Recent news articles ( in the Daily Mail and on the BBC) have highlighted a Food Standards Agency regulation regarding safety criteria for food packaging. It has come to light that selling homemade jams and chutneys in reused jars may be punishable by local authority environmental health officers with penalties reaching £5,000  or six months in prison.

So should we be concerned about this?

Recycling glass jars by reusing them is a good way of keeping costs down, and of course helps save the energy used to recycle them through the bottle bank.  Jars can be used again and again, and after some time you can end up only having to replace a few each year.
Think of it as milk bottles for jam.

There are, however, some precautions to take to make sure that your jam or chutney stays sealed and uncontaminated.

How to store jam is often a concern, and space can sometimes become an issue if several types are made.

The traditional advice is to store jam in a cool, dry, dark place such as a larder or cellar. In modern houses under the stairs, or in a garage or shady shed may be the best option.

How to store chutney is often a concern, especially as most recipes suggest the preserve is best left to mature for several months before eating.

The traditional advice is to store chutney in a cool, dry, dark place such as a larder or cellar. In modern houses under the stairs, or in a garage or shady shed may be the best option.