How to deliciously cover a melon. The best recipes for canned melon in jars, like pineapple for the winter, with and without sterilization

Melon jam in some countries is valued as highly as natural bee honey due to its taste and benefits hidden in its composition. Of course, heat treatment somewhat reduces the amount of beneficial vitamins and other substances compared to fresh melon, but this is quite enough to sweetly meet the winter without vitamin deficiency, fatigue and bad mood.

Melon jam, prepared according to the classic recipe, consists of beautiful amber pieces of pulp in a thick, aromatic syrup. It can be served with toast for tea, then on the table it will look like a piece of summer sun in a bowl.

For this winter preparation you will need:

• 1000 g prepared melon pulp;
• 1200 g crystalline white sugar;
• 300 ml water;
• 5 g vanilla powder;
• 3 g citric acid crystals.

Sequence of work step by step:

1. Boil water in a saucepan of the appropriate size and place the diced melon in it for five minutes. Then drain the water and let the pulp cool completely.
2. Make syrup from sugar, vanilla, lemon acid and water. For syrup, you can use the water in which the melon was blanched.
3. Pour the hot syrup over the cooled melon cubes and leave for 6 hours.
4. After soaking in syrup, bring the contents of the container to a boil, boil for a quarter of an hour and can be preserved. Containers for preservation should definitely be sterilized.

The simplest recipe

This recipe can easily be called the simplest, both in terms of the quantity of ingredients required and the preparation technology. As for the quality of the raw materials, it is better to choose fruits of those varieties that have hard pulp.

Sugar to fruit ratio:

• 1000 g melon pulp;
• 600 g sugar.

How to cook correctly:

1. Cut the prepared melon pulp (without peel and seeds) into cubes, place in a container in which the jam will be cooked, and sprinkle sugar on top. Leave the raw material alone until the juice is released. Depending on the juiciness of the fruit, this may take about half an hour.
2. After this, bring the melon with sugar in its own juice to a boil over low heat, immediately turn off the stove and let the mixture cool completely under the lid.
3. Then bring the contents of the container to a boil again, boil for a while and seal while hot in sterile jars for long-term storage.

To best preserve the aroma of fresh melon, do not boil the jam for more than five minutes.

With added lemon

A very interesting taste can be obtained from winter melon preparations if you add lemon to it. This component will not only balance the sweetness of the main ingredient and add a fresh citrus aroma, but will also act as a natural preservative due to its acid content.

For melon-lemon jam you need to take:

• 1000 g ripe melon;
• 700 g granulated sugar;
• 1 large lemon.

Cooking algorithm:

1. Wash the ripe melon fruit well, carefully peel it with a kitchen knife, remove the seeds and cut into cubes with sides no smaller than 1-2 cm. Add sugar, mix and leave until the juice comes out.
2. Meanwhile, wipe the lemon washed in hot water dry and cut into 4-8 pieces so that all the seeds can be easily removed from it. After this, pass the seedless citrus through a meat grinder or turn it into a pulp using a stationary blender along with zest and films.
3. Add lemon pulp to the infused melon, stir and bring to a boil over medium heat. Next, boil the jam for half an hour, but over low heat, and cool.
4. With the jam cooled, repeat boiling over low heat for half an hour. While hot, seal it in sterile jars and wrap it in a warm blanket until it cools completely (for 2-3 days).

From melon and watermelon

Melon crops such as melon and watermelon can not only coexist on store shelves in the summer, but also act as a tasty tandem in the form of jam.

To cook a delicious preparation for the winter from the juicy pulp of watermelon and melon, you will need:

• 500 g melon pulp;
• 500 g watermelon pulp;
• 1000 g sugar;
• 2 medium sized lemons;
• 250 ml water.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the pulp of both melons into cubes with sides measuring one centimeter. Place in a saucepan, add 600 g of sugar and put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours until the juice is released.
2. Using a fine grater, carefully remove the zest from the washed lemons and squeeze out the juice. To get more juice, you can roll the fruits on the table using a little pressure.
3. Pour the remaining sugar into a saucepan, pour water into it and boil the syrup. When the sugar is completely dissolved and the contents of the saucepan are boiling, add lemon juice and zest and mix everything.
4. Pour the cooled syrup into a container with fruit pulp, then bring the mixture to a boil, boil for 30-40 minutes and the jam is ready. It can be rolled into prepared jars.

With orange for the winter

Melon jam with orange not only tastes magical, even its aroma is delicious. This fruit-citrus combination has recently become very popular among housewives; such preparations are usually made in small portions.

So for three half-liter jars of melon jam with orange you will need:

• 1500 g melon pulp;
• 2000 g sugar;
• 600 ml drinking water;
• 2 large oranges.

Cooking progress:

1. Cover cubes of melon pulp with half a kilogram of sugar and set aside for two hours.
2. Make syrup from the remaining sugar and water. Pour hot boiling syrup over the pulp and leave to steep for ten hours.
3. Then drain the syrup, boil again and pour hot into the melon, repeat the sweet soaking for 10 hours.
4. Wash and cut the oranges into slices and add to the melon. Next, boil the jam until the melon slices become transparent and the consistency of the final product is thick.
5. While hot, the jam is sealed in clean, sterile jars and covered with iron lids.

