i made some boysenberrie jam, (berries that i had in the freezer) last month and christmas day i opened a jar and found mould on the top.was wondering if anyone could help me with why this should happen, I am making yellow plum jam at the moment and don't want this to happen with this lotPLEASE HELP ME !
momma1,
Dec 27, 4:27pm
make sure everything is sterile, the jars the lids your hands, bottle while hot, don't touch inside of jars
fec2003,
Dec 27, 5:34pm
As a kid, my Mum made jam several times each autumn. Invariably, after storing, some developed mould on top. Mum would decant the jam AFTER taking the mould off and throwing it away, then use the jam as a filling for a tart or as part of the fruit (and ALL of the sugar requirement) for an apple pie/crumble. Unless the mould is right through the whole jar, you can try saving enough to use up quickly.
Also - it can happen if there is a malfunction in a seal. If you're reusing jars, try a layer of glad wrap as soon as the jar has cooled a little, over the lid, to form a second seal. With new jars/lids make sure the rubber seals are intact.
Good luck! I'll be making redcurrant jelly later. At this moment, hubby is enjoying picking them for me! I love this time of year and all the smells we create making jam and jelly! It is also a satisfying thing to look in the pantry after and see the glistening jewels, all lined up afterwards!
julzie01,
Dec 27, 9:16pm
I just brought this great book on preserving/jams/chutneys etc.I notice that one of the things that they suggest is placing a circle of wax paper on top of the product prior to sealing. Another way of doing a second seal!
korban,
Dec 27, 9:20pm
I freeze my jam, once it has cooled, in icecream containers, and keep in freezer.
I just go and get enough to fill a jar at a time.
Never sets really hard because of all the sugar, never goes mouldy.
mottly,
Dec 27, 9:22pm
not sealed 100%!We used to quite often just get a teeny bit of mould on the top - just scoop it out with a teaspoon, and flick it in the rubbish. The rest of the jam underneath will be fine.
tony473,
Dec 27, 9:26pm
I remember my Mum used to call the mould on jam "mother".She just used to spoon it off.If the jam doesn't appear to be fermenting it will be fine.
fec2003,
Dec 27, 9:28pm
It does provide a 'skin' that protects the jam and that, in the event of mould starting, can lift the lot out easily! Mum used waxed discs and wet plastic circles, with tiny elastic bands! Great results every time!
griffo4,
Dec 27, 11:33pm
We always used to scrape the mould off and eat the jam with no problems mind you some of it had been in the cupboard for years as they used to get lost in Grandma's cupboard
kuaka,
Dec 28, 12:07am
My gran always reckoned it was because it wasn't boiled for long enough.
cgvl,
Dec 28, 2:31am
this hot muggy weather will make jam and pickles go mouldy. It seems to happen to me a bit in summer our pantry seems to be the problem as none of the other cupboards do it grrr. Scoop it off and use in baking eg louise cake, cheesecakes etc or in a jam tart or there is a recipe somewhere for using old jam to make chutney/relish. (I don't have it to hand so is probably in my Aunt Daisy cookbook, in a box).
razell,
Dec 28, 2:41am
Try a circle of lunch paper dipped in vinegar right on top of the jam before it is covered.Then if mould grows you can lift it all off in one go.
rai5,
Dec 28, 3:10pm
Like many others - just scoop it off and use the jam. My mum usually had a few jars do this, and she still used it and nobody got sick or worse .
buzzy110,
Dec 28, 6:36pm
I reckon she was probably right.
I recently opened a jar of jam I'd made 3 years ago and it was 100% OK. There are several reasons why mould may grow on jam. Here is what I do to try and prevent this from happening:
1. As kuaka said, thorough boiling is important. 2. I also boil everything else at the same time - jars, lids, all possible utensils AND any cloths I may be using. I use them, instead of dirty old mitts as protectors against heat when I have to hold things like the jug I use to transfer hot jams, etc, to the clean jars and for screwing down lids. 3. I always seal each jar as I fill it. Take the lid from the boiling water with a pair of tongs and screw it onto the jar - using a pre-boiled cloth to protect hands from heat. I never, ever follow the instructions to let cool down first. This way I can ensure that everything is kept sterile and as cooling takes place an air tight seal is formed. If using cellophane, put it on at the same time, rather than waiting. 4. Don't use overripe, bruised or damaged fruit. Ideally fruit should be a teensy weensy bit on the green side, rather than fully ripe. 5. I use a handled jug to fill jars. Between each jar I hang the jug onto the side of the jam cooking pan and ensure it does not touch any other surface.
