How to Boil Ball Jars with Jam
Homemade jams, jellies and preserves can be stored in a variety of ways, such as freezing or refrigerating, but perhaps the best way is to process them in Ball canning jars. Canning can extend the shelf life of a product by several months, allowing you to enjoy your jam long after making it. Canning is frequently seen as difficult or time-consuming, but with the use of glass, screw-top, sealable Ball canning jars, the procedure is relatively straightforward, as processing the filled canning jars involves little more than boiling the jars until they have been pressurized and sealed shut. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Ball jars with lids and screw-on rings
- Stock pot
- Tongs
- Jar rack
- Jar funnel (optional)
Instructions
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1
Sterilize the jars and rings (but not the lids) that you'll be using. This is usually done by placing the pieces in a bath of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes, but you can run the jars and rings through a standard wash cycle---including the heated drying phase---in your dishwasher to achieve sterilization.
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2
Soak the sealing lids in hot water. Hot water will render the sealant that has been applied to the underside of the lids more soft and pliable, thus helping to ensure a complete seal later on in the process.
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3
Fill each sterilized jar with the jam, jelly or preserves that you've prepared. It is easiest to fill the jars with a jar funnel, which will prevent too much liquid from running down the sides of the jars, but the funnel is optional.
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4
Wipe the threading and rim of each jar with a warm, wet cloth before applying the lids, regardless of your filling technique.
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Seal each of the jars. First, place the lids on top of the filled jars, sealant side facing down. Next, tightly screw the rings onto the jars over the sealing lids.
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6
Set water to boil in a large stock pot. A round jar rack should be placed at the bottom of the pot before the water reaches the boiling point. The jars will sit on the rack, rather than the bottom of the pot, allowing for circulation of boiling water on and around all surfaces of the jars.
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Process the jars by placing them in the water after it has reached the boiling point and boiling them for the length of time specified in the recipe that you're using.
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Tips & Warnings
Write the date of processing on top of the jars with a black marker after they have cooled.
Do not boil the sealant-coated lids during the sterilization process; let the lids soak in warm water only. If the lids are boiled, the sealant that has been applied to them will begin to erode, thus rendering these lids useless.
The water in the stock pot will still be boiling after the processing has been finished. Use tongs to remove the processed jars from the stock pot, being careful not to let boiling water come into contact with your skin, as serious burns and permanent injury could result.
Do not consume canned goods that show signs of infection with bacteria such as a bulging lid. Consuming food products affected by bacteria, such as botulism, can result in severe sickness or even death.
