Joanne shows us how to sanitize your jars, how to prepare your pressure canner, and how to clean and store the jars afterwards to ensure safety!
Start by removing the new lids and seals and set them aside.
Using the hottest water you can stand, clean just the jars with soapy water. Rinse the jars thoroughly under clean water and set to air dry. Do not use a towel to dry as the lint can get inside.
Once dry, place the jars opening up in your oven without the lids and seals, and bring the temperature up to 225 degrees Celsius and cook for 30 minutes.
Leave jars in oven until they cool down.
Next, ensure the ring is in the bottom of your canner and add 12 cups of water, and four glugs of vinegar to the pot. Add jars, referring to the Presto manual for maximum number of jars based on their size. Use only jars of the same size.
Ensure the arrows on the lid match line up with those on the canner to secure the seal. Turn the lid to secure tightly.
Berries (but not strawberries) are processed for 8 minutes at 5 lbs of pressure. Refer to the Presto guide for other foods. Add the weight device to the top of the lid.
Turn the element onto high heat. Once steam begins to be released, the top button locks into the “up” position, and the weight begins to rock or spin, you start your timer.
Wait until the canner cools down to release the lid. You know it’s ready when the “top” exhaust valve has fallen back into the lid. Once the jars are cooled down enough to safely handle, remove them from the canner.
Remove the ring from the jars, and wash the prepped jars gently in soapy water. If the seal on the jar is loose, either eat quickly or freeze as the contents were not sealed properly and they will not last.
Indigenous Food Circle Waterloo Region 