Don’t worry about running out of turkey when you need a quick meal. It’s easy to can and will last for months. Learn how to pressure can turkey with this tutorial.
Around the holidays, turkeys can be purchased at reduced prices from stores and butcher shops. I like to grab an extra bird or two with the purpose of preserving it for later meals. Since there isn’t much room in the freezer right now, I made it so it can be kept on the shelf.
Home canned turkey is a convenient option for those days when you need quick meal option. You can use it in chili and soups, tacos, enchiladas, sandwiches, and casseroles.
Canning turkey at home is a great way to preserve and store turkey meat for future use. With some simple equipment, ingredients, and techniques, you can pressure can turkey and have shelf-stable, ready-to-eat turkey year round.
Why Should You Pressure Can Turkey?
Pressure canning turkey has many benefits:
- Saves money by buying turkey in bulk when on sale
- Makes use of leftover turkey after holidays
- Provides pre-cooked turkey for quick weeknight meals
- Frees up freezer space compared to freezing turkey
- Allows you to control ingredients like salt instead of commercial canned turkey
- Canned turkey can be stored for 1-5 years if done properly
Equipment Needed
To safely can turkey at home. you will need
- A pressure canner with rack – It must be big enough to hold quart or pint jars. Look for a dial gauge or weighted gauge model.
- Canning jars – Quart or pint sized, with new lids and rings for each use.
- Jar lifter or tongs
- Jar funnel
- Bubble removal tool
- Clean tea towels or paper towels
Optional but helpful items:
- Wide-mouth canning funnel
- Magnetic lid lifter
- Jar wrench
Ingredients
- Raw or cooked turkey pieces – Bone-in or boneless, skinless breasts, thighs, wings, etc.
- Chicken, turkey, or vegetable broth – Homemade is best but low-sodium store-bought works.
- Non-iodized salt (optional) – For flavor, about 1 tsp per quart jar.
Prep Steps
Before canning prep your turkey
- Choose raw or cooked turkey. Raw packing takes less time but cooked turkey has a nicer texture.
- Cut turkey into pieces that will fit into your jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Chunks or shredded works well.
- Make broth if desired. Simmer turkey bones/parts for 4+ hours before straining.
- Partially cook raw turkey before canning if desired. Roast or simmer until no longer pink inside.
Canning Process
Follow these steps for safe pressure canned turkey
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Sterilize jars in a water bath canner or dishwasher. Keep hot until ready to fill.
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Heat your broth. Use turkey, chicken, or vegetable broth. Homemade is best.
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Pack hot jars with turkey pieces, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
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Optionally add 1 tsp non-iodized salt per quart.
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Fill jar with hot broth, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Use a bubble tool to remove trapped air.
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Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp paper towel. Apply lids and screw bands finger tight.
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Place jars in pressure canner with 2-3 inches of warm water in the bottom.
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Follow your canner instructions to achieve the required pressure for your altitude. Consult the chart below:
| Altitude | Weighted Gauge | Dial Gauge |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 1000 ft | 10 lb | 11 lb |
| 1001 – 2000 ft | 10 lb | 12 lb |
| 2001 – 4000 ft | 10 lb | 13 lb |
| 4001 – 6000 ft | 10 lb | 14 lb |
| 6001 – 8000 ft | 10 lb | 15 lb |
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Start timing once correct pressure is reached. Process pint jars for 75 mins, quart jars for 90 mins. Adjust for higher altitudes.
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Turn off heat and allow canner to depressurize naturally. Wait 10 minutes then open lid away from you.
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Remove jars with a jar lifter. Allow to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
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Check seals on cooled jars by pressing center lid. Lid should not pop up or down. Re-process any unsealed jars.
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Wash and label sealed jars. Store in a cool, dark place up to 1 year.
Serving Canned Turkey
Your home canned turkey is ready to use in any recipe calling for cooked turkey!
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Make turkey noodle soup – dice turkey and simmer with veggies and broth.
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Use in casseroles like turkey tetrazzini.
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Make turkey salad sandwiches with mayo and celery.
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Heat and serve turkey with gravy and sides for a quick meal.
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Dice and add to stuffing or dressing recipes.
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Stir into chilis, rice bowls, pasta bakes, and more!
With some simple equipment and technique, you can enjoy delicious pressure canned turkey all year long. Give it a try and enjoy homemade canned turkey meals through the seasons.
Step 3: Heat the Stock
Add the stock to a large stockpot. Turn the heat down to a simmer (180˚F) and cover the pot. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. If you made fresh stock, remove and discard excess fat before heating.
If you refrigerated the meat, you will need to heat it up before placing it in your jars. Simply add it to your pot of stock and heat everything together. To fill the jars, use tongs or a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat. Then, add more stock to the top.
Step 1: Prepare the Turkey
If you are preparing a whole bird for canning, you don’t have to cook it completely. The pressure canning process will finish cooking the meat and kill any bacteria that may be present. Both Ball and the National Center for Home Food Preservation say to cook until about two-thirds done.
Roast the unstuffed bird in an oven until the internal temperature is at least 115˚F. If you’d rather handle a fully cooked bird, keep roasting it until the internal temperature reaches 165˚F.
Let the turkey rest until it is cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones. Cut the meat into chunks, cubes, or strips. If you shred the meat, it might get squashed in the jar, which would stop the heat from getting through properly.
Save the carcass, skin, and pan drippings to make stock. I like to do this right away since the roasting pan is already out.
If you have stock made and ready to use, continue to the canning process. Do not can the meat until after making the stock. If you need to remove the fat easily, put the stock in the fridge overnight while you make the meat. The next day, you can the meat.
I’m CANNING our TURKEY!
FAQ
How long do you pressure can turkey?
Can I raw pack turkey for canning?
How long to pressure can turkey broth?
What pressure should I use for canning meat?
Can You pressure can a whole turkey?
Pack hot turkey pieces and hot broth into jars. Process the filled jars in a pressure canner. Pressure canning is necessary to safely can low-acid foods like meat. The high heat kills any bacteria including botulism, that could be present. You can can whole turkey pieces or use boneless turkey breast or thighs.
Is pressure canning turkey meat a good idea?
Having the ability to open up a jar of ready-to-eat meat makes for quick meals in a hurry. Pressure canning turkey meat is not a difficult process and will leave you with a healthy option on those hectic evenings. I’ve never been a fan of grocery store canned meat, it just never appealed to me! I used to buy canned tuna but stopped years ago.
How do you can a cooked turkey?
Only can fresh turkey meat, whether raw or partially cooked. Thanksgiving leftovers aren’t suitable for canning. Wash the canning tools, jars, lids, and bands in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Sanitize the canning jars by placing them in boiling water for 10 minutes and keeping them hot until filled. Chop the turkey meat into 1-inch pieces.
How do you preheat a pressure canner?
Place the recommended amount of warm water in the bottom of your canner (check your pressure canner manual, but usually 3-4″ of water) and begin to preheat the canner. Pack clean, hot quart and/or pint mason jars with the diced or shredded meat, leaving 1″ headspace at the top. Top up the jars with hot turkey stock.
Do you add liquid to Canning turkey meat?
Canning liquid: When canning turkey meat, you can add water, stock, or tomato juice to the packed jars before processing. No liquid is added when raw canning. The liquid cover in hot packing turkey ensures quality during storage, while the raw turkey fat and juices are usually not enough to fully cover the meat in raw packs.
What should be left out of turkey meat when Canning?
Leave turkey giblets, hearts and livers out of the rest of the turkey meat when canning that meat.