Sterilizing Jars for Canning
Sterilizing jars is a requirement for any canning process where the total processing time in a boiling water bath is less than ten minutes. Submerge your clean, glass jars in a pot of boiling water, ensuring they are covered by at least an inch, and boil for ten minutes. Keep them in the hot water until you are ready to fill them, as placing hot food into cold jars will cause them to crack.
Inspect your glassware first.
Run your fingers along the rims of the jars to check for microscopic chips or cracks. If the glass isn't smooth, it will not seal, and the contents will spoil.
- large stockpot
- jar lifter
- wire rack
- clean kitchen towels
Keep the temperature consistent
Never move glass from extreme heat to a cold surface or vice versa. Always keep your sterilized jars in hot water right until the moment you fill them.
The method.
Wash the jars
Use hot, soapy water to scrub the jars and lids thoroughly. Rinse them well to ensure no soap residue remains.
Arrange the pot
Place a wire rack or a folded towel at the bottom of your stockpot to prevent the jars from rattling against the metal base during the boil.
Submerge and boil
Fill the pot with enough water to cover the jars by at least one inch. Bring to a rolling boil and time it for ten minutes.
Remove with care
Using a jar lifter, remove one jar at a time, tipping it to drain the water back into the pot. Set it upright on a dry kitchen towel.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never use the oven to sterilize jars, as dry heat does not kill bacteria as reliably as boiling water.
Lids do not need to be boiled; a brief soak in hot, not boiling, water is sufficient to soften the sealing compound.
If your canning recipe calls for more than ten minutes in a boiling water bath, you do not need to pre-sterilize the jars, as the processing time itself will sanitize them.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use recycled jars from store-bought sauces?
Avoid them. Commercial jars are thinner and prone to breaking under the pressure of home canning, and their rims are often not designed for a secure seal with two-piece lids.
Does the water inside the jar need to be boiling?
Yes, the water inside the jar should be at a boil alongside the water surrounding it to ensure the glass reaches the necessary temperature.
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