Melon is a healthy summer product. It is very tasty, juicy and aromatic. Many housewives from melons make preparations for the winter in the form of compotes, jams, jams. From the article you will learn how melon is useful for the body, and what can be prepared from it. There are a lot of recipes from it, but we will consider the most basic ones. This is stewed fruit, jam and just canned melon. It gives a unique aroma and taste.
Beneficial features
Initially, this product was grown in Ancient Egypt, but in our country it appeared already in the 17th century. There are very few calories in melon, so nutritionists advise it. However, there is an opinion that this is heavy food for the stomach, so you should not abuse it.
Melon contains many vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, sodium and chlorine. Doctors recommend it with low hemoglobin, exhaustion. It is also used for cardiovascular diseases and mild atherosclerosis.
Melon is advised to use while taking antibiotics. Doctors claim that it removes toxins and enhances the effects of drugs. Due to the large number of enzymes, the intestines and pancreas are supported. With an upset stomach, melon tends to strengthen it.
If a person has weak immunity and is susceptible to various diseases, then this product is used to strengthen the body and restore strength. Doctors advise melon not to be taken with other foods. It can harm not only the intestines, but also the body as a whole. Mistresses often prepare melon for the winter. Recipes can be selected simple and quick.
Melon compotes
As mentioned earlier, many dishes can be prepared from this product. The most common is compote. From melon it turns fragrant and tasty. To prepare it, take:
- Melon - 0.5 kg.
- Water - 500 ml.
- Sugar - 100 gr.
First you need to clean the melon. Remove seeds and peel, and leave only the pulp. Cut it into cubes or stripes. Sprinkle the product with sugar and set aside. To let the melon start the juice, let it stand in a cold place for about 2.5 hours.
Now put water on the fire to boil. Then put melon with juice in it. Boil no more than 3 minutes. The more time the compote is on the stove, the less vitamins will remain.
When the liquid is boiled for 3 minutes, put it off the heat and cool. Now you can pour hot compote on pre-sterilized banks. Roll up and cover with a towel until it cools completely. Melon compote is ready. You can add mint leaves, a little plum or other compatible fruits. Compote will be more refreshing and rich.
Canned Melon
To preserve vitamins, the product must be properly prepared. Then it turns out a very tasty and healthy melon for the winter. The recipes are simple and quick.
To make canned melon, cook foods:
- Average melon - 3 pcs.
- Citric acid - 1 tsp.
- Sugar - 400 gr.
- Water.
Peel the melon. It is necessary to remove all the seeds and peel. Rinse the pulp under cold water, dry on a towel. Dice the product, leave. Cook the syrup for now. Take a liter sterile jar, put sugar and citric acid according to the recipe. Pour as much water as it fits, mix everything.
Pour the syrup into a container, put on a fire, boil. Meanwhile, put the melon slices in liter jars and pour in hot syrup. To preserve conservation for a long time, sterilize already full cans for at least 10 minutes. Roll up, cover with something warm until it cools completely.
Melon jam
This product is combined with many fruits. This is a pear, apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, lemons, etc. Therefore, you can experiment. However, for starters, try making classic jam. For this recipe, you need to prepare sugar (1 kg) and two lemons per 1 kg of melon pulp.
After the product has been cleaned of seeds and peel, cut the flesh into large cubes, fold into a container, pour sugar here and leave overnight.
In the morning squeeze juice from one lemon into a bowl with melon, put it all on a slow fire, mix and cook. The foam that forms must be removed periodically. Jam should be cooked for half an hour.
Meanwhile, you need to peel the second lemon and cut it with very small cubes together with the zest. Put it in a container with jam and continue to cook until it thickens. Try it, maybe you want a sweeter mass, then add more sugar.
Put the hot jam in jars, roll it up and place it under a warm blanket until it cools. It turned out not only a delicious melon for the winter, but also healthy. If you add bananas to the same jam, the jam will be sweeter, and oranges will give sourness. Many housewives add mint for a refreshing effect. It all depends on your preference.
Melon jam
To prepare this dish you will need a ripe and soft product. Jam is cooked like jam, but without pieces. Many housewives beat it with a blender to get a homogeneous mass.
For jam from melon, you need to take as much sugar per 1 kg of product. If you want to dilute the taste and make it sour, add lemon or 1 teaspoon of acid.
First, pour the melon with sugar, let it stand for about three hours. When juice has appeared, put on a slow fire until boiling. After the melon has become soft, beat it with a blender, boil for another 10 minutes and roll it hot. Melon jam is ready.
Experienced Cooking Tips
Many chefs believe cinnamon adds piquancy. Only it is advisable not to overdo it. One stick per liter jar is enough. Thanks to lemon, a sweet and sour taste is obtained.
For long-term preservation storage, experienced cooks always put at least one teaspoon of sugar in a jar on top. It is a good preservative. Melon for compotes, it is advisable to take solid, not a little ripened.
For jam, the product is taken soft. If you want to feel pieces of melon, then take harder. However, soft gives a lot of juice and aroma.
Choose the whole product. If the melon was chopped and beaten in places, it lost some useful properties. It is not worth making jam or stewed fruit from it. Do not buy the product if it is sold near the track. Imagine how much he absorbed harmful substances! From such a product you can get not so much benefit as harm.
For a richer flavor of jam or compote, put two mint leaves, a lemon zest or 3 pieces of cinnamon at the very end of the cooking. Then take it out. You will get a very pleasant aroma that will surprise your guests in the winter.
If you feel sorry for throwing the peel, try making marmalade from it. To do this, 1 kg of skin 2 kg of sugar and one liter of water. Marmalade is brewed for a long time, not everyone likes it. Therefore, to begin with, try to make at least 200 grams. this goodies.
Thanks to additional components, melon for the winter is not only tasty, but also fragrant. Try, experiment, and you will find exactly those recipes that will appeal to you.