can we microwave food in canning jars?

[Robert Z]

YES OF COURSE I MEAN AFTER I TAKE THE LID OFF... lol

 

I have done it a ton of times, and I haven't had anything bad happen yet, but something is telling me I am not really supposed to. Rapid heating / expansion on one side of the jar and not on the other side, seems like I am asking for a jar to crack or bust.

 

[LeeAnn]

I wouldn't but not because the jar might break.

 

You've grown the food probably without pesticides and taken the time to preserve it so it would be a healthy long term food solution. Microwaving changes the chemical composition of the food and even water. I use my microwave for a bread box.

[SlingMama]

I use my microwave to store cans of tomatoes. Heard too many skeery stories about microwaves to use mine any more.

[Canned Nerd]

Originally Posted By: LeeAnn

Microwaving changes the chemical composition of the food and even water.

That's a new one on me, and water too? Though I guess going from raw to cooked is a change in chemical composition.

[susie]

I make jelly and jam in mine.

[Robert Z]

I kinda have to agree with that one, all a microwave does is vibrate the molecules in the water of food, causing them to rub together. The heating effect is nothing more than friction.

[LeeAnn]

Try this:

 

Take two identical pots of soil and two identical seeds. Plant at the same time. Water one with tap water and one with water that has been microwaved for a few minutes. Then see what happens.

[Canned Nerd]

Try doing the same thing with distilled water or even filtered water or even boiled water. Basic chemistry. Has nothing to do with the microwave.

[LeeAnn]

 

Google - "Dangers of Microwave Cooking"

[Robert Z]

Originally Posted By: LeeAnn

Try this:

Take two identical pots of soil and two identical seeds. Plant at the same time. Water one with tap water and one with water that has been microwaved for a few minutes. Then see what happens.

Oh, I have heard this one before! I get a magic bean stalk!!!!


But seriously, am I to assume that I should let it cool down before I pour it on the plant?

[Canned Nerd]

And from the experts rather than the cultish, you will find in that same search:

 

"The MW are not dangerous for human organism, if one uses the oven properly. I and my family have been using it for 30 years and we are quite healthy. MW could be dangerous if the oven leaks the rays, e.g. when the door is not enough closed and the oven still works.

 

The food cooked in the oven is not harmful too, on the contrary, it is healthy because it preserves vitamins better and cooks faster than the conventional cooking. The food is not tasteful if you cook to long time, because it becomes dry and tough, especially meat.

 

If you have only the ordinary oven using only MW, you can use it for defrosting and heating, and you can cook also some foods, e.g. vegetable, soups, rice, but NOT pasta.

You should buy a book on MW cooking describing you all you need about safety and cooking. You can find it in your bookstores. Or you look for the in formation in the internet.

 

Glass containers are ideal! Use them. Do not listen gossips, but rely on good sources and experience."

 

But go on believing what you want to believe.

 

 

[LeeAnn]

I new my comment would set off a firestorm but to that I say........to each his own.

[Cricket]

C'mon friends!!! Let's not get snarky with each other over the pros and cons of microwaving. Anyway, it's a thread drift!

 

Now if you wanna have a food fight.....

 

Nawww, that would prolly get us all in trouble.

 

 

So, back on topic. I'm very protective of my canning jars, so I would try not to use them in the microwave, at least not to heat something to high temperatures.

[Aint2nuts]

Originally Posted By: Cricket

Now if you wanna have a food fight.....

Nawww, that would prolly get us all in trouble.

Throws a rotten English Cucumber at Cricket...

I am all for trouble~!

As for microwaving, please use a microwave safe dish for reheating foods.

[LeeAnn]

I'm going under the radar

[Leah]

My jars are much too precious to risk in the microwave. I would put the contents in a bowl.

[Robert Z]

hey leeann, I just wanted you to know I meant nothing by the magic bean stalk comment, I just could not resist myself and I did not mean it as a slant against you.

 

I usually dont heat my food to full temp in the jars, I have just noticed that some things thicken a great deal when cool and dont always want to come out all that well, so I have pitched them in the microwave to thin them enough to easily get them into the "heating container"

 

[LeeAnn]

Originally Posted By: Robert Z

hey leeann, I just wanted you to know I meant nothing by the magic bean stalk comment, I just could not resist myself and I did not mean it as a slant against you.

I usually dont heat my food to full temp in the jars, I have just noticed that some things thicken a great deal when cool and dont always want to come out all that well, so I have pitched them in the microwave to thin them enough to easily get them into the "heating container"

Oh My No offence taken, I try never to take things personally. I thought you're comment was cute

I wanted to be under the radar, just in case Darlene was watching

[Crazy4Canning]

Remember that microwaves work by warming from the INSIDE OUT. Any of us who have taken that hot bowl out of the box to find it frozen inside know this.

 

That being said, canning jars are thicker glass but they are not tempered like Pyrex. They should survive just FINE in a microwave. However, I ALWAYS microwave in Pyrex, because of the tempered glass factor.

 

It has been proven that 'nasties' can come off plastic and into your food if you microwave on plastic, so I don't do it. I also don't like my plasticware to have that rippled melty effect around the rim of food.

 

Bottom line, hey it's your kitchen, free choice, do what you wanna do.

[Andrea]

I heat up mine in the microwave all the time. No problems. Let's face it, if a pint jar of hamburger meat can survive over an hour in a pressure canner at 15lbs. then it can easily handle 2 minutes in the microwave!