 2:15
  Matt: Okay, so when you see a specific processing time in the tested canning recipe, it's there for a reason.
• 2:21
  Matt: It's not a number we should shorten or change just because the chicken looks cooked.
• 2:26
  Matt: So these types of instructions come from tested food safety research, not guesswork.
• 2:32
  Matt: And the time and pressure are based on factors like the type of food, how it's prepared, the size, and the type of container, and you know, canning, the canning method being used.
• 2:44
  Matt: So changing those instructions can change the safety of the finished product.
• 2:48
  Matt: That's also why a family recipe isn't automatically saved just because it's been used for years.
• 2:54
  Matt: Older methods may not have been tested for today's safety standards.
• 2:59
  Matt: So when canning chicken, it's best to follow our equitable tested preservation guidance.
• 3:05
  Matt: And remember, a shorter isn't necessarily better or more efficient when food safety is involved.
• 3:11
  Matt: The tested process is designed to make sure the finished food is safe to eat.
• 3:16
  Connie: Exactly, Matt.
• 3:17
  Connie: Canning isn't really the place to experiment with the processing time, especially when you're dealing with something as important as food safety.
• 3:28
  Matt: And Connie, if someone is processing meat birds, what role can broth play in making use of more of the bird?
• 3:35
  Connie: One thing I like about processing meat birds is thinking beyond just the meat.
• 3:40
  Connie: You can also think about how to make use of the parts that can contribute to the broth.
• 3:46
  Connie: But then you still have to treat the broth as its own preservation question.
• 3:51
  Connie: Such as after you pull all the meat off the carcass, then you can boil the remaining.
• 3:58
  Connie: The carcass is excellent for stock.
• 4:01
  Connie: The neck is good for rich stock.
• 4:04
  Connie: The back and the wing tips are very useful for stock.
• 4:08
  Connie: And the giblets, heart, and gizzard can contribute to the flavor.
• 4:13
  Connie: The only thing that I would be careful of is the liver because it's better handled separately because the broth becomes muddy or strong.
• 4:23
  Connie: And that means that you're getting considerably more useful food from each bird rather than thinking of the carcass as something left over.
• 4:33
  Connie: Then you can take that broth and as you're canning your meat, cover the meat with the broth.
• 4:41
  Connie: And then as you're pulling the carcass out, the leftover bones, there's extra meat on it.
• 4:48
  Connie: And that meat can be used for soup, pawpeye filling, or chicken salad.
• 4:54
  Matt: Yeah, that's a good distinction.
• 4:56
  Matt: You know, using more of the bird is one thing, and deciding how you're going to safely preserve the food is another.
• 5:03
  Matt: So the goal here is to reduce waste, but still be intentional about how everything is handled.
• 5:09
  Matt: Before we continue, here's a quick message from Valley Hatchery.
• 5:17
  Cortney: Hey, this is Cortney, Customer Support Manager here at Valley Hatchery.
• 5:22
  Cortney: Before we get back to the episode, I have a quick update for anyone already planning their 2027 flock.
• 5:28
  Cortney: If you've been waiting to secure your 2027 flock, the early reservation window is live, active, and going strong right now.
• 5:37
  Cortney: Getting in early has some major perks.
• 5:39
  Cortney: You get to lock in this year's pricing, grab first pick of all available breeds, and choose your exact preferred shipping dates before slots fill up for the rush.
• 5:49
  Cortney: Everything you need to get started is at Valleyhatchery.com/ early-reservations.
• 5:55
  Cortney: And you'll find the link right in the description.
• 5:57
  Cortney: Don't wait until the winter rush.
• 5:59
  Cortney: Lock in your perks and get your 2027 reservation in early with Valley Hatchery.
• 6:06
  Connie: Okay, welcome back to Chicken Inside Podcast.
• 6:10
  Connie: Let's get back into today's conversation about safely preserving chickens from the homestead.
• 6:16
  Connie: Hey Matt, if someone wants to start canning chicken for the first time, what should they do before they put anything in a jar?
• 6:25
  Matt: Okay, so I'd start before the chicken is even ready to process.
• 6:28
  Matt: So find a tested recipe or process you're going to follow and make sure it's appropriate for chicken.
• 6:35
  Matt: And you need to understand the equipment and steps before you begin.
• 6:38
  Matt: You don't need to assume that you can take a recipe for another food and simply adapt it to chicken because different foods they require different processing methods and time.
• 6:48
  Matt: So if you're making broth, you need to treat that as a separate preservation question and use guidance specifically tested for broth.
• 6:55
  Matt: And most importantly, don't wait until you have a large amount of chicken ready to figure everything out.
• 7:01
  Matt: You need to take some time beforehand to learn to process, you know, like prepare equipment and have everything ready.
• 7:07
  Matt: So a good preparation is a big part of success and safe food preservation.
• 7:13
  Connie: Absolutely, Matt.
• 7:14
  Connie: Yeah, doing that preparation ahead of time takes a lot of pressure off.
• 7:19
  Connie: You don't want your first experience with canning to be figuring out the rules while you're standing in the kitchen with a pile of chicken.
• 7:27
  Matt: And if you're ready to process meat birds, it's worth planning ahead for both the meat and the other usable parts of the bird.
• 7:33
  Matt: We'll include rather than valley hatcher resources in the episode description.
• 7:38
  Connie: Right?
• 7:38
  Connie: The more intentional you are before the processing day, the easier it is to make good decisions during the actual work.
• 7:46
  Connie: I think the biggest takeaway today is that canning chicken isn't something where you want to improvise.
• 7:53
  Matt: Yeah, know the difference between water bath and pressure canning.
• 7:57
  Matt: You suggested process and don't change the processing instructions just because another method seems familiar.
• 8:04
  Connie: And if you're processing meat birds, think about the whole harvest.
• 8:07
  Connie: Broth and other usable parts can be part of your plan.
• 8:11
  Connie: But each preserved food still needs the appropriate process.
• 8:16
  Matt: Exactly.
• 8:16
  Matt: Good food preservation starts with planning and understanding the method before you start.
• 8:22
  Connie: If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to follow the Chicken Insight podcast so you don't miss our upcoming conversation about backyard poultry, homesteading, and practical flock management.
• 8:34
  Matt: And if you have a question you'd like us to answer in a future episode, send it to us through the fan mail feature.
• 8:40
  Connie: We want to hear what you're working through on your homestead.
• 8:44
  Connie: And your questions can help us shape future episodes.
• 8:48
  Matt: So for more educational resources and practical poultry information, visit valleyhatchery.com.
• 8:54
  Connie: And before you start your next canning project, take the time to find the appropriate tested process and follow it as written.
• 9:03
  Matt: Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in the next episode.
• 9:06
  Connie: Take care, everyone.