I doubt that I would be brave enough to use jam that had mould growing on it, especially as total removal is, imo, impossible. Jar sides will still have the odd spore and even the spoon used to scoop the mould off will leave traces through the top of the jam. However, it does not appear to have hurt any of the posters in here so maybe I am being excessively finnicky.
buzzy110,
Dec 28, 6:38pm
I forgot to add that I also use boiling water to sluice down all work surfaces once I have finished preparing the fruit and it is set on the stove for cooking. Making sure that there are no other dirty dishes hanging about the bench is also a good thing to do.
tipsy_bl0nde,
Dec 28, 8:10pm
I was told that the reason why jam goes mouldy is because butter has been left in the jam while making a sandwich or what have you.
daleaway,
Dec 28, 9:07pm
I think you were told wrong, #16. #14 says what I would say. Hygiene is very important to kill off wild yeast and mould spores when making jam, to which I would add I always seal the jam with melted culinary wax, which works a treat - have never had mould when I use a wax seal. If you have to leave the jam in the jars to cool a little before the wax is poured on, place a length of waxed or greaseproof paper across the top of all the jars to keep airborne spores out.
buzzy110,
Dec 28, 9:14pm
daleaway, where do you get your culinary wax from!
daleaway,
Dec 28, 10:00pm
It's usually in the jam making section at local supermarkets. You may need to try one or two, especially in an urban area,but there are a lot of jammakers in my semi-rural district so we have no trouble finding it.
craig04,
Dec 28, 10:48pm
I've not been making my own jam for very long, but the jam I made 9mths ago is all mould-free so far. I guess I do things similar to buzzy110 - I clean my kitchen bench and chopping board thoroughly beforehand with very hot water and soap. I use my breadmaker for making my jam so I clean out the tin and jam blade with hot soapy water and also my jam jars. Then I rinse the jam jars thoroughly with hot water and place them wet onto an oven tray along with their lids and put them into the oven at 100deg and leave them there until I'm ready to pour my hot jam by which time they are dry and sterilised. I pour my boiling jam straight from the breadmaker tin into the hot jars and use a few clean paper towels to pick up the hot lids and put them onto the jars before screwing them tight. Having worked in the Operating Rooms of hospitals my whole working life and using sterile technique with surgical instruments etc I can tell you assuredly that the key to maintaining sterility is to NOT touch as much as possible, and where touch is unavoidable, only touch with something else that is sterile - so buzzy's method is as close to sterile as you can get in a house kitchen! I cheat by using the clean paper towells instead of a boiled cloth but I think I get away with it because I use a 'no touch' technique and don't handle the insides of the lids at all - plus not many bugs grow on clean dry paper. Hopefully that gives you some ideas anyway
hoss46,
Dec 28, 10:56pm
(Mrs Hoss here) The only time I've had mould on a jam is when I suddenly noticed it said to let the jam cool before sealing and I did.I had always sealed it as soon as I had finished bottling and I do so again now.
uli,
Dec 28, 11:00pm
I will never understand who invented that idea - and everybody seems to copy it for decades now. Use screw top jars (recycle whatever you have as long as they still seal well) - put the hot jam in and screw tight. They will suck in as they cool and be airtight. Also fill them quite full - as the air above the jam is obviously not sterile and could harbour some mold spores.
buzzy110,
Dec 29, 9:32pm
Thank you for that. I have looked in my local supermarkets but not had any luck there. In Auckland only a select few supermarkets even bother to stock bottling and preserving equipment. None of the Countdowns do at all. I will have a look in some of the smaller hardware stores. They may still provide a service, otherwise, I'll wait till I travel and do a spot of seeking in country grocery stores.
uli,
Dec 29, 11:25pm
You need to go to the "poor mans supermarket" buzzy110 - which is Pak'n'Save. They stock glass bottles, jars, lids, screw rings, wax, even jam-making additives . At least they do here in the low socioeconomic area :)
craig04,
Dec 30, 12:52am
Yep, Pak n Save in Lincoln Rd def has preserving/bottling gear
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