The variety of crops grown on the site allows the summer resident to make jam from everything that grows. Its benefits are undeniable, it is only important to properly prepare and store the product, so that later in the winter you can drink tea with it or use it for pie fillings and dessert decorations.
- Basic rules for making melon jam
- Benefits of melon jam
- How to choose melon for jam
- A simple recipe for the winter
- Five-minute recipe
- Preparation
- Melon jam with ginger
- Melon jam in a slow cooker
- Melon jam in a bread maker
- Melon jam with banana and lemon
- Melon jam with grapefruit
- Cinnamon Recipe
- Melon and strawberry
- Melon jam with pear
- With apples
- Melon jam with watermelon rinds
- Melon jam with orange
- Melon jam without sugar
- Rules for storing jam
- How long can jam be stored?
Not all housewives make melon jam, but those who once tried to make it never refuse it again. If you want to surprise your guests with an unusual treat, it’s worth spending time preparing.
Basic rules for making melon jam
To prepare delicious melon jam, you should strictly follow the recipe instructions. It is undesirable to neglect any points; this greatly affects the finished product. The result is an unusual dessert that is healthy, aromatic and tasty:
- The melon for cooking is not overripe. If the structure of the fruit is too soft, it will become mushy during cooking. They select slightly greenish ones, or use melon pulp that is as close as possible to the skin.
- The utensils for preparing delicacies should be wide, aluminum or stainless steel. Preferably without damage to the surface.
- Melon jam should not burn. As is the case with all other types of dessert.
- Undigested jam has a beautiful color and pleasant aroma.
- To improve the taste, lemon juice or other ingredients that can diversify the taste are added to the melon. For example, citrus fruits, spices or vegetables.
- This delicacy is usually prepared over several days. This way the pulp retains its structure and is saturated with syrup.
Cooking 2 identical recipes at different times will not duplicate the taste. It turns out differently every time. You need to be prepared for this. This does not depend on the patience and diligence of the housewife. The taste is influenced by melon, which is the main ingredient. Its taste, aroma and degree of maturity.
The less time the fruit is cooked, the more useful it will remain.
There is nothing difficult in making melon jam. Despite numerous negative statements addressed to him, it’s still worth trying to cook. Perhaps this particular dessert will become the whole family’s favorite treat.
Benefits of melon jam
The diverse chemical composition has made jam famous not only as a dessert for tea, but also as a product useful for the human body. In boiled melon, the amount of useful elements is slightly reduced. But still, in terms of usefulness, this delicacy is equal to honey.
Melon jam contains:
- B vitamins;
- ascorbic acid;
- vitamin A;
- vitamin E;
- vitamin PP;
- fiber;
- organic acids;
- pectins;
- folic acid;
- chlorine;
- zinc;
- sulfur;
- fluorine;
- iodine;
- phosphorus;
- sodium;
- silicon;
- magnesium;
- calcium;
- copper;
- cobalt;
- iron;
- polyunsaturated fatty acids;
- amino acids.
The benefits of melon jam for the body are so wide that it is impossible to cover all the areas that are beneficially affected by this culture.
The fruit contributes to:
- strengthening the immune system;
- improving vision;
- stabilization of blood pressure;
- tissue restoration;
- improving hair structure;
- improving the condition of the dermis;
- normalization of metabolism;
- relieving tension and irritability;
- recommended as a prevention of atherosclerosis;
- has a diuretic effect and much more.
The beneficial effects on the human body are difficult to overestimate. Many should think about preparing melon jam for the winter solely for medicinal purposes.
The only negative is the high calorie content of the product and sweetness. Diabetics should use this crop with caution.
How to choose melon for jam
The choice of fruits for cooking is carried out according to several criteria.First, it is recommended to purchase melons that are slightly greenish. Their structure does not collapse during cooking. They also choose a specific variety of melon. Some housewives do not use the pulp itself, but the peels. They boil less and maintain the integrity of the structure.
