Any housewife strives to stock up on vitamins from fruits, vegetables and mushrooms for the winter. The most proven method is conservation. In order for such a process to take place without any problems, it is necessary to place the prepared components in absolutely clean jars.

If they are not sterilized, then because large quantity microbes contained on the surface, fermentation may occur in the pickled product, which leads to its spoilage. That is why proper sterilization of jars at home is an essential condition for the safety of products.

Preparing dishes for sterilization

Canned products create an optimal environment for the growth of bacteria. If sterilization is not carried out, then the fermentation process caused by microbes can ruin all stocks. This is expressed by cloudiness of the brine or swelling of the lid.

• You should carefully inspect the jars for cracks or chips. If there is a chip on the neck, this will certainly cause the lid to swell and break off. When pouring boiling water into a container, it may explode.
• Undamaged banks rinse thoroughly with warm water and detergent. The container is usually dried with a towel or simply left to dry on the table. Only dry jars need to be sterilized.

Sterilization of jars

There are quite a few methods of sterilization. Let's look at the most popular of them.

Steam sterilization

How to sterilize jars at home? You can use the old and reliable method that our great-grandmothers used. There are several ways to process a container over steam.

For the first method you will need a kettle, Turk or other dishes with a narrow neck. After the kettle boils, put a jar on its spout or insert it upside down into the neck of the Turk. One-liter containers should be sterilized for 7–10 minutes, and three-liter containers should be sterilized for 15 minutes. If it is completely sterilized, then droplets of water stop appearing on it.

The second method involves use of special round lids with holes that are used for the neck of the jar. In this case, cover the boiling pan with such a lid and insert the container into it with the neck down. If there is no such device, then you can use an ordinary metal sieve. But in this case, the steam will usually be wasted, contributing to an increase in temperature and humidity in the kitchen.

You can use a double boiler for sterilization. Place clean jars in it for 15 minutes and turn on the cooking mode. The disadvantage of this method is the ability to sterilize only a small amount of containers.

Sterilization in the oven

How to do it right sterilize jars in the oven? To do this, place the prepared container in the oven and turn it on low heat so that it gradually heats up to 150 degrees. This is the optimal temperature at which it is recommended to keep the jars for 15 minutes. If they are three-liter, then the time increases to 25 minutes.

To take out heated jars, use oven mitts. They must be dry, otherwise, as a result of temperature changes, the container may burst in your hands. This method is convenient because the temperature in the oven destroys a large number of bacteria.

Microwave sterilization

To get it right sterilize jars in the microwave, you need to pour 1 - 2 cm of water into each container. After this, the device is turned on for 2 - 3 minutes, setting the power to 700 - 800 W. As soon as the water in the jars boils, steam appears, destroying all bacteria. It should be remembered that glass containers may burst without water.

If it is necessary to sterilize three-liter jars, then pour a glass of water into them and place them on their side. Further actions occur in the same way as when using a liter container.

This method of sterilization has one drawback - small size microwaves. And the advantages are as follows:

• fresh air in the kitchen;
• free space on the stove;
• reliability and speed of glass processing.

Dishwasher sterilization

This processing method not too common, since a small number of people have a dishwasher with a sterilization function. To properly prepare the container, clean jars are loaded into such household appliances without any detergents. After this, turn on the washing mode with the highest temperature. It should be at least 60 degrees. Thanks to this method, up to 20 cans can be processed.

This method of container sterilization does not require control. The processing time is determined by the specified mode. While the jars are being processed, the housewife can do something else. The main thing is that this method does not increase the temperature inside the room.

Sterilization in water

One of the classic methods for sterilizing jars is boiling.

• To do this, use a large saucepan, which must be filled with water to 2/3 of its volume.
• Jars filled to the neck with water are placed in it. They should not touch each other, so gauze is placed between them.
• Then turn on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Along with the containers, the lids are often sterilized.

The disadvantage of this method is that the kitchen is filled with hot steam, and this is very harmful both to the health of the hostess and to the interior. In addition, due to hard water, salt deposits can form on the walls of the container.

Sterilization in a multicooker

To sterilize jars at home, fill the multicooker bowl to the second level or to the middle between levels, close the lid and wait until the water boils.

