Pasteurization is the process of heat treatment of food or items for disinfection. In cooking, this type of processing is used everywhere. Each housewife learns how to pasteurize jars in the oven correctly. This method allows you to quickly process containers for preservation of any volume.
Benefits of pasteurizing cans in ovens
Housewives, lovers of homemade preparations, cannot do without pasteurization of vegetables and cans. The quality of winter salads, compotes and preserves largely depends on the correct heat treatment.
Pasteurization involves heating food and cans at a temperature close to 100 degrees. The phrase in the recipes "without bringing to a boil" describes the temperature regime of processing in the best possible way. 
The autumn-summer period is a hot season for harvesting. Before you have time to cook the jam, you need to pickle the cucumbers. And then there are compotes and salads. A huge number of cans of different sizes are required.
Even 20 years ago, in the kitchen of every housewife, a kettle with a narrow neck was necessarily kept. This kitchen masterpiece has served several generations of women with pasteurization of cans. The process of preparing containers for blanks took a whole day. Each can had to be soaked over a boiling kettle for at least 10 minutes. You can imagine how long it took to prepare even one type of product. And so it would have continued until now, if it had not occurred to the idea of using an electric oven for pasteurization. 
Depending on the volume of the oven, it is possible to process 5-6 pieces of three liter jars at a time. The savings in time are enormous.
New models of electric ovens allow you to set the exact temperature and avoid cracking of the cans due to overheating. The timer will help you to accurately determine the heating time.
Although older versions of ovens built into electric ovens will allow you to pasteurize cans.
How to properly pasteurize containers in the oven
Cans pasteurization rules.
- Banks are installed on the grate with the neck down.
- Do not put cans in a preheated oven.
- The pasteurization temperature is 90 degrees.
- Pasteurization time is not less than 20 minutes.
When preparing containers, you must follow some safety rules.
- As you know, glass is a fragile material. The slightest hit of a drop of water on a heated jar can cause a crack to appear on the glass or the jar will burst right in your hands.
- Do not take out the pasteurized container immediately after turning off the timer.
- It is necessary to put the jars on a soft dry cloth (kitchen towel) spread out on the table.
- It is advisable to immediately cover the neck of the jar with a clean lid that has undergone heat treatment with boiling water.
- It is necessary to use cloth mitts to protect your hands from burns. Do not use rubber gloves or plastic potholders.
An electric oven can replace the pasteurization procedure for ready-made salads in a "water bath". But the technology of this process is slightly different from the pasteurization of empty containers.
Ready mixtures of vegetables are placed in a jar while hot. In order to avoid cracking of the container and damage to the workpiece, you should put the jar in a slightly heated oven. Initial warming up to 60 degrees is suitable. The rest of the pasteurization rules are the same for empty containers and filled with products. 
When handling filled cans, some brine may spill out and get onto the heating elements of the oven. To avoid this, you can put an ordinary deep baking sheet under the wire rack with jars and pour some water. This is necessary so that the vegetable oil, usually used in vegetable preparations, does not foul when heated.
When making blanks for future use, it is very important to maintain sterility. All pathogenic bacteria during food processing and preparation of storage containers must be destroyed. Canning jars must be cleaned with laundry soap or soda, then rinsed with running water. Then they are poured over with boiling water, steamed, placed in an airfryer or microwave oven for several minutes, and the lids are boiled thoroughly.
The last moment may scare off some housewives, who will find such efforts to disinfect containers a difficult task. And it is completely in vain, because there are cans for blanks available even to the most inexperienced young ladies. The process can be greatly simplified using a conventional kitchen oven.
with blanks
There is no need to place bowls and buckets filled to the brim with boiling water in the kitchen; you can do much easier. A long time ago, our grandmothers discovered new possibilities for a household kitchen oven. It is affordable, spacious and easy to use. In it, you can disinfect lids (of course, only iron and without rubber inserts), jars, ladles and other necessary utensils before laying products.
Sometimes the recipe provides for sterilization of cans with blanks. In the oven, this can be done without much difficulty. The point of action is the complete destruction of all bacteria and fungi that can spoil canned food and harm human health.
First, you need to carefully inspect the cans for chips and cracks. When heated, they can burst, therefore, sterilization of cans with blanks in the oven is carried out only if the containers are intact.
Then you need to prepare the container in an appropriate way and put the necessary pickles, preserves or marinades in it. Finished canned food should be covered with lids without screwing them in. Next, sterilization of cans with blanks is carried out.
In the oven, containers are first placed on the grate, and only then the gas is turned on. It is necessary to monitor the temperature: it cannot be raised above 120 degrees, as the glass may break.
