Jars And Lids

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Food may be canned in glass jars or metal containers.  Metal
containers can be used only once. They require special sealing
equipment and are much more costly than jars.  Regular and wide-mouth
Mason-type, threaded, home-canning jars with  self-sealing lids are the
best choice (Plate 1). They are available  in 1/2 pint, pint, 1-1/2
pint, quart, and 1/2 gallon sizes. The  standard jar mouth opening is
about 2-3/8 inches.  Wide-mouth jars  have openings of about 3 inches,
making them more easily filled and  emptied. Half-gallon jars may be
used for canning very acid juices.  Regular-mouth decorator jelly jars
are available in 8 and 12 ounce  sizes. 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.  Most commercial pint- and
quart-size mayonnaise or salad dressing  jars may be used with new
two-piece lids for canning acid foods.  However, you should expect more
seal failures and jar breakage. These  jars have a narrower sealing
surface and are tempered less than Mason  jars, and may be weakened by
repeated contact with metal spoons or  knives used in dispensing
mayonnaise or salad dressing. Seemingly  insignificant scratches in
glass may cause cracking and breakage  while processing jars in a
canner. Mayonnaise-type jars are not  recommended for use with foods to
be processed in a pressure canner  because of excessive jar breakage.
Other commercial jars with mouths  that cannot be sealed with two-piece
canning lids are not recommended  for use in canning any food at home.
JAR CLEANING: Before every use, wash empty jars in hot water with
detergent and rinse well by hand, or wash in a dishwasher. Unrinsed
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 presterilized. 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
old,  dented, or deformed lids, or lids with 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.  Then fit the metal screw band over
the flat lid.  Follow the  manufacturer's guidelines enclosed with or
on the box for tightening  the jar lids properly.  Do not retighten
lids after processing jars. As jars cool, the  contents in the jar
contract, pulling the self-sealing lid firmly  against the jar to form
a high vacuum.  If rings are too loose, liquid may escape from jars
during  processing, and seals may fail. If rings are too tight, air
cannot  vent during processing, and food will discolor during storage.
Overtightening also may cause lids to buckle and jars to break,
especially with raw-packed, pressure-processed food.  Screw bands are
not needed on stored jars. They can be removed easily  after jars are
cooled. When removed, washed, dried, and stored in a  dry area, screw
bands may be used many times. If left on stored jars,  they become
difficult to remove, often rust, and may not work  properly again.
======================================================= === * USDA
Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994) MM by km  From
Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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