# question about sterilizing jars



## Leister Square (Feb 7, 2010)

Hi everyone. I've been canning for about 2 years now and it is addicting! That's why this is probably a silly question. I always wonder about how others sterilize their jars. I heat the pressure canner up with lots of water in it so the jars can go in on their sides and mostly fill up with water. I don't really count how long, but bet the first batch of 3 (that's all it will hold on their sides) get longer than the next batch (maybe 8-10 minutes). I remove them with a long handled wooden spoon stuck in them, dumping out the water. I immediately put the next 2 or 3 in the water while I fill the first 3. When it's time to start the pressure canner, I dump the majority of that boiling water in the sink to do dishes with. Is there a better way? My SIL sterilizes her jars in her electric turkey roaster filled with water and then puts them in the oven to stay hot until needed. I've heard the oven is a no-no, and I don't think the turkey cooker gets the water to a full boil. What ways do you do it? Thanks much!


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## PATRICE IN IL (Mar 25, 2003)

The only time jars need to be sterilized is if you are water bathing them for less than 10 minutes. I don't sterilize my jars as most of the time I'm pressure canning for 90 minutes at a time. If I'm hot packing them, I just fill the jars with boiling water in the sink and dump the water out of each jar as I fill it.

Check this site for info http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/questions/FAQ_canning.html#13
*Is it necessary to sterilize jars before canning?*
Jars do not need to be sterilized before canning if they will be filled with food and processed in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes or more or if they will be processed in a pressure canner. Jars that will be processed in a boiling water bath canner for less than 10 minutes, once filled, need to be sterilized first by boiling them in hot water for 10 minutes before they're filled.


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Nope, no sterilizing here either.


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## uncleotis (Mar 14, 2005)

Me neither.

Pam


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Canning instructions rarely say to sterilze jars. They do say to set up the canner and put the jars in side it to heat them up so you don't have thermal shock issues putting hot product into cold jars.

The only time I sterilize jars is when I'm making yogurt.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I just stick my jars in the sink with hot tap water....no sterilizing. There isn't anything I can that processes less then 10 minutes.


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## Hisgoodgirl (Mar 31, 2010)

I leave my jars in a sink full of hot water until I am ready to use them, it starts off as boiling water andif it cools too much for whatever reason I just boil more.


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## Canning Girl (Jan 13, 2010)

No reason to sterilize. Plus, as soon as you touch the jars or as soon as a particle of dust lands in them, how sterile are they anyway? As long as they are clean and as long as you process more than 10 minutes (which even jelly, salsa and pickles do), there is no need.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I never sterilize jars either. Never have.


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## Leister Square (Feb 7, 2010)

Well that's a big step I don't have to do anymore. I guess I saw my grandmother sterilizing jars for water bath canning? Anyway, thanks so much!


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## grammajudy (Nov 11, 2010)

I only put my jars in boiling water if I am doing the open kettle method for tomato juice. I put the jars and lids in the boiling water, take the jars out with tongs and fill with boiling juice, take the lids out of the hot water and screw onto a wiped- off jar.


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## Leister Square (Feb 7, 2010)

Yeah, I'm thrilled to skip this step from now on! Thanks guys!


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## kenworth (Feb 12, 2011)

I sterilize with bleach water, a jar scrubber (dish scrubbing brush) , and dish detergent just before keeping the jars in the processing water, prior to filling.

Just my personal process, cuz some are from questionable backgrounds, lol.


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## deb7788 (Jul 13, 2009)

My dishwasher has a sterilize cycle on it so i use that. helps a lot!


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

I sterilize for doing water bath canning, but not for pressure canning. The jars do get a scalding hot wash with soap & water prior to using though. I'm a safety girl! LOL


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## Leister Square (Feb 7, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies. Last night (started too late, LOL, and was up until 1 a.m.) I did chicken since they were on for 67 cents a pound, limit 2, whole chickens. Went twice to get 4. That did 7 quarts very nicely with yummy broth. It was much nicer not having to sterilize the jars before pressure canning. Today I will go back for 4 more chickens (last day of the sale). I needed to restock the pantry with meats. 

From about midnight last night to today the bones were in the crock pot so I'll have great broth to can as well. I'll cool it down with ice and water in the sink before refrigerating it so I can skim fat. 

I'm just tickled that I don't have to sterilize them for pressure canning!


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## my3boys (Jan 18, 2011)

I follow the USDA guidelines. I simmer the jars at 180 degrees for 10 minutes and take them out one at a time to fill. Likewise for the lids. Do NOT boil the lids. It will damage them and you won't get a good seal. 

You are only supposed to boil (sterilize) jars if you are processing something that requires less than 10 minutes. I only use recipes that process for 10 minutes or more, so I have never had to sterilize my jars.

Carol


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## amyd (Mar 21, 2005)

I cheat and run them thru a cycle in my dishwasher. It sterilizes them and keeps them warm until I'm ready to use them.


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## whodunit (Mar 29, 2004)

amyd said:


> I cheat and run them thru a cycle in my dishwasher. It sterilizes them and keeps them warm until I'm ready to use them.



Same here


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

I use the sanitizing option on my dishwasher also.


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## JLPicard (Aug 22, 2011)

When my wife and I were stationed with the USN in Sicily, my land lady used to put up tons of tomatoes. She would can them in capped liter beer bottles. She used to put her beer bottles in the oven and fire them up hot while preparing her tomatoes. Her bottles used to be so hot that the boiling hot tomatoes would sizzle when they went into the bottles and immediately cap them. No water bathing or pressure canning at all.

I adopted her method, and canned a lot of tomatoes that way too, with nary any spoilage. 

Now I pressure can most of what I put up, but I just wanted to add that she used to bake her bottles in the oven.


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## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

I scrub and inspect my jars prior to canning, sometimes the night before if I am really on top of things. Then I put them in the kettle while I heat it up, and take them out as I fill them. I also put them back in one at a time as they're filled, do other folks do that? I know some people just lower them all in the rack at the same time, but I never had much luck doing that.


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