What to add to jam to thicken. How to make thick jam

What hostess has not faced a problem liquid jam, which upset all her plans related to baking a delicious cake or fragrant bagels? It’s sad when you want to please your family with pleasant smells, but the jam, prepared specifically for this purpose, suddenly ended.

There is a way out, and this article will reveal little secrets that will remain in your cookbook for a long time, and most importantly, they will save you at the right time! We will be happy to share with you how you can turn liquid jam into a thick jam that does not flow out of the dough and does not spoil all the pastries!

Effective ways

There are many ways, born by experienced housewives, capable of making something out of nothing. Let's pay attention to the most accessible of them:

1. The most used is semolina. When it is added, the taste of the product does not deteriorate and does not change in appearance. It is only necessary to boil the jam with a few tablespoons of cereals (1 tsp per 300 grams of semolina).
2. The easiest way to make a thick liquid out of a liquid is to boil the mixture over low heat for some time, until the desired consistency is reached. The advantage is that you can control the desired density and viscosity yourself, as opposed to adding all kinds of thickeners. After all, you can not guess and overdo it with this case.
3. Many people use starch as a thickening agent. Moreover, you can use both potato and corn, adding it to an already heated mixture.
4. In order not to suffer for a long time, you can simply buy an ordinary thickener in the store and add it to the liquid. The proportions are indicated on the package.
5. Remove excess water and give an amazing taste of nuts, crushed into powder. Gelatin will turn your jam into a gorgeous jam. If you try to use flour for this purpose, the effect will be similar to how you cook goulash. In a small amount of water, stir a little flour to a homogeneous consistency and pour into the jam, stirring constantly.
6. Some even take egg white. It is beaten well, and then poured into a sweet mass.
7. Herculean flakes will be able to absorb excess liquid without distorting the taste.

All these options have been tested by many smart cooks and cooks who were able to find a way out of a difficult situation on their own and imagination.

Not everyone adds anything to the jam itself, some find it advisable to simply sprinkle some mass on the surface of the cake so that the liquid mixture does not penetrate the dough and spoil it. Here are some of their recommendations:

• flour;
• cereals;
• starch, biscuits (crushed);
• special powder.

It is necessary to cover the surface with these loose, as thick a layer as possible so that the liquid jam does not seep onto the cake.

Perhaps you, too, can find some interesting way for yourself, with the help of which you will successfully eliminate any difficulty that has arisen on the way to preparing delicious treats for your family.

Pie stuffed with fresh apples

Culinary tricks for fruit fillings.

So that the filling does not leak out of the jam.

So that the fruit pie does not become wet from the filling.

Wet toppings - jam, marmalade, fresh fruits often create problems for beginners in the kitchen: the filling flows out of the jam, the fruit pie becomes wet from excess juice and looks unbaked.

The simplest solution is to put less filling. Not everyone will like it, it tastes better when there are a lot of toppings. In addition, if the fruit is very juicy, the cake will get wet from a small amount of filling.

Another solution is to thicken the filling with a product that absorbs moisture. It is desirable that this product does not impose its taste.

There can be no exact recipe for the amount of filler, because the jam used for the filling can be of different thicknesses, and the quality of filler products today varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Usually housewives find their method empirically.

To prevent the filling from leaking out of jam, jam or jam do this:

- boil the jam in advance, add semolina to it. On average, 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon per glass of jam, the amount of semolina depends on the density of the jam or jam. Cool the mass, it will thicken and will not flow out;

- add berry or fruit jelly powder to jam or jam - 1 tablespoon per glass of jam;

- add about 1 tablespoon of flour (wheat or corn) or oatmeal to a glass of jam or jam;

- add corn or potato starch, you can boil jam with starch in advance. The amount of starch is 1-2 teaspoons per glass of jam. This is approximately, because starch is different in strength.
Which starch is best? Many people think that corn is less noticeable, but this depends on the manufacturer;

- add breadcrumbs to the jam, it is better if you cook them yourself from a very good white bun;

- add ground cookies to the jam, to do this, crush it with a rolling pin on a cutting board. A cracker with a neutral taste, no flavors and unsalted is better;

- you can make such a filling: stir the jam well, beat with a fork, add egg whites whipped into a thick foam;

- especially for baking, prepare a very thick jam using natural gelling agents: pectin, Quittin, gelfix, confiture. This is when you make preparations for the winter.

