Christine wrote:
> We have a glass topped range, so the extension office says I shouldn't use
> it for my water bath canners. So I purchased a type of outside cook
> stove/burner that runs off propane which is (again according to the
> extension office) a good choice. Last year my girlfriends were teasing me
> suggesting I just try the 'inversion method' listed in the sure-jell pectin
> recipes.
>
> Two weeks ago I made several batches of strawberry jam. Rather than haul my
> jams outside to boil them in the driveway, I admit I was lazy and decided to
> try the 'inversion method' listed in the pectin recipe. Well, ten days
> later I found little bits of mold in the headspace of twelve jars of
> low-sugar strawberry jam. The jars and lids were sterilized, the jam was
> boiled properly, and all the jars were sealed correctly. Three days before
> I found the moldy jam, I had made more strawberry jam, using the inversion
> method which seemed fine, but again it was only 3 days old. The spots of
> mold were only on the surface, and most of them were little bits less than
> 1/4 inch in size.
>
> I now realize that:
>
> 1. The inversion method stinks
> 2. Low sugar and the inversion method is an especially bad combination.
>
> I promise to never do it again, so please be kind in your responses.
>
> The problem is this--there were 24 jars of perfect jam without mold--most of
> which was only 3 days old. They were sealed and had no signs of trouble
> when opened. I emptied them into a stock pot in batches of 8 cups, added
> some pectin and reboiled and then processed in a water bath (for 15 minutes
> instead of the suggested 10). At the risk of the food police breaking into
> my pantry and running off with my jams, how bad of an idea was this? Is
> this safe?
>
> If I emptied out the top half of the moldy jam (it was only 10 days old) and
> reboiled and processed the bottom half of the jam, is having that on an
> English muffin considered living on the edge?
>
> I know people used to scrape off and eat moldy jam, but the extension office
> recommended I throw away every jar--even the ones with no signs of trouble,
> and even the three day old jam--just to be 'safe.' Of course, she also
> sounded like the type that actually sterilized her children's binkies so I
> am not sure what to think.
>
> Can I get your thoughts?
>
> Thank you so much, and, as God as my witness, I will never inversion again!
>
> Christine
>
>
>



Of course you should throw it out because:
1) it doesn't cost *me* anything to say that
2) it covers *my* ass if you eat it anyway and get sick
3) it's more likely you will remember your lesson that way
4) I get to chirp "When in doubt, throw it out!"

Now that's out of the way, I personally would carefully scrape the top
half-inch out of all the perfect jars and throw it out. Then dump the
jars in a kettle and boil the jam again. The refill hot jars, and
process as usual.

The jars with a little mold, I don't know if I would throw them out, or
scrape the top inch out, reboil, and pour the boiling jam into a quart
jar and stick it in the fridge to be used first and make sure it doesn't
accidently get given away as a gift. I know that's what I would do with
full-sugar jam. You'll have to use your judgement for the low-sugar stuff.

I gotta get to work; I'll have more comments later about the stove.

Best regards,
Bob