Canning Butter

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) Preparation Forum : One Thread

I want to can butter this weekend. A couple of weeks ago, there were several recipes, or instructions, but now I can only find one in the archives, and it wasn't the thread I had seen. It must be under a different topic. I think it was Old Git's suggestion. Can anyone point me there? The recipe didn't involve salt water, and I'd like to compare the procedures and figure out which is best for me (living in a hot location.

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), July 24, 1999

Answers

Storing Butter Butter can be stored without refrigeration once the moisture has been removed through heat. In India, this end product is called ghee. A 7.5-ounce jar costs around $8 in health food stores. One brand is Purity Farms and is made with organic butter. You can also make it yourself. A batch I made about a year ago (stored at room temperature) is still fresh and will probably remain so for some time. It tastes different from regular butter--sort of nutty. Make a small batch and see if you like it. The original recipe calls for one pound unsalted butter. You can use salted butter if you prefer. You can also heat more than one pound of butter at a time--I have heated 3 pounds at a time. One pound of butter will fill a 16-ounce canning jar. It would be best to use a canning jar because other containers such as used mayonnaise jars can crack. Many grocery stores stock canning jars year round. Here is the recipe for making your own ghee. 1.Put one pound of butter in a saucepan and melt it over medium heat 2.When it starts to boil, a foam will rise up. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer gently. I remove the foam as it is what can make butter go rancid. 3.The melted butter should be a golden yellow liquid--if the heat is too high it will be brown. Let it continue to simmer gently until it stops bubbling and foaming. It will then become still. This can take between 10 to 45 minutes, depending on your altitude and how much butter you have in the pan. 4.Test the butter by dripping a drop or two of water in it. It should crackle and bubble up, then become still again. It is now ready. 5.Quickly pour into canning jars and seal immediately. Make sure the lids are screwed on tight. When the liquid cools, a vacuum will be formed inside. 6.Let the jar sit undisturbed. In a few hours the liquid will solidify into a golden-yellow ghee. 7.Label and date the jar. Don't open it until you are ready to use it. You can spread it on toast, crackers, pancakes, etc. You can also use it to cook with, in place of cooking oil.

-- smfdoc (smfdoc@aol.com), July 24, 1999.

That's what I was looking for. Am printing it out now. Thanks!

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), July 24, 1999.

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