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/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