Jam: tips, answers and classic recipes

What is the best way to make jam so that it is not only tasty, but also healthy?

Vitamins and calorie jam

By calorie content, jam is not inferior to chocolate desserts. But vitamins in it are stored no more than 10-30%. Heat treatment destroys vitamin C by 80%. Ready jam contains 2-3 times less carotenoids and B vitamins and 4-5 times less nicotinic acid than the original product.

How to keep nutrients in jam?

• Make a five-minute jam or cold jam. Five-minute jam preserves vitamins by 70%, cold jam - by 95%.
• Recycle the right fruits.
• When boiling, vitamins are best preserved in currants (red and black) and in sea buckthorn.

Which is more useful - home or store?

Homemade! When preserving jam on an industrial scale, preservatives, artificial pectins and flavorings are necessarily used.

Should I take out the bones?

It is desirable! The seeds of some fruits and berries contain hydrocyanic acid, a dangerous poison that begins to penetrate jam over time. True, in order to get serious poisoning, you need to eat at least a three-liter jar of expired jam with stones.

Is it possible to cook from spoiled fruits?

No! Rotten fruits contain mycotoxins that do not break down when heated. These microorganisms accumulate in the body and, over time, can provoke serious diseases, including cancer.

In which dishes is it better to cook jam?

In a wide, with low edges - moisture evaporates faster in it, the cooking process is reduced, which means that vitamins are better preserved. For the preparation of jams, pots or pans with a capacity of 2 to 6 liters of non-oxidizing metals - enameled or stainless steel - are best suited. But copper pots are better not to use. Copper ions destroy ascorbic acid. Aluminum dishes are also not good: fruit acids destroy the oxide film on the surface of aluminum.

Why does the jam go bad?

Jam can be stored for up to 3 years. If it deteriorated in the first winter, then the rules for its preparation or storage were violated.

What negatively affects the quality of jam:

• Poor quality raw materials
     Jam made from spoiled berries is stored for no more than a month.
• Formulation Failure
     A low sugar content in jam (less than 65%) can cause souring, mold and fermentation, and excess can cause sugar.
• Incorrect processing of dishes
     Jars for jam must be sterilized - calcined in the oven or doused with boiling water.
• Wrong storage conditions.
     At room temperature, you can only store classic and syrup jam. Cold jam and five-minute jam should be stored in the refrigerator

Jam Recipes

1. Classic recipe

How to cook:processed berries or fruits are placed in a bowl, covered with sugar (usually in a 1: 1 ratio) and put on fire. Stir occasionally, bring to a boil and cook over low heat until cooked, until a drop of syrup, applied to a saucer, spreads. The “right” jam preserves the color of fresh fruits. If the finished jam has a brownish tint - it is digested.

Pros:

• can be stored at room temperature.

Minuses:

• the most fatal way of cooking for vitamins.

2. Berries in syrup

How to cook: first make syrup: pour the right amount of granulated sugar into a saucepan or basin, pour water (at the rate of ½ to 2 glasses of water per 1.5 kg of sugar) and put on fire. Stirring, bring to a boil, filter. Then lay berries or fruits in the syrup and cook until tender.

Pros:

• well kept.

Minuses:

• laborious way
• with any deviation from the recipe, the jam loses its presentation
• quickly sugared.

3. Five-minute jam

How to cook: berries are covered with sand or poured with syrup, brought to a boil, kept on fire for 5 minutes. Ready jam roll up the lids.

Pros:

• preserves vitamins, initial taste and color of fruits
• low-calorie: less sugar is taken - 500-700 g per 1 kg of berries.

Minuses:

• stored in the refrigerator
• laborious preparation.

4. Cold jam or mashed jam

How to cook: sugar is poured into a bowl with berries (1.5 kg of sand per 1 kg of berries) and rubbed with a wooden pestle until smooth. A layer of sugar 1 cm thick is poured into the jars over the jam.

Pros:

• preserves all vitamins and minerals.

Minuses

• stored in the refrigerator.

The most popular fruits
  used for making jam

1. Raspberry
2. Black currant
3. Strawberry
4. An Apple
5. Cherry
6. Plum

Source: aif.ru

Jam is one of the most common ways to process fruits and berries. What affects the quality of jam in its production?

In addition to excellent taste, almost every jam can boast an impressive list of useful qualities for the body that help with illnesses and simply support human health ...

Jam on the classic recipes will not surprise anyone. And here you try the vegetable jam! It really is delicious!

According to scientists, jam reduces the risk of developing various oncological diseases.

Jam and jams intended for nutrition of patients with diabetes should be prepared from those fruits and berries that have the property of lowering blood sugar levels (blueberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, lingonberries, etc.)

