You really can’t tell in the photo but there’a a layer of water on top of the jam in the can. I made and canned them just yesterday. Does it mean I didn’t close the lid properly and water got inside while boiling? If so is it still safe to eat?
by sultanamana
5 Comments
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If the seal is still good, and you’ve got a safe recipe to follow, you should be fine. Did the button pull down after canning?
It’s most likely clear syrup. I occasionally see a small amount on top of my marmalade. It’s completely normal and safe.
Did you follow an established and tested recipe?
What you are seeing is usually not plain water, it is the “serum” from the jam separating out. Jam is a pectin gel: during cooking, pectin chains form a network that traps sugar solution and fruit juice. Sometimes, especially with juicy fruits like apricots, that network relaxes a bit after processing and cooling, and some of the liquid phase migrates upward. That process is called syneresis. Because the clear liquid is less dense than the thicker gel, it tends to collect in a layer near the top of the jar.
From a safety standpoint, that separation by itself is considered a quality issue, not a hazard, as long as you used a current, tested recipe from a reliable source and processed the jars correctly so they sealed and held their vacuum. In that situation, the product is still considered safe to eat, and you can just stir the liquid back into the jam after opening.