by Gretchen Bagley

Created on: March 23, 2010

Canning fresh produce is a wonderful way to preserve produce for later enjoyment.  There is nothing more rewarding than opening a jar of home canned fruit jam or preserved vegetables in the middle of winter and tasting the previous summer’s bounty.

But in order to safely do this, the jars used to preserve the food must be properly sterilized.

Sterilizing jars is not hard to do and there are two good ways to do it.  Deciding which way to sterilize jars before canning is a matter of personal preference.

USING THE DISHWASHER

This is probably the easiest way to sterilize canning jars.  Jars must be washed each time before using them and then sterilized to ensure all bacteria in them are killed before canning food.  Simply put the jars, lids, and rings in the dishwasher and set it to sterilize.  Run the dishwasher and leave it closed until ready to use the jars.  They will be sterile and safe to use once cooled. 

This method is simple and requires no real effort from the home canner.  The jars are cool to the touch and easy to handle when cooled.  It does require planning ahead as the sterilize cycle takes a while to run.  It also is not the best method for hot pack canning, but works well for cold pack canning. 

BOILING WATER

The time tested method, the one our grandmothers used, is to boil the jars on the stove and then pack hot food into hot jars.  This is possibly the most common method of sterilizing canning jars.  Heat about four cups of water to boiling in a skillet.  Turn the jars upside down and place them in the skillet to allow the steam (and some of the water) to get inside the jars.  Make sure to leave the jars in place about five minutes, so all bacteria are killed.  Jar lids and rings should also be boiled for the same length of time.  They will be sterile when removed from the boiling water.

This method requires active involvement from the home canner.  It is a bit messy—the jars, lids, and rings are dripping wet when removed from the hot water.  Tongs and hand protection are needed when grabbing the jars, lids and rings from the water because they are hot, too.  Planning ahead is not as important when choosing this method—it only takes about five minutes to boil the water and jars can be sterilized immediately after.  This method works well when hot pack canning—hot food goes right into hot jars so the chance of breaking a jar is less.

Some who use boiling water completely submerge jars to sterilize them. This method also works, but it does take much longer to bring the canner filled with water to a boil, although you can then use the same water (the bacteria and germs are dead) to boil filled jars.  But if you are canning more than one canner full of produce, it may require use of two different canners. 

Some also use a separate pan to boil lids and rings.  This is a matter of personal preference and can easily be done.

FINAL NOTES

Sterilizing jars is easily done.  It really doesn’t take long, but it is vital to safe canning.  Anything in the jars when sealed will remain in the jar with the produce.  It is important to make sure no bacteria are left in the jar to feast and multiply on the food.  Otherwise, it will spoil and be unsafe to eat.

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