Mature Experience Needed ;)

[Necie]

I make goat milk soap. I've put as much milk in the freezers as will fit. Now, I know that back in 'the day' people used to can milk so I'm wanting to can some for storage to use in my soap when the does are dried up for kidding (late Nov til early Feb). I've heard that pressure canning can carmelize the milk and besides, my pressure canner is not working, so I want to WBC it in 1/2 gallon jars.

 

Does anybody have a guesstimate on time to process. Just need it to stay sealed til I need it for soap.

 

DO NOT CAN MILK FOR CONSUMPTION! IT IS NOT SAFE!

[Violet]

Pressure canning does caramelize milk. Also, if you do it still can be a risk for botulism.

So, putting in jars in a BWB will not destroy botulism. I would not suggest it, even for soap. If you open it up and it is tainted, you will risk getting contamination from it.

 

[Necie]

I'm thinking the lye would kill most anything. And I'll be wearing my normal garb: safety glasses, face mask, long sleeves and rubber gloves. I've heard that 1/2 gallons are double the time for quarts (don't remember where I heard that...so not even sure if it's correct), but still have no idea what the time would even be that used to be used for quarts. Any ideas? I really hate the thought of experimenting with $12/gal milk.

[Violet]

I guess I can't convince you that boiling water bath for something so high in ph is unsafe... so, yes, you will just be experimenting and guessing at doing this.

If it was safe, it would need a pressure canner. Ever checked the ph level of milk ? It is between 6.7 and 6.9. Boiling water is only safe for foods under 4.6. Doesn't seem like much between 4. and 5 ., but the scale works like the Richter scale. Each number is 10 times different.

I really wish you would not do this for your safety. IF and I say IF botulism could be destroyed in boiling water , the time would be at least 12 hours, then you really don't know if it would be safe. Often botulism shows no signs. However, I have had quite a few people wanting to know why the lids blew off their jars when they have tried using a BWB for low acid foods.

I won't say any more......

[GirlNextDoor]

Violet, at least you tried. Some people just have to piss on the electric fence for themselves.

[susie]

15 minutes a quart, BWB.

[cleanheart]

I hope this helps. I Googled "Canning Milk" and got this Mother Earth article.

 

cleanheart

 

 

 

 

 

 

CANNING MILK

 

If you loathe having to fork over hard-earned cash for store-bought milk every time your dairy animals enter a dry spell, you'll be glad to know that the solution to that problem is as handy as your regular canning equipment. You see, you can store the fluid protein produced by your cow, goat, or ewe for pennies a quart . . . and then keep the sealed jars on hand for six months or more.

 

THE WHYS AND WHEREFORES

 

You might wonder why anyone would want to bother canning milk when the dairy liquid is available fresh at the grocer's any day of the week. After all, it's a well-known fact that home canning isn't the easiest of chores. Then again, perhaps it seems to you that excess milk could be put to better use as versatile yogurt and cheese.

 

However, if you intend to drink milk provided by your own animals when they have no fresh available, you'll just about have to can some of that spring surplus. Drying the dairy product is next to impossible . . . while either cheese or yogurt would make a lousy cup of cocoa. And although freezing is a fine way to put up homogenized milk, this procedure is less satisfactory for untreated cow's milk. When thawed, the "raw" product separates into watery liquid and flakes of milk fat. The homogenized nature of ewe's and goat's milk does make them more suited to freezing, but the amount of space you'll want to allot to frozen dairy surplus is likely to be limited.

 

FROM BUCKET TO BOTTLE

 

The method I use to put up milk is the same process that my grandmother employed . . . except that she used cow's rather than goat's milk. If you want to try this procedure, begin by sterilizing all the milking equipment by rinsing it in boiling water. (And wipe the animal's udder clean with a warm, damp cloth to prevent contaminants from falling into the milk pail.) Once the perishable commodity is safely bucketed, strain it through several layers of sterile, thickly woven, soft cotton cloth (or a sieve made especially for the task) and into a clean enamel, stainless steel, or glass container. Then cover the vessel with a clean, porous towel so that the milk will "breathe" yet remain dust-free while it cools.

 

At this time, check your canning jars for nicks or cracks . . . wash the containers in hot, soapy water . . . and submerge the rinsed jars in clean, hot water until you're ready to fill them with milk. You'll also need to boil the canning lids and rings in a pan of water for a few moments, then let them bathe, removed from the heat, in the sterile liquid.