Confiture - a kind of jam. It is a jelly in which whole fruits or their pieces are evenly distributed ...

The season of jam cooking is coming. Modern housewives ask the question: what to cook it in? And the question is far from idle. In a good way, jam should preserve not only the taste and aroma of summer berries and fruits, but also vitamins. And besides, do not get saturated with any harmful impurities from the dishes.

Our grandmothers traditionally boiled berries in copper basins. In Soviet times, such tubs with wooden handles on the sides were considered the highest chic. Not everyone had it, but every mistress in the USSR dreamed of this copper miracle. It was believed that it was in such a basin that the best and most delicious jam was obtained! But no, today the situation has changed.

It turns out that copper utensils are in no way suitable for these purposes. Firstly, copper oxides that are harmful to our health and dissolved in fruit acids when cooking acidic fruits (cherry plum, dogwood, etc.) can get into jam. But this is not even the case (the polished pelvis is safe in this regard). The problem is that it turns out that the smallest amount of copper ions leads to the destruction of ascorbic acid - and that's all, there are no vitamins in the jam, only berries!

We asked for a comment on the candidate of medical sciences Natalia Tikhonycheva:

Our grandmothers, indeed, preferred to cook jam in copper basins. But I will not advise housewives to adhere to this custom, because copper ions destroy the beneficial ascorbic acid in berries and fruits. If the farm has only a copper basin, do not forget to properly care for it. Before and after cooking, thoroughly wash and rinse the pelvis with hot water, then dry until all moisture is removed. If copper oxide has appeared, wipe it thoroughly with sand, wash the basin with hot water and soap, dry it, and only then proceed with cooking the jam.

So what to cook? Aluminum utensils are also not suitable for our purposes. The high acidity of the jam will destroy the oxide film on the metal surface, and a small amount of aluminum will inevitably fall into our delicacy. In principle, enameled utensils work well. But a problem may arise with it: enamel at high temperatures risks breaking off.

So the best dish for cooking jam is stainless steel utensils.

And now a selection of rare and interesting jam recipes from our grandmothers:

Rhubarb jam

Rinse, peel and cut 1 kg of rhubarb, add about 600 g of sugar and leave for 8 - 10 hours. Drain the resulting juice and put on fire, bring to a boil, pour another 600 g of sugar. When the syrup boils, lower the rhubarb slices into it, bring the jam to a boil, remove from heat and let it brew for an hour. Then simmer for 5 minutes, add, if desired, ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and immediately pour into pasteurized jars, roll and turn upside down until it cools.

Blackcurrant jam

Recipe: water - 3 cups, sugar 14 cups, currant - 11 cups.

  From the whole norm of water and half sugar, boil the syrup. As soon as the syrup boils, pour all the berries. From the moment of boiling the syrup with berries, cook for 15 minutes over low heat. Then remove from the fire pour the remaining sugar and stir until it is completely dissolved, you can cook the jam, but do not boil. The jam is jelly, aromatic.

Pear and Orange Jam

Recipe: honey - 165 g, sugar - 200 g, lemon juice - 2 tbsp. spoons, cloves - 6 pcs., solid pears - 1 kg, small oranges - 4 pcs., sliced \u200b\u200blemon - 1 pcs., mint leaves - 4 pcs., water - 900 ml.

Mix honey, sugar, lemon juice and cloves in water. Remove the peel from the pear, remove the core, leave the tail. Pear in a mixture with honey, mix, bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat, close the lid and cook for 20 minutes.

Transfer the pears with a slotted spoon to a bowl, and put the oranges in the pan, from which you need to remove the skin and white pulp, bring to a boil, cook the oranges without a lid for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put oranges in a bowl with pears. Bring the syrup to a boil, boil for 10 minutes without a lid. Pour the syrup onto the fruit, add the slices of lemon and mint. Boil for 5 minutes, cool.

Small green tomato jam

For 1 kg of tomatoes: 1 kg of sugar, 4 lemons.

Rinse green tomatoes - small, rinse, place in a bowl, pour cold salt water (50 g per 0.5 liter of water) and leave for 12 hours. Then boil, drain the water, and rinse the tomatoes with cold water 2 to 3 times. Juice is squeezed out of lemons, the zest is finely cut, combined and heated over low heat. Falling asleep slowly, stir the sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Put the tomatoes in the syrup and cook over low heat, periodically removing the foam, until the tomatoes become transparent. Ready jam is packaged in sterilized jars and rolled up. Tomatoes retain a vivid, natural color during cooking.

Aronia jam with apples

Recipe: 1 kg of mountain ash, 1 kg of Antonovka apples, 2 kg of sugar, water - 900 gr.

