So many various recipes about preparation of jam can be found floating around the Internet. But, any of them doesn't open those important secrets which were kept for us by our grandmothers, preparing for the grandchildren fragrant jars with various sweet filling. And correct implementation of all requirements when cooking this dessert, does it such what we adored it in the childhood!
Jam – the most favourite and tasty house product which doesn't demand huge costs of the preparation. It is the only dessert which is adored both children, and adults. One of important qualities of this type of sweeties, the ability to satisfy the main condition is: be stored and not wander as long as possible. Therefore, when choosing raw materials, it is necessary to pay special attention to its appearance.
For preparation of jam it is necessary to use the ripe, intact fruits, without existence of dark stains on a peel surface. Also preparation of fruits and their cooking should be carried out at thorough observance of receptions which are provided below. In that case, the received product not only for a long time will keep all the gustatory qualities, but also will serve as good vitamin addition in cold winter evenings.
The berries subject to the greatest corrosion, it is necessary to process with a certain care. At first all garbage, fruit stems and leaves is removed. Then deep capacity is filled with water and in it berry pours out. Shaking up it a hand a little, berries will begin to emerge. We get them it is accurately spread in a colander that glasses from them water. Berry which isn't strongly damaged (a gooseberry, cherry, a sea-buckthorn) it is possible to wash out a baking plate the crane, using the same colander.
The majority of fruits is cooked in a sugar syrup of various fortress, also the majority of berries can be made, filling up with granulated sugar.
Ware for cooking
To cook jam in due form, it is possible to use ware from stainless steel, or aluminum. But the big enameled basin in which it is much more convenient to mix contents will be the best option. It isn't desirable to use copper ware. On it there is a scurf of green color when cooking sour fruits and berries that affects not only quality of jam, but also on your organism.
What needs to be remembered when using a sugar syrup
It is impossible to subject fruits and berries to long cooking. First, the advantage of it will be minimum. Secondly, all juice from fruits will appear in a sugar syrup because of what, they will lose the attractive look and at the use will be rigid and dry on taste.
In order that it didn't happen fruits and berries cook several times, immersing them in syrup. As soon as syrup with contents begins to boil, it is removed from fire and left for a couple of hours to be defended. In that case syrup will saturate fruits and in the subsequent cooking won't spoil jam. When on a jam surface at preparation the light white scurf it means that it is time to remove a skin appears.
The sugar syrup shouldn't turn out dark or viscous at all. If syrup turned out successful, then it will be thinnish and translucent and it means that the proportion of water and sugar was correctly sustained.
Preparation of syrup requires accurate addition of sugar:
- on blackcurrant, strawberry, raspberry, cherry jam it is necessary to take ½ glasses of water on 1.5 kg of granulated sugar;
- for plums jam, apricots and peaches on 1.5 kg of sugar 2 ½ of a glass of water.
How to prepare syrup
There is one small cunning thanks to which sugar doesn't burn in ware. It is necessary to pour at first in capacity water and practically to bring it to the boil. And only after that it is possible to add in the small portions sugar to water, without forgetting to stir slowly before full dissolution. After sugar is dissolved, we bring to the boil and we remove from a plate. Syrup is ready.
We cook jam
Here not to be necessary any intricate recipe where everything needs to be carried out step by step. Everything is much simpler. We pour out the washed-up, processed, cut fruits or berries in deep ware (the enameled basin) and we fill in with the syrup received hot, but not boiling.
In order that jam turned out juicy and fragrant, we leave a basin alone for 3-4 hours that fruits and berries became impregnated with syrup and at the same time gave it a part of the juice. Further usual process of cooking begins. If syrup was prepared correctly, then its fortress will be no more than 70%, and a boiling point – 106 ̊ Page. As soon as the boiling point reaches 107 ̊ With, cooking needs to be stopped.
To check jam cooked or not, we will be helped by a classical method. For this purpose on a paper table napkin we drip our jam. If the drop doesn't spread – everything is ready and if edges blurred – it is necessary to continue cooking.
There is such simplest, and the clear recipe helped us to make very tasty and useful jam which, despite caloric content will be to the taste to all sweet teeth.
One more useful piece – to put citric acid or juice of a lemon in jam. Then jam from sour fruits will develop a delicate flavor and citrus aroma, having become much more tasty. At the same time the lemon and citric acid help the turned-out jam to keep the consistence and not to become candied long.
How to store ready jam
Ready jam needs to be cooled and already cold to spill on banks which underwent sterilization in advance. It is impossible to twist, in order to avoid emergence of a mold. Jam has to breathe. For this purpose we cover banks with dense parchment and we tie a twine. It is necessary to store in the cool dry place.
The rule which nobody cancelled
Never you cook jam if you are going to prepare something still. In your kitchen there should be no foreign smells, otherwise jam will absorb them in itself why at the use the unpleasant smack will be felt.
Having taken all listed above advice, you receive the real jam which will be appreciated by your house. Enjoy your meal!