North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@tds.net>]

   Ever wonder why jelly and Maple Syrup keep (fail to spoil) without 
adding a chemical preservative?

   Sugar is a preservative so long as it is added so the dissolved solids 
equal 65.5 percent.  I don't understand all of the chemistry surrounding it 
but I'm told that sugar kills organisms via osmosis (movement from a lower 
density {from the bodies of organisms} to a higher density {the sugar 
solution}).