routine for putting canning lids on

[lindy]

On the weekend I made 20 jars of jam which I water bathed. 

A friend was helping a bit and she believes that I was not putting the lids on the right way. 

I fill a jar, put the lid and ring on, then fill the next one etc etc. until they are all filled and lidded.  Then I water bath them in batches starting with the first ones I fill.  She believes that I should fill all the jars first then put the lids on, starting with the jar I filled first. Her theory is that by the time I filled the last  jars the jam had cooked longer, maybe too long. 

All of the jams sealed beautifully and I didn't see a difference in thickness from batch one to batch three.  Her comment did make me wonder if there are times when one should follow her method.  

I do not do pressure canning so have no idea if there are different methods involved for that food. I'm strictly a water bath canner. 

[grannyg]

Tell her to put a lid on what she thinks...Do it your way.....<3

[krisinmi]

It depends on what I'm canning. For hot things that are typically liquid when going into the jar(jam, syrup, lard, juice, sauces like tomato and apple), I put the lid on each jar as it's filled. Just makes me less apt to knock jars over and spill them when I'm dealing hot and potentially sticky stuff.

For the things I cold pack (beans, tomatoes, peaches, pickles) I fill all the jars with the fruit or veggie first, add whatever liquid goes in, release air bubbles, then put all the lids on at once.

[solargeek]

lindy, I am the same as krisinmi

[lindy]

Thank you grannyg, krisinmi, solargeek, I'm going to continue doing what seems best for me, and yes, the idea of accidentally knocking over a jar of blazing hot jam does not appeal to me either! I had not thought there was a "right" way to apply lids until this friend made her comment.

I have made cold pack pickles and do fill the jars first, mostly because the directions say so.

Today I got carried away buying fresh sweet plums at the market, both yellow and reddish. They'll make beautiful jams today.

[my3boys]

I do what Ball and the NCHFP recommends. I heat my jars right in the waterbath, pull one out at a time, fill and seal and replace in the canner. The repeat with remaining jars.