How to Bottle With Twist Top Bottles

Twist top bottles are an easy and effective way to seal liquids for a couple of months.

Twist top bottles are easy to use at home without purchasing a cap press or other tools. It is best to use new twist top bottle caps with a seal ring that grabs the neck of the bottle when it is twisted on. This ring will break off and stay on the neck of the bottle when you remove the cap. Twist top bottles are most often used for beverages and other consumable liquids. If the liquid is carbonated, it's necessary to leave head space in the bottle so that the gasses have room to move. If the item being packaged is non-perishables, used bottles and twist caps are safe to use.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Clean twist top bottle
• New twist caps with seal ring
• Funnel
• Rubber band
• Hand towel

1. Place the funnel in the mouth of the bottle and pour the liquid that you will be bottling into the bottle. If the liquid is carbonated, leave 2 1/2 inches of head space at the top of the bottle.

2. Place the twist cap on the top of the bottle and firmly press down with your hand on the top of the cap.

3. Twist the cap on as far as it will go. Wrap a rubber band around the top of the cap so that it is secure on the lid and tighten the cap further with the towel between your hand and the rubber band to provide additional grip.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a bottle and jar opener, usually a small rubber mat, you can use this to tighten the caps instead of a rubber band and towel.

• Twist caps do not provide an air tight seal and therefore should be used within 3 months of bottling for carbonated or high sugar beverages and 6 months for non carbonated beverages.

• If you are bottling a carbonated beverage and notice that the bottle is bulging, open the bottle and use or discard the liquid because the twist cap is not able to hold excess pressure and will blow off resulting in the liquid spraying out.

• If you open a bulging twist top bottle point the top away from you to avoid the top and bursting liquid hitting you.

References

• Still Tasty: Food Storage, How Long You Can Keep...