How to quickly sterilize jars in the microwave, with and without water

Preparing pickles and preserves for the winter is not an easy task, and every housewife knows: the guarantee that the blanks will turn out to be successful, and the cans will not explode and not become cloudy, is thorough sterilization. Whoever sterilized jars in a pot of boiling water and a hot oven at least once understands that this is a tedious and threatening job with a burn. But there is a much simpler and more reliable way, and it will be useful for every lover of blanks to learn how to quickly sterilize jars in the microwave.

Advantages and disadvantages of sterilizing cans in the microwave

The microwave oven makes it easy to complete a process that used to take a lot of time and effort, and to disinfect the dishes needed for the workpieces in a few minutes. But the method has a number of disadvantages, which are worth mentioning.

Benefits of microwave sterilization:

• no need to boil a huge pot of water and set up something like a steam bath in the kitchen;
• there is no danger of getting burned by hot steam or breaking the jar by pulling it out of boiling water, good skill is not required here, which not everyone has;
• sterilization is more effective due to exposure to microwave waves in addition to temperature.

Disadvantages of using the oven:

• microwave sterilization is an energy-intensive process, and the electricity bill will come very impressive;
• the covers will still have to be processed the old fashioned way, microwave waves are incompatible with metal objects;
• the volume of the oven allows you to place only one three-liter can at a time, and you will have to repeat the procedure with each individual can.

But, even considering the limited volume, microwave sterilization will take much less time and effort than traditional methods.

Preparing empty glass jars

Before you ignite the cans, it is important to prepare them carefully. There are no trifles in the process, any defect can put all the work down the drain, and it is very annoying to find cloudy cucumbers or fermented jam, or, even worse, an exploded compote on your shelf.

Sequencing:

• firstly, inspect for damage, cracks and chips. Such defects will not allow the jar to be stored for a long time, under the influence of a change in temperature, pressure fluctuations occur and, if even a small crack is caught, all the contents will disappear;
• secondly, rinse the jars well, remove all contamination.It is better to use laundry soap and soda when washing, the residues of the detergent can remain on the walls and affect the taste and quality of pickles;
• thirdly, it is better to prepare the lids in advance, rinse, inspect and sterilize in boiling water.

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Methods and step-by-step instructions for sterilization in the oven

There are two ways to sterilize cans in the microwave:

• with steam;
• dry, or it is more correct to call it combined, since steam is still present.

Both methods are equally reliable, and you can choose the one that is more convenient to use. Each housewife has her own favorite method, but it is also important to understand whether a dry can is needed or whether it is permissible to use a wet one.

Steam sterilize

This is the simplest and most efficient way:

• a small amount of water is poured into the jar, no more than two fingers from the bottom;
• the container is placed in the oven (if the cans are small, you can place several at once);
• by time, the oven turns on for about 3 minutes, with a power of 800 watts, in addition, you can navigate by the water level;
• three-liter cans can be folded on their side, after placing a clean towel or napkin so that the cans do not roll during processing;
• the cans are removed from the oven, always with good tacks on the hands, excess water is poured out, and the cans are placed on a clean towel before pouring the blanks.

Important! Do not pour cold liquid into a hot jar. – the glass will surely crack from a sharp temperature drop. It is recommended to pour hot marinade into a warm container, and into a cooled – already cooler.

It is better to take water without impurities in order to avoid the formation of scale on the bottom.

Dry sterilize

For this method, you will additionally need a glass, water is poured into it by 2/3 of the volume so that it does not spill during boiling. The jars and glass are placed in a microwave oven, and it runs at 700-800 watts. In order to correctly determine how many minutes it takes to process, you need to monitor the water level. After complete boil-off, the treatment can be considered complete.

Microwave waves and hot steam will completely destroy bacteria on the surface of the container.

Features of microwave sterilization of cans with conservation

Sometimes it is necessary to process the cans along with the blanks, so that the products themselves are also free of excess bacteria. In this case, we place the products prepared for preservation in clean containers and sterilize the same way, with the addition of a small amount of water.

Due to the short processing time, the products do not have time to cook, and the cucumbers will not lose their firmness and crunch, and the berries will retain their shape and texture.

With salty foods

Salt, by itself, is a disinfectant for preparation and preservation, but it always makes sense to additionally process containers and products for better protection.

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This is especially important when it comes to meat products and mushrooms. Botulism is a terrible disease, sometimes fatal, and careful handling of food during conservation is extremely important.

Jars already filled with mushrooms or other preservation, and a small container of water must be placed in a microwave oven, waiting for the water to boil, let it boil for about three minutes, after which they can be taken out, filled with marinade, and quickly closed with sterile lids using a seaming machine ...

It is better to leave the finished jars to cool, wrapping them in a blanket so that the temperature decreases more slowly. And put it upside down for a couple of days to make sure there are no bubbles. If, nevertheless, bubbles appear, the jar will have to be re-processed, sterilized and rolled up.

With raw berries and fruits

For raw fruits and berries, sterilization is also very important.All fruits contain bacteria that promote fermentation. And if you do not want the can to suddenly explode under the influence of accumulated gases, it must be thoroughly disinfected.

Here, putting fruits in a prepared jar and adding a little syrup, they put it in the oven for a short time, let it boil for 3-5 minutes, take it out, fill it with boiled syrup and seal it with a lid. It is important not to overexpose fruits under the influence of temperature, otherwise they will lose their properties and will look far from so beautiful.

With jam

Some housewives neglect the need to pasteurize the jam, hoping that a large amount of sugar will prevent the product from spoiling.

But it is worth recalling that the jam very often begins to ferment or becomes moldy, which will be an extremely unpleasant surprise. Therefore, it is better to spend five minutes and avoid the dire consequences of neglect.

Jars of jam are sterilized for 4-5 minutes at a normal power of 700-800 watts, after which there is no need to worry about the state of stocks throughout the winter.

Important! During sterilization, it is necessary to avoid contamination from entering the container during the transfer and rolling of cans.

If, nevertheless, through negligence, a foreign object gets into the jar, it will be easier to re-sterilize the procedure than to wait for the inevitable deterioration of the products after a while.

Modern household appliances make the life of housewives much easier, and with minimal effort, an excellent result is obtained. Although it is important to master the subtleties and nuances of its application, and sometimes unexpected possibilities.

And, of course, the most important thing is the result. After the expended efforts, nothing beats the pleasure of trying a jar of your favorite jam or compote on a winter evening, which has preserved the memories of a sunny summer.