Melon jam with cinnamon

Spicy melon jam with the aroma of cinnamon can turn any ordinary dessert into an exquisite dessert, be it ice cream, cottage cheese casserole, pancakes or a regular slice of toasted bread.

The composition of melon jam with cinnamon flavor includes:

• 2000 g melon pulp;
• 2000 g sugar;
• 200 ml vodka;
• 200 ml filtered water;
• 1 medium lemon;
• 1 cinnamon stick in each half-liter jar.

The canning process step by step:

1. Cut the dense and hard (but ripe) melon pulp into cubes 2-3 cm in size. Transfer the prepared pulp into a colander and scald with boiling water. Then leave until the water drains completely.
2. Prepare syrup. To do this, mix half the recipe amount of sugar with vodka and simmer until all the crystals are completely dissolved. After this, add the remaining sugar and pour in water. Cook, stirring until boiling.
3. Boil the melon slices in the syrup until translucent. This will take on average 15-20 minutes. Remove the container from the stove and leave it alone for 12 hours.
4. Then remove the translucent melon cubes and cook the syrup until the volume is reduced by half. After boiling, squeeze the juice of one lemon into the syrup and return the melon.
5. Let the mixture boil a little and you can start canning. Place a cinnamon stick in each sterile jar, fill it to the top with jam and close with an iron lid.

With bananas

A simple and at the same time amazing dessert can be made from melon and bananas. This jam turns out to be very thick and sweet, and the aromas of the two fruits complement each other perfectly.

To make melon and banana jam you need to prepare:

• 750 g melon pulp;
• 400 g bananas without peel;
• 800 g sugar;
• 2 medium lemons;
• 200 ml water.

Cooking:

1. Sprinkle the chopped melon pulp with sugar and forget about it for 12-16 hours.
2. Squeeze the juice of one lemon onto the juiced melon and simmer everything over medium heat for about thirty minutes.
3. Cut the remaining lemon and bananas into rings and place in a saucepan with the jam. After this, reduce the heat to low and, stirring, cook until pureed.
4. Transfer the hot jam into clean, prepared jars and seal.

To increase the shelf life of the workpiece, before rolling the lids, you can cover the top of the jam with a circle of paper dipped in vodka.

Unusual jam from melon peels

The following recipe for melon jam for the winter will cause exclamations of surprise and amazement, since it uses not the juicy sweet pulp of the fruit, but the rinds. Nevertheless, the preparation turns out to be very tasty and relatively inexpensive, since the raw material for it is what is usually sent to the trash.

So, the proportions of the required ingredients:

• 1000 g melon rinds;
• 1000 g sugar;
• 1000 ml of drinking water.

Algorithm for preparing melon peels:

1. Jam is made from the hard and hard part of the fruit, which is located between the pulp and the rough thin peel. To get it, you need to carefully cut off the pulp with a knife, and then carefully get rid of the peel with a potato peeler.
2. Cut the prepared peels into one to two centimeter squares and, after washing in cold water, soak for an hour in salt water. This way you can be absolutely sure that there is no bitter aftertaste in the finished product.
3. Prepare the syrup: mix water and sugar, heat until the crystalline component dissolves.
4. Transfer the peels to the syrup and bring to a boil. Then remove the container from the heat and cool its contents. Repeat boiling and cooling four more times. As a result, the crusts should become transparent.
5. After this, all that remains is to pour the hot preparation into jars and roll up the lids for the winter.

How to cook in a slow cooker?

With almost minimal time, you can prepare delicious melon jam in a slow cooker. This recipe is interesting not only because of the use of a modern gadget, but also because the ingredients combine the queen of autumn with orange (the king of winter) and sesame seeds.

For two half-liter jars of melon jam in a slow cooker you will need:

• 700 g melon pulp;
• 400 g sugar;
• 1 large orange;
• 30 g sesame seeds;
• 20 g vanilla sugar.

Prepare the jam in the following order:

1. The entire procurement process will include preparation of products, heat treatment and rolling into jars. The melon is prepared similarly to the previous recipes. It is washed, peeled from seeds and peel, cut into cubes. The orange is also peeled, membranes and white partitions removed, seeds removed, if any, and cut into cubes.
2. Place slices of melon in a multi-pan, place slices of orange on them, sprinkle both types of sugar and sesame seeds on top. After this, close the lid of the gadget and run the extinguishing program for one hour. During this process, the jam can be stirred from time to time.
3. Pour the finished delicacy into jars to lift your spirits in a dull winter, twist and wrap until it cools completely.

Calories: Not specified
Cooking time: Not indicated

Today I suggest you prepare an unusual dessert for the winter - melon in syrup. As you will see from my recipe with photo, the process of canning such a product is very simple - without sterilization. The most important thing is to choose the right melon; under no circumstances should it be green, but it should not be overripe either. The amount of sugar can be reduced if desired, but since we are preparing dessert, sugar, in my opinion, is in moderation. Of course, it will not be like a fresh melon, if you have once tried canned pineapples, then you will approximately understand the final taste, the melon is vaguely similar to pineapple. This melon can be served as an addition to a cottage cheese dessert.





