Canning Butter!

Wow. I believe this might be my craziest post yet!  After following an article I found in last month's edition of CountrySide magazine, I actually canned butter!  It worked!  Before I explain what I did, let me explain WHY I thought this extra work necessary.

I buy butter, and I mean REAL BUTTER, in bulk when it's on sale.  In my region, $1.68 per pound is about as cheap as you can get.  I bought a case of 30lbs. last spring for about $52 and it has lasted our family of three until now, and is still going.  For us, a case lasts about a year.  How do I store so much butter?  Well, I freeze it.  Frozen butter can last about a year, BUT you need to be careful of what else you have in your freezer as butter will absorb the smell and taste of surrounding foods.  In other words, you better store those chopped onions in a different freezer!
However, my husband and I recently acquired a deer for meat (I will do another post on this) and needed some more space in our two freezers.  So, out came the magazine with the instructions to can butter. :)

Step 1: 11 pounds of butter will make roughly 12, maybe 13 pints of canned because of the headspace allotment.  

Unwrap the sticks of butter and  melt on low to medium-low in two large saucepans. I folded and kept the wrappings in the fridge to use in place of cooking spray later. :)



Step 2:
While the butter is melting, gather 13-14 pints into a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet and place in the oven at 250 degrees.  We are heating the jars not only to sterilize them, but when we ladle the boiling butter into the jars we don't want them to break.

Step 3:
Put your lids in a small saucepan to simmer just as the butter is beginning to also simmer. Prepare a place on your counter to begin ladling.

Step 4:
Ladle hot butter into the hot jars by scooping from the bottom through to the top, in order to get a good mixture of butter.  Stir periodically.  It would be best to use a canning funnel for this part. Leave 3/4 inch headspace in your jars to give room for the shaking stage.

Step 5:
Wipe the jar with a hot rag to remove any slimy butter, and place on your lid and screw on tightly the rim.  Let the jars sit until you hear a few of thing begin to "ping", or seal.

Step 6:
Every 10 minutes or so (put on the kitchen timer if you are forgetful like I am!), come back into the kitchen and give each jar a little shake.  This is just to keep the butter from separating as it cools.  We want a uniform consistency throughout.

Step 7:
When the jars have cooled some, but are still slightly warm to the touch, transfer the jars to the refrigerator.  This quickens the setting stage. This next part is crucial to canning butter: make sure to check and shake the jars every 5 minutes until they set.  If you forget and the butter cools as a separated unit, you will have to reheat the jar using the double boiler method.  

Ta Da!  You have successfully canned butter!  Check the seals of each jar by gentle pushing in the middle of the lid.  If there is no "click", they have sealed.  Store in a cool, dark, and dry place.  According to the CountrySide article, canned butter will last 3-4 years, where frozen is only about a year.  Also, a successfully sealed jar will not need to be reheated in order to use as it will be at room temperature.  An opened jar can also sit covered on your counter for a good month while you use it without going bad! Happy Canning! :-)