WHAT’S GOOD FOR THE GANDER, AND OTHER GAME MEAT

The author’s wife Julia Johnson began canning wild game meat one fall when her freezer broke and she had to do something with a blacktail the family had just harvested. While the process is time-consuming, the results in the form of long-lasting shelf-stable stored food is quite worthwhile. (JULIA JOHNSON)

What’s Good For The Gander, And Other Game

Canning geese, deer and more not only tenderizes the meat, but makes for long-term shelf-stable food.

By MD Johnson

“Y ou know what?” I said to my wife, Julia. “No, what,” she replied hesitantly, understandably nervous of my ambiguous lead-in after 28 years together.

“You know how you introduced me to canned venison back when we first met?” I said.

That, for those of you with no reason to know, would have been in 1993. “I do,” she said.

“Well, what if we were to can those goose breasts I have in the freezer? There’s a dozen or more from this last late season. Shouldn’t that work just like your canned venison?”

And so, with that simple question, we launched ourselves into yet another culinary experiment, this one involving wildfowl, kitchen time and pressure canners. Spoiler alert: It was incredible.

When I first ate Julie’s canned venison – blacktail, if you’re keeping score – almost 30 years ago, I thought it was absolutely perfect. But goose? Goose, especially older birds, can be notoriously tough; however, pressure-can that same ol’ gander for 90 minutes at 10 pounds, and what was tire tread becomes cutwith-a-fork tender. Truthfully? Other than a whole mallard split down the back and grilled to perfection over charcoal, not propane, I’d much rather eat canned fowl than have it

Just as with cutting and grinding your own venison, canners know exactly what goes into the final product. Here the author cuts up goose breast into 1-inch chunks. (JULIA JOHNSON)

Johnson prefers the “hot pack” method of canning – cooking it with herbs and spices to taste in a stockpot with distilled water first –

to cold packing. (JULIA JOHNSON)

prepared any other way.

Goose with chanterelles. Goose ’n noodles. Goose straight out of the can with a fork. Or my fingers, whichever is most convenient ... typically, fingers.

But isn’t pressure canning difficult, dangerous and time-consuming? Difficult? No. Dangerous? It can be, but then again, so can walking out to the mailbox every afternoon unless you look for traffic. As for timeconsuming? There, I’ll admit that canning goose – canning any wild game, fish, vegetables, fruits or whathave-you – does involve time, often a lot of time. However, the end results, once enjoyed, make the minutes, even the hours, oh so worthwhile.

So, where to begin?

WHY CAN WILD GAME MEAT?

For many folks, the first question when it comes to canning wild is why. The next would be how. But the why part of the equation is an awfully good place to start. Sometimes, as you’ll soon learn, the reason behind why is accidental.

“I started to can venison when my freezer went out,” Julia told me during our informal interview whilst preparing to put up our first batch of goose. “I’d been canning vegetables prior to that. Jams and jellies, too. But when the freezer went out, I had to do something with all the meat in it. And we had just harvested a deer that fall.”

“So,” she continued, “I took all the venison and decided to try my hand at canning it.”

Julia soon discovered that while canning wild game wasn’t without its challenges, namely time, there were many benefits to putting up the pints and quarts.

“My kids found it to be a real treat,” she said. “They’d just open one and eat straight out of the jar.”

So, it stands to reason, at least to me, that one of the primary reasons behind canning wild game is the fact that it tastes good. But there are other factors that justify the time and effort spent to put up wild game.

Be sure to leave about an inch of “headspace” as you fill your glass jars with meat and then broth.

(JULIA JOHNSON)

After seating the jar lid and tightening the ring, the cans go onto a rack in the pressure cooker, which will have a couple inches of water in

the bottom. (JULIA JOHNSON)

Shelf life: Some agencies, e.g. the National Center for Home Food Preservation, recommend using home canned foods within a year, not due to safety but for the best in food quality. If the jars are stored correctly, that is in a cool (50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit) dark place, and the seal isn’t compromised, the contents should remain safe literally for years.

Health reasons: When you can wild game at home, you know exactly what’s being processed, how it’s being processed, and that it’s both nutritious and healthy.

“We’ve always butchered our own venison, birds and fish,” said Julia, “so I’m confident it’s the best possible product I can give my family and friends.”

Expense, or lack thereof: Yes, there are costs involved should you be starting from scratch; however, once the initial purchases, e.g. pressure canner, jars, rings, seals and a handful of accessories, have been made, then

Johnson cans most meat at 10 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes, but pressure and time will vary depending on jars used, what you’re canning, altitude and unit. Best bet is to always consult your pressure canner’s

instructions. (JULIA JOHNSON)

After the proper amount of time has elapsed and the pressure gauge reads zero, it’s time to use a jar lifter to remove the canner’s contents and allow to cool. (JULIA JOHNSON)

canning at home is essentially a time investment.

