Canning milk is not a new concept. Stroll down the aisles of any given supermarket and you’ll be sure to find a shelf full of canned goat milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, coconut milk, and even. Today, I thought I might show you how it’s done. Ready?
Before we get started, I would like to point out that you cannot preserve milk in a boiling water canner or a water bath. Milk (like meats, stock, green beans, etc.) is a low-acid food and must be processed at a high temperature in order to destroy any Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
Botulism bacteria, which occur naturally in soil, water, and on the surface of fresh foods, grow even in the absence of air. If the botulism bacteria haven’t been destroyed by proper heating, a sealed jar is the perfect place for them to grow and produce the deadly toxin. For this reason, canning milk isn’t widely recommended. No one wants anyone to get sick, so check your seals and be careful, or just don’t do it this at all if you are worried about it.
First, gather your canning equipment: glass quart jars, pressure canner, rack, lids, and rings. Thoroughly wash everything in hot soapy water and then sterilize in boiling water (I load everything into the canner, fill the canner with water, and then boil for 15 minutes).
Be sure to inspect the jars for cracks. Do not use cracked or nicked jars for canning. If you are using milk from your own goats, sheep, or cattle then be sure to wash the animal’s udders clean before milking. (I know that you already do that and didn’t need reminding but just remember that jars of peanuts must display “Product contains nuts” on the label).
Collect the milk in a clean & sterilized container and then pour the milk through a filter. I filter the milk twice before canning — just to be on the safe side.
Prepare the canner so that the rack is in the bottom and fill with the appropriate amount of water (follow the manufacturer’s instructions — I fill mine to the first fill line). Bring the water in the canner to a boil on high heat. Add a few tablespoons of white vinegar to prevent lines from forming on the jars.
Fill a hot (and sterilized) quart jar with the raw milk leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.
Place a hot lid on the jar with one of those nifty magnetic lid lifters (do not touch the seal-side of the lid).
Screw on the ring and set aside.
Fill & cover each jar until you have enough to process one batch. Now place the jars on the rack in the canner.
Secure the lid on the canner and allow the steam to flow from the canner for 10 minutes. I like to stay close by during this time. Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and thumb-twiddling come in handy.
Bring to 10 Lbs. of pressure. For quarts, process for 25 minutes. For pints, process for 20 minutes. Now remove the canner from the heat source and allow to cool. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions so that you know the proper time to open the lid.
Once you open the lid, the jars will still be bubbling but take a moment to look at the color of the milk. It should have a honey/caramel tone. Remove the jars and place them a flat surface to cool. Once the jars have completely cooled, check the lids to make sure that they have properly sealed. Remove the rings, label the jars (with month and year), and place in your pantry. Canned milk should be used within one year of being canned and makes for lovely gravy, soups, puddings, cakes, and breads. Because of its caramel color and cooked taste, it is unappealing on cold cereal or in a drinking glass. This milk shouldn’t be used to make cheese because… well… it simply won’t work. Just for fun, I found and read this neat article from Current Opinion (circa 1918) about canning goat milk and a goat ranch in Monterey County, California.
Kristine - Wow! I’m so impressed!
Simple Livin' gal - Awww, thank you, Kristine!
kerry - i had no idea you could home-can milk. would the process be similar for canning caramel or butterscotch sauce?
Simple Livin' gal - I’m not sure what your recipe is for butterscotch or caramel sauce. It depends on what is in it… Ball (Blue Book) Canning offers this recipe and if yours is similar then I would process according to their directions:
Maple-Walnut Syrup
Makes about 4 (8 oz) half pints
You will need:
1-1/2 cups corn syrup
1 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups walnut pieces
4 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
Directions:
1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.) COMBINE corn syrup, maple syrup and water in a stainless steel saucepan. Add sugar and heat over medium, stirring until dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring constantly, until syrup begins to thicken, about 15 minutes. Stir in walnuts and cook for 5 minutes.
