What is mold
Mold is one of the varieties of the well-known fungus. Mold can heal a person, but it can, on the contrary, cause his death. But it rarely goes 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 rest easy, since mold from cheese does not have such a terrible effect on the body. But one that has lived in a jam jar for several years can have serious complications if it enters the human body.
Mold in jam, what to do?
If the jam is only moldy on the top, carefully remove the contaminated area with a spoon. At the same time, do not spare the workpiece; the mold formation needs to be captured as deeply as possible so that as little spores and mycelium remain as possible. After this, digest the product and pour into a clean container.
IMPORTANT!!! Additional heat treatment, of course, destroys fungal colonies, but do not forget that mold not only spoils the appearance of the product, affects the taste of the product, but can also cause various diseases.
You can sometimes see green mold on jam. This type of fungus is called mycotoxin, which can cause quite serious health problems:
- decreased immunity;
- dysfunction of the reproductive system;
- pathological processes in the liver;
- damage to the walls of blood vessels in the circulatory system.
For more information about the harm mold causes to our body, read the article - “Why is mold dangerous to health? (What damage can it cause).”
It is not recommended to eat spoiled foods, especially not for small children, elderly people, or people with reduced immunity.
If it so happens that mold has entered the body, you need to neutralize the effect of toxins, for example, drink activated carbon in a dosage of 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight. Drinking as much water as possible speeds up the process of removing toxins from the body. The appearance of any symptoms of poisoning is an indication for immediate gastric lavage and seeking medical help.
What to do if mold is found in jam bought in a store?
Since jams from many brands are prepared on an industrial scale, the risk of contamination of the entire batch with fungal spores is high. At the same time, buyers do not know the recipe for this product, which means there is no way to correct the situation by adding sugar when digesting jam. Store-bought jam with mold definitely needs to be disposed of.
We recommend reading: “Forewarned is forearmed!” Which mold is the most dangerous?“
What is its danger?
As already mentioned, mold can cause a variety of diseases in humans. Moreover, we are talking not only about the digestive system, but also about the respiratory system. Surely there are housewives whose jam can sit in the basement for more than one year, and, naturally, all this time no one looked under the lid. And when the family finally decides to enjoy this aged jam, mom opens the lid and inhales mold spores that have already formed on top. It is this accumulation of spores that can negatively affect human health. After all, if a lot of these spores have accumulated, then most of them will settle in the lungs and take root there quite calmly.
The lungs are an ideal habitat for mold because it loves moisture. The spores take root, begin to develop, and the person develops various allergic reactions, in some cases even asthma. The fungus is especially dangerous for young children, since their bodies are much weaker than those of adults. That is why you should think several times about whether this jar of jam is worth it.
If the jam becomes moldy, it doesn’t matter when it happened. Moreover, it is impossible to find out the date exactly. Although such a delicacy will retain its taste, it can cause severe poisoning or cause cancer.
Storage rules
To prevent mold from appearing, use little tricks. For example, to pack sweet preparations, take small jars. They are eaten immediately. And jam stored in an open container, even in the refrigerator, has every chance of ending up in the trash.
You should not save it for more than two years. This significantly reduces taste and minimizes benefits to the body. It is better to prepare a small batch of sweet dessert every year and avoid excess.
A tasty product with seeds, for example, apricot, cannot be stored for more than a year. In exceptional cases, if the jam is covered with fungus on top, you can remove the coating and digest the workpiece. Sugar must be added, one hundred grams per kilo of jam. The procedure lasts seven minutes. The resulting product is used for making sweet drinks (jelly, compote). It can also be put into baked goods.
Make the preparations correctly, observing the recipe and sterility, and then in winter you will always have aromatic jam for tea.
Causes of mold
Most often, mold appears on jam that was simply undercooked. And the housewife is doubly offended, since it was she who created favorable conditions for the development of fungus in the jar. Another option is an incorrectly drawn up proportion. And this also applies to the shortcomings of the housewife, who was preparing 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, the fungus will have no chance of survival.
Storage conditions should also be taken care of in advance. Although here you should rather pay attention to the shelf life. But the jam can last for several years and will not become moldy if it was cooked correctly. And you can store it until the lid is opened. After this, 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 details about prevention will be discussed later. But knowing the reason, you can make sure that it does not arise.
How to seal jam so it doesn't go moldy?
How to keep jam from mold
5 (100%) 2 votes
Any twist is at risk of molding, and jam is no exception. This is a very disappointing phenomenon, because all the work spent on canning is wasted. However, why does it mold? There are prerequisites for this: errors in sterilizing dishes, own shortcomings, and incorrect proportionality of added ingredients. To preserve your work for the long term, you should consider a few simple tips, and then you can forget about the moldy dessert.
