Mold on jam: what is dangerous and what to do, causes and warning

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Perhaps, it is difficult to find a person who has never encountered such an unpleasant phenomenon as mold on jam. And most of all, when such a nuisance is discovered, the question of whether it is possible to eat such jam at all now is of concern. But even if the problem with this jar is solved, how can we prevent a repeat? Answers to many questions on this topic will be given later in the article.

What is mold

Mold is one of the varieties of the well-known fungus. Mold can heal a person, or, on the contrary, cause his death. But it rarely comes to such extremes, but the fungus is dangerous, because it causes various diseases, quite often it even leads to the development of malignant tumors. Gourmets can be calm, because cheese mold does not have such a terrible effect on the body. But the one that has lived in a jar of jam for several years can have serious complications if it gets intothe human body.

What is her danger

As already mentioned, mold can cause a variety of diseases in humans. And we are talking not only about the digestive system, but also about the respiratory system. Surely there are such housewives whose jam can stand in the basement for more than one year, and, naturally, no one has looked under the lid all this time. And when the family finally decided to enjoy this aged jam, mom opens the lid and inhales the mold spores that have already managed to form on top. It is this accumulation of spores that can adversely affect human he alth. After all, if a lot of these disputes have accumulated, then most of them will settle in the lungs and take root there quite calmly.

The lungs are the perfect habitat for mold because they love moisture. The spores take root, begin to develop, and a person develops various allergic reactions, in some cases even asthma occurs. The fungus is especially dangerous for young children, since their body is much weaker than in adults. That is why you should think twice about whether this jar of jam is worth it.

If the jam is moldy, it doesn't matter when it happened. Moreover, it is impossible to know the exact date. Such a delicacy, although it retains its taste, can cause severe poisoning or cause cancer.

Causes of mold

Most often, mold appears on jam that has beenjust not finished. And after all, the hostess is doubly offended, since it was she who created favorable conditions for the development of the fungus in the bank. Another option is an incorrect proportion. And this also applies to the shortcomings of the hostess, who was engaged in preparations for the winter. Cans and lids that were used for rolling may also be poorly processed. It should be remembered that mold does not like high temperatures, and the lethal indicator for it is 100 degrees and above. Therefore, if you treat jars and lids with boiling water or steam, then the fungus will have no chance of survival.

Storage conditions should also be taken care of in advance. Although here, rather, attention should be paid to the shelf life. But jam can stand for several years and will not become moldy if it has been cooked correctly. And you can store it until the lid is opened. After that, it is undesirable to leave the jar for a long time, especially without a refrigerator.

Having studied all these reasons, every housewife should understand why mold appears on jam and what needs to be done to avoid it. More on prevention will be discussed later. But knowing the reason, you can make sure that it does not arise.

Should I eat moldy jam

If there is mold on the jam, what should I do? Is it possible to just take it off and enjoy the taste of berries with peace of mind? Of course, such a jar of jam should be thrown away immediately, but not only the jar, but also its contents. Do not feel sorry for the spent sugar and time, better thinkabout their own he alth and the he alth of loved ones, which can suffer greatly from such a dessert. But if you really want to eat, then you can do this only by doing the following:

1. The film of mold, along with a thick layer of jam, should be removed and discarded. You need to clean it carefully so that pieces of mold do not remain in the container.
2. It is advisable to pour the remaining jam into prepared pre-sterilized dishes.
3. For absolute confidence in the safety of the product, it is recommended to boil it for several minutes. Such jam cannot be returned to the old dishes.

But all these methods can be used only when you got your own jam and know exactly what it was cooked from, when and under what conditions it was stored. If the jam was purchased in a store, then it is forbidden to even think about its rehabilitation. Such a jar is immediately sent to the trash can, unless, of course, you value your life.

Prevention of the appearance of fungus on jam

If you do not want mold to form on top of the jam, you can use the following methods to help prevent this problem:

• It is recommended to store jars of jam in a dark room where the temperature will not fall below two degrees Celsius and rise above 12.
• Jam, in which the berries were boiled with stones, can be stored for no more than one year.
• Fruit and berry jam can be stored for up to three years.
• Don't choose forjars of more than half a liter of jam, because in a large dish it spoils much faster and more often.
• An important point during conservation is sterilization. The lids and rubber bands for them must be boiled, even the device with which the cans are rolled up can be held in boiling water. It is best to hang jars for five minutes on the spout of a kettle that is boiling.
• Lids can only be screwed on cold jars to prevent condensation. If it appears, then the mold will attack such jam for sure.
• Don't feel sorry for sugar. Everyone knows that for one kilogram of fruit or berries you will need at least one and a half kilograms of sugar, but you can take two. He definitely won't be superfluous.
• It was previously mentioned that mold appears on jam that is undercooked. Checking its readiness is very simple. Drop one drop of syrup onto the dish. The syrup that does not spread is considered ready.

Preservation Tips

If the jam was closed correctly, then no mold is terrible for him. Here are some useful tips that will help housewives make tasty, and most importantly, safe preparations for the winter:

• All berries and fruits should be washed well and sorted out before preservation so that rotten and spoiled ones do not come across.
• It is important to choose the right utensils to preserve jam and other foods. And also all proportions should be observed.
• One of the most important moments has always been and will remain sterilization. Since ancient times, housewives have chosen processingcans by steaming and boiling lids.
• Additional sterilization can be done. To do this, you will need already filled, but not yet rolled up cans, which are lowered into water until the very thread and boil for several minutes.
• Be sure to check the tightness of the lid. To do this, the jars are turned over to make sure that the contents do not spill out.
• Only chilled cans may be placed in permanent storage.

Conclusion

After this article, you know what to do if mold appears on the jam. There are ways to get rid of it and still not lose the jar of treats, but if you have the opportunity, then it's better to throw such a jar in the trash. And so that such a nuisance does not happen again, you should just be more careful when preserving.