The four methods for safely preserving meat, fish and poultry at home are canning, freezing, drying, and curing.
Always follow a research-based recipe. We recommend using The National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Meat on this page refers to beef, veal, bison, venison, goat, lamb, and pork.
Canning
Meat, fish and poultry are low-acid foods and must be processed using a pressure canner.
Tips for quality and safety
All meat
- Start with properly cleaned and chilled proteins with an internal temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
- Can fresh meat and poultry within 2 days or butchering or purchasing from market, or freeze it. You may safely thaw it again when you are ready to process.
- Trim gristle and fat off meat before canning. Fat left on meat melts and climbs on the sides of the jar during processing and may interfere with the sealing of the lid.
- Salt is optional in canned meat.
Fish
Fish should be canned immediately or frozen until processed. You may safely thaw it when you are ready to can and process.
Poultry
Poultry may be canned with bone in or deboned. Follow the proper processing time. Salt is optional in poultry.
Small game
For small game animals and birds, follow poultry processing times and methods for pressure canning of low-acid foods.
Large game
For large game animals (deer, elk, etc.), follow beef processing times and methods for pressure canning of low-acid foods.
Precooked pickled fish
Only a few species of fish are preserved commercially by pickling, but almost any type of fish may be pickled at home.
There are no research-tested processes for home canning pickled fish.
Pickled fish must be stored in the refrigerator and used within 4 to 6 weeks.
A broad fish tapeworm infection can be contracted by humans from eating raw or undercooked species of fish found in the Great Lakes area.
The larvae of the broad fish tapeworm pass through smaller fish until they lodge as hatched small worms in the flesh of large carnivorous species of fish, like northern pike, walleye pike, sand pike, burbot, and yellow perch. This worm, if eaten by humans in its infective stage, can attach to the small intestine and grow to lengths of 10 to 30 feet.
How to prevent this infection
The infective worms are destroyed readily either by cooking or freezing. There are two schools of thought on how to destroy the tapeworm. Either method kills the parasite.
Simmer fish in pickling brine to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This does not affect flavor or the texture.
If you are pickling raw fish, freeze it at 0 Fahrenheit for 48 hours prior to brining. Those who wish to prepare raw pickled fish should first freeze the fish at 0 Fahrenheit for 48 hours.
Ingredients
Fish
Use only fresh, high-quality fish.
Water
Avoid hard water, as it causes off-color and flavors.
Vinegar
Use distilled, white vinegar with an acetic acid content of at least 5 percent (50 grains means the same thing). This percentage of acetic acid is needed to stop bacterial growth.
Salt
Use high-grade, pure canning or pickling salt. This does not contain calcium or magnesium compounds which may cause off-color and flavors in pickled fish.
Spices
Use fresh, whole spices.
The quantity of ingredients in this method will pickle 10 pounds of fish.
Refrigerate the fish during all stages of the pickling process.
The first step in producing safe, home-pickled fish is to kill the larvae of the broad fish tapeworm, a parasite that can infect humans. It's most common in northern pike, but is also found in several other Minnesota fish.
- Soak fish in a weak brine for 1 hour.
- Weak brine recipe: 1 cup salt to 1 gallon of water.
- Drain the fish.
- Pack in heavy glass, crock, enamel or plastic container in strong brine for 12 hours in the refrigerator.
- Strong brine recipe: 2 ½ cups salt to 1 gallon of water.
- Rinse the fish in cold water.Cut into serving-size pieces.
- Combine the following ingredients in a large pan or kettle.
- ¼ ounce bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons allspice
- 2 tablespoons mustard seed
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon pepper, ground
- 1-2 tablespoons hot, ground dried pepper
- ½ pound onions, sliced
- 2 quarts distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
- 5 cups water (Avoid hard water of high mineral content)
- Bring to a boil.
- Add fish and simmer for 10 minutes until fish is easily pierced with a fork. Don't overcook.
- Remove fish from liquid and place on a single layer on a flat pan.
- Refrigerate and cool quickly to prevent spoilage.
- Pack cold fish in clean glass jars adding a few whole spices; a bay leaf, freshly sliced onions and a slice of lemon.
- Strain the vinegar solution, bring to a boil and pour into jars until the fish is covered.
- Seal the jar immediately.
- Pickled fish must be stored in the refrigerator as stated in general directions.
Freezing
Meat, fish and poultry may be frozen raw or cooked.
Freezing food does not inactivate or kill foodborne illness-causing bacteria. To minimize food safety risks, it is important to control the temperature of food during freezing, thawing and preparation. If freezing cooked food, fully cool the food in the refrigerator or by using another safe cooling method to 41 degrees Fahrenheit before packaging for freezing. This will lessen temperature fluctuations in the freezer unit when the new food is added.
