Thanks everyone for your meat canning answers. I tried my first batch last night.

My next great question is...can I can cream? I know people have canned milk, but I was wondering if the fat content of cream would be and invitation to botulism. I wanted to can heavy cream, at least 35% fat. Is this doable? Can I still whip it afterwards?

Going crazy canning! Sue

-- Sue Landress (Sulandherb@aol.com), November 04, 1999

Answers

You can can it, but canned milk tastes very different than fresh, only suitable for cooking to my taste. Times available from ADGA (American Dairy Goat Association).

-- Kendy Sawyer (sweetfire@grove.net), November 07, 1999.

PLEASE!! read the following link! It is not safe to can any form of dairy product. Botulism is colorless and odorless and very lethal!

http://www.mrssurvival.com/moderators/dairy.html

At the bottom of the above page is a link to the USDA site that also says there is no safe method to can diary.

-- Starla Reader (starla@mailcity.com), November 08, 1999.

I can't answer your question about canning just the cream but I do can unskimmed milk with no problems whatsoever and have for years, (regardless of what the USDA says) True, it doesn't taste like fresh milk, but for cooking it is fine and wonderful to have on hand when the does are dried up before kidding.In respnse to the USDA's stand on canned milk, how does the canned milk in the store become safe to use if home canned milk is not?

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), November 11, 1999.