3.) LADLE hot syrup into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
4.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
Hope that helps. If not, let me know and I’ll see what I can come up with. I have amassed quite a collection of canning books. 🙂
-Lacy
Rosa - Very interesting!
Cheers,
Rosa
Twitter Trackbacks for Canning and Preserving Milk at Home : Razor Family Farms [razorfamilyfarms.com] on Topsy.com - […] Canning and Preserving Milk at Home : Razor Family Farms razorfamilyfarms.com/cooking/canning-and-preserving-milk-at-home – view page – cached Canning milk is not a new concept. Stroll down the aisles of any given supermarket and you’ll be sure to find a shelf full of canned goat milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, coconut milk, and even soy or almond milk. Well, folks, preserving milk is not some sort of sorcery. Tweets about this link Topsy.Data.Twitter.User[‘linda_strom’] = {“photo”:”http://a1.twimg.com/profile_images/210714082/Forest_Flowers_normal.jpg”,”url”:”http://twitter.com/linda_strom”,”nick”:”linda_strom”}; linda_strom: “Canning and Preserving Milk at Home : Razor Family Farms http://bit.ly/d51OJW ” 26 minutes ago view tweet retweet Topsy.Data.Twitter.User[‘razorfamilyfarm’] = {“photo”:”http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/60864391/simplelivingal2_normal.jpg”,”url”:”http://twitter.com/razorfamilyfarm”,”nick”:”razorfamilyfarm”}; razorfamilyfarm: “Home canning milk: http://razorfamilyfarms.com/cooking/canning-and-preserving-milk-at-home/ http://bit.ly/aTsVWO ” 2 hours ago view tweet retweet Filter tweets […]
Julie at Elisharose - Lacy, you are a wonder. I could sit at your feet and listen for hours.
Thy Hand - Fascinating! I didn’t know this could be done. I need milk access and a pressure canner first, but I’m happy to know it’s possible.
Oh! I just got my organic bug spray in the mail today and sprayed it on my always infested with aphids rose bush. Thanks, too, for your note- I feel as if we’re almost related :-)!!
Dianne - Wow, Lacy! I’m impressed too! I never thought about canning milk. What a great idea!
Melissa Moncur - That is funny you posted this today…I was canning chicken all day today and strawberry jam all day on Wednesday. It’s that time of year. I love it.
Sophie - hello lacy!!
i am truly impressed, my friend!
The endresult says it all!!! Beautiful!
rachel ashmore - OK that is just SO interesting!!! I wonder If ill ever be like you one day….
Nicole - Why would you can one of natures perfectly good foods and ruin the nutritional value? Making processed food at home is not much better than buying them at the store, with the exception that you know where it came from…
Simple Livin' gal - Nicole — You bring up an excellent point! Why can milk at all? Well, our dairy goats do not produce milk all year long so I try to preserve some of their milk to be used during the dry months.
And you are exactly right that canning foods at home ensures that you know where the food came from. What better reason to preserve some of your garden than that?
By the way, not all of the nutritional value is lost when food is processed and not all processed foods are bad for you. It’s true! Here, read this article and see for yourself: http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/processedfoods.htm
Blessings!
Lacy
dian - why your milk turn yellow after canning? can I use plastic cap for this process?
Jessica - Do you know if you can use the same process for canning soy, rice or almond milk?
Simple Livin' gal - Jessica: Yes, I think the same process would work for those varieties. Just make sure you have a good solid seal and you should be fine. 🙂
Teresa - I am wondering if you first take the cream off the top of fresh cow’s milk or do you leave it in?
Thanks!
WP Themes - Genial brief and this mail helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you seeking your information.
Mary - I was happy to see this recipe for canning milk. My mother canned cream for years. We lived in a rural area, and didn’t have readily access to a grocery store, so she had canned cream on hand for her many delicious german recipes.
