Need some clarification on recipe lingo.

[taraann81]

"Pack approximately 23-25 quail eggs per jar (jars should be sterilized and hot at this point). Ladle hot liquid and spices over eggs and wipe rim of jars clean with a damp towel leaving ½” headspace. Place lids on the jars and screw on band tops. Process jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes (once water returns to a boil). Remove from the hot water and set aside to cool. Jars should seal as they cool. Any jars that do not seal properly should be refrigerated and consumed within 2 weeks."

Could somebody please explain to me how to process in a hot water bath?

 

[Smoky73]

basically you ladle all the stuff into already hot jars, screw on lids like explained, and then put filled jars into a big pot of boiling water, water has to be at least about 1/2" above the top of the filled jars once they are all in. Boil for 10 minutes I guess, according to your directs you posted. Then remove from water and set on counter to cool. Jars will seal as they cool. You will hear the "pop" of the lids.

 

[pdxblossom]

The jars are placed in a pot and covered with water. I often use the water that was used to sterilize the jars - you really want to avoid packing hot jars into ice cold water and vice versa (you can crack the glass). The jars need to be submerged under a couple inches of water. This is important because you want to make sure the entire jar comes up to temperature. Since water boils at 212 degrees, the organisms in high acide foods (pickled eggs) are going to rendered inert. It also sterilizes the inside of the jars a second time in case anything made it's way in there while you were packing.

Once the process is complete, remove the jars from the water bath and allow them to cool on a rack or a dish towel for 6 to 8 hours. You can remove the bands and check the seals. You don't need the bands if your seals are good. In fact, it's best to leave the bands off because then you'll know for sure if teh seal breaks or goes bad over time.

Make sure you don't pack your jars too tight - leave at least 1" from the top for expansion. More than that, less than that can cause problems. Then use a damp towel to wipe the rims before you seal - don't worry about the outside because that will wash away during processing.

Good luck!