Chicken - Freezing and Canning

Since there is currently a Chicken Order through Zaycon Foods in our area, I thought it might be helpful to discuss how you can store chicken.

Freezing

Select only high quality, fresh poultry to freeze. Package poultry in freezer paper, wrap using butcher wrap, or place in freezer bags. Store bought poultry needs to be over-wrapped before freezing because its clear wrap is not moisture-vapor resistant. When packaging pieces, arrange them to form a compact, square, flat package so they will stack better in the freezer. After packaging, seal and freeze immediately. Personally, I usually freeze my chicken using a vacuum sealer.  It does a great job keeping meat from getting freezer burn.

You can also cook your chicken and then freeze it.  I like to do this and either cube or shred the chicken to use in enchiladas, quesadillas, casseroles, soups, etc.  Package and freeze using one of the methods discussed in the previous paragraph.

Canning

The following information was taken from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Please read their section on Using Pressure Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you also read Principles of Home Canning.

Procedure: Remove excess fat. Cut the chicken into suitable sizes for canning. Can with or without bones.  One pint jar holds approximately 1 lb of chicken.

Hot pack – Boil, steam or bake meat until about two-thirds done. Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Fill jars with pieces and hot broth, leaving 1-1/4 inch headspace.

Raw pack – Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart, if desired. Fill jars loosely with raw meat pieces, leaving 1-1/4 inch headspace. Do not add liquid.

Adjust lids and process following the recommendations in Table 1 or Table 2 according to the canning method used.

This document was adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 2009.

Summer Recipes & Pick Your Own Fruit

We had planned on including a recipe for basil pesto in the preparedness newsletter, but it didn't fit. You can access a printable copy of the pesto recipe along with the other recipes in the Relief Society newsletter HERE.

Now that summer is here, it's time for fresh fruit and even homemade jam! HERE is a list of places where you can pick your own fruit in our area.

Beans - More Recipes and Some Great Websites

Sharon found this great handout that has lots more bean recipes and tips. My favorite part is the internet websites listed at the very end of the handout, which I've included below. The first website listed has lots of information including photos of different types of beans and decriptions of their flavor, uses, and cooking times (once you go to the Beans for Health Alliance website, you can access the page with the varieties of beans by clicking on the photo of the beans on the lower left.) Click HERE for a printable copy of the entire handout, including more recipes.

INTERNET SOURCES . . .
(click on each title to go directly to the website)

• Beans for Health Alliance

• Nebraska Dry Bean Commission

• The Michigan Bean Commission

• California Dry Bean Advisory Commission

• Northarvest Bean Growers Association

• California Bean Shippers Association

• Idaho Bean Commission

Canning Beans

One of the things that makes it harder for me to use beans more often is the time and planning it takes to prepare them. I now use a pressure cooker most of the time to speed up this process, but another way that can help is to have some beans already cooked and readily available by canning them. HERE is a handout from the University of Georgia, The National Center for Home Food Preservation that gives a few basic recipes for canning beans and the correct procedure for doing so.

Canning Meat Class

Earlier this fall Sharon taught a class on how to can meat. We were able to sample some previously canned meat including chicken, brisket, ground beef, and pork roast. It was all surprisingly good! Consider adding canned meats to your food supply for days when you are short on time as well as for times when you might not be able to acquire or cook meat easily. You are also able to control what ingredients are in your canned food when you do it yourself.

For a printable copy of the handout from the class, click HERE.