If you are raising rabbits for meat
production, you know it takes a lot of time, effort and sometimes
money. So it is really important that you do everything you can to
maximum your meat yields. One of the easiest ways you can increase
the amount of usable meat from each rabbit is by the process of
cooking your rabbit bones (carcases) after butchering and canning the
meat that was left on the bones.
I don't care how good a butcher you
are, or how long you have been raising rabbits, you are going to leave
some meat on the bones when butchering your livestock. While your
results may vary from mine, I usually manage to save and can about 1
pint of rabbit meat (approximately ½ to ¾ lb) for each animal
butchered. Now your individual results may vary depending on the size
and age of the rabbit. I generally butcher our rabbits at about 10 to
12 weeks, but occasionally I have to cull the herd of an older buck
or doe for various reasons. In this article, I will be talking about the 'hot pack'
method of canning which means all of the rabbit meat should be cooked
prior to canning as noted on pages 5 and 6 in the USDA 'Complete
Guide to Home Canning, Guide 5: Preparing and Canning Poultry, red
Meats, and Seafoods' (see the
link at the end of this article for more information).
Low-acid and Hot
Versus Raw Pack
If you
have read my other article on my blog 'To Pressure or Not to Pressure, That is the Question' you know that meat and meat products
are a low-acid food and must be canning using a pressure canner. If
you have not read this article, please click on the link for more information. So the first thing we need to decide when canning rabbit and other
meat products is decide whether you are going to use the 'hot pack' or
'raw pack' method of canning. The 'hot-pack' method involves cooking
the meat until it is 2/3 done prior to canning. Once the meat has
been partially cooked it is packed into jars with 1 teaspoon of salt
per quart (½ teaspoon per pint) and covered with hot broth, leaving
1 1/4-inch of head space. When using the 'raw pack' method you add 1
teaspoon of salt per quart (½ teaspoon per pint) to the jar and pack
with raw meat without any liquid.
I have
been canning meats for a long time primarily, poultry, beef and
rabbit, and I have only used the hot pack method. In fact, I have
never even met anyone who has used the raw pack method when canning
meat. I personally cannot think of a reason to can meat without some
liquid in the jar. Maybe the liquid is my “security blanket” so
to speak when canning meats, however according to the USDA the raw
pack method is a safe viable alternative. So if you know of anyone,
or you can meat using the raw pack method leave a comment on the
blog, I would like to hear about your or their experiences using this
method.
Cooking the Rabbit
Bones of 4 to 6 rabbits
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons peppercorns
Place all the ingredients in a large
dutch oven or stockpot and add enough water to cover the bones by 1
to 2 inches then bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for
20 to 30 minutes until the rabbit is cooked. The USDA recommendation
is to cook the meat until 2/3rds done, in this instance I cook the
meat until it is completely cooked to make it easier to remove
from the bones. Remove the bones from the stockpot and place on a
large platter or cookie sheet and allow to cool.
While the rabbit meat is cooling, place
a strainer or sieve on top of another stockpot and pour the stock
through the strainer to remove any loose bones, the peppercorns and
the bay leaves. I use a large fine mesh metal strainer that I have had
for some time. It does not matter the type of strainer, however, the
finer the mesh or holes the better it removes any small bones etc. We
are going to use this stock to can with so set it back on the burner
on low to keep it warm, or you could set it aside and reheat the
broth just before canning, the choice is up to you, but the both
will need to be hot when we can the meat. Once the rabbit is cooled
start removing the meat from the bones.
This process can be tedious, but taking
care at this step ensures that you will not have any small bones in
your final product. After all, 10 to 12 week old meat rabbits have
small bones and finding one in a casserole or rabbit salad (i.e.
chicken salad) is not very appetizing. Once you have strained your
stock and have removed all the meat from the bones it is time to
start getting your equipment ready.
Getting Everything Ready (Mise En Place)
Since
meat is a low-acid food, we need to get out the pressure canner and
other equipment and get ready in order to process our rabbit meat.
When canning meat leftover from the bones, I like to can my rabbit in
pint jars. It does not matter whether they are regular or wide mouth
as the chunks of rabbit meat are small. When canning whole rabbit
(cut up into to pieces of course) I like to use quart wide mouth
jars.
Make sure you have the necessary number
of clean pint jars that are ready to be sterilized for the canning
process. If you haven't cleaned yours jars, then do so before you get
started. At this point they do not have to be sterile, just clean. We
will sterilize them later. It has
been my experience that you will need on average 1 pint jar per
rabbit carcass when cooking the meat from the bones. If you are
canning whole 10-12 week New Zealand rabbits (cut into pieces with
the bones) approximately 2 quart jars for each whole bone-in rabbit
before cutting into pieces, or 1 quart jar per whole rabbit if you
cook it and then de-bone the carcass before canning.
Fill your pressure canner about ¾ full
with water and put on the stove and set it on high. We will remove
some of the water later, but I use my pressure canner to sterilize my
jars before canning. If you do not want to use your pressure canner
to sterilize your jars, then fill a stockpot with enough water so
that you can submerge your jars in boiling water. I like to go ahead
and sterilize my jars and set them aside on my racks while the meat
is cooking in order to be as efficient as possible with my time.
