How long does it take to cook jam. Stainless steel - a modern approach

Summer is the time to stock up on fragrant northern berries so that in case of a cold or a bad mood, put a jar of raspberry jam or lingonberry jam on the table. We figured out how to cook jam so that it turns out delicious. At the end of the text - three simple recipes.

How to choose dishes for cooking jam?

It is advisable to choose a copper pan or basin. Copper is ideal for making jam because it distributes heat evenly. But if there is no such pan, then any with a thick bottom will do. It is better to choose something large in volume so that the berries do not run away during the cooking process. You may also need a wooden spoon for stirring and jars into which you will pour the jam.

How to store jam?

It is best to store jam in small glass jars with a screw-on lid (the lids must be new each time). 250 grams is the ideal size, the jam will last for a week or two and it will not have time to deteriorate.

To prevent jam from turning into wine, be sure to sterilize jars and lids. It will take you 30 minutes, but you will be sure that nothing will go bad. The procedure is actually not very complicated, especially if you have a dishwasher. Put the jars with lids in the dishwasher on the highest temperature cycle, but without detergent. Or put still wet jars and lids in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. If you prefer traditional methods, then boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan. Remove sterilized jars and lids with tongs and dry on a clean towel.

How to choose berries and sugar for jam?

Very often I go to jam overripe berries and fruits, but this is not the right choice. Strong berries contain the most pectin, a natural thickener. If you want the jam to be thicker, then choose just such berries and fruits. Least of all pectin in strawberries and peaches, most of all - in currants, apples and plums.

Sugar is the main preservative for jam, and you can choose absolutely any sand. Traditional recipes call for taking a kilogram of sugar per kilogram of refined product, and then as you like. For example, in a recipe for raspberry jam, this is how it should be done, but in blueberry jam, it is better to add a kilogram of sugar to two kilograms of berries. At the very end of cooking, you can add one or two tablespoons of lemon juice to activate the pectin and preserve the taste of fruits and berries.

How to make jam: basic steps

Jam, jam, jam, marmalade, jelly - all these are different ways of preserving fruits and berries, vegetables, nuts and even flowers. When simmering jam, the ingredients tend to hold their shape; jam or confiture - boil soft. Marmalade is a jam made from citrus fruits, most commonly oranges. Jam - mashed potatoes boiled with sugar. There is also raw jam - in it the ingredients are ground with sugar. And also jelly - for example, from red currant berries.

Once you have decided what you want (jam or jam), start cooking:

• For jam, it is better to first boil the sugar syrup in a ratio of one to one, and for jam, pour the feedstock with sugar for 20 minutes, and even better overnight (it will be faster).
• After boiling, you need to cook the resulting substance for 40-50 minutes over high heat so that the water evaporates faster and the pectin starts working.
• At the end of cooking, do not forget to remove the foam - someone does this all the time, but in general it is enough once, at the end of cooking. The foam must be removed so that the jam remains transparent.
• Pour the hot jam or jam into the jars without adding one centimeter to the top of the jar. Tighten the lids, but not completely, so that the jars do not burst.

How to cook jam? Three recipes for Karelia

Raspberry jam

Sort the raspberries and pour them into glasses in a basin, sprinkling with sugar. To one glass of berries - one glass of sugar. After that, leave the berries for 2-3 hours. Then put on a slow fire for 40 minutes, until the juice from the berries soaks all the sugar. Increase the heat to medium, bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until all the sugar has dissolved. Don't forget to stir and skim. Jam is considered ready when the foam ceases to stand out.

Red currant jelly

For this recipe, you will need a juicer or some patience. Red currant berries must be thoroughly washed, sorted and squeezed out of them juice. The easiest way to do this is with a juicer, but if it is not there, then you can grind it with a sieve or crush it in gauze. We still have juice and "cake" from the berries (by the way, it can be used for compote). Add sugar to the currant juice in proportions of 1: 1 and cook for about 15-20 minutes. Do not forget to constantly stir and remove the foam.

Gooseberry and orange jam

Rinse thoroughly and sort through all the berries, it is advisable to cut the “tails” of the gooseberries. You will need about 900 grams of gooseberries, 1.2 kg of sugar and two oranges. Remove the pits from the orange, twist together with the zest and gooseberries in a blender or pass through a meat grinder. Then stir this mass with sugar, put on fire, boil for 7-10 minutes. Leave the jam for 5-6 hours in a cool place, and then boil again for 7-10 minutes. After that, you can pour the jam into jars.

