CLEAN JARS BEFORE USE
Always wash jars well using soap and soft cloths (no abrasives, these will
scratch the jars). Rinse jars. Check jars are clean, with no cracks or chips
before use.
Remember: new lids before
processing your high acid preserves in a water bath canner!
JARS WITH ONE PIECE
LIDS i.e. Bormioli Rocco Quattro
Stagioni and Twist-Top Jars.
These jars have a single piece lid that
twists onto the jar rim to secure. Whilst technically you could reuse “supermarket
jars”, the issue resides in the correctly fitting lid – they are measured from
the outer rim in millimetres for example, but the thread (side of the jar rim
the lid is twisted onto to secure the lid) can vary between brands, and if it
fits incorrectly then seal failure may occur, and food safety may be compromised.
Therefore, we recommend buying twist top jars from somewhere that spare lids
are also available to purchase. The benefit of buying twist top jars: you can
get a WIDE range of sizes and shapes for bottling your preserved fruits,
pickles, chutney, mustard etc. in different jars. Looked after with care, these
jars can be reused for several years. As directed by the manufacturer, twist
top jars are suitable for heating up to 100°C, ideal for water bath canning but
not to be used for pressure canning (Quattro Stagioni can be pressure
canned).
JARS WITH TWO PIECE LIDS (seal + band)
i.e. Ball Mason, and Kerr.
Straight sided or
tapered tops, regular mouth or wide mouth, plain or quilted texture, these jars
are available in several sizes online! From 4oz, to 8oz (half-pint), pint, pint
and a half and quart these jars are high quality and can last generations if
cared for. They have metal rings (called bands) that hold the round disc part
of the lid called a seal. The jars and bands are reusable; the seals are one
time use for pantry preserving. Boxes of seals are available online. Beware
cheap imported jars that look like these (but no branding) that may not be high
quality glass and may not seal accurately that may only be used for water bath
canning if they seal properly (we don’t recommend buying these low quality
jars). Proper jars in this style, like Ball and Kerr, are suitable for water
bath canning and pressure canning.
JARS WITH TWO PIECE LIDS (gasket + lid) i.e. Bormioli
Rocco Fido, Maxwell
& Williams, and other bail lid jars.
Glass jars
with a rubber sealing ring (gasket) and a bail/hinged lid are not recommended
for water bath canning, as the hinged lid does not release air during boiling (processing).
We recommend using these jars for short ferments, where the seal is released once
a day (minimum) to remove the gas bubbles that are created during the
fermentation period. Hinged jars can also be used to store dry or dehydrated
items (and in the refrigerator too).
JARS WITH THREE PIECE LIDS (gasket + lid + clip/s)
i.e. Fowlers Vacola and Weck.
These jars do not have hinged lids.
They have metal or glass lids, with a rubber sealing ring (gasket) between the
lid and jar. Clip/s hold the lid and gasket onto the jar during processing.
When the jars have cooled after processing, the lid is sealed, and the clip/s
are removed. These jars are
suitable for water bath canning and pressure canning. Author: Megan Radaich
Image Credit: Megan Radaich & Google Images
Publication: www.foodpreserving.org