Home canned butter: another update taste test at almost 2 years (canned October 2020 and updated again today, June 21, 2022)

 

In October 2020 I canned butter.  I did a follow-up taste and post in May 2021 and at that time I was thrilled with it.  Absolutely thrilled.  I did another taste test in February of 2022 - at the 18 month mark, it was again... absolutely wonderful.  Just perfect, sweet cream butter.  

Here we are in June 2022... this October will be 2 years.  I haven't used much of the canned butter because it was part of my 2-3 year storage for 'hard' or 'harder' times.  I knew it was coming... and it looks like it's coming up pretty fast.

So... was my home canned butter still holding up?

Oh yes!

Tonight I opened one to use at dinner and it was just as perfect as the day it was canned. 

 

 

Once opened, I use a plastic lid on the canning jar.

Some notes from my original posts:

In October 2020 I finally canned butter in a pressure canner. 

I didn't know if it was going to work out or not, but I wanted to try and thanks to good sale at our local membership warehouse, my freezer food storage had some 'extra' butter I could do a trial run with and not be too upset if it didn't turn out.

I have a Presto brand, 23 quart pressure canner. This is an 'after thought' but I need to mention it because it's important... if you haven't bought a pressure canner yet and you have a GLASS TOP ELECTRIC STOVE then you need to be careful of the brand and style you buy!  Many are not recommended for glass top stoves because they will crack them.  I have a glass top stove, which I've always used for water bath canning but I had to be careful when I purchased my pressure canner.   

This also probably goes without saying if you've been doing your research on canning butter - but you never trust water bath canning for items like butter.  And even then - always use brand new, good quality lids so know you have a new seal.My butter was canned in October 2020.   I wanted to wait to do the first taste test and seal test at about 6 months.

I had to work hard to get that seal off.  That was the first good sign.
When I opened it, it smelled like... butter.   There wasn't much of a scent at all - which is good.
 
It was just... butter.  That sounds almost too simple but there you go.  It was just... spreadable, creamy, real butter.

It had good, even color.  It had a light, fresh, 'buttery' smell.  

Why did I want to can butter? 

For my readers who are thinking "Why would you can butter!?  Just buy it at the store or put some in the refrigerator or freezer!", this is why I personally wanted to. 

I do keep butter in our freezer for longer term storage.   

Butter is a food item I never want to run out of!  I use a lot of butter in our day to day meals and baking!  

I will always keep butter in the freezer as part of my well stocked kitchen/pantry, but I know first hand about storms and power outages. 

I want the ability to have butter for meals for my family in the event of an emergency of any sort or to take with when we go camping, on vacation, etc. 

Today (this June 2022 posting) I just checked and that same, exact butter at the same, exact membership warehouse is $13.28.  $6 more per pound than it was just a few months ago.  All the more reason to can and store.

Basically, I want to have the option of having and storing butter
without depending on electricity.

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Another installment of the price comparisons in groceries from 1 year ago and 2 months ago..........

On April 23rd (just 2 months ago) I posted a grocery shopping receipt from the year before (April 2021) compared to one year later (April 2022).  I noted which items were no longer available, or what the price was.

This afternoon I was checking on a couple prices for my next grocery shopping list and was happily surprised to see that for the first time in almost 2 years, their site states that salmon burgers are available.  TWO YEARS they've been gone but apparently, at least for now, they are back!  I remembered my April post here on An American Housewife and that they weren't available then; and thought that perhaps other food items from that list had changed as well. 

I took my original list from APRIL 2021 and noted the APRIL 2022 price and availability - followed it up by looking online at their prices today JUNE 2022.  Here is a little snippet:

 

  

As you can see, butter is up $5.00 from a year ago, my 'regular' eggs haven't been available in months (I switched brands and styles), even paper towels are up from just a year ago.  Pulled Chicken may be up $5 for a little 2 lb. package but hey, apparently they have my salmon burgers back in stock!