Found 4 half pints of 2003 strawberry jam behind a box of empty jars.
How sad. When I opened them, they looked just as clear and bright as
when I made them. They even smelled good. But into the compost they
went. I thought 5 years was too long.

Hopefully soon we'll have some plum jam!

Isabella
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot

On Jul 21, 4:26 pm, Isabella Woodhouse > wrote:
> Found 4 half pints of 2003 strawberry jam behind a box of empty jars.
> How sad. When I opened them, they looked just as clear and bright as
> when I made them. They even smelled good. But into the compost they
> went. I thought 5 years was too long.
>
> Hopefully soon we'll have some plum jam!
>
> Isabella
>
If they looked and smelled good, and were sealed properly, why throw
them out? that's what cannning and preserving is for.

In article
>,
" > wrote:

> On Jul 21, 4:26 pm, Isabella Woodhouse > wrote:
> > Found 4 half pints of 2003 strawberry jam behind a box of empty jars.
> > How sad. When I opened them, they looked just as clear and bright as
> > when I made them. They even smelled good. But into the compost they
> > went. I thought 5 years was too long.
> >
> > Hopefully soon we'll have some plum jam!
> >
> If they looked and smelled good, and were sealed properly, why throw
> them out? that's what cannning and preserving is for.

Fives years seemed too long to me.

Izzy
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot

On Jul 22, 12:46*am, Isabella Woodhouse > wrote:
> In article
> >,
>
> " > wrote:
> > On Jul 21, 4:26 pm, Isabella Woodhouse > wrote:
> > > Found 4 half pints of 2003 strawberry jam behind a box of empty jars.
> > > How sad. *When I opened them, they looked just as clear and bright as
> > > when I made them. *They even smelled good. *But into the compost they
> > > went. *I thought 5 years was too long.
>
> > > Hopefully soon we'll have some plum jam!
>
> > If they looked and smelled good, and were sealed properly, why throw
> > them out? *that's what cannning and preserving is for.
>
> Fives years seemed too long to me. *
>
> Izzy

Next time, send them to me

Isabella Woodhouse wrote:
> Found 4 half pints of 2003 strawberry jam behind a box of empty jars.
> How sad. When I opened them, they looked just as clear and bright as
> when I made them. They even smelled good. But into the compost they
> went. I thought 5 years was too long.
>
> Hopefully soon we'll have some plum jam!
>
> Isabella
If your jam was safe to eat when you made and canned it, it should be
safe 10 years later. The quality may have changed however.
Ellen

In article <STljk.99234$kx.33076@pd7urf3no>,
ellen wickberg > wrote:

> Isabella Woodhouse wrote:
> > Found 4 half pints of 2003 strawberry jam behind a box of empty jars.
> > How sad. When I opened them, they looked just as clear and bright as
> > when I made them. They even smelled good. But into the compost they
> > went. I thought 5 years was too long.
> >
> > Hopefully soon we'll have some plum jam!

> If your jam was safe to eat when you made and canned it, it should be
> safe 10 years later. The quality may have changed however.

Thank you. I will remember that for the future and to ignore all the
warnings to throw out any preserves over a year old. I knew three would
be fine... even four. But five years worried me.

Isabella
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot

Isabella Woodhouse wrote:
> Found 4 half pints of 2003 strawberry jam behind a box of empty jars.
> How sad. When I opened them, they looked just as clear and bright as
> when I made them. They even smelled good. But into the compost they
> went. I thought 5 years was too long.
>
> Hopefully soon we'll have some plum jam!
>
> Isabella


How sad, indeed. I'm sure they were fine. The first thing that goes is
the color -- it turns a little brownish (especially red stuff), but it's
still OK. If yours was still clear and bright, it was probably almost
as good as when you first made it.

Bob