[Robbo]

Good morning everyone I am new and this is my first post, here goes
We made marmalade in January this year 2011, I have just opened the 2nd Jar and it has a mouldy crust on top.
What can have gone wrong ?
we have made it before but perhaps we ate it quicker
 

[joyfull]

hello and welcome. It should last for years so I can only assume that either the jars didn't seal properly or they were contaminated before the marmalade went in. how did you sterilize them?

[Spana]

Yep, as Joyful said, sounds like air has got under the lid.  Did you use screw on tops or cellophane?

Did you take off the crusty mould and use the rest, we would have done

[joyfull]

me too (and have done with some strawberry jam not long ago  )

[sarajane]

Yep, as Joyful said, sounds like air has got under the lid.  Did you use screw on tops or cellophane?

Did you take off the crusty mould and use the rest, we would have done

me too   -   waste not want not

[Robbo]

Thankyou for replying so quickly, I thought I had sent a reply to you all, but I can't see it, anywhere,
Yes there was a gap under the lid ,so did I need to fill the jar upto the brim?
I sterilised them in the microwave, also did not have any grease proof discs to fit ?
perhaps all these didn't help, I asked family and freinds to save jars for us, I am reluctant to buy new , perhaps the lid didn't fit well.
 We have been "Jammin" for years so must have been very lucky,(or Fast eaters)
 but any new knowledge is welcome,
Yes I did scrape the Manky stuff off the top an tried it It tasted just fine, so glad i can carry on,jammin and eating that is
 

[joyfull]

when you potted the jam and put the lids on did you hear the lids go pop when they were cooling? That is always a good indicator that they have sealed properly.

[mumofstig]

You sterilised the jars in the microwave, but how did you sterilize the lids?

Funnily enough, the only failures I had last year were in the batch which had microwave sterilized jars. So this year I went back to heating jars in the oven again

[Maryann]

Could I just say that some lids dont have the button on top so you wont always hear that lovely satisfying 'pop'. In fact the new jars I buy dont have buttons, the only ones that I have are all used jars saved for me by family and friends. You have to be careful when using used jars because no matter how many times you wash or boil or put them through dishwasher the pickle or spicy ones still have a 'smell'. Great for chutneys etc but a real no no for jams  :blink:
I always put jars in the oven also the lids and just for safe measure I boil them up in a large pan of water first (even tho they have been through the dishwasher. I do this because some of them have been sitting in cupboard for a while so its belt and braces every time.
I used to use wax discs as well but have been told so many times now that this isn't necessary I have given up using them. I hope my jams and jellys last 12 - 18 months but they usually get eaten before then so I only have one or two that old in the pantry.