Very often there are recipes where it is necessary to sterilize jars already containing preparations. Thanks to this sterilization method, almost all preserves can be stored at room temperature. This is especially true for those who do not have a cold cellar.
If you are just starting canning and don’t know how to properly sterilize jars with blanks so as not to get surprises in the form of “explosive jars,” then this article will be relevant for you.
1. How to sterilize jars with preparations in boiling water
You can sterilize the workpieces in boiling water (this is the most common method).
To do this, take a wide pan and put a napkin or towel on the bottom.
Place the jars and pour water (the temperature of the water should be the same as the temperature of the preparations; if the water in the pan is cold or very hot, the jar may burst). The water should reach the shoulders of the jar. Cover the jars with lids (do not close them, just put them on top).
Boil the preparations for as long as indicated in a specific recipe.
If there is no specific time for sterilization, then most often jars with a volume of 0.5-0.75 are sterilized for 10 minutes; liter jars sterilize for 15 minutes; two-liter - 20-25; three-liter - 25-30 minutes.
Be careful, the jars are very hot!
2. How to sterilize jars with preparations in the oven
This year I tried new way sterilization - in the oven.
For me this is the most convenient way. We'll see how the jars with the preparations behave after such sterilization in the winter.
Place the jars with the preparations on a baking sheet or on a wire rack and place in a cold or lukewarm oven.
Cover the jars with lids (do not screw them on, just put them on top). Bring the oven temperature to 120*C.
Sterilize jars with a volume of 0.5 for 10 minutes; jars of 0.75 are sterilized for 15 minutes; liter jars are sterilized for 15-20 minutes.
You need to remove the jars from the oven using special kitchen mittens, holding the jar by the sides with both hands. Be careful, it will be very hot!
How to sterilize lids for workpieces
Before sterilizing the lids, make sure they are undamaged.
You can sterilize the lids in a hot oven.
Can be sterilized together with jars in boiling water.
Most often, I sterilize the lids in a small saucepan of boiling water.
How to sterilize jars in a pan of water, many novice housewives do not know, and How many time this procedure must last. This is discussed in detail in this article. The information provided will be useful to every housewife, as it will allow you to qualitatively prepare jars for various preparations for the winter, including how sterilize jam jars.
Preparing jars
Important! To wash the jars, take a new sponge and brush.
- Reusable screw caps are inspected for rust and deformation. If there is even a little rust or scratch, it is not recommended to use such covers so as not to spoil the workpiece.
- Sterilization is carried out with a gradual increase in temperature, since a sudden change in temperature can lead to the jar cracking.
Having selected whole glass containers and washed them thoroughly, proceed to the main sterilization procedure. There are several methods, but most often the jars are sterilized in a pan of water.
Process technology
This sterilization method is convenient to use for small jars with a capacity of up to 1 liter, since during this procedure the jars are placed in a pan and kept in boiling water for a certain amount of time (described below).
Having prepared the jars and selected a suitable pan, proceed to sterilization:
Important! If glass containers do not fit the height of the pan, they can be placed on their side.
This method is very simple and convenient, since it does not require special devices and can be processed immediately a large number of cans, of course, if you have a large saucepan.
Steam sterilization over the pan
This is one of the most common methods for preparing jars for canning. For this method you need:
- small saucepan;
- metal grill;
- banks.
Important! The wider the pan in which the water will boil, the more cans will be sterilized at the same time.
The steam sterilization process occurs as follows:
- Pour water into the pan, almost to the brim, and put it on the fire.
- When the water starts to boil, place a mesh on top of the pan. An oven rack or a stand for hot containers is suitable for this.
- Place the jars on the wire rack with the neck down.
- Condensation will appear on the inside of glass containers, which collects in large drops and flows back into the pan. You need to hold the jars until the condensate washes their entire inner surface.
- Glass containers are removed from the grill with a potholder and placed on a clean towel on the table, neck down.
Important! The lids can be kept in boiling water for several minutes.
Sterilization of jars is carried out within 6-10 minutes. It all depends on the intensity of boiling water. They remain clean for 2 days.
Watch the video! Sterilization of canning jars
You can also sterilize steamed jars inside the pan:
- Place a wire rack or metal lids on the bottom of the pan.