Once the water in your pressure cooker
or stockpot begins to boil, reduce the heat until the water simmers
and using your jar tongs place no more than 3
pint jars in your pressure cooker or stockpot at a time and leave for
30 seconds to sterilize the jars then remove to a rack to cool. If
you do not have a metal rack, a bath towel folded in half to protect
the counter will work, however be careful not to knock the jars onto
the floor. At this point I also sterilize my funnels and other
equipment by dipping them into the water and placing them on my
canning racks with the jars.
When you are ready to can your meat,
take a small saucepan and fill with water and set it on high and heat
it just until it starts to boil. Turn off the heat and add your rings
and lids. Go ahead and add about 3 to 4 inches of water to your
pressure canner and bring it to a simmer. If you are using your
canner to sterilize your jars and already have it ¾ full of hot
water, then remove enough water until you only have about 3 to 4
inches left in the canner. Now 3 to 4 inches does not sound like a
lot of water, but as you add your full jars of meat, the water level
will rise. Unlike water bath canning, we do not need or want the
water to cover the jars when pressure canning. In the graphic below
you will see the actual recommendations for my Mirro-Matic Pressure
canner. Most pressure cooker manufacturers also recommend adding 1
tablespoon of vinegar to the water in your pressure canner to prevent
water stains in the cooker and on the tops of the jars. I must admit
I am not very consistent with my use of vinegar, and the occasional
water stains are easily wiped off the tops of the jars.
Canning The Meat
By this point you have done all of the
complicated stuff, now comes the easy part. Add 1 teaspoon of salt
per quart jar (½ teaspoon for pints) if desired, to your cleaned and
sterilized jars. One at a time, loosely pack the jars with the chunks
of rabbit meat and top off the jar with hot broth leaving 1 1/4-inch
of head space. Remove any air bubbles and adjust headspace as
necessary. Then, wipe the rim of the jar with a damp clean paper
towel. Place the heated lid on the jar then hand tighten the ring and
using your tongs, place the jar in the simmering pressure canner.
Repeat this process until your canner is full, then place the lid on
the canner and process at the recommended time and pressure (see
below).
If you have more meat to process than
your canner will hold, only fill enough jars to completely fill the
canner. Once the first batch of meat has been processed and removed
from the canner, check the water level in the canner and adjust it as
necessary. Then fill additional jars with meat and broth following
the previous instructions and process the next batch of meat.
Continue to do this until all of your meat has been processed.
If per chance, you do not have enough
jars of canned meat to fill the pressure canner (which happens to me
all the time) Take empty jars filled with warm water without lids and
add those to the canner to take up the empty space. These water
filled jars will keep your precious bounty from falling over and
possibly breaking during the pressure canning process. When I have any broth leftover I keep
it and can the broth for soups and stews, I will post another article
on how to do this soon. If you run out of broth, then you can use
chicken stock, or simply hot water. If using just water, I recommend
adding the optional salt to the jars when canning.
USDA Recommended Process Time for
Chicken or Rabbit in a Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner
Without Bones: Pints = 75 minutes at
11lbs, Quarts = 90 minutes at 11lbs.*
With Bones: Pints = 65 minutes at
11lbs, Quarts = 75 minutes at 11lbs.*
Recommended Process Time for Chicken or
Rabbit in a Weight-Gauge Pressure Canner
Without Bones: Pints = 75 minutes at
10lbs, Quarts = 90 minutes at 11lbs.*
With Bones: Pints = 65 minutes at
10lbs, Quarts = 75 minutes at 11lbs.*
* Hot and raw pack processing times
for rabbit and chicken are the same.
Conclusion
Maximizing your meat production by
canning meat leftover from the bones of rabbit, poultry, pork, beef,
or wild game can save you a significant amount money on your food
budget, If you raise rabbits and are not canning or using the meat
from the bones after butchering you are wasting a delicious and
precious resource. If you do not have a pressure canner, then cook
the bones as I have suggested and freeze the meat to use it in
casseroles, soups and stews. I prefer to can the meat as it provides
my family with a valuable source of food that is pre-cooked in the
event that we lose power or are the victims of a natural disaster.
Having a shelf stable source of protein is not only very important in
times of a crisis, it is nice to be able to pop open a can of canned
rabbit and make a big pot of 'Rabbit and Dumplings' or 'King Ranch
Rabbit'. Besides there is something about being able to look into
your pantry and see your preserved bounty that makes you feel good, at least it does to me.
Note: If you raise chickens, or just find a good price on whole chickens at the supermarket, the process and cooking times are the same for canning poultry as it is for rabbit. You do not have to raise rabbits or chickens to can meat. If you roast a chicken, save the leftovers and can them the next day. This process is especially good for that leftover turkey at Thanksgiving.
Note: If you raise chickens, or just find a good price on whole chickens at the supermarket, the process and cooking times are the same for canning poultry as it is for rabbit. You do not have to raise rabbits or chickens to can meat. If you roast a chicken, save the leftovers and can them the next day. This process is especially good for that leftover turkey at Thanksgiving.
References:
Mirror-Matic Speed Pressure Cooking,
Mirro Aluminum Co., 1972, p53
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