Canning Butter

[MountainGirl]

Store-bought butter has several components:
Milk solids
Fats
Water
Proteins
Sugars
(and sometimes Salt)

Some folks try and put up butter by melting it, slow boiling for about 15 min, removing (skimming off) the milk solids that foam up at the top during boiling, stirring up then ladling the rest into hot prepped jars and pressure canning. After the jars are out of the canner, each one has to be shaken - every 15 minutes for 8-10 hours (!!) - until they're completely cooled. The idea behind doing it this way is to boil off all the water, and then recombine what's left (through shaking) to get back to a more solid butter state. I was unable to locate any quality references as to safety or shelf-life doing it this way.

Another method - and what I decided on trying - was to remove everything except the butter-flavored fats.
I put 6lbs of 'Sweet cream salted' in an 8qt pot.

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During the boiling - the butter stratified into three layers: Milk solids foamed up on top, the liquified fats below that, and as the water bubbled out the sugars and protein strands collected and sank to the bottom. It's the middle layer that I wanted - the butterfat.

I skimmed off the milk-solids foam as it formed, and then watched the boiling. After about 15 minutes of boiling (and little/none foam forming) there was a decision to make: how much flavor did I want it to have? Because there's no 'stirring' in the whole process, the sugars and protein-strands that sank to the bottom of the pan would brown and eventually burn if not timed right. That browning gives the butterfat a somewhat nutty flavor (which makes it 'Ghee' instead of just 'clarified butter') - but I decided to not risk it, being my first go and all.

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I ladled and strained the hot middle layer into hot jars, taking care to not disturb the bottom layer, and got 4 good pints full (up to near the top, as instructed); wiped the rim, set a lid on each and ringed them. After they cooled and clicked down, I vacuum sealed the jars with my brake bleeder. :cool:

I was able to get another jar half full of only butterfat, decided to keep that one un-vacuumed and on the counter to see how it did.

Left in the pan was a liquified mass of protein, sugars and about 1/4" of butterfat (that I couldn't get without swirling the bottom stuff up) so I just poured it all in the last jar I had ready - to see what it did.

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The 4 vacuum sealed jars of pure butterfat - should be no different than an unopened can of crisco as far as shelf life.
I'll open one in about 6 months and let you know. :)

Links in next post -

[MountainGirl]

Links and Disclaimer -

I'm just learning here, so please do your own research. For this, and other canning/preserving projects, I've watched a gazillion YouTubes - that have ranged between "Hell, my granny did this for years and it dint kill us" - to controlled & analyzed processing and results... including USDA and various County Extension sites, etc.

There is one YouTuber that I'll swear by for safe practices. She's a (now retired) university science instructor and does extensive analysis of the processes, i.e., sufficient internal temps for pressure-processed foods etc. To the point that if you can get all the way through the following vid you've earned a prize. Here's an example of her analysis regarding an Instant Pot Max for pressure canning (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w62NdXOKROg) -which is why I place trust in her suggestions.

I used hers for my butter attempt... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA13kqIO3OM

Those not familiar with Ghee (I wasn't at all) might enjoy this link - https://www.masterclass.com/articles/ghee-vs-clarified-butter-similarities-and-differences-between-ghee-and-butter - which explains the difference between Ghee and Clarified Butter. The article says it'll keep a few months on the shelf - but that's for just in a container with a lid. Mine are vacuum sealed.

Add: Only thing I'd do different - is use half salted and half unsalted butter. My end product is absolutely delicious - but just a tad salty. Using all unsalted butter... would still be good, but. :D

[Prepared One]

With MG's canning and the rest of our food stores we will not die for lack of food to be sure. I have watched some of the canning process and it's way over my puny little brain. I'll just eat. :thumb:

[1skrewsloose]

Omg PO, she's a keeper, I get flack from the better half at times for buying extra almost anything, but, when we need it she thanks me.

[T-Man 1066]

Omg PO, she's a keeper, I get flack from the better half at times for buying extra almost anything, but, when we need it she thanks me.

Yep, sounds like T-Woman. But she has backed off the stockpiling since wuhan bat-chew-flu came, I let he fret about not having enough TP to go around then explained to her why storing dry goods that you know you will use eventually is not a bad idea. Bonus is anything you buy now will cost more next year.

BTW, FJB!!!

[Prepared One]

Omg PO, she's a keeper, I get flack from the better half at times for buying extra almost anything, but, when we need it she thanks me.

Most definitely a keeper! :thumb:

[MountainGirl]

Bumped cause it's time for another batch and I didn't recall how I did it.

[Slippy]

Bumped cause it's time for another batch and I didn't recall how I did it.

Did the canned butter store well after a couple of years or did it go rancid?

[MountainGirl]

Did the canned butter store well after a couple of years or did it go rancid?

Stored perfectly, still have 3 left, just want more on the shelf... and for some reason the price dropped to $3.48/lb down from over $5 last month, so now's the time!