This weekend at the Self Reliance Expo I talked a little about home canned cheese. Here are directions for canning a cheese sauce kind of like Cheez Whiz and how to can real cheese too. I don’t have any pictures of home canned cheese so here’s one of my butter and a link to the canned butter:

Canned Butter

As I mentioned at the Expo, neither of these methods is USDA approved.   So – its your kitchen, your choice. Yes, I do can cheese.

Home Canned Velveeta. Why can Velveeta? It’ll last for something like 75 years unopened. OK, maybe not that long. But it will last a long time. UNOPENED. After you open a 4 pound loaf of the stuff  and don’t have refrigeration, then what?  Here’s what.

Canned Velveeta – This recipe was given to me by an Amish friend. Its been used for years and years and no one has died so keep everything HOT and CLEAN and don’t be the first.

* 1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk
* 1 T. vinegar –  The vinegar makes the cheese just acidic enough to water bath.  Don’t leave it out. It doesn’t affect the flavor.
* ½ tsp. salt
* 1 lb. Velveeta cheese or any processed cheese
* ½ tsp. dry mustard

Melt milk and cheese in double boiler. Add rest of ingredients and mix well, I use a whisk. Fill half- pint jars about 3/4 full and seal. Place in Boiling Water Bath for 10 minutes. If you water bath longer the cheese may darken but it will still taste good. Just don’t over do it and burn it.

Remember that the water bath doesn’t start til the water is at a rolling boil, that’s when you start timing.

 

There is another way to can cheese. In this method, you use real cheeses. I have used Colby and Cheddar but I think you should be able to use mozzarella and Monterey Jack, etc.  

1. First you need to sterilize your jars. You can sterilize them in an oven set at 250*F. Leave them in for about 20 minutes. The reason you don’t put them in water to sterilize them like you would for other canned foods is that moisture inside the jars will make the cheese kind of yucky. Use half pints for this.  

2. Sterilize your lids and rings in boiling water.
There won’t be enough water on these to matter to the cheese.

3. Put a little water in your water bath canner and then set the jars in the water, open end up. Turn the heat up so the water will stay very hot. Gently pour some more boiling water around the jars, but don’t get it too close to the mouths of the jars, you don’t want water boiling and getting into the jars.

4. Place your shredded or finely diced cheese into the jars and allow it to melt. As it melts, you can add some more. Add cheese and allow it to melt and leave a 1/4 inch head space.

5. Remove jars from the canner, put lids and rings on, tighten the rings just finger tight. What that means is don’t screw them down hard.

6. Put the jars with their lids and rings back into the water bath canner. Process for 40 minutes.
To Water Bath, you must allow the water to come to a full rolling boil before you begin timing.

7. After 40 minutes, take the jars out of the canner, place the jars on a dish towel on a cabinet and allow to cool completely. Check seals and store jars.