Skip to main content
Epicurious
Gourmet

Sealing, Processing, and Storing Filled Jars

Ingredients

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Wipe off rims of filled jars with a clean, damp kitchen towel, then firmly screw on lids with screw bands.

    Step 2

    Put sealed jars on a rack in a boiling-water canner or an 8- to 10-quart deep pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, covered. Boil jams, preserves, chutneys, and fruit butters 10 minutes (for 1/2 -pint jars), pickles 20 minutes (for pint jars), then transfer with tongs to a towel-lined surface to cool. Jars will seal (if you hear a ping, that signals that the vacuum formed at the top of the jar has made the lid concave) and preserves will thicken as they cool.

    Step 3

    After jars have cooled 12 to 24 hours, press center of each lid to check that it's concave, then remove screw band and try to lift off lid with your fingertips. If you can't, the lid has a good seal.

    Step 4

    Store in a cool, dry, dark place.

TagsGourmet
Read More
Homemade Whipped Cream
Fluffier, fresher, and fancier than anything from a tub or can.
Grape Dumplings
Native American people made these with cornmeal dumplings, simmering them with wild grapes, which were harvested at their peak sweetness.
Fufu
Fufu is a dish that has been passed down through many generations and is seen as a symbol of Ghanaian identity and heritage. Making fufu traditionally is a very laborious task; this recipe mimics some of that hard work but with a few home-cook hacks that make for a far easier time.
Île Flottante
Originally called omelette à la neige (snow omelet) in reference to the fluffy snow-like appearance of the meringue, île flottante (floating island) has a lengthy history that dates back to the 17th century.
Palets Bretons
Palets bretons are oversize cookies that feature butter, and because they’re from Brittany, they’re traditionally made with beurre salé, salted butter.
Black Sesame Tofu “Basque” Cheesecake
There are many things that appeal about a Basque cheesecake—it's crustless (one less job) and is meant to look “rustic” with its wrinkled and jagged sides.
Black Rice Pudding
Turn inky black rice into a dreamy coconut milk pudding you’re fully authorized to enjoy for breakfast or dessert.
Mississippi Mud Cake
This cake was created from thrift and was supposedly named after its appearance, which reminded people of the muddy Mississippi River bottom.