Do I need to sterilize jars for compote: how to cook and roll up for the winter

Delicious compote will be a great addition to the winter table. Most housewives prefer to roll their own jars - this way more vitamins are preserved, he althy, homemade products without preservatives are used. However, not everyone knows whether it is necessary to carefully sterilize jars for compote, and how to do it correctly. Proper seaming will prolong product life and kill most unwanted microorganisms.

Do I need to sterilize compote jars?

The classic cooking method involves sterilizing containers with dry heat.Due to the high content of microorganisms in fruits and berries, the liquid can quickly deteriorate. Sweet environment - an opportunity for yeast to grow actively, which can create too much gas - glass jars burst easily at low temperatures.

How to cook and roll compote for the winter at home?

Compote for the winter can be closed from almost anything - berries, peaches, apples, apricots. Here the choice is limited by the imagination of the hostess. The berries are carefully sorted, weeding out the spoiled ones, the pits are removed from the cherries and apricots, washed under running water. Apples, like peaches, can be rolled whole or in pieces. Exotic variants of a delicious drink - from watermelons, melons and even mangoes.

To properly preserve compote, jars are sterilized using one of the proposed methods:

Hold jar and lid over steam for 20 minutes.
Place the container in the oven for 30 minutes.
Boil water in a saucepan and put the jars in it for 15 minutes.

Before sterilization, all dishes are thoroughly washed with soap and, in some cases, wiped with alcohol. The glass must be at room temperature, otherwise it may crack when placed in a hot oven. Fruits and berries are stacked in a dense layer on the bottom of the jar, and do not fill the container more than half. The workpiece is filled with hot water. Make sure there are no holes or punctures on the lid before rolling it up.

Seaming machines work best with semi-automatic and automatic machines that create a vacuum without air ingress.

Unvarnished tin lids tend to oxidize quickly and are not suitable for long-term storage. Therefore, it is better to choose reusable varnished lids. Glass lids are very fragile and should be handled with care, but can be used for several years.The edge of the lid must be free of roughness, abrasions or other defects through which air can enter the jar.

After the jars are turned over and put upside down, wrapped in a warm towel and left for a day. If, when turning, the compote flows out or air bubbles form, then the twisting must be redone. Wrapping in a towel allows you to prolong the sterilization process - less likely that microorganisms will multiply in warm or hot compote.

Finished products are stored in a warm and cool place, without access to sunlight. It is advisable to use ready-made preservation within one year, because it is impossible to roll up perfectly sterile products at home. Compote will gradually deteriorate and become moldy.

Why can banks explode?

Most often, the reason for the explosion of a jar is insufficient cleaning of fruits or berries. Any rot is caused by the work of microorganisms that actively multiply in the sweet compote, causing the accumulation of gases, due to which the cans easily explode even after high-quality seaming.

If darkening is noticeable at the top of the jar, you must immediately open it and drain the damaged part. Then there is a chance that the rest of the product will remain in good condition.

Apple compote often explodes due to poor sterilization. These fruits contain a large amount of acid, which actively ferments and itself causes the release of gases. Too sour or carbonated apple compote can not be thrown away, but make apple cider.

What should I do if the compote is cloudy or there is foam in it?

As soon as white foam appears in the compote, it must be opened and carefully sterilized again - for example, boil for 10-15 minutes. Then most of the product can be saved. If apple compote foams, you can make cider or ale from it - just keep bottles or cans in a cold room.

If the compote of apricots or plums is fermented, but not moldy, has no smell of rot or a sharply changed smell, then you can make homemade wine.

To do this, just put the contents of the jar in a special fermentation pan, add sugar. For three liters, 100-200 grams is enough. A rubber glove is pulled over the container and left alone for a couple of weeks. The resulting drink is filtered with a funnel, and then kept in the refrigerator for a couple of months. The result is a very tasty homemade wine with a delicate aroma.

Many housewives prefer to add a lot of sugar and cook delicious jam from spoiled treats. The only verdict for compote is mold. If a dark crust appears on the surface, it can be carefully removed, and the remaining liquid can be boiled. But if the fungus has spread throughout the jar, then the compote will have to be thrown away - it can be dangerous to he alth.

Do I need to flip jars?

It is customary to turn the twists after seaming - this way you can immediately determine the error in sterilization and seaming.If the lid does not fit snugly, bubbles form in the compote almost immediately, or the liquid will leak onto the table. So the hostess can immediately see the jars that are not ready for storage, and quickly redo the preservation until the products have completely deteriorated.

You can not turn the jar over, but only if you are confident in your experience and know that air or liquid from outside is excluded.