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Learn to can meats and wild gameColorado How are you going to preserve your bounty this hunting season? Canning is one way to preserve wild game, meat and poultry. You don't have to worry about spoilage if your freezer breaks down or if the electricity goes out. Canned meat is already cooked and seasoned so you can easily make many different dishes. Canning meat may sound complicated, but with the right tools, it's an easy process. Seeing those finished jars lined up on your kitchen counter is satisfying, too. Meat, poultry and wild game are low acid foods. They must be processed in a pressure canner to destroy the spores that lead to the deadly toxin called botulism. Using pressure lets the canner reach a temperature of 240 degrees which kills the spores. Canned vegetables are also low acid and must be processed in a pressure canner. To can meats, use the processing time specified for the type of meat you're canning. Adjust the pressure for our altitude; at altitudes of 2,001 to 4,000 feet, use 12 pounds pressure. If your altitude is 4,001 to 6,000 feet, use 13 pounds pressure. Can only good quality meat, poultry or game. Chill home produced meat soon after slaughter to prevent spoilage. If meat must be held longer than a few days, freeze it until canning time. Keep all meat clean and sanitary. Rinse poultry thoroughly in cold water, then drain. Trim meat of gristle, bruised spots and fat before canning. Fat left on the meat will melt, climb the sides of the jar during processing, and may prevent the jar from sealing. To learn more about canning meats or pressure canning, come to a workshop offered by CSU Extension in the Southeast Area. The hands-on workshop will be Oct. 19, 12:45 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Plainview School. A $15 registration fee will cover supplies for the workshop; participants will take home meat they have helped can. Register at your local Extension Office by Oct. 12. There is a minimum of six and maximum of 20 participants for class. Pressure canner gauge testing is included in class fee. For more information, contact your local Extension Office: Baca County, 719-523-6971; Bent County, 719-456-0764; Cheyenne County, 719-767-5716; Crowley, County, 719-267-5243; Kiowa County, 719-438-5321; Otero County, 719-254-7608; or Prowers County, 719-336-7734. Date: 10/1/2012
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