Homestead
Written By Laura Washburn
As prices continue to rise on basically every staple item in the pantry, I’m always watching for items to go on sale. Especially milk, sugar, flour and butter. Last time butter went on sale, I bought 8 boxes (4 sticks per box) and was able to can about 24 half-pints.
Why do you can food?
I’m a modern homesteader. I have a small garden in the spring and summer that we eat fresh vegetables from. However when I’m thinking about creating a food reserve, I’m thinking about it in a very practical way for my family.
I only preserve items that my family consumes on a regular basis. We pull from our canning reserve regularly. We also replinish it regularly. Therefore I am always looking for sales on the things we eat on a regular basis or that I can use to make ready-to-go meals like chili, soups, meat bases (spaghetti meat, taco meat, etc.) and staple items that I use regularly in the kitchen.
Why do you can staple items like flour, milk and butter?
As grocery store prices continue to rise and grocery shortages continue to be a very real issue, I like the peace of mind knowing that my family is taken care of and that if I want to bake a cake or make bread, I’m able to do so.
Are you a prepper and building up a food reserve?
I like to refer to myself as a modern homesteader and when thinking about taking care of my family often revert back to the ways of the woman in Proverbs 31. My family very much enjoys the modern amenities that we have, I still place a Walmart grocery order every week and we don’t have a bunker (much to my husband’s dismay), BUT I do believe that it is wise to prepare for the unexpected. That includes job loss, financial setbacks, grocery shortages, inflation, etc.
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Place clean jars on a baking sheet and place in oven for 25 minutes. This will sterilize the jars and dry any residual moisture.
Remove from oven carefully with oven mits or jar grabbers. Remember at this point that the jars are considered sterile.
While jars are cooling, unwrap and melt butter on the stove. The temperature should be medium-high. You don’t want to boil the butter, just melt it, so be sure to stir constantly to make sure that it doesn’t burn.
Once all of the butter is melted, you are ready to fill the jars. Using a ladle and jar funnel, fill jars to 1 inch headspace, which is right below the threads. As the foam settles, you may have to add a little more to reach 1 inch of headspace.
While you are filling jars, now is a good time to get bring the water in your pressure canner to a boil and to boil your lids and rings in order to sterilize.
Once all jars are filled, use a paper towel and wipe rims with vinegar. Remember that butter is an oil, so simply wiping with water will not ensure that the rims are clean.
Place canning lid on jar and secure with metal ring to slightly more than fingertip tight. Lower jars into the pressure canner. Your water should be boiling.
Lower jars into the pressure canner. If needed you can place a second rack on top of the jars. Attach the lid and turn the heat up to med-high. Once you have a steady stream of steam, vent the steam for 10 minutes and then place the weight. Once you achieve the correct pressure (14 lbs for my elevation, but be sure to check your manual for the correct pressure for your elevation) set the time for 60 minutes.
At the end of 60 minutes, turn off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally. Once the pressure reaches 0, remove the lid and use the jar grabbers to remove the jars. Place on a towel or cooling rack about an inch apart.
When you remove the jars from the canner, you might notice that it looks separated. That’s ok. This is where the fun begins.
First you want to let the jars cool long enough for the jars to ping, indicating that they are sealed and until they are cool enough to handle.
Once the jars are cool enough to handle, you are going to vigorously shake each jar until it is combined every 15 minutes. Typically, you leave jars of canned items alone for 24 hours, butter is the exception otherwise the fat will cool separated from the cream!
This process can take a few hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen and how quickly the jars cool. We just continue to shake them until they wouldn’t shake anymore and you can tell that the butter has solidified in the jar.
Last, you can remove the rings and wipe the jars with a vinegar rag to remove any oil and be really proud of yourself for preserving butter for your family!
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RecipeHomesteadCanning
Laura Washburn
