This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Click HERE to read my policies & disclaimers if you're interested. I will only link products I use and personally recommend. Thank you for your support, friends!

I’m gonna show you exactly how to can milk, and I will go through both methods.  But you knowwwww there’s an elephant in this room, so we gotta talk about that first.

C. Botulinum

Some will absolutely lose their minds that I can milk, I’m sharing how to can milk, and say “you’re going to get botulism.”  Which, ok, that’s fine.  But, let’s look at this from a scientific AND common sense angle, shall we?

I am comfortable canning unapproved ingredients.  I think that’s a given.  If you’re not, you probably shouldn’t be doing this, because at the end of the day you’re going to be afraid of what’s in your jars and you’re not going to use it, so you’ve essentially wasted your time and money.

If clostridium botulinum was so prevalent in dairy products, we would see botulism outbreaks constantly.  Because we all know that commercial canning equipment is NOT superior to what we have at home, but it is different.  That’s all. {{and if you don’t read my post on commercial canning}}

You can pasteurize milk all you want, those botulinum spores everyone squawks about will still survive. Milk pasteurization only heats to 161F for 15 seconds or 145F for 30 minutes, far below the temperature needed to be reached and sustained to denature a C. botulinum spore. That temperature being 240-250F that is reached and sustained for a certain amount of time.  So….. why aren’t there constant outbreaks from someone grabbing a couple gallons of milk at the store (in a sealed, airtight container with no oxygen….), and that milk warming on the way home as it rides in the car. 

The chances of the botulinum spore awakening and producing the toxin would be slim, as with ALL canned items, but not nonexistent.  I mean… you don’t know how long your gallon of milk sat in the trunk of the car of the person that Door Dash-ed it to you……

I live in the boonies where Door Dash doesn’t come, but you catch my drift.

Same with butter and cream cheese.  IF botulism was a prevalent thing with dairy… how are people not getting sick left and right for throwing packs of butter or cream cheese on the counter to soften for hours to overnight?!

Are you with me?

It’s not JUST home canning that clostridium botulinum can be present in.

Then I’ll get the argument of “but the spores could be there and then someone could drink the milk with the spores and then the spores could produce the botulism bacterium in their gut” to which I say…. that’s a health issue that isn’t specific to only home canned food.  People with that poor of gut motility and constipation that could cause an anaerobic environment that could awaken botulinum spores to produce the toxin have a whole host of other issues that home canning isn’t going to be the culprit of causing.

Throw me the rest of your arguments, I don’t have all day, but I seriously know what I’m talking about. 

And I’m certainly not trying to talk you into canning milk in your house.  I’m giving you some educational and thought provoking material to help you research and MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS because somewhere along the line, people have decided that their brains don’t function and when I share something, it means they have to do it…. or else.

Given these thoughts, that is why I am comfortable canning dairy.  I know how the milk was handled, I have canned milk for years and years successfully, and I properly store my jars. And canning unapproved ingredients does not cause botulism.

Botulinum has no chance here.  Next.

What Milk Can I Use?

I’m teaching you how to can milk… I do NOT have experience with nut “milk” or oat “milk” or whatever plant based cloudy tea some of these folks call “milk.”  What I do have experience with is mammal milk.  Goat milk.  Cow milk.  Both fresh and raw and store bought.

You can can whole fresh milk, store bought 2%, heavy whipping cream, skim milk, cat milk, bat milk, you name it.  Long as its milk.  Can.  It.  

On my homestead specifically, I am canning raw, fresh goat milk, because that’s what I have.  I raise goats.  I can their milk for times when milk is tight or the does are dried off.

I choose to can whole milk as opposed to skim.  I like it better is all.  You can do whatever you want!  Simply shake the milk good and get to canning.

Water Bath versus Pressure Canning

I recently shared on social media how to can milk and that I prefer to water bath can milk as opposed to pressure canning because I feel the end product stays wayyyyy closer to fresh milk than pressure canned.  The milk stays perfectly white and I’ve never had trouble with curdling, caramelizing, or separating with water bath canning.

It really comes down to your comfort level.  If you’re not comfortable water bath canning low acid foods, then pressure can it.  I pressure canned it for years before venturing out and water bath canning it.  It’s perfectly fine for cooking and baking, but I do find it gets a “cooked” flavor and does caramelize a bit.  Which… it’s just a color.  It’s fine.

There’s also a time factor, which for me I find that water bath canning for 1 hour as opposed to venting and then depressurizing a pressure canning takes longer than that!  But, again, I will give you both methods so you can choose what works best for you.

