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question about jams and jellies...

doggonegardener

15 years ago

Hey you experts,

I have done jellies per my mom's instructions for a few years now and she has always just had me "invert" the jars for sealing. No bathing, nothing special. I am wondering if this is currently believed to be a safe practice. I did a batch of Chokecherry today and boiled the full jars for the 15 minutes that the SureJell pack recommended. In previous years, I have always just inverted them. I have never had any troubles in the past...so far.

I there a "right way"? Are there clearcut safety benefits to boiling? Is inverting ok?

I'd love to know since inverting is obviously so much easier and faster.

Thanks in advance for any replied I get.

Rene

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Comments (4)

readinglady
15 years ago
Inverting is no longer recommended (hasn't been for some time) but frankly with full-sugar jams and jellies it isn't a huge risk.

The seal with inversion is quite weak, so the "risk" is of oxidation (reduction of quality) and molding or reduced shelf life.

Boiling water bath will not affect the quality of the preserve but will add to the longevity, so why not do it and make the most of your hard work?

In other words, it isn't going to kill you, but the product won't hold up as well and your work may well go to waste because of spoilage.

You decide.

Carol
lindac
15 years ago
With jams and jellys, I boil the jars for `10 minutes and take them from the boiling water and pour the almost still bubbling jam into the jars, and immediatly cover with parrafin, wipe the rims and put on lids and rings.....which then seal.
I have been doing this for almost 50 years and only once had a jar get mold on it.
But I am really really fussy about clean.
Linda C
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annie1992
15 years ago
I agree, it's not a safety issue with high sugar jams and jellies. Even Grandma switched to a water bath, though, because she got a better and more consistent seal and didn't have to sterilize the jars anymore.

I also did my time with paraffin, but I'm lousy at it. I mess up a pan, I caught the wax on fire, I get bubbles in the wax and I get "leaks", even when I use several thin layers instead of just one "pour". I nearly always burn myself with the hot wax. I guess paraffin takes more patience than I have, but it sure isn't a safety issue. If the jam isn't moldy, I'd eat it!

Annie
doggonegardener
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks folks, I have done the flip to seal method twice now with large batches and have never had a problem. I did have some jars that sat on the shelf for a LONG time (well over a year and a half) that finally got a little brown, oxidized I suppose, and I tossed those but I have never had mold or any kind of problem on stuff that was consumed in a reasonable time frame. I sterilize jars and lids and rings, pour in the smoking hot liquid and invert. I think I will continue to bath the full jars from now on to help ensure that all that work is not lost to time. That's a good point.

Much appreciated!

Rene

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