  Rinse, dry, mince berries. Cut apples into slices. Then combine with sugar, add water and cook until cooked.

White Acacia Flower Jam

400 grams of white acacia flowers, 1.2 kg of sugar, 1 tbsp. grape juice, 1 tbsp. water.

  Peel the acacia flowers so that only white petals remain and grind with 800 g of sugar in your hands and leave in an enameled bowl for 12 hours. Cook syrup from water, juice and remaining sugar. Pour acacia flowers and cook for 30 - 40 minutes until cooked.

Barberry Jam

Washed and peeled ripe berries seeds pour sugar syrup (1 kg of berries - 1 kg of sugar) and leave for a day. Water for syrup - 1 cup. Cook in three doses until cooked (usually 30 to 40 minutes). Jam is well stored in a cool place under a nylon cover.

Assorted jam

Gooseberries, cherries, strawberries, apricots - wash, dry ,. For cherries and apricots, remove seeds - by weight there should be 1 kg of fruit. Cook the fruits in syrup - 30 minutes. (For 1.25 kg of sugar - 2 glasses of water). Cool the prepared jam and put into jars, close with plastic lids.

Pear jam

Pears - 1 kg, sugar - 1 kg, water 1.5 cups, citric acid 4 gr.

  Peel the pears from the skin and core, cut into slices, blanch for 5 minutes in boiling water and cool in cold. Dip the pears in hot syrup and cook in 3 divided doses. At the end of cooking, add citric acid or juice of 1 lemon.

Plum jam

Wash the plums and remove the seeds. Cook sugar syrup, put the plums in syrup, bring the mixture to a boil, boil for 8 - 10 minutes and cool. During the cooking process, the jam should be shaken, not mixed. Put the jam in the jars hot.

Zucchini jam with black currant

2 kg of peeled zucchini, diced, mix with 1 kg of blackcurrant berries, pour 3 kg of sugar and leave for 12 hours. Cook in three doses for 5 minutes, each time allowing the jam to cool. Put the jam in the jars and close the lid.

Assorted jam

Pears and apples of 0.5 kg cut into cubes pour 0.5 tbsp. water and 300 grams of sugar, boil and leave for 10 hours. The next day, add 500 g of plums, cut into 4 parts, without seeds, pour another 300 g of sugar, boil for 5 minutes from the moment of boiling, pour 0.5 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and cloves. Stir on and off. Put in cans and roll up.

Melon and Raspberry Jam

Recipe: melon - 1 kg, raspberries - 300 g, Saar - 800 g, water - 1 cup, lemon - 1 pc.

  Wash the lemon, dry it, remove the zest, cover it with sugar, pour over lemon juice and leave for 1 hour. Wash, dry, remove the peel, peel the seeds, cut into small pieces. Sort raspberries, wash and dry quickly.

Drain the lemon juice from the peels, add water and boil the syrup over low heat. After boiling add melon, as soon as the melon is soft add raspberries, continue to cook until thickened. Arrange the jam in sterilized jars and close the lids.

Southern jam

Recipe: watermelon peels - 1 kg, sugar - 1.5 kg, water - 500 ml, zest of one lemon, juice of one lemon.

  Peel the watermelon peels from the top of the skin and separate the flesh. Cut the white crust into cubes. Pour the crusts with hot water and cook for 5 - 10 minutes, then put them on a sieve and cool. Cook syrup from water and sugar, add zest, lemon juice, watermelon peels, cook for 20-30 minutes, then remove from heat and leave in syrup for 2 hours. Then repeat this operation, let the jam stand for 2 hours, cook for a third time on low heat until the crusts are transparent. Put the jam in jars.

Strawberry jam

Strawberries - 1 kg, sugar - 1 kg, juice of one lemon.

  Sort the berries, wash, dry, place in a bowl in which jam will be boiled, add sugar, lemon juice and leave for 5 hours. Then cook for 15 minutes on low heat. Cook until ready in a day. Pour the finished jam into clean jars.

Strawberries (strawberries) in red currant juice

Strawberries (strawberries) - 1 kg, redcurrant juice - 300 gr.

  Wash, dry, lay the berries in a saucepan, pour the juice, boil for 5 minutes from the moment of boiling, pour into sterilized jars and roll.

Rosehip and mountain ash jam

600 g of rose hips clear of hairs and seeds. Rowan fruits 400 g (best Nevezhinsky) are blanched in 2 - 5 minutes, and then cook in three doses until cooked with 1 tbsp of water from blanching and 1.3 kg of sugar. Pour the finished jam into clean jars. Blanching - boiling over high heat.

Gooseberry jam

Recipe: berries - 2 kg, honey 1 kg, walnuts - how many berries will take.

