Sterilizing Jars

Gourmet | July 2001



Wash jars, lids, and screw bands in hot soapy water, then rinse well. Dry screw bands.

Put jars and lids on a rack in a boiling-water canner or an 8- to 10-quart deep pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Heat water until an instant-read thermometer registers 180°F. Do not let boil. Keep jars submerged in hot water, covered, until ready to use.


The three forks is for the cook from Lawson. Take it on the road man!!!! I laughed, I cried, I ran. I'm sure it wasn't the boiling jar in my hand.

A Cook from The very funny Pacific NW / 10.23.03

Ah, I love this website!! Cook from Lawson, MO!!! You made my day. We sterilize jars with the same results, but you put it in much better words than I.

A Cook from San Francisco Bay Area / 07.01.02

It would have been helpful to have some information on the time involved to get that amount of water to boiling. Took a long time on my electric stove. As for the dish itself, my guests didn't complain, but I suspect it lacked something in the presentation.

Arbgirl from Ann Arbor / 07.01.01

Maybe I didn't boil them long enough, but the jars are still just as crunchy and tasteless as when I started. The sterilization was partly successful. The jars in my cabinet are reporducing exponentially, while the lid population is clearly on the decline.

A Cook from Lawson, MO / 07.01.01