Homecanning Tuna

For those of you who are intimidated by the thought of canning your own fish - this is a step-by-step process. There are a lot of pictures - but don't let that deter you. Basically - it's a fill the jars/process jars procedure. First I want to thank my personal assistand (DS#1) for his picture taking at times when my hands were covered in tuna. Thanks - you were a great help! :)

Okay - roll up your sleeves - literally - and let's get to work!

I would like to introduce the pressure canner. You HAVE to use this when canning meats and veggies.
**If in doubt of what you should be canning with - consult your local extension office.
Back to the canner(s). I have two. They are both different. The one on the left is a weighted gauge canner. The one on the right is a dial gauge canner. They both serve the same purpose - just go about it a little differently. We will be using both today. Yours will be one kind or the other.
For purposes of canning fish - I choose to use the wide mouth half pints. They are easier to clean and easier to get fish in and out of. You can use what works best for you.
These are the lids.

It's best to get them in a pot with water BEFORE you start on the fish. Just let them simmer. Do not boil as the red rubber can melt. You don't want that to happen. You need the red rubber to seal your jars.
This is the tuna we will can today. First I went to the docks in Garibaldi, OR to see if boats were in selling them straight from the boat. There weren't. So - I went to one of the stores/canneries at the docks to buy these fillets. They were $4/lb for 10 lb bags = $40/10 lbs. Not too bad considering I don't have to fillet the fish and just about everything in these bags I can use. I did find a couple bigger bones and sinewy stuff I discarded. I have here 25# of tuna. From start to finish with two canners it took me about 7 hours.
This is a tuna fillet. This is what we will cut to put in the jars.
Start cutting away.
You want to tightly pack the fish into the jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.

This is what your jar (one on the right is ready) should look like after being filled. Fill all your jars this way.
After your jars are filled - use a clean washcloth to wipe the rims of each jar. If you are like me - putting tuna in jars isn't a neat job and there will be fish stuff that needs to be wiped off.
25 lbs of tuna yielded me 60 half pints and 1 pint of tuna. To make it easier - approximately 5 lbs tuna will yield 12 half pints.
If you would like - add 1/4 tsp salt to each half pint jar. Add 1/2 tsp to pints and 1 tsp to quarts. Adding salt isn't necessary. There is no need to add anything else. The tuna will create it's own juices while being processed.
Your lids you put on the stove earlier - are now ready. It's handy to have one of these lid utensils. The end is magnetic and just lifts the lids right out of the water.

Put lids and bands on your jars. Only do the jars that will be going into the canner right away.
Canner #1. Make sure there is about 2 inches or so of water on the bottom. Start adding the jars.
The half pints are small enough I can stack them. Not directly on top of each other though. Stagger the layers. I can fit 16 half pints in each canner.
The first canner is full.
Filling the second canner.

Both canners are filled, lids on and the heat is on high. We want to wait before adding the weights/gauges because the pressure canners need to vent for at least 7 minutes. This venting process just makes sure nothing is blocking the way for steam to come out and later to build pressure.
Now since both canners are full - I still have a counter full of tuna. I can't leave them on the counter while the other fish is being processed.
I put my jars in the fridge to keep the fish fresh.
My dial gauge canner has vented the required time. I am now added the gauge to cover the vent hole. You see the dial has already started to climb. At my altitude of sea level - I only want to go to 10 lbs.
My weighted gauge canner now has completed the venting process. I like this canner a lot because there are three choices to choose from on the weight. I want the 10 lb weight. This is the one I place over the vent cover.

The picture didn't turn out well. The dial shows the pressure is at 10 lbs now. This is where I want it. Your pressure will be adjusted according to your altitude. I now start timing for 110 minutes at this 10 lbs of pressure.
The weighted pressure canner dial is also reaching the 10 lb mark. I will process for 110 minutes keeping the dial at the 10 lb mark.

In the beginning the temperature to heat the pressure canner is on high because we want the kettle to get hot. Once it reaches the desired mark that we need the temperature needs to be lowered on the stove element a little at a time. This accomplishes three things. First - it maintains the pressure we want. Second - it keeps your canner from exploding. If you left the heat on high - this would be your result. Third - by bringing the temperature down slowly - the canner retains the heat quite well and doesn't need the high temperature anymore to produce the needed pressure - and hopefully cools the kitchen down a tab bit.
110 minutes later turn off the heat completely. That's all you need to do. The dial gauge canner will go back to zero.
Once at zero go ahead and take off the weight from the vent. VERY carefully take off the canner lid. Make sure you are using potholders as the steam will scorch your skin.
The jars after sitting in the pressure canner for the required time.

Using these jar tongs - carefully remove the jars to a towel to cool off. You will hear a bunch of popping as the seals do their job of sealing. It's a good sound.
The weighted canner now is at zero.
Using a potholder I will take off the weight as it is metal and very hot.
There are 36 half pints from the first batch. Congratulations! You did it!
The tuna is sealed, cooked and ready to use. Notice the juice in the jars. We didn't add anything but salt. The tuna created it's own juices to cook in. Just make sure to drain it after opening your jar for tuna sandwiches/casseroles/etc.

*Don't forget about your tuna left in the fridge. Now you get to start a second batch. Just don't forget to heat the lids first.