How To Sterilize Jars In Instant Pot

Always Use Approved Canning Jars

If you are making refrigerator jams, you can use pretty much any type of container you prefer. Plastic jars, recycled jam jars, glass jars, and even old jars and craft jars if you want.

But if you plan on water bath canning for long shelf life to enjoy months down the road, you will need to use only approved glass jars that have been fabricated for home canning.

These jars have gone through a heat process, are tempered to not shatter, and are designed to seal and be stored at room temperature for long shelf life. These jars are often called mason jars, but there are other brands on the market.

Ball canning jars are a great jar to use and they can be found not only online but they are also readily available in grocery stores and hardware stores.

How To Make Instant Pot Yogurt In Jars

I bought an Instant Pot a few months ago because I had heard about how amazing this programmable pressure cooker is. Im not huge on kitchen gadgets, but if its easy and saves me both time and money, Im interested.

I love good yogurt and by good, I mean the non-GMO, antibiotic-free, local grass-fed kind. You can keep the chopped up cookies and high fructose corn syrup. Good yogurt is delicious, but its expensive.

What Is Pressure Canning Exactly

Pressure canning is when you preserve food by bringing it to a temperature of 240 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit to eliminate the risk of spoilage from the bacteria known as Clostridium botulinum or botulism for short.

It can be killed at a temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit but its spores can survive and spread so they need a temperature of between 240 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit to kill them off.

The Instant Pot Max claims it can maintain a steady pressure of 15PSI which keeps the temperature at a steady 240 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

What this all means is that the jury is still out as to whether you can safely pressure can in an Instant Pot up until the USDA gives it the green light. I would love to hear your comments and questions in the comments section below.

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Hawkins Big Boy Aluminum Pressure Cooker

See more about the Hawkins Big Boy Aluminum Pressure Cooker click the image

Made from pure virgin aluminum, this pressure cooker does have one downside that you can only use it on a gas stove. If you dont have a gas stove, dont buy it. To ensure that this meets your needs, first, check to see that you have the right size. This pressure cooker can serve between 22 to 30 people, which means that you can sterilize a lot of substrates in it. Think of purpose.

They have tested each pressure cooker to make sure that it is leakproof. This pressure cooker also reached up to 15 PSI, making it a good choice. For extra convenience, they have made the plastic handles from sturdy and reinforced fiberglass. Especially for someone who may want to sell their mushroom products later, this offers you a good choice. They designed this pressure cooker to work in commercial settings like colleges, schools, hotels, and hospitals.

How To Sterilize Mason Jars In The Pressure Canner/cooker

If you have a pressure canner or a large pressure cooker, you can get them to do the job. If you are on a market for a pressure cooker, you can check out peeps have to say about them in the video below.

Start by cleaning your jars. Fill the canner or the cooker with some boiled water. Just 1 or 2 inches of water is enough. Place your jars right side up and close the lid. You can place as many jars as the pot can fit. Ideally, your jars should not be more than 3/4 height of your pot.

Place your pot on the stove and bring it to pressure. The temperature inside will rise above the boiling point of water and that will kill off all the nasties.

Let the jars cook at high pressure for ten minutes and then either choose to release the pressure quickly or slowly. For the slow-release, take the pot off the hob and leave it be. For a quick release, either put the pot under running water to cool it quickly, or use a spoon to press on the pressure valve to release the steam.

Some electric models come with a canning set or an optional canning kit you can buy. Check those guys out because they have a nifty rack that can make jar removal as safe and painless as possible.

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How To Do It:

The first thing to do is pour about 3 or 4 cups of water into your instant pot. The freshwater poured should be medium-heat, not boiling water. We advise using a digital thermometer to check the water temperature for more conciseness.

Then, install the steam rack into the pressure cooker and fix it. Place the glass canning jars onto that tray and stabilize it later on. Next, please fill the instant pot max with more hot water.

The height must be one inch above the jars. In other words, the jar needs dipping into a hot water bath so the steam release when boiling can affect the jars quicker.

Please dont mistake our words. Its a must to put the jars bottom on the steam rack otherwise, the instant pot can be broken down. Remember to pour fresh water into the instant pot max until it is one-inch submerged in hot water.

Consequently, turn on the pressurized cooker, close the jar lids, and bring it to a boil. We advise setting the target temperature up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit , and the ideal processing time for boiling is 10 minutes.

