Mike wrote:

> About 6 months ago I made a batch of home made beef broth for a
> recipe, I canned the left-over broth in a mason jar and placed in the
> refridgerator. The broth & jar were held at about 180 for about 20
> minutes before I sealed the lid. There is no layer of fat on top,
> just a good lid seal with about a 1 inch space at top. Since I'm
> keeping this in the fridge and sealed, how long could I expect it to
> last?
>
> Thanks in advance
> Mike...

Dear Mike,
I wouldn't eat this for all the tea in china. I have kept salted broth
for weeks in the fridge under a seal of fat, but...While it *sounds* like
you pastuerized the broth well enough, I don't think the heat was high
enuf to kill botulism (which grows in an airless environment), which I
believe is the baddie of choice here. You did not mention if your broth
contained salt and to what degree, or if your broth was acidic. Most
broths are not acidic enuf to prevent bacteria from growing, even in the
fridge. According to the books I've read, heat, acid, and salt are things
that protect us from bacteria, mold, and botulism (the killer). I
believe the wisdom these days for broth is to pour boiling broth into
sterilized jars, wipe the rims, cap, cool in the fridge, then freeze it.
Barring that, one should pressure can according to a recipe, which will
sterilized the jars inside and out and they will seal themselves.
Have you checked out our FAQ for great books on canning?

The rec.food.preserving FAQ is available at
http://www.gbronline.com/jacke/rfpfaq/rfpFAQ.htm.
The differences have been
documented with the date of chgange at
http://www.gbronline.com/jacke/rfpfaq/differences.htm.


Edrena