- melon – 1 pc.;
- water – 1 liter;
- sugar – 1.5 cups;
- citric acid – 1 tsp.

Recipe with photos step by step:

The melon must be cut into several parts and the seeds scooped out. Rinse the melon under cool water.




Then remove the skin and cut the melon pulp into arbitrary pieces, not too small and not too large. If you are preparing melon for children, you can cut it into shapes.




Prepare the jars - wash with soda and sterilize in a way convenient for you. Then fill the jars with melon pieces. Shake the jars several times so that the melon pieces fit tightly together.




Pour freshly boiled clean filtered water over the melon and leave it alone for 10 minutes. Then pour the water into the pan.






Add sugar and citric acid to the water, using 1.5 cups of sugar and a teaspoon of acid per liter of water. Boil for a couple of minutes. If desired, you can add a little vanilla sugar, mint, cinnamon and star anise.




Pour the hot sweet syrup back into the steamed melon pieces. Immediately throw on the lids and roll them up.




Place the jars of melon upside down, cover with a blanket and leave for a day. After a while, put it in a cellar or pantry for long-term storage.




Enjoy your meal!

And it turns out very tasty

The best option is a melon of medium ripeness. The overripe one will be boiled, and the unripe one will not give aroma and taste. As for sweetness, this is not the main thing. You can even eat the sweet center and use the part closest to the crust for the preparations.

Selection and preparation of fruits

Pay attention to the stalk - it should be juicy and healthy. If it is yellowed and dry, then such a melon is not suitable for winter harvesting. There should be no rotten spots or dry crust on the fruit.

Preparation includes the following steps:

1. Wash the melon and dry with a towel.
2. Cut into two parts.
3. Cut out the seeds.
4. Cut into large pieces.
5. Cut off the crust.
6. Cut the pulp into cubes.

Some recipes require blanching; it allows you to keep the melon pieces in an unchanged form.

The most delicious melon recipes for the winter

And now the fun part: 10 best recipes for every taste. The list of ingredients is minimal, most likely you already have them in your kitchen. Try a few recipes and see that the melon prepared for the winter is to die for!

Melon jam

Ingredients:

• 1 kg melon pulp;
• 1.5 kg sugar;
• 1 whole lemon;
• 1 tsp. vanillin.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the melon in half, remove the seeds, cut off the rind.
2. Cut the pulp into large cubes.
3. Boil the water.
4. Place the melon pulp in boiling water for 5 minutes. This is called blanching.
5. Place the pieces in a colander. When the liquid has drained, transfer the pulp into a bowl.
6. Place 1.5 liters of water on the fire.
7. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon.
8. Add sugar, vanillin and lemon juice to boiling water.
9. Cook after boiling for 5 minutes.
10. Pour the syrup over the melon pulp and leave for 6 hours. Don't forget to cover with gauze to keep out insects.
11. After 6 hours, put the bowl of future jam on the fire.
12. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium. Cook for 15 minutes, skimming off the foam and stirring.
13. Remove from heat and cool completely. It is better to leave it overnight, covered with a cloth or paper towel.
14. Place the cooled jam into clean jars and close. Immediately remove to long-term storage.

Note. Instead of lemon juice, you can put 0.5 tsp. citric acid.

Melon peel jam

The crusts will take longer to cook than the flesh, but the taste will surprise you. To make it soft, take your time and don’t skip steps.

Required:

• 1 kg melon peels;
• 1.5 kg sugar;
• 1 tsp. citric acid;
• 1 tsp. vanillin.

Cooking method:

1. Thinly trim off the rough outer part of the crusts and cut into small cubes. If the melon is your own, then the rough peel does not need to be cut off.
2. Place the pieces into a bowl. Add sugar. Lightly shake the bowl from side to side so that the sugar is evenly distributed.
3. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
4. After 2 hours, place the candied crusts on the stove and bring to a boil.
5. After boiling, cook for 2 minutes. Cool for 8 hours.
6. After 8 hours, bring to a boil again. Foam should form, skim it off.
7. Cool again for 8 hours.
8. Boil the jam a third time, adding citric acid and vanillin.
9. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, but do not remove from the stove.
10. Sterilize clean jars.
11. Place the hot jam into jars and seal.
12. Let the jars cool for 5-6 hours, then put them away for winter storage.

Advice. Since the process of making jam is long, we recommend preparing a large volume at once. In this recipe, the ingredients are for 1 kg of crusts.

