# Worthwhile to wash jars straight from the factory?



## omnimirage (Aug 31, 2015)

I'm buying my plastic and glass containers in bulk from a warehouse distributing company. I asked them whether I should wash the jars before storing honey in them, and they recommended for me to give them a rinse with warm water in case bits of plastic residue or whatever mistakenly founded their way in the jar.

It's no problem to rinse them, but drying them is a pain as it's imperative to remove all the moisture, otherwise the honey might ferment. I got a couple hundred jars of honey that I need to fill with honey. I figure wiping with a towel isn't sufficient in removing all the water, so I've been drip drying them. I can't just place them flat down, as the moisture then can't escape. Nor can I just leave them in the sun faced up as dust or whatever might drop into them. I've had to do creative things for such, lately I've been placing chop sticks underneath the jars, and placing them face down so that water can drip onto a paper towel underneath. With the amount of jars that I need to wash this time around, I literally cannot fit them all in my kitchen, and my house mates were annoyed enough as is with me taking up all the space for a day or two to let them drip dry. I'm guessing I'm going to have to let them dry outside and work out a way that bugs or dust or whatever doesn't wind up in them, maybe I could lay down cotton towels, with the paper towels and chop sticks on top.

It's just a pain to do and I'm left wondering if it's even needed. I figure the factory would of course recommend such in order to avoid me blaming them that there was something left over in the jar. Is it worth washing them with warm water? Is there a better way of drying hundreds of jars?


----------



## Lburou (May 13, 2012)

Omni, you will be surprised how many glass jars you can put in a dishwasher. With a dishwasher, there is no drying issue. I think it is not a matter of cleanliness or sterility, but the jars look so much cleaner after a short cycle in the dishwasher. I ask a premium price for my honey, and the sparkling jar fits that image. JMO


----------



## omnimirage (Aug 31, 2015)

Don't own a dishwasher but my household has been talking about buying one for years! I don't notice any difference in sparkles afterwards they're pretty clear and clean looking when I purchase them.


----------



## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

I used to but don't anymore.


----------



## Lburou (May 13, 2012)

Ravenseye said:


> I used to but don't anymore.


Producing a small amount of honey makes it an easy task for us. I can understand why it wouldn't work for a beekeeper with several hives or a sideliner.


----------



## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

I find maybe one plastic jar in 500 has some level of "plastic extra" in it. To me, doesn't really justify the need to wash them. I've never had a problem using glass mason jars straight out of the packaging.

But if you were going to rinse them out, do it with very hot water (not boiling, as it may distort the plastic). The hot water will evaporate quicker. Buy, or make, a bottle drying rack (https://www.worldmarket.com/categor...MI5-3FqpaM2AIVBLnACh39ggICEAQYAyABEgIKzfD_BwE) have it fit anywhere from 20 to 40 bottles on it, with a towel underneath. By the time you fill the rack up, the top one should have enough of the moisture out that you're good to go on bottling.

If the moisture level of your honey is good enough, you shouldn't have any problem with a drop or two of water left in the bottle. Not ideal, mind you, but you won't have any type of fermentation issues. My honey ends up in the mid to low 17% moisture content range. A drop or two of water won't make it noticeable. But for the sake of argument, if a lb jar contains 453 grams, and my moisture content is roughly 17%, to increase it up to 18% (which is still grade A honey) I'd need to add approximately 4.5 grams of water. A single drop of water contains 0.05 grams of water. So if I left roughly 90 drops of water (or 10% of a shotglass) in the bottle while filling it up, I'd still have grade A honey. Not that I'm going to do that, but you get the idea. More water than that would start to cause a problem. 

Ultimately, a few drops here or there are fine.


----------



## omnimirage (Aug 31, 2015)

Holding 40 wouldn't hold half of what I wish to bottle. It'd take very little time to process it, I can't imagine they'd be nearly dried enough in time that way unless maybe I wiped them with a towel, then put them to drip dry.

Having the extra moisture in there then has me wondering if it's worth the trade off. I'm exchanging time and moisture, for less potential plastic debris or whatever. I suppose having some bits of plastic would be very bad so I guess it'd be a worthwhile exchange.


----------



## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

omnimirage said:


> Holding 40 wouldn't hold half of what I wish to bottle.


. . . . so do 80 . . . . not exactly rocket science . . . . 

Wiping with a towel is a no go for me. Imparts lint. YMMV


----------



## texanbelchers (Aug 4, 2014)

Maybe something like an airblade hand dryer, but that would be yet another cost.


----------



## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Just tossing this out there. You can use a blowgun and compressed medical grade nitrogen (avalable at most welding supply stores) to quickly blow dry each bottle. Cost you about 150 for the regulator, hose, and blowgun. A cylinder of N2 should run about 30-40 dollars and last for two or three months. Rental is what gets you so turn it back in when you are done bottling.
Compressed air from an air compressor contains oil and cannot be used. Nitrogen, NF is oil and moisture free.


