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Most often, we use glass containers with a capacity of 0.5 to 3 liters for homework. It is easy to clean, inexpensive, and transparency provides good product visibility. Of course, no one forbids making twists in larger or smaller jars, we just indicated the most commonly used sizes.
But you can't just use cleanly washed dishes for preservation, they need to be sterilized. Otherwise, the lid will swell and instead of a delicious salad or jam, we will get a spoiled product that is only suitable for a trash can. Sterilizing cans at home will allow us to avoid this.
Selection and preparation of cans
For winter blanks, only cans can be used without the slightest damage, since cracked ones cannot be hermetically sealed and the products will definitely deteriorate. It is especially important that there are no small chips at the neck, which are difficult to see.
Before sterilizing cans, wash them with baking soda, mustard, or any kind of dish detergent. After using chemicals, rinse the container with water acidified with vinegar or citric acid.
High temperature sterilization methods
There are many recipes sterilization of cans, we will try to tell you about everyone, and you yourself will choose the right one.
Steam treatment
In this way, our mothers and grandmothers also sterilized the banks. It is quite reliable, it just takes a lot of time, because each container is processed separately. You will need utensils for boiling water and a special pad for sterilizing the jars. It is a lid-like metal circle with a hole in the middle. Many housewives have adapted to using a metal sieve or grate for sterilization.
Pour water into a boiling dish, cover with a wire rack or overlay and wait for the water to boil. Place the jars on top, the sterilization time will depend on their volume. Boil:
- half liter cans - 10 minutes;
- liter cans - 15 minutes;
- two-liter cans - 20 minutes;
- three-liter cans - 25 minutes.
Spread a clean, preferably ironed cloth on a flat surface and, after steaming, fold the containers at some distance from each other, placing them on their side. When removing hot sterile jars, hold them by the sides with both hands and use clean, dry potholders or rags.
Boiling water
According to this recipe, three-liter jars should not be sterilized. It's good for small, custom-sized containers that can all be put in one pot or basin.
Place a towel or wooden rack on the bottom of the sterilization dish, place cleanly washed jars on top and fill with cold or warm water so that it completely covers them. Put on a low heat so that the glass does not crack, simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Oven
For housewives who do not have time to tinker with each jar separately, processing them in the oven is more suitable, and it does not matter whether it is gas or electric. So you can sterilize many different-sized containers at once. Moreover, you use the same amount of gas or electricity as you use to sterilize one can for blanks, and there will be no need to constantly look into the saucepan and check whether the water has boiled away.
To do this, place well-washed glass containers on a clean wire rack with the neck down in a cold oven. Turn it on at 150-170 degrees, wait until the temperature reaches the desired mark, and count 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and wait 20, or even better 30 minutes, before opening and removing sterile jars.
Double boiler
Pour water into a steamer and rinse the top spout clean. Place canning jars in it with their necks down, put on fire, turn on the electric one for 15 minutes. Gently remove the container with a dry oven mitt and lay it on a clean towel.
Microwave
One of the recipes for disinfecting half-liter and one-liter containers is microwave processing. This sterilization method is especially good in hot weather, when the kitchen is already full of breath.
Pour 1.5-2 cm of water on the bottom of the cans, put in the microwave and turn it on at full power. Processing time is 5-7 minutes.
Multicooker
Immediately, we note that this recipe is the worst (if you do not use a multicooker as a steamer):
- firstly, you cannot put a lot of cans in it, and the sterilization time is 1 hour;
- secondly, they need to be covered with lids, and, for example, nylon ones, cannot be boiled for so long;
- thirdly, only small cans can be sterilized this way;
- fourthly, if the multicooker has been used for some time, it is very difficult to wash the rubber gasket in the lid so that something can be sterilized in the apparatus.
But since such a method exists, we will tell you how to apply it correctly.
Clean the canning jars, bowl and lid of the multicooker. Place the containers in the bowl, fill them to the top with water and cover tightly. Add water to the maximum mark, close the lid. Select the "soup" program, and leave the default time (it differs from model to model).
At the end of sterilization, the jars can be removed and the water drained.
Disinfection without heat treatment
We looked at ways to sterilize cans using high temperatures. It's hard to imagine anyone would need to cleanse them without heat treatment for canning. But just in case, know that it is possible to obtain sterile dishes in nature or in unsanitary conditions.
Potassium permanganate solution
Wash the jars and rinse as thoroughly as possible with a saturated pink solution of potassium permanganate. It is advisable to protect hands during sterilization with medical gloves.
Pure alcohol
Pour 100 ml of 95% ethyl alcohol into a clean jar, close the lid or press it firmly against the neck with your hand. Shake vigorously several times so that the liquid spills onto the lid and moistens all the walls. Pour the alcohol into the next container and cover the sterile lid and set aside.
Sterilizing caps
Often housewives carefully sterilize the jars, while the lids are simply doused with hot water, and then they are surprised that the blanks have deteriorated. They blame poorly washed products, high storage temperatures, sigh that salt 20 years ago was saltier, and vinegar was sour. We reviewed many recipes for sterilizing cans, and now it's time to pay attention to the lids.
First, they need to be thoroughly washed and only then subjected to heat treatment.
Metallic
Covers made of metal and tin are quite enough just to boil for 3-5 minutes.They can be placed with cans in a multicooker or double boiler.
Nylon
Often the sterilization of these very lids confuses the housewives. In fact, the task is simple. Plastic covers or nylon, put in a clean small saucepan, pour boiling water over it. Do not remove it before the water has cooled down enough that you can lower your hand into it for a few seconds.
Glass
Lids made of glass and fastened with iron clamps are sterilized along with the jars, and the gaskets are boiled separately.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many simple ways to sterilize winter storage containers. Choose the one that suits you best.
