Despite the wide range of canned fruits and vegetables on store shelves, many housewives make preparations for the winter at home. In this case, it is very important to properly sterilize the cans for conservation. Sterilization is the heat treatment of cans, during which germs are killed. It can be done in several ways.
Traditional sterilization methods
Before sterilization, it is necessary to inspect all cans for various defects (chips and cracks). The jars selected for preservation should be washed cleanly. You can sterilize containers in various ways.
The most common method is steamed. The essence of the process is that the steam generated when the water boils heats the jars. This method requires a large saucepan, basin, or bucket. It is necessary to pour clean water into the container and put it on fire. A special stopper should be placed on top, which will not allow the bank to fall into the container. The role of the limiter can be played by a metal sieve, as well as a grill from the oven. Then you need to set the jar upside down on the limiter. Boiling, the water will pour over the container with steam. The sterilization process lasts about 15 minutes - until the drops that have settled on the walls of the can begin to drain. This sterilization method is considered the most reliable.
Be careful when sterilizing cans with steam. Hot steam can burn your hands.
The second traditional sterilization method is boiling. This process is carried out at a temperature of 100 ° C and above. At the bottom of a large saucepan, you need to place a wooden or metal grate on which you want to place the jars. Subsequently, they should be filled with water. It should completely cover the container. During boiling, the jars should not come into contact with each other, so it is recommended to put nylon lids or cloth between them. The jars should also be boiled for 15 minutes, after which immediately, without waiting for the water to cool, remove from the pan.
New ways of sterilization
The appearance of various “home helpers” in the kitchen suggested new methods of sterilization. For example, in a double boiler. For him, you just need to load cleanly washed cans into a double boiler and turn on the "Cooking" mode for 15 minutes. Lids can be sterilized at the same time.
Jars are sterilized very quickly in a microwave oven. With this method, you need to pour about a centimeter of water into the container, place it in the microwave and turn it on for 2-3 minutes (at a power of 700-800 watts). If several sterilization jars are installed in the microwave at the same time, the time should be increased. With this method, the lids are recommended to be sterilized separately, that is, in the traditional way - in water.
You can also sterilize jars in the oven. To do this, you need to wash the container and immediately put it in the oven. Sterilization takes place at a temperature of 160 ° C until the water droplets are completely dry.
The oven can sterilize up to 20 jars at the same time, which is very practical.
To sterilize jars in a dishwasher, you need to load a clean container into it, and then set the highest temperature mode (it should not be lower than 60 ° C). During sterilization, powder and other substances are not placed in the dishwasher.
