How long does homemade jam last?

bitemebankers

The main limitation for jam/preserve life is the quality of the seal. Provided this remains intact, and the ingredients and jar were sterile when sealed, the contents should remain safe to eat forever.

Sealed jars of honey were found in the Egyptian pyramids and, where the original seal was maintained, the honey was, amazingly fit to eat. If the bacteria can't multiply, the food cannot decompose.

SomethingWitty_2

It will last years, but best used in the first couple of years from my experience.

The trick to having it taste the same is this

a) don't lick the spoon and put it back. If you did this when my mum was growing up she would go ape!

b) clean knife etc!

Basically keep the jar clean from anything "foreign" if you see what I mean and you'll never have any problems. You could even get away with not bothering with the fridge.

SW

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

[looks left and right to make sure nobody hears this]

DD1 made strawberry jam in school in year 7. It was rubbish, despite the teacher adding about a ton of pectin, it was just gloop (the HE teacher was not very good at cooking - to my shock and amazement, I knew more about baking and roasting a chicken than she did).

So, as she was disappointed, I got her to have another go with all the sugar we could dig out of cupboards and the strawberries I had bought that day.

She made 2 jars of the nicest jam I have ever tried, and they were carefully placed at the back of the fridge. (my kids were nightmares with buttery knives)

The last dregs were used by DD2 just before Christmas.

DD1 was 11 when she made it. DD1 is now 17.

Chipps

In my experience it tastes so good it doesn't last very long at all! But that doesn't have anything to do with its keeping properties! Just the fact that it tastes so good!!!