How to cook the jam: basic principles and secrets of cooking

One of the finest options for winter harvesting of fruits and berries - cooking jam. In this article we will talk about how to properly cook jam that it gets thick and tasty.

Jam is believed to have been invented about 200 years ago by Polish housewives, learn to boil down the most fruitful on the banks of the Vistula fruit - greengage, until very thick mass. Originally prepared it for three days, it was a very time-consuming and lengthy process! Today jam cook much easier: all you need to do - electric or gas stove, a large bowl or other container and wide a few hours of free time.

The name "jam" is derived from the Polish word �powidla�, signifying literally "food product, obtained by boiling fruit or berry puree with sugar."

Cook jam can be almost any fruits and berries, but the most popular versions of this dessert considered jam from apples, pears, apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, quince, currant, cranberry.

From jam and marmalade jam has a more uniform and thick texture, its boiling point is 104 degrees, it is more dense mass, does not spread vykladyvanii lump on the dish.

The basic principles of cooking jam

Cook jam can not only qualitative but also from slightly damaged, wrinkled or overripe fruits and berries, but they must be ripe, soft. Before cooking the fruit must be properly washed, cut off the rotten and damaged parts, well, then everything is done by prescription, but we can identify some common features and principles of making this dessert.

• As a rule, the fruits are processed into pulp in one of two ways: they twist through a meat grinder in its raw form or rubbed through a sieve (to grind today, of course, you can use a blender) to the already boiled and purified form.
• From a single berry or plum jam usually get watery, so for the right consistency, these fruits combine with apricots, apples, pears.
• Adding sugar jam - the time is not necessary if the fruits boiled down to jam without sugar, such blanks necessarily sterilized. If sugar is added, it should be not less than 60% by weight, otherwise jam ferment or moldy.
• Cook jam should be in the low wide bowl - so it evaporates quickly, thereby improving the taste and color of the product. When cooking jam need to stir a wooden spatula, otherwise it will burn, for the same reason sugar is added only after sufficient thickening fruit weight.
• Willingness to jam when cooking is defined as follows: Periodically shovel at the bottom of the container in which cooked jam, if produced track that slowly filled, so dessert is ready. In general, the cooking time the total weight compared to the original reduced at least twice.
• Ready to pour the hot jam need to sterilized jars. One of the traditional things in preparation for the classical technology - baking in the oven jam jars to form a protective plenochki on the surface of the mass, today is often overlooked, but this is recommended for better preservation of the workpiece. Just put the jars with jam and bake in the oven at a temperature of not strong until a plenochki that visually clearly visible. Then jam should be left to cool in the heat, after cooling cork lids and storing it in a cool place.
• Jam should be sour-sweet taste, when the fruit from which it is cooked, characterized by low acidity, it is necessary to add citric acid or other food products, in addition to jam in taste and flavor can be added spices (cloves, cinnamon, etc.).
• In the finished jam should be less than 34% moisture, at least 60% sugar.

Calorie jam varies between 250-260 kcal per 100g.

Cooking Recipes jam

With a large harvest any fruit or fruit jam cooking of them - one of the best options. This wonderful dessert will delight you cool autumn evenings, to give a feeling of warmth in the winter and spring energize. If you still did not dare to do such a workpiece, for fear that it is very difficult, we recommend that you still try - this process is much easier than it seems.

Palm in popularity among all types of jam in apple and pear. It is from these fruits is easiest to cook jam correct density and consistency.

Recipe for apple jam

Need: to 1kg peeled apples take 500-700g sugar.

How to cook apple butter. Apples clean, cut out the seeds, cut into quarters, then steamed to soften on a steam bath (it is easier to use for this steamer). Total Time steaming - about 15-20min after boiling water. Soften the apples need pyurirovat (blender, grinder or using tolkushkoy), then mash put in a pot, boil down to a state of jam with sugar.

For apple butter is better to use sour apples - antonovka, Borovinka, perry, Semerenko bessemyanka, white filling, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Idared and others.

Jam of pears cooked in the same way as the apple, the proportions: on 1kg peeled pears 2-3 glasses of water, 500-600g sugar and 4g of citric acid. Algorithm of the same, but the pear puree mixed with water prior to cooking (broth after steaming) boils down to half the volume and then added sugar.

Jam can be cooked berries such as blueberries, wild rose, cherry, mountain ash, cranberry, cranberries, and others.

Cooking recipe cherry jam

Need: to 1kg pitted cherries 150-200g sugar, 2 tablespoons vinegar.

How to cook cherry jam. Wash the cherries and remove the seeds, twist in a meat grinder, mix with vinegar, boil over low heat until boiling in a basin half of the original volume. Pour into a mass of sugar, stir and cook until cooked jam.

As simple to cook jam from blueberries.

Recipe for making blueberry jam

Need: 1kg on blueberries 600g sugar.

How to cook jam from blueberries. Berries crush or kink in a meat grinder, put in a wide pot on low heat and boil down by half of the original volume. Add sugar, stir and cook until cooked jam.

Very popular jam, which appeals to many - plum.

Recipe for making plum jam

Need: to 1kg plums, pitted 800g sugar.

How to cook plum jam. Plum remove the seeds and boil with the addition of a small amount of water or steamed until tender. Wipe plum mass or pyurirovat blender, removing the peel. Pour the puree in sugar, jam cook until tender, stirring occasionally - as a result of mass must boiled down to one third of the original volume. Hot jam pour over warm banks, cover with gauze and leave at room temperature for 2 days - should form a crust, then wrap banks parchment or cork sterile plastic lids.

Very tasty obtained jam made from plums with apricots.

Cooking recipe plum apricot jam

You will need: 600g sugar, 500g for apricots and plums.

How to cook jam from apricots and plums. Remove from plums and apricots seeds, steamed them in a water bath or in a double boiler until soft, pyurirovat removing the peel, boil down by half, then add sugar and boil until cooked jam.

There are many recipes for jams, but the principle of cooking is always the same. Try to cook the jam of your favorite fruits and berries and enjoy it all year round!