After this, the lid should be opened, the jar should be placed with its neck down and it should be sterilized in the “boiling” or “steamer” mode for 5 – 7 minutes. The end of the process is determined by condensation, which begins to flow down the walls. After this, the containers are removed and filled with the workpiece.

Sterilization in an air fryer

To sterilize jars in a convection oven, it is necessary to remove unnecessary items from it such as grilles, stands, etc. Only the bottom mesh should be left. If it is necessary to process tall containers, an expansion ring is installed in the oven.

The jars in the air fryer should be positioned in such a way that they fit freely there. The oven is closed with a lid and the sterilization mode is selected. At the end, take out the container very carefully so as not to get burned.

Jars in a convection oven should be sterilized at a high temperature of 120 - 150 degrees. It is in this case that all pathogenic bacteria are destroyed. They are processed for an average of 10 - 15 minutes, but if the container is small, then 5 - 9 minutes is enough.

Sterilization of caps

Just like banks caps before sterilization should be washed and checked for scratches, dents or rust. If they have screw-in threads, they must be renewed annually.

Clean lids are immersed in boiling water for 3 minutes or sterilized in the oven along with the jars. Do not microwave metal lids as this may damage the microwave.

Pasteurization

Many housewives are not sure in double or triple fill quality when preserving, therefore they resort to pasteurization. In other words, the jars are sterilized along with the preparations. This is usually required for preserving mushrooms or cucumbers.

The pan is being filled warm water in such a way that it does not reach the neck of the jars by about 5 cm, and place on the fire. Pasteurization time is usually 15 – 25 minutes. The pasteurized containers are taken out of the water one at a time and immediately rolled up, after which they are turned upside down and left to cool.

Thus, sterilization of jars at home is necessary for proper preservation of food. There are quite a few ways to do this efficiently. You just need to choose a certain method that is best suited in this situation, and feel free to get to work.

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: 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.

Flaws: 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!

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.

Pros: The oven temperature is higher than boiling water, capacity.

Minuses: 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 warms up 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.

Advantages: simple, very fast and conscientiously.

Flaws: 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!

For liter jars, you will need 15 minutes of operating the steamer in the “cooking” mode.

Pros: speed, ease.

Minuses: It is inconvenient to process large quantities of containers, only for small cans.

In a slow cooker

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.

Advantages: simplicity, speed of heating the steamer, quality.

Minuses: Only one container can be disinfected at a time.

In a convection oven

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.

Pros: speed, no need for control.

Flaws: 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.

Lids can be placed there too.

Pros: there is no need to be distracted, and free time can be devoted to preparations.

Minuses: the temperature is very low, which means some microbes can survive. It is better to use ordinary steam.

Stage 3: sterilization of lids

Like jars, lids are checked for cracks, damage and rust. Typically, threaded caps require replacement annually.

Most convenient way Disinfect the lids - 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 insurance 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.

Every housewife tries to preserve vitamins from vegetables, fruits and mushrooms for the winter. One of the proven methods is their preservation. It is difficult to find a person who refuses tea with homemade raspberry jam or a snack in the form of crispy cucumbers. At the same time, in order for the preparations to please you all winter, you need to properly sterilize the jars for them.

Why do you need to sterilize jars?

Many bacteria and microorganisms live on the surface of jars. During sterilization they die due to exposure to high temperature.

Canned foods create an optimal environment for bacteria to live and multiply. If you refuse sterilization, the microbes will start the fermentation process in the preparations and your supplies will spoil. This usually results in swelling of the lid or cloudiness of the brine.

Preparing jars for sterilization

Before you start preparing pickles or jams, you need to follow a few simple rules.

1. Inspect the jars for chips or cracks. A chip on the neck will certainly lead to swelling and tearing of the lid. A cracked jar may explode when boiling water is poured into it.
2. Whole jars should be thoroughly rinsed with warm water and cleaning powder. Dry the jars with a towel or simply leave them on the table to dry for a while. It is recommended to sterilize only dry containers.

This is the oldest and most reliable method; your mothers and grandmothers probably used it. However, you can sterilize jars with steam in different ways.