Canning Milk In Your Kitchen - […] is an article from Mother Earth News and one from Razor Family Farms. There are two tidbits here in the Ask Jackie section of BackwoodsHome. Posted in Angie, […]
Wordpress Themes - Genial fill someone in on and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you on your information.
Pamela Carson - Thank you so much for publishing this. I looked everywhere, knew it could be done (watched grandma 50 yrs. ago) but needed the details. Just put up 8 pints of LaMancha milk, it went very well. Time to dry out the girls and get ready for Feb. Mil gracias!
Frugal Ideas for Storing Milk | LubbockCouponGal - […] – Yes, apparently you can can milk. Here are some instructions on canning and preserving milk at home. […]
Rose Richardson - Way cool idea! My Mother when I was a kid was a top notch canner and preserver and would have loved this one!
>Home Canning Milk « thesustainablehome - […] http://razorfamilyfarms.com/cooking/canning-and-preserving-milk-at-home/ […]
Kathleen Bull - Hello
As part of my hospitality exam for year 12 (senior year) I chose preservation as my topic and used the example you gave on canning and preserving milk at home.
We didn’t have a canner but used a large heavy based pan with a well fitting lid. It took much longer than your procedure stated but I assumed this was because you used fresh milk straight from the farm and I used milk from the supermarket.
When I received my results back from the teacher she marked me quite badly and said that all I had produced was boiled milk.
My question to you is this – does the procedure you show produce boiled milk or evaporated milk. I would like to ask my teacher to re-mark my paper and I would like to know what you think.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my email.
Awaiting your response
Katt
Nancy Norton - Good for you to try a new activity, but it’s really important when preserving to follow the directions/recipe very carefully. You must have a pressure canner to can low-acid foods – which includes milk, most vegetables unless they are pickled, and meat and fish. You can’t substitute a large or heavy pan for a pressure canner – not even a pressure cooker will substitute. Things can be sealed, but if the botulism microorganism isn’t killed through a long enough time at a high enough temperature (only achievable in a pressure canner), the botulinum toxin can be produced (in an anaerobic atmosphere at room temperature). That toxin is deadly – whole families have died from poorly preserved food.
A good way to preserve milk long term is in the form of cheese. 🙂 Tasty, and safe.
Anita Chamblee - We used your method yesterday and canned 32 quarts. Thanks for all the help!
Staci - Great info! I just put up a blog post with a video on how to can milk for those who need to see it in action. This video however uses different processing times and the result is a lighter milk that can be used over cereal. You can see it here: http://aquiverfulofblessings.blogspot.com/2011/04/myo-canned-milk-and-french-fries.html
Carol - i am interested in making and canning my own sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. will this method work for that?
Carol Dague - Thanks for your clear directions. One question I have is does it matter if the milk starts out cold from the refrigerator or must it be warm from the animal?
Muhammad Shahid Bhatti - Dear
Simple Livin’ gal (Razor Family Gardens.
I am From Pakistan Graduate in Computer Science. I am planning to start a business of Milk. Please tell me what is the best way to transport the fresh buffalo of cow milk for 2 to 3 hours.
I want to make 1 liter pack in polyethylene. What is the process to safe the milk for 3 to 5 days.
Muhammad Shahid Bhatti
Kathy - Thanks so much for the info. Now we can can our own goat milk too.
kay - What a great idea..!! We milk 350 and certianly have plenty of milk to try this. I think it would be great in the cheese sauce of my lasagne and will save me going down to the dairy to find the tanker has already been..lol..
Thank you.
Flourish - Thanks very much i now no how to preserved milk
robyn dolan - Just linked to this from my page http://www.facebook.com/mrsdshomestead?sk=wall
Have been canning milk this way for years with great results.