Jam is not just a traditional delicacy, but also a great opportunity to feed on vitamins all year round. However, only properly cooked jam will retain all the beneficial properties of berries and fruits. Here are the basic subtleties of preparing a healthy dessert.

Choosing dishes to properly cook jam

For our purposes, a large and deep container made of copper, stainless steel or aluminum is suitable. Traditional utensils for cooking jam - a large copper basin. Pay attention to the inner surface of such kitchen utensils: there should be no plaque on it - a product of metal oxidation, which in no case should get into food. You should not take enameled dishes: a culinary masterpiece is likely to burn in it. Do not choose too large containers - large dishes will require an increase in cooking time, which will not have the best effect on the result. The best option is a volume of two to six liters.

How to cook jam - choose fruits and berries

The main component of the jam must be absolutely fresh and not have any flaws, be it stains or bruises. Ideally, these are fruits straight from the garden, while store goods, if possible, should be of local origin. If the berries and fruits are unripe or overripe, they are not suitable for jam. Also pay attention to the smell of the fruit: it is he who will determine the aroma of the finished product.

How to cook jam - prepare fruits and berries

We sort the berries, removing unsuitable ones, wash and clean them. Wash currants, raspberries and strawberries after cleaning again. To wash the berries, use cold water, keeping the product under the tap for about 2 minutes. or washing it in a colander. We leave the berries to dry in a sieve for 15 or 20 minutes.

We prepare packaging containers for cooking jam

We take cans from 0.5 to two liters, carefully wash them. Preferably - with a good detergent, for example, soda ash. Rinse the jars with boiling water and turn them upside down so that water drains from them. We place the container in the oven for final drying. By the time of packaging, the jars should not only be dried, but also warmed up.

Cooking jam syrup

Pour sugar into the dishes for cooking and fill it with water in the ratio of 1 kilogram of sugar - half a glass of liquid. Cook over medium heat, stirring the sugar until it dissolves. When the mixture boils, cook it for one to two minutes. The jam base is ready if it is thick enough. Only with this consistency of syrup, the berries do not deform while they are cooked.

Combine syrup and berries

Carefully pour the berries into the liquid, put on a medium fire. Water should completely cover the berries. Stir them in the syrup, shaking the dishes in a circular manner. We keep it mixed for three to four hours so that the berries absorb the syrup, otherwise they may shrivel and boil.

We cook all the components

Periodically remove foam from the surface - the reason for the souring of the future product. We follow the fire - it should be uniform. So that the jam does not burn, carefully turn the dishes and mix the berries. Before the end of cooking, the boil becomes slower, the foam collects towards the center, and the berries do not tend to float to the surface. A drop of finished jam has a thick consistency and does not spread. As soon as we find these signs, we immediately turn off the fire to avoid overcooking.

Cook jam in two or three stages for 10-15 minutes, cooling for two to three hours. The total cooking time should not be more than half an hour. If the syrup is well absorbed into fruits or berries, you can reduce cooking to one stage lasting 40 minutes.

At the word "jam" many salivate. It is understandable: strawberry and raspberry, cherry and blueberry, gooseberry and pear ... Can you list everything? And although jam as a preservation product has been known since time immemorial, in order for it to turn out perfect, certain rules must be followed. Today we will talk about them with the candidate of agricultural sciences Maria Maksimenko.

- Maria Grigoryevna, are vitamins preserved in jam?

- During conservation, almost all fruits lose most of their vitamins - first during harvesting, and then during storage. This happens under the influence of heat, in contact with metal, air and moisture. And the most destructive - just high temperatures. Thus, the amount of vitamin A is reduced to 20-30%. The vitamin is mainly destroyed by oxygen.

- Is it good to eat jam?

- Everything is not so clear-cut here. On the one hand, in jam, even boiled many times, some vitamins (groups B and E) are preserved, there is fiber. So for the body as a whole and for the stomach in particular, such food is useful. And yet, according to scientists, jam, like everything sweet, cheers up. But on the other hand, due to the use of a large amount of sugar - extra calories. So it is possible and necessary, but not liters.

