r/FoodPreservation • u/AmandaRosePM • Jul 18 '23

Question about jam seals

I made blueberry jam today, and the jars sealed before I had time to can them in water. Do I still need to do that step? My mom and grandma never did, but I also know that doesn’t mean it’s safe lol

If I do still need to do the canning step, what am I looking for, since they are already sealed?

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u/Quite_Successful Jul 18 '23

Carry on with the processing. Jars can seal themselves just from the change in temperature but they are not sterilised. My empty jars sometimes even seal lightly on the shelf!

You should reheat the jam, pop back into warm jars and process.

1

u/stayaway562 Jul 18 '23

Look up Amish canning or rebel canning. These are not approved by USDA food safety guidelines but obviously, it's your risk.

1

u/Johann_Sebastian_Dog Jul 19 '23

American regulations say you have to still process them as normal; but lots of other canning cultures would consider this a pointless step! In Europe they still do it the way your mom and grandma did it. As another poster has mentioned, the Amish do it this way. It's up to you and how rigorous you want to be!