First, how did you get safe processing times for teas ? I don't know of any that are published that are USDA safe. I am curious as to where you got your information.
Most of the jars will be embossed unless you order them from a place that sells commercial jars for food processing, like Pacific Bottle. They would be basically "one trip" jars, meant for recycling after use. They are not any cheaper, that I have found.
Most of us label the lids instead, and use jars meant for home canning.

Ditto - would love to can our flavored teas but could never find approved guidelines for how to do it safely. Pass on your source of info to us will ya? Thanks.

As an alternative to lid labels, string tag lables tied around the neck would work.

Dave

I've been looking for suitable containers to process fruit juices in for some time. Is there some reason why small type lids and caps can't be made by the jar makers?

Or possibly the openings are too small to process successfully. In the meantime, we love fresh fruit juices, so I freeze them instead in water bottles that I bleach clean first.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

Bejay,
Is it that you want something to use so it is easy to drink from the container itself ? Can you use regular canning jars and then put into other things once you open the jars ?
I know there are some bottles, I think by Weck, but then they are too expensive and not sure how you keep buying the lids for them.

Kitchen Krafts sells smooth sided jars in 8 ounce, pints, and quarts. Labels can also be attached to the lids as 2 inch round circles.

Well we are going off of a timetable and looking at vegetables that in the whole, are made up of mostly water and shooting from there. The teas are pasteurized to be sterile along with the other ingredients. Plus the pressure canning again to reach 240 degrees. I looked at Kitchen Krafts's smooth sided pints but wasn't sure if they were good for pressure canning. Are they?

Snapple used a process similar to canning using hot-fill and had the same principles to first bottle their teas without adding preservatives. :)

Well we are going off of a timetable and looking at vegetables that in the whole, are made up of mostly water and shooting from there. The teas are pasteurized to be sterile along with the other ingredients. Plus the pressure canning again to reach 240 degrees.

Oh, so this isn't a USDA tested/approved process, right? Guesstimates on processing aren't usually recommended as safe so I guess I'll have to pass. Vegetable teas rather than fruit based? No concerns about the pH? I fear local certification requirements for sales to the public wouldn't allow for that here.

Snapple used a process similar to canning using hot-fill and had the same principles to first bottle their teas without adding preservatives.

Yeah we have many discussions here about how commercial processors can safely do many things that aren't safe to do at home. Very different equipment.

Dave

Since I instruct in USDA guidelines here, I did not know of anything out there. We had a discussion about tea a while back, and it is high in ph level. We would not recommend guessing at a processing time.
My recommendation for you would be to email the National Center for Home Food Preservation and get Elizabeth Andress's advice on this. She wrote the USDA guidelines.

Here is a link that might be useful: Contact Elizabeth Andress

The ph of tea is considerably less acidic than many meats !!
It is 7.2, approx.
Even bottled lemon juice is basically two times as acidic as 5% acidity vinegar.
Bottled lemon juice is 2.0, where vinegar is 2.9. You would think no big deal, but it is. A very big deal when it comes to safety in foods.

Bottling tea is nothing to experiment with. You need to have solid times determined by a food scientist.

Thank you for the recommendation! I've read up on the ph of teas ranging from 4.9 to 6.5. Would Elizabeth have a recommendation? I'll drop a line in her direction.

From my information tea is 7.2.
Yes, she may, but she may also tell you there is no way to determine the time unless each type of tea is tested in a lab. All you can do is try. She is really great about answering emails. She has a PhD in food safety. I wish I did.

I always learn something new whenever Linda Lou answers a posting.

Just popped back in to say "thanks" for the suggestion to look into Weck glassware. I just ordered some small juice bottles which have rubber rings that can be re-ordered and the bottles can be used in BWB. A bit small but easier to store in my pantry when the freezer becomes overloaded with summer fruits

Sorry if I usurped the thread.

As Linda Lou mentioned, the USDA lists tea as 7.2. A typical black tea is 6.5 with green tea lower, but that's purely theoretical. There're an almost infinite number of tea varieties and blends. The water (mineral content) affects pH level, as does steeping time.

So without testing each specific batch, it would be impossible to assess pH with any assurance of accuracy.

Carol

The smooth sided jars at Kitchen Krafts are for home canning. There are also 'decorative jars', but they are onl;y ment for display purposes. Some of the jars also have a lug type lids, that twist off. If you do a search there for canning supplies, you will see that they also offer narrow bottles for things like hot sauces too. The smooth sided jars use the same Ball canning lids as the ones with embossing on them.

Bejay,
It is fine for you to change the subject some. I am glad that helped you out. I remember seeing the bottles some time ago. I remember them as being nice looking, too.

I want to thank everyone for all the great information. I am looking into just going for glass bottles. Would be easier since the USDA does not have defined info. Plus labeling would be much easier on the bottle. Thank you again!

Wine bottles with either corks or the crown caps that are crimped on.