In case you live in a position higher than 1000 ft, then add an additional minute for each 1000 ft of elevation.

After boiling the jar for 10 minutes, turn off the pressure cooker, and take out the jar. It is sterile, hot, and ready to use. What about the instant pot, then? Just leave the steam rack and the boiling water at the same place for pressure canning.

Why Should You Sterilize Your Jar

Expert chefs and scientists have always advised people to sterilize canning jars before using them. So, why is there such a need to do so?

First, you should understand the microorganisms living in the environment. At normal room temperature, there are always many viruses, bacterias, and germs coexisting with us.

Though we cant see them, they are still there, which doesnt mean the microorganisms arent harmful.

However, there are some cases that you dont need to clean jars. For instance, if you intend to do pressure canning the jars later, you dont need to sterilize because when using a pressure canner for the jams, you will steam or cook in the oven, right?

There are many different equipment available to sterilize the glass jars. Oven, steamer, saucepan, instant pot, etc., anything that provides heat and steam in a closed, air dry environment can work well to kill all bacterias and germs.

But the pressure cooker is considered the most preferred equipment because it is easy to conduct, quick to boil, simple to prepare, and super effective.

Also Check: Instant Pot Brussel Sprouts Recipe

How To Can In An Instant Pot

The first thing you need to do is make sure that there are no cracks on the jars that you are using for canning. Next up you can sterilize your jars in the Instant Pot.

Put a bit of water and vinegar and then load your jars on the trivet. Close the Instant Pot and set the vent to seal. Start the steam cycle and run it for 1 minute.

Now for the steaming process, pour your water and a bit of vinegar into the Instant Pot. Next up, pour your food into the hot jar leaving a ¼ inch headspace.

Clean the rim of the jar. This ensures that you get a tight seal each time. Put the lid on and make it fingertip tight. His means that the moment you start to feel any resistance, you stop.

Repeat this process with all your jars then load them into your Instant Pot. Put on the lid then set to venting and not sealing.

This is very important to remember. Set to steam and wait for the float valve to come up. Once the float valve has come up, you can now start timing your processing.

Once you have reached the recommended processing time for that food type, switch the Instant Pot off then allow the pressure to come down.

This takes roughly about 2 minutes. Once the float valve comes down again, carefully open the Instant pot and take out the jars and put onto a cooling rack and leave them undisturbed for about 12 hours.

How To Flavor Homemade Yogurt

First off, dont flavor yogurt until after its finished and chilled. Otherwise you risk messing with it setting right.

Personally, I prefer not to flavor my yogurt until before I eat or portion it. That way Im not locked into anything, and I can use the plain yogurt in recipes.

Try some of these mix-ins!

My favorite way to flavor yogurt is to serve it with a slice of blackberry pie for breakfast. To each her own!

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How To Sterilize Mason Jars With Bleaching Powder

I dont recommend doing this, it can add a chemical aftertaste.

Bleaching powder or calcium hypochlorite is known for its bleaching as well as disinfectant properties. Its the main active ingredient of commercial bleaching products and is used in water purification and disinfecting pools.

You will easily find it at many home improvement stores or online.

Make a solution of one teaspoon bleaching powder and one-quart water. Scale the recipe as needed.

Use a pair of tongs to place the jars and lids into the solution, and leave them in there for 20 minutes. Make sure to avoid contact with skin, and especially the eyes.

Once the 20 minutes have passed, take out the jars with tongs again, and then rinse them thoroughly with boiled water. Make sure there is no solution left on them because it can cause gastric issues. It can also react with the food you are trying to preserve and change their taste and appearance.

Wipe the jars dry before using them.

Clean Instant Pot Exterior Housing And Rim

Never use water directly on the exterior housing. Instead, use a dampened towel to wipe clean the surface. To clean the rim, soak the craft foam brush in foamy water and then use it to clean the area around the rim.

You can also use a makeshift foam brush by wrapping a dampened microfiber cleaning cloth around a stick or chopstick. Push It around the rim to wipe It clean.

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How To Sterilize Mason Jars With Uv Light

This one is not realistic for most homes, but I am in love with it.

Some time ago, Ive splurged on a fancy food dehydrator with a UV light sterilization setting. I got it from China and, with the shipping and customs, it ended up costing just a tad bit more than the leading brands higher-end model.

Was the price worth it? Bet your marmalade it did.

