Section 4 Spoilage
B. Molds in Foods
B.2 MOLDS IN CANNED GOODS
If good equipment and proper technique are used, it is unlikely you will ever have mold growth in your unopened canned goods. If you do have such, there was either a flaw in the procedure used, or something affected the jar or can after the fact to break its seal. In any event, once the food has molded, it is past saving and should be discarded in such a way that children and animals will not be able to get into it. The most likely home canned products to show mold growth are jams and jellies sealed with paraffin wax.
There are a number of points in the canning process where this can occur:
- In the time after the jar is taken out of its boiling water bath, but before it is filled.
- In the time between when the jar is filled and covered with the melted wax.
- When the wax cools, if it pulls away from the side of the jar, leaving an opening for the mold to get in.
- If bubbles form in the paraffin, which break and leave holes.
For these reasons most canning authorities no longer recommend using this technique. If you must do so, the jars should be boiled for at least 10 minutes before the jelly is poured. The filled and wax capped jars should then be covered with some sort of protective lid. The book, Putting Food By has excellent instructions on this or see the applicable section of the rec.food.preserving FAQ.
Updated: 9/18/96; 4/16/97; 7/21/97; 10/20/97; 9/15/98; 11/02/99; 12/01/03
Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003. Alan T. Hagan. All rights reserved.
Excluding contributions attributed to specific individuals or organizations all material in this work is copyrighted to Alan T. Hagan with all rights reserved. This work may be copied and distributed for free as long as the entire text, mine and the contributor's names and this copyright notice remain intact, unless my prior express permission has been obtained. This FAQ may not be distributed for financial gain, included in commercial collections or compilations, or included as a part of the content of any web site without prior, express permission from the author.
DISCLAIMER: Safe and effective food storage requires attention to detail, proper equipment and ingredients. The author makes no warranties and assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in this text, or damages resulting from the use or misuse of information contained herein. This FAQ is not intended for, nor should it be used in, any commercial food applications.
Placement of or access to this work on this or any other site does not necessarily mean the author espouses or adopts any political, philosophical or metaphysical concepts that may also be expressed wherever this work appears.
Table of Contents
Section 1 - Shelf Lives
Section 2 - Foods
A. Grains & legumes
B. Dairy Products
C. Eggs
D. Sugar, Honey and Other Sweeteners
E. Fats and Oils
F. Cooking Adjuncts
G. Infant Formula
- Alternatives to Breastfeeding
- Selecting and Feeding An Infant Formula
- Storing Infant Formulas and Baby Foods
H. MREs - Meals, Ready to Eat
- U.S. Military MREs
- U.S. Civilian MREs
- British/Canadian MREs
- Other Self-Heating Ready To Eat Type Products
I. Ration Bars
Section 3 - Specific Equipment Questions
A. Storage Containers
- What is Food Grade Packaging?
- Plastic Packaging
- Metal Cans
- Glass Jars
- Mylar Bags
- Reusing or Recycling Packaging
B. CO2 and Nitrogen
C. Vacuum Sealing
D. Freeze Treating
E. Oxygen Absorbers
F. Moisture in Packaging and Food Storage
- Why Moisture is Important
- What Is A Desiccant?
- Types of Desiccants
- How Do I Use Desiccants?
- Where Do I Find Desiccants?
G. Diatomaceous Earth
- What is Diatomaceous Earth?
- Where Do I Find DE and What Type Should I Buy?
- How Do I Use DE in Food Storage?
Section 4 - Spoilage
A. Insect Infestations
B. Molds in Foods
C. Bacterial Spoilage
D. Enzymatic Action in Food Spoilage
Section 5 - Shelf Lives
A. Food Product Dates
B. Closed Dating
C. Shelf Lives
Section 6 - Resources
A. Books
B. Pamphlets
C. Electronic-online
D. Organizations
E. Food and Equipment Suppliers