Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast, cubed
- 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 large onion, diced
- Peas, green beans, or corn, optional
- Hot water or chicken broth
- Pepper, to taste
- Salt
Directions
- In a large stockpot, lightly stir-fry chicken until partially done. Add vegetables and enough broth to cover everything.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add pepper, to taste.
- Fill hot jars evenly with solids, then add enough broth to leave 1 inch headspace. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon salt to each quart, or 1⁄4 teaspoon per pint.
- Remove bubbles.
- Pressure can at 11 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes for quarts, or 75 minutes for pints.
- To serve:
- Strain out broth and combine with 1 tablespoon flour. Stir until smooth to make gravy. Place a pie crust in a pie pan, pour in jar contents (add as many jars as needed), and add gravy.
- Cover with another pie crust and bake at 375 F for 45 minutes, or until golden. Alternatively:Place in a pan and top with biscuits and bake at 450 F for 20 minutes, or until browned.
Chicken Pot Pies in Jar creates a delicious a shelf stable dinner that’s easy and quick to put together on busy night with all the flavor of homemade food.
There are five recipes in this series, be sure to follow the links for the others: 16-Bean Chili, Hamburger and Potato Soup, Roasted Squash Soup with Bacon Soup, and Canned BBQ Chicken.
General Instructions for Canning Chicken Pot Pies in Jar
- Carefully read the manual for your pressure canner.
- You can reuse rings and jars, but don’t reuse lids.
After pressure canning, remove the jars (which will still be hot) and place them on a towel to finish cooling. This can take from 12 to 24 hours. Once at room temperature, remove the rings, finger-test the seals to make sure they’re tight, and eat anything that hasn’t sealed immediately. The rest can be stored in a dark, cool place for up to a year.
Tips and Safety When Canning Chicken Pot Pies in Jar
With each canning recipe, keep a few things in mind. When filling your jars, fill them evenly with solids, and add liquid to the required headspace. (Headspace is the distance between the surface of the food and the underside of the lid.) Don’t mash or purée foods that’ll be canned. Gently place the food in jars. Add very hot liquid (boiling or having just been boiled) after your solids. Broth or hot water will work. Remove bubbles from the jar with your utensil before topping with lids and rings. Don’t add too many spices or spices that tend to become bitter (such as sage) before canning; you can always add those when you’re reheating meals. Before adding the lids, wipe the rims with a vinegar-dampened cloth to remove grease. Place the hot lids on top, and finger-tighten the rings. Then, put jars on the rack inside the hot canner with the vent port off, tighten down the lid, and turn the heat to high. Allow steam to escape from the port for 10 minutes before you replace the weighted gauge. Wait for the canner to come to the recommended pressure before you start timing and pressurizing.
Read the manual for your pressure canner. It’ll give you the pressure and time requirements based on your canner and altitude.
Jenny Underwood is a home-schooling mama to four lively blessings. She makes her home in the rural foothills of the Ozark Mountains with her husband of 20 years. You can find her reading a good book, drinking coffee, and gardening on their small fifth-generation homestead. She blogs at www.InconvenientFamily.com.
