Fit the lifter around the top of the jar below the threads. Place the jars on a towel on the counter to avoid contact with a cold surface.
All jars must be cleaned and sterilized before using.
Wash empty canning jars in hot, soapy water. Rinse thoroughly. Place jars in the boiling water canner (or a separate large pot). Cover jars with hot water. Jars must be submerged. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Sterilize the jars by boiling for 10 minutes. Keep the jars warm in simmering water until needed.
If using a separate pot for sterilizing jars, fill the boiling-water canner half full; bring to boiling. Heat additional water in another large pot (to top off water in the canner); keep it hot but not boiling.
Take out just one jar at a time, fill it, put on the lid, and return it to the canner to keep everything hot. Then take out another jar and fill it: One jar out, one jar in.
If using a pressure canner, fill the canner with 2 to 3 inches of water and, with the lid loosely (not locked) in place, bring the water to not quite a simmer. Put the jars in the canner with a little water to prevent them from floating.
Put the lid back on—loosely, not locked—and allow the jars to get steamy hot. After a few minutes they will be sterilized and ready to pack with hot food. Again, take one jar out, fill it, and replace it in the canner before removing another jar: One jar out, one jar in.
Always use new lids. Check the undersides to be sure the lids are free of scratches and that the sealing compound is intact and covers the circumference of the lid. Heat the lids in very hot but not boiling water before using.
Be sure that the screw bands will fit the jars and are free of rust. When sterilizing or heating the jars, add the screw bands to the water and heat with the jars.
Lids are essentially flat disks of metal with a sticky compound around the edge. When heated during processing, that compound softens, then cools, and creates a long-lasting seal.
Lids also have a raised circle in the center. After canning, if a vacuum seal has been created, that raised circle is sucked down and flattened. Test seals after jars have completely cooled. If the lid is firm and slighlty concave, the jar is properly sealed. If the lid appears flat and you are able to make it bounce up and down, the jar is not properly sealed. (In that case, refrigerate and eat the food within three days.)
The function of bands is simply to hold the lids in place during processing and cooling. Remove them after cooling and wash and store for future use. They can be reused many times unless they start to rust.