Tips for Being Successful Canning Milk

• Use fresh milk, not old milk.
• Do NOT wipe rims of jars with vinegar, as you will make cheese.
• If reusing lids, make sure your lids weren’t used to can something acidic prior.  This may not matter, but I’ve found that a jar has curdled in the past.  I normally just use brand new lids for milk because of this.
• Pressure canned milk can caramelize and separate after storing.  Give it a good shake and it’s fine to use.
• Start with everything cold if not heating the milk to prevent jar breakage and siphoning.
• Heat the milk in a pan if you would rather start with everything hot.
• When using an electric pressure canner, instead of having to babysit the machine to shut it off after venting, just set the processing time for 1 minute and let ‘er go!
• The processing time is the same for all sizes of jars, from quarts on down.

And now I’ll walk you through how to can milk using a water bath or pressure canner :)

Equipment You Might Want

• Canning Jars
• Canning Lids & Screw Bands
• Pressure Canner
• Water Bath Canning Pot
• Jar Lifter

Ingredients

• Milk

Step 1:  Prep

Start by washing quart or pint jars and lids in hot, soapy water.  Rinse well and set aside.

Add cold milk to jars to 1 inch headspace.

Wipe jar rims with a water dampened cloth and add lids and secure with a screw band according to lid manufacturer’s instruction.

Step 2:  Canning

Water Bath Canning

Add cold jars to your water bath canning pot.  Add cold water to submerge jars by at least 1 inch of water.

Place pot of low to medium low heat and heat slowly. 

Bring water to a full rolling boil and start processing time of 1 hour, adjusting time for elevation if necessary.

Pressure Canning

Add the directed amount of cold water to your pressure canner and then add in jars of cold milk.

Place over low to medium low heat and heat slowly until you have a constant stream of steam out of the pressure canner valve stem.  Start your 10 minute venting time.

Once venting time is complete, add the weight you use for LOW ACID FOOD and bring the pressure canner up to pressure.

Once the canner reaches pressure, shut off the heat, and allow the pressure canner to cool and depressurize naturally.

Step 3:  Storage

Remove jars from canner to a heat proof surface lined with a towel to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.

Once cooled, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place.  Proper storage temperatures are between 55-70F.

I personally only can as much dairy as I need for 6-12 months, as it can start to get off flavors after that time, but I have had jars on the shelf for up to 3 years.  Go off of your comfort and preference level here!

Any jars that did not seal can be reprocessed, but I would just pop it in the fridge to use soon.

Notes:

If you would like to start with everything hot, add your milk to a stock pot and heat prior to filling jars.

DO NOT use vinegar to wipe rims or you will make cheese in your jars.

How to Can Milk: Water Bath and Pressure Canning Methods

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Author: Ruby – Red Feather Farm

Equipment

• Canning jars
• Canning lids & screw bands
• Pressure Canner
• Water bath canning pot
• jar lifter

Ingredients

• Milk

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Step 1:  Prep

• Start by washing quart or pint jars and lids in hot, soapy water.  Rinse well and set aside.
• Add cold milk to jars to 1 inch headspace.
• Wipe jar rims with a water dampened cloth and add lids and secure with a screw band according to lid manufacturer’s instruction.

Step 2:  Canning

Water Bath Canning

• Add cold jars to your water bath canning pot.  Add cold water to submerge jars by at least 1 inch of water.
• Place pot of low to medium low heat and heat slowly.
• Bring water to a full rolling boil and start processing time of 1 hour, adjusting time for elevation if necessary.

Pressure Canning

• Add the directed amount of cold water to your pressure canner and then add in jars of cold milk.
• Place over low to medium low heat and heat slowly until you have a constant stream of steam out of the pressure canner valve stem.  Start your 10 minute venting time.
• Once venting time is complete, add the weight you use for LOW ACID FOOD and bring the pressure canner up to pressure.
• Once the canner reaches pressure, shut off the heat, and allow the pressure canner to cool and depressurize naturally.

Step 3:  Storage

• Remove jars from canner to a heat proof surface lined with a towel to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.
• Once cooled, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place.  Proper storage temperatures are between 55-70F.
• I personally only can as much dairy as I need for 6-12 months, as it can start to get off flavors after that time, but I have had jars on the shelf for up to 3 years.  Go off of your comfort and preference level here!
• Any jars that did not seal can be reprocessed, but I would just pop it in the fridge to use soon.

Notes

If you would like to start with everything hot, add your milk to a stock pot and heat prior to filling jars.

DO NOT use vinegar to wipe rims or you will make cheese in your jars.