First.. PREPARE your squirrel
Skin, Clean, and Soak in saltwater overnight put small saucer on top to keep them under stick in fridge
take out next day and pick for hairs and buckshot thoroughly!
Soak fresh squirrel in brine by dissolving 1 tablespoon salt for each quart of water. Rinse.
Raw Pack Method:
Separate squirrel at joints. Bones may be left in or removed. We left them in.
Pack meat into hot wide mouth jars, we let our jars sit in simmering hot water as we worked
Ladle hot water or broth over meat leaving 1 inch head space. Remove air bubbles Adjust lids and rings. For boned meat process pints 1 hour 15 minutes. For quarts 1 hour 30 minutes at 10 lbs pressure in a PRESSURE CANNER. No water bath.
use squirrel meat and broth to make squirrel dumplings or gravy.. here is a photo of some of my squirrel dumplings.. recipe posted on this site
Hot Packed Method:
Boil steam or bake squirrel until about 2/3 done. Separate at joints. Bones may be left in or removed. pack meat into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace. Ladle hot broth or water over top. put lids and caps on and pressure can pints 1 hour and 15 min quarts 1 hour 30 minutes at 10 lbs pressure in a steam pressure canner. For bone in meat proccess pints 1 hour and 5 minutes. quarts 1 hour and 15 minutes at 10 lbs pressure
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