Why is there Floating Fruit in your Preserves

Floating Fruit when canning is a common occurrence.There happen to be as many answers out there as there are problems. I am going to give you the tips I have found and the one I use and it works.

The picture I am showing is the way I use to do it and it did work but the out come of the placement of the fruit was never the same. Plus having to wait a time and do it right and turn and roll. Well it was a pain in the Can!

Many site's will tell you that once the jar's have pinged it is safe to turn them over.

Here are a few reason that appear everywhere on why this will happen.

Reasons for Floating Fruit

• It was not fully ripe fruit
• It was not thoroughly crushed or ground
• It was not cooked enough
• It was not properly paced in glass or jar

Now let us review ways to try to prevent it.

1.  You can let your jam sit after you have processed it for 5 more minutes this will let the fruit        absorb more of the liquid. 

2. Chop the fruit so it is a finer consistency. I like to start my jam off with my strawberries cut in half and as it is cooking I use a potato masher to crush it a bit more. I like thick and nice size pieces of fruit in my preserves.

3. You can cook your jam for a longer period but this is the way you would normally do your jam if you are not using pectin. The jam process without pectin it a bit more time consuming but well worth is.

4. Don't be so picky and once you are ready to open the jam just take a spoon and stir it up it taste just as good.

5. Once your jar has been processed and you hear the ping wait about 10 minutes and turn the jars upside down but keep an eye on it turning occasionally. I have done this but it is a bit time consuming

My go to solution for the problem :

Once you have cooked your jam let it sit overnight so the fruit will soak in the liquid. The liquid is thicker than the fruit so it has a tendency to sit on the bottom of the jar.



When it is sitting do not cover with the top for the pot it will get more condensation and liquid. Just cover it with a cloth/dishtowel. You do not have to put it in the refrigerator because of the sugar and acid level it will be ok overnight. The next day reheat it and process as usual.

I hope this helps you all. Sometimes it is a problem that just do not solve all the time. A kind of hit and miss situation.

Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.