Candied melon for the winter “you'll lick your fingers”

Ingredients:

• 1 kg melon;
• 1.5 kg sugar;
• 125 ml of water for each boil.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the melon, cut in half, remove the seeds.
2. Cut the melon into large pieces.
3. Cut off the crust.
4. Cut the pulp into cubes.
5. Put water on fire, add sugar. Boil it.
6. Place the melon pieces into boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and cool, covered, for 8 hours.
8. Put it back on the fire. Add water if necessary; there is no need to add any more sugar.
9. Cool for 8 hours.
10. Boil future candied fruits again. If the pieces become transparent, then it’s enough. If not yet, then repeat the procedure.
11. After the final boil, drain the melon pulp in a colander. This will drain all excess liquid.
12. Turn the oven on to 70°C.
13. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
14. Place the melon pieces and place them in the oven for 4 hours. Open the door a little.

Important! The power of the oven is different for everyone, so check the readiness before turning it off. Try pressing on a piece; if moisture comes out of it, it means the candied fruit is not ready yet. But you shouldn’t overdry the fruits either.

Melon in vanilla syrup

Ingredients:

• Half a small melon;
• 1 tbsp. Sahara;
• 1 tsp. vanillin;
• zest of half a lemon.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the melon pulp into small pieces, removing the seeds and cutting off the skin.
2. Wash and sterilize the jars, pour boiling water over the lids.
3. Place the melon pieces into the jar carefully, without crushing them.
4. Pour boiling water over the lemon and grate the zest from half on a fine grater.
5. Boil water and pour boiling water over the melon pieces. Cover with a lid and leave for 10 minutes.
6. After 10 minutes, drain the water back into the saucepan, add lemon zest, sugar and vanillin. Boil it.
7. Cook after boiling for 3-4 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and fill jars.
9. Using a seaming wrench, tighten the lids and turn the jars over.
10. After two days, put it in storage.

Pickled melon in honey sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 kg melon pulp;
• 1 tbsp. Sahara;
• 3 tbsp. l. honey;
• 0.5 tsp. citric acid.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the melon and cut it in half, this will make it easier to remove the seeds.
2. Cut into pieces as you would like to serve.
3. Cut off the crusts.
4. Cut the pulp into small cubes.
5. Sterilize the jars and pour boiling water over the lids.
6. Place the melon cubes into dry jars.
7. Boil water and pour boiling water over the melon.
8. Cover with a lid and leave for 7 minutes.
9. Boil the same water again, but with the addition of sugar, honey and citric acid.
10. After boiling, cook for 3 minutes.
11. Remove from heat and immediately fill containers with honey.
12. Cover with lids.
13. Sterilize for 10 minutes.
14. Seal with lids.
15. Turn the jars upside down and wrap them up.
16. After 24 hours, remove to a cellar or other cool and dark place.

Advice. Instead of citric acid, you can place seedless lemon slices at the bottom of the container.

Ginger Canned Melon

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg melon;
• 100 g sugar;
• 1 tsp. citric acid or juice of 1 lemon;
• ginger root.

Preservation method:

1. Remove the seeds from the melon. Cut off the crust.
2. Cut the pulp into pieces or wide short sticks.
3. Cut the ginger root into circles.
4. Sterilize the jars.
5. Boil the lids.
6. Place ginger at the bottom of the jar.
7. Place melon pieces on top.
8. Add sugar.
9. Add lemon juice or citric acid.
10. Boil the water.
11. Pour boiling water into the jars. Cover with lids.
12. Sterilize for 15 minutes.
13. Cover and turn over until completely cool.

Helpful information. Ginger root can be grated on a medium grater.

Melon compote with cinnamon and lemon

Ingredients for a 3-liter jar:

• 0.5 kg melon pulp;
• 1 lemon;
• 1 tsp. cinnamon;
• 2.5 tbsp. Sahara;
• 2 liters of water.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the jars with soda solution and sterilize.
2. Cut the lemon into large slices (about 6 pieces).
3. Free the melon from seeds and crusts.
4. Finely chop the pulp.
5. Place melon cubes at the bottom of the jar.
6. Place lemon slices on top.
7. Add cinnamon.
8. Put the water on fire.
9. Add sugar to boiling water. Dissolve, mix well.
10. 5 minutes after boiling, remove the pan from the heat.
11. Gradually pour the syrup into the jar.
12. Bury with a seaming key.
13. Turn the jars over and make sure they are sealed.
14. Wrap it up.
15. After 40 hours, take it to the cellar or pantry.

Melon-banana jam

Children will enjoy this delicacy, and during the cold season it will also strengthen the immune system.

Required:

• 800 g melon pulp;
• 2 medium ripe bananas;
• 1 lemon;
• 600 g sugar.

How to cook:

1. Remove the seeds from the melon and peel the skin.
2. Cut the pulp into pieces approximately 2*2 cm.
3. Place the melon slices into a bowl and add sugar.
4. Pour in a couple of tablespoons of cool water.
5. Leave for 1.5 hours.
6. Cut the lemon in half. Squeeze the juice from one directly into a bowl of berries.
7. Place the bowl over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally.
8. Finely chop the second part of the lemon along with the zest.
9. Peel the banana and cut into round pieces.
10. Add lemon and banana to the main mixture, mix well.
11. As soon as the jam begins to resemble a homogeneous mass, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.
12. If foam forms, remove it with a slotted spoon.
13. Sterilize the jars. Keep the lids in boiling water.
14. Place into jars and seal.
15. Turn it upside down and wrap it up for two days.
16. Then put it in a cold pantry or cellar.