----------



## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

An option for sterilizing jars is to put them in the stove oven at 225F for 10 minutes. Minimum we do is this.

You could rinse them in hot water, let them drain inverted and finish dry/sterilize in the stove oven.


----------



## omnimirage (Aug 31, 2015)

Why bother sterilizing when the manufacturer has already expressed such isn't necessary? They're already sterile.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I bottle tons of honey each year and have never, NEVER, wash a single jar or plastic container. They come sterile from the manufacturer. It happens when they are molded. Nothing gets in the jars unless the case is turned upside down. (i'm resisting making a joke about you being from down under) Jars, here anyway, are placed in the boxes with the open end down just so stuff doesn't get in the jar.

Over the years I have had only two or three times when a jar was broken or defective. That is more a concern than junk inside the jar. So, in my opinion, something else you can stop fretting about.

Oh, and buy your labels from a professional label making company and pass the cost onto your customer. Maybe you need to order twice as many as you did to get a better price. Check into where the price break is and order more than you need. They don't spoil, unless you have a flood, I guess.

Best wishes.


----------



## aiannar974 (Mar 29, 2017)

When I bottle wine in new bottles you can see the cardboard dust floating in the wine. I do a quick rinse with one of the following, you can get them at a local brew supply house and probably cheaper than my quick search:

https://www.midwestsupplies.com/bottle-washer

https://www.austinhomebrew.com/Vina...Eg_ttHUGqshZsMCDK8WRqdNJuLle32uxoCTS8QAvD_BwE


----------



## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Jars are packed upright here with lids on and box flat is covered with shrink wrap. 

After a previous thread on washing jars, I called the manufacturer. They suggested washing to remove any particles and sterilizing should be done. 

I realize that is the only safe answer they will provide for their own protection.

We sterilize all the jars we use for jams, pickles, etc and carried the procedure over honey.


----------



## grozzie2 (Jun 3, 2011)

mgolden said:


> Jars are packed upright here with lids on and box flat is covered with shrink wrap.


That is the case for mason jars that you buy at the big box store. 

It's not true of proper honey jars purchased from the bottle companies. We have been getting our bottles thru Richard's in Vancouver as of late, they come with the open end facing down, and we've never had an issue with them. We buy the short flint cylinders by the palette, they arrive in cases of 12, inverted, sparkling clean.

Another huge difference between the bottle types, mason jars are not sterilized when they arrive, the assumption is, they are used for canning which will sterilize the jar in the process. Mason jars are packaged 'top up' so a consumer can see if it's a wide mouth or narrow mouth when the box is sitting on the store shelf. The bottles we get are sterilized from the manufacturer, properly stored, and intended for commercial food packaging.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

In Canning, using Mason Jars, my Mother always had a sterilization process which she did before filling the jars with whatever she was putting up. This was done to maintain a sterile condition which is not necessary in the case of honey. Canning, as a way of preserving meats, fruits, and vegetables, has to be done so no bacteria can grow. Which is not a problem with honey. Honey is aeseptic and doesn't allow bacteria to grow.

Wash jars if you feel you must, but if one buys and uses jars specifically made for honey, doing so is unnecessary.


----------



## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

omni - I get my glass jars from Plastene ( they have a branch in Adelaide too)

I get them by the pallet load. In my cse they are up-right without lids and wrapped in plastic. I place the lids on them as soon as they arrive - they are clean and need no washing.
If you get small quantities ( a few hundred) they are cling-wrapped with lids but much more expensive.

We don't use plastic - I get $ 12/kg at the farmers market here and as I only have a few thousand kg a season ( I have less then 30 hives) I can sell it all and could sell more. farmers markets here don't like plastic.


----------



## omnimirage (Aug 31, 2015)

max2 said:


> omni - I get my glass jars from Plastene ( they have a branch in Adelaide too)
> 
> I get them by the pallet load. In my cse they are up-right without lids and wrapped in plastic. I place the lids on them as soon as they arrive - they are clean and need no washing.
> If you get small quantities ( a few hundred) they are cling-wrapped with lids but much more expensive.
> ...


I buy mine from Plastene as well. Interesting that people don't like the plastic, here, the 1kg plastic tubs are rather popular. Do you rinse your jars or fill them straight from the package?


----------



## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

We used to run them through a commercial sterilizer on hot and let them dry.

After talking to Plastene and getting their feedback I decide to stop this.

We now fill them straight from the package.

We have a good flow on here at the moment. I have run out of jars - more coming early next year.


----------



## omnimirage (Aug 31, 2015)

What sort of feedback did you receive from them? I'm quite curious. Who did you talk to?


----------



## GaSteve (Apr 28, 2004)

sqkcrk said:


> I bottle tons of honey each year and have never, NEVER, wash a single jar or plastic container.


Same here. I've bottled honey for many years and have never washed the first jar. Completely unnecessary step. Home canning is a whole different ball game for a completely different product.


----------