The cooking time is indicated in the recipe. Usually it is 10-15 minutes for 0.5-0.7 liter cans and 20 minutes for 1 liter cans. After the required time has elapsed, the gas must be turned off, and the cans must be left for a while so that they cool slightly.
Caution, they carry hotter!
It is necessary to take out the dishes carefully, using special fabric or silicone potholders. An important point: they must be dry. Firstly, so as not to burn your hand through a damp cloth, and secondly, the hot glass can crack from the temperature drop. Banks must be held by the sides, the neck may slip out of the hands, then burns cannot be avoided. Immediately after removal, the jars are closed with lids.
Pasteurization
Sterilization of cans with blanks in the oven presupposes a long-term high-temperature effect on food, in which part of the biologically active substances and vitamins is inevitably destroyed. Pasteurization is carried out at a temperature of 75-90 degrees and is a more gentle way of processing products. It is used for compotes, marinades, to which a lot of vinegar is added, or preparations that are not planned to be stored for a long time.
Sterilization is needed to clear the jars of microorganisms. If this is not done, the homemade preparations will ferment, and the lids will fly off them.
How to prepare lids and jars for sterilization
Check the jars for chips, cracks, or rust. Containers without damage are suitable for preservation. Covers should be smooth and free from scratches or rust.
Wash jars and lids thoroughly with a clean sponge. Better to do this with baking soda, mustard powder, laundry soap or natural soap.
1. How to sterilize steam cans over a saucepan
Fill a saucepan about halfway with water and let the liquid boil. Place the lids in the pot and place a colander, strainer or wire rack on top. Place dry jars on top with the neck down.
You can use a special sterilizer. This device looks like a flat lid with one or more holes where cans are inserted.
Small cans should stand over steam for about 6–8 minutes, cans with a volume of 1–2 liters - 10–15 minutes, and containers of 3 liters or more - 20–25 minutes.
When large drops of water appear on the inner walls of the cans, sterilization can be finished.
prizyv.ru Remove the cans and place them on a clean, dry towel with the neck down. The lids must be carefully removed and also put on a towel with the inside down.
Allow jars and lids to dry completely before canning.
Place the jars on a baking sheet or wire shelf in a cold place. How you install them - neck up or down - doesn't really matter. The jars can be put in the oven immediately after washing.
You can put screw lids in the oven. Do not sterilize caps with rubber bands as they may melt. They need to be boiled in water for 10-15 minutes.
Close the oven and set the temperature to 100–110 ° C. Keep the jars inside for about 20 minutes. The sterilization time does not depend on their volume.
Turn off the oven and leave the jars there for a few minutes to cool slightly. You need to get them out with a dry towel. If it is wet, the cans may burst due to temperature extremes.
3. How to sterilize steam jars over a kettle
Fill a regular kettle about halfway with water and bring it to a boil. If possible, put the lids in the kettle. If they won't fit inside, sterilize them in a saucepan of boiling water.
Place a dry jar in the opening of the kettle with the neck down.
If the jar is small, you can place it on the spout of the teapot. Or put a crush in the kettle and hang the jar on it.
You need to keep the jars over steam as much as in the previous sterilization method over a saucepan. Then dry them on a clean towel.
4. How to sterilize steam cans in a multicooker or double boiler
Fill the bowl or steamers with water and put the lids on. Attach the steam nozzle and place the dry jars on top of it with the neck down.
Turn on the steamer or set the multicooker to "Steam". If the jars are small, you can close the device with a lid, but this does not play a significant role.
After boiling water, the jars should be sterilized as much as over a saucepan or kettle. Place the jars and lids on a clean, dry towel and wait until they are completely dry.
5. How to sterilize jars in the microwave
Pour 1.5–2 cm of water into jars and place in. Select maximum power and turn on the timer for 3-5 minutes.
The water should boil, and the inside of the jars should be covered with large drops. Drain, place the jars upside down on a clean, dry towel and pat dry.
Lids cannot be sterilized in the microwave.
They need to be dipped in a pot of boiling water for 10-15 minutes.
6. How to sterilize jars in boiling water
Place the jars, neck up, in a large saucepan. Place the lids side by side. Pour cold water into the pot and cans so that it covers the necks.
If the cans do not fit in the pan, you can leave them horizontally instead of placing them.
Bring water to a boil and sterilize the jars for 15–20 minutes. Then transfer to a clean towel with the neck down to dry completely.
Many housewives make preparations for the winter. Yes, now there is a fashion for frozen vegetables, but, for example, you cannot freeze the same cucumbers, and it is simply impossible to cook salads (especially for the new year) without this vegetable. Well, or the same jam. Frozen fruit is nowhere near as tasty as sweet jam. And of course, the correct preparation for the winter depends primarily on the quality preparation and sterilization of cans. We examine future containers for chips and, if all is well, proceed to sterilization. And today we will talk about one rather popular method, such as sterilizing cans in an electric oven. Let's get started.