Canned melon in its own juice

Ingredients:

• 2 kg melon pulp;
• 1 lemon;
• 250 g sugar;
• 500 ml water.

Cooking method:

1. Prepare two containers, a blender, jars, lids and a seaming wrench.
2. Cut the melon in half. Remove the seeds and peel off the crusts.
3. Cut the pulp of one half into large pieces, and the pulp of the other into small pieces.
4. Grind small pieces with a blender until smooth.
5. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add it to the resulting mass, similar to puree.
6. Add sugar and mix thoroughly.
7. Cook for exactly 25 minutes, do not remove from heat.
8. Put water on the fire.
9. As soon as it boils, put the second part of the melon slices into boiling water.
10. Blanch for 5 minutes.
11. Prepare a container of very cold water.
12. After 5 minutes, remove the pieces from the boiling water and place them in ice water.
13. After 3 minutes, transfer the pieces into a bowl with the mixture. It should be boiling.
14. Stir.
15. Cook for 15 minutes. Skim off the foam.
16. Place the melon in its own juice into sterilized jars. Cover with a lid.
17. Sterilize the product for 10 minutes and seal immediately.
18. Leave to cool for two days.

Important! Cans of melon in their own juice do not need to be turned over or wrapped.

Melon honey

The recipe is simple and does not require many ingredients. The resulting dish is tasty, sticky and sweet, like real honey, and children adore it. Spread on white bread and serve with tea.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg melon;
• 0.5 kg sugar;
• 80 g of water.

Cooking method:

1. Remove the seeds and sweet core from the melon.
2. Separate from the crust the part that is closest to the peel. It is most suitable for making honey for the winter.
3. Cut into small pieces.
4. Place the melon slices in a bowl, pour in water and add the entire portion of sugar. Stir lightly.
5. Put it on fire.
6. After boiling, cook for 5 minutes.
7. Turn off the stove and cool the mixture.
8. Boil again for 5 minutes.
9. Repeat the algorithm 4 more times.
10. While the thick mass is cooling for the last time, sterilize the jars.
11. Place the cooled melon honey into jars and close.
12. You can put it away immediately for storage.

Note! The number of boils is purely individual! Once the melon mixture turns dark and runs like honey, stop boiling.

Melon preparations for the winter are a new product for many, so recommendations from experienced housewives will not hurt:

1. Not only sweet melons are suitable for preparations. If the purchased melon turns out to be bland, just add more sugar.
2. Jars for any melon preparation must be sterilized.
3. Do not add both lemon and citric acid at the same time, choose one or the other. Using lemon, you can add juice and zest at the same time.
4. If you want to update the recipe, or cherries.

Results

For winter preparations, it is not necessary to choose a sweet melon. It is important that it is not too green. When preparing dishes from melon pulp, remove the seeds and separate the pulp from the crusts.

If you make jam from the crusts, be sure to rinse them and do not leave a thick layer of pulp. Use lemon or citric acid - they go well with melon and give it a delicious taste and aroma.

Few of the lovers of this relative of the pumpkin have thought about whether the aromatic melon or dishes made from it can be preserved for the winter. Recipes with photos of such melon preparations are infrequent guests of cookbooks and websites.

Melon is a rounded fruit of a creeping plant of the pumpkin family, rich in fiber, antioxidants and vitamins B and C. The fruit is harvested from June to September, and it is available fresh until almost the end of winter. Fans of canned melon recipes use a variety of preservation methods to preserve this sweet and flavorful seasonal fruit for a long time.

How to choose a good melon

Melon selection best quality is important to ensure its safety over a long period, including during conservation. Proper canning of melon and preserving dishes made from it for the winter is impossible without taking into account three criteria for correct selection:

• smell;
• appearance.

Touch, smell, sight... Your senses must be fully engaged to find the right fruit. Choose heavy and fragrant melon. Depending on its ripeness, you can enjoy it immediately or keep it in the refrigerator for several days.

To select the best fruits, follow these tips:

1. First of all, weigh the fruit in your hands. He must be heavy, and its surface should be smooth. If the melon is too heavy, this means that the fruit was soaked in sugar water, and the result of following any recipe will be unpredictable.
2. Ripe melons produce a typical sweet aroma. More mature fruit is more fragrant. In addition, you need to pay attention to the smell of the fruit stem - the richer it is, the tastier the melon pulp.
3. Finally, inspect the peduncle and stem. Availability cracks on the stem and the skin around it indicates that the melon is ripe and therefore ready to eat.

Sellers sometimes offer try the fruit tastes good, so don't be shy and allow yourself to appeal to your taste buds to refine your canned melon recipe selection.

Fresh storage

Whole melon can be stored for no more than five or six days at room temperature in a dry, ventilated shelter. This regimen may also allow the fetus to reach full maturity. A whole melon can be stored for several days in the fruit drawer of the refrigerator at 10°C to 12°C. In this case, it can be covered with cling film to limit the spread of odors.

