jams and marmalades

[bevdicko]

i am thinking of havign a go at making jam and marmalade but am not sure once you have sealed the lids on the jars how long these will last and once opened how long they will last also. thinking of makign a large batch so needed to know these things if anyone can help please.

[Booldawg]

My mum has always made her own marmalades and jams. They've been known to last a few years before opening and for several months once opened.

You cant be too sqeamish about a layer of mould or mildew forming on the top once you open one, or if you open it but don't use any in a while; thats the pitfalls of not adding preservative.

She always puts a layer of a thin, crinkly polythene type material on top of the jam before putting the lid on. I beleive this helps in some way!

[Booldawg]

forgot to add; just scrape off the mould with a teaspoon and crack on with it!

Some people screw the lid over the polythene, it helps make it airtight.

[Clanad]

Anything with high sugar content (or vinegar for that matter) will stay preserved almost indefinitely. It is best to refrigerate jellys, jams and other such preserves though, since, as Booldawg relates, various type of fungus can grow on top of opened jars but won't penetrate the product itself. I revisited my grandfather's old farm house recently ( I live in the U.S.) and the root cellar still had some canned goods in it that have to be well over 50 years old... the jars of strawberry preserves look like they were canned yesterday... There really no other preservatives added... some cooks do add pectin to help set the product, but it adds no preservative value... Best of luck!

[Booldawg]

To follow on from Clanad; Lemons contain a natural source of pectin which not only acts as a preservative but also helps thicken up the marmalade. Both oranges and lemons are good together in marmalade.

[Booldawg]

whoops, sorry, pectin isnt a preservative, just a thickening agent.