Every year, when it was time to start canning, empty jars that had been stored in the “smoke house” all winter had to be washed. My mother had two galvanized tubs; one used for washing and the other for rinsing. Mom designated tasks and she ALWAYS had my sister, Sue, wash those jars. Sue, aka “Sissy”, was small and her tiny hand could fit completely inside the jars all the way to the bottom. My job was rinsing and placing the jars upside down on a bench that was covered with towels. To this day Sissy will tell you she “hated” doing it because there were so many jars to wash, and it was an all-day task.
To wash jars:
- Fill one large container with hot soapy water.
- Using a cloth and/or jar mop wash the inside, outside, and the top edge. The top edge has to be clean for the jar to seal.
- In a second large container add clean, warm water and rinse thoroughly to remove soap. Put on clean towels to dry.