Does Jam Go Bad?

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Almost all of us have a bottle of jam in our house. Sometimes it`s more likely in bulk. You might want to save the rest of the bottles for a long period. Jam can be used for several occasions. Jam can be preserved for much longer, but still, it has some expiry date.

The question is, how long is that exactly? It does go bad. Sometimes mold starts growing on the surface, or it has a bitter taste with lumps in it. As we know, it is made from fruit and water with sugar. On heating, it turns into a tasty and juicy jam.

Jam can be preserved easily by following some precautions. Make sure the jar is big enough as it is not bulging and rustling.

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How to Store Jam

As we all know that fruit cannot be stored for much longer. To preserve their uniqueness, the process is to make some jam out of them. This process is not long and difficult. To store them, there are certain methods which can be followed. Keep checking the jam’s date and freshness, and if it is not the same, discard it right away.

Store at a Cool and Dry environment

Jam can be preserved the best in the cool and dry atmosphere. The temperature is not susceptible to temperature change. The moisture in the environment and the atmosphere can grow some fungal outgrowth in a jam.

Put them in the refrigerator

It is best to put the canister in the fridge to elongate its shelf life. When the jam jar bottle is opened once, the seal is broken than to preserve this lot is but putting it in the refrigerator.

When the seal is broken, put them in the refrigerator right away. This way, the jam could be less exposed to the air, minimizing microbial contamination growth and increasing shelf life.

Store at cool Temperature

The temperature must be kept between 50-70 degrees Celsius. They can also be kept frozen for almost a year, which will store them in their fresh state.

If you have opened the bottle, then the temperature should be maintained below 40 degrees Celsius.

Store in Airtight Jar

It is best to put the jam in an airtight container and have a large space for the safe storage of jam for a longer time. The jars should be airtight and sealed so that there will be less contact with the environment.

Can You Freeze Jam?

Suppose you have much of a jam that you have made at home exposed to open air and could easily get spoiled. Commercially made jams have more shelf life than homemade jams because they have natural preservatives, increasing their shelf life.

You can also store the jam by freezing it to preserve it for much longer. Add more amount of sugar to it as it can prevent the growth of microbial contamination in it. The best way to preserve opened bottles is to put them in the refrigerator below 40 degrees Celsius. If the jam is in the frozen state, it could last for almost a month at its best.

How Long Does Jam Last

The commercially made jam has more shelf life than homemade because of the preservatives added to them. The jam can remain fresh for the best 1-2 years with its natural flavor.

Homemade jam lasts for almost a year or a two. Strawberry jam lasts for six months to 1 year. Low sugar jam lasts for 9-12 months. Peach jam lasts for six months or a year.

Sugar-free jams last for 6-9 months. Apple butter lasts for almost 2-3 months. Orange marmalade lasts for 6months or about a year or so. Lemon curd lasts for nearly a month or two.

How to Tell If Jam is bad

Storing jam for several months could lose its color and taste. The layer above the jam sometimes turns into mushy greenish or brown matter, which indicates that the jam has started to go bad. Its appearance is also an indicator of its spoilage.

The aroma and the freshness of jam indicated its manufacturing date and the freshness of its contents.

Appearance: when the jam bottle is left open for long, turning the bottle upside down will produce a layer that sticks the lid with the jar. Its color starts fading soon, and that will result in the brownish dark-colored matter.

Mold: the top layer starts developing molds, and you can easily get the idea. The molds are the harmful toxins that contain the mycotoxins that will spoil your health as well.
Yeast: gas bubbles in the form of a colored bubble with the odor and the pungent smell indicate the spoiled jam.
Odor: if you are unfamiliar with any of the above guesses, you might want to smell rather than tasting it. If the smell is alcoholic kind of, discard your jam right away.