We do our canning on an electric stove using the boiling water bath method. We use one of the big roaster cookers to prepare the food item.
Preheat the glass jars in the microwave for about 15 secs. Jars will be very hot. Then pour the food preparation into the jars, put the flat on and loosely screw on the ring. (Never pour hot food into a cold jar) Then place the filled jars into a large pot of boiling water, being careful to not completely cover the top of the jars with water. Make sure the jars are full to within one inch of the top. Half full jars will break in the boiling water bath.Depending on the recipe for the item you are canning, boil according to instructions. Remove the hot jars and place them to the side. When you hear the lids “pop” the jar is sealed.
I believe that the water bath method is for acidic foods only. Tomatoes, pickle relish, etc. For other foods, you have to can using a pressure cooker. Green beans, corn, peas, etc. The Ball Recipe book will tell you the correct way, anyway. I just know that if you don’t pressure can certain foods, you risk serious food borne disease. Botulism???
I preheat my canning jars in the oven, just like they tell you not to do. :)
I make sure they’re all spotless and dry, line them up on the oven rack and set the over to 200. And yes, they are hot, but they are close enough to the temp of the food that I have NEVER had one break. The problem with the boiling water method that they recommend, is that you are still putting cold jars into hot liquid and to my mind, that’s no different than dumping hot liquid into cold jars.
I tighten my bands to hand tight and probably have only had maybe one in a hundred not seal properly, which annoys me to no end. But then again, if it’s not my last canner load, it gets resealed and reprocessed or it goes in the fridge and we use it first.
I grew Heinz variety sauce tomatoes from seeds I got from Territorial Seed company. Best sauce I ever made. Excellent flavor. My tomatoes last year nearly got done in by blight, but I was able to salvage enough to make a few jars of stewed tomatoes.
I didn’t know that half jars would break as I never can a half jar amount. I use the next smallest jar and anything under a half pint, I put in a bowl and use right away.