The pasteurization process kills any health-threatening bacteria that may be present in the juices. A few simple steps are required to pasteurize a juice. First, the juice should be heated until it almost starts to boil, then you have to transfer it to a clean container to prevent bacteria from contaminating it again. By sterilizing the containers before use, you can be sure that the juice stays fresh for a long time.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Heat the Juice to Pasteurize it
Step 1. Pasteurize any type of fresh juice
Fresh juices can carry bacteria and make you sick, in particular they can carry a group of bacteria whose name is "Escherichia coli". To avoid this risk, you should pasteurize all fresh juices. If you bought a juice from the supermarket, make sure it says "pasteurized" on the label.
Step 2. Pour the juice into a large pot
It must be perfectly clean and large enough to hold all the juice so that it can boil without overflowing. Place the pot on the stove and pour the juice into it.
Step 3. Heat the juice over high heat
Turn on the stove and heat the juice over high heat. Stir it often and don't lose sight of it. While you wait for it to come to a boil, you can keep an eye on the time and temperature.
If you want, you can heat the juice in a water bath. Pour some water into a saucepan, place a bowl on it and pour the juice into it. Turn on the stove and heat the water. Indirect heat will pasteurize the juice without risking overheating it
Step 4. Check the temperature of the juice when you see it starting to simmer
It must reach 71 ° C to be considered pasteurized. Use a cake thermometer to check the temperature when small bubbles start to appear on the surface. Be careful not to touch the surfaces of the pot with the thermometer, otherwise you will get an incorrect reading.
- It is enough for the juice to remain at a temperature of 71 ° C for 1 minute.
- The juice must not reach the boiling point. You can check this by eye, but it is safer to use a thermometer.
Part 2 of 2: Washing the Jars
Step 1. Wash the jars
You can use common glass jars; it doesn't matter if they are new or used, the important thing is to sterilize them. Wash them in hot water and soap, then rinse them to prepare them for the sterilization process.
Step 2. Boil the jars
You can use a sterilizer or a large pot. Arrange the jars on the bottom and cover them with water. Put the pot on the stove and heat the water over high heat to quickly bring it to a boil.
- If you don't have a sterilizer, use a basket that allows you to take the hot jars out of the pot with ease.
- Alternatively, you can take them out of the water with a previously sterilized jar tongs.
Step 3. Let the jars boil for 15 minutes
When steam begins to build, cover the pot with the lid. Let the jars boil for 15 minutes before turning off the stove. You can leave them inside the pot to keep them warm.
Also boil the lids for 5 minutes
Step 4. Take the jars out of the water with the help of the basket or tongs
You can arrange them on a cloth upside down and let them drain. If you prefer, you can shake them to remove most of the water and refill them with juice right away.
Step 5. Pour the juice into the jars
Fill them with the still hot juice. The jars must also be hot, otherwise they could break due to the temperature change. Screw the clean lids onto the jars to preserve pasteurization.