As for the benefits directly, each jam has its own advantages.

But perhaps the most useful raspberry is a diaphoretic, diuretic and antiviral jam that has been used in folk medicine for over 600 years. Its value lies in the content of the natural analogue of acetylsalicylic acid - aspirin.

Raspberry jam not only treats colds, but also contains useful folic acid, cleanses the circulatory system, normalizes blood pressure, has a beneficial effect on the stomach and intestines, improves complexion and helps maintain skin elasticity. By the way, in addition to vitamins, it is full of trace elements - copper, zinc and chromium. The latter is almost like in oysters.

Blackcurrant, grated with sugar,- the best source of vitamin C. If you store it in a dark place at temperatures up to plus 2 degrees, then up to 72% of ascorbic acid is stored. Blackcurrant strengthens the immune system, helps fight viruses and bacteria during an epidemic. It also contains a lot of iron and potassium, which regulate the blood formula. In addition, blackcurrant is an excellent natural antidepressant.

The leader in the content of vitamin C and gooseberry jam. Especially if cooked from unripe green berries. It retains up to 60% of the original ascorbic acid.

Blueberries grated with sugar useful for those who have vision problems. Also in this berry there is carotene and ascorbic acid, vitamins of group B, PP, manganese, organic acids. And iron is contained in a form that is maximally absorbed by the body.

Strawberry and strawberry jam rich in antioxidants. The high content of vitamins A, E and C makes them useful for the prevention of cancer, as well as for maintaining youth and beauty.

pear jam- a good prophylactic for atherosclerosis and various kidney diseases. It also improves the composition of the blood.

Cherry jam increases hemoglobin, saturates the blood with microelements such as copper, cobalt and iron. It also lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels, while vitamin B9 and folic acid support the normal immune and circulatory systems.

With anemia, apricot jam helps well. Substances found in apricots increase the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood, improve heart function and restore digestion.

But if jam from plums, apricots, peaches, cherries has been stored for more than a year, then instead of benefit, it carries danger. Fruit seeds contain amygdalin, which, decomposing, eventually turns into hydrocyanic acid. Therefore, it is necessary either to remove the seeds from fruits before cooking, or not to store such jam for more than a year.

You can replace sugar with fructose. But fructose jam is even sweeter, and not everyone likes it. A saving option can be "five minutes", when the jam is boiled in 3-4 doses for 5 minutes. During this time, the loss of vitamins is not so intense, and berries or pieces of fruit do not lose their shape.

The best option is berries grated with sugar. Yes, this is not a classic jam (the berries are not boiled), but most of the useful vitamins are preserved. But here, too, sugar is a preservative. And the more sugar, the higher the calorie content.

You can cook jam not only on sugar, but also on honey. Many people like the so-called dry jam. These are fruits boiled in syrup, dried and sprinkled with sugar.

Is it possible to make jam without sugar at all?

Yes, that's exactly what our ancestors did. They prepared such jam in a Russian oven, where there is no open fire, and the heat comes evenly from all sides, so the fruits did not burn. Current ovens may well replace ovens.

Jam according to the old method is boiled in several stages. Wash the fruits, peel, if necessary - cut and put in a saucepan or a small cooking basin and boil on the stove over low heat, putting a divider until the volume decreases by 2-3 times. Then we rearrange it in the oven and cook until the mass decreases in volume by another 6-10 times. It all depends on the sugar content of the fruit (for example, currants - 7 times, raspberries - 8 times, gooseberries - 9 times).

Pour the finished jam into sterilized dry jars and store in a cold place.

- What should jam begin with?

- With careful selection of raw materials. Jam is made not only from berries and fruits, but also vegetables - radishes, turnips, carrots, pumpkins, green tomatoes, chicory, cucumbers, eggplants, zucchini and even garlic. And also from rose petals and Japanese chrysanthemum, wild rose, ylang-ylang flowers, lilac and dandelion.

It is better to collect fruits for jam in dry and sunny weather, just before cooking. Harvested in the rain, they contain a lot of moisture and will quickly boil when cooked, so the jam will turn out watery. Their degree of maturity should also be the same. Otherwise, while the unripe berry is cooked, the overripe one will already lose its shape and turn into porridge.

