Using filtered water, like that you can get from a Mavea water filter, improves and taste and experience of your jams, pickles, and jellies.
As many of you have come to know, water is often a primary player in canning. Most pickling recipes call to dilute vinegar by half. We can whole fruit by making a syrup of sugar and water. When I want to include an intense flavor (like ginger) in a preserve, I blend it with some water before squeezing it through some cheesecloth to get a potent little brew.
In all of these recipes, I make a point of using filtered water. Preparing fruits and vegetables for canning is often a process of cooking down and concentrating your ingredients. I really don’t want to concentrate any extra crud or crap in my finished product. I live in an older apartment building, so who knows what kinds of funky particulate matter is in the H2O that comes out of my tap? It’s just one of those steps I like to take to ensure that the quality of my product is as good as I can make it when I go to open those jars six or eight months later.
Edited to add: There’s been a little confusion in the comments. I don’t use filtered water in my processing pot. I only use it IN the canning recipes. Regular tap water is fine for the outside of the jars.
For most of my adult life, I’ve been a Brita water filter user. Recently, I had an opportunity to try the new Elemaris filter and I really like it. It’s made by Mavea (which is part of Brita), is entirely BPA-free and the filters are recyclable. It has a meter on top that tells you when the filter is due for a refill and the lid is designed so that you can simply position it under the tap and fill, no need to remove a piece or flip open a flap. They’ve even created a nifty blog called Inspired Water to help spread the word about this product.
Disclosure: Mavea gave me that black Mavea water filter you see above. I’ve also filmed a series of canning videos with them that will be appearing in the next few weeks. No money has changed hands and I wouldn’t say nice things about their pitcher if I’d didn’t genuinely like it.
Straight up is good by me. I always have a glass on my night table. And any color pitcher is fabulous!
With cucumber and orange like I’m at a spa. Or cucumber and mint.
Straight up, cold, out of the tap. I <3 plain ole' H2O!!
Have to go with my most frequent way of drinking water- in my banged up metal bottle with a squeeze of fresh red grapefruit or fresh lemon juice- at least 6 of these per day!
Plain, at room temperature is best!
I have a big handmade ceramic mug, and I drink my water ice cold and plain, and refill the mug multiple times a day.
I like my water straight up and in a clear glass.
I love drinking water by the glass! I also love to use water to make tea. A red pitcher would be fabulous!
My favorite way to drink water is with a few slices of cucumber. I used to use lemon, but i found it so tiring! Cucumber gives the water this fresh crisp taste without distracting from the water the way lemon can. If you haven’t tried it yet it is a must, everyone scoffed at my cucumber water but after trying it, all my friends now drink it too. Simply the best way to drink water.
My favorite way to drink water is in a glass, no ice please. Filtered from the tap works for me.
I had never thought about the importance of the water in a canning recipe. Definitely food for thought.
I love a very cold drink of water. no ice, just cold tap. Delicious.
I would like to win and get a purple pitcher, please. 😉
In the summer, it’s hard to beat a slice of cool cucumber. Maybe a bit of lemon and ginger if I’m feeling fancy.
mostly as coffee or tea (especially lately as I’m down with the flu).
Water with lemon – room temperature.
My favorite way is definitely hot tea. In fact, I’m sitting here having some while I type this comment 😀
love water with lemon juice
Straight up in a class, cool, but not cold
All of the above. Only Yorkshire tea, though, it’s the best kind. I ADORE adding lemon juice to my water as well, it tastes just a little brighter and the Vitamin C is very helpful. 🙂
Cold cold cold water…needs nothing else!
Must have cubes and no floride!
Favorite – cold from a pitcher out of the fridge!
I drink my water with a little bit of lemon and ice. 🙂
My favorite is cold out of the fridge, with a few splashes of lime juice.
Iced tea made with fresh lemon juice and sometimes fresh mint.
Cold with mint and lemon. Doesn’t get any better.
Hot water with honey and lemon is soothing.
I try to drink as much plain water as I can remember every day, usually straight from the tap. The most water I consume every day is definitely in the form of tea!
Just chilled and in a mug.
I like my water crisp and cold from my stainless steel bottle. It just tastes better somehow. When I’m sick and congested, warm water with a couple of teaspoons of wildflower honey mixed in does wonders.
My husband and I were just discussing purchasing a Brita. Before we moved last summer, I was never without a glass of ice water at my side. Unfortunately, moving to a different water district means different water and I don’t like it. I don’t consider bottled water an option so I’ve been making tea (hot and cold) to try to mask the taste of our water. Whether I win or not, there’s definitely a purifying pitcher in my future!
i’m always drinking water out my reusable camelbak bottle.
I have a beautiful cut crystal pitcher I keep on my desk at work that holds about 40 oz of water that I drink through out the workday.
My favorite way to drink water is to just drink water! Nothing more refreshing.
My favorite way to drink water is over ice in a tall glass with a sprig of field mint! Perfect refresher on a hot summer day!
I drink water with a slice of lemon – I also water down fruit juice during the day to add more flavor!
I like to drink water with lots of ice out of my stainless steel bottle.
I also like it in my coffee! 😀
I try to drink several glasses of plain cold water each day, but I’d prefer it as decaff sweet tea.
Lots of ice & fresh lime slices.
I love to drink my water at room temperature so I can drink it fast. Usually drink it out of a reusable bottle but sometimes in a glass.
Mmm…water. I normally drink mine plain with a mug or a reusable bottle. Periodically I’ll go for some warm water.
I keep a glass of filtered water on the kitchen counter all day, to sip on as I go by. But it’s so much better with a little flavor. I’ve been putting 2 T of home-canned blueberry or blackberry juice (unsweetened) in the water, and it gives me a bit of the good stuff from dark-colored fruits.
I love water with lemon. I use the same lemon most of the day and keep adding water to it. It’s so yummy!
I love in steeped in tea bags in the sun with lemon slices and some fresh lemon balm leaves 🙂
I’ve been using brita for a couple of decades and boy oh boy what a difference. You can’t drink the tap water where I live, It’s nasty. I used to go through about 10 gallons of filtered water and I don’t miss lugging heavy water jugs. I’d LOVE a new pitcher, as my is OLD. I use my filtered water to drink as is, in my tea, when I make coffee, rice, ice cubes, etc, etc.
Favorite way to drink water… does wine count? OK, coffee then.
I like may water straight up! Or in with Earlt Grey tea or a nice chai. Would love to have a BPA free pitcher!
Room temp in the winter ice cold in the summer.
The best way to drink water is in herbal tea of course!
Second best would be with some lemon and basil on a hot summer day.
My favorite way is from the tap, here in Portland OR our water tastes great! otherwise from the water dispenser at work – so cold!
I like my dihydrogen oxide (H20) straight up, either in a glass or reusable metal or otherwise nonBPA container. Oh, and filtered is my preference unless it is NYC water, mainly because I dislike the chlorine taste and smell in most tap waters.