# Canning milk experiment



## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Would anyone be interested in experimenting with canning milk? 
I'm told it can done and it's not that hard even for a beginner. I'm talking about the kind of milk
you buy at shop and save. Or get some real stuff with the cream on the top from a local dairy.
long term fresh milk? Think about that it that's like a preppers dream.
Put me down for 20 gallons the price is only going to go one way.
Stick it in the fruit cellar with the green beans and potatoes. 

Has this ever been posted or done here before? 

I'm doing another project and it's taking way longer than I thought it would. 
this could be a little thing to do while I'm waiting.

I don't care much for retirement. 
Let me know


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

budgetprepp-n said:


> Would anyone be interested in experimenting with canning milk?
> I'm told it can done and it's not that hard even for a beginner. I'm talking about the kind of milk
> you buy at shop and save. Or get some real stuff with the cream on the top from a local dairy.
> long term fresh milk? Think about that it that's like a preppers dream.
> ...


Budget,

You define what I call a "Thinking Man" and I like it. However, I don't see the need to can milk, nor would I risk it. We do have some powdered skim milk that we've put up in mylar and O2 absorbers.

Please keep the ideas coming, you are most certainly a person that we would take on our 'team' anyday!


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

You can buy canned milk - there is no reason you can't can it. Milk has no more fat in it than meat and we can meat. It would have to be pressure canned but that's the same process you use for meat and veggies.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

I actually can milk all the time. If the piglets are not drinking it, it becomes hard to keep up with all the milk the goats produce. It is a very simple process and just as safe as canning any thing else. do it wrong and die, do it right and reap the rewards. 
I have to say though in using goats milk that the fresh milk yield the best results. I have never used cows milk from the store and haven't bought any in many years due to the poor quality. If you can find someone that can sell you some straight from the cow I would do that. Milk that is not fresh has a tendency to turn into cottage cheese instead of staying liquid. Still edible but hard to poor over cereal. 

Taste wise is going to be the same as drinking evaporated milk, since the milk has been cooked. I prefer over powdered any day, but just don't expect it will taste like fresh milk.


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## Old SF Guy (Dec 15, 2013)

tirednurse said:


> I actually can milk all the time. If the piglets are not drinking it, it becomes hard to keep up with all the milk the goats produce. It is a very simple process and just as safe as canning any thing else. do it wrong and die, do it right and reap the rewards.
> I have to say though in using goats milk that the fresh milk yield the best results. I have never used cows milk from the store and haven't bought any in many years due to the poor quality. If you can find someone that can sell you some straight from the cow I would do that. Milk that is not fresh has a tendency to turn into cottage cheese instead of staying liquid. Still edible but hard to poor over cereal.
> 
> Taste wise is going to be the same as drinking evaporated milk, since the milk has been cooked. I prefer over powdered any day, but just don't expect it will taste like fresh milk.


It's your 4th sentence that keeps me from canning anything.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Old SF guy,

If you can read (i know you can) and follow directions (how many years of service?) then you can can anything. The directions always give a wide margin of safety and you can test the finished product without tasting it. You just don't want to do all that work. (lets sneak out the back door and go huntin' - we'll let the women folk do the cannin'.)


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## Old SF Guy (Dec 15, 2013)

Just scares the living shit outa of me...death by canning improperly....scary as hell to me.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

The military serves milk in a carton that can be stored a long time . It is not refrigerated. When it was served if the out side temps were 120 then the milk was 120 except when we had Ice. the stuff was not bad. But Scary to think about.

CNN - Health: Companies try to market no-spoil milk in the U.S.

Borden Shelf Stable Milk - FAQ - What is Shelf Stable Milk?


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Looks interesting, but in AZ the ability to store the UHTP milk at recommended temperatures may be difficult at best. I'll stick with the NON fat powdered milk it package with oxygen absorber in a sealed Mylar bag.


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## StarPD45 (Nov 13, 2012)

I drank a lot of canned milk when I was overseas back in the early 60's. Only ever had one can that was sour in 2 1/2 years.

As was said above, there is nothing better than real raw milk. The problem is our "benevolent masters" don't want us to be able to buy it.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Ok I can get real milk right down the road a few miles. When I was a kid we had a milk cow and the only pastures it got was 
past my eyes when I squirted it in the bucket. I have had it while it was still cow warm on my cereal. 

But yea tirednurse is right your going to pastures it when you heat it.

Question,On the farm we skimmed the cream off the top and made butter out of it with a hand churn.
If I use real milk and can it will the cream come to the top? If so that would be like also having butter in storage.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Just scares the living shit outa of me...death by canning improperly....scary as hell to me.


There is NO danger for you at all,, Just have the neighbor over for lunch see if he lives or not. What the heck he got a free meal. 

No really,, I eat canned green beans and all kinds of stuff that has been canned all the time. Wouldn't this be the same thing?


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