Not everyone knows how to sterilize cans in the microwave. After all, stoves are bought primarily for the rapid heating of products. It turns out that they can be used to disinfect glass containers.
The classic sterilization process always gives hostesses a lot of trouble: you have to boil water and steam each container. It is strictly forbidden to use utensils for preservation without hot processing. In the best case, it will explode, and the products will be thrown away. At worst, botulinum toxin will appear, a terrible poison that is deadly to humans.
For canned foods to be safe, you must strictly follow the rules of conservation and especially sterilization.
How to prepare containers
No matter how clean the glass jar may be, it must be thoroughly washed and sterilized. Detergent must be washed off repeatedly. The process of preparing glass containers:
- Check the integrity of the glass: there should be no cracks, chips, other defects. If you ignore the damage, the glass will simply burst when heated.
- Rinse the containers. It is advisable to use soda - it is harmless, easily washed off the glass surface.
- Sterilize the washed cans.
Advantages and disadvantages
Microwave sterilization is convenient because:
- You can immediately process several half-liter cans.
- The process is not accompanied by an increase in humidity and temperature in the kitchen.
- Processing in a microwave oven takes less time and effort than classical methods.
Disadvantages:
- 3 liters - the maximum volume of sterilized containers.
- They have to put on their side.
- Electricity is consumed.
Processing options
Normal sterilization is steaming over a pot or boiling in water. This not only takes a lot of time, but also drives up humidity in the room, raises the temperature. Yes, and fussing with boiling water is always dangerous. Many housewives doubt whether it is possible to sterilize glass containers in a microwave. Not only possible, but also very convenient. One prerequisite - there must be a cover.
There are several sterilization options:
- with water;
- without water;
- with blanks.
Steam Sterilization
- A little water is poured into the washed jars - 2 cm is enough. It is advisable to use filtered - it does not leave traces of lime when boiling.
- Put jars in the microwave. No caps.
- Turn on the microwave at 0.7-0.8 kW.
- Now you have to wait. How many minutes are enough to properly disinfect glassware? Enough for 2-3 minutes. How long to sterilize depends on the volume: the larger it is, the longer the process. A three-liter should stand for 5-6 minutes. In general, it is recommended to focus on boiling: 1-3 minutes wait from the moment they start. Then you can turn off the microwave. Water, boiling and releasing steam, kills all pathogenic microbes.
- The sterilized containers are hot, so they are removed with a towel or potholders, which should not be wet - due to the temperature difference, the glass is likely to crack. It is forbidden to take them by the neck - this is dangerous. You should get them with both hands.
- Water that does not have time to boil is poured. Now you need to immediately, without delay, fill the finished container with canning products. If several jars are being prepared, put them upside down on a clean rag or towel. Turn them over immediately before filling with hot products that need to be pasteurized beforehand.
At the same time, no more than five jars (0.5-1 l) are placed in the microwave oven. Three-liter have to put on its side. They also pour a little water - it does not flow out in a horizontal arrangement. It is recommended to lay a cotton towel, you can also put it on a plate.
Sterilization without water
In the dry method, the liquid does not have direct contact with the glass - it can be called combined, since there is a simultaneous treatment with microwave rays and steam.
Dry disinfection technology:
- Inspect containers for chips and cracks, set aside unsuitable.
- Rinse with soda and sponge. After washing the soda, place the dishes with their necks down on a clean towel. Start the procedure after it has completely dried.
- You will need a glass of 250-300 ml. Pour filtered water into it. No need to fill the glass to the brim, leave 3-4 cm, otherwise it, boiling, will pour out - onto the rotating pan.
- Place a glass in the middle of the camera, place empty jars around it, and set the time: five minutes. Set the power to 0.75 kW.
- When the timer turns off the microwave, remove the hot dishes with a tack. Now you can fill it with jam or squash caviar, the main thing is to prevent a sharp temperature drop.
Jam jam
Inexperienced housewives are interested in how to sterilize cans with blanks in a microwave oven. You can not disinfect jars for jam separately, but put them in the chamber already filled. Conditions: jam should not reach the edges of 5 cm. There should be no covers.
Sequence:
- Jars of jam are placed so that they do not touch each other. Power set maximum. The timer is set for six minutes. In powerful stoves, 2 minutes are enough.
- When the process is completed, the door is not opened immediately. They wait 4-5 minutes - all this time there is pasteurization of the product.
- Remove the cans with dry potholders. Roll up jam with sterilized lids.
Harvesting Pickles
Processing of glass containers filled with pickles:
- Leave 2/3 of the volume. If the obsessed boils, it will spill onto the pallet and stain the chamber of the device. Later, empty space is filled.
- Jars with blanks are placed on a pallet so as not to touch. The process time is 3 minutes. Power at maximum. After turning off the stove, the door does not open - they wait another 5 minutes.
- Picking pickles with tacks, leave them to cool slightly - while tin lids are sterilized and dried. Now you can fill the jars to the top and cork.
Harvesting fruits and berries
The housewives are interested in whether the microwave disinfects cans filled with raw berries. Yes, if everything is done correctly:
- Make syrup first by mixing sugar and filtered water.
- Rinse the berries. Bones do not need to get. Remove the rotten and rumpled berries, and fill the clean container with selected ones, stepping back from the edge of 5 cm.
- Pour the prepared syrup. Put the jars in the camera. Set the power to maximum. Pasteurization lasts 5 minutes, indicate this time on the timer. In powerful stoves, 2-3 minutes are enough.
If desired, syrup can be poured after sterilization.
Bottle Processing
A microwave is a universal technique with a lot of useful properties. In addition to cooking, heating and defrosting, as it turned out, the microwave oven can sterilize bottles for baby food.
For disinfection, you can use several methods:
- boiling;
- tablets with antiseptic effect;
- electric sterilizer;
- Microwave.
Using a microwave is a simple, reliable, and safe way to disinfect glass containers. Disassembled bottles are placed in containers made of glass, special plastic or ceramic. Pour water. Bottles should be without caps. Processing time depends on the volume of water and the dimensions of the dishes - usually it is 5-10 minutes. Power is set, as in the case of conservation, maximum.
Read more on the topic on the page "How to Sterilize Baby Bottles in the Microwave".
Responses of hostesses who have already tried to sterilize containers for preservation using a microwave, agree on one thing - it is quick and convenient. The only thing they are unhappy with is that banks can burst during processing. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to carefully examine the dishes, setting aside specimens with defects.