- Glass containers are placed on the grill with the neck down. The main thing is that there is a distance between the bottom of the pan and the neck of the jar.
- Pour some water and put it on fire.
- When the water begins to boil, the steam will clean the inside of the jars.
The advantage of this method is that the steam does not rise high and does not increase the humidity in the kitchen. For greater effect, the pan can be covered with a lid.
Watch the video! How to sterilize jars and lids before canning
Sterilization with blanks
Not only empty jars can be sterilized, but also with blanks. Usually this method is used when canning lecho, adjika and vegetables. salads in jars small size which are prepared using cooking.
How to do it right carry out sterilization:
- The hot workpiece is placed in washed jars and covered with a lid.
- Place a cloth on the bottom of the pan and place glass containers.
- Pour warm water so that it covers the jars up to the neck, but does not get into the inner space when boiling.
- Place the pan on the fire and bring the water to a boil.
- From this moment, 15-30 minutes are timed.
Important! How much to sterilize cans depends on the volume of container. For 0.5 l - 15 minutes, for 1 l - 25-30 minutes.
- After the specified time has passed, the containers are removed from the hot water with special tongs and the lids are rolled up.
Many salad recipes for the winter provide for this type of sterilization, since the preparation undergoes additional heat treatment during the process.
There are many ways to sterilize jars, which rely on the use of high temperatures and other electrical devices. You can find out more about how to use it in the microwave and in a double boiler on our website.
Conclusion
The shelf life of the preparations for the winter depends on the high-quality sterilization of the jars. Therefore, this process should be given special attention. Improperly prepared containers can damage the cans and cause the products to deteriorate.
Watch the video! Sterilization of jars with cucumbers - an original method of sterilization
Elena 29.05.2019 25 333
Canning is a great way to preserve your harvest and prepare delicious preparations from vegetables, fruits and berries. It’s nice to get a jar of tomatoes, spicy adjika, delicious jam or compote in winter. To get high-quality canned food that can last all winter, you need good products, proven recipes, and it is also important to know how to sterilize jars.
This procedure is necessary so that during storage in canned food, bacteria that cause fermentation do not develop. It is carried out both with empty jars and with blanks. But even if you use recipes without sterilization, you cannot skip the process of disinfecting empty containers. The canning process is quite labor-intensive; it would be a pity if the preparations spoiled and had to be thrown away. And that's not the worst thing.
Due to non-compliance with the rules of heat treatment, canned foods can cause poisoning.
Therefore, it is important to follow all stages of canning. One of them is sterilization, of which there are many methods. I suggest studying each of them and using the one that suits you best.
Whichever method you choose, there are two rules that you need to follow before you begin this important process.
Rule No. 1: inspect glass containers and do not use ones that have cracks, chips or nicks on the neck.
Rule No. 2: Before the procedure, you must wash the jars and it is better to use a new sponge and natural products for this - soda, mustard, laundry soap, since chemicals are difficult to wash off.
How to sterilize jars in the microwave
There are different opinions about the use of a microwave; some believe that it cannot be used for food. But we will not go deeper into this topic now, because in this case We will use this kitchen gadget exclusively for empty jars.
And the microwave does this job perfectly, greatly simplifying the process of disinfecting glass containers and definitely won’t do any harm.
True, the lids will have to be disinfected in a different way, since they cannot be sterilized in the microwave.
The only limitation is that this sterilization method is suitable for small containers. Although, if you wish, you can warm up a large jar, but then only one can fit in it; it will have to be placed on its side, which is not very convenient.
A mandatory rule of this method is that before putting a dish in the microwave, you need to pour a little water into it so that it covers the bottom by 1-2 cm. Without water, the glassware may burst.
How to do it correctly:
- We put jars of water, if it is large, then put it on its side, and turn on the microwave at maximum power. Sterilization time depends on the quantity and volume of containers and can be from 2 to 5 minutes. The water in the container should boil, the glass surface inside should be covered with large drops.
- When the time is up, remove the dishes using dry gloves, rinse the walls with heated water and pour out. Then turn it over, place it neck down on a cotton towel, and let the water drain. Glass containers are ready for preservation.
Another important point and this applies to any method! If you plan to use new jars, then they need to be slightly hardened so that they get used to the high temperature. Before sending them for sterilization, you need to hold them under running hot water and rinse the inside with hot water.
