If you're doing canning, try this. Wash your jars and check the tops of your jars. They should feel like a piece of flat glass, nice and smooth. Put them in the oven on a cookie sheet, open side up, at 200 degrees F until ready to use. This gives you more room on the top of the stove.
Source: 30 years of canning.
By ruth from Sweet Valley, PA
This page contains the following solutions.
To save money on canning, most jars that food came in will work just as well as "canning jars." Save the ones that are the size you need and are nice thick quality.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I was wondering if I can use some old mason jars I got for free to do some canning. Will the metal lids work? Should I get new lids? Some have rust on them. I really wanna be able to use some of my tomatoes from my garden this winter.
Jennifer from Illinois
First, check the rims very carefully to make sure they are smooth. This is very important to make sure the lids will seal.
Definately get new lids, some reuse the rings, but I would replace the rusty ones.
Yes, you can uses the jars as long as they don't have any crackes or chips in them. you will need to buy new lids throw the old ones away! you can uses the rings just wash , if they didn't come with rings you will need to buy some.
You can use the ring, but you'll need to replace that little disk-thingie that has the seal. I'm not sure exactly why, but that's what my wife does.
I asked her for a reason once & she explained it, but, heh...I'm a man & I forget ;)
The jars can be used if they are in good condition. The lids however can only be used once for canning. The rings can be re-used; however if they are rusty, I'd pitch those too. You can probably get some instructions online but if you can find the "Ball Blue Book"....that will explain everything to you, step by step. Tomatoes are easy to can....we have done many times, my husband and myself. There's nothing better than your own home canned whole tomatoes. I miss them so much. I didn't have to buy tomatoes from the store for most of our 30 years of marriage.
Tomatoes are acidic so they get canned by the "boiling bath method". Low acid produce has to be done in a pressure canner.
Anyway, I do believe that canning supplies would be available in Wal-Mart and they might even have the canning book I suggest buying. It doesn't cost much and you will then be able to teach yourself the proper way to can.
Good luck,
Debbie
Another good way to preserve tomatoes is to freeze them. I scald, peel, dice and micro for 5 minutes in micro proof 4-qt container with handle and lid,
I also like to freeze my tomatoes. Since they are low in acid like Debbie52 said, you don't have to worry about them not sealing. I also like them frozen better because after you can them and water bath them. They loose color and flavor from all that cooking. You can also make stewed tomatoes and freeze them with the spices, celery onion etc.
you can use the same jars but make shure you boil them and please dont use your old lids get new ones you go to all the trouble of canning your food dont let it ruin on you the lids dont cost that much and you can get them anywhere
I have found lots of spaghetti jars have mouth openings that don't match the standard or wide mouth lid sizes so those jars have limited applications. i.e. jam/jelly jar with paraffin wax. There are some exceptions.
Hi,
I have always reused my canning jars providing they are in good shape. I also do that so called no-no of using just about any jar that the ring and seal will fit on. I figure if the company that originally filled and processed them didn't break them, I should be able to use them.
Rings I reuse until they get pretty rusty. As long as they are capable of holding the lid down, why spend the money to replace them?
Can I sterilize empty canning jars in my oven? My dishwasher is out of service for a while. So instead of water boiling all my clean empty jars to sterilize them, can I sterilize my canning jars in the oven before filling the jars to can in my pressure canner? If so, what temperature and for how long? If not, why not?
By G A
Water boils at 210 degrees F. I bake my jars at 250 for about 10 minutes, but I do boil the lids. I have not had any problems using this method and think it may be better because of the higher temperature.
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It seems I read somewhere that you could sterilize canning jars in the oven. Does any one know about this? At what temperature and for how long?
