How to sterilize canning jars While you may find “hacks” online that tell you to sterilize jars in the dishwasher or microwave, there’s only one USDA-approved method for sterilizing jars.

Sterilizing is a quick and easy process and should never be skipped. Here are simple methods to effectively sterilize your jars and ensure your jam-making, bottling, and canning efforts are a success.

Apples, peaches, sweet corn, and tomatoes: with all of these fruits and vegetables in season now, it's a popular time to pickle and can. That way, you have delicious foods all year long.

Some people sterilize jars in their NSF-approved dishwashers, and some bake them for a long time at a gentle heat, but I sterilize my jars the old-fashioned way.

Canning works by placing food in jars or cans (jars, in Appert’s early work) and heating the whole set-up to a temperature that kills bacteria and other microorganisms.