HOME PASTEURIZING INSTRUCTIONS
by Lenore Goldfarb, IBCLC
1) Prepare the Jars:
I used the small 8 oz mason jars...the kind for jelly or jams by "Ball". I washed, and then heat sterilized the jars and caps in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. I also sterilized a funnel. Meanwhile I thawed 9 six-ounce portions of frozen breastmilk in a different pot under hot but not boiling, running water.
2) Wash hands and wear gloves: Before attempting to process the milk, I washed my hands and put a brand new pair of rubber dishwashing gloves on my hands.
3) Fill Jars and place in pot filled part way with hot water: Once the jars and milk and funnel were ready, I poured the milk into the jars using the funnel, discarded the bags the milk came in and sealed the jars. Once all the jars were sealed I placed them in a pot with heated but not boiling water so that the water came to the ?shoulder? of the jar, a little below the lids. I turned up the heat and slowly brought the temperature of the milk up to 63.5 degrees Celsius (146 degrees Fahrenheit) and held it there as best I could for 30 minutes. Sometimes the temp climbed higher which is ok...as long as it doesn't go lower. This is called the Holder Method of Pasteurization.
4) Prepare jar with thermometer:To gauge the temperature I fashioned a temperature gauge in the following manner. I filled one of the mason jars with breastmilk, I covered it with stretchable plastic wrap, I made a tiny hole in the centre. I then took a 6-inch strip of aluminum foil and folded it in half so that it was now a square. I placed the square of double thickness aluminum foil over the plastic wrap and made a small hole in the centre. I lined up the hold in the plastic wrap with the hold in the aluminum foil and covered the jar so that the hole was in the centre. I carefully placed a candy thermometer through the hole. The reason for the plastic wrap is to create a vapour barrier and at the same time prevent the milk from coming in contact with the aluminum. I placed this jar in the pot with the others avoiding the center position because that is the hottest. You want to be sure that the temperature is AT LEAST 63.5 degrees Celcius (146 degrees Fahrenheit) in all the jars?.so place the jar with the thermometer in a position OTHER THAN the centre.
Note: It is important to make sure your thermometer is accurate. This is called ?calibration?. To be sure, boil water in a pot and set the thermometer into the boiling water so that it covers as least the first 2 inches of the thermometer from the bottom up.
Celcius:
If the temperature of the boiling water reads 100 degrees Celcius, your thermometer is accurate. If the temperature reads 95 degrees, you must add 5 degrees Celcius to the critical temperature of 63.5 Celcius for an accurate reading. If the temperature reads 105 degrees Celcius, you must subtract 5 degrees from 63.5 degrees, and so on. The temperature and timing is critical in order for the pasteurization process to be complete. It is very important that the temperature not fall below 63.5 degrees Celcius during the entire 30 minutes, otherwise you must start over, and process for another 30 minutes.
Fahrenheit:
If the temperature of the boiling water reads 212 degrees Fahrenheit, your thermometer is accurate. If the temperature reads 202 degrees Fahrenheit, you must add 10 degrees Fahrenheit to the critical temperature of 146 degrees Fahrenheit for an accurate reading. If the temperature reads 222 degrees Fahrenheit, you must subtract 10 degrees Fahrenheit from 146 degrees Fahrenheit and so on. The temperature and timing is critical in order for the pasteurization process to be complete. It is very important that the temperature not fall below 146 degrees Fahrenheit during the entire 30 minutes, otherwise you must start over, and process for another 30 minutes.
5) Agitate the pot for 30 minutes: This simulates the shaking water bath used by the milk banks. During the 30 minutes I agitated the pot so that the milk would heat evenly. I also turned each jar over and then right side up again every 5 minutes to distribute the heat evenly. It's important not to shake the jars...just quickly turn over and then right side up again and then back in the pot. Make sure the lids are on correctly before you turn over the jar.
6) Once the pasteurization process was complete I quickly removed the pot from the heat, and put it in an ice bath in the sink to rapidly bring down the temperature within the jars to 40 degrees Celcius. Do not put hot jars into the ice bath directly because they may burst. Once the temperature was down I could then carefully open the jars and pour the milk into the Gerber breastmilk storage bags. I did not use a funnel. It's too difficult so I just poured from the jar directly into the bag.
7) I labelled each bag with the name of the donor and today's date. I turned each bag upside down to verify that it was properly sealed. Then I put the bags in the fridge to chill. About 2 hours later, I laid the bags flat inside a large ziplock, labled it with the donor's name, today's date and the word "PASTEURIZED". I lay the bag flat in the freezer.
I repeated the process so that I pasteurized 18 bags of breastmilk, which is enough supplement for my baby for about 4 days. If you use two pots, you can double your efforts and process 32 bags which is enough for my baby for about a week. Another option is to use larger jars.
Note: Once the pasteurization process is complete, the breastmilk may be used immediately or frozen for future use.
Questions? Feel free to email me at
Lenore@asklenore.info References:
Milk Processing by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America
Internet link:
http://www.hmbana.org/processing.htm How to pasteurize at home: raw milk and your health.(Country Vet)(Brief Article)
Mother Earth News, August-Sept, 1998, by Elizabeth Barnes
Internet link: Mother Earth News: How to pasteurize at home: raw milk and your ...
Milk Pasteurization: Guarding Against Disease by Furthering Families
Internet link:
http://www.fcs.msue.msu.edu/ff/pdffiles/foodsafety2.pdf (requires Acrobat Reader to view)
I will be pasturizing a shipment I get the end of the week. But I am using the 16 ounce ball canning Jars. <img src="http://www.asklenore.com/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />