technical side of preserving with clip style cilner jars

[matben2]

im soooo confused!!! everyone seems to do it differently,,,this is what ive done so far,,and im realy paranoid my lovely creations wont keep. i wash the kilner jars and their rings in hot soapy water then rinse in hot water and leave to dry. then i put the jars (open) on a tay and put in the oven gas mark 4 for 15 mins. i then put the rubber rings in a pyrex jug and cover with boiling water.
then i put the hot chutney (using washed clean metal funnel) straight in to the hot jars.
,,now is where i get stuck,,,ive been leaving to cool then put greaseproof paper disks on the leave to go completely cold before putting the rubber disks on the jars and clipping shut.,,,im worried that "germs will have gotten into the jars whilst cooling down,,it takes a few hours to cool properly.
ive heard others closing the lid straight away but, 1, the jars are so damn hot i cant get the rubber rings on, and 2nd,,even if filled to the top there will be condensation as the lid of a kilner jar has space in it,,,i would like my creations to last a year,,,am i already doing this right or have i buggered it up?? ive made several jars of runnerbean chutney and red onion marmalade,,all now under the sink where its dark and cool.
,,please help as im starting to get obsessional on the topic of germs!,,,very unlike me!

[matben2]

oh dear,,just realised ive spelt kilner as cilner,,,lol,,,no wander im getting in a pickle!!! (sorry,,couldnt resist!)

[gregorach]

From the Kilner website:

Step 4: Closing your Kilner jars
Now your Kilner jars are filled you need to close them whilst the contents are still very hot.
Place the lids on to your Kilner jars, if you are using a screw band make sure to release the screw-band by ¼ turn to allow steam to escape, if you are using a clip top place the rubber seals onto your Kilner jars and close the clips.

[MKG]

I'm wondering why you use greaseproof paper in Kilner jars? As far as I can see, that's the most likely source of any infection. As long as you close the jar whilst still hot, as gregorach has pointed out, the vinegar in the chutney will stop any nasties developing - you don't need the paper.

You need to practice getting those rings on wearing oven gloves

Mike

[Odsox]

I agree with Mike, can't see any possible use for the greaseproof paper.
Always seal immediately, or at least as quickly as you can. The idea is that the steam coming off of the contents will drive out the air and when the steam cools it will condense in the headspace inside leaving a vacuum.
No air, no nasties.

[Green Aura]

You need to practice getting those rings on wearing oven gloves

I use a tea towel and say "ouch, ouch, ouch" - a lot!

[matben2]

thanks guys,,so i dont need to be concerned about water from the condensation then?,,,i will close while hot on future jars but the ones ive already done will they still be ok for christmas? i dont want to waste them,,,or should i get it all out of the jars and boil for a bit and redo the jars??? ohhh please say no,,im not a fan of faffing around,,,

[Millymollymandy]

Don't worry about the water - I always wonder about that but it seems to disappear and not make any difference.... do remember to put the lip of the rubber seal NOT directly under the clip otherwise you can't get at it to pull it out to undo the air seal before unclipping ...... also yes it's ruddy hard getting the seals on when the jars are really hot - but it is manageable!

I do wonder at a lot of recipes for chutney/pickles that say to leave to cool then seal. I seal everything hot.

And if I was you no I wouldn't bother redoing your jars cos I also hate faff but if I was going to be giving any away as presents (you mentioned Xmas) then I would open one to check contents beforehand!

[boboff]

You could not bother with all the washing etc and heating in an oven etc etc, just make sure it's clean, assemble the jar, fill at any old temp, then seal and put in a pan on cold water, bring up to the boil, and simmer as gently as you can for about 40 minutes to an hour, then leave to cool in the water, or Lidl's do a parturiser ( like a big Tea Urn) for around £30 in the Autumn.

If you do it this way you are pretty much gauranteed to make your preserves last at least three years.

This is the way I did it in a commerical way, with back up and research from Campden & Chorleywood Food RA, it's a belt and braces HACCP approach to keeping things safe, basically the only two risks are crap in the jars, and faulty seals. ( The other key thing is getting the PH right, but nearly all chutneys are ok, and as you've just boiled the chutney the C Bot spores you could worry about are extremely low risk)

[matben2]

aha,,glad you said about the seal pull thingy,,,didnt know you have to pull it to realease the preasure before unclipping,,,,also,,,on the kilner site it says instead of oven you can use dishwasher without soap instead of the oven,,cant remember if the rings can go in too,,it would be so cool if you could put the rings on then sterilise in the dishwasher,,,no ouchy fingers!,,,,my next (with perfect "seal while hot" technique) venture will be tomato chutney,,,any recipie suggesttions? ive been given just over 2kilos of juicy toms,,,think i will roast them 1st with garlic,,,

[boboff]

I like Tom Chutney with Sugar and NIgella or Black Onion Seeds, really nice with curry, tamarind style.