The tradition of preserving fruits and vegetables for the winter remains popular in many families. This allows not only to enjoy the summer gifts of nature, but also to save family budget.At the time when housewives begin canning, they need to make some preparations, in particular, subject the jars to mandatory sterilization . Sterilization is a heat treatment that kills germs.

How to sterilize jars at home

Sterilizing jars and lids is not difficult, but there are rules that must not be broken. Before proceeding with the sterilization process, you need to thoroughly rinse the glass container under running water using baking soda, soap or any suitable detergent, and then rinse it thoroughly with water. Check jars for cracks and chips.

How to sterilize jars in a pot of water

There are several methods for sterilizing glass containers. The easiest way is steam sterilization. To do this, pour water into a large saucepan and place the jars upside down in it. Place the pot on the fire and wait until the water boils. The process time depends on the volume of the container to be sterilized.

• 0.5 liters - 10 minutes;
• 1 liter - 15 minutes.

Then for each added liter, another 5 minutes are added.

How long to sterilize jars in the oven

Another way is sterilization in the oven. Place the container in the oven. Then turn it on 50 degrees. After 10 minutes, at intervals of five to seven minutes, raise the temperature in the kitchen apparatus by 10-20 degrees until it reaches 150 degrees.

Objects should not be placed close to each other, otherwise they will burst. When sterilizing lids in the oven, be sure to remove the rubber seals. A gas oven for sterilization is not suitable because its temperature is usually uneven and it takes a long time to heat up.

After sterilization, put on gloves and carefully remove the jars. Gloves must be dry, otherwise, when you pull glass items out of the oven, they may burst right in your hands. Remember that the temperature of the water or air in the pot or oven should be approximately the same as the temperature of the jar. If you place cold glass in boiling water or in the heat of an oven, it may break.

Benefits of Microwave Sterilization

Jars can be sterilized in the microwave. This is a very effective way, the fastest and most convenient. Rinse your jars thoroughly with water. It is best to use ordinary baking soda for this purpose, which is a natural product and does not contain any unnecessary chemical additives. Pour some boiled water into a glass container. Place it in the microwave. In the next step, bring the water to a boil or set a timer for five minutes. The power of the microwave oven can be set to the highest setting.

After the end of the microwave, do not rush to take the jar with your bare hands. Use dry gloves or a towel. Turn the container upside down and let it dry a little. This method will not only help save time, but also protect your jars from unnecessary microorganisms one hundred percent.

If we take into account the advantages of this type of sterilization, we can note three important and main advantages:

What you should pay attention to:

• The jar may burst if the water in it evaporates. You must always control the water level.
• Glass containers can be placed horizontally, but do not forget about the water level.
• Never put metal lids in the microwave. This will damage the operation of the oven.
• The heating time is 2 minutes. If you place multiple glass objects, you will have to wait until the 3 minutes are up.

In the dishwasher

Strictly speaking, this method is difficult to classify as thermal sterilization, since the maximum water temperature in dishwasher is 70 degrees. But in fact, if you trust the experience of many housewives, after such processing there are no problems.

Place baking soda in the machine and set the maximum temperature. Detergent is not required.

in manganese

The following method will be appreciated by those who do not have the opportunity or do not want to boil water. In this case, objects can be washed in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Dry way

One of the oldest methods that saves gas or electricity and is very simple. Place clean jars on a clean towel in the sunniest spot in your yard or balcony. The ultraviolet rays of the sun will heat the air in the glass and destroy all bacteria.

How to sterilize jars with blanks

Many recipes call for sterilization with contents. In this case, you must place a rag or wooden circle on the bottom of the pan. The jar needs to be covered with a lid and placed in a saucepan. Then the pan is filled with water, the temperature of which is approximately equal to the temperature of the workpiece. The water level should be slightly below the neck level.

Then the water in the pan is brought to a boil. The amount of time this process takes depends on the content. As a rule, housewives determine the readiness of the product because it changes color to a lighter one.

If you use an oven, then the containers with blanks are placed in an electric oven and loosely covered with lids without rubber bands. The duration of the process again depends on the content. But if pasteurization is carried out, then in this case the process (in which the contents must heat up to 60 degrees at an oven temperature of 70-80 degrees) takes half an hour.

Attention, only TODAY!

In any case, an indicator of readiness is the complete evaporation of drops of water from the cans.

