Preserving preserves - avoiding the fuzz

October 5, 2017 4:30 PM

Best methods to keep Chestnut cream (creme de marron) from mold?

Chestnut cream is SPENDY. I just had to toss a jar less than a month old due to fuzz. Peanut butter does not get weird being opened and kept in a cupboard and neither does jam (both home-made and commercial). I like the stuff but cannot finish a jar in that short of a time. What is the best way to keep this stuff?

posted by jadepearl to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

Best answer: Keep it in the fridge? For me, even jam will mould rather quickly if not refrigerated, once opened, so I always pop it in the fridge. Same with maple syrup; really the only thing I don't refrigerate is honey.
posted by halation at 5:09 PM on October 5, 2017 [4 favorites]

Smooth off and cover with a thin layer of EVOO. And refrigerate.
posted by humboldt32 at 5:20 PM on October 5, 2017 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Definitely refrigerator. (And do you really keep opened jam in the cupboard? I would never.)
posted by fingersandtoes at 5:30 PM on October 5, 2017 [5 favorites]

Smoosh some plastic wrap down into the jar so none of the cream is touching air.
posted by rhizome at 5:56 PM on October 5, 2017

I'd pick oil seal over plastic, fridge for sure.

Also: be very careful that whatever knife/spoon/utensil is used to scoop out of the jar never goes back in to the jar after it has touched something else.

That would be over-conservative for lots of things imo, but hey, you came here to ask about a contamination problem, so.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:12 PM on October 5, 2017

Best answer: they sell it in squeezy tubes, which don't have the same issues as the jar. that might be a better avenue for you.
posted by koroshiya at 6:26 PM on October 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You can also buy refillable squeezy tubes at backpacking stores.
posted by rhizome at 7:22 PM on October 5, 2017

Response by poster: Yeah, further complication is that I am in Australia so Chestnut cream access is not great. I tried covering in honey but the mold was on the jar lip going down and the edge of the sweet honey. The squeeze tube and refrigeration maybe the way.
posted by jadepearl at 1:38 AM on October 6, 2017

I'm pretty certain Australians just share it with the people they love most and don't have any left over to store. Ahem.
posted by taff at 4:07 AM on October 6, 2017

Refrigeration of opened jams and nut butters is the best approach for safety and preservation. The labels should indicate that you should refrigerate after opening. Lots of bad things can grow in preserves after they've been opened.
posted by quince at 8:28 AM on October 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I lead a charmed life, preserves usually do OK in my cupboard but I will refrigerate and squeeze my sweet love. Thanks to you all.
posted by jadepearl at 3:34 AM on October 11, 2017