Cut melon can be stored for one or two days in the refrigerator.

How else can melon be preserved for the winter?

Recipes for melon preparations and some techniques will allow you to forget about the seasonality of the fruit, so that even in winter you can give yourself a fragrant piece of summer taste from time to time.

Freezing

Preparation

You should know that melon itself is difficult to freeze. Due to the high content of liquid, which, when frozen, ruptures the cells of the fetus, the taste of the frozen product is greatly distorted. But this does not mean that it cannot be frozen.

Canning melon for the winter in the freezer is possible provided there is little preliminary preparation fruit, a kind of “sealing” of the pieces so that when defrosted they retain their taste.

First of all, set your freezer to a temperature of -25 to -35 degrees or, if available, set the super freezing.

For canning, choose ripe and as fresh fruit as possible. The best option is to have it cut in front of you. Wash the fruit, dry it and cut it in half. Remove the seed part and cut off the skin. Cut the pulp cubes.

Freezing recipe option 1

Squeeze the juice from one or more lemons into a bowl, depending on the volume of the preparation, and immerse the resulting melon cubes in it. You can use a sieve to avoid wasting excess juice. Covered lemon juice Carefully remove the pieces from the bowl with lemon juice, place them in a single layer on a flat surface and place them in the freezer for a day. Every other day, put them in bags or containers and store them in the freezer for at least three months.

The remaining lemon juice can be used to make lemonade according to any of the recipes you know, or pour into ice cube molds and use as an addition to fruit juice cocktails.

Freezing recipe, option 2

Prepare liquid sugar syrup, for example, according to the recipe below. Dip the melon pieces into it, then let the excess drip off and place in a single row on a flat surface and freeze.

Defrosting Melon can be made in the refrigerator, microwave or in a water bath. To defrost in the refrigerator, remove the required amount and leave it in a closed container to defrost on the warmest shelf of the refrigerator.

Melon syrup and sorbet recipes

Melon syrup and melon sorbet can also be stored in the freezer. obtained by mixing pieces of fruit in a mixer, and then simmering over low heat with sugar. The resulting syrup is placed in tempered glass or plastic jars or cups and stored in the freezer for ten months at a temperature of -18 ° C to -25 ° C.

It is obtained by mixing melon pulp, lemon juice and granulated sugar. The resulting product is then mixed in an ice cream maker or chilled, churned in a mixer, and then placed in the freezer at a temperature of -24 ° C to -34 ° C. The sorbet prepared in this way can be stored for eight to ten months.

Canned melon for the winter in syrup

Sugar syrup

Sterilize pre-cans. This can be done in any available way - boil, steam, use a double boiler, convection oven, multicooker or pressure cooker.

Prepare the syrup by dissolving sugar in water in a ratio of one to two or one to one, depending on your taste and the sweetness of the fruit itself.

Place the prepared melon pieces into two-thirds jars and fill with syrup. Close the jars without over-tightening.

Sterilize the jars at 100 degrees for half an hour to forty minutes.

Allow the jars to cool completely on their own by placing them on a surface that is not too cold, such as a cutting board.

Grape syrup

For a kilogram of pulp cut into pieces, take four hundred grams of sugar, a good bunch white grapes and a quarter of a vanilla pod (or a teaspoon of vanilla sugar).

Prepare the jars and lids by sterilizing them for at least a quarter of an hour in boiling water.

Place the melon pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with some of the sugar. Stir so that the sugar is evenly distributed over their surface and leave for two hours marinate.

Place the prepared pulp into jars. Squeeze the juice out of the grapes, pour it into a saucepan, add vanilla and gently simmer over low heat. Pour the grape syrup into jars, completely covering the melon pieces.

Close the jars tightly, but not too tightly, and sterilize for at least half an hour in boiling water.

Serve with salad or popsicles.

Anise syrup

For a kilogram of ripe melon pulp prepared in advance, take one liter of water, four hundred grams of powdered sugar or granulated sugar, two to three stars anise(star anise) and half a glass of white vinegar.

To pre-prepare the pulp, wash the melon, dry it and cut the fruit in half. Remove the seeds and fibers, cut off the skin and cut the melon pulp into cubes. Place the cubes in a bowl, then add water to cover them completely and add white vinegar. Mix thoroughly and place in cool place (in the refrigerator) overnight.

The next day, drain the marinade and rinse the melon pieces under cold running water. Place in the refrigerator for a while.

Pour a liter of water mixed with sugar into a saucepan and add anise. Cook for 10 minutes. Then leave to infuse for a quarter of an hour.

At this time, sterilize the jars for ten to fifteen minutes.

Place the melon pieces in jars, pour in the syrup and seal tightly.

Sterilize jars with the finished product for half an hour to forty minutes at a temperature of 90 ° - 100 ° C. Let cool in water, then wipe the jars and place in a cool place.

