When the canning season is in full swing, housewives prepare both regular food and sweet desserts for the winter. One of the most original sweets is jam, which is made from the popular fruit of our country - apple. It differs from jam in its ease of preparation, taste and consistency. It can be eaten on its own or used for baking.
- Specifics of preparation
- How to choose and prepare apples correctly
- How to make apple jam at home
- A simple recipe for the winter
- Apple confiture with cinnamon and lemon
- Apple jam with lingonberries
- In a slow cooker
- With orange
- With chokeberry
- In the bread machine
- Sugarless
- Without sterilization
- From sour apples
- Storage
Specifics of preparation
The peel contains pectin, a substance responsible for its jelly-like consistency. But, when making jam, the skin is cut off. To get the proper result, you have to cook it a little longer. On the one hand, this is even better, since the jam thickens well.
Some housewives leave the peel and cook apple slices with it. After this, you have to take a sieve and wipe the mass so that it becomes homogeneous. To make the fruits cook faster, they are grated or finely chopped with a knife. If you don’t want to thoroughly chop the fruit, you can cut it into 4 parts.
How to choose and prepare apples correctly
The process begins with product selection and preparation. It is better to give preference to local fruits, since imported ones are not suitable for jam. The best dessert is made from late apple varieties. Their peculiarity is the preservation of their dense structure and aesthetic appearance.
Apples picked in summer are not suitable, as they turn out loose during cooking. But some people may like the mushy state, then they should take semi-juicy fruits. Regardless of the type of jam, the fruit must be clean, without seeds or stems, and any wrinkled areas must be cut off.
How to make apple jam at home
Jelly-like apple jam is an amazing dessert that is easy to make yourself. If you don’t have cooking skills, prepare the dish according to the classic recipe. It contains a minimal number of ingredients, which does not affect the taste in any way. In the future, you can improve the recipe by adding various ingredients and using special techniques.
A simple recipe for the winter
The easiest recipe that includes only two ingredients:
- apples;
- sugar.
Step-by-step preparation:
- Take equal amounts of apples and sugar.
- Place the chopped fruits in a saucepan and add sugar.
- Leave for 2 hours so that the sugar melts a little. Place on medium heat.
- As soon as the mixture boils, reduce the heat, continuing to stir.
- Gradually it will become thick. In this case, you need to constantly remove the foam.
- To make the apple mass homogeneous, at the end of cooking, additionally chop it with a blender.
According to this recipe, jam is prepared quickly. It can be consumed immediately or preserved for the winter. In the second case, it is distributed into sterilized jars and sealed.
During cooking, make sure that the jam does not burn to the bottom of the pan.
Apple confiture with cinnamon and lemon
If not everyone in the family likes sweets due to its homogeneous structure, you should not give up the dish and your favorite apple flavor. There is a way out of the situation - cook jam. This is one of the varieties of jam. The peculiarity of confiture is that the finished product consists of pieces of aromatic apple pulp. And cinnamon and lemon will help revive the usual taste.
Apple jam with lingonberries
Apple and lingonberry jam is a classic recipe that will never lose popularity. Sweet and sour apples and tart lingonberries are a wonderful combination. The resulting product has a “zest”. The taste and color are somewhat reminiscent of currant jelly (from red currants). For cooking, fruits are taken in equal proportions or depending on taste preferences.
In a slow cooker
A multicooker can help in cooking. Every modern housewife cannot imagine cooking without this assistant. Essentially, this is the same pan, which is presented in the form of a bowl.Thanks to the even distribution of heat, apple jam is much more aromatic and the structure is softer. It's even easier to make than using a saucepan.
With orange
The orange in apple jam has a characteristic citrus sourness. The sweet and sour taste, bright color and rich aroma will appeal to everyone. During cooking, only orange pulp is used without transparent partitions. To further diversify the taste, aroma and consistency, the jam can be cooked with the addition of chopped zest. During the cooking process, the pieces of skin become sweet and tingle pleasantly in the mouth after chewing.
With chokeberry
People call it chokeberry - a berry with a lot of nutrients. Thanks to rowan, the color is dark and rich. Even gourmets will like the original taste. Preparation in the form of apple and rowanberry jam will provide a person with vitamins and all the necessary components in the winter.
In the bread machine
In addition to the multicooker, bread makers are no less popular. Almost everyone has a “Jam” mode. Using a device for cooking will save time for the housewife. While the apples are cooking, you can go about your other daily activities. Moreover, the taste of this jam is also wonderful.
Sugarless
If a person adheres to proper nutrition and does not want to give up apple jam, there is a way out. You can make apple jam without sugar. It turns out just as piquant and aromatic, and the cooking process is no different from the usual. Before you start cooking, you need to choose sweet apples.
Without sterilization
When making apple jam, you can bypass the sterilization process.After all, you don’t want to tinker with jars, make a steam bath, achieving almost medical sterility. Pasteurization will help ensure long-term storage. The cooked jam is placed in jars, covered with a lid and boiled in a container filled with water. The pasteurization process destroys microbes and makes the jam suitable for consumption even without sterilization.
From sour apples
Sour and sweet varieties of apples differ in taste. Some people prefer sweetness, others prefer sourness. Recipes for sour apple jam are designed for such a case. As a rule, they are tougher and have to be boiled to become soft. They have one important advantage - they are most suitable for jam due to their gelling properties.
Storage
The finished jam does not have to be sent to the shelves in the cellar or pantry. They can be enjoyed at any time of the year. If the dessert is not intended for long-term storage, it is placed in the refrigerator and eaten whenever. In this case, you need to ensure that liquid and baking crumbs do not fall into the container with the mixture. Otherwise, it will begin to deteriorate quickly.