Thanks Diana. The concept is clearer now. I am now more inspired and less afraid to try. Also, the new combisteam oven comes with another feature 'preserving jam'. Takes all the guesswork out. No reason to not make jam :)
As smslaw points out, all you need to do with the jars is clean them. I run my dishwasher with the jars I intend to use just before I'm about to can, and leave the jars in the dishwasher until I'm ready to pour hot jam into them. If you don't have a dishwasher, you could just fill the sink with hot soapy water, wash the jars, and leave them in the water until you need them, then rinse under hot tap water and turn upside down on a towel until you're actually ready to pour jam into them. I do think it's best to keep the jars hot until you pour in the finished jam so there's no likelihood of jars breaking due to thermal shock. In short, putting jars in your combisteam oven is just overkill - you only need clean hot jars, not sterilized jars. Believe me, pouring boiling jam into the jars, then processing them in a boiling water bath for whatever time the recipe calls for will kill anything you need worry about! As to the lids, I just bring some water to a boil in a teakettle and pour it over the lids in a shallow bowl, but bringing a small pot of water to a boil and dropping the lids in until you need them works the same - just depends on how much stove-top or countertop space you have. Again, you're not sterilizing the lids, you're softening the seal material. The boiling water bath will make everything safe.
As an aside, as Cathy says, combisteam ovens are pretty much a rarity here and I'm surprised to hear they actually have a jam jar setting. So bear in mind our unfamiliarity with these devices as you weigh the advice you're getting here.
The issue you need to be careful of is processing the jam, not so much cleaning the jars. You just need to clean the jars before putting your jam in them. You don't need to sterilize them. Just wash with hot soapy water, rinse well and set aside to dry. You should use a boiling water bath to process your jam, although some people have been known to use the oven. The Chef Ono reference is a good one, but the issue it addresses is processing the jam, not cleaning the jars before you make the jam. The USDA and others do not recommend processing in the oven.
As for the lids, the easiest method is to put them into a pot of water and bring to a boil and leave them in the hot water until you put them on the jars. You can rinse the ladle and funnel in the boiling water while you're at it. Have fun! It's easy.
Great link Diana. Mrs WheelBarrow is right regarding the variable temperatures in older ovens (+-10C is common). Newer ovens are more accurate, (+-1C ) - the reason why I have switched to the new combisteam oven. As well, , the pre-programmed feature for preparing jam jars has encouraged me to give 'jamming' a try (never fortunate to have grandmothers who made jams!). Great to discover and have access to this knowledgeable food community :). Appreciate the help.
Chef Ono makes it clear in this thread why heating jars in an oven isn't the same as sterilizing them in boiling water: http://food52.com/hotline/16430-canners-oven-sterilizing-sealing-a-good-idea
Are you in the UK or Australia? I know it's common practice to use the oven for sanitizing as well as processing. In the States, ovens are more variable, no one has an oven thermometer, and there is a greater chance of processing or sanitizing at too low a temperature. Over here, fewer people have the combi ovens (which tend to have more even heat). The USDA is a nervous Nellie. Regardless, your question was about the lids, and my answer is the same - soften in warm water.
Hi Nancy. The USDA does not support jar sanitizing in the oven. (And really, you're not using an Autoclave, so it's sanitizing, not sterilizing...) regardless, the lids need not to be sanitized as much as warmed so the rubber gasket softens enough to seal. Drop the lids into simmering water for a few minutes.
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As an aside, as Cathy says, combisteam ovens are pretty much a rarity here and I'm surprised to hear they actually have a jam jar setting. So bear in mind our unfamiliarity with these devices as you weigh the advice you're getting here.
As for the lids, the easiest method is to put them into a pot of water and bring to a boil and leave them in the hot water until you put them on the jars. You can rinse the ladle and funnel in the boiling water while you're at it. Have fun! It's easy.