By the way, it is with such jam or marmalade that you can cook very easily and quickly. fruit biscuit roll:

Bake a thin rectangular biscuit cake, roll it up with baking paper, then, when it cools down, carefully unfold and spread with jam or homemade marmalade, roll up (without paper), put in a plastic bag, refrigerate for 1 hour.

To prevent the pie with fruit filling from excess juice from being too wet, you can do this:

- put the filling from fruits or berries on the rolled out dough, sprinkle the filling with oatmeal flour (grind the flakes in advance with a blender), for example: 1-2 tablespoons for 4-5 medium-sized apples. You can not grind flakes;

By the way, whole grain oat flakes do a great job with the problem and do not affect the taste. I use German, we have been selling them everywhere for a long time.

- sprinkle the rolled dough with starch, gelatin or ground crackers, you can also use neutral cookies, put the fruit filling on top. If, sprinkle also on top;

I used to sprinkle Golden apple filling only on top, these apples are moderately juicy.

- cut apricots, plums, small apples and pears into halves, remove seeds, core, spread in one layer with the skin down, sprinkle with sugar, almond petals, ground breadcrumbs on top. It is possible to add washed and drained raisins or dried apricots to fruits to absorb moisture, but not completely dry, like a stone;

- large apples and pears can be cut into slices and put skin down like in German;

- prepare the filling of baked apples without skins;

- if you add small pieces of fruit to the dough (instead of raisins): apricots, apples, pears, etc., they must first be rolled in flour;

- Rinse fresh cherries, let water drain, defrost frozen cherries, sprinkle with sugar, let stand for half an hour or an hour so that it starts juice, drain the juice. Put the cherry on the dough, sprinkle with starch on top.

I do otherwise, mine never gets wet. We have a family method:

First grease the rolled dough with a thin layer without gaps with thick jam or melted honey (not hot!), This is a protection against leakage. Then sprinkle the prepared cherries with starch - 1 tablespoon per 400-500 grams of cherries (more can be, depending on the strength of the starch), mix, put on the dough, sprinkle with sugar on top to taste. You can do without sugar, because a layer of jam or honey gives sweetness. Then close with dough strips.

In the photo, the remains of the pie in the context in a day.

And yet, in order not to tear off burnt jam or dried fruit juice from the baking sheet, always use baking paper for baking with wet fillings.

© Taisiya Fevronina, 2013.

In some families, preservation recipes are passed down from generation to generation. Surely everyone has pleasant memories from childhood associated with fragrant grandmother's jam or jam, thick and viscous, sparkling like a gem. But many housewives complain that they cannot reproduce such a delicacy with their own hands - the density is not the same.

Our article will tell you what to do if the jam turned out to be liquid, and what measures should be taken during cooking to avoid such a situation.

old recipes

The name "jam" alludes to the long process of boiling. It used to be customary to cook it for a long time, warming up a container with sugar-filled berries or fruits until boiling several times. The jam was allowed to cool completely and then heated again and allowed to boil.

Some housewives boiled a container of brew for a long time over low heat. This method has its advantages: the jam is thick and well stored, because with prolonged exposure to high temperatures, all bacteria that can cause the fermentation process die. However, with this method, the beneficial substances contained in berries and fruits also suffered. In addition, the structure collapsed.

What did they do if the jam turned out to be liquid, in the old days? There were several ways. It was possible to drain the excess syrup, boil the brew longer, or simply add sugar. We can use all these recommendations today.

extra syrup

Draining the fruit juice mixed with sugar is easy. But this method is not suitable for all types of jam. Let's look at an example.

