Prunes are dried plums of any variety. During the drying process, the plum acquires a “candy” taste, the sugar turns into a concentrated form. The product contains carbohydrates, proteins, potassium, vitamin K, and carotene. Jam made from such fruits is a vitamin-rich treat; it has a slight laxative effect, which is important for older people. Let's look at the intricacies of making prune jam for the winter, various types of recipes and preparation technologies.
Features of making prune jam for the winter
The best taste is achieved by jam in which the fruits are finely ground in a blender or passed through a fine sieve without skin. Before this, prunes are boiled in a small amount of water over low heat or kept in warm water for several minutes to soften and saturate with moisture.
Since fruits contain concentrated sugar, less sugar should be added to jam than to preparations made from fresh fruits, and at the end of cooking.
Product selection and preparation
Dried fruits are selected according to the following criteria:
- color – uniform, deep black, without excessive shine, white deposits or mold;
- density – medium, without liquid contents inside;
- aroma – pleasant fruity, without signs of mustiness;
- It is better to take it with seeds and remove them yourself due to the danger of excessive contamination and fragments of seeds getting into the fruit during industrial processing.
The drying material is thoroughly washed, first in a cup of water, and then in running water, and then heat treatment begins.
How to properly prepare containers?
Prune jam is a high-calorie product; 100 grams of it contain 241 kilocalories due to the large amount of sugar. Since you can’t eat a lot of it at once, it is advisable to choose containers from 300 to 500 grams.
Note! The thicker you plan to cook the jam, the wider the neck of the jar should be.
Lids can be made of metal, polyethylene or glass, with a locking mechanism. Wash the inside of the jars in a bowl with a solution of baking soda, rinse with running water, scald with boiling water or sterilize in boiling water for 5-7 minutes.
Best Recipes
Very tasty jam is made according to classic recipes - the way our grandmothers ground fruit, through a sieve and a meat grinder, as well as according to new recipes, with chocolate, spices and pectin.
Classic jam
If you take prunes without seeds, you should immediately heat them; if with seeds, then first steam the drying a little, then remove the seeds and cook again for 20-30 minutes. When cooking, pour water so that the fruit is completely covered with water by 2-2.5 centimeters.
Required Products:
- prunes – 500 grams;
- sugar – 250 grams.
After softening the prunes, rub them through a metal sieve. Add sugar to the remaining water after boiling the dried fruits and prepare a syrup, mix with the ground fruits and boil to the desired consistency. When hot, pour into jars, seal, and keep warm for 20-24 hours.
With pectin
Apple pectin is a natural thickener for fruit and berry preserves, jams, and jellies.
Important! After adding pectin, the boiling time for the jam should not exceed 3 minutes. If you cook longer, the pectin is partially destroyed.
Required Products:
- prunes – 1 kilogram;
- sugar – 600 grams;
- pectin “Pudov” – 1 sachet (10 grams);
Add water to dried fruits, boil until soft, chop. Combine the puree with the remaining water and sugar from cooking. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Mix a bag of pectin with two tablespoons of sugar and add to the jam. After 2-3 minutes, remove from heat. Place in jars, roll up, and let cool at room temperature.
Spiced
Unusual preparations can be prepared by adding ground cinnamon, clove buds, ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg to chopped prunes.
Required Products:
- prunes – 500 grams;
- freshly squeezed juice of one lemon;
- chopped nutmeg - 1/3 teaspoon;
- cinnamon – ½ teaspoon;
- sugar – 400 grams.
Soak dried fruits in hot water until softened. Grind in a blender. Add freshly squeezed juice of one lemon and sugar. Cook until desired thickness, at least 30 minutes. At the end of cooking, add spices. Pour into jars, roll up, cool at room temperature.
With chocolate
Prune jam with chocolate can be poured into silicone molds for baking cookies. By putting the treat in the refrigerator for one day, we get a wonderful chocolate dessert.
Required Products:
- prunes – 400 grams;
- chocolate pieces – 600 grams;
- sugar – 250 grams.
Soak dried fruits in water until they become soft, grind in a blender, add sugar. Leave for a period of 6 to 12 hours, for example overnight. Then cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Repeat the cooking procedure 2-3 times to obtain a non-spreading confiture.
Grate the chocolate or cut it into pieces and melt it in a saucepan. Fill the baking dish a little less than halfway. Place jam on top of the chocolate and pour chocolate on top.
After filling out all the cells of the form, put the dessert in the refrigerator. After hardening, transfer to a bag. In the refrigerator, the dessert can be stored for up to 3 months.
Through a meat grinder
Steamed dried fruits with the pits removed should be passed through a meat grinder.
Required Products:
- prunes – 1 kilogram;
- sugar – 750 grams.
Cover the crushed fruits with sugar and leave for 4-6 hours to soak. Place on low heat. After boiling, cook with constant stirring for 40 minutes. Pour hot into jars, seal, and warm under a blanket for 20-24 hours.
Rules for storing confiture
In a basement with a constant temperature of 3-4 degrees or on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, jam can be stored for up to 2 years. At room temperature, well-cooked thick confiture can be stored for up to 1 year..