Victoria M - Katt… In order to correctly can milk you have to use a pressure canner. The way you described suggests you did a Hot water bath on the milk, which is a unsafe method. Please do not drink or use any of that milk! By canning milk it does not create evaporated milk. That is a different process of boiling off 60% of the water in the milk before canning it. Yes technically your teacher is correct.. you did make boiled milk.. which is what you would get anyway by either procedures you used… Just one is a safe version and one is not. Unsure if your teacher thinks that canning ( preserving ) means you should have created a new product thou then what 1st you started out with?
melody sprecher - I have been given lots of store bought 2% milk. I cannot freeze it from lack of freezer space. Can this milk be canned and used for baking later down the road?
Jeanne Davis - I am so excited to have found your article! I have been searching high and low for information on canning a caramel sauce containing butter and heavy cream, but all I’ve found are nay sayers because it isn’t (supposed to be) safe to home can dairy products. Would you think my sauce could be safely canned in a pressure canner using this canning method?
Donna - Can I can my fresh frozen milk?
sophia - I am wondering…. what nutritional values are left after boiling for 25 min at 10 pounds of pressure.I’ld like to make a coffee and milk drink and try and can clam chowder or broccoli or potato chowder with some cream or milk in it. Can anyone tell me some precise information or add an experience regarding this?
waiting hopefully,
Sophia
bobby - i have seen several people wanting to know if you can, can store bought milk, but i haven’t seen any answer to the question??? lots of people don’t have access to whole fresh milk and it is illegal to sell it and buy it and you can go to jail for it! so would someone please answer the question?? can you can store bought milk???
Yvonne Lofton - There really is no advantage to going to the trouble of home canning store bought milk. You use home canning to preserve the excess milk you get from your farm animals. If you have to buy the milk from the grocer, why not go ahead and just buy the canned evaporated milk instead? You can simply add a little water and use in your recipes just like fresh milk. Canning at home does not necessarily result i. a healthier product, unless there is some ingredient you’re trying to avoid. Commercially canned products are often healthier because the produce is fresher at the time of processing. So, use your time wisely and only home can products that you can grow yourself, get for free, or cannot buy in the stores. I make strawberry preserves ONLY because the commercial ones generally have high fructose corn syrup added. I can fresh figs and make pear preserves because they’re hard to find in the stores OR are too expensive.
Lynn Shields - I have been looking forward to this day for quite awhile. Yes, I canned my first batch of goat milk! (Good thing I had prior knowledge that the end-product would be somewhat caramel-colored, as they certainly are.) In the pictures, it appears that you’ve canned just 3 quarts . . . .in a pressure cooker that would hold maybe 6 jars. I was taught (somewhere along the way) that if I only need to, lets say, process 4 jars, that I am to fill the remainder of the pot with jars of water (another 2 jars), complete with lids, even. So my question for you is, “Hmmmm. . . . is any of this extra-jar-business really even necessary?” If it’s not necessary, I’d be tickled pink to stop that step, for sure. Thank you so much for the info I’ve gleaned here. . . . I learn so much on the net these days.
Erin - Your article is very helpful. I’m wondering, “can” you can pasturized milk? (From your own animals and processing of course). And is this cows milk? Will this method work with goat or sheep milk?
jinny - That great! Very helpful article. If you can share more information on how to pasturize milk that will be great!
Marci - I know that the USDA says not to ever home can dairy products. I believe that the protein and fat insulate bacteria from the heat so even pressure canning can’t kill it. I would not try this.
Nat - I was wondering if any of you have ever canned homemade coconut milk? If so do you follow the same step as above??
mudbranchranch (christina) - Thank you so much you told me exactly what I wanted to know.
You can only make so much cheese. Also this will be a very important addition to my emergency food.
READ DRUDGE REPORT
xoxoxo
Christina (mudbranchranch)
Denise - I have never canned milk before and was wondering if it is possible to can milk from the grocery store. Already pasterized milk.
Sandra Fru - I would appreciate knowing if it is safe to can store purchased 2%
milk. I am runing low on freezer space and due to gas expense, would like to avoid driving as much as possible. Canning 2% would be a real help. Tj\hank you
Sandra Fry - This site is a God send. Thank you. I’ve learned much.
jean - Erin: there’s no point in pre-pasturizing milk before canning it. The heat of the canning process is higher than pasturizing temperature.
