water-bathing

One of the most reliable methods of preserving food — and you don't need any special equipment to do it. A large deep pot with a lid and something on the bottom to keep the jars off the base (a cake cooling rack works perfectly, or extra bands tied together) is all you need. As long as the pot is deep enough to fully cover your jars by about 5cm of water and allow a good rolling boil, you're set.

Tomato based recipes, apples, stewed fruit not packed in syrup — these are the ones to Water Bath if you want them shelf stable for the long haul. In our kitchen the only things we wouldn't Water Bath are relishes, pickles + sauces with a vinegar base. Most jams don't require it either unless your recipe specifies otherwise.

If you're working with meats, seafood, soups, broths or low acid vegetables, Pressure Canning is the way to go. See our Pressure Canning guide for that.

GoodLife Dome & Band lids and Pop Top lids are both suitable for Water Bath preserving.

How To Water Bath ~

Fill your large pot at least half full with water, place your rack or trivet on the bottom, pop the lid on and bring it to a simmer.

Preheat your GoodLife jars in the oven at 100°C for around 20 minutes before filling. Hot liquid into hot jars into hot water — this avoids any thermal shock to the glass.

Wipe the rim of each jar with a paper towel dipped in white vinegar to make sure its clean + you get a good seal. Fit your lids — Dome & Band or Pop Top — and carefully lower the filled jars into the pot using your jar lifter.

Check that the jars are covered by 3–5cm of water. If not, add more boiling water now.

Start your timer only once the water reaches a full rolling boil. Process for the time your recipe specifies.

Once done, turn off the heat and leave the jars sitting in the pot for 10 minutes before removing them with your jar lifter. Place them on a wooden board, folded towel or wire rack — away from cold drafts, not directly on a cold bench.

Don't cover them, don't touch the rings, don't tilt or flip them. Any water sitting on top will evaporate on its own.

Leave the jars untouched for around 8 hours. Then check the seal — the centre button on the lid should be sucked down. Any that haven't sealed go straight into the fridge and use those up first as they won't be safe for long term shelf storage.

Wipe the jars down, write the date + contents on the lid, remove the screw bands and store in a cool dark place. Give your stock a check every now and then and rotate so the older jars get used first.

Your homemade produce is now Shelf Stable + should see you through a couple of years.