As long as you do the 6-12 hours of pre-chilling if raw packing and then the de-fatting before canning if doing hot pack then there are many different ways to can chicken that still result in a safe product.

Personally I never cube it so I can only assume the clumping is due to the cubes. One the seal is well set and with the band still on a gentle shaking of the jars should redistribute the meat as well as reincorporate the stringy bits into the jar mass. Plus I never raw pack, or haven't for decades, so don't know what they would look like.

Number of thighs in a jar all depends on the size of the thighs as they come in all sizes. Wide-mouth jars hold more than regular mouth. 2 average ones, deboned, should easily fit in a widemouth pint. If they are extra large or if bone left in maybe only 1 will fit. I always debone.

Yes you can pack deboned in tightly as it will shrink during processing. Just be sure to get all the air pockets out after you add the broth. Removing skin in optional. I always do and I think most do as it not only reduces the bacterial count but the fat count as well and it looks yucky in the jar. ;-)

Dave

Thanks! I removed the skin. And I was able to fit 2 thighs per pint by cutting them up a bit (large chunks). Also, do you pre-rinse before roasting/grilling? I keep remembering some study about how rinsing raw chicken is more dangerous somehow than not rinsing before cooking. So, if I want to be super careful when canning.... rinse or no rinse immediately prior to cooking?

Also, do you feel comfortable eating this chicken right out of the jar (as in a salad) or microwaving?

We don't wash poultry before cooking in our house as it only tends to spread the bacteria on it all over the area. We don't even handle raw poultry with bare hands but wear disposable gloves instead. Not only because we have raised chickens over the years and know how dirty they can be but because the studies show that most store-bought chicken comes loaded with campylobacter and salmonella all over it. It's another reason why we gave up canning raw pack decades ago.

As for eating right out of the jar or using it without further cooking - that's a personal choice. In theory it is considered safe to do and many do. Personally wife and I prefer cooking it some first but that is just our personal choice.

Dave