Overripe and deformed fruits with loose pulp are best used for cooking jams, marmalade, marshmallows. If you want to make jam with whole fruits, choose small berries and fruits.

Check carefully that they are not spoiled or damaged: quality fruits are more likely to retain their shape during cooking.

- Does the taste of jam depend on the dishes in which it was cooked?

— Our grandmothers cooked 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 the composition of berries and fruits contains an acid that can dissolve copper oxides. Visually, it looks like a patina, in other words, a dark coating that appears on the surface of the pelvis. There is another reason why you can’t cook jam in copper dishes - copper ions destroy ascorbic acid. That is, jam cooked in copper utensils will be practically devoid of vitamin C.

Aluminum containers are also banned: 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. Enamelled utensils without chips (!) Or stainless steel containers are ideal for cooking jam.

- And what is better - a high pan or a wide basin?

- Of course, the pelvis! In it, the layer of jam will be thinner. This means it heats up and boils faster. Excess liquid will also evaporate more intensively. As a result, the jam will turn out to be thicker, and the fruits will not lose their shape and will not be digested. To keep the berries intact, it is advisable not to mix the jam. The pelvis is lighter and easier to shake, turn or shake from side to side a couple of times. It is good if the dishes in which you cook the jam are also with a thick bottom.

- What about sugar: I really don’t want to add it beyond measure.

- For 1 kg of fruit, as a rule, take 1 kg of sugar. Of course, depending on the recipe, its amount may be different. But the rules are still worth following. If you add less sugar than it should, the jam will turn sour. If beyond measure - candy.

- Which light is better - large or small?

- To get the perfect jam, the first 10 minutes after boiling it must be cooked on a low flame. The fact is that it is at this stage of cooking that a strong foam is formed. And the risk that the jam will “run away” is maximum. Once the foam settles, continue to cook over medium heat.

And do not forget to remove the foam. It will not only spoil the appearance of the dish, but will also cause premature souring of the jam. But don't take it off as soon as it appears. Just before the end of cooking, let your jam boil as hard as possible and immediately remove from heat. Wait a couple of minutes for the berries to settle, and only then pick up a slotted spoon. So you will remove even the slightest remnants of foam without damaging the berries.

And make sure that the flame heats only the bottom of the pan or basin, and not the walls, otherwise the jam may burn.

“But what if they didn’t follow through?”

- Burnt jam can be saved: as soon as you notice caramel clots on the shoulder blade, immediately pour it into another container. If you do everything quickly, the jam will not be bitter.

- Are there any features of cooking certain fruits and berries?

- Some fruits really need a special approach. Large fruits (apples, quince, pears), before being sent to the jam, need to be scalded or scalded for a couple of minutes in boiling water. Such a simple manipulation will allow them to be better fed with sugar syrup and retain their original shape.

So that the berries of black currant and chokeberry do not become dry, they must be blanched for 1 minute in boiling water before cooking.

Apricots and plums, so as not to boil soft, immediately before cooking, soak for 5 minutes in a soda solution: 1 tsp for 1.5 liters of water. soda.

Berries and fruits with hard skins (plums, gooseberries, pears, and others) will retain their shape, and their skin will not burst if you pierce it in several places with a toothpick before cooking.

Strawberry or wild strawberry jam will be tastier if you sort through the berries and sprinkle them with sugar. After 2-3 hours, the jam can be cooked.

The jam is preserved longer and juicier from berries picked early in the morning. Strawberry jam will be without bitterness if you add raw peeled carrots to it 10 minutes before the end of cooking. Remove it before packaging.

From small apples, jam can be cooked in one go, from large ones - intermittently. So that the apples do not darken during cooking, dip the sliced ​​\u200b\u200bslices into salt water for 2-3 minutes (1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water), then immerse in boiling water for the same time and cool immediately.

Cherry jam usually stays liquid for a long time. Add a little lemon juice or a little apple jelly to it, it will thicken quickly. You can also add thickeners at the end of cooking: pectin, Quittin, Gelfix and others.

For an exquisite taste, honey, spices, rum, fragrant herbs, cherry leaves, lemon and nuts can be added to the jam.

- It is believed that jam cannot be digested.

