People do a wide variety of things with their game meat once they get it home. Some butcher it themselves and freeze it, others have a professional butcher take care of the job for them. In addition to the traditional meat cutting services, many butchers will also make sausage or jerky from your game.
Apart from freezing or drying the meat, there’s one traditional option that is often overlooked in our modern world – canning. You can prepare meat for stews and other dishes, then use a pressure canner to preserve the meat for future use without refrigeration. A few important tips for canning your game meat are: be sure all jars, even new ones, are cleaned before you start; remove any damaged meat as you go; leave at least an inch of head space at the top of each jar; always use adequate pressure when canning; and, examine all finished jars after they’ve had time to cool to ensure they’ve sealed properly.
