Canning Butter In A Pressure Cooker Recipe 455

Steps:

• 1. Oven - set to 250* F - This is for heating the jars. You don't have to heat your jars in the oven, but if you use water, you will need to dry out the jars before adding the melted butter. That's kind of a pain, so put your jars on a baking sheet and put them in the oven set to 250*F for about 20 minutes before adding the butter.
• 2. Go ahead and put 3-4 inches of water in your pressure canner and bring up the heat.
• 3. Boiling butter: Put water in the pan to heat lid and rings, go ahead and bring the heat up under that as well. Put the butter in a heavy pot and melt it, bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the butter simmer for 10 minutes or so. You're evaporating some of the moisture from the butter and getting it good and hot. Be sure to stir it and don't allow any of the milk solids ( the little while particles) to burn and don't let it boil over!
• 4. Once everything is good and hot, carefully take the jars out of the oven. Place the jars right side up on a clean dish cloth and place the canning funnel in the jars one at a time and fill the jars with hot butter, leaving a 1/2" head space.
• 5. Using a clean cloth dipped in vinegar and then squeezed out, clean off the jar rims. Place lids and rings on each jar, tighten the rings just firmly but not hard.
• 6. Put the jars in the pressure canner that has 3-4 inches of hot water in it. I put in a couple of strategically placed clean dish cloths in case the little jars topple over. They can rattle against the sides and each other and break.
• 7. Half-pints of butter in the canner: Put the lid on the canner and fasten it down. Allow steam to flow out of the vent for about 10 minutes. Place the weight (at 10 pounds) or gauge (11 pounds) on the vent and when it reaches the correct pressure (when the weight begins to rattle) start timing.
• 8. Allow the pressure canner to chug along for 60 minutes for these half pints. After 60 minutes, take the canner of the heat and allow it to release its pressure naturally. You might hear the lids sealing while the jars are still in the canner, that's okay.
• 9. Once all the pressure is gone and you can safely open the canner, open it up and take the jars out of the canner. Place them on a clean towel to cool.
• 10. Because this is pressure canned, and the butter is subjected to high temperatures, you may see the milk solids clump together and fall to the bottom of the jar. That's OK! Jut give your jars a shake as they cool to combine the solids and the liquids. As the butter solidifies, the solids will be dispersed throughout the liquids and it will look like you expect butter to look.
• 11. Check for seals after it cools. Store canned butter in a dark cool, dark place, (a cardboard box works great). If you want the butter to be firm, then refrigerate a jar before you open it. Whatever you don't use, just store in the fridge until you need it again.

Steps:

• 1. Use any butter that is on sale. I like to use 1lb of unsalted butter for every 1lb of salted butter. It just seems to taste better.Lesser quality butter requires more shaking, but the results are the same as the expensive brands.1 lb of butter more then fills a one pint jar, so 11lbs requires 12 pint jars.I like to use wide mouth 1/2 pint jars, it's just the two of us so it's more practical for us.
• 2. Heat clean wide mouth pint jars in a 250 degree oven for 20 mins, without rings and lids.Put lids and rings in a pie tin,place in oven last 5 mins of simmering time. Just to warm the rubber gasket.Or if you prefer put them in a hot water bath,I don't just so the there isn't any water getting into my butter.
• 3. While the jars are heating melt butter slowly until it comes to a slow boil. Using a spatula, stir bottom of pot often to keep the butter from scorching. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 mins no less, a good simmer will lessen the amount of shaking that is required.Ok now your ready to start filling your jars.
• 4. Now place a towel on your counter and with a kitchen towel remove a jar out of the oven.Stirring the melted butter from the bottom up to the top with a soup ladle,and using a canning funnel pour butter CAREFULLY into heated jar.Leave 3/4" head space,which allows room for shaking process.
• 5. CAREFULLY wipe off the top rim of jar, then get a warm lid w/ ring tighten securely. Lids will seal as they cool.Listen for the "pop" of the lid Shake the still warm but cool enough to handle jar.Set jar back on towel, in a few mins shake jar again and repeat until butter retains it's consistency throughout the jar.Now while still slightly warm, put jars in frige. While cooling and hardening, shake again melted butter will start to become firm and look like butter. the final shake is very important! Check every 5 mins and give it a shake until it don't shake noo more.Leave in frige 1 hour.
• 6. Now your done! Canned butter should store 3 yrs or longer if stored properly,in a cool dark place.Canned butter does not "melt" again when opened, so it does not need to be refrigerated, provided it is used up in a reasonable amount of time.Enjoy and happy canning!