Food Preservation Night

Our Food Preservation Night was a great success!! 

 Elizabeth Grange taught us how to prepare canned butter (information at the end of this post for those who are interested). We each got our own jar of butter to shake and shake and shake.

 Becky Harms taught us about freezer jam, apple butter, different canning methods, and little tricks and tools to make it easier. Then we got to sample the jams and apple butter!

After the classes were finished we enjoyed ice cream and homemade pies (while still shaking our butter jars).

Special thanks to Carolyn Friberg for coordinating all the details and for the lovely decorations. A big thank you to Elizabeth Grange and Becky Harms for teaching. Thank you to all those who made pies and thanks to all those who came.

CANNED BUTTER



by Elizabeth Grange

Canned butter is shelf stable for 5 to 7 years. It requires no refrigeration either before or after opening. It is great for food storage, camping, or emergencies.

Tips: When processing a lot of butter, the more people you have to shake the jars, the better. This would be a fun family activity.  Any brand of SALTED butter will do.  Unsalted butter will work, but has a toffee-like texture.  Each pound of butter does slightly more than a pint. 11 pounds of butter will do 12 pints.  

Sanitize the jars and lids.  Meanwhile, unwrap the butter and put them in a saucepan or large pot to melt.  Stir often to prevent burning.  A double boiler or small pan balanced over a pot of boiling water works best for me since butter burns quickly and I tend to get diverted easily.  

When jars are sanitized and butter is melted, pour butter into jars using a sterile funnel.  Be sure to leave 1 inch space at the top of the jars.  Place the hot, sanitized lids on top of jars and screw on the rings.  

Shake, shake, shake the jars of butter, holding them with a dish towel since they will be hot.  If, like me, you are working alone, you can shake one jar for a minute, then another, rotating the process. I wouldn't can more than 4 jars at a time unless you have a lot of energy, or someone to help you with the shaking.  After the butter solidifies and the jar is cool to the touch, refrigerate it over-night, or until it is completely solid. Now it is ready for long-term storage.