{"id":1042,"date":"2020-03-26T21:05:59","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T21:05:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadycooking.com\/?p=1042"},"modified":"2023-12-31T20:04:26","modified_gmt":"2023-12-31T20:04:26","slug":"how-to-sterilize-mason-jars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadycooking.com\/how-to-sterilize-mason-jars\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Sterilize Mason Jars – Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I remember my grandmother spending most of the summer and the early fall making preserves and pickles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To me as a child, it made no sense that someone would spend all that time cooking in the summer heat when you can buy it all at the store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But one day, she was gone and, to add to the immense heartbreak, I had to buy all that stuff at the store.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Getting into canning helped me stay connected with my grandma. However, I’ve soon realized that I have been there during the fun part – mostly cooking and eating. I did have her recipe book to guide through that, but she did not write down anything about the “boring” stuff. Let’s just say that I’ve learned the hard way what happens if you don’t sterilize the jars properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few methods that worked for me over the years when I had to sterilize mason jars. Find the one that works best for you because trust me, you don’t want to spend time making the most amazing jam to open the jar ad find the most amazing mold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just remember not all recipes calls for the jars to be sterilized so remember to check your recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to sterilize mason jars on the stove<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I recommend doing this or in the oven<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the method that my grandma used to use. All you need is a large pot and a healthy awareness of boiling water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start by washing your hands – you want to keep your hands clean throughout the whole canning process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wash your jars and lids thoroughly (if you reuse old lids). Break out that toothbrush so you can give a good scrub to every nook and cranny. If there are old leftovers in the jars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose a pot that is big enough for your jar to fit and fill it with enough water to cover the jar. You want to use a pot that is big enough so it’s 3\/4 full at the most. Bring the water to the boil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Using a pair of tongs<\/a>, place the jar into the water and boil for 10 minutes. Boiling water will eliminate any bacteria and remove any remaining impurities, giving you optimum sterilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might have to extend your timer depending on your altitude. Stick to said times for altitudes up to 1,000 ft and after that, for every 1,000 ft add another minute. For example, if 800 ft requires 10 minutes, 1800 will need 11 minutes, and 2800 will need 12, and so on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Pair of mason jar tongs<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Use the tongs to remove the jar from the water, and place it on a clean towel. When it’s cool enough to handle, wipe the jar with the towel and then leave to air dry completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A quick note – towels you are using should either come from a hot water load or should be boiled as well to remove bacteria. If they are coming out of your washing machine, skip the fabric softener because it can promote the growth of mold. The steam cycle of your dryer can help kill off a few more beasties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that you have a pot full of boiling water on the stove! Allow it to cool before you dispose of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to sterilize mason jars in the oven<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you don’t want to mess with a pot of boiling water, you can sterilize your jars in the oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recommend doing this or on the stove listed above<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start by washing your jars like previously. Preheat your oven to 210\u00b0<\/strong> F (140\u00b0<\/strong> C) and line a baking tray with baking parchment or a silicone baking sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Place the jars in the pan right side up and heat them for 15 to 20 minutes. Let them cool down completely before use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This method is not suitable for lids.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a combination steam oven, you can set your steam to high and leave the jars in for 10 minutes. If you can run a heater with that steam, it’s even better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to sterilize mason jars in the microwave<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your microwave is great ad doing the job quickly because it uses both the heat and the radiation to kill off all bacteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scrub your jar clean and rinse it thoroughly. Place the wet jar directly on the glass plate. Microwave on high (1000w) for 60 seconds. If you see some steamy action, you’ve done a good job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This method is not suitable for lids and flip-top jars because of the metal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I skip this method for anything that needs to live in the pantry for months and just use it for things that will be devoured quickly. There is no data that I can find that says it’s inferior to others, but I don’t trust it as much as the oven or the stovetop method. Just my two cents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to sterilize mason jars in the dishwasher<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is a lot of misinformation online about this topic. The truth is that the water in most home dishwashers goes only up to 140\u00b0<\/strong> F, while you need 210\u00b0<\/strong> F to kill bacteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consult your owners manual or contact the manufacturer to see if your dishwasher can go that high<\/strong>. If you are lucky and it does, run your jars on the rinse cycle for as many times as you need to get them in contact with hot water for at least 10 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a steam dishwasher, check with the manufacturer is the steam cycle can be used for disinfection and sterilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to sterilize mason jars in the pressure canner\/cooker<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have a pressure canner or a large pressure cooker, you can get them to do the job. If you are on a market for a pressure cooker, you can check out peeps have to say about them in the video below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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