Melon serving recipes

The sweet fruit has good shelf life if storage conditions are suitable. In a cool, dry, dark room it will keep for several months. In the absence of such opportunities, melon is harvested for the winter. You can make any canned product from it. The list of additional ingredients is difficult to list: fruits, berries, spicy ripeness, honey, wine.

The variety of melon varieties makes it difficult to choose for preservation. The fruits differ not only in size, but also in pulp density and sugar content. The varieties Livadia, Zolotistaya, Yuzhanka have dense, sweet pulp. Plants grown in the southern regions have a natural advantage over pumpkins from the Moscow region, Siberia, and European Russia in terms of sweetness.

Varieties zoned for cooler regions have a dense structure, with a lower percentage of sugar. Autumn-winter varieties are the sweetest, as the ripening period lasts 95-100 days. Early ripening ones contain 8-15% sugar, mid-ripening ones – 14-15%.

When choosing a fruit for canning, you must take into account the requirements of the recipe. If the purchased melon turns out to be of a different quality, then you need to select a suitable harvesting option in this case.

How to choose the best melon

Not fully ripened melons with dense and aromatic pulp are suitable for making jam. To make jam, you need ripe, juicy fruits. For melon in its own juice, you will need very ripe and overripe fruits.

It is necessary to adhere to the requirements of the recipe when selecting raw materials: do not use ripe or overripe fruit, where dense pulp is required. When cooked, such pieces will lose their shape, which will reduce the attractiveness of the product.

Signs of a ripe fruit:

• noticeable sweet aroma;
• springs when pressed;
• large mass;
• uniform bright color;
• dull sound when tapped;
• dry ponytail;
• the peel has a rugged appearance.

Unripe fruits:

• do not smell;
• have a greenish tint;
• inferior in weight to ripe ones;
• not elastic;
• make a ringing sound;
• the tail is tight.

Overripe ones have soft skin and a very strong aroma.

Recipes for winter preparations

For home use, it is more convenient to prepare liquid jam, packaged hot or pasteurized.

Thick syrup burns easily if it is not constantly stirred and at temperatures above normal.

Signs that the jam is ready:

• the foam disappears;
• the syrup and melon pieces become transparent;
• cooked particles float in syrup;
• the temperature of the sweet solution when it is ready is 104 degrees.

The end of cooking time is also determined by the state of the syrup: the cooled drop retains its shape.

Sterilization is holding a semi-finished product in boiling water under special conditions: the initial water temperature in the sterilizer is 70 degrees, the lids are not secured, the liquid level is 3 centimeters below the glass top.

The preparation of pasteurized jam differs from sterilization and hot packaging in that the jars are heated without boiling at 90 degrees with the lids loosely closed. A 0.5 liter jar is pasteurized for 10 minutes, a 1.0 liter jar - 15. When finished, screw the lids on until they stop.

What can you make from melon? You can make jam, jam, compote from it, pickle it, prepare it in its own juice or as a semi-finished product.

Classic melon jam

The washed, cored and peeled melon is cut into pieces 2 centimeters thick, rectangular in shape. The pieces are first blanched in boiling water for 5-7 minutes and immediately immersed in cold water to lower the temperature.

Prepare 70% syrup. For 1900 grams of melon pulp you will need 1 liter of liquid and 2300 grams of sugar. Place the blanched pieces into the boiled syrup and leave for 4 hours.

Preparing jam in three steps step by step:

1. Bring to a boil over medium heat and keep at a low simmer for 10 minutes. Cool. Leave for 8 hours.
2. Repeat the previous method with cooling and holding for 8 hours.
3. Cook to desired consistency.

Hot jam is transferred to heated jars, closed, cooled without turning over.

With added lemon

The crust is removed from the melon. The peeled part is cut into pieces of 3-4 centimeters. Sugar is poured into the prepared raw materials. The ratio of sweetness and melon raw materials is 1:2. For taste and aroma, you can add vanilla sugar at the rate of 1 gram per kilogram. It takes several hours until the melon pieces give juice and soak up the sugar.

Adding lemon zest and juice to the classic recipe will add sourness and citrus aroma to the jam. One fruit is enough for 2 kilograms of pulp. Peel the lemon and squeeze out the juice. The zest is ground on a fine grater.

Add zest to the melon-sugar mixture and put on fire. When the sugar has completely melted and begins to become transparent, add lemon juice and mix well. Cook the syrup over low heat, stirring so as not to burn.

From time to time, check the readiness of the jam by checking the quality of the syrup: drop it on a cold surface. If the drop does not spread, then the jam is ready. The melon pieces should be soaked in the syrup and become translucent, with no raw melon taste.

The degree of syrup concentration is determined by the thickness of the hot stream:

• thin - the jam will be liquid;
• medium – thicker;
• thick - thick.

The testing method is called thin, medium, thick thread. Use a spoon to scoop out the syrup and pour it slowly, watching the stream.

With orange

Lemon can be replaced with orange. No orange zest is used. Orange juice will be used as an additive. Three oranges per 2 kilograms of melon are squeezed through a juicer. If desired, the quantity can be increased. The volume of sugar is adjusted to 2.5 kilograms.

