No, the cellophane wrap IS meant for longtime storage, i am 66 now and
remember my mother and grandmother using nothing but cellphane for any
type of jelly, it lasted for years. Actually it becomes slightly concave
as it cools. You can still buy it here, though most people i know use
screw tops nowadays. I do too. I am not sure how well it works on
pottery jars, i know it only from glass jars. Could it be that some
pottery jars are slightly porous, thus not keeping a perfect vacuum?
Noone here used parafin as far as i remember, i learned about parafin
usage when i moved to the US in 1965, but i never used it myself.

Monika (Austria)

Monika:

That's very interesting. I was always taught that cello was not going
to hold up, and to use a 1/4 inch (6mm) or thicker layer of paraffin on top
with cello to keep the dust off.
Interesting how different cultures use the same product different ways.

And now, in NZ, it all goes back full circle :)

Best Regards,
Wayne Seidl