Temperature and time for sterilizing empty jars in an electric oven
This is one of the simple, convenient and effective ways. It is not labor intensive and relatively safe. Due to the high temperature, sterilization is carried out efficiently and many cans of different sizes can be processed at once.
Lids should not be processed using this method. High temperatures can deform the rubber seals, and screw caps can burn the inner protective layer.
How to carry out the procedure:
- 0.5 liter – 15 minutes
- liter - 20 minutes
- 2 liter – 25 minutes
- 3 liter – 30 minutes
If you set the temperature to 130° or higher, the sterilization time will be reduced by 5-7 minutes.
Do not rush to immediately remove the hot dish from the oven; let it cool slightly. To prevent it from bursting, you need to take it out with dry mittens or a towel, then place it neck down on a clean cotton napkin.
You can immediately start putting hot products into sterile jars, but if the products are cold, then you need to wait until the container cools down a little and becomes warm.
How to sterilize jars in the oven from a gas stove
The procedure is practically no different from electric ovens, but gas ovens do not have a timer, so you need to monitor the time so that the jars do not overheat.
Place the clean container in the oven and turn it on. First set the temperature at 50° so that the heat evenly fills the oven, after 5 minutes we increase it to 120-150 degrees. Sterilization time is the same as in electric ovens. It is convenient to determine the time by the door. At first the glass will fog up, then it will begin to dry out. As soon as the last drops disappear from the glass door, you can turn off the stove.
Do not remove jars from the oven by holding them by the neck; high temperatures cause the glass to become brittle and the neck may break off.
Sterilizing glass containers in a saucepan with water
This is a fairly simple method, but it is used to sterilize small jars. To process the container you only need a pan, a cotton napkin and water.
Another advantage of this method is that you can boil the lids in the same pan at the same time.
Step-by-step description of the process:
Methods for sterilizing empty steam jars
A classic method that has been known for a long time and housewives often use it. Steam from boiling water can effectively process jars. This can be done in different ways, using a saucepan, a kettle, or a double boiler.
In a saucepan
You can put the lids on the bottom of the pan and process them at the same time.
Pour water into the pan, filling 2/3 of the volume, place a wire rack or sterilizer inside. (These devices are sold in stores.)
Place on the stove, place the container on the wire rack with the neck down. When the water boils, hot steam will flow into the jar. When drops of water begin to flow down the walls, sterilization can be completed. This usually takes 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the pan.
Above the teapot
If you need to process a few cans, then a regular kettle is suitable for this. This method was also used by our grandmothers.
The downside is that only one jar is sterilized. You can put it on the spout of the teapot if it is small, or place it above the neck.
If the neck of the teapot is wide and the jar is small, then you can put a ladle inside and put a glass container on its handle. Everything works simply - the kettle boils, the steam processes the container.
In a steamer or slow cooker
If your kitchen has such household appliances as a multicooker and a double boiler, then they can also be used to sterilize jars. Watch the video to see how to do this.
Sterilizing jars using an air fryer
Another interesting household appliance in the kitchen of housewives is the air fryer. It cooks food by heating the air. This property can also be used to sterilize jars.
How to do it:
Processing glass containers in the dishwasher
You can also use an assistant such as a dishwasher for sterilization. It will cope with the task perfectly if it has a mode in which dishes are washed at a temperature of at least 70 degrees. The method is very convenient, since you can process quite a lot of cans at once and the labor costs are minimal.
Since we will be placing the jars already clean, there is no need to fill it with detergents. It is enough to load the container into the machine with the neck down, set the mode with the temperature we need and turn on the machine.
Since the temperature with this method does not reach 100 degrees, jars after this treatment can be used for preparations such as preserves, jellies, or for those that you will prepare with subsequent sterilization.
How to sterilize jars with blanks
There are different methods of canning, and some of them involve disinfection of not only empty containers, but also sterilization of jars with preparations. This allows you to preserve canned products for a long time, and it also becomes possible to store such preparations at room temperature. There are a few different ways, let's look at each of them, and you choose the one that suits you best.
How many minutes to sterilize jars in a pan of water
This is the oldest and most proven method, many housewives use it and it rarely fails anyone.