It is important to remember that a sudden change in temperature can lead to glass breakage. To prevent the jars from bursting, it is better to install them in the oven before heating to operating temperature, but not immediately, but after allowing them to cool slightly.

How to steam sterilize jars

One of the most common sterilization methods. The bottom line is simple - you need to heat the water to a boil, and place the jar in such a way that the released steam gets inside. Several tricks can be used:

Simple: A sieve, a special wooden grate, or a few simple planks are placed on the pan to avoid the jar from touching the surface of the water. Pour in liquid and bring to a boil. A pre-cleaned jar is placed on top, neck down. Depending on the volume, sterilization is carried out from 15 to 25 minutes.

We hold jars with a volume of 0.5 to 1 liter over steam for 15 minutes

We hold jars with a volume of 1 to 2 liters over steam for 20 minutes

We hold jars with a volume of 2 to 3 liters over steam for 25 minutes

With special cover: A very convenient, inexpensive, but effective device is a special lid with holes for cans. The process is similar to the previous one, but this device allows you to concentrate the steam in the right place and simultaneously sterilize several cans, which will significantly reduce the time.

In a steamer: Modern technologies allow the processing of cans in this way. The method is similar to the previous ones, only water is poured into a double boiler, the jar is installed upside down, the “cooking” mode is turned on and sterilization is carried out for 15 minutes. Minus - the device must have sufficient capacity.

When using any method of sterilization, care must be taken - the processed jars are very hot. Therefore, use towels, potholders, etc. to move them.

How to sterilize jars in the microwave

This simple method is gaining more and more popularity. Its main advantage is speed. About 2-3 cm of water is poured into the jar, and the vessel is placed in a microwave oven. Large ones can be placed lying down, but you need to carefully monitor the water level so that it does not flow out. The oven is turned on for 3 minutes at a power of about 700 watts. Water boils, steam is formed, the jar is sterilized from the inside.

Please note that water must be present in the jar during the entire process. Otherwise, the microwave oven may be damaged.

How to sterilize jars in the dishwasher

The method is convenient in that it is carried out without any control by the hostess. Already washed cans are placed in the machine, the mode is turned on, providing for the maximum temperature and sterilization is carried out. Detergents in this case are not added!

The method has another big plus - unlike other appliances, the dishwasher does not increase the temperature in the kitchen, which can be very important in hot summers. However, there is a minus - the maximum temperature for conventional cars does not exceed 70 degrees. In most cases this is sufficient, but there is still a small risk of microbial entry.

How to sterilize jars with blanks

This is a very important aspect. The fact is that no matter how well the sterilization of empty jars is carried out, microbes can also be brought in with the contents. This is especially true for canning without the use of vinegar. This sterilization can be carried out in different ways:

Boiling

A jar of contents is placed in a saucepan, at the bottom of which there are daughters or a thick cloth (to prevent touching glass and metal). Hot water is poured, the level of which should not reach the throat by 2-3 cm. The jars themselves are covered with a lid: they do not close tightly, but they cover it, leaving the possibility of air exchange.

The stove is turned on, the pan is covered. The maximum temperature is maintained, however, if drilling is too active, it can be slightly reduced. Processing time depends on the recipe and the volume of jars. As a rule, it is 10 - 30 minutes.

Oven

The jar with the contents is covered with a lid and placed in the oven. Processing takes 10 - 25 minutes at a temperature of 100-120 degrees. Despite the simplicity of the method, there are two essential points:

• You can only place the jar in a cold or slightly preheated oven, otherwise it may burst.
• If lids with rubber seals are used, they (gaskets) must be removed for the period of sterilization of the jar.

Microwave

Open (!) jars with contents are placed in the oven. Set the maximum power and bring to a boil. After that, the power is reduced to a minimum and future canned food is kept in the microwave for another 3 minutes.

How to sterilize lids

So, the jars and contents are sterile, but the lids remain. As a rule, we are talking about metal products, which means that the microwave oven is completely excluded. It is not recommended to use a dishwasher. The oven will work, but if there are rubber seals, they will have to be removed and sterilized separately.

Boiling or steaming would be ideal methods. If the same method is chosen for the sterilization of jars, it is possible to combine the processes. It is only required to take into account that the processing of the covers takes 10-15 minutes and is carried out directly before closing.

Proper sterilization is the key to successful canning! The process is simple and will not take much time. At the same time, it will help to avoid a huge number of troubles, preserve the harvest, and provide the whole family with delicious canned food for the winter.