Product versatility: Whether it’s venison, bear, waterfowl, pheasant, albacore, salmon or shellfish, homecanned products can be used in any number of different recipes, both familiar and created on the spot.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

So what do you need to can wild game at home should you be starting from square one? Like many projects, canning can be as simple or as complicated as one wishes; however, there are a handful of must-have items, and these include:

Pressure canner: “I currently have three pressure canners of various sizes,” said Julia, “but the one I use most often is made by All American (allamericancanner.com).”

Canners come in different sizes or capacities based on the amount of liquid each is capable of holding, which then translates into how many jars, be they half pints, pints or quarts, each can process at one time. All American, for instance, offers their canners in sizes from 10-quart (seven pints) to a 41-quart behemoth holding 32 pints. Julia’s go-to unit is a 21-quart canner that does 19 pints.

Some canners, she explained, use a weight to measure the amount of internal pressure produced and maintained during the process. Others, a needle gauge, while still others feature both. Weight or gauge, she said, is really a matter of personal preference. Most, if not all canners will include a canning rack that fits the bottom of the canner, and prevents the jars from sitting directly on the heated metal.

Jars: Quality jars in half pint, pint and quart sizes are available. However, with the Covid pandemic and a renewed interest in home canning, these essentials can be a challenge to find. Old-school businesses like Jack’s Country Store (jackscountrystore .com) in Ocean Park, Washington, will often carry traditional jar brands such as Ball, Kerr and Atlas.

“I prefer wide mouth (as opposed to regular) jars when canning meats,” said Julia. “It’s just easier to get the product in and out of a wide mouth.”

Rings and seals, aka bands and lids: Both are used to seal the jars during the canning process, and then maintain that airtight integrity during storage. Julia is partial to Ball rings and seals; however, several manufacturers, e.g. Kerr, also offer them.

Another option is reusable lids and rubber seals, such as those available under the Tattler brand (reusablecanninglids.com).

Accessories: This list would include a heavy-bottomed stock pot for precooking meats/broth; a jar lifter for removing hot jars from the canner; a minute timer; seal magnet for pulling lids from their hot water bath; and a wide mouth funnel for filling jars. All of the items above are available from All American Canner.

Once you’ve got it down, the possibilities for what you can can are endless. In addition to game meat, the Johnsons put up veggies and fruits they grow in their garden on the Lower Columbia. (JULIA JOHNSON)

THE STEP-BY-STEP

Safety note: Pressure canning involves pressure, heat, steam and metal. The process requires your full attention. It isn’t something you can walk away from, nor can you let yourself be distracted.

For purposes here and since it tis’ the season, we’ll be canning fowl; specifically, Canada goose. The process can be the same, be your harvest elk, moose, bear, duck, deer or pheasant. Seasonings are your decision; however, pressure and time may differ depending on such things as jar size, contents and altitude. Consult the guide that came with your pressure canner for a ready reference.

Step 1: Wash and inspect the jars for cracks or chips, even if they’re new. Sterilize jars using your dishwasher (hot/no soap), or by boiling lightly upside down in 2 to 3 inches of water. Julia keeps her jars hot, as one should, in a 140-degree oven until ready.

At this time, she also puts a corresponding number of lids – 12 jars = 12 lids = 12 rings – into a shallow pan of simmering water. This cleans them, as well as softens the lid “rubbers,” allowing for a sure seal.

Step 2: Cube goose into 1-inch pieces, place in stockpot and cover with distilled (no chlorine/fluoride) water. Season to taste.

“This is the ‘hot pack’ method,” said Julia. “I prefer it over cold pack (not precooking) because a taste test tells you exactly what you’re going to end up with when you’re done.”

Bring the meat/broth mixture to a boil, turn the heat off and immediately go to Step 3.

Step 3: Using the wide mouth funnel and a slotted spoon, fill the jars with the precooked meat to within an inch of the top. This inch of freeboard is known as headspace. Run a butter knife along the inside edge of each jar to release air bubbles. Cover the meat with hot broth, being sure to leave headspace. Wipe the rim of the jar, seat a lid and tighten the ring snug.

Step 4: Put 2 inches of water in the canner, place the jars inside – note: no touching – tighten the canner lid according to the directions and bring to a boil. No weight at this point.

Once the water reaches 212 degrees, the canner will begin to vent. Allow this venting to continue for seven to eight minutes, at which time you can place the weight on the vent stem, and with the first jiggle, begin timing.

“Most of my wild game is canned at 10 pounds pressure for 90 minutes,” Julia said. “I’m looking for the weight to ‘jiggle’ two to three times a minute. Too much, and the heat’s too high. Too little, and it’s too low. It’s important to watch it closely.”

Step 5: Ding! Done! Ninety minutes, but do not remove the weight or untighten the lid. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to drop to zero. Don’t try to hurry the process. A gauged canner will read zero; with a weight, a light touch will result in a hiss, spit or sputter from the vent stem, meaning pressure remains.

Step 6: With pressure at zero, open the canner, and, with the jar lifter, remove each jar, setting each on a rack to cool.

Now, listen. Those clear melodic tink sounds you’re hearing are the jars sealing. To be doubly sure they’ve sealed, press down on the center of each lid. They should be tight, with no flex.

Congratulations! You’re now a canner. NS

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