Those jars of jam stored in your pantry might need to be toss .

fcafotodigital / Getty Images

turn your favourite fruit intojams and jellieshas long been a manner to keep summer ’s meat new longer . While advanced fruits only last a few Clarence Day , carry on items could last for month , providing some much - postulate sweet over the wintertime . of course , we carry item like this to last for a while since that was their original purpose , but they do n’t last indefinitely .

jars and bowls of jams and honey on a wooden cutting board

Credit:fcafotodigital / Getty Images

How Long Do Jellies and Jams Last?

Store-Bought Jam and Jelly

Store - bought jellies and mess will last longer than homemade ones , typically for 12 - 18 months closed . If you buy from the store , you could count for anexpiration dateto verify if it ’s still desirable to eat . However , that only tells you how long the food will be fresh if it ’s unopened . Once opened , a store - bought gelatin is good for about 6 calendar month , but it ’s best to habituate them sooner than that since their impertinence wanes once opened .

Homemade Jam and Jelly

When it come tohomemade jellies , they tend not to last as long , alas . The ledge living of an unopened shock from a small batch of electronic jamming is approximately 6 - 12 month if stash away properly ( do n’t forget to mark the day of the month you made the jelly on your jar ! ) . And be indisputable to practice it within a yr of canning . Also , ensure that homemade jams are decently sealed in awater bathor with pressure canning . If not , they may have already coddle before even opening .

Once give , homemade jelly and jams will last from one to three monthsin the electric refrigerator , depending on the case of green groceries used . Just as you strike off the date you made the jam , you may also require to sum up when it was opened so you may use it when it ’s still at its best . And , though they last longer , you could add a piece of mask tape to store - bought jars to show when those were open as well .

Handling Cans and Jars

Before you open any of your jounce , homemade or commercially produced , stack away them in a coolheaded , dry place forth from sun and hotness exposure to maximise their longevity . Once opened , all jams and gelatin should be refrigerate to foreclose them from spoiling .

Also , be careful with crossing - contamination . If you treble - dipwith a knifeand premise a product with a shorter shelf life , it can do your kettle of fish to go bad quicker and introduce mold . And , of course , if you find a fresh specimen turn atop your favorite peach jam without any contamination or meddling , it ’s metre to toss that jar and find a raw jelly for your toast .

Interestingly , the eccentric of fruit in the jam makes a difference in its ledge living . Fruits hold more acid tend to last longer when preserved than those with a lower acid content .