Why you need to sterilise jars
At a glance, your jar may look squeaky clean but sterilising your jars is a very different process. Sterilising jars helps to remove any yeast, bacteria or fungi which will impact the preservation of your goods. If you don’t sterilise a jar properly the food will spoil quickly.
Sterilising is a relatively quick process that will help your goodies last years and years.
Before we get started it is important to remember when you are working with glass, don’t add hot food to cold jars and vice versa as this could lead the jar to shatter.
How to sterilise jars in the oven
This method is the most popular when it comes to sterilising jars and will take you around 30 minutes. Works best for: screw top jars and those with a clip top and rubber rings.What you’ll need
- Baking tray or newspaper
- Jars
- Oven mitts
- Heatproof pad
Method
- 1. Preheat your oven to 130°C any higher and you risk the glass breaking.
2. Line each oven shelf with a double layer of newspaper or baking paper, making sure to keep the paper away from any flames.
3. Place the jars on the shelf, ensuring that they are not touching one another.
4. Close the food and sterilise the jars for at least 20 minutes.
5. Using oven mitts remove the jars one at a time and place on a heatproof matt or pad, making sure you fill the jars with a hot liquid while they are still hot.
How to sterilise jars in the dishwasher
This is a simple and fast way to sterilise the jars using the steam in your dishwasher. Works best for: screw top jars and those with a clip top and rubber rings.What you’ll need
- Dishwasher
- Jars
Method:
- 1. Fill dishwasher with clean cold jars and place on a rinse wash at a high temperature.
2. Keep the door shut, fill hot jars with hot liquid one at a time, removing from the washer with a tea towel or oven mitt.
How to sterilise jars in the microwave
Works best for: screw top jars but not those with a metal clip topWhat you’ll need
- Microwave
- Jars
Method:
- 1. Clean and rinse the jars as normal leaving them a little wet.
2. Depending on the size of the jar heat for between 30 to 45 seconds.
3. Fill with hot liquids whilst hot.
How to seal jars
Preserves will shrink slightly on cooling so make sure you fill them right to the top. The less air in the jar the better. Once the preserves have been poured into the sterilised jars and bottles it is time to seal them while they are still hot. Simply screw on lids or fasten the clasp on the jar. Store your preserves in a cool dark place that remains constant throughout the year. For example your garage, cellar or under the house. You can use your pantry if the preserves are going to be eaten quickly but this is often exposed to light as it is opened often.Here are a couple of our favourite jam recipes.Mixed berry jam
Quick peach and passionfruit jam
Cinnamon-scented plum jam
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