Ongoing research

Washing and sterilizing are two different things. Is it okay to wash canning jars in the dishwasher? Sure, it’s a convenient option, especially if you have a lot of jars to clean, and it’s a good way to keep the jars hot until they’re ready to be filled and go into the canner. (And just a reminder that…

Some eye-catching canning jars are inappropriate for food preservation.  If you’ve been travelling the aisles at the local crafts store or shopping online for canning supplies, you may have come across some eye-catching canning jars in vivid colors, including red, cobalt, amethyst and even black. They…

Canning Basics: Make sure your canning jars start hot and stay hot Canning jars should always be washed and rinsed well before being used. And while they don’t always need to be sterilized (unless the processing time is less than 10 minutes), the jars do need to be hot when filled with food, and kept…

Canning Basics: Mason jar myths are rampant on the internet!  MYTH:  Brand new canning jars fresh out of the box are sterile and do not need to be washed. New jars are not sterile. Before use they should be checked for breakage or manufacturing defects, and then washed. In fact, jars should always…

Canning Basics: Busting more Mason jar myths MYTH:  Canning jars can be sterilized in the oven.  Canning jars can even be used for baking.  No and no. Canning jars are made from annealed glass and are not designed for the dry, fluctuating heat of an oven. These conditions can cause…