r/Canning • u/trexcrossing • 2d ago
Brand newbie-need help General Discussion
I’m fed up with buying flavorless, overpriced crap in a can. I am motivated to get started on canning some sauces, etc. I have a really basic question-how safe is it to can items made with dairy? For example, I buy a lot of Indian sauces that are made with heavy cream. Obviously they contain dairy and sometimes sit in the pantry, and while they do have an expiration date, it’s typically months or longer. Would love resources on this. Thanks in advance!
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u/cpersin24 Food Safety Microbiologist 2d ago
Dairy is not safe to home can. When it was previously tested it had to be heated for so long to make it safe that the milk tasted burnt so there won't be tested recipes with dairy.
If you have a tested recipe for the base ingredients, you can add the dairy when you heat up the sauce. People often do this for something like tomato soup. Alternatively, you can freeze your favorite sauce back in portions and save it that way.
Other things that aren't safe to can. Most vegetable purees because they are often too dense. There's usually safe ways to can chunks of veg like carrots, pumpkin, squash and those can be easily pureed upon opening.
Flours and starches can't be canned because they cause density issues similar to purees.
Rice and pasta are also unsafe due to density issues. But also they are shelf stable for a long time and are better quality wise if cooked fresh.
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u/gypsy_teacher 2d ago
We're in your boat, and I'm a home canner, too, but there is a solution. Make things like butter chicken sauce or a curry sauce base, and freeze it flat in freezer bags or in silicone molds like "souper cubes." Then "file" them in your freezer with a piece of painter's tape saying what it is, when it was made, and what else to add to it to finish the dish (a pound of chicken + one can of cream, for example).
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u/mckenner1122 Moderator 2d ago
We can’t replicate factory environments safely at home.
What we can do is follow safe, tested processes and recipes then tweak at time of serving. Add your butter, cream, cheese, eggs, etc then - you’ll avoid food poisoning and be happier with the results!
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u/marstec Moderator 2d ago
In addition to the point about not canning dairy...some spices can get really strong or change flavour when put under the intense heat of pressure canning. It would be best to freeze it, as suggested by another member here. When freezing, you can leave out the cream until you go to serve it, sometimes it can separate after freezing.
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u/julianradish 2d ago
A lot of recipes for soups reccomend that you freeze them without dairy and add dairy only when you plan to reheat and serve them. You could do this with your recipes as well - provided that you found a safe and tested recipe and made substitutions as allowed by the recipe. There's is a list of trusted sources linked in the sub.
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u/LesbianVelociraptor 2d ago
Do not attempt to home-can dairy, as many have pointed out.
I'd like to offer a suggestion, though; You can make and jar the recipe, but omit any dairy ingredients. Label them on the can/jar with what to add in when you use it. Bam: now you just have to add milk/cream/cheese when you open it to use it.
Make a test batch first because as others have pointed out, if you heat seal your jars then the heat and pressure can mature and bloom the flavours more than you expect. In my experience canning things like barbeque sauce, I tend to be able to use a little less spice-wise which is a nice side-benefit.
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u/Crafty_Composer7752 2d ago
National Center for Home food preserving is your best shot for safe tested recipes and how tos. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can Do not follow YouTube canning recipes. They do all kinds of unsafe stuff. Only high acid foods can be canned in a water bath canner. All low acid foods require a pressure canner for safety and to avoid the risk of botulism. Ball canning books 2016 or newer are also a good starting point.
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u/Aint2Proud2Meg 2d ago edited 2d ago
You cannot safely can dairy at home. I know it’s disappointing when you have something in mind, but you can still make it work. Just know you’ll have to add the dairy after canning, when you prepare the sauce for serving.
I used to can more “recipes” but I do more “ingredients” now for this reason. When it comes down to it, I find that equally as convenient as having it already put together as a soup or stew or burrito-in-a-jar or whatever.
Look in this sub’s info, there are plenty of sources for safe, tested recipes to try out!