'Tis the Season for Canning - Helpful Hints

After each previous posting there would be things that I would remember. This is probably not an exhaustive list as I'm sure there will be other things I remember as the canning season goes on so check back often. (Note:  The hints were also added to the original post.)  Consider it a list of helpful hints.

1. Before canning, clean jars with hot soapy water or in the dishwasher. The dishwasher is a novel idea because if you time it just right, your jars will be hot just in time to fill. When hot packing, you want to place the hot food in hot jars before placing them into the hot water.

-Fill the bottom of the dishwasher with already clean jars and nothing else.
-Run the dishwasher with soap to clean the jars again.
-If your timing is off, run the rinse cycle again to heat the jars.

2. While filling the jars, I like to keep my jar lids hot by keeping them in a pan filled with water on a low setting (do not boil the water).

3. After filling the jars remove the air pockets by running a small rubber spatula or chopstick around the side of the jar.