Canned Rabbit, Raw Pack

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1Understand before you begin that rabbit is a low-acid food and must be processed in a pressure canner, using the same rules that apply to poultry; a boiling-water bath is never safe for canning rabbit.
2. 2Wash 4 quart jars in hot soapy water or a dishwasher and keep them hot; wash new lids and prepare them exactly as the manufacturer instructs.
3. 3Cut the rabbit into serving pieces (legs, saddle, and back sections), trimming off any excess fat, then size the pieces so they fit into the jars with the correct headspace, leaving the bone in.
4. 4This is the raw pack method, meaning the rabbit pieces go into the jar uncooked; raw pack works well for rabbit and is handled just like raw-pack chicken, while hot pack (simmering the pieces partway first) can be used if you prefer firmer meat.
5. 5Pack the raw rabbit pieces loosely into the hot jars, positioning bone-in pieces with the bone toward the glass, and do not pack tightly, since liquid must be able to move around every piece.
6. 6Leave 1 1/4 inches of headspace at the top of each jar.
7. 7Raw-pack rabbit usually needs no added liquid because it releases its own juices as it processes; if you prefer, ladle boiling water or boiling chicken broth over the meat to cover it, keeping the 1 1/4 inch headspace, and add salt only for flavor.
8. 8Use a bubble tool to work out trapped air from around and under the bone-in pieces, then recheck the headspace and adjust if necessary.
9. 9Wipe the jar rims thoroughly clean of any fat or juice, center a prepared lid on each jar, and screw the band on fingertip tight.
10. 10Load the jars into the pressure canner, add water per the manufacturer's directions, lock the lid, and vent steam steadily for 10 minutes before pressurizing.
11. 11Process pint jars for 75 minutes and quart jars for 90 minutes at 10 pounds pressure in a weighted-gauge canner up to 1,000 feet (15 pounds above 1,000 feet), or 11 pounds in a dial-gauge canner up to 2,000 feet (12 pounds from 2,001 to 4,000 feet, 13 pounds from 4,001 to 6,000 feet, 14 pounds from 6,001 to 8,000 feet).
12. 12When the time is up, turn off the heat and let the canner release pressure naturally on its own; never quick-release when canning rabbit.
13. 13Wait until the gauge reads zero, then wait 2 more minutes, slowly finish venting, wait 10 more minutes, and unlock the canner.
14. 14Transfer jars to a towel-lined counter and let them rest undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
15. 15Check the seal on each lid, wipe the jars clean, label with the contents and date, and store in a cool, dark place for up to about 1 year.
16. 16Before using, boil the contents of any jar hard for 10 minutes to destroy any possible botulinum toxin, and discard without tasting any jar with an off odor, liquid that spurts out on opening, or a lid that never sealed or has become bulged.