Oh, I will do it for "quick and easy" as well as "just in case we lose power."

Do you pack your chicken breast raw? The lady told me she does and doesn't add any water, the chicken will make the broth.

That's very interesting how she cans hers. Because I had never done it before, I followed the directions given in the canner book. It indicated to cook the chicken it about a third to half way. I used the water that it was being cooked in to cover and fill in gaps (but I was also at the same time cooking dark meat pieces with bone in, and only threw the breast pieces in that last few minutes. I guess my thinking would have been that the breast meat wouldn't produce much of it's own liquid, but honestly, the more I think about it, I really wouldn't have cared as long as it processed okay. So I'm certainly up for new and better (and easier if possible too). I will enjoy hearing how yours turns out and the amount of time to process the raw chicken meat. I really don't want mine in any larger than the jelly jars (8 oz) where most would probably want pint or larger size. Starting with raw, based on my book (since it gives no indication), I would have idea of the processing time.

I'll have to look more but I'm pretty sure she told me 75 min for pints, which is what I will be doing. I wish I would have gotten her contact info but I know the lady who gave the class and she may be able to put me in contact with her.

That sounds like it would be correct. For pints, my book called for 40 minutes with pressure set at 10 lbs, but that was with chicken meat partially done.

I sent an email off to my friend. Hopefully she can put me into contact with the lady.

I do actually use corn starch as a thickener most of the time but this recipe called for flour and since I had never made it before I stuck with it. What would be the advantage of canning over freezing meat? I know that after a while frozen can get freezer burned which would not happen in cans. I would probably use pints also. I still like the idea of making recipes that take time and a lot of steps and then canning them so I can have them on a moment's notice. I made shrimp jambalaya December 2014 and froze it is bread pans lined with foil. When they were solid I popped them out and stacked them in the freezer. We are having the last 'loaf' tonight with rice.

In the event of a power failure the frozen food would be lost but the canned food will still be good.

For some reason to me sometimes pre-cooked meats frozen don't always taste the best coming out of the freezer, especially chicken (unless it's baked smothered in gravy). Personally, I have a very small place, and not a lot freezer space. For freezing I like to freeze fresh strawberries and asparagus, and some others which can take up a lot of the freezer space. But MaryStella @Oberon46 , like you, I want to do some complete made freezer items, or if I hear some good ideas, canned items. For one, I'd like to do a large batch of lazagna which I haven't don't yet. Then cut up in hunk size pieces to place in freezer boxes. Then I can have a quick summer lunch or even evening meal of lazagna and all I have to do it pop it in the microwave, and have a salad and bread on the side. I often pre-cook (fry) ground beef with salt and onion and freeze it in a large gallon size slider freezer bags. I can then take out portion to make a quick spagetti with sauce (which I hope to can some of my own in the upcoming future). But then you have to remember I'm usually only cooking for one, though I enjoy leftovers for two or three meals.

Cooking for 1 or 2 is really a challenge. That may well be a whole new thread...

Those are all good ideas. I keep meaning to make a large batch of spaghetti sauce and can it. Do you think it is better to brown the burgher on the side and freeze or just put it in the sauce and can it all together? I could actually have canned the jambalaya also. And Deb's comment about losing power to the freezer is spot on. We have power outages here from time to time and the people in the surrounding area were without power last year for almost two weeks. I guess if you kept the freezer door shut it might last. The only greens I have in the freezer are kale, broc, and green beans. I make kale bread by crushing the frozen kale to small bits. Takes about 16 ounces for a loaf or two. It is better to freeze first and crush after. Can't crush it fresh and if you pack it too tightly in the bags then you can't crush it as it freezes into a lump.

I also see the value of canning meats; same point Deb made. You can have a freezer full of meat but if the power fails??? Oppppps. So the question is do you prepare the meat then can or can raw. I am sure the canning process changes the texture and taste which freezing (at least until it gets freezer burned) doesn't.

I put up food for just myself and my DH. My children and grandchildren have very different tastes so it is wasted on them. Especially bean dishes except maybe for chili.

