How to sterilize jars in the microwave for jam: the right preparation for harvesting for the winter

Summer is not only a time of rest, but also of canning. Since nutrition in the cold seasons depends on this process, each hostess tries to prepare as many goodies as possible: jams, compotes, and vegetable preparations. To keep them, you need to properly prepare the container. Today you will learn how to sterilize jam jars in the microwave, as well as many other interesting ways to process dishes.

Do I need to sterilize jars for preservation and jam

Sterilization helps to remove all kinds of germs and bacteria.In case of ignoring or incorrectly carrying out the procedure, preservation may deteriorate. Does this apply to jam? If the preparation is made according to the classic recipe, which involves the use of sugar and berries in equal amounts and boiling them for 15-30 minutes, then it is not necessary to sterilize the jars. The only condition is that you need to use clean and dried containers. It is better to wash them with a soapy or soda solution, then rinse with clean water and dry well in the sun.

This preparation is not suitable for jars in which five-minute jam will be stored. This is due to the fact that very little sugar is added to such a blank, and it turns out to be quite liquid. Therefore, if there are bacteria in the container, they will multiply very quickly and spoil the workpiece. To avoid this, it is necessary to sterilize the jars. The only exception is jam, which is served hot.

Preparing jars and lids

There should be no defects on the container for storing blanks. Having selected suitable jars, they must be washed.

There are also certain requirements for covers. They should have good rubber seals. It is important to check the integrity of the covers and the absence of any defects.

For rolling, it is better to take tin lids with a varnished surface (it prevents pickles and metal from touching, protects against oxidation and damage to workpieces).

When using threaded caps, it is important to evaluate the integrity of the paint on them. Otherwise, they will succumb to corrosion, and all preservation will be lost.

Sterilization Methods

There are many different ways to sterilize jars. For your convenience, we have decided to briefly describe each.

Steam over a pot of water

Convenient, simple and effective way to sterilize blank containers. The only condition is the use of a lid with holes, but if necessary, it can be replaced with a sieve or colander.

Pour 2/3 of the water into the saucepan, close the lid or install a sieve. Place containers upside down. Keep jars up to 2 liters over boiling water for 10 minutes, for 2-3 liters - 15 minutes. At the end of sterilization, water will begin to drain from the walls of the jars. Remove them carefully and upside down on a towel.

In the oven

Here, too, there are several options.

Electrical

Place the containers and lids in a cold oven with the base up. It is better to choose this position, otherwise a white coating may remain on the bottom of the container, especially if it has just been washed. Next, not very close to each other, lay out metal covers. Then activate "convection" with blowing from below and from above. Adjust the temperature to 150 degrees, close the oven. The duration of the procedure is determined by the volume of the sterilized container: for cans of 2 and 3 liters, 20 minutes is enough, for 1-liter - 15 minutes, for 0.5-liter and less - 10 minutes.

When the procedure is completed, pull out the jars and place them on a clean, dry surface. Hot preservation can be laid immediately, cold - when the container has cooled to room temperature.

In the gas stove oven

This procedure is slightly different from the previous one.

The position of the jars is the same. The oven needs to be warmed up: it should work for 5 minutes at 50 degrees, then you need to increase the temperature to 180. The duration of sterilization is the same as in an electric oven. When you're done, open the door to let the jars cool down a bit. You need to pull them out in mittens.

Microwave

If you need to quickly disinfect jars, then the microwave oven will become an indispensable assistant in this regard. The only negative: it can fit several small jars or one three-liter.

Before sterilizing the jars, rinse well with soda and pour a few centimeters of water into each. If you are using a 3 liter jar, pour 200 ml of water into it. Put the jars in the microwave at a small distance from each other. Place 2 and 3 liter dishes on their side.

Setting the power to 700-800W, sterilize the jars:

• up to 2L - 3 minutes;
• for 2-3 liters - 6 minutes.

When the water in the jars boils, wait 3 minutes and only then pull them out with kitchen gloves. Try to immediately fill the container with a hot billet.

In boiling water

The method has already become a classic, so there is no doubt about its reliability.

Prepare a large bowl to process as many jars as possible at a time.Put a towel on the bottom. Calculate the required volume of water yourself, the main thing is that it completely covers the jars. Place clean containers upside down, at a short distance from each other. When the water boils a little, wait 15 minutes and pull out the jars. To do this, you can use a special tool or gloves.

Together with glass containers, you can also boil lids.

Jars sterilized in any way, after the procedure, it is better to lay them out on a clean towel, previously ironed on both sides with a well-heated iron.

Above the teapot

If you have enough time, you can prepare jars for preservation using a kettle. It is rational to use it if you have a small amount of preservation. The kettle is suitable for processing containers of various sizes. You can process with a spout or put a jar on the neck of the kettle.

In a double boiler

With this device, you can not only cook he althy food, but also sterilize jars. The instruction is very simple:

1. Pour water into the tank.
2. Put jars upside down on wire rack, cover with lid.
3. Turn on the appliance for 15 minutes.

Many hostesses note that this processing method is one of the safest and most convenient.

In the slow cooker

It is difficult to overestimate the usefulness of a multicooker. But few people guessed that she also knows how to sterilize containers. It can be used in the same way as a steamer to prepare food containers.