- Can. Overcooked jam loses its unusual aroma, color and taste. There are several ways to determine the readiness of jam. The first, visual, if it became translucent, and the foam began to gather in the center of the pan, then it's ready. Or scoop some jam into a spoon, wait for it to cool, and drop onto a cold saucer. If the drop remains round and convex - it's ready, and if it spreads, you need to add more. You can test the readiness of the jam with your hands. Hold a drop of syrup between your thumb and forefinger and spread them quickly. If the syrup stretches and forms a thread, then the jam is cooked.

- What determines the shelf life?

- From competent packaging. If you pour the jam hot, it will delaminate - the berries will float to the top of the jar, and the syrup will be at the bottom. In order for the jam to be homogeneous in the jar, after cooking it must be cooled and only then transferred to storage containers. If you decide to pack the jam hot, then keep in mind that steam comes from it, which will condense on the lid in the form of water droplets, so you should not immediately roll it up. Water that gets inside the jar can cause fermentation or mold. Ready jam must be packaged in clean, pasteurized and always dry jars. You need to store jam in a dark, dry room at a temperature of plus 10-13 degrees.

- What if, after all, the jam is candied or sour?

- Usually jam is candied when it has a much higher amount of sugar or it is overcooked. If the jam becomes cloudy and candied, add a little hot water (1/4 cup per liter jar) and cook for 5-6 minutes. You can put jars of candied jam in a pot of water and heat until the sugar dissolves again. But overcooked jam can be sugared again. Therefore, it must be used in the first place. If the jam is moldy, it means that it has little sugar or is undercooked. Mold appears if, during packaging, it was laid out in a wet container. Poor packaging and storage in a too damp room can also be the cause.

Carefully remove the mold, and digest the jam, adding 1 cup of sugar for each kilogram. Carefully remove the emerging foam. As soon as the jam stops foaming, remove it from the heat, cool and transfer to clean, dry jars. Fermentation and souring are caused by microorganisms. Sour jam must be digested by adding 250 g of sugar per kilogram.

When digested, the jam loses its original flavor and its appearance deteriorates, so it is better to use such jam for filling pies, making jelly and compotes.

Reference

Jam will not be candied if citric acid is added to it 5-10 minutes before the end of cooking - 1/4 tsp. per 1 kg of sugar.

Advice

Try not to cook jam while cooking other dishes, especially with a pronounced smell: it will absorb the flavors of other food and partially lose its own.

By the way

When calculating the number of containers required for packaging jam, keep in mind that 600-800 g of jam is obtained from 1 kg of fruit.

About 1.5 kg of jam is placed in a liter jar.

To preserve the maximum benefit, the jam is boiled in 2-3 doses for a minute of cooking, leaving between cooking to cool completely. This is a vitamin-sparing method of cooking, although it can be cooked in 1 step - as a rule, from 10 minutes to the moment until it is quite dense. If a drop of boiled jam syrup does not spread in a spoon, but retains its shape, the jam is cooked.

How to make jam

General principle
Berries or fruits are peeled, washed and cut as you like, and then boiled with sugar. Sugar is a strong preservative, so any jam is stored for a long time, and if you follow the rules of hygiene, then the jam will stand all winter.

1. The proportions of fruits and sugar when making jam.
As a rule, 1 kilogram of sugar is taken for 1 kilogram of berries.

2. How to cook jam?
Jam is boiled in brass or steel utensils - ideally wide enough basins so that the lower layers of the fruit do not soften under the weight of the upper ones.

3. Storage of jam.
Jam must be poured into prepared jars: washed in hot water with the addition of soda and heated to complete dryness in the oven (at a temperature of 60 degrees for 10 minutes). Store jam at a temperature of 5-25 degrees in a dark place, at least occasionally ventilated.

4. On what fire to cook jam?
Jam must be boiled over low heat so that it does not burn and all useful substances are not boiled out.

5. When is the jam ready?
Jam is cooked when a drop of syrup becomes very tight.

6. Do you skim the foam from the jam?
Skim the foam when cooking jam.

7. What should I do if the jam does not thicken?
It is recommended to bring the jam to a boil again. Or add a little gelling component. You can use lemon juice - it will release the natural gelatin it contains. Another option is to use dry powder.