Rinse large unripe berries of gooseberry, dry it, carefully remove the seeds without cutting the berries, fill the gooseberries with walnut kernels. You can make halves, but crush the nuts. Pour the berries with honey and cook the jam until cooked.

Strawberry or Strawberry Jam

Go through the berries, wash, let the water drain. N 1 kg of berries take 1 kg of sugar and instead of water 1 glass of sour juice (red currant, apples, plums or gooseberries). Dip the berries into the hot sugar and juice syrup and cook until tender, stirring constantly and removing the foam. After 30 - 35 minutes from the moment of boiling, the jam is ready. At the end of cooking, you can add 2 - 3 grams of citric acid - this gives a beautiful color. Pour hot jam into heated dry jars, and when cooled, close the lid. If the jam turned out to be liquid, you will have to sterilize the jars for 15 to 20 minutes and roll up the lids.

Raspberries with sugar

For this jam, you can use both garden and forest raspberries. Go through the berries, remove the damaged ones. If there are raspberry beetle larvae (white larvae), dip the berries for 10 - 15 minutes in salted water (20 g of salt per liter of water) and the larvae will emerge. Otherwise: sprinkle the berries on the table, the worms themselves will crawl out. Rinse raspberries in a colander with water and beat with a mixer. Put the resulting mass into enameled or porcelain dishes, add granulated sugar 1.5 kg per 1 kg of raspberries and mix to completely dissolve the sugar. Place in clean, dry cans and seal tightly.

Pumpkin jam

Peel the pumpkin from the peel and grains. Pour cold water into a basin or pan, put soda and lower the pumpkin, cut into large pieces. Leave for a day. Then drain the water, wash the pumpkin with cold water and place on a sieve. When the water drains, cut the pumpkin into squares.

Cook the syrup, put the pumpkin into it, but do not interfere. When the jam begins to boil, remove it from the heat for several hours, so that the pumpkin does not boil and it does not turn out to be jam. Then cook until cooked.

  For 1 kg of pumpkin, 1.5 kg of sugar, 1 tablespoon of soda, 0.75 cups of water.

Pumpkin and apple jam

For such a jam you will need: 5 kg of pumpkin, 2 lemons, 2 kg of apples, 5 kg of sugar.

Peel the pumpkin and seeds, pass through a meat grinder, add lemons without grains, passed through a meat grinder. Wash apples, peel, cut into cubes. Pour granulated sugar into pumpkin, lemon and apples. Cook in three doses for 5 minutes from the moment of boiling, stirring continuously.

Ginger apple jam

1 kg of apples, 1 kg of sand, tablespoons of grated ginger, 1 cup of water, 2 large lemons.

  Wash apples, dry, remove the core thinly cut into cubes. Remove the zest from the lemon and squeeze the juice. From syrup and water, boil the syrup, add the zest and lemon juice, apples, ginger, grated to the syrup. Cook jam until thickened. Pour into dry, sterilized jars, close the lid.

Rowan jam

It is better to take berries of the Nezhin mountain ash. Dip the berries for 3 - 5 minutes in boiling water or put in a warm oven for 1 - 2 hours. For 1 kg of mountain ash, take 1.5 kg of sugar and 3 cups of water. Pour the berries in boiling syrup and cook after 6 to 8 hours, removing several times for 10 to 15 minutes. Ready jam date stand 10 - 13 hours, then put in jars. If the syrup is liquid, drain it, keep it on the fire to “evaporate” and pour the jam again.

Utensils that can be used for cooking jam should be resistant to oxidation. Otherwise, the beneficial substances contained in berries and fruits will be destroyed during cooking.

Today the market offers dishes from a wide variety of materials: aluminum, stainless steel, enameled, ceramic and many others. Which is better for making jam?

Stainless steel

Experienced housewives are sure that a stainless steel pan is the most suitable container for cooking berry preparations. Such dishes are resistant to acids contained in fruits and berries, and do not destroy beneficial substances.

Enamel

Another good option is enameled dishes. Its only minus is its short term of use. So, if even a small crack has formed on the enamel, it is no longer suitable for cooking jam, since enamel crumbs can get into the cooked dish. In addition, with a damaged surface of the pan, the jam begins to come into contact with iron, which, when heated, destroys vitamin C.

The enameled container is well suited for the jam to settle. This is usually required when a treat is cooked by multiple cooking.

Copper

Previously, copper or brass pots were most often used to make berry treats. The advantages of such cookware are high thermal conductivity and uniform heating. Jam in such a container does not stick. However, over time, it turned out that copper is not the best choice.

