Myth: I have a hard-water film on my canning jars; so now I have to throw them away.

Answer: Busted!

Before tossing those jars, try to remove the remove scale or hard-water film by soaking the jars for several hours in a solution of 1 cup of vinegar and 1 gallon of water.

In order to reduce scale build-up, try adding ½ cup vinegar to the boiling water bath canner or 2 tablespoons vinegar to the pressure canner before processing.

Two reliable sources for additional information are Missouri Families and the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Contributor: Maude Harris, EdD, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist, University of Missouri Extention, harrismau@missouri.edu