For both spagetti sauce and pizza sauce I know there is canned type with meat added. So it has to be possible to do it that way. As for processing time, and raw vs. cooked meat as a sauce/meat combo; now that's a good question or questions. For me, I'm really hoping to can some spagetti (pasta) sauce and pizza sauce, not meat added. But again, I think I will use the 8 oz jars. Then I would just have to pull out my pre-fryed (browned) frozen ground beef; add some to the 8 oz jar of sauce in a sauce pan and heat. At the price of meat nowdays, I don't want to lose any to power outage freezer thaw. I only brown 2 to 4 pounds of ground beef at a time, and usually use it up in a month or two.

I canned my meat 1/3 to half or more cooked, depending on dark meat chicken, breast meat chicken, or beef roast. Hopefully Arlene is going to try canning raw meat in February and will at some later point share her experience on how it goes and tastes.

In going into town today, I happened to see and was reminded of Sweet Sue Chicken and Dumplings in a can. So when I got home, I began research online about pressure canning, and learned quite a lot. No No's are using grains, flours and even cornstarch in the pressure canning process. I guess this all has to do with the high PH of the flour and that the jars are unable to get hot enough to kill all bacteria. I guess commercial processing is different than home canning. In fact, I was disappoint to hear that mashed pumpkin should not be canned. ?? I know Tom said he canned pumpkin (I can't think of his ID to call him here for info). Although I was on a great quest to can my own chicken and dumplings, I guess I will forego. I am now concerned about trying to can pumpkin. Although it is said that canning it cubed is okay. ??

@Oberon46 @abhege on this quest, I did happen to go through a drawer at someone mentioning a Ball's Blue Book. I just so happened to have one that I had never even read or used. Chicken can be *raw packed*, even with bone in, and processed 65 minutes for pints, and 75 minutes for quarts, using 10 pounds pressure.

It is my recollection that the reason to not can cooked and mashed pumpkin (or other squash) is the density which risks not having everything reach the optimum temperature to kill bacteria. Leaving it in chunks will apparently allow all the produce to reach the correct temp.

When I helped out with judging at my community fair, we used the Ball Blue Book as a reference for proper timing/pressure/method. Sadly, if a person didn't process per the Ball Book, their entry was disqualified. I felt horrible one year when an absolutely gorgeous quart of canned pears with almonds had to be disqualified because the woman processed it 5 minutes less than advised. It really would have won Best of Show otherwise, and I know the woman was sorely disappointed to not get any sort of ribbon for her hard work.

So, Kayleigh, flour IS a no-no. That is what my book said. I took canning lessons from the local cooperative extension (from soup to nuts so to speak) and then bought the book they recommended. It even has wild meat like racoon, bear, moose in it.

Yes, as well as milk and eggs. I have to say I was disappointed because I was getting excited about the thought of moving towards canning some of my own pre-made chicken and noodles, of which I could just empy out of the jar into a sauce pan, heat and eat. Oh well.

And not only flour, but cornstarch as well. ??

Even aside from safety issues, I think if you canned anything with noodles in it, the noodles would be total mush after the necessary processing time.

Sandy, @Weedwhacker , and that is what I also read. My thoughts would have been that the dumplings I would want would be thick and heavy (doughy), and that perhaps that wouldn't happen, but I don't think I will even try. As for noodles, I will store my noodles in the freezer and can easily make chicken and noodles. As for dumplings, I'm not sure how they could be pre-made in larger quantity, and then stored in smaller portions.

But as an encouragement to those who want to try canning meat, I am really pleased with my canned beef. I opened the jar in the photo today (it was one that I had left sit out on the counter). I didn't know what to have for lunch, so I thought I'd have a baked potato (actually microwave potato), a portion of the canned beef, etc. It was very tasty and so easy to fix a quick meal. Even the 8 oz jelly jar size will be enough for me two meals, so could be sufficient for one meal for a 2-household family.

Oh I never thought about freezing noodles. I have a pasta machine. But seems like they would freezer burn pretty easily.

We keep them 3 or 4 months in the freezer and I've not noticed that freezer burnt taste. I also freeze bread because I don't eat a lot of it somtimes. It only keeps 2 or 3 months in freezer before getting that taste. Eww...when that happens, I throw away.