If we want to process several containers with workpieces at once, then we need to choose a wide pan and its height should correspond to the height of the cans.
How to do it correctly:
- 0.5–0.75 liter – 10 minutes
- liter - 15 minutes
- 2 liter – 20–25 minutes
- 3 liter – 25–30 minutes.
After heat treatment, carefully remove the jars from the hot water and screw on the lids. Next, you need to follow the recipe, since in some cases it is recommended to simply cool the workpieces before storing them, and in some cases it is necessary to wrap them in order to extend the heat treatment time.
Sterilization of workpieces in the oven
Just like empty containers, jars with blanks can be sterilized in the oven. This is very convenient, because more preserves will fit in the oven and this will make the process not so long.
First you need to preheat the oven to 40–50 degrees, then place the filled jars without covering them with lids.
Close the oven and increase the temperature to 140–150 degrees. After removing from the oven, immediately close the lids. Sterilization time is 10–30 minutes depending on the volume of the dishes.
Sterilization of jars with preparations in an air fryer
We have already looked at sterilizing empty containers in an air fryer; you can use this household appliance for workpieces. The principle is almost the same, but there are small subtleties that need to be taken into account:
- Place the filled jars in the air fryer and cover with lids. Since rubber seals can become deformed, you should have spare caps without rubber bands. Sterilize them first and cover the container with the preparations.
- First you need to set the temperature to high (260°), and after 10 minutes reduce it to 120°−150°. The total sterilization time is 15−20 minutes.
- After the time has passed, carefully remove the jars, remove the spare lids and roll up with sterile lids with a seal or screw-on lids.
Another advantage of the air fryer is that the glass flask retains heat for a long time. This can be used if the preservation needs to be wrapped after sterilization. In this case, the rolled up cans can be put back into the convection oven without turning it on, and you can keep them there without using blankets or sheepskin coats.
I tried to answer the question of how to sterilize jars as fully as possible. There are many ways and everyone has the right to life, since situations are different. Sometimes you need to process a couple of small jars to seal the jam, and sometimes we prepare a lot at once.
Adopt these methods and delight your loved ones with delicious homemade preparations. Good luck!
The surest way to preserve vegetables, berries and fruits long term- preserve them. But for this process to go smoothly and without any hiccups, you need to place the prepared ingredients in absolutely clean jars. After all, on their surface there live a huge number of microbes that can cause fermentation in the pickled product, which will lead to its spoilage.
Based on this, we can conclude: proper sterilization of jars at home is an essential condition for the preservation of delicious boletus, crispy boletus, juicy tomatoes and other delicacies prepared with love.
The acidic environment that we create for salting is optimal for the proliferation of harmful microorganisms.
During sterilization, water is heated above 100°C, and at this temperature all microbes die. Violation of this process and the start of fermentation are manifested by swelling of the lids and cloudiness of the brine.
Stage 1: preparing jars for sterilization
The following simple steps will help you avoid incidents when canning food:
- Be sure to inspect the jars for chips and cracks. Even through a small chip in the neck area, air will enter the jar, which will lead to spoilage of the product, swelling of the lid, and possibly its rupture.
A damaged jar may burst when exposed to boiling water. - Wash the jars thoroughly with detergent and then dry.
It is not recommended to sterilize wet jars.
Stage 2: sterilization of jars
Since progress does not stand still, the list of sterilization methods is constantly growing. Let's look at 8 of the simplest and most interesting methods.
Above the Ferry This is the most old way
, which has come down to us from our grandmothers. However, it remains the most effective and reliable.
- You can sterilize steamed jars in different ways: Using a simple kettle.
- Place the prepared jar on the spout of the kettle, and while it is boiling, sterilize it. To disinfect a liter jar it will take 10 minutes, a three-liter jar will take 15. Using a saucepan and a sieve.
Pour half a pan of water and bring it to a boil. A metal sieve is placed on top of the pan, and the jars are placed on top with the neck down.
Perhaps some people still have special lids with one or more slits for the neck. It is more convenient to install cans on them, and hot air does not escape into the environment. Pros:
quality, availability. Flaws:
It is inconvenient to remove jars from a teapot or sieve, there is a risk - you can get burned.
In water
Boiling is the most common method of sterilizing containers.
