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Needing a quick answer....about stacking jars in a BWB

14 years ago

I looked in the Ball Blue Book but couldn't find an answer. I'm canning the raspberry chocolate jam and wanted to use the small jelly jars. My question is "do you need to put something between the stacks" and if so what? I only have one rack.

TIA

jude

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Comments (8)

malna
14 years ago
I do (not officially required as far as I know), because the little jars tend to slip and slide around and fall over when the water is boiling. You can also stagger them so one is not directly above the other.

To separate them, I've used a toaster oven rack, a cake cooling rack, an old cake/pie pan with holes drilled in the bottom, even a folded dish towel (the last one is my least favorite 'cause it tends to float). Basically use anything that will give the small jars a bit of stability and allow the boiling water to circulate.
digdirt2
14 years ago
Yes you do need something between the stacked jars. If you don't have a second rack you will have to make up one out of sheet metal of some kind with vent holes cut in it or buy a second rack that will fit your canner. Or do it in two batches or some of it in another deep pot. They can't be stacked directly on top of each other.

There are some past discussions here about how to make one so if you need them let me know and I will try to dig it out for you.

Dave
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So right Gardenlad. Last year, I found a jar wholesaler who carried Mason jars and we inquired with him. His minimum order was over 50 cases and the best he gave me on that was 10% off his retail price, which even with the rebate was still more expensive than Bernardin at Walmart, and Golden Harvest is cheaper. We looked to find a direct link to a Golden Harvest supplier but could not find one. I have however, found the number for Bernardin in Toronto and will call them at the beggining of next week to get their prices, since they might ship according to their site to people who will take 500 boxes or more. Might take me a couple of years but if the price is right....Too bad not more of us live in the same area, we could order a bunch and divide them amongst ourselves. Bejay, I agree with you that small families need smaller sizes. I don't even eat that much jam myself, maybe a jar or two a year, my kids, BF and dad all have to "sacrifice" themselves and finish all my half full jars. What a shame... Some people asked me for smaller jars, but strangely, the reason seems to be mostly so they can buy more flavors. However, the price of the jar is the same as the larger 8oz one, so I would think it makes things prohibitively expensive. As far as things like tomato paste, I make a lot of it, spread it on a cookie sheet over parchment and stick it in the freezer. When it is all but frozen, I cut it into squares and stick it all in a bag. I used to put it in icecube containers but hate washing them. I do the same with pesto. Less cleanup, same result. Marie
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I didn't extrapolate - I just had already added onions to the ice water bath, and you can always omit spices (didn't have tumeric and didn't want hot peppers) so decided to follow that one rather than making it with full cup of sugar I usually put in fridge pickles, and processing for 5 min as in the Cross-cut recipe. Bread and Butters My Way, page 89 (though I think I would like to double her sugar). I thought you could always change salt (except in brined pickles) and sugar amounts, as well as dried herbs, to taste. I dumped the pickles - decided to open the jars in the fridge, but saw they were mushy. The unprocessed ones in the Classico jar aren't, but don't taste like much except tangy (vinegar and/or onion) yet, so I added a bit more water to those - may add more sugar too. But those should be OK since they're not sealed tight (PB lid doesn't fit well). Just for future reference, if I suspect something doesn't have enough acid, I know I can reprocess within 24 hours, but for something you don't want to reprocess (like pickles), you would *open* the jar and stick it in the fridge, right? What is the safe time limit for that (again, assuming that it's something like pickles and you're not going to cook them)? NCHFP course just has a test question about 5 days tomatoes with no acid (dump them jars and all), doesn't say what to do if you discover it sooner (other than reprocess w/i 24 hrs). Thanks, I'm still trying to learn.
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jude31
Original Author
14 years ago
Afraid I'm not too ingenious...never thought about the toaster oven rack..My present toaster oven is too large but fortunately I had kept the rack to a smaller one. In lieu of the big old granite BWB canner I had bought a LARGE stock pot so I could use it for the smaller jars. I now have 11 beautiful jelly jars of Chocolate Raspberry heaven. Tried to squeeze and even dozen but didn't quite make it. With tax that dozen itty bitty jars were $8.18. Highway robbery. LOL I don't want to think about the total cost but fortunately the raspberries were free and that was a big savings.

Thank you all so much.

jude
iona46
14 years ago
How important are the holes? I used an old cake pan the other day for a second rack, but I didn't put holes in it. It was the best thing I could come up with on the spur of the moment. Do you think that could have been a problem?

Sorry for the stupid question, but I'm still paranoid over my canning. I just hope I'm not afraid to actually eat anything when the time comes!
junelynn
14 years ago
Kannapolis, NC/Albemarle, NC - End of July/Beg.of August
Ball canning jars are on sale at WALMART along with the Ball Freezer containers. They are cheaper than they Golden Harvest jars they also have. I had coupons - two $3.00 off when buying 2 cases from Ball/Kerr, obtained in the newspaper inserts earlier in the spring. 12 pint jars cost me $5.29 with coupons. The wide mouth's were $8. Not sure what the quart prices were.
Tractor Supply has all thier canning good on sale, along with FoodSaver bags. You can get a $5 off coupon with $25 purchase on-line at their web site. I believe they have canners on sale as well.
Hope you can find some good sales also!

June Lynn
digdirt2
14 years ago
The holes are to allow for adequate movement of the air and water throughout the pot/container. Water has to be able to freely surround each jar in a BWB and the old "what goes up must be able to drain back down" sort of thing applies. ;)

I suppose that if the sides of the pan didn't touch the sides of the pot and there was room for the water to move freely then it would be no problem but something with holes would work better.

And old metal pie or cake pan that is smaller in diameter than the pot with lots of holes punched (hammer and a screwdriver or ice pick) in it (aluminum pie pans won't support the weight) and set upside down on the bottom level of jars and top level of jars set on it works well.

As mentioned cake drying racks work well too. There are all sorts of cheap metal things sold in the housewares dept. that can be made to work. Yard sales are also a good source.

And if all else fails you can always make a spacing rack using extra rings/bands wired or screwed together in a circle.

Just have to think a bit outside the box (or the pot in this case. :)

Dave
iona46
14 years ago
Dave, it didn't touch the sides. There was plenty of room all around the pan and I did add some water to it. I only had one jar in it also.

I didn't think about it needing holes. Well, off to find a drill. Thanks.
annie1992
14 years ago
iona, I use the rack from the bottom of my pressure canner, it's the right size and shape and already has holes. I'm never using the pressure canner and the water bath canner at the same time, so it works well for me.

So, if you have a pressure canner AND a waterbath canner, that might work for you.

Annie

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