Canning apricot jam ... forgot the lemon juice!

[ChrisOR]

Please advise me! Do I need to open the jars, add lemon juice, re-cook my apricot mixture, and re-do my water bath canning? Or will my jam be preserved safely without the lemon juice?

[Delighted3]

The lemon juice is to preserve the color. It will probably darken, but will be perfectly safe.

HTH,

Joy

[ChrisOR]

Thank you! Darkened jam is fine by me. I'm glad my kitchen night is done now. :)

[DarlaS]

Is this a recipe that uses pectin? Lemon juice is very high in pectin, and is used in canning to help the fruit gel. Worst case scenario, the jam may be a little runny (if it's not a pectin recipe). In any case, I wouldn't open the jars.

[ChrisOR]

Thanks for your input. Yes, the recipe uses pectin but if its runny, we'll use it as pancake syrup.

 

I am so glad I don't have to re-do this batch!

[Truscifi]

The lemon juice is also used to increase the acidity so that it is safe to can in a water bath canner. It is probably okay without it, but if you have a pressure canner I would heat it to a higher temp just to be sure. Otherwise I would just make sure to check it carefully when you open it.

[milovany]

The lemon juice is also used to increase the acidity so that it is safe to can in a water bath canner.

 

:iagree:

 

This is the main reason for lemon juice in jams -- so I'd be a teeny bit concerned. I'm not enough of a canning expert to know what to do about it (and I don't like pressure cookers), but I'd do a little more research to see if you should re-can.

[ChrisOR]

I looked in my Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving and while the jam and preserves recipes include lemon juice, the raw and hot pack fruit recipes do not. Those call for apricots, sugar and water.

 

Also, the list of high-acid foods puts apricots quite high.

 

Based on this, I'm assuming that apricots do not require the acidity of lemon juice for safety. I will check the food when I open it though. I do get a bit freaked out about the safety when I open it.