Blackcurrants, strawberries, cherries, and fruits such as plums, pears, and apples release copious amounts of juice when they react with sugar and are heated. In this case, the structure of the fetus itself is not destroyed. The syrup is homogeneous. Therefore, from the jam from the listed ingredients, you can simply drain it through a colander or scoop out the right amount with a ladle into a separate container.

This method can be recalled, for example, when plum jam turned out to be liquid. What to do in this case, you already know - just drain the syrup.

But for quickly collapsing fruits, it is not suitable. For example, it will not be possible to save in this way. Yes, and some varieties of cherry plum strive to fall apart into pieces at the first heating, turning the mass into a kind of jam.

By the way, the syrup collected from the jam can also be boiled and rolled into jars. In winter, it is useful for impregnating biscuit cakes, making jelly and compotes. You can serve it with lazy dumplings or cottage cheese, casseroles and puddings, or just add a little to tea.

We save liquid jam with the help of boiling

This method is not recommended for raspberries, because the longer the jam is cooked, the more vitamins it loses. And this berry is very rich in them, thanks to which preparations from it are considered not just a winter delicacy reminiscent of summer, but also an excellent therapeutic and prophylactic remedy. In addition, raspberries contain a huge amount of organic acids, which perfectly cope with the role of preservatives.

Do not boil for a long time and strawberries. The berries fall apart, acquire an unaesthetic brown tint, and sometimes an unpleasant odor.

But for apples and pears, prolonged cooking will only benefit. Pieces of fruit, saturated with sugar, become like marmalade.

If during the cooking process you notice that the jam turned out to be excessively liquid, increase the time. Even fruits from the same tree, collected in different years, can differ in juiciness. The more liquid in the fruit, the more it will stand out in the jam.

If pear jam turned out to be liquid, what should I do? Boil it longer until it reaches the desired consistency.

There is another little trick. It is necessary to drain the syrup and boil only it, and then pour the hot liquid into a container with fruits or berries. Similarly, gooseberry jam, halves of large apricots, blackcurrants, whole pears and other components can be thickened. This method will only benefit berries and fruits: the jam will turn out thick, retain its natural color, structure and vitamins.

Adding sugar

As well as juiciness, the sweetness of fruits of different crops may vary. Even if you have made jam from the fruits of the same tree more than once, it may happen that the usual amount of sugar will not be enough. The jam will not thicken as it should, and will look more like baby puree.

In this case, the answer to the question of what to do if the jam turned out to be liquid is a little different. Try adding sugar and heating the container. To begin with, pour in a quarter of the original volume, and after two brews, evaluate the density. Sometimes it is required to increase the amount of sugar by 1.2-1.5 times.

Modern Ingredients for Thickness

Today, there are many products that can make life easier for housewives. These include:

• pectin;
• gesfix;
• agar-agar.

Some manufacturers offer ready-made solutions, which are called “Sugar for making jam”. The composition includes natural syrup thickeners, and the package contains detailed instructions.

Another advantage of such products is a significant reduction in cooking time. If ordinary jam is cooked in stages for 3-4 days, then cooked on such a thickener will be ready in a quarter of an hour. You just need to add the mixture to the berries, mix and heat to a boil.

The use of pectin affects the taste only positively. The syrup becomes like jam. And agar-agar is also very useful, it is even used in Vedic cuisine for making sweets.

Many housewives who have discovered such ingredients for themselves completely switch to a new recipe. They do not have to fiddle around in the kitchen for a long time and torment themselves in search of an answer to the question of what to do if the jam from the plums turned out to be liquid.

Irga berry

To taste, this medium-sized berry resembles blueberries or cherries. Irgi juice is an excellent thickener. If the result of cooking does not please you, you can safely use this ingredient.

For example, irga will help if the plum jam turned out to be liquid. What to do in this case? Squeeze the juice of the berries and pour into the syrup before the next boil. The jam will begin to thicken before your eyes.

Prevention measures

No wonder they say that prevention is easier than fixing. In order not to wonder what to do if the jam turned out to be liquid, you can use a simple but reliable method.