Metal ions negatively affect the ascorbic acid contained in the berries. In addition, with prolonged contact and heating, copper oxides, which are harmful to the human body, can get into the jam.

In the absence of other utensils, copper can also be used, but two rules must be observed: the basins must be cleaned and polished well, immediately after cooking, transfer the finished product to other containers, avoiding prolonged contact of the jam with copper.

Aluminum

It is undesirable to use aluminum utensils in such a case. Acids in fruits and berries can destroy the oxide film that covers the surface of aluminum products. In this case, metal can enter the food.

However, some housewives continue to use aluminum containers for cooking jam. In this case, it is worth remembering that after the product is ready, you need to immediately transfer it to jars, without leaving it for a long time in the pan.

What utensils should not be used?

Containers made of copper, brass, aluminum, which are covered with a layer of plaque, darkened or have traces of corrosion on the surface, cannot be used. Previously, they should be thoroughly cleaned and grated to a shine.

What shape should the cooking container have?

Berries in a bowl should boil evenly, so it is best to take a shallow container with a wide flat bottom, for example, a basin.

Its sizes can vary from 2 to 6 liters. Large basins should not be used, because many berries (raspberries, strawberries) can be squeezed by their own weight, as a result of which the jam will come out boiled. In addition, excessively large containers require longer heating, which increases the cooking time, and this also affects the quality of the finished product not in the best way.

You should immediately pick up the lid for it, since many types of jam require multiple cooking. The lid will protect the cooking product from insects and dust.

How to care for dishes?

After the jam has been cooked, the basin should be washed well, rinsed with hot water and dried thoroughly by placing it on the stove before using it again.

If one day you need to cook several batches of jam from one type of berries or fruits, you do not need to wash the basin.

A few tips to help clean a copper basin:

1. The green oxide spots that appear on the surface of the pelvis can be removed if you clean the container with sandpaper or river sand, then rinse well with hot water.
2. To properly wash the basin from the shallows, you need to prepare a mixture of 1 part of chalk, 3 parts of ammonia and 6 parts of water. All ingredients are mixed, shaken, applied with a rag to the surface of the dishes and rubbed to a shine with a woolen rag or cloth.
3. Other folk remedies are flour, sawdust and vinegar. All components are combined so that a thick paste is obtained. It is applied to the surface of the pelvis, left to dry completely. After that, the remnants of the cleaning paste are removed and the dishes are rubbed to a shine.

Dishes for cooking jam should be selected, taking into account the recommendations, since when using containers of unwanted materials there is a risk not only to spoil the finished product, but also to harm health.

Choose in which dish to cook the jam

1. A basin or pan - what is the best way to cook jam

When choosing the shape of dishes for making jam, it is recommended to give preference to shallow containers with a wide bottom. Thus, the dish will cook evenly, and a large surface area will allow faster evaporation of excess moisture.

The larger the surface area of \u200b\u200bthe jam tableware, the better

It is also important that the delicate and soft berries retain their shape, and do not turn into jam. When cooking jam in a pan, raspberries or blueberries can crush under the weight of a thick layer of food. In this case, a basin for jam cooking is an ideal option.

2. In which dishes it is better to cook jam: aluminum, copper, or stainless steel

The taste and useful composition depend on the dish in which the jam is cooked. Wrongly selected material of the container for cooking can not only spoil the quality of the finished dish, but also affect the durability of its storage. Importantly, the oxidation products of certain metals can be harmful to health.

2.1. Stainless steel

The best utensils for making jam is stainless steel. This material is not in vain called "food": the metal does not react with food and food acids. Jam made in a pan or stainless steel basin will retain its taste and benefit.

Stainless steel basin is the best dish for cooking jam

If the dish is prepared in several stages, you can leave it in the bowl without fear for the container itself and the jam.

2.2. If there is no steel utensil: aluminum or copper

The best recipes of our grandmothers recommend using a copper basin for cooking jam. If you completely want to repeat the cooking process to get a “taste of childhood” - this is acceptable. A container made of such a metal has good thermal conductivity, and the dish in it is cooked evenly, without burning.

But copper utensils have disadvantages:

• When heated, copper ions react with ascorbic acid, completely destroying healthy vitamins;
• Copper oxides, which can enter the dish during cooking, are harmful to the human body.

It’s important to polish the copper basin for cooking jam well before use.

If your choice fell on dishes made of copper, it must be thoroughly cleaned and polished. When the jam is cooked in several stages - do not leave it in a copper basin for cooling, but rather pour it into another container.

Copper containers are rarely found today, so housewives are interested in: is it possible to cook jam in an aluminum pan, or a bowl? It is allowed to use dishes made of this metal, but only in extreme cases.

