What is jam? The answer to this question is sought by many housewives during the conservation period. If we compare the resulting product with the usual jam, then we can note that it is much more convenient to use. It can be spread on bread, filled with straws, pies, cakes and any other pastries. It differs not only in appearance, but also in the way of cooking. About it further.
What is jam?
Jam is a dense homogeneous mass, in appearance which is very similar to confiture, but only it is not so dense. The main difference from jam - jam resembles jelly. Jam is a syrup and whole or pieces of fruit, berries. Jam is characterized by uniformity.
Jam can be prepared by boiling fruits using sugar or sugar syrup, sometimes with the addition of food acids, various spices and food pectin.
Most dictionaries have a definition of jam. This is a sweet and thick jam, cooked in a certain way from fruits or berries, resembling a thick jelly. The appearance and properties of the product is different from jam. In jams, the fruits used are completely boiled, mixed with syrup, do not retain their original shape.
Types of jam
Jam can be pasteurized and unpasteurized.
The unpasteurized is cooled to 40-60 ° C and filled in three doses. Close and leave for a day in an upright position for the formation of jelly.
Pasteurized jam is Packed at a temperature of 70 ° C, tightly closed and pasteurized.
Another difference between jam and jam is that it does not spread on a horizontal surface. The readiness of the products is checked as follows: the drop should immediately harden.
How to make jam
To prepare a truly delicious treat, you must adhere to several rules.
- For cooking, ripe and even slightly crushed fruits of different sizes are suitable. The basic rule is the presence of a large number of pectins in the composition of the raw material, this provides the necessary viscosity of the final product.
- Ideal for cooking apples, plums, currants, quinces. First, the fruits must be blanched, and only then cook until tender in sugar syrup. Large fruits can be cut into pieces. They should boil well.
- Cooking begins at high temperature to quickly get rid of excess fluid. Then the fire is reduced and cooked slowly so that the sugar syrup does not stick to the walls of the dishes.