Question
I bottled chicken yesterday and have a question. As I was preparing it to can, I was told by a neighbor that I should put chicken bouillon in each jar. So, I did that and then later another neighbor came over and worried that maybe that wasn't a safe thing to do. So, now of course I am worried. Will my chicken be ruined because I put bouillon in it? Also, how long with this chicken last? I read somewhere that it would last 6 months. Then I heard from another neighbor who cans chicken all the time that it would last much longer. Please advise. Thanks
Answer(s)
There are two methods for safely canning chicken. The Hot Pack method means that you boil, steam or bake the mean until it is about two-thirds done. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart, if desired, then add chicken pieces (with or without bone) and hot broth, leaving a 1-1/4 inch headspace. If you use the hot-pack method, the liquid that you add to the jar is typically what the meat was boiled in. However, I suppose that if you made a broth using chicken bouillon and added that to the jar, it would be fine (you want the bouillon completely dissolved, though).
The other method is the Raw Pack method. This process consists of cutting the raw chicken into pieces for canning (with or without bone) and filling the jar loosely with the raw meat. Leave a 1-1/4 inch headspace and do NOT add any additional liquid.
As the raw meat processes, it will create its own liquid and if you've added liquid to the jar with the raw meat prior to processing, the liquid may overflow during or after processing.
From your information, I was unsure which method you used. If you did the Hot Pack and placed a bouillon cube or crystals into the jar with chicken and hot water, for example, there is a possibility that the bouillon cube won't dissolve completely.
I do not know of any reason why adding bouillon would make the product unsafe. However, the USDA Guide does not give any safe guidelines for adding chicken bouillon to chicken prior to processing. Since it's something that has not been tested, so I can't give you a clear answer whether or not it will definitely be safe or unsafe. The USDA Guide does allow salt, and for this reason, I think that what you have done will be okay. You always want to follow the safe, research-tested guidelines for canning to ensure a safe product.
You can find more on the USDA guide online at http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/pub__1510735.pdf
As far as how long it will last - if the product has been processed correctly (in the case of chicken, pints without bones need to process for 75 minutes at 13lbs or 15lbs, depending on whether you have a dial gauge or a weighted gauge; quarts without bones need to process for 90 minutes at 13lbs or 15lbs), it will last for a long time. However, a good rule of thumb to use is 1-2 years if it's stored in a cool, dry place. This is true of most home-canned and commercially canned products.
I hope that helps! Find out more on our website http://extension.usu.edu/utah/htm/fcs/food-preservation-canning
We are currently working on updating this, so check back occasionally for more information!
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