In the cold season, when there is a shortage of fresh fruits and berries, homemade preparations, such as jam, come to the rescue. It is good served with pancakes and pancakes, used as a layer for cakes, or just as a snack for tea. Try making jam from wild blueberries or locally grown blueberries. This berry contains many vitamins and antioxidants that will help maintain health all year round and will also delight you with its rich taste.
Specifics of making blueberry jam
Berry jam is prepared quite simply and does not require any special skills. However, in order for it to have the correct consistency, good taste and be stored for a long time, you need to know some nuances.
- Blueberries are very delicate and require careful handling during picking, washing and drying.
- When cooked for a long time, blueberries lose their flavor. Add lemon juice and zest, other berries or spices to the jam so that it is not bland.
- When preparing home canned food, always use only clean, sterilized containers, and keep your hands and all products used clean.
- To get a thick confiture, use gelatin or gelling sugar. The berry itself does not contain substances with a similar effect, as, for example, red currants.
How to prepare berries
Carefully sort out the blueberries, especially if they are not from your own plot. Remove berries that are too soft or unripe.
Gently rinse the remaining ones in a colander, being careful not to damage them. Allow the blueberries to air dry or pat lightly with paper towels, then cook according to your recipe.
How to make confiture at home
A simple recipe for the winter
You will need:
- 1 kg prepared blueberries;
- 0.8 – 1.2 kg sugar;
- 2 slices of lemon or 0.25 tsp. citric acid.
Preparation:
- To make simple berry jam, place the dove in a bowl or basin for cooking, cover with sugar for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. Sugar can be taken from 800 g to 1.2 kg, depending on how sweet the jam you want to get in the end.
- After the allotted time, the berries will release juice. Add lemon or citric acid to the container and cook over low heat, stirring and skimming, for about 25 minutes.
- Remove the jam from the heat, sterilize the jars in any way convenient for you, pour the berry mixture and roll up.
"Five Minute"
You will need:
- 1 kg of prepared blueberries, can be halved with blueberries or strawberries;
- 1.2 kg sugar;
- cinnamon stick.
Preparation:
- Place the pre-prepared berries in a cooking container and cover with sugar for 12 hours.
- After this, grind the mixture in a blender, add cinnamon (optional). Place the container on the fire, bring to a boil while stirring constantly and cook for exactly 5 minutes.
- Remove the finished jam from the heat, pour into sterilized jars and roll up in the usual way.
With gelatin
Blueberry jam with gelatin has a thicker, jelly-like consistency. It is good to use for filling biscuit rolls, buns, or simply spread on white bread.
You will need:
- 1 kg prepared blueberries;
- 1.2 kg sugar;
- 3 slices of lemon;
- 25 g gelatin.
Preparation:
- Cover the blueberries with sugar and leave overnight.
- Grind the berries with sugar and juice in a blender, add lemon slices and put on fire. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. When the jam has boiled for 5 minutes, turn off the heat and strain 200-250 ml of liquid (decoction) through a sieve.
- Cool the berry broth to 85-90 degrees. Pour gelatin into it, mix well.
- Strain the gelatin broth through a sieve back into the jam container. Warm over low heat for about 5 minutes without bringing the jam to a boil!
- Pour the finished jam into sterilized jars and roll up.
From frozen blueberries
Blueberries can be stored in the freezer for the winter. To do this, they are sorted out, spoiled and unripe ones are thrown away, washed well, dried and placed in bags or plastic containers. From frozen blueberries You can make jam at any time of the year.
You will need:
- 75 ml water;
- 600 g sugar;
- 500 g frozen blueberries;
- lemon, cinnamon optional.
Preparation:
- There is no need to defrost blueberries! First, cook the sugar syrup - pour sugar with water in a saucepan or pan with a thick bottom, you can add a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice. The mixture is brought to a boil and simmered over low heat until thickened.
- Frozen berries are poured into the boiling syrup, with constant stirring, bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Storage
In winter, it is best to store jam directly in the apartment (away from heating devices and light) or on a glassed-in loggia. Optimal conditions are temperature 10-15 degrees and low humidity. At temperatures less than 5 or more than 25 degrees, the jam may ferment or become moldy.
Even under ideal conditions, you should not store jam for longer than 3 years, and it will be most useful in the first year after preparation.
