Recipe(tried): Home-Canned Chicken and Noodles

Home-Canned Chicken and Noodles

First, to answer your questions:
Do I cook the chicken first? Chicken can be 'raw-packed'; but I suggest (if you are making a big batch, to pre-cook, until the chicken is 'just' cooked).
Do I pre-cook the noodles? I pre-cook, JUST UNTIL they absorb the water OR broth they are cooked in and get to full size; then drain. Also, while raw, I break the noodles into eatable sized pieces; to save cutting them up on the plate.
I packed them uncooked once and they absorbed almost all of the chicken juices and wound up with a starchy concoction.

I had seen an old add in a 1940's magazine of chicken and noodles, packed in glass jars and thought, gee, I never see those in the store anymore.

If you live in a colder climate and can make up the chicken broth/stock the day before, it will save you a lot of time the next day. Otherwise, precook the stock and when cool enough, refrigerate overnight; leaving chicken pieces in the broth. I make the stock, with the veggies and chicken pieces; then cover, set outside on a good cold night and let the fat rise to the top; removing the next day; then strain out the veggies and have a nice stock to reheat and pour over the chicken pieces the next day. I do put back, just a tiny bit of the fat, to add flavor to the chicken and noodles.

If you buy whole chickens, remove the chicken breasts, and thigh meat; put in the fridge until the next day...to quickly precook, then deskin, debone and cut into pieces to add to the canning jars Then, in a large (preferrably stainless steel or granite or enamel stock pot), the wings/backs/legs, cover them with cold water. Here is a basic chicken stock recipe:

BASIC CHICKEN STOCK (Using a 5 or 6 qt stockpot)

Two 2 and 1/2 to 3 pounds each whole chickens, cut up OR
use 5 or 6 pounds of wings/backs, with skin left on
2 OR 3 ribs of celery, and top leaves (if they are available)
1 onion, large OR small, cut into quarters (I leave the skins on)
1 OR 2 medium carrots, washed and pared, OR wash and leave skin on
10 whole peppercorns OR 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Peel and mash 1 OR 2 cloves (not bulbs) of garlic (optional ingredient)
1 OR 2 teaspoons salt (If you want to add bouillon cubes or a powdered soup base to help flavor the broth, do not add salt)
A couple of sprigs of fresh parsley, OR 1 heaping teaspoon dried

Optional 'extras'(dependent on your personal taste): 2 thin slices fresh gingeroot;
a few threads of saffron (gives broth color and an 'earthy' flavor); pared turnip OR parsnip, cut into chunks.

Hint: In a small skillet, add some butter, saute the celery, onion & carrots, then add the vegetables, plus the butter, to the stockpot.

Put the rinsed, cut up chicken into a large pot, cover with water; slowly bring to a boil, removing 'scum' as it rises, from the top. Reduce heat add raw OR sauteed vegetables to the stockpot; add more water if your stockpot is large enough to accommodate more, after the vegetables are added; but not so much that the stock boils over the rim of the pot.

Simmer for a 1 and 1/2 or 2 hrs. OR until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked.

After cooling slightly, you can strain all through a colander, putting the broth back into the stockpot, when the chicken is cool enough to handle debone, and deskin, add it back to the broth as soup meat or set aside and use for chicken salad or casserole. Discard the cooked vegetables, peppercorns, etc.
Put the broth with or without the chicken meat into the refrigerator and let the fat congeal. This will keep 3-4 days in the refrigerator; but leave the fat on the top, use or discard later, depending on what your recipe use is.

To make HOME-CANNED CHICKEN AND NOODLES SEE FOLLOWING SEPARATE RECIPE