In the dishwasher

It is recommended to use this method only as a last resort, since most appliances heat water up to a maximum of 70 degrees.

It is best to disinfect the containers in which you will roll the jam in the dishwasher.

In airfryer

In this modern device, you can not only cook delicious food, but also sterilize dishes. For this you need:

1. Fill the airfryer bowl with jars, but leaving some space between them.
2. Set the temperature within +120-180 degrees.
3. Jars up to 0.75 liters are enough to sterilize for 10 minutes. Larger containers must be kept for 15 minutes.

If you are in a hurry, you can process the container in the air grill for 10 minutes at +200 degrees. In this case, additionally, pour a little water into each container.

Sterilization effect lasts for 48 hours. The main thing is not to touch the containers with dirty hands, especially by the neck.

How to sterilize blank jars

According to some recipes, the container must be processed after it has been filled with blanks. There are two ways to do this.

In a pot

Cover the bottom of the container with a towel, put jars on it and pour water so that it does not reach a few centimeters to the necks of the containers. Top each jar with a lid and turn on the fire.

Keep containers in boiling water:

• three-liter - half an hour;
• two-liter - 20 minutes;
• any up to two liters - 10 minutes.

During the procedure, the temperature of the blanks should vary between + 80-90 degrees.

In the oven

Suitable for those cases when there is no large pot. Sterilization is very easy:

1. Fill containers with blanks and cover with lids.
2. Preheat the oven for five minutes to +50 degrees, then put the blanks in there, close the door and increase the temperature to +150 degrees.
3. The duration of the procedure is the same as in the above method.
4. After the required time, close the containers tightly with lids.

Types of lids used

Today there are several types of lids that can be used in the preservation process. Let's briefly consider the features of each of them.

Tin

Standard lids with an elastic band inside, which is used to improve sealing during the canning process. They are yellow and grey. If you screw a jar with sulfur, then rust often appears on its neck. This is due to the fact that such covers are not covered with a protective layer of varnish.Therefore, we advise you to choose yellow caps.

Twist-off

Reusable lids, can only be used on cans with suitable threads. Twisted by hand.

Vacuum

Manufacturers claim that these covers can withstand 200 rolls. They come with a special valve and pump. Very convenient to use, but expensive and not sold everywhere.

Thermo caps

Very comfortable. To close the jar, just hold the lid in boiling water for 10-15 seconds and simply put it on the neck. Designed for single use.

Nylon

Practically not produced, but some housewives consider them the most reliable. They are easy to put on the jar, do not let air into the blanks. Reusable.

Glass

Good lids, time-tested. Suitable for multiple use. In the process of closing cans, you need to use a special clip.

How to sterilize

There is a universal sterilization method that will fit all types of caps. To do this:

1. Fill a deep bowl halfway with water.
2. Put all the lids in it.
3. Put in the microwave, double boiler, slow cooker and boil.

The same can be done on a gas stove.

How to pour jam into sterilized jars?

In this matter, the hostesses were divided into two fronts: some are convinced that jam should be poured only hot, others - that it is exceptionally cold.

In fact, both of these methods are correct, but only on condition that the workpiece is prepared according to the classic recipe.

If you decide to cook jam according to the “5 minutes” scheme, then you need to pour it into containers only when hot. This is due to a small amount of sugar and a short cooking on the fire. By pouring five-minute hot jam, you additionally sterilize the jars.

How to properly roll up jars with iron lids for the winter?

For this you will need a Seamer. The procedure itself is very simple:

1. Put the lid on the neck of the jar.
2. Put the machine on top and press down lightly.
3. Turn the knob clockwise, gradually turning it a little further so that the lid fits snugly on the neck.
4. When you realize that there is nowhere else to move the handle, spin it in the opposite direction and shoot.

You need to close slowly and gently, you can not press the machine hard on the lid, otherwise the jar may burst.

To check the tightness of the seaming, put the containers with the blanks on their side or put them upside down on the bedspread. Cover with a blanket and leave for 10-12 hours to gradually cool down. If after this time there are no marks left on the bedspread, you can hide the blanks in the pantry or cellar.

Features of rolling cans under screw caps

Before you roll up jars with blanks with screw caps, you need to do the following:

1. Sterilize them together with containers at a temperature of no more than 60 degrees or dip in boiling water for a couple of minutes.
2. Fill the finished container with contents, cover with a lid. Check that the grooves on the rim match the twist lines on the neck of the can. Using a sterilized lid, carefully screw on the jar.

During operation, do not press hard on the cover, otherwise it may cause overtightening of the thread and break the tightness of the seaming. Also check that there are no various defects on the cover in the form of corrosion, damage to integrity and punctures.

How to store jam without rolling jars?

Since there were not always lids for preservation, our grandmothers covered jars of jam with plain paper, and it could stand like that for a very long time. What is the secret? It turns out that for this you need:

1. When making jam, add a lot of sugar.
2. It's good to boil it down.
3. After decomposing into clean, sterilized, completely dry jars.
4. Sprinkle top with sugar, do not stir.
5. Cover with a clean plastic lid.

If this simple technology is observed, the jam can be stored for at least a year.

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