 

Now, fill the jars, leaving 1/2" of headspace at the top of each container. (Because I like to be sure that no uninvited particles have a chance to stumble into the milk, I filter the harvest a second time during this step.) After wiping the rims with a clean, damp cloth, cap the jars with the sterilized lids and rings. When that's done, gently set the flasks on the rack of your pressure canner, add the appropriate amount of water (check the instructions that came with your cooker), and place the whole shebang over the hottest part of the stove.

 

Next, following the manufacturer's instructions, bring the canner to 10 pounds of pressure and process the milk for 25 minutes if you're using quarts and 20 minutes for pint-size containers. It's imperative that you pay close attention at this point: If the pressure falls below 10 pounds while the milk is being processed, you'll have to start timing all over again.

 

Once the jars have been boiled for the allotted period, remove the canner from the heat and let it sit untouched until all pressure has left the chamber (this usually takes an hour or so). Then set the jars in a draft-free spot on a rack, a towel, or several sheets of newspaper . . . shroud the bottles with a towel . . . and leave them "tucked in" overnight. Check the seals for leakage the next morning and store the milk on a cool, dark shelf.

 

Four cases of quart containers should allow a milk-loving family to get through a two-month dry spell. I bottle up a fresh supply each spring, and any milk left from the preceding year gets fed to the livestock at that time. Canned milk is marvelous for fattening a hog, and during lambing or calving season I often supplement our young farm animals' meals with the bottled product, once they've gotten their initial dose of colostrum. However, canned milk should never be the critters' complete diet, because cooking destroys some of the dairy product's nutritive value.

 

THE PROOF'S IN THE PUDDING

 

You can use processed milk in many of the same ways you'd use the fresh liquid. (It measures the same, too.) However, there are a few uses that the bottled treasure isn't so good for. When pressure canned, milk acquires a tawny hue that'll tint light-colored foods such as some gravies . . . and though this trait doesn't bother me, other folks might find it objectionable. Another persnickety problem is that—straight from the bottle—the milk has a caramel-like, cooked taste. And canned milk positively shouldn't be used for making cheeses or rennet desserts, because you won't be able to clabber the juice into curds.

 

Around my house, many a stored receptacle gets emptied when the family clamors for caramelly pudding. You might want to serve up the following treat to your own brood for some good eating.

 

CARAMELLY PUDDING

 

1-1/2 cups of sugar

1/3 cup of cornstarch

1 teaspoon of salt

1 quart of home-canned milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla

 

This is our favorite family dessert. To make it, blend the dry ingredients in a large saucepan and slowly beat in the milk. When all the fixings are moist, place the pan over medium heat until the contents come to a boil, stirring all the while to prevent the pudding from sticking as it thickens. Let the dessert simmer a moment, then remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Served hot or cold, this recipe will furnish generous helpings to four people.

 

Canning milk isn't everyone's cup of tea . . . but for those of us who prefer to drink the wholesome product of our own animals—at times when the critters have no fresh milk available—canning is the easy, economical answer.

[Necie]

Thank you Cleanheart...but...it is not safe to consume canned milk. Even pressure canned. At the bottom of my first post I even wrote:

 

 

 

DO NOT CAN MILK FOR CONSUMPTION! IT IS NOT SAFE!

 

 

Even pressure canned it IS NOT SAFE. This is a well known fact and I am not questioning it. I was wanting to WBC milk to use in my soap. Pressure canning it would carmelize it and ALL my soap would be dark (some of it is anyhow). I am still thinking about it. I had heard that some people do this, but could not find times. (I've even heard of people canning-pressure canning-their milk and feeding it to their goat kids instead of having to buy whole cow milk...saving excess for times when they are short. I would NOT even do this, as my goaties are too valuable to risk this kind of nonsense.)

 

Thank you Violet and Susie....like I said I am still thinking about it. I am aware that the presence of botulism is a possibility and am considering that and how I would deal with it.

 

[Darlene]

Necie, you know I love ya but this is not a good idea. I know how earnest you are being wanting to possibly do this correctly, but it really isn't a wise move to make. To do it in a WB is even moreso a huge no no for safetys sake.

 

Not the answer you want or were looking for but I know your heart...you're a smart girl who works very hard to do all that you do. It would just be better, more safe and secure if you find a plan C, cause plan B really isn't a good idea.

[Darlene]

Violet, at least you tried. Some people just have to piss on the electric fence for themselves.

 

This comment was unnecessary and not nice at all.

 

There are times when things are better left unsaid.

[Necie]

Oh...and YES! I have been known to piss on an electric fence or two.

