Fido Jars Home Canning Guide

Written by:
Bormioli Rocco

Home canning is simple, healthy and enjoyable. Many different sizes for a jar with a vintage design – ideal for containing preserves and dry food, but also for decorating the house, for containing small objects and for making “hand made with love” gifts. A user-friendly, safe tight shape and closure, all strictly Made in Italy. Follow our easy instructions and rely on the advice and time shown in the preparation of your recipe: you will keep a wide range of foodstuffs in total safety and you can ensure the success of your recipes.

All steps for a proper vacuum canning

1) Before starting vacuum canning: discover the golden rules
Here are the golden rules to be followed before starting vacuum canning with Fido jars:

Seals must be used only once for a successful vacuum canning.
Only jars up to 1.5L capacity are suitable for pasteurization.
Jars must not undergo a thermal shock. When you fill jars or bottles with food or drinks, make sure they are neither too cold nor too hot in regard to the jar temperature, otherwise you may cause its breaking (maximum jump in temperature: 42°C).
The pasteurization process cannot take place in the traditional oven or in the microwave.
Seals are not suitable for the contact with 100% fatty substances.

2) Ingredient choice
For the safe storage of vegetables, it is necessary to boil them in abundant salted water and vinegar. This will eliminate most of the bacteria naturally present on the vegetables.

3) Inspection and cleaning of jars and seals
Before using the jars make sure the edge is not chipped, otherwise do not use the jar. Wash jars with hot water and let them boil before using them in order to sanitize them from the presence of any bacteria:

Place them in a pot with a thick bottom with the jar mouth upward
To prevent jars breaking or chipping during the cooking, put a tea towel on the pot bottom and wrap each jar in a towel
Cover with lukewarm water and bring to boil.
Boil jars for at least 10 minutes.
Wash seals by hand in hot water without detergent: they are not dishwasher safe and they must not be boiled before use.

NB: any oxidation of the metal wire – which could occur as a normal reaction of the wet metal ring in contact with the air – does not affect the functionality of the jar and of the pasteurization process.

4) How to fill Fido jars

Fill jars with your preparation (up to approximately 2 cm from their rim, 1 cm for the jars equalling or below 200ml capacity).
If jars are filled with diced ingredients or solid ingredients, arrange them inside the jar without pressing them to reduce the empty spaces and completely cover them with the chosen canning liquid.
If air bubbles form, force them out by gently pushing the preparation with a spoon.
Before closing the jars, carefully clean their rims.
Check that the seal is well inserted into the lid seat, and close with its suitable metal closure.

NB: to avoid jar breaking, do not lean the jar on a cold surface such as marble or metal, put on a wooden surface. To avoid burns wear gloves.

5) How to pull a vacuum: pasteurization
Vacuum sealing and canning allow long life preservation of food thanks to the destruction of microorganisms growing in air.

Place the jars in a pot with a thick bottom with the jar mouth upward.
To prevent jars from breaking or chipping during the cooking, put a tea towel on the pot bottom and wrap each jar in a towel.
Cover with lukewarm water and bring to boil.
Once the boiling temperature is achieved, close the pot with the lid and cook for the time indicated in your recipe. The Fido jars must remain fully immersed in water: consequently, if necessary, add hot water to refill the initial water level. At the end of the process let the jars cool in the same boiling water.
Once the jars have cooled down take them out of the water by holding them from the jar body, wear gloves to avoid burns.

6) Inspection and storage
To make sure that the vacuum has been correctly pulled, try to open the metal hook: if the lid remains “glued” to the jar, then the vacuum has been correctly pulled. In the event that the lid is not “clinging” firmly to the jar, repeat the pasteurization with a new seal. Make sure the vacuum has been correctly pulled and when the jars have cooled down, store them in a cool and dry place, protected from direct sunlight (maximum temperature: 23°C). Do not handle jars and do not stack them: the seal may shift and let air inside therefore having adverse effects on the food preservation. Put a sticker on every Fido jar and write down the date and contents: before eating the product wait for 60 days to be sure it has been preserved correctly. Before opening the jar check that vacuum has been pulled correctly making sure the seal is still “glued” to the jar. To open pull the suitable seal tab in order to let the air inside the jar. After opening, store the jars closed in the refrigerator.