8. How to cook jam without cooking? :)
For one jar of fruits, take 1 jar of sugar (or for 1 kilogram of fruits - 2 kilograms of sugar), grind with a mixer. Store the ground mass in the refrigerator.

9. How to organize the storage of jam?
To store jam, you can print labels with the name of the blanks and the date. Or just write on the bank with a marker.

Utensils for cooking jam

Jam is boiled in saucepan or bowl. The basin is good because the large open surface provides enhanced evaporation of the liquid - the jam will be thick, but the fruits or berries will not be digested. The saucepan is more convenient to use, it takes up less space on the stove or on the table between the stages of cooking jam.

Can be used:
Enamelware - it is suitable for cooking jam. But it is worth considering that even a small chip of enamel makes it impossible to use a basin or pan.

Stainless steel utensils are suitable for cooking jam, but sometimes the finished product acquires a "metallic" aftertaste.

Can not use:
Copper basins, although they are traditionally considered the best utensils for making jam. Modern research convinces the opposite - copper is not suitable for making jam. Fruits and berries contain an acid that can dissolve copper oxides that appear in the form of a patina (dark coating) on ​​the surface of dishes. Even if the basin is torn off to a shine, it is still not worth using it for cooking - copper ions destroy ascorbic acid, depriving the jam of even the minimum amount of vitamin C.

aluminum utensils categorically can not be used for cooking jam. Fruit acid destroys the oxide film on the walls of the pan or basin and aluminum molecules enter the product.

It is better to pour jam into jars with a small ladle, because. the necks of the jars are usually narrow - there is a risk of spilling the jam.

About sugar in jam

- Sugar when cooking jam acts as a sweetener, thickener and preservative. When cooking jam, sugar is divided into fructose and glucose, which contributes to its rapid absorption by the body.

When cooking jam, sugar obtained from sugar varieties of beets and cane is most often used. Exotic types of sugar: maple, palm, sorghum are rare in Russia and are not used for making jam, as well as brown unrefined raw cane sugar.

If you reduce the rate of sugar bookmarking, the jam will be less high-calorie. But there is a risk at the exit to get the consistency of compote, not jam. Sugar can be replaced with food additives based on pectin. These are jams that improve the consistency of Confiturka, Kvittin, Zhelfix and the like.

Methods for making jam

1 way to cook jam - classic

1. Pour sugar into the dishes.
2. Pour sugar with cold water.
3. Put the dishes on the fire.
4. Stir the sugar until completely dissolved.
5. Bring the syrup to a boil.
6. Boil the syrup for 2 minutes and turn off the heat.
7. Add berries.
8. Cool the jam for 5 hours.
9. Put on fire, bring to a boil again and cook for 10 minutes, stirring gently and removing the foam.
10. Cool again.
11. Bring to a boil for the last time and cook for 3 minutes.
12. Cool and pour jam into jars.

2 way jam cooking - fast

1. Wash and dry the fruits.
2. Put the fruits in a bowl.
3. Pour in sugar and stir.
4. Leave for 5 hours.
5. Put the basin on the fire.
6. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly.
7. Cook for 5 minutes.

