# Canning Cajeta



## NWgoats

I know some of you can your cajeta. What is the preferred
method of canning? And how long does it need to be processed?
I made some for the first time the other day and dang, it was so
good I decided I should make more (much more). Everyone
loved it, but I don't have enough fridge space.


----------



## FaithNJoyOberhasli

Oh! I don't know about the canning (want to, though!), but would you mind sharing your recipe for cajeta??

Thanks!


----------



## NWgoats

Got it out of "Goats Produce Too" by Mary Jane Toth.

CAJETA

3 quarts goat milk
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Dissolve baking soda and cornstarch into 1 cup milk. Stir to dissolve
any lumps. Stir into remaining milk and sugar. Bring mixture to boiling,
stirring constantly. Cook until mixture is thick and creamy, like caramel
sauce. Pour into jars. Cool and refrigerate. 

She says it can be canned, but doesn't give any instructions.

It is super simple, but be warned, it took like what seemed forever
to get to the end.


----------



## FaithNJoyOberhasli

Thanks! I'll give it a try.


----------



## dragonlair

I make it in the winter when my wood stove is going. I set it in a pan of water on the stove and let it set. I stir it often to make sure it doesn't stick. It seems to take forever!

I've never canned it though. I used to can milk for cooking when the does were dry, that was just a regular wet bath type of method.


----------



## swgoats

I think most people are just putting it in jars boiling hot and letting them pop, the same as with maple syrup. No idea if that is truly safe. We keep are maple syrup jars in the fridge as a precaution.


----------



## cvalley

Going to make a batch today and try the boiling bath -- Lots of milk to use! Thank you!


----------



## lovinglife

I wonder if you could double this recipe and have it turn out, if I am going to stand there forever would like to make a big batch to can...


----------



## swgoats

I tripled it last night. It worked, just took a long time to reduce. I had a little trouble with burning on the bottom and getting a slight burnt/toasted flavor. Next time, I think I'll try the crockpot and just let it go all day. I put it on jars hot and they sealed. I'll still store it in the fridge, but I imagine if it is like maple syrup it will stay good as long as it is sealed.


----------



## cvalley

Just finished a batch of Cajeta this morning using the crockpot method using 4 quarts of milk and 4 cups of sugar. Did not use the cornstarch or baking soda. It cooked overnight --. Tastes good! Waiting for it to cool to see the consistency. Going to refrigerate and try the boiling bath on the next batch.


----------



## Junkscouts

We've been wanting to can some caramel. Sadly, the USDA and everything I can find says it isn't safe to can caramel, which is essentially the same as cajeta.


----------



## lovinglife

Weird, I can can (HA HA I can can...) meat, chili, fish, pretty much you name it, but not carmel??? I am going to, if I die its my fault, but I think I will be able to tell if it has gone bad. I will jar it hot and maybe pressure it, that would be better than the water bath.


----------



## Junkscouts

I know, it's strange. Same thing with lime curd. It has to do with how thick it is I think, as well as being low acid.


----------



## swgoats

Yeah, I want to can purée vegetables and soups for my son, but all I can find is instructions to freeze. Same story about they haven't figured out the processing times and thickness. I wish I knew who to contact to get these recipes figured out...


----------



## FaithNJoyOberhasli

Of course, it's "choose your own risk", but the really OLD Blue Books, like from the '40's and '50's, contained these recipes, back when everyone on a farm made everything for themselves. Presumably, Ball no longer publishes/recommends these recipes, because they are considered higher risk for not storing as well as their other recipes, etc. No doubt, the research into food science and processing procedures has changed in the last 60+ years! Still, people used to do it all the time, and since you _can_ buy these items off the shelf at the store, there must be a way to make it work.

It may take me a minute, since I'm up to my eyebrows in sweet corn, green beans, and of course, goat milk at the moment, but if there are particular old canning recipes you'd like me to look for, I have a couple of these precious old canning books and can see if they're in there. PM me if you're interested.

One of the things I love the most about canning is the generation-to-generation legacy. Dear, sweet older ladies taught me the "art" years ago, and over time, they and others passed to me their well-loved books and equipment: canners, jars, etc. Many of the jars came to them from their mothers and grandmothers--I've often looked at my shelves full of them and thought, "If canning jars could talk, imagine all the stories they could tell!" Many of my jars helped bring "their" families through the Depression and war times, and I'm honored to be able to keep putting them to use so many years later.

Sorry--nostalgic moment! :biggrin

fftopic


----------