1. Using a teapot, Turk or other utensils with a narrow neck. The jar is placed over the spout of a boiling kettle or inserted into the neck of the Turk upside down. Liter jars are sterilized for 7-10 minutes, three-liter jars for 15 minutes. As a rule, water droplets stop forming on a completely sterilized jar.
2. Using special round lids with holes for the neck of the jar. In this case, cover the pan with boiling water with a lid (it may have one or more round holes) and insert the jars with the neck down. If you don’t have such a miracle device, you can use a regular metal sieve. True, in this case, most of the steam will go to waste, and this will lead to an increase in humidity and temperature in the kitchen, which is undesirable in the summer.
3. In a steamer. If you are the owner of such a useful assistant in preparing delicious and healthy dishes, then you can use this sterilization method. Clean jars are placed in a double boiler for 15 minutes and the cooking mode is turned on. The disadvantages of this method include the possibility of sterilizing a small number of cans, since the steamer must be very spacious.

Sterilizing jars in the oven

Clean and always dry jars are placed in the oven and turned on to maximum. Make sure that the temperature does not rise above 200 degrees. After 10 minutes, turn off the oven and leave the jars to cool in it. Do not open the oven immediately, as the glass may break due to temperature changes.

This method is convenient primarily because it allows you to sterilize several jars at once. In addition, the temperature in the oven is higher than the temperature of the steam, which allows you to kill more germs.

Sterilization of jars in a microwave oven

This is the fastest and easiest way to sterilize. Depending on the volume of the microwave, one or more clean cans are placed in it. The bottom of the jar must be covered with about 2 cm of water. The microwave heats the water, not the air. The water in the jars boils and steam sterilization occurs. Dry jars cannot be sterilized in a microwave oven.

With a power of 800 watts, it will take 5-7 minutes to destroy germs.

Sterilizing jars in the dishwasher

The main advantage of this method is that the jars can be loaded into the dishwasher after only a light rinse. In addition, during sterilization you do not need to be distracted by jars, and you can devote all your time to preparing products for sealing.

So, the dishwasher is turned on to the highest temperature mode (at least 60 degrees) without adding cleaning agents.

The disadvantages of this method include the low sterilization temperature, so the effect will be worse than when using steam or an oven.

How to sterilize lids

Lids, like jars, should be washed and carefully checked for dents, scratches or rust before sterilization. Screw-on caps are recommended to be renewed every year.

Clean lids can be immersed in boiling water for 3 minutes or sterilized in the oven along with the jars. Under no circumstances should metal lids be sterilized in a microwave oven, as this will cause it to break.

Many housewives do not trust double or even triple pouring of boiling water during preservation and resort to pasteurization, that is, sterilization of jars along with the preparations. As a rule, it is required for preserving cucumbers, mushrooms and in recipes with a small amount of vinegar.

To do this, you will need a spacious saucepan with a wide bottom. An enamel basin is perfect for three-liter jars. Place a wooden grate or a thin towel at the bottom of the pan and place jars with preparations in it. The neck of the jars is covered with lids, but they are not screwed on.

The pan must be filled with warm water so that it does not reach about 5 cm from the neck of the jars. After this, the pan is placed on the fire. Pasteurization time depends on the specific recipe, as a rule, it takes 15-25 minutes after boiling water.

Pasteurized jars are carefully removed from the water one at a time and immediately rolled up. It is recommended to leave the jars upside down until they cool.

What not to do when canning at home

The most common mistakes that housewives make when preparing vegetables and fruits.

1. Using poorly washed vegetables and fruits. Before placing the preparations in jars, you need to rinse them thoroughly under running water. Dirty vegetables can cause the brine to become cloudy. Plus, no one likes crunchy grit on their teeth in a snack.
2. Using old damaged lids. Even a small defect on the screw cap will inevitably lead to its swelling. Remember also that vacuum seals, although very convenient to use, only retain their sealing properties for 3-4 months. If you want your workpieces to last longer, use other options.
3. Improper pasteurization of cans. You cannot place jars with blanks directly on the bottom of the container in which pasteurization is carried out. It is also undesirable for the sides of the cans to come into contact with each other when boiling. Place them away from each other or place them with a towel.

So, sterilization of jars and lids is an integral stage of food preservation. Regardless of which sterilization method you choose, carry it out according to all the rules. In this case, until spring you can delight and surprise your loved ones and friends with your culinary masterpieces under the lid.

Video: how to sterilize jars