How to seal jam to prevent mold?
There are the following reasons for the formation of mold in twists:
Not enough sugar
Sugar is an essential component of most preserves. When making jam, it is used as a sweetener, and, more importantly, a preservative. For each can of preserved food, a separate amount of sugar is calculated, which is intended for each kg of berries/fruits. Avoiding this mistake is very simple - just follow the recipe from start to finish, and add sugar exactly in the amount indicated.
The product is poorly cooked
The finally cooked dessert is moderately thick. Experienced housewives can determine the degree of cooking with the naked eye. Young housewives can use the following trick: put a small amount of jam on a flat plate. If it holds its shape and does not fall apart, you can safely roll it up.
Cans are twisted while hot
This promotes the formation of condensation, which is an excellent condition for the healthy functioning of mold fungus. When rolling, the jars must be cool.
In a damp environment, the product is diluted and, accordingly, the sugar concentration decreases. Its preservative effect is lost and this encourages mold to grow in the jar. Poor processing of the jar has the same effect on preservation.
A recipe for preparing raspberries without cooking for the winter can be found at the link: https://zakatushki.ru/frukti-i-yagodi/malina-na-zimu-retsepty-bez-varki/
What to do if mold forms on the jam?
Many housewives, having discovered a moldy jar in the bins of the pantry, immediately say goodbye to it. However, it is worth sending it to cook for 5-7 minutes and adding sugar in the proportion of 0.1 kg for each kg of jam. In the future, you can make jelly or compote from the resulting mass, and it is also not forbidden to add it to baked goods.
Where and how best to store jam?
It is more advisable to store it in small jars - this way it will be consumed faster, and there will be nothing left in the jar to spoil. If the jam is preserved strictly according to the recipe and securely screwed, then it must be stored for two to three years in a closet or on a balcony at a temperature of ten to twelve degrees. If it is made from unpeeled fruits, then it is better to use the product no later than a year later.
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Should you eat moldy jam?
If mold appears on jam, what should you 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. You shouldn’t feel sorry for wasted sugar and time; it’s better to think about your own health and the health of your loved ones, which can suffer greatly from such a dessert. But if you really want to eat, then you can only do this by doing the following:
- The film of mold along with a thick layer of jam should be removed and discarded. You need to remove it carefully so that pieces of mold do not remain in the container.
- It is advisable to pour the remaining jam into prepared, sterilized containers.
- To be absolutely sure that the product is safe, it is recommended to boil it for several minutes. Such jam cannot be returned to old dishes.
But all these methods can only be used when you have taken out your own jam and know exactly what it was made from, when and under what conditions it was stored. If the jam was purchased in a store, then even thinking about its rehabilitation is prohibited. Such a jar immediately goes into the trash bin, unless, of course, you value your life.
Preventing 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 have been boiled with seeds can be stored for no more than one year.
- Fruit and berry jam can be stored for up to three years.
- You should not choose jars larger than half a liter for jam, since in large containers it spoils much faster and more often.
- An important point during preservation is sterilization. Lids and rubber bands must be boiled; even the device used to seal jars can be kept in boiling water. It’s best to hang the jars on the spout of a kettle while it’s boiling for about five minutes.
- Lids should only be screwed on cold jars to prevent condensation from forming. If it appears, then the mold is guaranteed to attack such jam.
- Don't skimp on 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. It definitely won't be redundant.
- It was previously mentioned that mold appears on jam that is undercooked. Checking its readiness is very simple. One drop of syrup is dripped onto the dish. The syrup that does not spread is considered ready.
Where and how is it best to store workpieces?
The best place to store preserved food is a dark room with cool and dry air. Usually this is a cellar, but you can leave jam in the room or on the balcony.
- do not store near heating devices;
- do not expose the jars to direct sunlight;
- keep uncorked containers in the refrigerator;
- For one-time use, place a portion of jam in a separate container.
The shelf life of berry preparations is 9-12 months. Jam made from berries with seeds should be consumed within six months. It is better to eat an opened jar within two weeks.
Rating: +7 |
Irina Sukhomlin |
Preservation Tips
If the jam was closed correctly, then no mold is afraid of it. Here are some useful tips to help housewives make tasty, and most importantly, safe preparations for the winter:
- All berries and fruits must be washed well and sorted before preservation to avoid rotten or spoiled ones.
- It is important to choose the right container to preserve jam and other foods. And also all proportions should be observed.
- Sterilization has always been and will remain one of the most important points. Housewives have long chosen to treat jars with steam and boil the lids.
- Additional sterilization can be performed. To do this, you will need already filled, but not yet rolled up jars, which are lowered into water right up to the thread and boiled 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 cooled jars can be placed in permanent storage.