Home canning is simple, healthy and enjoyable.
It allows you to invent, experiment and create something unique and genuine without using preservatives and additives.
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.
Quattro Stagioni jars and caps will be the best allies to preserve your recipes – everything 100% made in Italy.
Together we will see:
All steps for a proper vacuum canning.
Before starting vacuum canning
Ingredient choice
Inspection and cleaning of jars and caps
How to fill jars
How to pull a vacuum: pasteurization
Inspection and storage
All steps for a proper vacuum canning
1) Before starting vacuum canning: discover the golden rules
The golden rules to be followed before starting vacuum canning with Quattro Stagioni jars are four:
Caps must be used only once for a successful vacuum canning.
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.
Caps are solely suitable for preserving beverages and fatty. acid foodstuffs, except for the Ø 86 mm size assembled on 20 cl and 32 cl jars, which is not suitable for coming into contact with fatty substances.
2) Ingredient choice
Fruit and vegetables – better if organic – must be fresh and at the right maturation (neither too ripe nor too unripe). Always wash them thoroughly.
To protect your ingredients from browning caused by contact with the air and to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination, proceed with a bath in acidulated water with lemon.
For their safe preservation, vegetables must be boiled in abundant salted water and vinegar: in this way most of the bacteria naturally present on the vegetables will be eliminated.
3) Inspection and cleaning of jars and caps
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 caps by hand in hot water without detergent: they are not dishwasher safe and they must not be boiled before use.
NB: Glass jars can be reused while caps must be replaced at every new use since the whole compound has to ensure tightness.
4) How to fill Quattro Stagioni jars
Fill jars with your preparation (up to approximately 2 cm from their rim, 1 cm for the jars equalling or below 20 cl 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 Quattro Stagioni jars, carefully clean the rims to allow for a perfect screwing of the cap.
NB: Do not screw on the cap too tightly ! If the cap is too tight the air cannot be forced out of the jar therefore preventing vacuum pulling.
5) How to pull a vacuum: pasteurization
Vacuum sealing and canning allows long life preservation of food thanks to the destruction of microorganisms growing in air.
Two methods can be used for pulling the vacuum inside the jar:
– Boiling
Thoroughly wash the rims of Quattro Stagioni jars and close them by screwing their cap without tightening too much.
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.
Once boiling temperature is achieved, close the pot with the lid and cook for the time indicated in your recipe. The Quattro Stagioni 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.
– Hot filling
This method can be applied in case of recipes requiring a cooking phase, such as jams and marmalades (15 cl and 20 cl Quattro Stagioni jars are not suitable to this technique since the lower content makes more difficult the vacuum pulling).
Before hot filling the product, in order to prevent jars from breaking due to thermal shock, it is advisable to pre-heat them with hot water.
Fill the Quattro Stagioni jars with the hot product, then screw the cap without tightening too much.
Put them upside down immediately.
Jars must remain upside down for at least 15 minutes, then it will be possible to turn them and store them in a cool place.
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.
6) Inspection and storage
To make sure that the vacuum has been correctly pulled, check that the lid center is curved down slightly in the center. On the contrary repeat pasteurization with a new lid.
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 the cap and do not stack the jars: the compound could damage and let air inside therefore having adverse effects on the food preservation.
Put a sticker on every Quattro Stagioni jar and write down the date and content: before eating the product wait for 60 days to be sure it has been preserved correctly.
Before opening the jar make sure vacuum has been pulled correctly, the cap center has to be slightly curved down: if so upon the cap opening you will hear a ‘pop’, evidencing the cap lifting.
After opening, store the jars closed in the refrigerator.
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