+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Oven heating for bottling?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    North Gower, Ontario Canada
    Posts
    244

    Default Oven heating for bottling?

    I"m one of those that normally lets their syrup settle in the fridge for a week and then decant and freeze instead of hot packing.

    I searched and haven't found any threads on this, but has anyone used their oven to heat full jars of syrup before sealing them?

    I'm thinking once the clear syrup is decanted into my jars, I could put them in the oven at 190 for about an hour, check the middle bottle to ensure they've all hit 190 then cap them and let cool on the counter.

    It's not "oven canning" as I see it.

    Is there any downside to doing this? Would there be some evaporation loss thus making the syrup thicker? Should the lids be on (loosely) to prevent evaporation, and then tightened once removed from the oven for cooling?

    Just throwing out some crazy thoughts.. :-)

    Paul.
    ______________________________
    2023 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,845 L sap; Syrup count: 49.25L
    2022 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,530 L sap; Syrup count: 48.65L
    2021 -29 trees -23 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1240 L sap; 34.5L of syrup
    2020 -30 trees 32 taps. ~900 L sap; 27.1L Syrup.
    2019 -27 trees 31 taps. ~725 L sap; 22.2L Syrup.
    2018 -19 Trees 20 taps. ~750 L sap; 18 L Syrup
    2017 -4 trees 4 taps. ~60 L sap; 1.5 L Syrup

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Nashville, MI
    Posts
    939

    Default

    I do warm my mason jars in the oven, not at that high of a temp. Are you talking about using regular glass syrup containers? I suppose you could do a test of a couple and see if it works, that seems feasible to me.
    2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
    2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
    2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
    2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
    made 17 gal. syrup
    2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
    2021 - Didn't work out
    2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Essex VT
    Posts
    402

    Default

    You should be heating your glass in the oven to at least 185. The University of Maine did some research on occasional mysterious mold in glass bottles that had not been heated but the syrup was bottled at proper the temperatures. What was found was that especially in small bottles, within seconds, the cold bottles quickly dropped the 185 degree syrup way down below 180 degrees, thus allowing possible mold growth. Their simple solution was to heat the glass bottles.

    Joe
    2004- 470 taps on gravity and buckets
    2006- 590 taps on gravity and buckets 300 gph RO
    2009- 845 taps on vacuum no buckets, 600 gph RO
    2010- 925 taps on vacuum new 2 stage vacuum pump
    2014- 3045 taps on vacuum, new 1200 gph RO
    2015- 3104 taps on vacuum
    2017- 3213 taps on vacuum
    3' x 10' oil fired evaporator with steamaway

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Altamont, NY
    Posts
    588

    Default

    Thanks for the info, Joe!
    The past couple of years I’ve gotten mold in a few of my glass bottles. Even though I warm them prior to bottling I guess I’m just not getting them hot enough. I figured if I knock the chill off of them I’d be fine.
    Leader WSE 2x6 w/hoods
    12"x20" Mason Finisher
    250 taps.. Majority on tubing
    14'x20' sugarshack
    Kubota RTV900XT
    Home built Auto Drawoff
    Leader MicRO 2 RO
    www.mallardpondmaple.com

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    North Gower, Ontario Canada
    Posts
    244

    Default

    The occasional time I've hot packed I have warmed up the jars or bottles in the oven...big or small.. but yes I've heard that smaller glass jars cool off very quickly and can affect proper sealing of the jars..

    I'm just curious if anyone takes their cold, settled, syrup and decants into jars, then puts them in the oven to get the syrup to proper hot-packing temperature..

    Thanks!
    Paul.
    ______________________________
    2023 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,845 L sap; Syrup count: 49.25L
    2022 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,530 L sap; Syrup count: 48.65L
    2021 -29 trees -23 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1240 L sap; 34.5L of syrup
    2020 -30 trees 32 taps. ~900 L sap; 27.1L Syrup.
    2019 -27 trees 31 taps. ~725 L sap; 22.2L Syrup.
    2018 -19 Trees 20 taps. ~750 L sap; 18 L Syrup
    2017 -4 trees 4 taps. ~60 L sap; 1.5 L Syrup

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Temperance Mi
    Posts
    411

    Default

    I've never used the oven to reheat syrup but I have decanted filtered cold syrup into canning jars, then use a large stock pot on the stove top as a water bath to heat the syrup to over 180. That's not my normal canning process but it worked good when someone at my church gave me 4 pints to can for them. I didn't have to get my canner sticky that way.
    Last edited by Ed R; 05-14-2021 at 07:43 AM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Weston, CT
    Posts
    473

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by paulslund View Post
    The occasional time I've hot packed I have warmed up the jars or bottles in the oven...big or small.. but yes I've heard that smaller glass jars cool off very quickly and can affect proper sealing of the jars..

    I'm just curious if anyone takes their cold, settled, syrup and decants into jars, then puts them in the oven to get the syrup to proper hot-packing temperature..

    Thanks!
    Paul.
    Try marking a line when the cool syrup goes in the bottle ... put the cap on loosely ... heat to 190 in oven ... let cool ... see if you loose anything on the line. significant moisture loss should show on the line. Syrup would be on the outside of the bottle.

    Cap on tight when going in the oven has an assortment of possible failure issues with pressure build up. And of course you would never vacuum seal on cool down.
    Last edited by Sugar Bear; 05-14-2021 at 08:10 PM.
    If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.

    Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
    Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
    Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
    Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
    40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
    1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    North Gower, Ontario Canada
    Posts
    244

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sugar Bear View Post
    Try marking a line when the cool syrup goes in the bottle ... put the cap on loosely ... heat to 190 in oven ... let cool ... see if you loose anything on the line. significant moisture loss should show on the line. Syrup would be on the outside of the bottle.

    Cap on tight when going in the oven has an assortment of possible failure issues with pressure build up. And of course you would never vacuum seal on cool down.
    That's a good idea re: the line on the bottle.. I'll try that if I try this method. And I agree keeping the cap loose is the only way this would work to seal the jar..
    ______________________________
    2023 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,845 L sap; Syrup count: 49.25L
    2022 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,530 L sap; Syrup count: 48.65L
    2021 -29 trees -23 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1240 L sap; 34.5L of syrup
    2020 -30 trees 32 taps. ~900 L sap; 27.1L Syrup.
    2019 -27 trees 31 taps. ~725 L sap; 22.2L Syrup.
    2018 -19 Trees 20 taps. ~750 L sap; 18 L Syrup
    2017 -4 trees 4 taps. ~60 L sap; 1.5 L Syrup

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Weston, CT
    Posts
    473

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by paulslund View Post
    That's a good idea re: the line on the bottle.. I'll try that if I try this method. And I agree keeping the cap loose is the only way this would work to seal the jar..
    Let me know what you find on the line.
    If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.

    Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
    Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
    Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
    Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
    40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
    1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.

+ Reply to Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts