Canning Season Is OFFICIALLY Here! 🐓 Homemade Chicken Broth & Canned Chicken From Scratch

🎉 Well, I’m super excited because canning season has officially started around here! Today was my very first canning day of the season, and the first thing I tackled was six whole chickens so I could make homemade chicken broth AND can shredded chicken for future meals like soups, casseroles, chicken salad, and easy dinners 🙌🐓 Here’s exactly how I make my homemade chicken broth: I take my biggest pots and fill them about halfway with water, then add two whole chickens per pot. For seasoning, you can really use whatever spices your family loves, but this is what I do: ✨ 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning ✨ 2 tablespoons fresh garlic ✨ 2 tablespoons minced onion ✨ 2 tablespoons oregano ✨ 2 tablespoons parsley ✨ Plus any extra spices that aren’t already in the Italian seasoning Then I let the chickens cook low to medium heat for over an hour. One thing to watch for — you want the liquid to turn into a nice medium to dark yellow color. That’s when you know you’re getting a really flavorful homemade broth! Keep checking your chicken while it cooks. Once the chicken is done, I remove it from the pot and let it cool enough to handle before pulling all the meat off the bones. BUT… don’t stop there 👏 I leave the broth simmering while I shred the chicken, and once the meat is removed, I put all those bones right back into the broth and let it simmer on low for another hour. That gives the broth even more flavor. Then it’s time to can! I personally love the shorter, wider pressure canners with a pressure gauge because I don’t like guessing where my pressure is at. Before anything, wash all your jars, lids, and seals and always check for cracks. I use a funnel and a measuring cup to carefully pour my hot broth into jars until it reaches the rim. Then I take a hot clean cloth and wipe around the rim really well. I even run my finger around the top after wiping just to make sure there’s no debris or little imperfections that could stop it from sealing. Then add your seal and screw band. For the pressure canner, I add about 1–2 inches of water in the bottom and place the jars inside making sure they are NOT touching each other. Put the lid on and let it seal while heating on medium. Once you see steam coming out of the vent, place your weight on. As pressure builds, you’ll see the indicator pop up letting you know the canner is fully pressurized. Now watch that pressure gauge 👀 When it reaches about 12–15 pounds of pressure, THAT’S when you start your timer. ⏰ Quart jars: about 35–45 minutes ⏰ Pint jars: about 25–30 minutes Some vegetables need pressure canning too — things like potatoes, carrots, and green beans. One of my biggest tips: STAY close to your pressure canner while it’s running. Pressure can rise too fast or drop too low, and that can affect your timing. Once your timer goes off, turn the burner off and let the canner cool completely on its own until the pressure reaches zero and the indicator goes down. After that, remove the weight. If steam is still coming out, don’t touch the lid yet! Once there’s no steam, I like to crack the lid a little and let everything cool down more. Then use your jar grippers to carefully remove the jars and place them on a cutting board or towel — not directly on the counter because they’re HOT. As they cool, listen for the best sound ever… POP! 🙌 That means your jars are sealing. You’ll also notice the lids flattening as they seal. Then it’s time to store them for future meals! They definitely never last long around here 😆 Thank you so much for joining me on my very first day of canning season ❤️ Make sure to subscribe, follow, and come along for all the cooking, pantry stocking, homesteading, and big family life! Facebook:   / justthebells10   Instagram:   / justthebells10   TikTok:   / justthebells   #CanningSeason #PressureCanning #ChickenBroth #HomemadeBroth #ChickenCanning #PantryPrep #HomeCanning #HomesteadKitchen #FromScratchCooking #FoodPreservation #MealPrep #PantryStocking #LargeFamilyCooking #BigFamilyMeals #HomemadeFood #CountryKitchen #ShelfCooking #PrepAheadMeals #JustTheBells10 #HomesteadLiving