[Q]

I have some pear halves that I preserved in syrup in kilner jars from last year (could be the year before too).

I got them out of the cupboard and there wasnt quite enough syrup to cover the very top pear half so its gone a bit brown and has a small amount of green mould on the top bit.

The rest loooook fine so & I dont like the waste but...... would you eat them?  I am very tempted because the syrup should have preserved the rest of them.

Also found some sloe gin from 2 years ago too - I might try to pickle myself then I wouldnt worry about the pears 

[shygirl]

brings back memories of my mums preserved plums...

[Q]

brings back memories of my mums preserved plums...

You still need to tell me if I should eat my pears though 

[Lesley Silvester]

Personally, I would try one that had been totally covered in syrup. If it tasted ok, I would eat them apart from the one with green on it.

[Q]

Personally, I would try one that had been totally covered in syrup. If it tasted ok, I would eat them apart from the one with green on it.

Thats what  I was thinking - If I suddenly stop posting everybody can blame MGoM 

[ladyK]

I hate waste too, so I'm forever cutting off shrivelled/funny looking/mouldy parts and eating the rest - still alive and kicking.
So I would agree with others, try a bit well below the 'brown line' and if it tastes OK I would just remove the 'above syrup' bits, and consume the rest as soon as possible.

[Lesley Silvester]

Personally, I would try one that had been totally covered in syrup. If it tasted ok, I would eat them apart from the one with green on it.

Thats what  I was thinking - If I suddenly stop posting everybody can blame MGoM 

Gee thanks! You can blame ladyK as well. She agreed with me. I've often cut mould off food and eaten the rest. Cheese is fine. I've wiped the inside of a jar of jam to get rid of the penicillin as well.

[shygirl]

have you not got a human guinea pig to test one on?
im sure youl be able to taste it if its off? we had a load of cooking chocolate from asda the other day but all I could taste was mould. it looked completely normal but im sure it had mould spores on it. mind you it was slightly damp in the packet.

[tizaala]

Get rid of the top one eat the rest , it is what you have an immune system for. My grandfather used to hang a hare in his cellar until it glowed luminous and you didn't need to turn a light on down there then he'd jug it in port, the same with bacon , really rancid before he ate it, it got him in the end of course, when he was 99.

[chrismahon]

I'd eat them as I don't like to see things wasted.


Reminds me of when I was an apprentice. We had a Polish toolroom foreman. Fantastic craftsman but he had some strange eating habits and was a bit forgetful. Quite partial to sardines he sometimes used to open a tin, get distracted and then forget where he had put them. He left an open tin in an obscure drill draw once and the lads decided to bet on how long they stayed there. Well days went past becoming weeks and the top sardines were looking a bit dry. More time passed and the top layer had become quite green and fluffy. Next day the foreman found them -and ate the lot!!!

[Q]

Thats decided then - no waste - they are going to be eaten.

To throw them away would also have wasted my preparation time and the reason for preserving them in the first place.

thanks for all your answers.

[Q]

Yuk!  they tasted really bad! 

[RUSTYME]

I wouldn't eat them if i were you ! lol

[MAK]

mmm - I would chuck the top layer then curry the rest so as to kill off any potential bugs or pathogens.

[Lesley Silvester]

Yuk!  they tasted really bad! 

That's me in the doghouse then.