The only downside is that its not that great with bigger jars. But for the smaller ones and when you feel lazy, its perfect.

For a slightly more affordable version, you can check out baby bottle sterilizers.

Sterilizing The Canning Jars

Carefully lift the jar rack from the water and hook it on the edge of the canner. Keep the water in the canner, and use it for the canning process. Fill the jars for canning within an hour. If you wait longer, then the jars will need to be re-sterilized.

To fill your jars, use your jar tongs to lift a jar, pour out the water, and place the jar on your work surface. Always work on a surface that is lined with a folded towel. This will insulate the jar from the counter. If your counter is cold, placing the hot jar on the counter can cause a sudden temperature shock and the jar could break. For the record, Ive never had a jar break in any stages of canning.

Please know, that there are many articles out there that say your dishwasher will sterilize the jars. According to the USDA, this information is not accurate. It really isnt hard to sterilize your jars, so just take the few minutes to do it.

Also Check: How To Boil Milk In Instant Pot

To Finish Best Pressure Cookers For Sterilization

Usually, you want to use a coil top or a natural gas stove for your pressure cooker. Glass stoves can suffer damage from the pressure cookers weight or even shatter the glass. Follow the safety instructions down to the last detail. Pressure cookers have the potential to be dangerous, but if you follow the instructions, you dont have any greater danger than other cooking tools in the home. Pressure cookers sterilize contaminants like mold spores, fungi spores, and bacteria through high temperatures. After using your pressure cooker, always clean it afterward for use later.

One-Pot Cooking Rocks

How Do You Sterilize Mason Jars In Instant Pot

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Using an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, you can make a bunch of little Mason jar cheesecakes with just seven minutes of cooking time, a fraction of the time it takes to cook in the oven. This recipe will fill five 125-mL Mason jars, which is how many jars can fit inside a six-quart Instant Pot.

what can you sterilize in an instant pot? As you can imagine, the Instant Pot is also good for destroying harmful bacteria at home. It’s the ideal tool for sterilizing things like baby bottles and canning jars, and is the most effective way to rid food of potential microbial hazards during cooking.

Simply so, can I use my instant pot for canning?

A frequently asked question around the internet is whether or not you can pressure-can in the Instant Pot and the answer is simply no. Unless you have the Instant Pot Max. If you have a different model of the Instant Pot, you can, however, do boiling-water canning, which is great for pickles and jams.

What is the sterilize function on the instant pot?

With an Instant Pot, all you have to do is throw the equipment in your Instant Pot with some water and press the steam button . The steam is hot enough to kill any bacteria, ensuring that your baby won’t come into contact with any contaminated items.

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Why Do You Sterilize Canning Jars

No matter how clean your work space or home is, there are still bacteria, fungi and yeasts on surfaces. And this is normal, it doesnt mean your home is not clean.

The bacterias and fungis can grow on the glass jars and are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Sterilizing is the only way to kill these. A sterile canning jar is essential in the long shelf life of a home canned food.

Which Instant Pot Has A Yogurt Button

I use the Blue Tooth Enabled variety, so if you have a different type or different brand, your directions may be slightly different. But this particular style does have a button for it.

I went with the Blue Tooth Enabled version because I can monitor it on my iPhone. Its handy for those days that you are so busy you forget what time it is. I tend to have a lot of those.

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How Do You Sterilize Pacifiers

Sterilizepacifierclean

Anzelika Leopardi

• Best overall. Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1. Instant Pot via Amazon.
• Best budget option. Instant Pot Lux 6-in-1 Tyler Lizenby/CNET.
• Best for slow cooking. Instant Pot Ultra 10-in-1. Instant Pot.
• Best smart home integration. Instant Pot Smart Wi-Fi. Tyler Lizenby/CNET.

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How To Sterilize Utensils In An Instant Pot

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Your Instrument And Jar Is Now Sterile

Now you have sterilized instruments and liquids. Store them where they will not be disturbed . To be sure your pressure cooker autoclave is working properly you should spore test it after 10 hours of use. In a follow-up Instructable I will show you how you can use the skills learned from autoclaving spoons and sugar water to autoclave lab-grade Pyrex petri dishes and solid culture medium for yeast and bacteria culture. I will walk you through the process of culturing a pure strain of brewers yeast from an unfiltered/unpasteurized bottle of Michigan craft beer, for use in your own homebrew experiments. Also, check out Tech Shop!! This place rocks!!!