Orange juice, like lemon juice, is added when the sugar is completely dissolved. The jam is mixed to improve homogeneity and cooked to the desired consistency in 3 additions.

Cinnamon

Adding cinnamon to melon jam has two positive aspects:

1. The sweet dish acquires a spicy aroma and taste, which are good in the cold season, as they have a warming effect.
2. The spice is recommended for weight loss due to its effect on metabolic processes. Jam is a high-calorie product. The presence of cinnamon helps burn calories.

No more than 1 teaspoon of cinnamon is added to the syrup for 1 kilogram of pulp. Excessive dosage may affect the kidneys.

The prepared pulp is covered with sugar for a day at the rate of kilogram per kilogram to obtain juice. The syrup is boiled into a thin thread: 0.3 liters of liquid and 0.5 kilograms of sugar. Melon juice is combined with syrup, cinnamon is added and boiled into a thin thread.

Pour melon into boiling syrup and cook in 2 steps:

1. The first time - 15 minutes on low heat. Cool for 4 hours.
2. Boil to the desired concentration.

While hot, distribute into jars and cool.

With bananas

In a recipe with bananas, it is logical to add an acidic fruit, such as lemon, to avoid excessive cloying.

• 1.0 kilograms of melon;
• 1.0 kilograms of bananas;
• 0.5 kilograms of lemons;
• 1.0 kilograms of sugar.

The pieces are mixed with sugar and left for a day. The juice is squeezed out of citrus fruits and poured into the sweet mass. Place the mixture on the fire and simmer over low heat to a liquid syrup. Bananas without peel are cut into circles up to 1 centimeter and placed in jam. Readiness is checked by the syrup and the appearance of the melon and banana pieces.

Melon jam

To make jam you will need very ripe pumpkins. The peeled, chopped pulp is crushed with a blender. Per kilogram requires a liter of water and boiling for half an hour.

Then add 2 kilograms of granulated sugar and boil over low heat until tender. It is necessary to stir the jam regularly and check its readiness: the end of cooking - the cooled drop retains its shape.

Canned melon

Canned melon can be prepared in the form of compote or natural canned food.

For compote, the prepared pieces are blanched at a temperature of 80 degrees for 10 minutes. Place in prepared jars 2/3 full and fill with 25% syrup. To prepare it you will need a ratio of 0.3 kilograms of sugar per liter of water. Sterilization of a 0.5 liter cylinder – 10 minutes, 1.0 liter – 12 minutes.

The preparation of natural melon differs from compote by pouring: instead of syrup, boiling water is used. Melon preserved in this way is a semi-finished product for making jam, preserves, and compote.

Melon in sugar syrup

Ratio of pulp, sugar and water: 1.0:1.1:0.2. Additionally, citric acid (10 grams per kilogram) and vanillin (a pinch per kilogram) are added.

Preparation, per kilogram of preparation:

1. Add 100 grams of sugar to a glass of water and bring to a boil.
2. Blanch the melon pieces in this syrup one by one for 10 minutes.
3. They take it out.
4. Pour the rest of the sugar into the syrup and, stirring continuously, bring it to readiness on a thin thread.
5. Add melon and cook until required thickness.
6. At the end, add citric acid and vanillin.

Roll up using the hot packaging method. Cooling without turning over.

In its own juice

To harvest melon in its own juice, you will need juicy, ripe and overripe pulp.

At the first stage, the juice is prepared. From 2 kilograms, half of the prepared melon is crushed in a blender to puree. Add the juice of 1 lemon, 0.5 liters of water, 0.25 kilograms of sugar. The mixture is cooked over low heat for a quarter of an hour.

The rest of the mass is blanched at a temperature of 80 degrees for 3-5 minutes (so that the shape of the pieces is not lost) and cooled in water. Place the blanched parts into the boiling juice and leave for 15 minutes. After packaging into half-liter jars, the canned food is sterilized for 10 minutes. Immediate seaming, cooling without turning.

Jam for the winter without sterilization

Jam cooked in several stages does not require sterilization.

To prepare a sweet dish from melon, you will need to boil the raw material 3 times with an interval of 10-12 hours. At the first stage, the melon parts are blanched for no more than a minute. The amount of liquid is 0.4 liters per kilogram of pulp. Sugar is added to the water where the melon was boiled in the same proportion as the melon.

The syrup is boiled for 10-15 minutes. Removed from heat. Cools down a bit. Blanched raw materials are placed in a container with syrup. Stir. Boil over low heat.

Preparing melon for the winter in jars

The pulp is cut into rectangular pieces, no more than 2 centimeters thick. Fill liter jars halfway. For flavor, you can add mint and basil leaves according to your own taste. A glass of granulated sugar is poured in, boiling water is poured in and placed for sterilization.

The water temperature at the beginning of sterilization is not lower than 80 degrees. The heat treatment time for a liter jar from the beginning of boiling is 12 minutes. The boil should not be violent. Cool cans upside down.

Pickled melon

The pulp for pickling should be ripe and dense. The prepared pieces are blanched in boiling water for 1 second and cooled in water.