[Necie]

LOL....posting at the same time!! Look UP^^^^

[Darlene]

Oh...and YES! I have been known to piss on an electric fence or two.

 

ROFL!

 

Yep, that's why I love ya so much because pissing on a fence is nuffin' to me.

 

lolol

 

Of course, the Lord is trying to make some changes in this area, but geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez, it ain't easy to stop pissin'.

 

rofl

[GirlNextDoor]

Violet, at least you tried. Some people just have to piss on the electric fence for themselves.

 

This comment was unnecessary and not nice at all.

 

There are times when things are better left unsaid.

 

OK, sorry. I'll try to be more discreet.

[Necie]

GND... You are fine with me! You had the gumption to say what alot of others were prolly thinking...even if it was, ummmm, a bit *colorful*. LOL Once in awhile we all need a swift kick in the pants. If there's an easier way to do things, I'll find it. But sometimes easier isn't better. Like Darlene suggested, I do have a plan C....and D! But, BOY!...Plan B woulda been alot easier. While the dangers of CONSUMING canned milk are obvious to me, I hadn't considered the dangers of the process itself. So-YES! Thank you Violet for putting it bluntly and telling it like it is. You are one of the sweetest people I've *met*, but sometimes 'tough love' IS needed. You do a wonderful job of saving us from ourselves.

 

 

 

Ya just gotta remember that Darlene is like a mother hen and we're ALL her chicks. And while she can get downright vicious when outsiders threaten us, she doesn't allow us to 'pick' at each other either. (I think we both got scolded in the same breath. Gotta love her, huh?)

[Violet]

Necie,

I am glad you have reconsidered ! I was so afraid of you getting sick or worse from this.

All I could do is send you the information and then hope and pray you kept yourself safe.

No amount of milk or soap is nearly as valuable as you are !!

Big hugs from me,

Violet

[GirlNextDoor]

It occurs to me on a daily basis that our mods are LITERALLY life savers. Now and in the future.

[Darlene]

Ya just gotta remember that Darlene is like a mother hen and we're ALL her chicks. And while she can get downright vicious when outsiders threaten us, she doesn't allow us to 'pick' at each other either. (I think we both got scolded in the same breath. Gotta love her, huh?)

 

I'm innocent.

 

But Necie, you are really one very special lady.

 

((((necie))))

[Darlene]

It occurs to me on a daily basis that our mods are LITERALLY life savers. Now and in the future.

 

((((gnd))))

 

You're very special too.

 

Thank you for understanding.

[Cricket]

I'm still trying to figure out the logistics of the electric fence thang.

[Darlene]

I'm still trying to figure out the logistics of the electric fence thang.

 

The electrical current will follow the liquid source (backwards) when one pees on an electric fence and said pee hits hot wire.

 

It's what most would consider a major "OUCH".

 

 

lolol

[Leah]

On Mythbusters.

They found that, especially the longer the stream of urine was, the more it degenerated into a bunch of droplets rather than a solid stream. While urine itself is an excellent conductor, it was impossible for an electrical current to jump across the droplets to cause a person harm.

 

sorry

[Darlene]

On Mythbusters.

They found that, especially the longer the stream of urine was, the more it degenerated into a bunch of droplets rather than a solid stream. While urine itself is an excellent conductor, it was impossible for an electrical current to jump across the droplets to cause a person harm.

 

sorry

 

Ok...

 

But not everyone has the sense to pee on a fence, far enough away lolol.

 

Talk about a thread derail...this is all Necie's fault and it's HER thread...lol

[Cricket]

I can see how that would work for guys.... but if any of us girls were to try it, it seems the distance would necessarily be... short. Ow!

[Mother]

Okay, on the off chance I'm opening up another can of worms, I really am wondering if it's possible to get botulism by using the milk on your skin, even after it's been made into soap. As Necie said, Lye is pretty caustic but it is also very alkaline as is milk but it gets REAL hot, hot enough to scald you. Does anyone know?

 

Or is the controversy here because of the possibility of inadvertant consumption of a possibly contaminated product? It certainly wouldn't be good if someone saw the milk on the shelf and figured it was safe to drink.

 

Necia, if you do decide you want to try the water bath method of preservation, I'm sure that fifteen minutes per quart would not be enough to stop the enzymatic and bacteria action that makes the milk spoil. Sour milk probably wouldn't make great soap, would it? I would assume that you'd have to put the milk into the jars in a boiling state to have that work and that way the milk could still be carmelized and darkened and you are still defeating your purpose.