Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Mon, 19 Jul 1999 12:39:38 -0400 (EDT)
On Mon, 19 Jul 1999, Wayde Allen wrote:
> > We do this entirely without paraffin, molten or otherwise. We wash out old
> > jam jars and then sterilise them in the oven while making jam. (Since I
> > suggested this we haven't lost a single jar). Using a jug to pour the hot
> > jam makes it easy to avoid getting any around the top. The jars here all
> > come with air-tight lids (they can't be re-used for ever though.)
>
> It is because you have the air-tight lids that you've never had a need for
> the paraffin. The old decorative jelly jars didn't have such lids. Often
> they didn't have lids at all, hence the need for the paraffin seal.
>
> > Easier than fiddling with molten paraffin.
Hope I didn't suggest we're behind the times here in NY, NY ! We use
2-piece vacuum suck up method also, in fact boxes of lids and rims are
available at local hardware store in 3 sizes to fit most "found" jars
(which as noted is one reason paraffin gets hard to get). But the
sterilizing is still a pain.
For all that oven sterilizing seems ingenious, there is NO WAY we will
turn on the oven in summer in the city. In fact when it's 100 degrees
Fahrenheit (it was a virtual 106 the last several days, ie., 41 degrees C)
we don't even light the stove. We just go outside & fry a few eggs on the
sidewalk.
cheers,
Judy
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