As we noted above, the first step is to prepare banks for work. As a rule, empty jars are heated, but there are recipes that imply the sterilization of jars of ingredients. We'll cover both options in this article. But first about the rules:
- As we already mentioned, you need to check them for defects. If there is even the slightest chip or crack on it, do not skimp, throw it away. All the same, it won't be of any use. It will either allow air to pass through, or worse, it will simply explode.
- Just rinsing the jars is not enough. Fill the containers with water (to the top) and leave them there for 2-3 hours. All bacteria and dirt will lag behind the walls and this will allow you to quickly and efficiently wash them.
- It is best to wash them with baking soda. It not only destroys harmful microorganisms and cleans the surface well, it also absorbs odor well. It is best to wash the jars with a new sponge (only unopened) on which there are no food residues.
Electric oven processing
Not all people have gas ovens. Someone bought themselves electric ovens. But the procedure itself for sterilizing cans in such an oven does not differ from the procedure in a gas oven. Here are the steps to carry out the procedure in an electric oven:
- First, you need to clean the oven well. It should not contain extraneous flavors, dirt, pieces of previous pies or anything else that can "impose" the flavor on a clean container.
- It is allowed to place both dry and wet cans in it. It's just that if you put it dry, then it is placed with the neck down, if wet, then with the neck up so that the moisture does not close in the container.
- At the same time, many housewives put on a baking sheet and lids (not nylon) in order to sterilize them together.
- When the jars are ready and placed in the oven, turn on the oven and set the mode to 150 C. This temperature is enough to kill all harmful bacteria.
- When the microwave warms up to the required temperature, you will need to hold the jars for a few more minutes (how many will be described a little below).
- When they are warmed up, you need to get them out. They are warmed up so they will be hot. In order not to burn yourself, you need to use dry potholders or gloves. If they are wet, then a temperature difference may occur, which will provoke the jar to burst. So be careful. It is best not to touch them for a few minutes until they have cooled slightly. Also, you cannot take them by the neck, as it can simply break off.
Processing with blanks
There are also recipes that imply the sterilization of cans with their contents. Do not be afraid of carrying out this procedure, because it is no more difficult than heating empty cans. The procedure with blanks is carried out as follows:
- Jars of ingredients without lids are loaded into an unheated oven.
- Next, the temperature is set to 100 C.
- Banks remain for sterilization for 15-20 minutes. The time may vary in one direction or another, depending on the volume of the container.
- Now you need to get the banks. They take them with potholders, very carefully. During heating, condensation forms there, due to which the container can slip out. Also, you cannot take the jar by its neck, since at high temperatures it breaks off very easily. Therefore, they take containers only by the sides.
- When the jar is taken out, a lid is placed on it and cupped.
How much to carry out the procedure?
The sterilization time depends on the volume of the container. It is very important not to overexpose it so that it does not burst, but also underexpose it so that no harmful microorganisms remain. Roughly containers of different sizes are kept in the oven as much:
- Containers up to 1 liter are heated for about 10 minutes.
- Containers with a volume of 1 liter are heated up to 15 minutes.
- Containers with a volume of 2 liters are heated up to 20 minutes.
- Containers with a volume of 3 liters or more must be warmed up for at least 30 minutes.
Microwave sterilization
And finally, I would like to talk about the sterilization of cans in the microwave. Many people have this miracle device at home, which helps a lot with the housework. It can also help sterilize cans. Many do not even know about this method, but in practice it is the fastest way. The only problem is that microwave ovens are small and it is impossible to put a 3-liter jar. But you can put it on its side.
The essence of the method is as follows: we take a jar, for example, 1 liter and pour hot water into it by ¼ of the total volume (that is, in our case, 250 ml). We put the container in the microwave and turn on the 800 W mode. How much should the container be in the microwave? Well, in general, 3-4 minutes will be enough. Therefore, this method is considered the fastest. Naturally, there is also a drawback - this is a small number of cans that fit into the microwave, and the large volume makes the hostess be smart.
After we have processed the jar, we take it out of the microwave and set it to dry.
How is the procedure carried out with three-liter cans? Also, you just need to lay it on one side. Pour boiling water into it and put it on its side. It is important that no water flows out of it. We set the same mode and also hold for 3-4 minutes.
Ideal for fast sterilization. However, it is not suitable when you need to seal a large amount of food, since it is inconvenient to sterilize 1 piece (especially if 3 liters). In this case, it is better to give preference to standard sterilization in a gas or electric oven. Well, or steamed, in a saucepan.
