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.
On a hot summer day, in a tall glass with some cucumber makes me very happy!
I drink lots of water, always carry a refillable stainless steel bottle. Most of us do not drink enough water.
I drink mine like I drink my tequila – with limes!
I drink filtered water from a glass, a reusable bottle and I drink a whole lot of tea!
All of the above! I love water in all forms!
i like my water brewed as sun tea with a little sugar and a slice of lime!
I once had water while travelling out of a spring in the ground that was pure enough to drink unfiltered….that was my best water experience ever, and is definitely my favorite way to drink (though I doubt I’ll be able to do it regularly, considering it was halfway across the world)!
With ice! Always with ice!
As long as it’s cold… I don’t care too much, but I definitely like it with lemon in it.
ice cold.
usually plain but i love using extra cucumber slices and mint from my garden to keep a ‘spa pitcher’ cooling in the fridge
I like my water with lemon and a pinch of cayenne – gets me going in the morning!
hot tea with honey as a little afternoon pick-me-up or So cold with a little lime.
Fun! What an excellent contest. I’d say I take my water straight up, on the rocks. But also to brew Irish breakfast with a bit of milk and a tiny squirt of honey.
I grew up on a farm. The best water I ever tasted was bubbling up from the stand pipe in the middle on the field. We were working and hot and it was wonderful.
I’m trying to drink more water, less diet soda. Water just straight up, either bottled or filtered tap.
My favorite way to drink water is filtered, no ice, but straight out of the fridge and served in a mason jar. Since I cracked my water filter pitcher, I’ve been drinking room temp tap water. Not nearly as tasty!
Just came across your blog after registering for a canning kit for our wedding this spring. I’ve done lots of freezing the last couple summers, but am looking forward to expand my preservation skills! PS – cold water out of a cup anytime 🙂
I’m always surprised how much flavor cucumber slices impart to water ….YUM!
I like my water straight up! One of my new year resolutions was to drink more water (I could be doing better…lots of my water ends up hot and steeped with tea, oops) and cold, filtered water could definitely help with that!
Water with lemon is my favorite!
Straight and icy cold! The water from Mena, Arkansas has to be the best in the world!
Straight up! 🙂
Two reasons I can’t live without filtered water: As a self-proclaimed coffee snob, my French press ritual requires excellent, pure water. Also, kitty is picky and will only drink filtered water from a glass on the table. She thinks she’s people.
I have a Brita filter that I use all time, and my favorite way to drink water is right out of the fridge from my Brita filter! Fresh, cold, filtered water- mmmmm! So refreshing.
Earl Grey with lavender in my double-walled mug. Mmmm.
Plain old water on ice is my favorite.
Hot tea in the morning, ice water in the afternoon, hot water at night.
Just plain ole water, not too cold, no ice.
I drink water all day long, just room temperature…but when I’m feeling fancy, my absolute favorite thing to do with water is grab a large pitcher, fill it up with water, and infuse it with slices of cucumber, apples, radishes, rosemary, parsley-basically any tasty fruit or herb that I happen to have on hand. And it always tastes sooo declicious!
I like my water icy cold, from the tap. Our town has pretty good water. Sometimes I’ll put a little lemon juice in to “jazz” it up a bit.
We sell those pitchers at my workplace, but are a tad expensive for me on my very limited budget.
Straight water & lots of it. I carry it to work in bottles that I refill each evening.
I like plain old water (at room temp) out of an old-fashioned drinking glass mostly. But I do like it with a packet of Emergen-C in the mornings!
I love my water: clean, room temperature and in abundance!
With lime, straight from the tap. But I’d use a filtering jug if I won one. 🙂
If I am drinking plain water, it has to be really cold. But my favorite water-based drink is sweet tea but that is what happens when you live in the South.
I love water ice cold — even in the middle of the night! We have well water and an undersink filtering system and we use the water from that system for coffee and cooking, but I still buy bottled water for my canning projects. Just can never have too many filters with California water!!!
My favorite way is after a trip through my seltzer maker!
I drink the most water from my Kleen Kanteen, which I carry around with me at work or in my car. At restaurants, I always ask for lemon – yumm! Thanks for the fabulous – and practical! – giveaway!
It’s plain, cold tap water for me. My favorite way to drink it is orally, though sometimes I spill some down my chest. My transdermal hydration attepmts have not proven to be effective, however.
Icy cold with a slice of lemon or lime!
I’m an odd person who loves the taste of water. I bring several reusable bottles to work every day. I also am very picky about the water I use for my tea.
I like the fresh well water best – that clear, almost effervescent water from my childhood home. I can tell, by afternoon if I’ve not been drinking enough water. I keep large water bottle on my desk (purchase once, use multiple times) all the time – hopefully refilling it at least once during the day
Recyclable filters! Finally! This is great.
I drink a lot of tea, so that’s probably the number one way I drink water. I always have a glass of water right before bed, and often I don’t drink the whole glass. I have to be careful where I leave the half-empty glass, or I’ll wake up to the sounds of my cat taking a slurp for herself. Needless to say, I get a new glass in the morning…
Either room temperature or as a cup of coffee. Not sure the coffee counts since it dehydrates, but it’s still made with water so I’m keeping it.
I carry around a refillable bottle all day. It’s made by Contigo and you can use it with one hand.
Room temp, NO LEMON!!
I used to use a pitcher a long time ago, but stopped using it because of the BPA in the plastic. I’m happy to see that this pitcher is BPA-free. I would definitely choose it over other brands just for that reason. I also like how they come in a variety of colors!
I agree with you about using the best water you can for canning. You never know what is lurking in city water anymore.
As for me, I like my water in cold sweet tea or the occasional hot cup of tea.
I’m addicted to my Nathan water bottle. I drink tap water always.
I got a nice Camelbak BPA free bottle, and I carry it with me EVERYWHERE. I’ve been working hard on giving up soda, and that bottle helps immensely. I also have a regular Brita, but this new filter sounds awesome!