|
|
|
|
1. Organize all materials before you begin: lids, caps, funnel and paper towels.
|
2. Protect your work-space (in this case the sink) with a hot pad.
|
3. Place the pot onto the hot pad, next to where you will be canning.
|
|
|
|
|
4. Arrange hot jars, no more than 4 or five at a time, on a clean towel. The towel is to ensure there is no slippage which may occur on a smooth surface.
|
5. Using a funnel, fill the jars. It is important to leave the appropriate head space to allow for the expansion of the food during processing without overflowing.
|
6. Run a plastic spatula or knife around the interior perimeter of the jar to remove air pockets. Do not use any metal object as it could damage the glass jar.
|
|
|
|
|
7. Wipe the rim of the jar clean with a damp paper towel.
To avoid contamination, use a clean portion of the paper towel for each jar.
|
8. Place the lid and cap on the jar, taking care not to tilt the jar and soil the rim.
Note manufacturers’ instructions. They may recommend boiling the lids before usage.
Tighten the cap as firmly as possible.
|
9. You may want to use a towel when tightening lids as the jars are hot.
For processing, place jars in a hot water bath canner or a pressure canner as directed by the recipe.
|