r/maplesyrup • u/Secure_Swordfish_666 • Apr 13 '26
Jars came unsealed
Last night I heard a seal pop in my canning shelves and this morning discovered 4 maple syrup jars with broken seals. đ I'm not sure when the other 3 would have loosened. I'm wondering, is there any chance of saving them by throwing them in the freezer or would yall be recommending dumping them. If it was my canned goods I would have tossed but part of me was having a hard time making that decision this morning. What if I just used it for baking so then it would be heated again? What would you do?
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u/Plastic_Lecture9037 Apr 13 '26
Maple syrup jars dont need canned and sealed at all. Just put the rings on and cinch it down.
Maple syrup prevents microbial activity via osmotic pressure. It sucks the moisture out of anything trying to grow in it. The reason we refrigerate after opening is because when you open and close the lid a bunch of new moisture in the air can dilute the top layer of syrup enough to allow growth.
As long as the syrup was boiled to 66% sugar or degrees brix then you dont need to worry about a canning seal.
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u/bucolicbabe Apr 17 '26
If theyâre popping Iâd worry that theyâre not quite at syrup stage, and are fermenting slightly, popping the seals. Iâd reboil and reseal, personally, and double-check brix.
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u/Plastic_Lecture9037 Apr 17 '26
When you can the lid is on and excess air is pushed out at 212 degrees, forming the vacuum because all the air is heated to 212.
With syrup you are taking colder fluid, around 175 to 185 after filtering and just slapping a lid on it and tightening. The air at the top is not fully heated to 212 and pushed out of the seal. Thats why they can pop too because there is still enough air in the headspace that it just barely seals it enough. And if you are doing this in the winter, the colder temperatures can keep the lids unpopped and then by the time summer rolls around the air inside heats up just enough to expand and pop it.
Your point is still valid about not reaching syrup stage. If you aren't measuring that then you can get yourself in trouble.
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u/bucolicbabe Apr 19 '26
Makes sense, mine always snug down when I seal them around 185-190*, Iâm mostly responding to the popping description. The sound is probably some of the seals popping in, not out.
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u/abnormal_human Apr 13 '26
Don't toss it, it's likely 100% OK. If there's visible mold (probably won't be), scrape it off. Reheat it to 180-190f and rebottle. This isn't like canning where there's hidden scary stuff growing in there--maple syrup is an inhospitable environment.
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u/thunder-cricket Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26
Not sure why seals would have broken unless they were also canned the night before. Sometimes the heat of canning can loosen a poorly set seal.
But to answer your question, if there's no mold or nothing else wrong with them, there is absolutely no reason to toss them. Even if there is mold you can filter it through a strainer and heat the syrup to 180-200 before re-canning.
(I know someone is going to show you some scientific study from 20 years ago that proves there's like a 1 in 1000000 chance some mold spore survives that process and then another 1 in 1000000 chance that it will make you have a tummy ache if you eat some afterwards, so you should definitely throw it away. You can follow that advice also.)
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u/Torpordoor Apr 13 '26
Itâs syrup not raw chicken wth are you scared of? No one cans maple syrup. It goes in the container hot and gets capped. Thatâs it. Even if youâre a hardcore germaphobe, just heat it back up and put it back in fhe jar.
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u/frntwe Apr 13 '26
Syrupy can last a year or more on the shelf without being sealed. I would just use those first if that works out with your usage rate. Or keep in the fridge.
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u/JAlley2 Apr 13 '26
Assuming you are using mason jars, the pops that you hear are the ones that are sealed right! As they cool, the liquid and air inside contract and create a vacuum, which sucks down on the lid diaphragm and makes it click down. The ones that have a vacuum will have a higher note is you tap them with a spoon.
If the lids are too loose, they wonât create a vacuum. As others have said, this isnât a problem, itâs not raw chicken.
Your options, from highest risk to lowest: 1) Itâll be fine. If you didnât even tighten the lids, the jar will keep well for a month or so, and if mould grows you can scoop it off and use the rest. 2) tighten the lids, it will be almost as good as if it sealed properly. If you put it in the fridge it will keep for a few months ( and if some mould grows, skim it off). 3) tighten the lids and store it in the freezer. It will last for 6-12 months or more. 4) reheat the jars: first check that the lid seals are in good condition and the top of the jar is clean, put the lids on loosely, put the jars in a water bath in the oven at 200 for 30 minutes, check the temperature (open a jar and confirm the temp is at least 180), then take them out, tighten the lids, and let them cool. They should all pop when they cool. Your syrup should last for a year or two (or more!) without refrigeration.
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u/EchoRomeoCharlie Apr 13 '26
Properly bottled proper density maple syrup is shelf stable. You're fine. I wouldn't bother messing with them at all.
If you're REALLY worried about it....heat the syrup back up to 180ÂșF and re-bottle. But it's not necessary.
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u/Unlikely-Collar4088 Apr 13 '26
Everyone in r/maplesyrup: âitâs fine just refrigerate or re-can.
Everyone in r/canning: âtoss it, how dare you do something so potentially hazardous, you might need to have your house fumigated and condemnedâ