How Long Do Jarred Foods Last. If foods are preserved correctly they are safe for years but the quality and nutritional value decreases with the passing of time. Its a quality issue.
But you can often get 18 months to two years out of your higher sugar products like jams and fruit canned in syrup. After that first year the food is not necessarily bad so dont throw it. The shelf life of short term foods is 3 to 5 years as compared to 25 to 30 years for long term food storage.
The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends only preserving enough food to last one year.
It is not really meant to be food that you preserve and store away for many years. You can store them in glass bottles but only in your short term food supply that you rotate through on a regular basis. Do home canned goods really only last a year. Water bath jars are good for a minimum of 1 year although I have eaten several jars that have 3 years of shelf time.