Why would you want to sterilise jars for all your lovely preserves and pickles? Because a clean sterilised jar is essential to the success and longevity of the jams and preserves you spend a lot of time making. Sterilising is a crucial part of safeguarding to remove any bacteria, yeasts, or fungi thus protecting the food you put into the jar. Dirty jars not correctly cleaned will infect the food inside and spoil quickly.
Sterilising is a quick and easy process so therefore should never be omitted. Here are simple ways to achieve proper sterilisation and make all your efforts at jam-making, bottling, and canning a success.
This article is a summary of the original published by thespruceeats.com
How To Sterilize Jars: The Oven Method
This method is the most trusted method for ensuring your jars are scrupulously clean for your preserves. It takes slightly longer than the other ways but starts the process about 30 minutes before your preserves are ready to pot and you will not even notice the time.
- Heat the oven to 275 F/130 C. Do not be tempted to heat the oven any higher, or you may risk the glass breaking.
- Lay a double layer of newspaper on each oven shelf but not the oven floor. If using a gas oven, keep your newspaper away from any flame. If it is on a middle shelf, you will be fine.
- Arrange the jars on the oven shelf, making sure the jars are not touching each other. Close the oven door and sterilize the jars for a minimum of 20 minutes.
- Using thick oven mitts, remove each jar from the oven as needed on a heatproof mat or heat pad.
This method works well for screw-top jars and the Kilner-style jars with a clip top and rubber rings.
Important Note About Sterilising Jars
Do NOT add cold food to hot jars, or hot food to cold jars; otherwise, the jar will shatter which is very dangerous.
The Dishwasher Method
The dishwasher method for sterilizing your jars is good if you have a high-temperature setting on your machine or a steam dishwasher.
Fill your dishwasher with clean cold jars and run a minimum or rinse wash to time the ending with when your jam, preserve, or pickle will be ready.
Use the jars one at a time and fill the hot jars with the jam or preserve that’s just as hot.
This method works well for screw-top jars and the Kilner-style jars with a clip top and rubber rings.
The Microwave Method
Important Note About Sterilising Jars in The Microwave
This method is not suitable for Kilner-style jars or any metal content.
This method of sterilizing is good for regular jam jars but not the Kilner-style or for metal lids.
Clean the jars as normal, rinse but leave the jars a little wet. Microwave the jars for 30 to 45 seconds depending on the size of the jar.
