Jar warming ?

[philkasza]

What is the most efective way to heat jars ? Last year we washed all the little jars in hot water.
Thanks in advance Philip Kasza

[psparr]

I've read on here to just put your oven on low and pull them out as you need them.

[philkasza]

We don't have an oven in the sugar shack. We also don't have running hot water but we do have cold water and a little water from the preheater from the evaporator.

[maple flats]

I made an oven of sorts. It is a metal 3 shelf cabinet about 28 x 30"with a removable end and open on one side. This oven hangs on the rear of the bottom stack coming off the arch with the open side against the stack. I have a thermometer inside. The temperatures reach 160-200 easy and sometimes up to 230-240 inside when in full boil. I place the cold glass inside for about 15-30 minutes and often I need gloves to pick up the bottle for canning. Works very well, but only when boiling.

[maple maniac65]

I must of done something wrong becuase I have 3.4 maple leaves bottled in 2005 and the syrup is good. It is stored in the window sill in full sunlight all these years. It was filled with hot syrup in a cold bottle. I do not warm them up at all. I just pull them out of the box and fill them. I do turn them on their sides. Just me and what works for me.

[The Sweet Spot]

I must of done something wrong becuase I have 3.4 maple leaves bottled in 2005 and the syrup is good. It is stored in the window sill in full sunlight all these years. It was filled with hot syrup in a cold bottle. I do not warm them up at all. I just pull them out of the box and fill them. I do turn them on their sides. Just me and what works for me.

I do the same but turn them upside down.

[The Sweet Spot]

Opp's I ment to quote maple maniac65.

[ennismaple]

We don't warm any of our glass jars before bottling. For the 1/2 gallon and 1 gallon glass we only put 2" of syrup in them, wait 30 seconds or so for the jar to warm up a bit and then complete the filling. Otherwise, they can crack with the rapid thermal change. I have several 1L glass in my basement that were bottled in the sugar camp the first day of the season and they're perfectly fine.

We also make sure the syrup is 185F (not just 180F) before we start to bottle. That way, the temperature drop in the syrup before the container is full will be less.

[Mike R.]

I never warmed any of my glass. Mason jars or 250ml kent bottles. I fill about 1/3rd the way up sit for a few seconds and finish. Much like other members have done. I have syrup from 2003 that is still good and it was canned that way.

If you are sure you want to warm them up before bottling, fill them half full with water and put in the microwave for 2 minutes. Dump water out, dry, then fill with syrup. I have never had a bottle break from putting hot syrup in it.

[Big_Eddy]

I bottle in the kitchen so I put the bottles in the oven at 200F. I went to 250F once and the syrup would boil when it hit the glass and I had nitre precipitate out. I stick to 200 now.

I don't know if it's necessary to preheat - but I've had cold bottles crack and never have when warmed.

[BoarsNest]

I bottle right off the stove. We preheat the bottles in a low oven. And we put our water jacket canner right on the burners and keep the temp at 185. Pull the bottles out of the oven and fill them up. I think the key if you don't have an oven is to make sure your syrup would stay at temp with sometype of heat source.

[SeanD]

I stand glass bottles in a roasting pan with about an inch or so of water in it. Keep the burner on very low and the water wisps steam, so it must be in the mid 100 degree range, I guess. This method is fast for me because bottles can go in and out like an assembly line and I'm not opening and closing the door of the oven. Only use an inch or so of water, otherwise the bottles float a little and tip easily. Don't forget that the water will displace and rise as more and more bottles go in.

People aren't doing anything wrong if they don't warm their glass. I warm my glass because it's coming out of a cold basement when I bottle. I've had a mason jar break on me that way and a cool bottle definitely drops the syrup temp way below 180 deg. before I cap it.

Sean

[The Sweet Spot]

This might save you a little time, but it does sound like many people have there minds made up. I have visited a few shacks that pack only in glass (quite a few). None of them have preheated the jars. Right out of the package, under the bottler, fill 1/4 aprox. wait a few seconds and fill. I have syrup 10 yrs old. Save yourself a little time and energy. If you want.:)

[SeanD]

Filling it part way and waiting is warming the glass, first. Six of one, half-dozen of the other.

Sean

[The Sweet Spot]

time + energy = money. If you take the jar out of the package, put it in the oven (or how ever you like to heat it). Your now handling it twice. Gas and or elec. = money This is what it is all about for me doing the same amount of work with less energy.
I beleive there are many ways to do many things. Do what works for you.

[gmcooper]

We have been bottling in glass and plastic for 25 years and have never preheated a glass bottle. I do always make sure my syrup temp is 185-190 for glass. We have a 250 ml leaf bottle on our kitchen counter that has been there well over 10 years since it was filled. Nothing has changed so far and we just keep it around to see if anything does.
Mark

[Sugar]

I use mostly twelve oz. canning jars. I sterilize them in the dishwasher, but do not warm the jars. They are usually cold by the time, I am ready to fill them. I can a huge % of our food and I do not warm the jars for that either. I haven't had a problem. Probably just lucky, but I may can over 100 jars in a day and have no clue how we could squeeze in warming the jars.

[Ed R]

We open the top of the cardboard case up and push them up tight to the side of the arch for about 15 minutes before canning. This prevents breakage for us.