Jars for jam

Glass jars are used to store jam. They close the cans with tin lids using a seaming machine or twist the "twist" lids - they come in different diameters, you need to choose the right size jars for the neck.
The finished jam is laid out in clean, dry jars. If the product is packaged in a jar where drops of water remain, then the jam will not be stored - it will become moldy or ferment. Banks are washed with hot water and soda. It is necessary to rinse the jar inside and out with water, pour a teaspoon of soda on the sponge and carefully wipe first the inner and then the outer surfaces of the jars. Then rinse the jar thoroughly with water. The fact that the jar is well washed is indicated by a characteristic creak when you run your finger over its surface. Do not use household chemicals (dishwashing detergents). These products have a strong odor that lingers on the dishes and can ruin the aroma of the jam itself. Wash the lids thoroughly with baking soda.
Clean jars in which jam is planned to be stored must be sterilized. For this:
1. Pour water into the pan, install a special holder for cans and put on medium heat.
2. When the water boils, place the jar on the holder with the bottom up (the neck enters the hole in the holder). Steam the jar for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the jar from the holder (using a towel or potholders) and place the neck down on a clean towel. After five minutes, put the jar on its side - so the wet steam will come out, and the hot walls of the jar will dry the inner surface. After 5 minutes, a clean, dry jar can be used for its intended purpose.
4. The lids also need to be sterilized: place in a pot of boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove (pry with a fork) and lay to dry on a clean towel.
More ways to sterilize jars:
- Pour 5-5 centimeters of water into a wide saucepan, install a microwave grate and put the jars upside down. When the water boils, the steam will sterilize the jars. So it is necessary to sterilize them for 15 minutes.
- strengthen the jar on the spout of a boiling kettle;
- pour boiling water over the jar and let stand for 10 minutes under the lid;
- in the microwave: pour a little (about 1 centimeter from the bottom) water into the jar. Put in the microwave, power 700 W, processing time 2 minutes;
- in the oven: put wet jars on a baking sheet. Turn on the oven. The heating temperature is not more than 130 degrees, the processing time is about 5 minutes (until the cans dry inside and out);
- in a slow cooker: pour 2 cups of water into the bowl of the appliance, place the jars in the steaming grid. "Baking" or "Steaming" modes. Processing time 5 minutes after boiling water. This method is good for small jars.
Attention! In case of overheating or temperature difference (for example, cold water gets into a hot jar), the jar may burst. Be careful!

fruit jams

Berry jam

Other jams

All about making jam

What do we cook?

• blanks
  • Jam

A jar of homemade, hand-made jam will help you remember summer in winter and refresh yourself with vitamins.

So, we cook jam and everything will work out for us!

Advice. If you close the jam with a regular lid, without pasteurization and seaming, put a circle of filter paper soaked in alcohol or vodka under the lid. This will protect your jam from mold during long-term storage.

1. Royal gooseberry jam

Products:

1. Large green unripe gooseberries - 5 cups

2. Sugar - 1 kg.

3. Cherry leaf - 2 cups

4. Water - 3 glasses

5. Peeled walnut - 2 cups

How to cook royal gooseberry jam:

Release the gooseberries from the stalks, “flowers”, carefully cut and remove the pulp with seeds from the nick, trying to preserve the integrity of the berry.

Pour 1 cup of cherry leaf with water, bring to a boil and simmer for 3-5 minutes, making sure that the water remains green.

Strain, pour over the berries, put in a cold place for 24 hours. Prepare the second glass of cherry leaves as follows - remove the rough parts, divide each leaf into 4 parts.

Drain the cherry broth from the berries and put a piece of cherry leaf and a piece of walnut into each berry, sprinkle the berries with vodka.

Add sugar to the strained broth and cook the syrup over low heat for about 15 minutes (make sure that it does not “turn pink”!).

Pour the berries into the prepared syrup and cook for 15 minutes. IMPORTANT! - Cool down very quickly! - to keep green.

2. Mint jam

Mint jam is not only unusual and very pleasant in taste, but also good for health: it helps with colds and stomach diseases.

Products:

1. Mint - 300 gr.

2. Water - 500 ml.

3. Lemon - 2 pcs.

4. Sugar - 1 kg.

How to make mint jam:

So ... collected mint leaves along with twigs and stems (and I also with flowers), lemons, cut together with the “skin”, pour water and cook for 10 minutes.

Infuse this magical brew for one day. After a day, squeeze the mass, and strain the infusion. Add sugar and cook until done.

The word readiness frightened me, but ... I cooked for two hours on low heat, removing the foam.

Then later ... after three hours I boiled it again and poured it into jars.

It is better to put parchment in the lid so that mold does not appear due to condensation after a while.

That's all ... In winter, God forbid you catch a cold, you will have a medicine or just a sweet "summer"

3. "Live jam" from raspberries and currants

From raspberries:

Products:

1. Raspberry - 1 kg.

2. Sugar - 1.5 kg.

How to cook "live jam" from raspberries:

Sort the raspberries and put into a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and leave for 2 hours.

Then mix with a wooden spatula in one direction.

During the day, stir the jam until the sugar is completely dissolved.

If you want to keep the jam for a short time, then you can reduce the amount of sugar by 500 gr.

