No cook Jam?

[superbiller]

My neighbor told me that I could make the jam according to the directions on the pectin package - not the freezer jam directions but the directions for use with canner. Then, just ladle into jars, place lid and ring and tighten. Then, instead of placing in the canner and processing, she said to invert jars on a towel, you should hear them 'pop', leave that way over night, turn right side up and then store them in the cupboard. She swears that she has been doing this for years and even showed me some of her jam that she did two years ago and it looked good with no mold and the jars had a tight seal. Is this really safe to do?

[dazaga]

I haven't done this with jam but I have with other things.....it is safe most of the time, but it isn't as foolproof as processing them in a canner. If you do go that route, be sure you keep an eye on your jars for a while afterwards; I've had some apparently seal, only to open up quite a while later. With grape juice it began turning to wine :-). It does save time and keeps your jam from going through the canning process, but you probably will lose a little bit. I've had enough success with it to make me keep doing it for certain things, and if the jars do seal right the first time (and don't open within a couple of weeks) you should be fine.

[KarenB]

I've been doing this for many years. I don't even invert the jars. I do make sure the jam is really hot. Comes to 1/4 inch from the top. And the jars come out of a 200D F oven. Work fast and most important be sure to count the pops. If it doesn't seal put it in the frig.

[CM]

This is the way jelly has been made for many generations. Recent recommendations suggest that jellies should be processed. That doesn't mean that all the other people who have had good success with their older recipes were wrong. It's possible that they had/have a better canning technique and/or more knowledge about the proper steps they need to take to ensure good results than a newer generation of home canners. If you use the techniques and methods that your mother taught you and you have good results with little or no spoilage, then that's what works for you. If you feel unsure about your methods, then by all means, you should follow current USDA recommendations for processing for an extra measure of confidence in what you do.

In days past, most home canners used hot food-grade paraffin to seal their jellies in sterilized glasses. If you use canning jars, a certain amount of time in a boiling water bath is needed to melt the rubber on the cap so that it will seal. You have to wonder if canning jar companies may have been behind the switch to using canning jars for jelly rather than glasses because they stand to profit. There are still French companies who make jelly glasses (just as there are still Italian and French companies and probably others who make wire bail jars for canning even though American jar companies don't recommend them). I have used many wire bail jars for canning fruits, both new jars and old jars - but always be sure to use a new jar ring.

Jellies are high in acid and aren't likely to be the source of deadly toxins such as botulism that you can get from improperly processing low acid foods. When jellies and jams are bad, you should be able to read the signs of spoilage from seeing mold on top of the jelly or a bad taste. If you notice any of these symptoms, just discard the jelly. It's the same as what you would do if you had purchased the jar of jelly at the store.

[brigid]

I made some tangerine-champagne jelly one time, but it is not a pastime I like that much. I always worry about having things hot enough or clean enough or all the considerations you have when making jellies. It was gooooood stuff, though!