Do you need to sterilize new plastic bottles ?

[smokeyamber]

Hi, I have been bottling in glass for years, but this season I am doing some in new plastic jugs, do these need to be sterilized in some way ? If so how do most sterilize and bottle using plastic. I have heard about filling them and then laying them on their side ?

Thanks in advance !

[tcross]

don't think you need to "sterilize" them... however I flush them out with really hot water then air dry. once they get filled with hot syrup, I flip them upside down for 10 minutes... has worked for me! just be careful where you tip them upside down! don't put them in an area where your dog can bump into your table... don't ask me how I know!

[motowbrowne]

Rinsing them sounds like a good idea, but they're probably designed to be used without a rinse.

Sterilizing them is probably a good idea too. Perhaps you should fill them with really hot liquid and put the lid on. That should kill anything that's in there.;)




Sorry, don't mind me...

[Aa2tn]

Whats the point of rinsing them with really hot water when you are filling them with really hot syrup??? Just fill them with 185 to 190 degree syrup, cap them and lay them on their side......

[tcross]

incase something was to get in them!!!!

[Russell Lampron]

As long as you are using new jugs there is no need to sterilise first. Heat your syrup to 190*, fill and cap the jug and lay it on it's side for a couple of minutes. The sterile hot syrup will sterilise the jug and laying it on it's side will sterilise the cap.