How to sterilize cans in the microwave?

Few of us do not like delicious homemade canned goods, pickles, jams. However, the procedure for their preparation is a very troublesome business. In addition to fruits and vegetables, it is worth preparing containers for the product. Many housewives want to learn how to sterilize banks is the least troublesome. And we will tell you this way, it’s enough just to have a microwave in your house!

Why sterilization is needed

This stage is one of the most important in the conservation of products. Skipping it can be fraught with damage to the workpiece and even serious health problems.

Thoroughly washing the jar is not enough. This, unfortunately, will not kill all the harmful microorganisms that live on it. Perhaps they themselves are not dangerous to our health. But this cannot be said about the products of their vital functions, as well as about the infections that these creatures endure. In a space without air (namely, it will be a jar with a screw-on lid), the poisons of their secretions accumulate in quantities that are harmful to us.

What is important to note, the product does not have to look lost if it contains toxic emissions. The most dangerous of them is botulinum toxin. As we know, botulism can also be fatal.

This is why it is important to know how to sterilize jars correctly. And one of the simple ways is to conduct this process in a microwave oven.

Can preparation

Before sterilizing the jars in the microwave, prepare them for the procedure. To do this, wash glass containers under running water using dishwashing gel or baking soda. Do not ignore this step, even if the tanks seem to be completely clean.

Dry the cans after washing. Be sure to carefully check them for chips and cracks. Even the slightest damage makes the container unsuitable for conservation!

Microwave Sterilization Techniques

Many of us know only one way of this process - over the pan. But since most fruit and vegetable harvesting is done in the summer, the method is somewhat inconvenient. Water bath, steam, high temperature, coupled with summer stuffiness. In addition, such sterilization takes a lot of time.

Therefore, it is important to know how to sterilize cans in the microwave. There is one prohibition - you can’t cover the container with a lid! Up to 5 small jars can be processed at a time in a standard oven. If sterilization of a three-liter capacity is needed, then it is placed in the oven on its side, after having previously spread a towel to fix it. You can also use a large dish or plate to hold.

There are three methods of your choice:

1. Dry processing (steam).
2. Water treatment.
3. Processing with blanks.

Let's look at each in detail.

Water treatment

How to sterilize jars here:

1. Pour water into a pre-washed container - a couple of centimeters above the bottom is enough. Use bottled or filtered liquid so that it does not leave limescale when evaporated.
2. Place in the microwave without covering. Activate the device at a power of 700-800 watts.
3. How long does it take to sterilize cans? 2-3 minutes on average. But the more containers, the more time it takes to process. A three-liter capacity, for example, should be in the microwave for 5-6 minutes.
4. So how much to sterilize the cans? Be guided by boiling water. As soon as you hear a characteristic noise, you will see bubbles, count 1-3 minutes, then turn off the microwave. The steam that stands out during this time is enough to sterilize the container.
5. Use only dry potholders or towels to get a can. Wet will lead to a temperature drop, which is fraught with a broken glass. Take the container by the neck and better with both hands.
6. Pour out the remaining water and immediately fill the container with food.
7. If you need a lot of cans at once, spread a clean towel and put them out of the microwave, putting the neck on the cloth. Turn over only before filling with products.
8. In hot containers, put hot pickles, in the cooled container - cold. This will also protect against cracked glass due to temperature difference.
   

Dry processing

We continue to consider how to sterilize cans in a microwave oven. For some preservation methods, only absolutely dry processed containers are suitable. For this case, such an instruction:

1. Already washed and dried cans, load in the microwave. But so that there is free space in it.
2. In the gap, place the glass, filling it with water about 2/3. The cavity should not be filled with liquid - it will overflow over the edges when boiling.
3. Turn on the device - watch the glass. The microwave should be turned off when all the water in it boils. It takes about 5 minutes.
4. Using towels, potholders, take out the cans from the microwave.
   

Processing with blanks

And now we’ll tell you how to sterilize jars with pickles and jams. Indeed, some recipes require processing not only containers, but also blanks with them. Such sterilization will be necessary to:

• mushrooms;
• juices;
• vegetable salads;
• compotes.

But with regard to jam, pickled (with the addition of vinegar) vegetables, including pickled tomato cucumbers, such processing is not required. For them, you can limit yourself to the first two methods.

Before sterilizing canned workpieces in the microwave, many will ask themselves, but this will not affect the quality of the product. Suddenly instead of “crunchiness” you get “jam”? "No, you should not be afraid of such an effect - the food container will be processed in the oven for a short time.

How to sterilize with products

How to microwave the cans in this case:

1. Fill containers with food and add some water.
2. By no means closing the lids, put the cans in the microwave for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the container and add the boiling fill.
4. And now you need to roll up pre-stocked lids as quickly as possible.

That's all!

Pros and cons of the procedure

Let us critically analyze this popular method among many housewives.

But not everyone has a microwave at home - we also offer you an alternative method.

How to sterilize jars in the oven

The method is largely reminiscent of the above. Such processing will not only save you from hot wet fumes, but also allow you to process more containers (including large ones) immediately.

So, how to sterilize jars in the oven:

1. Check the packaging for chips and cracks. Even the slightest defect makes the container unusable.
2. Then wash the glass containers with laundry soap or baking soda, rinse under running water.
3. Washed cans can be placed in a cold or already slightly warm oven.
4. If the containers are dry, then place them with the bottom up, and the wet ones with the bottom down on the grate. So the evaporation of the liquid will go faster.
5. Close the door.
6. Now set the heat to low. Gradually, it should be increased to 150 degrees. When you reach this maximum temperature, note the time - the banks should be sterilized after that for 15 minutes.
7. If the capacity is large, the processing time can be increased up to 25 minutes.
8. Then be sure to put on dry mitts-gloves (from wet due to the temperature difference the glass will simply burst), remove the containers.
9. If you will not use the cans immediately, then spread the towel and fold the container down on it.
10. Do not forget to prepare and covers. Discard stains or rust. Lids are also washed in warm water with soap or soda. While the cans are in the oven, they are boiled for 15 minutes.
11. Hot contents are placed in warm cans, cold - in already cooled.
    

In the oven, you can sterilize the jars and the contents. To do this, they must be laid without a lid in a cold oven. Then it is heated to 100 degrees. The minimum processing time is 15 minutes.

So we sorted out new ways to sterilize cans for vegetable and fruit preservation. Unlike traditional ones, they take less time, do not create tangible discomfort in the kitchen.