In the summer abundance of fruits and berries, lazy housewives willingly boil jam, compotes, jams and preserves. And among all the sweet preparations, strawberry jam is almost the most respected among children (and among adults too). It is not only served for tea or smeared on bread, but also used as a filling for a wide variety of pastries.
Just jam
To begin with, the initial stage of procurement by the hostesses is carried out in different ways. Some simply fill the berries with sugar and immediately put the bowl on the fire. However, the majority still insist that strawberries should let the juice go first. To this end, berries with sugar are left overnight (or even longer) to stand somewhere in a secluded place in the kitchen.
Another secret: to get a thick and dense strawberry jam, you need to cook it in several approaches. Berries in sugar (800 g of sand is taken on their kilo) are put on fire. When the mass boils, it mixes and, after boiling again, is removed from the stove. For several hours, the future strawberry jam is infused and again placed on the burner. And so several times, until a drop on the saucer does not remain a hill. Ready jam is wiped through a sieve or a small colander to remove the bones. To make a thick jam, the recipe suggests adding a little (half a tablespoon per liter) of starch to it. But this is not necessary. If you cook it longer, it is already remarkably compacted.
Strawberry and Apple Jam
Often, favorite berries are combined with other fruits. So they leave less, and strawberry jam is not so sugary. Cooking it in this case has its own characteristics. First, washed strawberries are boiled for three minutes in a small volume of water - a glass per kilo of berries. Scalded strawberries are rubbed, the seeds are thrown out. Apples cut into slices are similarly boiled (for 10 minutes, they are harder) and wiped. Both mashed potatoes are combined in a basin. When the mass boils, it is boiled for eight minutes with stirring, and only then sugar is added - the same 800 g, but already per kilo of the mixture from mashed potatoes. Apple and strawberry jam is boiled for about three quarters of an hour. Readiness is checked in the same way as in the first recipe. If you cooked for the winter, arrange in clean jars, sterilize for 20 minutes. and clog. If you are going to eat it in the foreseeable future - just cover it with a plastic lid and hide in the refrigerator.
Strawberry Lemon Jam
For him, berries and citruses are laid at the same time. The yellow skin is removed from the lemons (one and a half kilos) (the white layer is left), they crumble finely and pour into strawberries (two kilograms). The pan is placed on a small fire. When the juice begins to stand out, sugar is poured in parts (a kilogram and a quarter). Cook, stirring, it is necessary to thicken. A small nuance: if you are preparing lemon-strawberry jam for the winter, you cannot roll it right away. A couple of days it should "breathe" in open banks. What is interesting: the addition of lemons (or citric acid) allows the berries to keep a saturated color in the jam.
How to cook jam in a slow cooker
It is not without reason that the device is so called - its multifunctionality will also help to prepare for winter. Moreover, the process will take much less attention and effort. To cook the jam in a slow cooker, half a sugar and a third of a glass of water are taken per kilogram of strawberry. Berries are laid in a bowl, a little water is poured into them and “stewing” is turned on for an hour. Occasionally stirring will be harmless. The resulting mass is transferred to a blender, sugar is added and mashed. In the same mode, jam in the slow cooker will stay for another hour and a half, until you are satisfied with its density.
Strawberry donuts
This baking is welcomed by all of humanity. It is made from yeast dough, which you can make according to your favorite recipe and using family secrets. The only wish: still choose a sponge dough. From it, donuts are made more lush and airy. When the dough comes up, it is crushed again and divided into equal pieces. Balls roll out of them, which should be pressed lightly on top, so that they acquire a flattened shape. They are laid out on a table sprinkled with flour, covered with a clean napkin and left alone for half an hour. During this time, they will straighten out and become more magnificent. Then in a deep frying pan, a large amount of vegetable oil is heated very much. In it, for three minutes under the lid, jam donuts are fried from one side and the same amount, but in open dishes, from the other. Finished balls are laid out on a paper towel or in a wide sieve so that the glass has excess oil. In them, strawberry jam is introduced into the culinary syringe. It remains to sprinkle the donuts with powdered sugar or pour melted chocolate and invite the children to feast on. If you try, they will forget about the store sweets, and you will cook donuts with jam regularly.