284031 Thu Mar 23 11:38:49 -0800 2006 2 31 Home Cooking 0 1517561 I have 2 jars of strawberry jam that I put up about a month ago. Due to some distractions, I: 1 Didn't skim as much as I usually do, and 2. Accidentally spilled some of the jam when canning. The jars are about 3/4 full (filled to 1 inch below the rim) rather than up to the rim as I usually do because of the spillage. I processed for 20 minutes and heard the seals pop nice and loud as they set. When I pulled the jars out today, I noticed a grayish scum on the top of the jam in both jars. I don't think it's mold- doesn't look fuzzy enough, but I could be mistaken. Do you think this jam is still OK to eat (perhaps it's because I didn't skim enough?)or could it be spoiled? It smells OK, but I know that doens't necessarily mean it's safe to eat. Thanks in advance for any advice! Thu Mar 23 11:38:49 -0800 2006 0 Sony 1 1517709 (A) Tap the lid - if it sounds right, the seal is still good. If you spilled some jam, it could be mold; it could be grime or ? If it's not inside the jar, it doesn't matter. Just wash it off before you open it. For future reference, 20 minutes was way overkill - even the USDA says 10, or something like that, and they didn't even used to "demand" canning at all - paraffin to keep mold and air out was considered good enough. I don't know that I'd suggest someone else do the same, but if I can jam at all, I do it for maybe 5 minutes or so - pretty much just to get the lids to pop. And all of that's because, (B) There's so much sugar and acid in jams and jellies that it's pretty hard for them to harbor seriously dangerous pathogens. If they look and smell OK, they shouldn't hurt you, even if the flavor somehow deteriorated. Lastly, for so small an amount, you can save yourself the bother in the future and just freeze them. Thu Mar 23 23:58:48 -0800 2006 1517561 0 MikeG 2 1517801 Thank you so much! I didn't put in any of the spilled jam and my instruments remained sterile. The main concern I had was that canning processes usually says to fill the jar up to within an inch of the top. I didn't know if there was a reason for this (if it's a food safety issue and this was the cause of the jam's strange appearance, that would be my main concern here). I normally don't process for 20 minutes either- but the unexpected phone call was one I had to take (and probably a contributor to the series of mishaps with this jam session :) Fri Mar 24 14:30:38 -0800 2006 1517709 0 Sony