Why would I turn canning jars upside down for 15 minutes after removing from the water bath?
I am planning to can a plum chutney and have ordered the Stagioni 10 1/2 oz jars. Having only used Ball jars, I am not sure I understand why their website says to remove from water and place upside down for 15 minutes:
For preparations that require cooking (e.g. jams, marmalades, sauces, etc..) it’s possible to create the vacuum without boiling the jars in water, proceeding as follows: preheat the jars with hot water, fill them with the hot preparation, seal with the cap and immediately turn upside down (taking care not to handle them with bare hands to prevent burns). Avoid placing them on cold surfaces (metal, marble, etc..) and keep them upside down for at least 15 minutes. Subsequently put them back with the capsule facing upwards and let them cool down in a cool place. It is not advisable to use the 0.15 l jar for the above described heat potting due to the reduced content within which employs a much shorter time for the cooling that may not be sufficient for the vacuum formation process.
Does anyone know?
Best Answer
That passage is suggesting an entire canning/processing method, one that may not be safe. It will generally work to create a seal, as they say, but it may not fully sterilize the contents and the seal will not be as likely to hold. I would not follow their instructions, and instead process your chutney according to a trusted canning recipe you find elsewhere.
See for example this USDA source, which says:
Some other methods of sealing jars call for inverting a closed, filled jar of hot product for anywhere from thirty seconds to one hour. (Inverting is turning the filled jar upside down on its lid.) While this inversion process can be successful in producing a sealed jar, it works best with very hot product. Individual variation in practicing this procedure or unexpected interruptions can result in delays between filling jars, getting lids screwed on, and inverting the jars. If the product cools down too much, the temperature of the product can become low enough to no longer be effective in sealing jars or preventing spoilage.
When the inversion process does work, the vacuum seals of filled jars still tend to be weaker than those produced by a short boiling water canning process. A larger amount of retained oxygen in the headspace may allow some mold growth if airborne molds contaminated the surface of the product as the jar was filled and closed. More complete removal of oxygen from the headspace also offers some longer protection from undesirable color and flavor changes with some types of fruit products. A weak seal may be more likely to fail during storage.
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Quick Answer about "Why would I turn canning jars upside down for 15 minutes after removing from the water bath?"
The thinking behind the inverting is that the jam/jelly—being still at a temperature to destroy spoiler micro-organisms—will sterilize the underside of the sealing disc, and the little amount of air trapped under the lid. A vacuum can form if the jars are hot and the contents are at least 165 F/74 C.Do you flip jars upside down after canning?
Ball recommends against it for seal quality reasons. They say, \u201cDo not invert, move or store jars while cooling, as this may cause seal failure.\u201d For any other type of canning (besides jams and jellies)\u2013vegetables, pickles, tomato sauces, fruit, etc.When canning How long do you leave jars upside down?
Inversion canning is a method of canning that involves pouring hot canning materials (usually jams or jellies) into jars, securing the lid, and then turning the cans upside down on a towel for about 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes have passed, you flip the jars back upright and let them cool and (ideally) seal.Why should jars be stored upside down while waiting to be filled?
While turning jars upside down can produce a seal (because the heat of the product coming in contact with the lid causes the sealing compound to soften and then seal as the jars cool), the seal tends to be weaker than one produced by a short boiling water process (you should never be able to remove the lid from a home ...Should I store my canning upside down?
5. Don't lay your jars on their side or upside down. Do keep your lids up! Reason: Natural ingredients in some foods, in particular foods with acid, corrode metal from the lid and make a dark deposit on the underside of jars.The Biggest Canning Mistakes!! - How to Prevent Leaking and Breaking Jars
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Answer 2
If you sterilize the cans in boiling water after filling the cans and closing the lid, it is often not possible to cover the cans with water, since the cans may have a lower density than the surrounding water and therefore float.
This may cause that the top of can is not heated enough to be sterilized properly. If you place the cans upside down after removing them from the boiling water, the (near) boiling content of the jars will come in contact with the upper part of the jar and the lid and continue the sterilization even after the jar has been removed from the boiling water.
Answer 3
I just received a new box of the Stagioni 10.5 oz jars and the "Pasteurizing" instructions have clarified my question and may help others:
Fill jars with room temperature product, 1.5" from top. Put jars in pot, not touching, and add lukewarm water to cover by 2.5" Boil according to time on recipe. Allow to cool in water.
There is no mention of inversion on this size jar.
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