On the surface of such containers there will always be an oxide film, which is destroyed by interaction with food acids, and particles of the substance fall into the dish. You can use such dishes for quick cooking in one step, and the finished product should be immediately transferred to jars.

2.3. Enamel Jam Cookware

The minus of enameled dishes is their fragility. At high temperatures, the enamel tends to crack. Particles of coating can go directly into the jam. A bare metal reacts with acids that secrete berries and fruits, destroying valuable vitamin C.

Enamel cookware for jam cooking is not recommended

3. Modern jam utensils, which is better: Teflon or ceramic

Choosing a saucepan in a saucepan, teflon is not the best option. This coating does not withstand high temperatures. You can use such dishes for cooking a small amount of goodies according to the fast cooking technique.

Apricot and raspberry, blueberry and strawberry, cherry and currant, cranberry and gooseberry, grape and blackberry - each jam is delicious in its own way. To make it perfect, you must follow certain rules.

And also - to know some secrets that will be revealed in this article.

Secret 1: a careful selection of raw materials

An ideal jam can be prepared only from fruits (berries, fruits, vegetables, etc.) of the same degree of maturity.

For example, if you take berries of varying degrees of maturity, while the overripe is boiled, the overripe will already lose its shape - it will creep into porridge. This means that the consistency will turn out to be heterogeneous, and it will be far from ideal. Therefore, choosing berries or fruits for jam, preference should only be given to fresh fruits of the same degree of maturity.

How to determine the degree of maturity?

• unripe  the fruits are uneven in color. You can use them only for making several types of jam - from walnuts, quinces, pears, gooseberries, apricots;

• mature  fruits are colored evenly, more intensely and brightly than unripe.

• overripe  fruits, regardless of whether they are berries or fruits, are loose in flesh and are often deformed. They are best used for cooking jams, marmalades, marshmallows and so on.

The size  also matters: if you want to make jam with whole fruits, choose small-sized berries and fruits. Carefully check that they are not spoiled or damaged - quality fruits are more likely to maintain their shape during cooking.

Secret 2: wash the fruits correctly

To make the perfect jam, the fruits must be properly washed.

If we are talking about delicate berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and so on), they must be washed very carefully so as not to damage in the process. First, the berries are sorted, cleaning from leaves, twigs and other debris, carefully transferred to a colander. Wash under the tap with an aerator (or shower) for about 3-4 minutes. Leave the berries in a colander for 10-15 minutes - during which time the water drains from them almost completely.

Fruits with stronger skin are washed under running cold water.

Secret 3: the selection of dishes

The final result of all the work will directly depend on how correctly you choose the cookware for cooking - will you get the perfect jam or not.

More recently, housewives made jam in brass and copper basins. It was such dishes that were considered the best, but scientists have proven that this is not so. Copper is by no means an ideal material for making jam. The fact is that in the composition of berries and fruits there is an acid that is able to dissolve copper oxides. Visually, it looks like a patina, to put it simply - a dark coating that appears on the surface of the pelvis. There is one more reason why jam cannot be prepared in copper utensils - ascorbic acid is destroyed by copper ions. That is, jam made in copper utensils will be practically devoid of vitamin C.

Aluminum containers are often used, but this cannot be done categorically: under the influence of fruit acid, the oxide film on the walls of the dishes is destroyed, as a result of which aluminum molecules get into the jam.

Enamel cookware is ideal; stainless steel containers can still be used.

Important:  enameled utensils should not be used for cooking jam if it has enamel chips.

A basin or a pan?

The answer to this question is simple - of course the pelvis! Despite the fact that the pan is more convenient, especially if you cook on a small tile, the basin is much wider in comparison with a pan of the same volume. Consequently, the layer of jam in it will be thinner - it will warm up faster and boil, it is easier to mix gently. As a result, the jam will be thicker, at the same time, the fruits will not lose their shape and will not be digested.

In addition, at the end of the cooking process, jam (especially from whole fruits) is desirable do not mixso as not to damage the berries. But what if you still need to interfere? In a saucepan, this can only be done with a spatula or spoon, carefully immersing them in a layer of fruit and moving along the bottom. But you can mix jam in the basin without using a spatula: to do this, periodically shake the basin or turn and slightly shake it in different directions during cooking.

To jam not burnt, prefer dishes with a flat, thick bottom. At the same time, the pelvis should not be too deep - so the berries will boil evenly.

Secret 4: no one has canceled the rules

There are general rules (principles) for the preparation of jam, adherence to which is almost always necessary.

The only exceptions are cases in which the rules are contrary to the recipe.