Prepare berries or fruits, pour into a container in which you plan to make jam. Add sugar at the rate of 100 g per kilo of fruits, mix and leave overnight. In the morning, drain the released juice, add sugar again (as much as indicated in the recipe) and cook the jam in the usual way. Drained syrup can also be used! For example, pour ice cream on them.

How much sugar do you need?

If you are using a specific recipe, follow the proportions indicated. But there are also general recommendations. To prepare jam from sweet fruits, sugar is added in a 1: 1 ratio. If you cook sour berries or fruits (cherries, currants, cherry plums), you need to take one and a half times more sugar than fruits. You can also add sugar during the cooking process, for example, when it turned out to be liquid.

You already know what to do to thicken certain fruit and berry delicacies. It remains to choose the most suitable method.

How to thicken pie jam?

In order to thicken the jam for any pastry, and for the pie, there are several popular ways that will make the jam much thicker and, as an option, this is boiling a glass of jam with a teaspoon of ordinary starch.

If you add one teaspoon of semolina to the jam and boil it, it will become thick.

You can use gelatin and cook everything according to the instructions on the package.

Alternatively, jam or jam can be mixed with egg whites, which must be whipped into a thick, good foam.

A tablespoon of oatmeal is also suitable, which can also be added to the jam.

You can also use pectin for this purpose.

I always add a little starch in this case, and not potato, but corn, after all, it is not so harmful, it has no smell, but it also works. You can also boil the jam a little so that the unnecessary liquid comes out and evaporates, but this is more difficult and the result is not guaranteed. For lack of starch, you can thicken with flour, but this is an extreme method.

In the filling for the pie, I add a little semolina for the density of cooking. Our family likes the jam filling with semolina more than with starch in pies. But as they say, there are no comrades for the taste and color, someone likes to thicken the jam with starch, but we are more satisfied with the taste of semolina in the filling of the pie.

Of the improvised means that are always at home, flour or starch will do. In general, special thickeners for dough are sold in stores. Of those that I used, I can recommend - Quitin or Gelfix.

Add starch to the jam about a heaping teaspoon or two (if completely liquid) per glass of jam. When heated, the jam will become jelly-like and will not spread.

I do this in pies, a pinch for each, the jam does not flow out. But sometimes I add it to the braid, I just make such a pie less often.

How to make the jam for the filling of the pie thicker?

I add a little semolina to the jam, quite a bit. Sometimes I add corn starch, but I don't like the way the taste of starch is felt after that. And it happens that I add a little semolina and silent starch, this is if it’s completely liquid jam, but you also need to add all these ingredients quite a bit.

If jam or some other filling for a pie or pies is too liquid, then you can add a little semolina or flour. I often do this when there is such a problem. Flour, semolina absorbs excess liquid, the filling does not flow out.

To prevent jam (or other pie filling) from flowing out during baking, you can add a little flour to it so that it becomes thicker. This does not affect the baking process and the taste of such pies is no different. Flour can be added even just to the filling of berries.

To prevent the jam from flowing out of the pie or pies, you can make it a little thicker. To do this, add a little starch or semolina to the jam.

But at home, these methods have never been used, just knowing that the jam is watery, we chose either an open pie, the jam thickens a little during the baking process, or we carefully covered the filling with dough. If a good fluffy soft pastry dough, then in a pie with such a dough the liquid filling will be very out of place.

The composition of special thickeners that are sold in the store includes the same starch. Therefore, it makes no sense to buy it if you have starch at home. Jam, even thick, will leak when baking, so add starch: a teaspoon with a slide per glass of liquid jam and without a slide for medium density.

What can I say about this, there are ways:

apple jam

Before cutting into slices (approximately 2 cm thick), apples of the variety you have chosen must be washed in running water, peeled and core removed. Blanch the apples prepared in this way for about 5 minutes and immediately dip them into cold water. On the basis of water from blanching, we cook (a little more than a kilogram of sugar per kilogram of fruit). Pour apples with boiling syrup (600 g of sugar + 1.5 cups of water), and then leave for 3 hours. Then bring to a boil, keeping on low heat. We leave after five minutes. After 8 hours, repeat the procedure and add the remaining syrup (600 g of sugar + 1 glass of water). How to thicken the jam A few repetitions are enough, after which the jam is ready.