The tradition of making homemade preparations for the winter, preserving fruits and vegetables, remains popular in many families. It allows not only to feast on the gifts of summer in winter, but also to save the family budget. In order to keep summer in a jar, it is important to carry out two processes correctly: sterilization of glass jars and pasteurization of blanks.

How to sterilize jars for blanks?

Sterilization - heat treatment of cans, in which microbes die. This can be done in several ways.

Traditional - steam cans. Let's try to figure out how to steam sterilize jars. Place a rack over a pot of boiling water. Cleanly washed with baking soda or in a mustard solution, the jars are placed with their necks down on the grate. The pans are also covered with a divider for splashing when frying. There are special pan linings for sterilizing one or more jars. Steam, penetrating inside the jar, kills all harmful microbes. Half liter and liter jars sterilize 5-8 minutes, 3-liter up to 15 minutes.

Instead of a saucepan, if you intend to close 3-6 pcs. half-liter or liter jars, it is better to use a kettle. Banks can simply be put on the spout of the kettle or put on top of the electric kettle.

A well-sterilized jar becomes transparent and dry. They are removed from the grill and placed on a towel. Washed vegetables or fruits are placed in warm jars, poured with marinade and syrup according to the recipe. Cover with lids and boil for 10 minutes. The main disadvantage of this method is that the steam in the kitchen can be humid and hot, and it takes a long time to prepare jars.

The next way is sterilization of glass jars in the oven. It is more simple and convenient. Washed jars are placed on the oven grate. Turn on the oven at 140 degrees and keep them at this temperature for 5-7 minutes. Then the oven is turned off, but the jars are not removed, but allowed to cool to 60-80 degrees along with the oven. Banks should not be placed tightly to each other, they must not be placed on a sheet, otherwise they will burst. Sterilization occurs due to moisture in the jars and heating.

Dry way. One of the oldest, but few people know about it. The question of how to prepare cans for blanks, saving gas or electricity, is easily and simply solved with its help. Banks are washed in advance at any convenient time. Turn over onto clean cotton. the canvas, and when the water drains from them, and this is quite fast, they put it on a clean towel in the sunniest place of the loggia or window sill with the necks down. The ultraviolet rays of the sun will heat the air in the jar and kill any bacteria. Before laying in conservation jars, they are simply rinsed with boiling water from a kettle to warm the glass.

How to sterilize jars in the microwave? This is a very effective way to sterilize jars, it is the fastest and most comfortable. But be prepared to pay more for electricity than usual. Banks must not only be thoroughly washed, but also inspect for chips and cracks. This, of course, should always be done, but here with special attention. Empty jars can not be placed, they leave 1-2 cm of water. If you need dry jars, then be sure to put a glass of water next to it. Heating time - 2 minutes. If you put several cans, then increase the time to 3 minutes. Large jars are placed on their side with a small amount of water. In the microwave, you can also pasteurize blanks. To do this, vegetables are placed in jars, poured with half of the brine, covered with a plastic lid and set for 2-3 minutes. Then topped up with boiling filling and covered with metal lids. Turn the jars upside down and leave to cool completely.

Summer will remind you of itself when you put its gifts on the dining table, opening a jar of your preservation in winter.

Very often there are recipes where it is necessary to sterilize jars already with blanks. Thanks to this method of sterilization, almost all preservation can be stored at room temperature. This is especially true for those who do not have a cold cellar.

If you are just starting to preserve, and do not 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 blanks in boiling water

You can sterilize blanks in boiling water (this is the most common method).

To do this, take a wide pan, put a napkin or towel on the bottom.

Put the jars and pour water (the temperature of the water should be the same as the temperature of the blanks, 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 jars with lids (do not close, just put on top).

Boil the blanks as much as indicated in a particular recipe.

If there is no specific sterilization time, then most often jars with a volume of 0.5-0.75 are sterilized for 10 minutes; liter jars are sterilized 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 blanks in the oven

This year I tried new way sterilization - in the oven.

For me, this is the most convenient way. And how the jars with blanks behave after such sterilization, we'll see in the winter.

Place jars with blanks on a baking sheet or on a wire rack and send to a cold or slightly warm oven.

Cover the jars with lids (do not twist, but simply put on top). Bring the oven temperature up 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.

It is necessary to get the jars out of the oven in special kitchen mittens, holding the jar with both hands by the sides. Be careful, it will be very hot!

How to sterilize blank lids

Before sterilizing caps, check that 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 pot of boiling water.