Rule 1: keep proportions
  For 1 kg. fruits (berries, fruits, and so on), as a rule, take 1 kg. Sahara. Of course, depending on the recipe, the amount of sugar may be different. The main thing is that in no case should it be too small (otherwise the jam will not be stored for a long time - it will turn sour), or too much so that the jam does not turn into solid sugar.

Rule 2: cook in several approaches
  So that the berries in the process of making jam do not lose their shape, you need to cook it in several stages. It is possible to dispense with a single boil when harvesting delicate berries (strawberries, raspberries, and so on). To keep in shape, just sprinkle them with sugar overnight.

Rule 3: use parchment
In order to prevent the berries or fruits from weathering during cooking, especially if you cook in several stages, you can cover the jam basin with parchment paper.

Rule 4: control the flame
  To get the perfect jam for the first 10 minutes (after boiling), you need to cook it on a low flame. The fact is that it is at this stage of cooking that strong foaming occurs. Therefore, the risk that the jam will “run away” is maximum. Once the foam has settled, continue to boil it over medium heat.

Important! Make sure that the flame heats only the bottom of the pan (basin), and not the wall, otherwise the jam may burn.

Rule 5: Cook Only Jam
  Try not to cook jam at the same time as preparing other dishes, especially with a pronounced smell - it will absorb the aromas of other foods and partially lose its own. If you cook it in several stages, and it should be infused for some time, it is better to move the basin to another room.

Secret 5: a special approach

As we have already found out, the general rules for making jam must be observed.

But some fruits need a special approach.

• Some large fruits (apples, quinces, pears, etc.) must be scalded or boiled for a short time in boiling water before making jam from them. This process is called preliminary cooking. A short and simple manipulation will allow them to better saturate with sugar syrup and maintain their original shape.

• Aronia berries before cooking need 1-2 minutes. blanch in boiling water - so they remain juicy. When preparing jam from aronia, it is necessary to add citric acid to it.
• So that when cooking jam, blackcurrant berries do not become dry, they need to be blanched for 1 minute. in boiling water.
• To prevent apricots and plums from boiling during boiling, soak them for 5 minutes immediately before cooking. in a solution of soda. To prepare a solution in 1.5 liters of water, dissolve 1 teaspoon of soda.
• To prevent apples from darkening during the jam cooking process, for 2-3 minutes. dip sliced \u200b\u200bslices in salt water (take 0.5 teaspoon of salt in 1 liter of water), and then immerse in boiling water for the same time.
• So that berries and fruits with hard skin (plums, gooseberries, pears and others) retain their shape, and their peel does not burst, pierce it in several places with a toothpick before cooking.

Secret 6: choosing a cooking method

To make the perfect jam with whole berries, observe the proportions of the ingredients indicated in the recipe, or use one of the following methods.

A reliable recipe proven by more than one generation of housewives.

The cooking process is quite simple, but it will take some time - you need to cook in several stages.

1. Sugar is mixed with cold water and the syrup is brought to a boil. Sugar should completely dissolve.
2. After boiling for 2 minutes, remove from heat, put washed and dried fruits in syrup. Leave to infuse for 5 hours.
3. After the indicated time, put on fire, bring to a boil and cook for no more than 10 minutes, stirring very carefully and removing the foam.
4. After cooling the jam, it is again set on fire, brought to a boil and boiled for no more than 3 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, allow to cool completely. Then the jam is poured into pre-prepared sterilized jars.

The jam is very fragrant, the fruits in it are soft and juicy.

Ideal for those who do not have time for long boiling-boiling.

1. The fruits are gently washed and dried.
2. Mix them with sugar and mix very carefully, leave for 5 hours.
3. After the indicated time, the dishes with jam (ideally, the basin) are put on fire and, stirring often, brought to a boil.
4. After boiling, the fruits are boiled for 5 minutes, wait until the jam has cooled, and packaged in a prepared sterilized container.

Secret 7: do not digest jam

Overcooked jam loses its unusual aroma, its color and taste change (unfortunately, not for the better).

How do you know that boiling is enough? You can determine the willingness of jam:

• visually  - if the jam has become translucent, and the foam began to gather in the center of the pan, - it is ready;
• using simple manipulation  - put some jam in a spoon, wait until it cools, and drip onto a cold saucer. If the drop remains round and convex - the jam is ready, but if it spreads, then the cooking process is not completed.

Important:  ready jam should be allowed to brew.

Secret 8: proper packaging

Preparing a delicious and beautiful jam with a unique aroma is half the battle. The blank must be properly packaged, because the storage period will directly depend on this.

