Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Was Mom wrong?

I grew up canning everything from the garden. Mom always made us boil the jar lids so they'd seal right. I never questioned her instructions. Well, I'm now canning peaches and tomatoes. While waiting for the water to boil for the lids, I idly read the instructions on the box which I'd never done before. There was nothing about boiling them but it said to wash them in soapy water. Why wash them? They're going to be sterilized along with the peaches, aren't they? Since it didn't say to boil them, I canned a couple batches with the lids right out of the box. Every one sealed. That's 1 more old Mom's tale out the window. I'll never bother to boil them again.

Boiling kills any germs.Soap and water may also kill germs but boiling is sure fire way of doing it.

I always thought boiling was to sterilize the lids. On another note, I’ve always heard that a woman on her period can’t be canning tomatoes.

They don't need boiled for sterilization, but they do need to be heated up in hot enough water to soften and reset the seals from shipping before putting them on the jars.

They end up boiling anyway for at least a short period due to being busy with other tasks.

That's what I thought until I read the directions. Turns out that you can put them on cold. I've done it and it works. Maybe the old timey lids needed it but not anymore.

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