sterilizing jars & lids for canning in the dish washer?

[bj taylor]

do y'all feel comfortable that running the jars & lids through the dishwasher sterilizes them?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Ill do it for the jars, though I wash them very well by hand when I empty them. But Ill run the jars through the dishwasher to clean them and warm them up just before filling them. With new jars, I dont see any problem at all running them through the dishwasher. This does save me a lot of time.

The lids supposedly dont need washing but I wash them by hand. Thats partly to check them out for any faults in the rubber (really rare but Ive found a couple) and partly just to rinse them off. They should be clean but there might be some dust or something from manufacturing. Lids should always be new. As I said, not a thorough wash, just a good rinse.

I wash the rings by hand also. You could in the dishwasher but Im feeling for nicks under the flange in the top, the part that holds the lid down. Occasionally Ive noticed when a jar does not seal the ring had a nick or sharp point under there. When you can, the air and occasionally a bit of liquid can escape from under the lid and through the ring. It has to lose some volume like that or you wont create a vacuum and get a seal. Sometimes that stuff escaping can be can be sticky. I like to rub the inside of those used lids pretty well with a washcloth using hot soapy water.

Depending on your dish washer and how you put them in there, Id maybe have a concern the lids or rings might get dented or misshapen. You need the lids flat and the rings round. Those rings can bend pretty easily.

This is pretty much personal preference. I expect to hear from some people that are quite successful washing them with a dishwashing machine.

 

[MontyJ]

I don't know if a dishwasher will sterilize them or not. It doesn't really matter though. They only have to be clean, not sterile. That's what the processing is for

 

[hoodat]

I suppose it depends on how you intend to can. If you are water bathing I think I'd sterilize in boiling water but for pressure canning just clean is good enough since your pressure canner will get them much hotter than boiling water. Remember that sterility isn't the only thing heating the lides does. It also softens the sealing ring so you can screw the lids down tight. A cold lid sometimes doesn't seal well.

 

[HotPepperQueen]

I wash mine by hand, then put them through the dishwasher. Right before I use them I put them through the dishwasher on the sterilize function. It's always works for me. I pressure can and hot water bath.

 

[lesa]

I do wash mine in the dishwasher, but I also put them in the oven at 220 degrees- while I am getting ready to can. This way I know they are sterile and already hot enough not to crack, when I add hot liquids.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

if you've ever owned a Bosch dishwasher you would know how hot they get your dishes! i use my dishwasher for sterilizing the jars. i hand wash the lids and rings just to be sure they are clean. you don't want to put them through extremely hot water or the wax seal on the lid could melt off and be of no use.

 

[baymule]

I wash mine in the dishwasher and then put them in the sink and fill with boiling water. I dump it out, then fill and cap. I put the lids and rings in a flat pan and cover with boiling water also.

 

[MontyJ]

I suppose it depends on how you intend to can. If you are water bathing I think I'd sterilize in boiling water but for pressure canning just clean is good enough since your pressure canner will get them much hotter than boiling water. Remember that sterility isn't the only thing heating the lides does. It also softens the sealing ring so you can screw the lids down tight. A cold lid sometimes doesn't seal well.

I do sterilize jars for jelly and pickles or beets, since they don't go into the canner. If you're water bathoing for more than 10 minutes, sterilizing isn't necessary, since the canner is doing the same thing.

 

[journey11]

I do mine in the dishwasher. If your dishwasher gets hot enough to melt your tupperware, you know it's hot enough.

ETA: Mine also has a heat dry setting, which I like because it keeps them hot for at least an hour after the wash cycle has finished. Gives me a little leeway if things don't time out exactly.