General tips
- Set the air temperature of the freezer to minus 10 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. This air temperature will ensure the food reaches and maintains an internal temperature below the temperature danger zone.
- Freeze in quantities that make sense for your usage. This will prevent food waste when you are ready to thaw and prepare the food.
- Label the food name, weight, and date on each package before freezing.
- Avoid tightly arranging food in the freezer until it is frozen solid. Food may be slow to freeze if not enough space is allowed for cold air movement.
- If freezing meat, fish or poultry with liquid, allow approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches of headspace in the package or container for the liquid to expand.
Freezing wild game meat
Trim fat to reduce strong flavor changes that may occur during freezer storage.
Use by these dates for quality
2 to 3 months
Ground game meat
6 to 9 months
Roasts and steaks
2 to 3 months
Stew meat
Freezing freshly caught fish
- Keep freshly caught fish alive as long as possible in a monitored live well or an underwater mesh basket.
- Eviscerate (remove the guts) and clean the fish as soon as possible.
- Package in desired quantities and freeze.
- When thawing vacuum packaged frozen fish:
- Open the package to create an aerobic environment. Raw fish in an anaerobic (low oxygen) environment are at risk for production of the botulinum toxin.
- Place the opened package in a shallow container to catch any liquid.
- Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Depending on the quantity and thickness of the frozen fish, allow between 12 to 24 hours for thawing in the refrigerator.
Use by these dates for quality
4 to 6 months
Northern pike, trout, whitefish, smelt, lake herring, and carp
5 to 8 months
Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and white bass
8 to 12 months
Walleye, bass, crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, and blue gill
Drying
Drying is a food preservation method used to make jerky.
During drying, water molecules are removed from the food which lowers the water activity. This allows the jerky to be stored at room temperature for two weeks. To extend the shelf life of the jerky, store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Food safety for making jerky
Food
- Select fresh, raw cuts of meat or fish and smoked poultry that have been safely handled and not experienced temperature abuse.
- When selecting pork or wild game, cut the meat into portions that are 6 inches or less thick and freeze at minus 10 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30 days. This freezing will kill the trichinella parasite that may be present.
- Safely thaw the meat before making the jerky.
Moisture
Jerky has a low water activity which is important to minimizing the risk of bacteria growth. When adequate moisture is removed, the jerky will be pliable, but you will be unable to squeeze out any water.
Temperature
Set the food dehydrator or oven to a temperature of 145 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit. This is above the temperature danger zone which will minimize the risk of bacteria growth during drying.
Guide to five ways to safely dry food
Once thoroughly dry, heat the jerky in an oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. This is an additional safety step to remove any residual moisture on the outside of the food and ensure a safe internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit has been reached.
Time
Drying may take between 10 to 24 hours. It is important to cut the food into even thickness to ensure consistency.
Curing
Curing not only extends the shelf life of the food, but adds flavor and texture.
Curing is a food preservation method used to make foods including bacon, ham, sausages, salami, other deli-style meats, lox, gravlax, and salt cod.
Food
- Select fresh, raw cuts of meat, fish and poultry that have been safely handled and not experienced temperature abuse.
- Use safe food handling and sanitation practices to minimize the risk of cross-contamination from the raw meat, fish and poultry.
Moisture
Salt is a key ingredient when curing foods. The addition of salt lowers the water activity by both drawing water out of the protein cells, and binding with remaining water molecules. Follow research-tested procedures to ensure an adequate amount of salt is used.
Temperature
Food is typically cured at a temperature between 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This is below the temperature danger zone and important to minimizing bacteria growth.
The temperature for aging the cured protein may be slightly warmer depending on the process.
Time
The amount of time needed to cure the food will depend on the type of protein, size or cut of the protein, and the curing method used.
Methods
Wet
A salt-based liquid is used, the protein is submerged in the solution or the solution is injected into the food. Wet curing may take between a couple of hours to a couple of days. The cured food is then refrigerated until prepared. Preparation may include smoking or cooking.
Dry
Salt is applied to the outside of the protein. Dry curing can take between a couple of weeks to 6 months. The cured food may be aged to impact the flavor.
What about nitrates and nitrites?
Nitrates and nitrites are food additives that react with the protein molecules in the food to impact its color. These food additives may be natural or synthetic. Natural nitrates are present in vegetables, such as celery. Celery juice is a common ingredient used in curing.
Reviewed by Amy Johnston, Extension Educator, Food Safety
Reviewed in 2026