Place a wooden board, towel or folded gauze at the bottom of a spacious, deep saucepan, place glass containers upside down, fill with water to the brim so that the jars are completely immersed in it, and boil for about 15 minutes.
The jars should not touch each other, so it would be more logical to place gauze between them. Advantages:
quality, availability. efficiency, you can sterilize as many jars at once as will fit in the selected pan, you can boil the lids along with the container.
It is inconvenient to remove hot jars; hard water can cause the formation of salt deposits on the walls of the container.
In the oven This is a type of steam sterilization. The jars are placed loosely on a baking sheet and heated in the oven for 15 minutes.
They must be moist!
Perhaps some people still have special lids with one or more slits for the neck. It is more convenient to install cans on them, and hot air does not escape into the environment. The temperature during the heating process should not go beyond 200°C. At the end of the procedure, the glass container is left to cool directly in the oven, since it can burst if there is a sharp temperature dissonance.
The oven temperature is higher than boiling water, capacity. The oven takes a long time to heat up, but this can only interfere with bulk preparation of canned food.
Microwave
The fastest and easiest way to sterilize containers. But remember that the microwave heats food or liquid, so pour a little water into each jar so that it rises about 2 cm above the bottom.
Important! Do not heat containers without water or metal objects - lids - in the microwave.!
IN microwave oven With 800 watts of power, the container will be crystal clear in just 5 minutes.
Advice! Three-liter jars do not fit in standard home microwave ovens, try placing them on their sides.
The jars should not touch each other, so it would be more logical to place gauze between them. simple, very fast and “conscientiously”.
quality, availability. Lids need to be sterilized separately, limited capacity.
In a steamer
A steamer is an extremely useful household appliance.
And even in such a matter as disinfecting cans, she is able to help out her mistress.
All you need to do is place the container in the steamer with the neck down. You can do it right with the lids, but not on the jars, they must be open!
Perhaps some people still have special lids with one or more slits for the neck. It is more convenient to install cans on them, and hot air does not escape into the environment. For liter jars, you will need 15 minutes of operating the steamer in the “cooking” mode.
The oven temperature is higher than boiling water, capacity. speed, ease.
It is inconvenient to process large quantities of containers, only for small cans.
In a slow cooker
The jars should not touch each other, so it would be more logical to place gauze between them. Another innovative method! The jars are placed upside down on a steaming rack and heated for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size, in the “steam” mode.
The oven temperature is higher than boiling water, capacity. simplicity, speed of heating the steamer, quality.
Only one container can be disinfected at a time.
In a convection oven
Perhaps some people still have special lids with one or more slits for the neck. It is more convenient to install cans on them, and hot air does not escape into the environment. An air fryer can also serve you well when canning food. The jars for sterilization are placed on the lower grill, a little water is added to them and heated for 15 minutes at a temperature of 150 °C.
quality, availability. speed, no need for control.
small number of containers processed simultaneously.
In the dishwasher This method is convenient because the dishes can be loaded with pre-wash base. The jars are simply placed in dishwasher
, the temperature relay is turned to the maximum level, more than 60 ° C, and the “glass” is washed without any cleaning agents.
Perhaps some people still have special lids with one or more slits for the neck. It is more convenient to install cans on them, and hot air does not escape into the environment. Lids can be placed there too.
The oven temperature is higher than boiling water, capacity. there is no need to be distracted, and free time can be devoted to preparations.
the temperature is very low, which means some microbes can survive. It is better to use ordinary steam.
Stage 3: sterilization of lids
The most convenient way to disinfect lids is to put them in boiling water and warm them up. You can boil half a saucepan of water in advance solely for this operation.
If you are sterilizing jars in the oven, place them in there along with the lids. But you should not put metal objects in the microwave.
Stage 4: re-pasteurization
Even the highest quality sterilization of jars will not satisfy every housewife. Some people need additional security and therefore re-sterilize the jars along with the preparations. In canning, this process is called pasteurization.
For pasteurization you will need a large saucepan, preferably with a thick bottom. If the container is too bulky, use a basin.
The bottom of the selected container is covered with any cotton cloth or a wooden board is laid, and prepared jars are placed on top, loosely covered with a lid.
At the end of pasteurization, the jars are removed from the water one by one and immediately rolled up. Until they cool down, it is best to store them upside down.