Kara - Great instructions! But I do have a question … I assume that this can also be done with store-bought milk, too?
Canning Homemade Coconut Milk | Mark's Daily Apple Health and Fitness Forum page - […] Canning and Preserving Milk at Home : Razor Family Farms Here's a guide. Reply With Quote « Previous Thread | Next Thread […]
Gerrie - In your article you don’t say ant thing about removing cream do you do that? Also do you heat the milk before putting in jars..Thank You
Damon - My partner and I absolutely love your blog
and find many of your post’s to be just what I’m looking for.
Do you offer guest writers to write content for yourself?
I wouldn’t mind composing a post or elaborating on a number of the subjects you write about here. Again, awesome blog!
Deborah - I had no idea you could can so many things.. My mom always put up her figs and jellie but this is just amazing 🙂
Natalie - This is very informative! I’m hoping to can some chai tea I make with milk. Perfect! Thanks for the help.
Boohoo - Best thing to do with milk is tip the garbage out. Save you the trouble of canning it as well as do your health a massive favor.
Leslie Burckard - Can this be used for making ice cream? Can store bought whole milk /heavy cream be used? I have no access to raw milk where we live.
I make our ice cream and recipe requires 3 cups of cream and 1 1/3 cups of whole milk. It is 200 miles trip to the store..so want to have the ingred always handy. thanks.
Ray - Great article. Thank you for writing. I will never can milk but am glad to have info to share with someone who might
Vanessa - What adjustment do you need to make to the pressure for altitude? I’m above 8,000 feet, will taking the pressure up to 15 do?
Amy Peck - Yes I think so. If you look in the ball canning book it says for pressure canning for 8,001 – 10,000 pressure should be at 15 lbs.
Kelly - I am you can use store bought 2% milk to can, my goats are not producing milk as of yet.
If it does not have the cream of right from the cow/goat will it turn carmel color? Since it is the milk sugar that turns tan from what I understand.
I am going to attempt this very soon.
Betty Belcher - Did it, and its in the basement for future use. THANKS!
Cathy - I am curious if you have ever canned homemade sweetened condensed milk? Looking for a recipe to do this. I have made it homemade, but I’d love to take the next step and pressure can it, but I am a little unsure on the specifics.
Thanks!
Cathy
Vienna Wright - Question? Can you make yogurt out of canned milk
Dori L Oakes - Can you make soap with it?
Dori
Carrie - I followed your directions to can coconut milk and now i have 20 pint jars of curdled milk chunks.
I was really looking forward to doing raw cows milk but now i’m hesitant.
Have you ever had this issue or has anyone else?
http://pages.rediff.com/what-i-love-about-art-of-war/1860274 - Fantastic blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you recommend starting with a free platform like WordPress or
go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m completely overwhelmed .. Any tips? Thanks!
jessica - What is the process for canning milk in 2 qt. jars?
brenda - Was trying to see if i could can cheese or milk in recipies like chowders and if you can can milk I would think it would be fine to can recipies with dairy…..what do ya think?
Terence - So having enough chicken recipes in the kitchen would be
rewarding. When a coating such as bread crumbs are applied to the meat the flavors and coating will
cover a greater amount of the meat’s surface offering more of these flavors per bite. This is certainly cheaper than taking them out for fast food and fried chicken is very simple to make.
