Do you want to make strawberry jam, eggplant caviar or a delicious homemade tomato sauce ? All of these recipes require a clean, sterilized container. Here are all the steps to follow.
Why and how to sterilize your jars?
When you want to prepare your own jars of fruit and vegetable jam, it is essential not to neglect the sterilization phase. And rightly so, it ensures better preservation, and above all: avoid any deterioration of the product and any health risks during consumption (partly due to the spread of fungi, bacteria and other parasites).
Step 1: Before Cooking
To start, remove the seals from the jars. Then pour water into a pan (or large pan) and submerge your jars without the lids. Count 10 minutes from cooking. Let them dry and then turn them over on a clean, dry cloth. Be careful, never immerse the containers directly in boiling water. Put them in water ambient temperature prevent thermal shock.
Step 2: after cooking
Have you just prepared your jam, aubergine caviar, tomato sauce, ratatouille, etc.? put you preparation in sterilized jars and fill to 2 cm from the edge (for better preservation it is important to keep about 10% vacuum at the top). Once your food is in, submerge the jars again for 1 to 3 hours depending on the preparation, lower the heat as soon as the water boils. That’s it, you just need to let it rest at room temperature.
How do you sterilize your jars in the oven?
It’s simple, just put a little water in a bowl that goes into the oven and put your filled jars in it. Next one, preheat the oven to 150°C (not earlier to avoid thermal shock) for 1 hour. Finally let it cool. It’s simple and faster than the previous method!
Please, you now know how to successfully sterilize your canned food, jars and glass jars. Did you like this article? For more information, read how to store your vegetables in jars.