Hi Tracy - we call it "Freezer Burn" soup since it is made out of all the interesting freezer cleanings. ;) We use the NCHFP guidelines for making and canning soups with meat.

In this particular case it was a piece of london broil and some older hamburger for the beef to make stock. Cooked it on low in seasoned water in the crockpot overnight. Then it was shredded/chopped. To the meat and stock we added some frozen leftovers of lima beans, tomatoes, onions, corn, some squash, diced carrots, some peas, frozen sweet peppers, and a couple of diced potatoes. It is along the lines of the discussion here on making stock from odds and ends.

We add a bit of salt, pepper, and dry italian seasonings to taste and add citric acid to each jar for additional safety. Process per the NCHFP guidelines.

Dave

PS: the venison chunks in beef broth can be added to stews, chili, and soups. Venison stroganoff!! And we grind up some too and add mix with hamburger for meat loaf. We tried venison spaghetti sauce one year but didn't care for it. But wife makes diced venison hash (like corned beef hash) for breakfast often with it. Dice the chunks, dice up a couple of canned potatoes, toss in some diced frozen onions and diced peppers, S&P and cook covered on low heat in a cast iron skillet for about 20 mins. Serve with a couple of poached eggs and toast. ;)

Thanks for your response. That soup sounds like a good fall project. I like clean-out-the-fridge-and-freezer soups, that's how I do all veggie soup (I just don't tell hubby what all is in there).

Trying to think ahead and prepare for the venison. It seems a lot of ours seems to go to waste in the freezer and I'd like to try something new. (Maybe my cooking ability is more of the problem than anything else!)

Will have to give the venison hash a try.

If anybody out there prepares a lot of venison, please feel free to share any techniques and recipes. Also, do any of you can fowl. We end up with a lot of wood ducks in the fall and winter. Usually we just freeze and then grill. I've heard that shredded duck makes a very good substitute for BBQ sandwiches and mexican dishes. Anybody have any experience?

Thanks again!

Check out - Venison Culinary Centre: Recipes

Then there is Apple Cider Venison Stew (freezer recipe)

Apple Cider Stew

1-2 pounds venison stew meat
8 carrots, sliced thin
6 potatoes, sliced thin
2 apples, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 cups apple cider

Place carrots, potatoes, and apples in slow cooker. Add meat and sprinkle with salt, thyme, and onion. Pour cider over meat and cover. Cook on low heat 10-12 hours. Thicken gravy with a bit of cornstarch. Portion into individual freezer containers and freeze.

If you like crockpot cooking - we love the crockpot in winter - then any crockpot beef recipes can be done by subbing venison.

Dave

Venison 'gamey' flaver can be masked by using juniper berries as a spice when preparing it.

One of my husband's favorite winter "comfort foods" is canned venison thickened as gravy over split and buttered angel biscuits. (I didn't say it was a diet dish, LOL.)

To answer your other question re the chili, no you don't have to follow the rule for soup of half solids and half liquids. Those recipes for things like meaty spaghetti sauce, baked beans, chili, etc. have been specifically tested for appropriate processing time for the thicker mixture. As long as the recipe comes from a reliable source like the BBB just follow the directions and you'll be fine.

Carol

Thank you all for your responses. I'm now ready to try some venison recipes - especially that stew!

Ken - I've never tried cooking with juniper berries. (As I stated before, my culinary expertise is a little limited).

My FIL is the deer hunter, DH is the duck hunter. Maybe between the two of them we can get a variety of meat this year. FIL usually has a good bit of meat made into Trail Bologna - good stuff!

Thanks again.

Juniper berries are ground up and added to any kind of gamey meat including duck. Its not a strong spice and I usually buy the whole juniper berries and use a small coffee grinder (the blender type) to grind them up. You would use about half of what you would add as black pepper. I will sometimes add a a little to things like home made salami.