Can you can butter?

Question

I wanted to make a special butter and can it but didn't know if you can do that or not.

Answer 1

This doesn't say anything about making your own butter, although I can't see that it would make much difference, or whether or not you can herbs or seasonings with the butter. Hope this works for you.

1. Use any butter that is on sale. Lesser quality butter requires more shaking (see #5 below), but the results are the same as with the expensive brands.


2. Heat pint jars in a 250 degree oven for 20 minutes, without rings or seals. One pound of butter slightly more than fills one pint jar, so if you melt 11 pounds of butter, heat 12 pint jars. A roasting pan works well for holding the pint jars while in the oven.



3. While the jars are heating, melt butter slowly until it comes to a slow boil. Using a large spatula, stir the bottom of the pot often to keep the butter from scorching. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes at least: a good simmer time will lessen the amount of shaking required (see #5 below). Place the lids in a small pot and bring to a boil, leaving the lids in simmering water until needed.


4. Stirring the melted butter from the bottom to the top with a soup ladle or small pot with a handle, pour the melted butter carefully into heated jars through a canning jar funnel. Leave 3/4" of head space in the jar, which allows room for the shaking process.


5. Carefully wipe off the top of the jars, then get a hot lid from the simmering water, add the lid and ring and tighten securely. Lids will seal as they cool. Once a few lids "ping," shake while the jars are still warm, but cool enough to handle easily, because the butter will separate and become foamy on top and white on the bottom. In a few minutes, shake again, and repeat until the butter retains the same consistency throughout the jar.


6. At this point, while still slightly warm, put the jars into a refrigerator. While cooling and hardening, shake again, and the melted butter will then look like butter and become firm. This final shaking is very important! Check every 5 minutes and give the jars a little shake until they are hardened in the jar! Leave in the refrigerator for an hour.


7. Canned butter should store for 3 years or longer on a cool, dark shelf. [It does last a long time. We have just used up the last of the butter we canned in 1999, and it was fine after 5 years.] Canned butter does not "melt" again when opened, so it does not need to be refrigerated upon opening, provided it is used within a reasonable length of time.

Answer 2

yes you can but freezing it yeilds better results.


1. Any butter can be used but the higher quality butters will be easier to work with. There isn't as much separation.

2. One pound of butter is a little more then a pint so it is easy to figure how many one pint jars you will need.

3. First clean your jars thoroughly and put them in an oven at 250 degrees F. for about 30 minutes. Put your rings and lids in a small pot and simmer for ten minutes.

4. Next melt the butter slowly until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.

5. Then pour the melted butter into the hot jars. I use a large pyrex measuring cup. Make sure you keep the butter stirred so that it doesn't separate.

6. Clean the tops of the jars with a cloth and put on the lids and rings. Tighten securely. Leave about one half of an inch space at the top of the jars.

7. As the jars start to cool you will need to shake them several times. It isn't a necessary step but the butter will look much better if you do.

8. When the jars are cool and SEALED put them in your storage. They should keep for three or four years if kept cool and dark.


For longer storage, freeze butter and margarine in the original packaging, placed into heavy duty freezer bags. Thaw in refrigerator or in microwave and use within 2-3 months.

Answer 3

Freeze it! Wrap it well with Freezer Paper and/or Plastic Wrap so it doesn't absorb flavors from other frozen food items...

Butter Storage Conditions
http://www.iarw.org/hq/europe/August05/Butter.pdf

Answer 4

Well, pumpkin butter and apple butter are canned.....so probably.

It is not acidic, though, so you will probably need to use a pressure canner rather than a plain water-bath method.

Answer 5

Freeze it instead.

Answer 6

No, but you can freeze it.....