Canning fresh milk is something I have done with success for a number of years but before you get too excited about canning milk, I must warn you that the USDA does not recommend it. Some sources, such as Perky Prepping Grandma, feel that pressure-canned milk is safe. She does not advocate the water bath method of canning milk, however.
In spite of these warnings, there are some family cow owners, including myself, who still can their milk in a hot water bath canner.
For over thirty years, I have looked to Carla Emery's book THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COUNTRY LIVING as a guide in my quest for homesteading and farming information. The following is a summary of Carla's recipe for hot water bath canning and includes my personal notes:
Another way to preserve milk is to store it in the freezer. Frozen milk is best used within six months before it begins to get a freezer-burned taste. A lot of people are put off by the texture of frozen milk because it becomes lumpy when the cream separates. If that is something that is of concern to your family, you can warm your milk up to body temperature (99-101 degrees approximately) and stir vigorously. This will give it more of a fresh milk texture and help to remove those unappetizing lumps. Frozen milk can be used to make cheese.
*Wash and sterilize your quart jars. (I sterilize by placing my clean jars in a canner of boiling water, allowing the jars to boil for at least ten minutes.)
*Fill your clean, sterilized jars with fresh milk from the cow after straining, leaving about one-half an inch of head space. (You don't want to pour cold milk into hot jars or the jars will break. Using fresh, warm milk straight from the cow is ideal if your jars are still hot from being sterilized, or you can heat your milk to at least 100 degrees, before pouring it into your hot jars.)
*Fill your clean, sterilized jars with fresh milk from the cow after straining, leaving about one-half an inch of head space. (You don't want to pour cold milk into hot jars or the jars will break. Using fresh, warm milk straight from the cow is ideal if your jars are still hot from being sterilized, or you can heat your milk to at least 100 degrees, before pouring it into your hot jars.)
*Wipe rims clean and place lids and rings on jars. Screw down to finger-tight only.
*Place jars in a hot water bath canner. Jars should be submerged about an inch under the water.
*Heat to a gentle, rolling boil and then process for 60 minutes. Make sure the water is boiling before you start your processing time.
*Carefully remove hot jars from the boiling water bath and allow them to cool. Make sure they have all sealed before storing them. Date your jars so that you know how long they have been stored. Six-month shelf life is recommended, but I have used them up to two years later.
*Place jars in a hot water bath canner. Jars should be submerged about an inch under the water.
*Heat to a gentle, rolling boil and then process for 60 minutes. Make sure the water is boiling before you start your processing time.
*Carefully remove hot jars from the boiling water bath and allow them to cool. Make sure they have all sealed before storing them. Date your jars so that you know how long they have been stored. Six-month shelf life is recommended, but I have used them up to two years later.
Many of the people I know who use the hot water bath method process their milk for three hours. At one time this was the USDA's recommendation for processing proteins (such as meat). Because I trusted and followed Carla Emory's guide to canning milk and did not know about the three-hour recommendation, boiling for only 60 minutes is the way I have always proceeded. Individuals will have to make their own decisions on what they consider safe.
I did try the pressure canning method of processing milk one time and I didn't care for the results but many people concerned about the hot water bath method feel comfortable with pressure canning milk and it is an option. The recommendations I have seen say to pressure can quart jars for 15 minutes at ten pounds of pressure.
Note:
In the spring of 2023, I processed milk using the hot water bath method as described above and used room temperature jars and COLD milk instead of hot jars and hot milk. I poured the cold milk into sterile jars, wiped the rims, added the rings and lids, and placed the jars in the hot water bath canner in COLD water. I then heated the canner to boiling and began my processing time of 60 minutes. The jars of canned milk turned out beautiful and sealed perfectly. In July of 2023, when we began using milk canned in this manner, we found the flavor to be very close to fresh milk instead of the evaporated milk taste that had been our experience previously. Pre-sterilized room temperature jars, cold milk, and cold water in the canner to start will be my preferred method of canning from now on.
Another way to preserve milk is to store it in the freezer. Frozen milk is best used within six months before it begins to get a freezer-burned taste. A lot of people are put off by the texture of frozen milk because it becomes lumpy when the cream separates. If that is something that is of concern to your family, you can warm your milk up to body temperature (99-101 degrees approximately) and stir vigorously. This will give it more of a fresh milk texture and help to remove those unappetizing lumps. Frozen milk can be used to make cheese.