hi all, so I am new at preserving and got a bit stuck! I am bottling beetroot at the mo and after cooking it, doing the whole vinegar etc I am told in the book to preserve using the 'overflow' method. Quick read about that told me the vinegar (brine) should be just just overflowing the rim and to cover the bottles using a vinegar proof lid.
Problem (I think).....I have the normal celofane covers which I assume is not good enough. Can I use the old lids that I got with the bottles. I am using washed / sterilised jam jars etc. The lids looks ok and no scratches etc. HELP!
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If you want to keep the beetroot out of the fridge and don't plan on eating it all straight away, the jar will have to be sealed properly. If you don't have a huge batch made, you could just keep these jars in the fridge and eat them from there. :)
Your lids are probably ok - I wouldn't worry about that this time.
Since the beetroot is bottled in a vinegar based liquid, they wouldn't have spoiled by now. If you've left 1/4" head space in each jar (or near enough), try boiling them in a water bath. This just means filling a big pot up with water (enough to cover the tops of the jars by about an inch), then putting your jars in once the water has boiled. Wait for the water to come to the boil again once you've added the jars, then give them about 5 minutes from then. After that, remove them, and let them cool and hopefully seal.
Be careful getting the jars out, they get damn hot. You can get a special tool for it, but I just gently pour the water out of the pot until the tops are uncovered then gingerly pull them out with a teatowel. And usually end up burning my fingers a little. ;)
Hi Sonya, Thanks so much for your help andyou right it is a bit of a jungle out there with dif techniques!
Now I've bottled the beetroot but prob need to redo it ? Cause the lids did not pop down and from what I read in my book it said it is not a hot preserve so I did not worry with keeping the beetroot and vinegar hot while bottling. it was not cold but was taken off the heat. the jars tho were hot out of the oven. Also I did wash the lids in soapy water and dry them but did not have them in warm water as you recommended before putting them on.
Do I need to redo the who thing, can I seeing that ive botteled two days ago?
I forgot to say - though it might be obvious... When you fill the jars, make sure what you're filling them with is hot straight from the pot. A few minutes' cooling doesn't matter, but the heat helps create the seal and preserve the sterile environment.
Jeffie, I was just as stuck and confused as you when I first started preserving! There's so many techniques out there that I was terrified of doing anything!
The easiest way:
- Make sure your jars have been sterilised. I do this by washing them in hot soapy water, rinsing them, then putting them in a 150ish degree oven with the opening sides up when I first start chopping and preparing whatever I'm preserving. I've also sterilised jars in the dishwasher without any problems too.
- Yes you can use the (assuming they're metal) lids - the best ones are the ones with the pop up safety button like you get on jam. Just make sure they're scrubbed clean, then about 10 minutes before you're ready to fill and seal the jars, put them in a bowl of hot (not boiling, can effect the seals) water.
- Fill your jars with the beetroot and vinegar, leaving 1/4" from the top of the jar. This leaves room for the seal to be created.
- Fit the lid (make sure it's tight but not ridiculously so), then put the jars aside to cool down. You might hear a POP! as the button goes down and the seal is created, or if you're like me you'll poke the button and if it stays down, it's sealed. Leave them overnight, because sometimes it takes a while for the jars to cool completely.
- If any jars haven't sealed, you can try reboiling them for a few minutes in a water bath (if you want an explanation of that, let me know) then letting them cool and seeing if you hear the pop. If not, keep the jar in the fridge and scoff the lot! Pickled beetroot doesn't usually last long (in my house), anyway!
Tip: Before you fit the lid, make sure you give the rim and threads of the jar a quick wipe with a paper towel dipped in hot water - this makes sure that there's nothing there that can stop the seal being created.
Oh, and I have used the cellophane covers, but I prefer lids - you can reseal things much more easily if you don't eat a whole jar at once, and well... recycling! Much less wasteful. :)
Replies
If you want to keep the beetroot out of the fridge and don't plan on eating it all straight away, the jar will have to be sealed properly. If you don't have a huge batch made, you could just keep these jars in the fridge and eat them from there. :)
Your lids are probably ok - I wouldn't worry about that this time.
Since the beetroot is bottled in a vinegar based liquid, they wouldn't have spoiled by now. If you've left 1/4" head space in each jar (or near enough), try boiling them in a water bath. This just means filling a big pot up with water (enough to cover the tops of the jars by about an inch), then putting your jars in once the water has boiled. Wait for the water to come to the boil again once you've added the jars, then give them about 5 minutes from then. After that, remove them, and let them cool and hopefully seal.
Be careful getting the jars out, they get damn hot. You can get a special tool for it, but I just gently pour the water out of the pot until the tops are uncovered then gingerly pull them out with a teatowel. And usually end up burning my fingers a little. ;)
Sonya
Now I've bottled the beetroot but prob need to redo it ? Cause the lids did not pop down and from what I read in my book it said it is not a hot preserve so I did not worry with keeping the beetroot and vinegar hot while bottling. it was not cold but was taken off the heat. the jars tho were hot out of the oven. Also I did wash the lids in soapy water and dry them but did not have them in warm water as you recommended before putting them on.
Do I need to redo the who thing, can I seeing that ive botteled two days ago?
The easiest way:
- Make sure your jars have been sterilised. I do this by washing them in hot soapy water, rinsing them, then putting them in a 150ish degree oven with the opening sides up when I first start chopping and preparing whatever I'm preserving. I've also sterilised jars in the dishwasher without any problems too.
- Yes you can use the (assuming they're metal) lids - the best ones are the ones with the pop up safety button like you get on jam. Just make sure they're scrubbed clean, then about 10 minutes before you're ready to fill and seal the jars, put them in a bowl of hot (not boiling, can effect the seals) water.
- Fill your jars with the beetroot and vinegar, leaving 1/4" from the top of the jar. This leaves room for the seal to be created.
- Fit the lid (make sure it's tight but not ridiculously so), then put the jars aside to cool down. You might hear a POP! as the button goes down and the seal is created, or if you're like me you'll poke the button and if it stays down, it's sealed. Leave them overnight, because sometimes it takes a while for the jars to cool completely.
- If any jars haven't sealed, you can try reboiling them for a few minutes in a water bath (if you want an explanation of that, let me know) then letting them cool and seeing if you hear the pop. If not, keep the jar in the fridge and scoff the lot! Pickled beetroot doesn't usually last long (in my house), anyway!
Tip: Before you fit the lid, make sure you give the rim and threads of the jar a quick wipe with a paper towel dipped in hot water - this makes sure that there's nothing there that can stop the seal being created.
Oh, and I have used the cellophane covers, but I prefer lids - you can reseal things much more easily if you don't eat a whole jar at once, and well... recycling! Much less wasteful. :)
Right, I think that's it... Does that help? :)