Making jam

How pleasant in winter, under the sounds of frosty snowstorm outside the window, cozy in an armchair and wrapped in an old rug, open a jar of jam and drink tea with family or close friends… And if the jam will be handmade – then this pleasure increases in proportion to the number of twisted jars.

WHAT IS WHAT?

It is believed that the word “jam” originated around the time of A. . Pushkina. This dessert was boiled and steamed in a American oven until it was thick, and the process took from five to six hours, and now some hostesses, after boiling over low heat, place the jam in the oven and boil it down until it was thick and reduced in volume several times. In what way is our native jam different from similar products with foreign-language names??

Confit in France is any kind of jam. Do not get confused!

In general, jelly is a jelly-like dessert made of berries, fruits or even vegetables cooked in concentrated syrup with the addition of gelling agents such as pectin or agar, or citric acid. In confiture, the fruit retains its shape and spreads tightly in the mixture.

In jam, the fruit should be softened, and after cooking it will be deformed. Pectin and organic acids are also added if desired to this dessert, and sometimes the juice of fruits enriched with pectin.

Marmalade is a delicacy made from overripe fruits, which are boiled down to the consistency of puree and rubbed through a sieve. Add sugar or syrup only when the puree has thickened. By the way, in England marmalade is called any jam.

In Polish, powidło means “jam. When making jam, the fruit and berry puree is boiled with sugar, adding spices. Jelly has a sour-sweet taste, and if this effect is not achieved, then citric acid is added.

YOU’RE READY?

How to check if the jam is ready? To do this, drop it on a saucer or on a piece of refined sugar – the drop must retain its shape, not spread out. And during the boiling process, the fruit should become transparent and spread evenly throughout the syrup.

If the foam gathers in the center of a jam jar and does not break up around the edges, the dessert is ready. Experts recommend removing the foam during the boiling process.

When the jam has cooled, it is poured into jars. Most hostesses leave the finished jam overnight to infuse, and then can it.

HOW TO PREPARE JARS

One-liter jars are sterilized for 5-10 minutes in a water bath – for this purpose, buy a special round form with a hole for the neck of the jar. The mold is placed on the pan and the jar is placed “upside down” on top. The three-liter jars are sterilized for 15 minutes. You can sterilize small jars in the multicooker, aerogrill, steamer.

There is a way to sterilize jars in the oven. Put washed jars in several rows in the oven and let them stand for 10 minutes at 120-130 ºC. Once it has cooled, you can take it out. The jars will be dry.

WHAT TECHNIQUE TO USE?

On forums on the Internet you can find many ways to cook jam in the multicooker. Alas, more often than not, this is unverified information. The fact that the jam requires constant stirring while heating, so it is not quite a “multivar” format, when “closed the lid, set the time, press the button and go”. The jam will burn if there is not enough of it, or run away if there is a lot of it. This will clog the valve so much that you will have a hard time cleaning it.

The most convenient device for making jam is a bread machine.

Almost all models are equipped with special programs for jam, and the mixing paddles are excellent for preventing sticking.

NEGOTIRE AND PERE-

If you happen to overcook jam, it can get sugary. In such a case, add a tablespoon of water at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 0.5 liter and put the jar on a water bath. Heat the water to boiling point. The sugar grains will melt, and the consistency will be corrected.

Sweet berries for jam can also contribute to its sugaring. To avoid this, you can “hedge” in advance: per kilo of sugar put one quarter teaspoon of citric acid dissolved in a teaspoon of water.

If you have not cooked the jam properly, it can go sour. In order not to throw away the product, pour it into a pot, sprinkle sugar on top and boil until the top does not disappear.

HOW TO STORAGE?

Unlike other supplies, which are usually stored in basements and cold pantries, jam can be stored at home, in the apartment, but it is better to choose a dark and dry place.

The surface of an open jar with jam can be sprinkled with sugar a little – so it will be better preserved.

Properly cooked jam “lives” more than one winter, but it is not recommended to store it longer than two years. Cherry jam with seeds should be stored for no more than one year, as the hydrocyanic acid from the pips after this period will start to pass into the jam and it can be poisoned.