From berries and various fruits you can prepare a homemade sweet treat that will benefit the human body. We are talking about a simple dish - raspberry jam. It cooks very quickly. Even a beginner in cooking can cope with the task if he follows the important points.
Features of making raspberry jam
The delicacy can be prepared according to different recipes, each of which has its own cooking technology.There are rules that apply regardless of which recipe was chosen:
- Raspberries are a berry containing a minimal amount of gelling components. To get jam, you need to boil the mass for a long time with a lot of sugar. Adding ingredients such as pectin or gelatin will help reduce cooking time.
- Many housewives refuse raspberries because of the seeds. Their presence affects the taste of the jam. To make it tender, the berry mass is ground through a sieve and, adding water and sugar, is sent to the stove.
- After washing, dry the raspberries on paper towels. If you miss this, the excess moisture will make the mixture too watery. As a result, the jam will have to cook for a very long time.
When using gelling ingredients, pay attention to the recommendations specified by the manufacturer. The instructions on the package may differ from the directions in the recipe. In this case, you should follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Since the dosage has already been calculated, the jam will have a good taste and the required structure.
Preparing raspberries
Raspberries are one of the most delicate berries due to their structure. Reaching maturity, it begins to become limp, lose juice, and over time dries out or falls off.
After picking ripe raspberries, you must immediately start making jam. But before this, the berries need to be washed and cleaned of dirt and insects.
Small bugs can often be seen on raspberry branches and berries. Under no circumstances should they fall into the sweet mass. Soaking in salted water may solve the problem. After a few minutes, the insects will float up, and all that remains is to rinse the raspberries under running water. After water procedures, the berries are laid out on the surface to drain off excess liquid.
How to make confiture at home
If a person hears the word “confiture”, it may seem to him that this is some kind of exquisite dish made from overseas ingredients. But that's not true. We are talking about a delicacy that is prepared from simple ingredients. All components can be found in the kitchen.
Raspberry confiture acquires an incredible aroma after cooking. It is so tender that it melts in your mouth. The sweet mass can be spread on bread and eaten with tea. Winter preparations are used as a filling for pies, cookies and buns.
A simple recipe for the winter
Classic cooking technology involves the use of the following components:
- 1 kg raspberries;
- 1 kg sugar.
Preparation:
- Raspberries are washed and dried before cooking.
- The mass is placed in a cooking pan and covered with sugar. Cover the container with a lid and leave for 5-6 hours. During this time, the berries will release juice and the jam will not burn to the bottom of the pan.
- Place the raspberries on the stove and cook until bubbles appear. As soon as the mixture boils, set aside for 10 minutes, stirring it and collecting foam from the surface.
- Then turn the heat to low and continue cooking the jam until it thickens. As a rule, this takes up to 1 hour.
- Without removing the pan from the heat, the jam is poured into sterilized jars and sealed up for the winter.
If you simmer the jam for too long, it will become too thick. This also affects its quantity - there is less jam. After the cans have cooled, they are taken to the cellar. Jam can also be stored at room temperature.
With gelatin
Ingredients:
- 1 kg raspberries;
- 250 ml water;
- 1.3 kg sugar;
- half a teaspoon of gelatin;
- 2 g citric acid;
- 2 tbsp. l. boiled water (cooled).
How to prepare jam:
- Raspberries are prepared for cooking, while simultaneously preparing the gelatin mass.
- Mix citric acid with gelatin in a glass. Pour everything over with cooled 2 tbsp. l. water and mix.
- Raspberries are placed in a container, covered with sugar and filled with water.
- Place the pan with the mixture on the fire and wait for bubbles to appear. It is boiled for 10-15 minutes.
- Then add the gelatin mass to the raspberries and mix the jam quickly for a minute.
After this, they do not wait until the jam boils again, but pour it into jars. The cooked jam is laid out in sterilized glass containers. These can be jars with glass lids that can be stored in the refrigerator. The rest of the jam, sealed in jars, is taken out to a cold place.
In a slow cooker
You can also prepare raspberry jam in a modern kitchen device - a multicooker. A person only needs to download the necessary components and select a mode. Cooking is carried out in a special bowl. During cooking, open the multicooker lid to stir the sweet mass.
Seedless
To obtain a more tender mass, raspberries are ground through a sieve. This is very easy and simple to do. Raspberry jam obtains a homogeneous consistency. But this procedure affects its quantity. There is less raspberry jam.
No cooking
The result of cooking is “live” jam, which has an incredible berry aroma. You can make it using any grinder with added sugar. After the sugar has completely dissolved, store the raspberry mass in the refrigerator. A large amount of sugar and low temperature will not allow the berries to spoil.
With agar-agar
This substance is a good alternative to gelatin.Its taste is not felt in raspberry jam. Dissolves perfectly in raspberry juice. Allows you to achieve the desired thickness and consistency of jam.
Starch based
Acts as a thickener. It is a component of natural origin. Starch is dissolved in water and then added to the jam. This is done at the end of cooking.
With pectin
The ingredient allows you to make the jam thicker. Eliminates prolonged cooking. Reduces cooking time several times. When calculating the dosage, you must adhere to the manufacturer's recommendations.
With lemon zest
Raspberry itself is a sweet berry, devoid of sourness. With added sugar it becomes even sweeter. To diversify the taste, it is recommended to add lemon. Instead of juice, take the zest, grating it on a fine grater.
Frozen raspberry confiture
You can prepare confiture not only in the summer, when there are fresh raspberries. Frozen raw materials are also suitable for jam. The cooking technology is the same. Before cooking, the berries are left for some time to soften.
Storage
For daily use, the jar is placed in the refrigerator. It is always at hand and you can enjoy jam at any time. The rest of the batch is taken to the cellar or basement. You need to store the jam in the cold so that the mass inside the jar does not deteriorate.