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Post by susan on Aug 29, 2014 11:12:29 GMT -5
I posted a fb page on this, but I couldn't find anything in their actual site to link here. They have changed their lids for the good and bad. Good is they've taken BPA out. The bad is they changed the compound in the rubber seal. So we're only supposed to wash in warm soapy water and rinse. It's ok to simmer them, but don't boil. Boiling will cause the compound to not seal well. You may get a seal, but it may not hold. The first thing Mike asked me was how are we supposed to sterilize them? Personally, I may be doing a lot more pressure canning than water bath. Which brings up a question. I'm getting ready to make grape jelly for Mike. How long would I pressure them instead of water bathing?
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Post by michelle on Aug 29, 2014 11:24:47 GMT -5
I only ever simmer them. I just simmer mine for quite a bit of time.
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Post by Valerie on Aug 30, 2014 9:46:47 GMT -5
The change actually makes me feel better because I never boiled mine anyway. I usually forget until the last minute to stick them in the water, so I just bring it up to a simmer and turn it off. Glad to know I don't even need to do that any more!  Susan, I'm not sure if I would pressure can jelly, because I've read that overcooking breaks down the pectin and you lose your set. If you don't want to water bath them (which I do in my pressure canner BTW, because it's narrower and conducts heat better)you might just go back to the old way where people sterilized the jars, poured it in, and put the lid on. The canning police just decided we had to water bath the jelly sometime in my lifetime. My grandma always used the paraffin thing on her jelly, which I'm glad to not have to do because it was a mess. |
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Post by Granny Smith on Aug 30, 2014 20:49:13 GMT -5
I've never boiled my lids, either. I bring the rings to a boil, turn off the water and put the lids in till I'm ready for them.
I wouldn't pressure can jelly, either. I quit water bathing it because, like Valerie said, it breaks down the pectin. I just cook it, pour it into hot, sterile jars, wipe the rim, and put on the lids and rings.
When I first started canning, I used paraffin on my jelly. I thought it was fun, although it would seep around the edges after being stored a while. I guess that's why Grandma tied a piece of brown paper over the top, to keep the bugs out.
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Post by Valerie on Aug 31, 2014 8:34:47 GMT -5
My grandma put a lid on her jars, over the paraffin. But she didn't use canning jars. Just any jar that had a good lid.
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Post by susan on Sept 1, 2014 13:00:03 GMT -5
When I first did canning way back over 30 years ago, it was to make fruit preserves to go with the homemade yogurt that Davey ate. I remember using paraffin wax, but don't remember the details. Many years of military living, moving and not having canning equipment I finally got back into canning around 2002. My first shock was, "What? No wax?" Funny about the over cooking breaking down the pectin. An older lady at church told Mike that for this area we need to cook the jelly a couple of minutes longer than it says on the pectin box. Following those written directions exact is why mine never sets.
I think the reason I boiled lids was from way back if the lids had sat for a long time boiling would soften that sealing compound and puff it up. I had a stock of lids stored for 5 or more years. I've gone through that stash and now my oldest lids are only 2 years old. I think I can just simmer them now.
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Post by Granny Smith on Sept 1, 2014 21:53:27 GMT -5
Susan, you don't even need to simmer them. Just boil some water, turn it off, and toss 'em in. That's what my Ball Blue Book says to do and I seldom have a jar that doesn't seal.
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