Help Jam Crisis!

Nomoonatall

Rosemary7391 wrote: »

I've always reused jam jars, and any other sort of jar if whatever was in it previously didn't make the lid smell. I wash them thoroughly, rinse in boiling water and then bake in the oven whilst I'm making the jam; then I can pour the jam straight into them, add a little circle of greaseproof paper to the top and whack the lid on. The safety button tends to pop down whilst they cool. They're good outside the fridge for awhile, but I haven't yet made enough in one go to really test how long it keeps. That's how mom does it though.

Yep, this! My Mother used any old jars...although I'm sure some still smelled of pickled onions! I may have imagined it..perhaps!

The jam was still better than anything shop bought!

Anne_Marie_2

I save all jars and re-use them, or pass them on to a friend who has bees for his honey.
As someone else mentioned, sometimes I still smell vinegar from some pickle jars. If they are quite big jars I keep them for doing my citrus vinegars, otherwise I toss them.

Si_Clist

I don't really understand why you would put rhubarb jam in the fridge when surely the whole idea of making jam is that the sugar acts as a preservative, but whatever ...

Ref the jars, though, why not simply raid the clear glass bins at the nearest recycling point and help yourself to the un-chipped ones that are the right size. We got loads that way when we first started making jam - and plenty of lids too when folk were too lazy to put the tops in the other bins. That and asking friends and neighbours should do you

Never ever considered buying jam jars ...

ETA - I just checked and the longest we've ever kept any rhubarb jam in Wombled jars and re-used lids is something over 18 months and the taste was still good. Usually it's all gone well before that though.

Anne_Marie_2

Si_Clist wrote: »

I don't really understand why you would put rhubarb jam in the fridge when surely the whole idea of making jam is that the sugar acts as a preservative, but whatever ..

I know this is a UK based forum, but not all of us live in the UK, and things can get pretty runny in the heat in a cupboard and I've had some things develop mould, which really should not have. I have a shelf on my fridge with two trays for everything in jars. Makes it easy to pull out rather than rifle though a shelf of jars.
Never had this problem when I lived in Scotland, but suspect that the same can happen in sunnier parts of the UK during the summer months, rather than the odd summer day that Scotland gets!

abby1234519

Si_Clist wrote: »

I don't really understand why you would put rhubarb jam in the fridge when surely the whole idea of making jam is that the sugar acts as a preservative, but whatever ...

Ref the jars, though, why not simply raid the clear glass bins at the nearest recycling point and help yourself to the un-chipped ones that are the right size. We got loads that way when we first started making jam - and plenty of lids too when folk were too lazy to put the tops in the other bins. That and asking friends and neighbours should do you

Never ever considered buying jam jars ...

ETA - I just checked and the longest we've ever kept any rhubarb jam in Wombled jars and re-used lids is something over 18 months and the taste was still good. Usually it's all gone well before that though.

Honestly? I panicked so in the fridge they went!! Going to jam jar it all up tomorrow night, I've got three empty jars so far, going to raid asda for jam and get rid of the cheap jam as well

abby1234519

No need to buy jars! I've located 12 screw tops that I got ages ago for jam but were hidden away. So, put them in oven, fill with jap and put greaseproof paper over the jam and then lid on? Lid will hopefully get sucked tight and I will make sure I sterilise them properly

VfM4meplse

abby1234519 wrote: »

This - going to do this!! I used to make jam tarts as a kid, loooove them

But then won't you end up eating a load of pastry as well as jam? :huh:

milasavesmoney

Growing up (America) we would melt paraffin and pour a layer over the hot jams and jellys. It seals it into the jar and won't allow bacteria to get at the jam. This is definitely a depression era strategy. We used any kind of jar or glass that had been boiled for five minutes and then kept hot in the oven. Never ever any problems. You just use a knife to pop it out or cut it into halves and fish it out with a spoon.

These days I use lids and rings to seal it in store bought jelly jars.

I would try freezing a bit and then thawing it to see if the consistency changes. (If you have the freezer space) It sure would be easier than reheating it, sterilizing jars etc.

Si_Clist

abby1234519 wrote: »

Honestly?

Yep. We always make enough jam to last us a year, but how much of which depends entirely on what fruit becomes available as and when it does. Year before last we had a mega-glut of rhubarb, so we ended up eating the last of that six months after we'd made the following year's. If you see what I mean.

FWIW we've been making at least 50 jars of jam a year since the early '80s, and always in wombled jars with wombled lids or lids off jars of supermarket gloop like sweet 'n' sour sauce. Never used a wax disc, and never had a bad batch. We have had the odd bit of mould in one or two jars (and always in strawberry for some reason), but as a percentage failure rate it's very close to gubber all.

But hey, you make it however makes you happy. We'd just rather spend the money on more sugar to make more jam rather than on jars and lids

thriftwizard

Our local Freegle group often has people offering clean jam or honey jars, with lids; I've offered them myself when neighbours have passed too many on to me, and also taken up the offer when we've had a sudden glut of something. I'd say they're offered at least once a week, round here, so it'd be worth looking at your local group.

The reason why you're not supposed to re-use things is actually the lids, rather than the jars. Being metal, often with a little plastic ring on the inside edge, they can harbour tiny bits of damage or rust that's scarcely visible to the naked eye but which will compromise the sterility of your preserve. And the little plastic ring isn't much good with heat; it's only made to take it once. We have a thriving Country Market in our little town and at the stage where I thought about supplying preserves for it, the rules were that you could use re-used jars, but not lids; they always needed to be new. And you can buy new lids in large batches, but your jars would need to be a uniform size. Glass is easy to clean & sterilise; metal with plastic, not so!

Off now to deal with a jelly-bag full of crab-apples & quinces that's been dripping into my stock-pot all night... there'll be a good 8 jars-worth of quince & crab-apple jelly later!