Air bubbles in my jam

I made a plum conserve yesterday and processed the jars in a hot water bath. Last night before bed I noticed there a quite a few bubbles in every jar. However, the jars did seal properly. How should I proceed? Should I store the jars in the fridge and use them up quickly because I'm sure now they are more prone to spoil. Thanks for your help!

la domestique
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4 Comments

mbergner September 21, 2012
You may have "whipped" the jam by too vigorous a storing and incorporated a lot of air. Shouldn't be a problem if the jars were processed correctly and the jars sealed when cooled.
 
la D. September 21, 2012
Thanks mbergner. I think that might be what I did. Just when I was filling the jars the phone started ringing, dog barking, husband came home from work- lost my concentration. :)
 
SeaJambon September 21, 2012
In my Master Food Preserving class we were taught that bubbles, per se, are not a problem (perhaps unsightly, but not a safety concern). It is only bubbles that move that are a problem. So, watch the bubbles over time. If they move, that indicates some sort of fermentation or other bad thing happening; if not, it just means that next time you'll want to use a knife (plastic -- not metal, to avoid the somewhat unlikely but still there, possibility of thermal shock cracking the glass) and scrape around to remove bubbles before putting the top on and processing. And the truly good news, since it is a fruit conserve you made, your only real risk is spoilage, not poisoning.

 
la D. September 21, 2012
Thank you SeaJambon! I really appreciate your help.
 
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