To prevent such a phenomenon as sugaring, it is necessary to add citric acid during the cooking process.

Cherry jam

Peeled cherries, sprinkled with sugar, start cooking after 2-3 hours in an enamel basin over low heat. Remove from heat 2-3 times, remove the foam, cook at a strong boil until tender. If you add syrup based on 1 kg of cherries 1.3 kg of granulated sugar and 1.5 cups of water, then cook immediately, boiling 3-4 times. The method of making jam from pitted cherries is the same as jam from apples.

Strawberry jam

Rinse dense intact berries in running water, clean from plant residues, cover with sugar (1 kg of strawberries + 1.7 kg of sugar). After 3-5 hours, start cooking jam in two prima, not forgetting to stand. Pour boiling jam into dry sterilized jars and roll up.

Raspberry jam

Rinse the peeled raspberries, trying not to crush the berries, pour over the syrup (1 kg of raspberries + 1.5 kg of sugar and 2 cups of water), cook over low heat for 5 minutes, cool. 2nd time 10 minutes, and the third until done.

Blackcurrant jam

Rinse the blackcurrant, peel and pour into boiling syrup (as for raspberries). Boil for 5 minutes (the name of the five-minute method is associated with the cooking time), then immediately pour into prepared sterilized jars, roll up.

Gooseberry jam

Blanch slightly unripe gooseberries along with the leaves to preserve the green color of the berries. Cooking is carried out in two prims with aging and with the distribution of sugar syrup. How to thicken jam For 1 kg of gooseberries you will need 1.5 kg of sugar.

This delicious delicacy is cooked without aging for one prim (about 30 minutes) and differs from jam in its jelly-like consistency without preserving the integrity of fruits and berries. The best products for making jam are sour apples, gooseberries, plums, and currants. Sugar is taken from the calculation 1:1. A drop of ready-made jam quickly thickens on a plate.

Do not brush the edges of the puff pastry with egg, as they will harden during baking and the dough will not rise.

Also, some stores sell special thickeners.

To cook tasty and healthy jam, you need to take into account several nuances: cooking time, sweetness and density. If the jam is not cooked, then the fermentation process will begin, and if it is digested, there will be no useful substances left.

The consistency of the jam is important not only for personal preference, but also for using the finished product as a filling. For example, for the preparation of pies or other confectionery, it is preferable to choose a thick jam so that it does not flow out and soften the dough.

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Cooking

In order to make the jam thicker, you must consider the following:

• Fruits intended for making jam must be crushed and left to let the juice in for several hours;
• Very juicy berries can be chopped in a blender (pass through a meat grinder, ceiling) and put in a colander;
• Excess juice must be drained (you can drink compote, etc.), leaving only the part necessary for jam. It is enough that the juice almost covers the fruits or berries placed in the jam maker.
• At the end of cooking, add chopped lemon in a blender. It contributes to the gelling of the product in a natural way;
• You need to cook jam in a low, but wide bowl. So the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe open surface will be wider, and moisture will evaporate faster.
• Sugar increases the volume of the syrup by about 60% (i.e., if you add 1 kg of sugar, you get 600 ml of syrup);
• So that the jam does not turn out to be too liquid, sugar must be added gradually, in small portions with each boil. This way you can achieve the desired consistency, and also prevent the jam from being candied.

Finished product thickening

If the jam turned out to be too liquid, the finished product can be thickened in several ways:

• Strain the jam. The syrup can be boiled separately and poured over berries or fruits in the right amount, and the rest of the syrup can be used for other purposes - cook compote, pickle pears, pour over ice cream, etc .;
• Add pectin. This product will help the jam thicken (it will be like jam or jelly);
• Add breadcrumbs (or crumbled vanilla crackers) and let it brew for a while. This method is suitable for thickening immediately before use, and is good for making pies or cakes filled with thick jam;
• Add a small amount of starch or flour. It is important not to overdo it with the amount of powder - when cooling, the jam will become much thicker than when hot.