Canning Alaskan Moose Meat

When Woodsen first started going on an annual moose hunt, we enjoyed having our meat sent off and turned into a wide variety of products, from burgers and sausages to cheese dogs and hunter sticks. A few years in, I started paying more attention to the ingredients added to our wild meat and was frustrated to see MSG and all sorts of other additives on the ingredient list. While we aren’t to the point of processing all our meat ourselves (maybe someday we will get there), I’ve been looking for practical ways to keep some variety without the undesirable ingredients.

When we moved to the valley, we quickly got to know our closest neighbors, Frannie & Pat, whose house is connected to ours via a trail through the woods. Frannie mentioned that she often canned her moose meat and loved how using it simplified meal prep. I also loved the idea, and with her offer to help me with the canning process I decided to give it a try.

Along with her knowledge of canning, Frannie brought over her giant All American pressure canner she called the “Iron Lung”. It was a beast of a canner that allowed us to can fourteen quarts in one go.

It’s been four years since I first canned moose with Frannie, and I’m still enjoying the shelf-stable cooked meat and how simple it makes meal prep. My favorite recipes to use it in are Moose enchiladas, Moose stew (that’s ready in 20 min), and a delicious Moose curry stew.

The canning process starts for me when Woodsen brings the quarters and burger bags home. We work on deboning the quarters and picking out meat for canning. I like cutting my meat for canning into 1-inch cubes, so larger chunks work best.

Once I have my bin of meat, I usually put it in the freezer to buy me time till I’m ready to can. Besides the convenience of time, I’ve also found cutting the meat while it’s still slightly frozen is easiest. After it’s cubed I put it in the fridge to thaw the rest of the way.

One year we canned the meat when it was still a bit frosty, and we ended up with jars that didn’t have as much moose meat in them because the frosty meat wouldn’t pack down as well.

I’ve found that one very full white (50 lb) bin is enough for approximately two loads, or 28 quarts. Since you might not have a similar white bin, think 1 1/2-2 lbs per quart jar, or 25lbs per canner load.

Once my meat is cubed and thawed I’m ready to prep my jars. I load my jars, lids and screw tops in the dishwasher to wash and sanitize them.

Once the jars are ready I follow the directions for canning raw pack from the University of Alaska Fairbanks that I’ve linked below. I’ve printed off their pdf instructions and keep it in my binder of recipes for handy reference during the canning process.

https://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications/database/food/canning-caribou-deer-and-moose.php

Packing the moose meat in jars and leaving 1 inch head space

We add 1 tsp of salt, then wipe the rims of the jars to ensure they seal well, and then screw on the lids.

We add 2-3 inches of water to the iron lung, then add the bottom rack and arrange seven cans. I generally have a mix of regular and wide-mouth jars, and I usually put two wide-mouth jars and five regular-mouth jars on the bottom. I’ve found that this arrangement makes it easy to fit the tray to hold the next layer of jars. The top layer contains whatever variety of jars we have left.

The Iron lung doesn’t have a rubber gasket to check or clean, but to make the metal move smoothly and seal, Frannie taught me to rub a small amount of oil around the metal rim of the canner lid.

Once the canner is loaded and the lid secured, we crank the heat and cook as directed by the UAF instructions linked above- 90 minutes at 10lb of pressure.

After the 90 min cooking time, we turn the stove off and let the pressure drop. Once the pressure is back to zero, we remove the lid, remove the jars, and wait to hear and count the lids pop and seal. The kids love this part.

Next, the kids have fun writing the date on the lids of the sealed jars.

For storage, I remove the outer screw-top lid to help visualize any issues with sealing, then we move the cans to the garage, which provides a dark, cool place to store them.

Next step, enjoying all year long!