Someone posted this recipe a while back:

HOW TO CAN BUTTER:

1. Use only highest quality butter (Land O Lakes or equivalent).

2. Heat jelly jars in 250 degree oven for 20 minutes, without rings or seals.

3. While jars heat, melt butter slowly until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Pour melted butter carefully into heated jars, being careful not to get any butter on rim of jar.

5. Add lid and ring and close securely. They will seal as they cool. Shake jars a few times during cooling to prevent separation, although this step is optional.

6. Put into refrigerator or other cool place until butter hardens. After hardening, butter will store for 3 years.

-- Walt (longyear@shentel.net), June 11, 1999

Answers

On the other hand, I don't worry much about 'canning' butter. i just make it as I use it. I am lucky I guess. I have dairy cows that we milk each day.

-- Paul Milne (fedinfo@halifax.com), June 11, 1999.

My sister sent me this same recipe yesterday, and I responded to her that I didn't think this was safe. I have done home canning over the years, and it is my understanding that it is not safe to "water bath" can anything that isn't acid, such as most fruits and some tomatoes.

For example, if one is canning tomato sauce with low-acid tomatoes, or regular tomatoes that have "additions", such as mushrooms, parsley, zucchini, etc... one must, to be safe from botulism, pressure can the sauce. Botulism, as I understand it, has no smell, and is difficult, if not impossible to detect when opening a jar.

Since butter is non-acid, I doubt that it is safe to process this way, but I have read that if one skims all the milk-solids from the butter as one heats it, that the resulting oil, called "Ghee" can be safely stored. I have never tried this, and would do a lot of research before attempting it.

Just my 2 cents on the subject of canning butter... It is important to do your own homework before assuming that just because someone says you can do it on the internet, you therefore are safe to do it.

The Amish, for example, do a lot of water-bath canning of non-acid vegetables such as green beans, but a lot of Amish children die from botulism. The sad part of it is that they do not make the connection between the symptoms of the illness and their canning methods. In young children, the symptoms are not gastro-intestinal, but upper-respiratory...

Take care, everyone, and check with your local agricultural extension office before investing a lot of time and money into doing something

-- housemouse (jgj@nevermind.net), June 11, 1999.

What's wrong with Butter Buds? It's cheap, low in calories, tastes just about the same, and has a LONG storage life. I'd be afraid to can ANYTHING! (domestic ignorance showing here).

Anita

-- Anita Spooner (spoonera@msn.com), June 11, 1999.

Walter-

Have used this recipe successfully. As housemouse said, skim the milk solids off while it is cooking (shows up as foam).

BTW, I never shake up my ghee while it's cooling and I do not put it in the refrigerator. The fam is not too fond of it spread on bread but do not notice it when I use it to flavor things like mashed potatoes, etc. I figure that if this head south next year (or any time) that my family will be happy to spread even the ghee on bread rather than use the Butter Buds-which I have also stored.

Just my .02. Linda

-- newbiebutnodummy (Linda@home.com), June 11, 1999.

Here's some old info that I copied from the Mrs. Survival site about storing butter in brine or salt:

"Storing Butter in Salt

Linda, my wife canned butter by packing it tightly in a canning jar to about an inch from the top and then filling to the top whith "sea salt". It was large crystals like rock salt. we used this for over a year without refrigeration when we were cruising on our sailboat. We also bought canned cheese from the Washington State University creamery, They have a great selection and we kept it without refrigeration. *********** Storing butter in brine I read this on the web. To store butter - In a crock or other container, make a strong salt water solution, (enough salt dissovle in water to float an egg), and put the butter inside it. Use a plate or what ever to keep the butter submerged. It says the butter will last indefinately. Try waxing the cheese. That's MY next experiment! My husbands? To get goats and then I can "make" cheese!" ***********

Colorado State University Cooperative Extension has a good site for making soft cheeses.

-- flora (***@__._), June 11, 1999.

flora-

Thanks for the info. Have seen it on Mrs.Survival. Waxing cheese is next on my to do list. Doubt the neighbors would appreciate a nanny in my back yard! ;^) Linda

PS When your husband says you're getting a goat, does he say "we" are getting a goat so that "we" can make cheese? And is that "we" a singular or a plural? Just a thought!

-- newbiebutnodummy (Linda@home.com), June 11, 1999.

Linda,

When hubby uses the 'Royal We' I wishfully hope it's him & his worms talkin' -- LOL

-- flora (***@__._), June 11, 1999.

If you have luck waxing the cheese, please share the secret. My attempts did not work well. The cheese got too hot, turned soewhat waxy and then the wax would not hold. Did not try it yet with cheese cloth or chilling the cheese first.

-- smfdoc (smfdoc@aol.com), June 11, 1999.

Regarding goats/cheese

Just my opinion, mind you, and the little bit I've read. Nanny goats (I have 2) aren't so bad, just keep them away from any plants you want to keep. Billys stink, or so I've heard. Waxing cheese--what kind of wax did you use? I read that you must use special wax FOR waxing cheese, not parafin wax like sold at the market.

-- kat (kat@r-v.net), June 14, 1999.

Please, what is the ratio of water to salt to make the brine to store the butter in? I have read enough to make an egg float, is that a raw egg or a hard boiled egg? Thank you, Linda

-- linda benson (lcbenson@bellsouth.net), July 09, 1999.

Linda,

I suspect it's a raw egg.

The back of my Challenge butter box advertises a french inspired butter bell. "Keeps your butter fresh, delicious,and spreadable ...without refrigeration"...at room temperature for up to 30 days. It looks a bit like a handle-less tea cup fastened to its saucer that you put the butter in. It comes with a decorative crock that you put water in & invert the cup/top into when not in use. I ordered one late last month, haven't received it yet.

"send your check or money order for $19.99 plus the end panel from a challenge butter carton for each crock ordered to: Challenge Dairy Products, Inc P.O.Box 2369 Dublin, CA 94568 offer expires Dec. 31, 1999"

-- flora (***@__._), July 09, 1999.