297704 Mon Jul 05 04:55:06 -0700 2004 9 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1643796 I've been having fun making jam this past year, but I'm not sure I'm doing it right. I boil the jars and lids at least 20 minutes, fill the jars with hot jam (fruit and sugar only), and seal. I'm usually to terrified to boil the filled jars. (Am I being foolish?) The lids sink in, but the part of the jam closest to the top darkens a bit over time. So, hoping to solve the discoloration problem, I bought some paraffin, but the instuctions don't say how much space I should leave between the wax and the lid, nor whether the filled and sealed jars should be boiled. What to do? Mon Jul 05 04:55:06 -0700 2004 0 Pia 1 1643797 It sounds like you are having oxidizing problems. Also you may not be sterilizing the jam since you are not doing the boiling water bath. You have to do this for long term storage. Otherwise the jams have to be kept in the fridge and used within a few weeks. These are "fridge jams." Are you hot packing the sterilized jars? This is when you bring the jam briefly to a boil, for 2-3 minutes, then putting the boiling jam into the sterile jars and immediately putting on the tops. This is what develops the vacuum in the jar and prevents oxidizing. How far do you fill the jars usually? They should be filled to the top of the jar neck, apx 1/2 inch from the jar top. This leaves enough space for a good vacuum to build up during hot packing and boiling. Then you have to do the boiling water bath. Boil the jars covered by 2 inches of water in a large pot, preferably in a canning rack to prevent breakage, with handle to remove them easily. This final stage of boiling is what removes the last of the air, causing the vacuum, preventing the oxidizing, and making sure the canned food is bacteria free. You HAVE to boil the jars to can them. Otherwise it is a fridge jam and short lived. As far as I know the use of parafin is from pre-rubber seal containers and isn't needed. Go to the following site for full info: http://extension.usu.edu/cooperative/publications/ Put canning into the search, then look for "Priciples of Canning". Also there are guides on how to for every type of canning. The official info doesn't recommend just a boiling water bath anymore but recommends pressure treatment, but for anything other than meat/dairy a boiling water bath is fine. Link: http://extension.usu.edu/cooperative/publications/ Mon Jul 05 08:27:34 -0700 2004 1643796 0 The Rogue 2 1643805 Some years ago the recommendation became using only the water bath treatment for jams that weren't for refrigeration only. Paraffin didn't seal properly while harmful bacteria could still be present, so the recommendation was changed to don't use paraffin. This is a safety issue. Anything recommending paraffin is very out of date. Water bath treatment is fine for foods with sufficient acidity. Most vegetables including most tomatoes without added acid should use pressure processing. Jams and jellies need to have a fair amount of acidity to work with pectins for jelling, so low-acid fruits normally have an acid such as lemon juice added. Lemon juice has both citric and ascorbic (vitamin C)acids. The ascorbic acid also helps prevent browning by being a preferential oxidant. Mon Jul 05 13:11:02 -0700 2004 1643797 0 Eldon Kreider 1 1643798 If you do want to use paraffin, it needs to be at least 1/8th inch thick and be sure it comes to touch the sides of the jar all around and covers the entire top of there jams or preserves and that there are no bubbles that can allow air into the product. Do not move the jars until the paraffin is hard. Mon Jul 05 10:05:14 -0700 2004 1643796 0 Candy 1 1643807 Wow! I knew I came to the right place to ask. You guys are a wealth of knowledge. I thought making jam was simple--well, making it is--keeping it is the complicated part! I'd better eat up last year's jams right away. And I'll try both methods, though first I have to buy a rack. (Have you ever had filled bottles explode in the water bath?) Mon Jul 05 14:03:07 -0700 2004 1643796 0 Pia 2 1643812 I have never had a jar explode in the water bath. However, I am careful to use only jars designed for canning. Many commercial products use jars that are not up to a water bath or pressure canner. The big safety issue is botulism. You don't want to risk that stuff. The bacterium is widespread in soil: totally natural and very dangerous. This bacterium grows well in the absence of oxygen, particularly in a low-acid environment. If your older jams have the slightest off-odor, don't eat them. Mon Jul 05 14:52:30 -0700 2004 1643807 0 Eldon Kreider 2 1643814 Jars exploding? Is THAT why you're terrified of using the water bath? If you're using proper canning jars with rings and new lids (i.e., Ball or Kerr), you do NOT need to worry about this - they are made to boil away in the water without mishap. You do need properly acidic jam and the appropriate head space in your jars, as mentioned in other posts. I really recommend the Ball Blur Book for basic canning instructions, as it's thorough and inexpensive. It has recipes, and I haven't used the recipes themselves, but if I'm not sure how long the particular thing I'm making needs in the water bath (i.e., it's not in the recipe I'm using), I look for a similar thing to get a guideline. This has been helpful to me, as a new canner. Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0972753702/qid=1089055629/CHOWHOUNDCOMA Mon Jul 05 15:29:45 -0700 2004 1643807 0 Caitlin McGrath 3 1643833 I strongly second the recommendation of the Ball Blue Book, as Caitlin said not for the recipes but for instructions and timing. Be aware that this is one case where it is necessary to get a new edition of the book. Many fruits and vegetable varieties grown today are lower in acid than older varieties, which means different processing times. Mon Jul 05 22:10:45 -0700 2004 1643814 0 ruth arcone 1 1643817 You are being a bit foolish and its time for you to get some information. Processing the filled jars in a boiling water bath is a safe process - that is what they are designed for - and will guarantee a proper seal which will prevent spoilage. I suggest you pick up a canning book - the Ball Blue Book, Putting Foods By, one of the Farm Journal guides - or even look at the instructions on a website such at that below - or in a basic cookbook like the Joy - they will allay your fears. I well remember the use of paraffin for jams by my mother and grandmother. It was a safe process but perhaps a less safe process than the modern lids. and certainly a bit harder to execute properly, not to mention messing around with the melted paraffin. Dont let anybody scare you out of anything as simple and enjoyable as making your own jams. Just boil the lids jars and rims as you are doing, hot pack the jam (not all the way up to the rim, there needs to be a bit of head room in the jar, close up the jars (making sure that you have wiped the jar lid edge with a moist, clean cloth before setting the lid on) and hot process, and then allow to cool until sealed and you will be fine. Nothing nicer than listening to those jar lids pop as they seal, and banging on them with a spoon to get a nice clear tone, and knowing that you have done it right. Link: http://www.homecanning.com/usa/ALBasics.asp Mon Jul 05 15:46:16 -0700 2004 1643796 0 jen kalb 1 1643830 If you use the hot pack method instead of water bath, make sure to turn the jelly jar upside down for a few minutes after you fill and seal it. Mon Jul 05 20:29:08 -0700 2004 1643796 0 TrishUntrapped