DIRECTIONS WHEN USING GLASS JARS
1) Inspect jars for chips in the rim and hairline cracks and discard damaged ones.
2) Inspect metal rings and discard any with dents or rust.
3) Wash jars, metal screw bands and lids in hot soapy water then rinse.
4) Place jars upside down on a clean, dry cloth or leave them in the dishwasher until needed.
5) Some metal lids with sealing compound may need to be boiled or held in boiling water for a few minutes
before use. Follow manufacturer’s directions.
6) Do not reuse flat metal lids.
Recommended Jars and Lids
Regular and wide-mouth Mason-type, threaded, home-canning jars with self-sealing lids are the best choice.
With careful use and handling, Mason jars may be reused many times, requiring only new lids each time.
When jars and lids are used properly, jar seals and vacuums are excellent and jar breakage is rare.
Jar Cleaning
Before every use, wash empty jars in hot water with detergent and rinse well by hand, or wash in a
dishwasher. Un-rinsed detergents may cause unnatural flavors and colors. These washing methods do not
sterilize jars. Scale or hard water films on jars are easily removed by soaking jars several hours in a solution
containing 1 cup of vinegar (5 percent acidity) per gallon of water.
Sterilization of Empty Jars
All jams, jellies, and pickled products processed less than 10 minutes should be filled into sterile empty jars.
To sterilize empty jars, put them right side up on the rack in a boiling-water canner. Fill the canner and jars
with hot (not boiling) water to 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Boil 10 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000
ft. At higher elevations, boil 1 additional minute for each additional 1,000 ft. elevation. Remove and drain hot
sterilized jars one at a time. Save the hot water for processing filled jars. Fill jars with food, add lids, and
tighten screw bands.
Empty jars used for vegetables, meats, and fruits to be processed in a pressure canner need not be pre-
sterilized. It is also unnecessary to presterilize jars for fruits, tomatoes, and pickled or fermented foods that
will be processed 10 minutes or longer in a boiling-water canner.
Lid Selection, Preparation and Use
The common self-sealing lid consists of a flat metal lid held in place by a metal screw band during
processing. The flat lid is crimped around its bottom edge to form a trough, which is filled with a colored
gasket compound. When jars are processed, the lid gasket softens and flows slightly to cover the jar-sealing
surface, yet allows air to escape from the jar. The gasket then forms an airtight seal as the jar cools. Gaskets
in unused lids work well for at least 5 years from date of manufacture. The gasket compound in older unused
lids may fail to seal on jars.
Buy only the quantity of lids you will use in a year. To ensure a good seal, carefully follow the manufacturer's
directions in preparing lids for use. Examine all metal lids carefully. Do not use lids that are old, dented, or
deformed. Also, do not use lids that have gaps or other defects in the sealing gasket.
After filling jars with food, release air bubbles by inserting a flat plastic (not metal) spatula between the food
and the jar. Slowly turn the jar and move the spatula up and down to allow air bubbles to escape. Adjust the
headspace and then clean the jar rim (sealing surface) with a dampened paper towel. Place the lid, gasket
down, onto the cleaned jar-sealing surface. Uncleaned jar-sealing surfaces may cause seal failures.
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