Dear Editor:
Keep-it-Simple Suburbanite made a common error in thinking that home canning butter is a good idea. Canning butter at home is not a good idea. Botulism toxin cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted and it can be present in canned butter. I’m guessing that Keep-it-Simple heated the butter and either water-bathed it or simply sealed the hot jars without processing. Heat shocks botulism spores (which are normally harmless) into producing the toxin. To prevent that, botulism needs the much higher temperature of pressure canning to be killed. Even then, fat molecules in foods such as butter and cheese can encapsulate botulism and protect it from the heat of canning, allowing the toxin to form.
Botulism poisoning is rare and I’d like to keep it that way. Most low-acid foods that are canned incorrectly can be made safe to eat by bringing the food to a boil and continuing to boil for 10 minutes at sea level, longer for higher elevations. Obviously, that won’t work for canned butter. For those who persist in unsafe canning practices, they should warn anyone who is about to eat it, or stir it well (stirring is necessary because botulism toxin can exist in pockets in thick food) and eat a bite of the food before serving it to others. That way they will be the first and only victim of poisoning if the food is contaminated. If the home canner doesn’t become ill, then the food is safe to serve to others. Botulism toxin is classified as a biological weapon by the government. It disrupts nerve function, causing paralysis. It is usually very fast acting. When botulism poisoning occurs now, there is a good chance of living if medical intervention is fast. However, the victim often has permanent nerve damage and will very likely have a shortened life. In a short-term SHTF event, or long-term TEOTWAWKI, the victim will die. For myself and my family, I’d rather go without [stored] butter. – Bonnie in Washington