Tracey - My answer to USDA..they say its ok to send chicken to China and be processed and sent back to the us..and not required to be labeled as such…. is safe..idk but not sure I would rely in everything they say as correct……IMO
Patricia - Hi! I’d like to know if you tried canning rice pudding. I’ve done it before, but I used the water bath and even though the jars did seal, when I tried and opened one of them, it had gone rancid. Any suggestions? Thanks! :o)
Robin - when you say “strain” the milk, what do you strain thru and what are you straining out? Also, if I have more than one batch to do, can I let out the steam at the end of the first so the second can go in sooner? Thanks! beautiful article, exciting possibilities
Johnk623 - My brother recommended I might like this website. He was totally right. This post truly made my day. You cann’t imagine simply how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks! fabkfddckabg
Johnb703 - But a smiling visitor here to share the love , btw outstanding layout. egedkcebeeef
Johng283 - Neat blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog jump out. Please let me know where you got your design. Thanks dedfddkbggka
Bev Devins - I have recently canned goat milk using the above recipe. The milk is separated in the sealed jars. Will it come back together for feeding bottle baby goats in the fall or will it stay clumpy? My freezers are full of frozen milk and thought this would be the perfect solution. It will be if the milk reconstitues to go through a nipple. Thanks & I await hearing from you!
Johnd946 - Great website! I am loving it!! Will be back later to read some more. I am taking your feeds also gccafcbfeeee
PattyB - Well I’ve been wrestling with this idea for some time. I keep researching it trying to find out exactly WHY it is NOT recommended. Here is the simple answer, “milk and butter are low acid products that “support the outgrowth of C. botulinum and toxin formation in a sealed jar at room temperature.” She explained that fats can protect botulism spores and toxins from heat if they are in a product during a canning process. This is why canning milk, butter and/or the addition of milk or butter to other products to be canned is not recommended.”
Everyone who says that they have been doing it for years can write about it. Those who had botulism in their finished produce can’t write about it.
Also, the reason why milk separates is because “Milk is a finely balanced emulsion of proteins in water. If the proteins are over-heated, they drop out of suspension and the milk separates”
Here is the full article and it is from the Razor Family Farms as mentioned above: http://razorfamilyfarms.com/cooking/canning-and-preserving-milk-at-home/
ann - I want to can store bought fresh coconut milk. Will it look and taste same after processing?
Diane - After canning my fresh raw cow’s milk I noticed qts had a yellowish “chunk” in them . Is that normal ? A friend canned some qts for me at her farm & I checked them…chunks in them as well ?
Canning milk - The Goat Spot - Goat Forum - […] looks pretty comprehensive http://razorfamilyfarms.com/cooking/canning-and-preserving-milk-at-home/ I do not sterilize jars when I can as the extreme temperatures in pressure canning kill […]
Theresa - Hello! I’m encouraged by this post about safely canning milk. Thank you for sharing this info! I have a recipe for caramel sauce made with goat milk and I’ve been trying to figure out how to safely can it. Do you think your method of canning milk would work?
Brenda - You made canned condensed milk. To can milk FOR DRINKING just process for one (1) minute at 10 lbs. Pressure. Lasts 6 months safely and tastes fresh on cereal too. I’ve done this successfully using store bought cow’s milk as well as fresh goats milk.
Crystal - How long will the milk last canned?
Caribou Jade - Is the processing method and time the same for soy milk? I can’t find info anywhere.
Asavari - Can you please suggest about coconut milk canning? and what is the procedure before retorting cans means homogenization, pasteurization etc.?
Franceska - I canned several qt of whole milk. How do I use the milk? I read heat for 10min not boil and definately stir. Is this all I have to do?
Thx!!
Lisa - My canned milk curdled. Why and is it bad? Thanks, lisa
Michele Enochs - Can you use this method to can evaporated and sweeten condense milk
Naomi - I found your site as I was googling for advice about canning coconut cream. I have come into possession of two #10 cans of Native Forest coconut cream. I haven’t opened them because when I do I need to know how I’m going to preserve what I don’t use. I hate to lose my lovely coconut cream and was hoping to find that I can successfully can it in jars. Do you have any insight about doing this? I’d appreciate your advice if you have any.
Home Canning Milk – Brenda Nolen - […] the original link for canning milk (which produces a much more “cooked” […]
Bethany - Is there a way to can milk based gravy safely? It would be so nice to have on hand.