Canning Italian mostarda di frutta/Cremona?
Hello canners!
I was once a fairly avid jammaker and so did quite a bit of canning, but haven't been active in the jam world for a few years now. However, the challenge I'm facing now is as follows: I have come into possession of a 7kg industrial-sized tin of mostarda di Cremona. If you don't know what it is, mostarda is a Northern Italian condiment consisting of whole fruits preserved in a mustardy syrup - you chop them up and serve it with boiled meats, cheeses etc. Delicious. But it usually comes in a small 400g jar and so 7kg will be a challenge to get through and store before it goes off.
Is there some way I can transfer this to small jars and can it so it's shelf-stable? I've never seen mostarda go off, per se, but then again I've always kept it in the fridge and it's mostly sugar syrup...
This is the stuff I'm talking about and this is the tin I've got.
Any and all help very much appreciated!
P.S. I have a large stockpot that I've used for canning before as well as a 5l pressure cooker, if that helps.
Posted Jan 19, 2017, 11:52 AM UTC
Re-canning is not an option. For something to be safe to can with a home cooker or water bath, the acidity and sugar ratio has to be very specific. In the case of this stuff, you have no idea what the recipe is. Industrial canning has a different set of requirements, as they use much more powerful sterilization and canning techniques, which is why they can can things without much acid or sugar. Please don't take the risk, you could end up very, very sick. The best way to store would be to portion into smaller jars (which you sterilized in advance) and keep in the fridge or freezer. That way you don't contaminate the big can every time you dip into it and increase the chance of spoilage. There is so much sugar in that stuff I'm sure it would keep for years in the fridge. But don't keep it at room temp, not safe.
Okay, thanks for the advice. The main problem is that I don't have room for it in the fridge or freezer. Do I have any other options?
Not really :/
Not any safe ones I'm afraid.