Canned butter is a product that used to be more widely available for people to use while hiking or trekking or as an emergency food. Nowadays however, most people who do not think they can do without it, have to make their own.
The good news is that it is quite easy to make your own butter in a jar and it has a shelf-life of up to three years. It only takes twenty-five minutes to make a very high-quality butter that you can store in a jar.
To make this butter in a jar you first have to go out and buy full fat butter sticks or blocks (as much as you want to preserve) as you will not be reinventing the wheel here. You will be simply storing butter in a new and unusual way so that it can last and be used during an emergency.
Heat the jelly jars in a 250 degree oven (without the rubber rings or seals on) in an oven for twenty five minutes.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and let it boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer the butter for another five minutes. Take the hot jars out of the oven and arrange them so that you can pour the hot butter into the jars. Do not get any butter on the rim of the jar.
Add the lid and ring to the jar and close securely. This “canned butter” will seal by itself as it cools as long as you have been careful not to get the rims of jars and the seals greasy.
If you see that the butter is separating inside the glass jar, you can give the jar a shake a few times. You can then put the jar in the refrigerator or a cool place for about three years. Make sure that you stay away from low-fat butter and non-fat butters as they will not harden and will probably separate in the jar. It is the fat in the butter that can keep it preserved for more than a year.
It is possible that the butter may smell or look a bit like lard. Some people have found this butter to be less tasty than fresh butter. However if you need a fat that is not olive oil then this type of butter might fit the bill. At the very least you should be able to use it for cooking or frying if it is not that palatable as a spread.