From currant:

Products:

1. Currant - 1 kg.

2. Sugar - 1.5 kg.

How to cook currant "live jam":

Sort the currants, remove the stalks so that there are only berries, wash and put on a sieve to drain excess liquid.

Transfer currants to a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and leave for 2 hours. Mix. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.

Pour the jam into sterile and dry jars, close with plastic lids and store in the refrigerator for about 4-5 months.

If you want to store jam for a short time, then you can reduce the amount of sugar by 500 gr.

4. Kiwi and Lemon Jam

Products:

1. Kiwi - 1 kg.

2. Lemon - 1 pc.

3. Lemon juice - 1 pc.

4. Sugar - 900 gr.

How to make kiwi and lemon jam:

Wash the lemon thoroughly with a brush and cut into thin circles.

Put in a saucepan along with 100 g of sugar and 100 ml of water. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

Peel the kiwi, cut into circles and put in a saucepan with lemon circles.

Add lemon juice and remaining sugar. Boil.

Pour into a ceramic dish and leave at room temperature overnight.

The next day, return the jam to the pan, bring to a boil again and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour into sterilized jars, let cool. Then close and store in a dark, cool place.

5. Orange Peel Jam

Products:

1. Orange - 3 pcs.

2. Water - 400 ml.

3. Sugar - 300 gr.

4. Citric acid (half an incomplete teaspoon) - 0.5 tsp

5. Ginger root (optional) - 10 gr.

How to make orange peel jam:

Wash the oranges thoroughly, pour boiling water over them (in order to wash off the wax that is applied so that the orange does not deteriorate during transportation) and clean it in any way convenient for you.

We cut the peel in the center so that we get two hemispheres.

Then we cut each hemisphere in half and each part into three more strips.

If the orange is thin-skinned, the inside can be left, if it is thick-skinned, remove a little from the inside so that the curls are easier to wrap and they are neater.

Roll each piece of peel into a tight roll and string on a thread like beads. The thread must be pulled tighter so that the curls do not unfold.

Pour orange beads with cold water. Change water two to three times a day. It is necessary to soak the peel for 3-4 days, until the crusts become soft and stop bitter.

After that, boil the crusts 3-4 times for 15-20 minutes, each time changing the water. After each boiling, the peel should be doused with cold water.

Let's boil it for the first time - I put the beads in a bowl of cold water, poured fresh hot water into a saucepan and put the peel back in there. And so several times. Now we need to weigh the peel.

The proportions for jam are as follows - 1.5 times more sugar, twice as much water. If you do not have scales, I give other proportions: for 10 oranges - 1 kg of sugar, 1-1.2 liters of water and 1 tsp. citric acid (or juice of half a lemon).

So - peels from 3 oranges (200 gr.), 300 gr sugar, 400 gr water, (as a gag - cut into small pieces ginger root weighing 10 grams) put in a saucepan and cook until lightly thickened - the syrup should be enough liquid, similar after cooling to very liquid honey.

Add citric acid before removing from heat. We remove the threads after the jam has cooled. Pour into a clean dry jar. The output turned out to be a little more than a 0.5 liter jar.

6. Raspberry Vanilla Jam

Products:

1. Raspberry - 250 gr.

2. Lemon juice 2 tbsp. spoons

3. Sugar - 500 gr.

4. Vanilla - 1 vanilla pod (vanillin - 1 tablespoon)

How to make raspberry vanilla jam:

Put raspberries, juice and 2 tablespoons of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Reduce the temperature and leave to cook for 5 minutes. Add sugar and stir until completely dissolved.

Scrape off the vanilla pod and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.

Taste the jam and if it is not ready, leave to cook for another 5 minutes.

Pour the jam into a jar and serve.

7. Blueberry Jam

Products:

1. Blueberries - 1 kg.

2. Sugar - 1 kg.

3. Citric acid - 2 gr.

How to make blueberry jam:

Transfer the prepared blueberries to a cooking bowl, pour hot 70% sugar syrup (700 g of sugar per 300 ml of water) and soak in the syrup for 3-4 hours.

After that, cook over low heat until fully cooked, removing the foam. At the end of cooking, you can add citric acid.

Pack hot blueberry jam in prepared, heated jars.

Pasteurize at 95°C: half-liter jars - 10 minutes, liter - 15 minutes.

Bon appetit!