Jam is any sweet tooth treat. In modern society, when the food industry has reached a high level of production, you can buy almost any jam in the store. We will not judge its quality, because it depends on the manufacturer. But you can cook this dessert yourself. This is what our mothers and grandmothers did just recently. How to cook jam to make it tasty and fragrant?
Properly prepared jam preserves acids and sugars, which are found in large quantities in fruits. In addition, it has the taste and aroma of fresh fruit.
The very first thing you need to do before you make jam is to choose the right dishes. Previously, jam was cooked in large aluminum or brass basins. A stainless steel container can be used. Do not expect to cook a large amount of sweet treats at once. This greatly affects its quality. Take a container designed for about 2-6 kilograms. With a larger volume, you have to constantly mix the berries, which leads to their deformation. In addition, the cooking time increases and the taste, and the aesthetics of jam, are deteriorating.
Before you cook the jam, you need to rinse and dry the cooked dishes.
Now let's take care of the fruits. They need to be sorted out and washed. Gentle fruits are laid in a colander and several times lower it in a container of water. It is desirable that the fruits are the same, then the jam is boiled evenly.
If the fruits are solid, then it is recommended to hold them for several minutes in boiling water or pierce in several places. This is necessary so that they are well saturated with syrup.
Jam is cooked in several ways. Sometimes syrup is prepared, and then they are filled with cooked berries or fruits. After that they are boiled. Some recipes for making jam presume multiple boiling. But delicate berries are boiled once so that they retain their shape and appearance.
Syrup for jam is as follows. The required amount of granulated sugar is poured into the container. Then add water there and cook until completely dissolved. This syrup is poured into fruits and boiled. In the process of cooking, foam is formed, which must be removed.
The readiness of jam is determined by the absence of foam and the density of the liquid. If the fruits are not acidic, then for a richer taste add a little lemon juice or citric acid.
Properly prepared jam is transparent and the proportion of syrup and fruits in it is proportional.
And now a few recipes for this treat.
Here's how to make apricot jam. The recipe is for one kilogram of fruit. First you need to prepare the syrup. To do this, dissolve 5 cups of granulated sugar in 1.5 cups of water. Let’s boil. Prepare the fruit. You can use apricots whole with seeds, or you can remove a stone. But note that if there is a stone, the shelf life of the jam is reduced. Then pour the prepared fruits in syrup. Cook for about 3 minutes, and then remove from heat. We stand it for 7-8 hours. This procedure is repeated 3-4 times. At the end, add half a teaspoon of citric acid and a little vanillin. The jam should be transparent, almost an amber color.
And finally, how to cook raspberry jam. This is a delicate berry, and therefore such a dessert is not cooked for long. Prepared raspberries need to be filled with sugar and set aside for 5-6 hours. She must let the juice go. For one kilogram of berries we take 1-1.5 kilograms of sugar. Then put the container on the fire and cook. When the foam forms, it must be removed. After the jam boils, cook it for about 20 minutes. By this time, the foam should disappear. Then we pour it into banks.
Making jam is a laborious process. But a delicious homemade treat is worth the time and effort.