Quite often, the housewives pour the jam hot, but this is how it exfoliates - the berries float up to the top of the jar, and the syrup concentrates on the bottom. In order for the jam in the jar to be uniform, it needs to be cooled after cooking, and only after it has completely cooled down can it be transferred to storage containers. If you decide to pack the jam hot, keep in mind that it emits water vapor, which condenses on the lid in the form of droplets of water, so don’t immediately seal the jars. Water that gets inside the sealed jar on the finished product can cause mold.

We sterilize banks

You can do this in several ways, just choose the most convenient for yourself:

• in the oven:banks are washed thoroughly and wet in the oven. Turn it on for about 100 ° C (not more than 130 ° C) for about 5 minutes. - until the banks are completely dry;

• water:cool boiling water is poured into a jar (pre-washed), covered with a lid and left for 8-10 minutes;

• above the kettle:turning a clean jar with a neck to the nose of a boiling kettle, steam it for about 5 minutes;

• in a pot of water:a special holder for cans is installed in the pan, water is poured that should not touch the top of the holder, the middle flame is turned on. When the water boils, a washed jar is installed on the holder, turning it with its neck down. It is treated with steam for about 5 minutes;

• in the microwave:a little (about 1 cm) water is poured into a pre-washed jar and for 2 minutes. put it in the microwave;

• in a slow cooker:about 400 ml. water is poured into the bowl of the appliance, clean cans are installed in a special grid for steaming, turn on the “steaming” mode. Banks are processed for about 5 minutes. (after the water boils);

• in the dishwasher:pre-washed cans are installed in the dishwasher (without detergents) and the highest-temperature (about 70 ° C) washing mode is set so that the full cycle passes;

• in a double boiler:a double boiler is filled with water, as usual, after which banks are installed in it, turning them upside down. Turn on in cooking mode and sterilize the cans for about 10 minutes. (from the moment of boiling).

Important:  Ready jam should be packaged in clean, sterilized and always dry jars. If water remains in the container, even a few drops, the jam may become moldy or ferment.

It is necessary to sterilize not only the cans, but also the lids. Do this as follows: caps for 3-5 minutes. dipped in boiling water, removed, laid out on a clean towel to glass water.

Secret 9: proper storage

How long you can enjoy a delicious jam, to a large extent depends on its proper storage.

How to store jam?

For a long period of time, jam must be stored in sterilized glass jars of small volume (up to 2 l), rolled up with tin lids or sealed with twist lids.

Important:  When calculating the number of containers required for packaging jam, consider that of 1 kg. about 2 kg of fruit will come out. preserves. About 1.5 kg are placed in a liter jar. preserves.

During storage, jam, especially if it is stored at high temperatures or for a long period of time, may be sugared. Therefore, try not to store it for too long.

How much jam can I store?

Jam with pits (cherry, peach, plum) - 1-1.5 g. The fact is that hydrocyanic acid, which is part of fruit seeds, can become poisonous over a long period of storage.

The rest of the jam, if it is properly preserved and properly stored - about 3 years. It is during this period that vitamins and nutrients will still be present in it. Further storage is also possible, but it does not make sense, since the benefit of eating such a product in food will be doubtful.

Storage conditions for jam

Keep jam in a dark, dry room at a temperature of no more than + 15 ° C.

During storage, the jam may become sour or moldy. This happens in several cases:

• it is not cooked correctly: too much / little sugar has been taken;
• there is not enough acid in the jam;
• it is digested;
• jam is not sealed;
• the container was not thoroughly dried.

  To prevent such troubles, do not change the amount of sugar indicated in the recipe, and just add a little citric acid to the jam made from fruits with insufficient acidity. Usually 1 kg. raw materials (berries, fruits, and so on) mixed with 1 kg. sugar, put 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid. Do not digest jam. Observe sterilization rules for containers. Watch for tightness of corking. Each housewife has her own secrets of cooking certain dishes, jam is no exception.

It is impossible to cite all the tips in one article, so I tried to select the most valuable of them:

• Strawberry jam without bitternessif in 10 min. until the end of cooking, add raw, peeled carrots to it (before packing, carrots must be removed from the jam).

• To jam   not sugaredin 5-10 minutes add a little citric acid to it before cooking.

• The jam will become   more denseif at the end of cooking add thickeners (pectin, quittin, gelfix and so on) to 1 kg. about 5 g of pectin will be enough berries.

• Burnt jamcan be saved: as soon as you notice caramel clots on the shoulder blade, immediately pour the jam into another container. If you catch on time - the finished product will not be bitter.

  See how to make strawberry jam, in which the berries are not boiled, which means that they better retain all their beneficial properties:

So all the secrets of perfect jam are revealed. Or not all? Surely there are subtleties and nuances of cooking this delicious piece, which we did not mention. Or maybe you have your own original ideas? Share the secrets of making your signature jam in the comments!

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