Canned milk

[kandmcockrell]

I have seen where you can can the milk rather than freezing it. Has anyone here done that? How does it change the flavor of the milk?

As a side note - how do you can cajeta?

[andabigmac]

I haven't canned milk but I have canned cajeta. I just pour hot cajeta into hot jars and water bath for 10 minutes. They would probably seal without the water bath but I use Tattlers and just want to be sure.

[Suzyq2u]

We just canned some milk. Haven't tried it yet, it is a browner color now.
Some of it looks 'iffy'. But the rest appears to be good.
We shall see!

[CaliannG]

When you can it, it turns yellow just like when you freeze it.

I prefer pressure canning, since milk is not acidic. Same with cajeta. I have had iffy results with water bath canning cajeta, with some keeping just fine, and some not so much. It always turns out fine when I pressure can it.

Same with milk, I have had iffy results with water-bath canning, but always fine if I pressure can it.

[andabigmac]

I wondered about pressure canning it because I didn't know if it would curdle or separate. If it doesn't become an issue then I'll try pressure canning it.

[CaliannG]

No, it doesn't curdle or separate, it just turns yellow like when you freeze it.

You do have to realize that pressure canning milk is going to yield what is basically ultra-pasteurized milk...so you cannot use it for cheese. Heat destroys both the calcium in the milk, and the phosphatase enzyme which allows for the absorption of calcium. Calcium is necessary for the formation of cheese curds.

There are trade-offs to everything. Even high pasteurization (180 degrees at 5 minutes) is enough to destroy calcium and phosphatase. Low pasteurization (165 degrees for 30 minutes) will seriously damage both. So, when water bath canning, we are already messing with the calcium and phosphatase in the milk. With the lower temp canning method, though, one can add calcium chloride and still make hard cheeses. At higher temps, one can add calcium chloride and make soft cheeses or stretch cheeses.

At ultra-pasteurization, however, one is limited to milk and yogurt.

Hope this helps!

[KrisD]

What pressure do you can at?

[CaliannG]

10 lbs is what I use.

[Lorelai]

I'm interested in this too... it would be nice to have some milk put by for the dry times, or when I have more time to make value added products like cheese from my fresh milk, and would prefer to use the canned milk for cooking or baking. I personally haven't experienced that discoloration with freezing milk, but then, I've only been freezing in ice cube trays and then transferring the frozen milk cubes into freezer bags. Then they get used in the Vitamix for "ic cream," or more reaslistically, milkshakes, so they don't last long in the freezer.

I'd also like to know at what pressure and for how long you can it for, and whether you begin wtih raw or pasteurized milk. I know that pressure canning with ultra-pasteurize it, so I don't know if it matters, but I thought I'd ask. I'd probably use quart jars.

[CaliannG]

I begin with raw milk and use quart jars. I can at 240 degrees F, 10lbs, for 25 minutes. I use the same stats for canning cajeta also. If, for some reason, I am canning cajeta in pint jars, I only do it for 20 minutes, though.

When I freeze milk, I do it in quart or half-gallon freezer bags, laid flat on a cookie sheet so that, when they have frozen, they can be stacked. Saves room in my freezer.

If I want to make hard cheese with frozen milk, I have to add a wee bit of calcium chloride. Freezing damages calcium as well, just not nearly as much as heating. If I am making soft cheese, I don't bother.

[kandmcockrell]

Thanks!

[FrogTacos]

I followed the pressure canning guidelines on this site: Easy Living the Hard Way: Canned Milk

I used a pint in a batch of cornbread (instead of buttermilk) and must say it is the very best cornbread I have ever made - and I am NOT a fan of goat milk.

It supposedly keeps for a year so I'm going to can a batch per month (16 pints in my canner) as long as I have someone in milk.

[Mickey]

Does the canned milk come out tasting "goaty"?

[FrogTacos]

Originally Posted by Mickey

Does the canned milk come out tasting "goaty"?

Tasted pretty much exactly the same to me. Main difference being the temperature. Fresh is either really warm, or fridge/ice cold. Canned its straight room temp, which is weird but I think mostly a mental thing.

[mammabooh]

I use my canned milk in anything that's going to be cooked...like pudding and gravy.

[Mickey]

Are you saying that you wouldn't drink the canned milk? Is that because it tastes bad? And if it does taste bad, doesn't the taste come thru in the foods prepared with it?
I'm sorry to be questioning, but I REALLY hate the taste of goaty milk.

[mekasmom]

I personally can it at ten minutes. It tastes better that way.
Milk has lactic acid in it. You can waterbath or PC.
I use canned milk for cooking mainly or for feeding critters rather than just drinking just because of the taste. It makes great gravy, puddings, cream pies, Mashed potatoes, cream soups or chowders, etc.
I don't make cheese from it, but I know a few people who do. Maybe if you can it a shorter period of time, it works?

[CaliannG]

Mickey, it doesn't taste "goaty". The reason that many of us use it for cooking is because to those of us used to drinking raw milk, pastuerized and canned (which basically is pasteurizing it) tastes "cooked". When you cook with raw milk, it tastes "cooked" because, well, it IS cooked, so it doesn't make any difference.

[mygoat]

I've canned it in our stovetop canner. Works great for storing milk for the first kids of the season, in case you have more kids than milk to start with. I usually do several gallons. That way, early in the season, you don't have to worry about pasteurizing milk early on when part of it will curdle up from the colostrum content. I've also used it cooking, too - but we tend to just get storebought milk for the 2 months without milk. This year will be our first year staggering goatbabies so hopefully there won't be a lag in future years.

I've used it at several months old... no problem.

I have also forgotten about the stuff while canning it - it turns brown and smells like caramel. Doesn't taste any worse, though. Kids still ate it fine... obviously cooked foods aren't as good for you, but it works in a pinch.

[Mickey]

Thank you for all the replies. Now I can't wait to try canning some