[SusieB]

I made some rhubarb and orange jam in the summer; all jars now have a thick layer of mould on them.  What might I have done wrong.  I used wax discs, plastic discs and rubber bands.  The discs had been in the cupboard a few years, might they have got dirty, should I have bought new?

I really don't fancy scraping the mould off and eating it.  Can I re-boil  and re-jar it?

Thanks for any advise, I'm very disappointed.  Still, I can try again next year

[mumofstig]

which recipe did you use, and did you pot and cover when the jam was hot?

[snowdrops]

It could be not enough sugar,not boiled long enough,as Mum says putting lids on not hot,moisture from a damp cupboard or steamy kitchen. I really think you need to throw it out,I wouldn't risk eating it

[SusieB]

Thank you both.  I can't remember whether I put tops on hot.   I will throw it out - I needed to be told, you're right, it isn't safe to eat.

[Trillium]

A spot of mold could be scraped off and the rest eaten, but never that much mold. It's asking for trips to the hospital.

I gave up on using wax many years ago. Now, when I bottle the jam, I put the 2 part bottling tops on the jars and put them in a boiling water bath for about 10-15 minutes and this ensures a good seal (and no mold). The jam needs to be very hot when it goes into the bottles and bottles go into the water bath within a few minutes.

[chrissie B]

its a shame all the hard work down the drain , but better safe than sorry .
chrissie b

[Kleftiwallah]

Leave them and feed to the bees and wasps next year.  I've kept a few wasps happy with my failed pineapple jam this year!

Cheers,  Tony.

[shokkyy]

I read something from Delia once that said if you get mould on top of jam, just use a spoon to take off the top inch of jam and the rest is fine to eat. I've always done that and it's never caused me any problems.

[Trillium]

A thin layer of mold can be dug out and the rest safely eaten, but SusieB had a thick layer of mold which makes the rest of the contents very iffy. Better to just accept the loss of a bottle than ones health.

[gavinjconway]

Ditto to Trillium - we have had jars of jam nearly 5 years old with a layer of mould... just scrape it off as it's normally just a few mm deep at most and eat the rest.. Obviously if its gone off you will smell it but it should be fine.