Canning Chicken Stock

I'm so excited; I finally got around to using my pressure canner.  I know, this doesn't exactly seem like earth shattering news, but I've been a little hesitant because we have a glass top stove, and you're not supposed to can on them.  I have a friend that pressure cans on her glass top, but her canner is smaller than the one Mom gave me for Christmas, so I was still a little freaked out.  However, I argued logically with myself that I already water bath can on it, and it always does fine, so I pulled out the pressure canner and tried to see if it would be heavier than the water bath canner.  It wasn't.  Even though the pressure canner is quite a bit heavier than the water bath canner while they are empty, once you've had to fill the water bath with enough water to cover full, quart sized jars, it's heavier than the pressure canner filled with the requisite 1 &1/2" of water (measured before putting the jars in), and filled, quart jars.  And since the pressure canner isn't quiet as big around as the water bath either, I figured that eliminated the argument of the canner overhanging the eye.  So I forged ahead and canned the last batch of chicken stock I made.  Since we use chicken stock for a lot of things, I don't like making it in small batches.  It doesn't take any longer to make it in a large batch, and you've got a nice supply for the future.  Here is a link to a previous post on how I like to make it.  Gotta love big roaster ovens.  *I should probably add a disclaimer in here that I can't officially endorse canning on a glass top stove, so, there you go; I said it.*

Once the stock was done, I refrigerated it overnight to solidify the fat on the top so it could be removed, then I put it all in my biggest stock pot and brought it back up to a boil before ladling it in the jars.

Then, into the canner.

I have to admit that I was still a little nervous during that first batch,

but everything turned out fine.

We got 14 quarts of chicken stock, and the best part is, I don't have to make room for them in the freezer.

I know - it's dark for chicken stock, but my earlier post explains why. The stuff floating around in the jars (it settled to the bottom by the next morning) was because I had run out of cheesecloth, so the stock could only be strained through my finest mesh strainers.  They did a fairly good job, but there were some tiny bits left. 

Now I can't wait to make up a batch of beef stock, but I may wait until I've bought some cheesecloth.

I've linked this post with the Carnival of Home Preserving.