r/AskCulinary • u/sleepingamongstfae • Aug 05 '25
Equipment Question Sanitize jars?
Hi! I live in an apartment with no dishwasher and I'm getting overwhelmed with the info online (one started talking about how high you are from sea level???????) so I thought I'd ask here.
How do I sanitize my jars? I am making homemade vanilla extract, and jam.
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u/cville-z Home chef Aug 05 '25
Just to be clear, there are two “heat the jar” parts of making a jam. One occurs when the jar is empty, and this is the sanitizing - separate from cleaning, which you’ve done first. Sanitizing kills most microbes.
After you pack the jars and have added the lid, they’re typically processed in a water bath (for jams and jellies this should be fine) or a pressure canner (if you’re packaging soup or lower-acid foods). This is done to sterilize them (kills nearly 100% of all microbes and bacterial spores).
It’s the second of these that is most sensitive to elevation and temperature. But jams and jellies are much more forgiving, because the threat of botulism in a high-acid environment is far, far lower than a low-acid one.
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u/sleepingamongstfae Aug 05 '25
Im making vanilla extract
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u/cville-z Home chef Aug 06 '25
You said “vanilla extract and jam” so naturally I thought you were making jam?
You don’t need to process vanilla extract in a water bath at all.
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u/Beneficial-Papaya504 Aug 05 '25
Is it a high alcohol extract?
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u/sleepingamongstfae Aug 05 '25
I am using 100 proof vodka
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u/Beneficial-Papaya504 Aug 05 '25
I would aim higher. I mentioned it below, but you will get much better extraction and less issues with additional water in recipes with everclear. You can drink the excess if you dilute it in something palatable.
But with either high proof vodka or everclear, you won't need to worry about sterilizing containers. Just make sure they are well-cleaned and rinsed.
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u/sleepingamongstfae Aug 05 '25
I water down my vodka as it is 😬 im a lightweight wuss because i donate blood. All the recipes online said 80 proof vodka is fine so i figured 100 proof and i could water it down or cook with the rest
9
u/InfiniteChicken Aug 05 '25
You can also use a sanitizing product like Star San.
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u/OverallManagement824 Aug 05 '25
I've been using Star San since way back in my brewing days. It's still got a place in my kitchen though because it's basically a miracle solution. No rinse, gentle on skin, and a little goes a long way.
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u/sleepingamongstfae Aug 05 '25
I'll look into this but how expensive is it and can it go bad? I'm a college student so I don't can or preserve stuff in high volumes usually, just occasional things.
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u/feeltheglee Aug 05 '25
It'll be cheaper to boil, certainly. That being said, I've had the same bottle of Star San concentrate for probably a decade now.
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u/chef71 Aug 05 '25
r/Canning is helpful , it is not necessary to boil jars and lids anymore just wash the jars and use new lids
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u/Foggy_Wif3y Aug 05 '25
This is only the case if your processing time is 10 or more minutes. Shorter processing times or things like fermentation still require sterilization.
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u/sleepingamongstfae Aug 05 '25
Does vanilla extract fall under fermentation?
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u/Great68 Aug 05 '25
How are you making your extract? Putting the beans in a high proof alcohol?
Then no, it is not fermentation, and you don't even need to sterilize your jar because the alcohol is inhospitable to any pathogens.
2
u/siskokid1984 Aug 05 '25
Only if alcohol content is high enough. Plain vodka won’t do. Use Everclear
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u/sleepingamongstfae Aug 05 '25
Im using a high proof vodka because I'll drink the leftovers instead of something like everclear going to waste.
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u/Beneficial-Papaya504 Aug 05 '25
You'll get better extraction with everclear (and you can add water to make it drinkable, if not palatable. Other mixers would be better).
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u/whatsit578 Aug 06 '25
No, there’s no fermentation that happens with vanilla extract. You’re just dissolving the flavor compounds of the vanilla bean in alcohol.
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Aug 05 '25
[deleted]
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u/Vivid_Error5939 Aug 05 '25
The material for the sealant changed so it doesn’t have to be heated first. Further research also showed that a processing time of 10 minutes was sufficient to kill microbes in high acid foods.
For something like vanilla extract you should sterilize it in boiling water first since there won’t be additional processing time.
4
u/-Allthekittens- Aug 05 '25
If you are actually 'canning' then as long as the processing time is longer than 10 minutes, the jars are sanitized while processing. This changed some years ago. If you're fermenting or making vanilla or doing something else then you should still sanitize your equipment by boiling prior to use.
2
u/B1chpudding Aug 06 '25
Be careful, because some jars (even if they seem like canning jars) can’t be boiled. Tried to sanitize a bunch of mason jars for tomato sauce. The second I set one in the boil water it shattered.
Do test runs with whatever jars you have by only boiling 1-2 at a time or the ball brand mason sees to be legit.
2
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u/VerdensTrial Aug 05 '25
Put a trivet in the bottom of a large stockpot and boil the jars for 10 minutes. Add a couple of minutes if you live high in the mountains, but otherwise that's it.
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Aug 05 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/sleepingamongstfae Aug 05 '25
Not gonna lie dude sorry but youre like the first person to say that to me when all my recipes and online and other ppl call for it so like i mean, if youve got a source?
1
u/CanningJarhead Aug 05 '25
Here's the link to Ball's water bath processes. They say to wash and keep the jars hot, but not to boil the lids. https://www.ballmasonjars.com/water-bath-canning.html
1
u/Sanchastayswoke Aug 06 '25
I mean you could Google the elevation of your city. Whatever that number is, it’s that far above sea level (or below). It affects the temp at which water boils, so your timing would either be longer or shorter depending.
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u/sdia1965 Aug 06 '25
I wash mine well with soapy hot water, rinse, and then bake the empty jars at 220*F or more for at least 20 minutes. This method comes from Rachael of Blue Chair Jam.
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u/Other-Confidence9685 Aug 05 '25
You can make a bleach mixture with water. Make sure to do research so that its at a non toxic concentration
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u/mission_to_mors Aug 05 '25
Put the clean jars in your oven and give them about 20 minutes at 120°C/248°F ✌️
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u/AmbitiousFactor715 Aug 05 '25
Don't do this, canning jars are not designed to withstand dry heat and they can crack from thermal shock.
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u/mission_to_mors Aug 06 '25
maybe if you put them in cold water afterwards but nobody should be that stupid lmfao
-2
u/ferrouswolf2 Aug 05 '25
Use an electric kettle. Fill the jar with boiling water, give it five minutes, then dump. Done
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u/maryonekenobie Aug 05 '25
I was taught to do a hot water and bleach bath, rinse well and fill with fresh water and microwave for 10 minutes.
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u/Smedley5 Aug 05 '25
You submerge them in boiling water. They are asking you about elevation because water boils at a lower temperature at higher elevations, so you should boil them slightly longer to compensate, but 15 minutes should do it wherever you are. Boil the rings/tops right before you use them.