Can I Sanitize My Canning Jars in the Dishwasher?
One of the questions that a lot of people new to canning their food will ask is whether it is safe or not to sanitize canning jars in the dishwasher. This is a good question to ask, because food safety should always be your #1 priority!
The short answer is : yes, chances are that is fine.
BUT, you should also read the long answer below because there are some very important safety factors to take into consideration!
In order to properly sterilize something, it is best of course to expose it to 212 degree Fahrenheit temperatures (also known as boiling temperature). The popular method of doing this is by boiling your jars, lids, and other supplies in a water bath canner for about 10-15 minutes. (Add 1 extra minute for every 1000 feet your altitude is above sea level).
Most dishwashers only get about as hot as your hot water tank is set to. Obviously, you cannot set your hot water tank to 212 degrees – that would be a terrible safety concern! Most dishwashers recommend that the water temperature be at least 130 degrees. 130 degrees is not hot enough to kill any bacteria or germs such as those found in meats. (In fact, chicken must be cooked to at least 165 degrees in order to reduce your risks of salmonella poisoning).
The good news is, since you will be cooking the food in your jars at boiling temperatures anyways, chances are you will kill off any potential harmful germs that may cause illness or spoiling or discoloration or taste.
The important thing is that you boil the items long enough. All of our recipes here at BestCanningRecipes.com include directions on how long to process your jars depending on what type of canner you are using and what your altitude is. In general, you should never process anything for less than 10 minutes. Only if you plan on processing your jars for less than 10 minutes in a water bath canner do you truly need to worry about sterilizing and sanitizing your jars first.
If you will be processing anything in a pressure canner, you also do not need to be as concerned about whether it is okay to run them through the dishwasher or even wash them by hand. If you forgot to sterilize and sanitize your jars prior to cooking have no worries! You will likely not run into very many issues!
Please keep in mind that just because sterilization is not always necessary – you do want to make sure the jars are clean! You do not want any residue from older items in the jars, and of course you do not want any dust! For this reason, using your dishwasher to clean them is likely just fine for this task, or you can wash them all by hand.
Now is also a very good time to inspect your canning supplies. Be sure that all of your jars are free from cracks or knicks – you do not want them to shatter while you are processing them! You should also ensure the metal rings have no rust and that the seals are not discolored. If you’ll be washing the lids and rings in the dishwasher also, it is super helpful to have a small basket that will hold all of these items for you so they will not be flying around all over the place.
If you don’t have a dishwasher basket already, they are relatively inexpensive. This one pictured right is less than $10 online and measures 8″ x 4″ x 4 3/4″ – plenty of space for holding your lids and rings! While most of these items will survive the water temperature of the dishwasher without any problems, you definitely do not want to worry about them getting trapped below the heating element or blocking the dishwasher drain valves!
Click Here for the Dishwasher Basket (White) (8″L x 4 1/2″W x 4 3/4″H)
Do you have any other canning related questions you’d like to ask? We are always working hard to make this site the best resource online for canning information, so feel free to post your question in the comments below and we will answer it in an upcoming blog post!
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