It is important when selecting melons for jam to be based on the result; soft fruits are more suitable for purees and jams. And if you use them for jam, you get porridge. The greenish fruit is cut with curly knives, so the finished dessert looks unusual and beautiful.
The maturity of the fruit is determined by the stalk; soft ones are suitable for fresh consumption. Such a melon will be ripe, aromatic and tasty. The dense and slightly greenish stalk indicates that the fruit is quite suitable for jam.
Do not ignore the smell emanating from fresh melon; the stronger it smells, the more aromatic the jam will be.
If the fruit is large but light, it is better not to buy it. Most likely it has shriveled up. And when cooked it will not give the desired effect.
A simple recipe for the winter
In order for melon jam to be stored for a long time, it should be cooked longer. But the finished jam has the peculiarity of not spoiling even under high positive storage conditions.
Even a beginner in this matter can prepare the simplest recipe for making jam. First you need to prepare the melon for harvesting. To do this, remove the skin, seeds and cut the melon into pieces. For 1 kg of prepared cubes add 500-600 g of sugar. The required amount of granulated sugar is calculated taking into account the sweetness of the fruit and individual preferences.
The prepared melon pulp and sugar are combined and allowed to stand, this is necessary for the liquid to appear. Then the workpiece is placed on the fire and allowed to boil. Remove and leave until completely cool.This way the sweet syrup soaks into the chopped flesh.
After this, put it back on low heat, bring to a boil, boil for 5-10 minutes, and roll into jars. Do not neglect consistency in preparation. If you follow these steps, you get tasty, aromatic and healthy melon jam.
Pre-sterilize the jars.
Five-minute recipe
This recipe is designed to be consumed immediately; it is not suitable for long-term storage. The preparation is called so because it is prepared very quickly.
Preparation
The preparation of the melon is carried out as follows: it is washed, then wiped dry. Cut into small cubes. Sugar is added at a ratio of 1:2. Squeeze lemon juice into it, half is enough. Bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes. and can be served.
If you roll jam into jars according to this recipe, they should be stored for no more than 3 months.
Melon jam with ginger
For piquancy, many housewives add various ingredients to the jam, which enrich the taste and increase the benefits of the preparation.
To make delicious jam according to this recipe you will need melon, vanilla and sugar, orange, cinnamon, ginger.
Cut the fruit weighing 1.9 kg into cubes, place in a saucepan for cooking, grate 55 g of ginger, add juice from 1 orange, add 150 g of sugar. Mix all ingredients and let stand for 2-3 hours.
When the melon is steeped, add 1.5 liters of water and add another 1.150 kg of sugar. Place on the fire and heat until the grains are completely dissolved. Continue to simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, more if possible.
Before finishing cooking the jam, add 4 g of cinnamon and 2 g of vanilla. Divide the dessert into prepared containers, cool, and store.Making jam according to this recipe is not difficult, but the taste of the finished delicacy will amaze all household members and guests at the table.
Melon jam in a slow cooker
If you have a multicooker at home, you can use it to prepare a wonderful dessert from this fruit. You just need to add orange and sesame to it. The finished delicacy is used as a pie filling, added to porridge and served with tea.
First of all, prepare the pulp of 1 orange, remove the peel and remove the white films. All the bitterness of citrus is concentrated in them; removing them gets rid of the bitter aftertaste. The finished slices are cut into small pieces in any way. Cut 700 g of melon pulp into small cubes.
The first layer is a melon, the second is an orange, all covered with 400 g of sugar. Pour in vanilla and 30 g of sesame seeds.
Set the mode in which the delicacy is prepared; the best option is stewing. Cooking time - hour. Every 10 min. You need to stir the jam, and after finishing, spread it into prepared containers. Then they cover with lids and wrap in blankets. After complete cooling, put away for storage.
Melon jam in a bread maker
There are a lot of options for preparing healthy treats. One such recipe is cooking dessert in a bread machine. To make this delicacy, you need to buy melon, sugar and 1 packet of vanilla, quittin, citric acid.
Cut the main ingredient into thin small cubes, the mass of the workpiece should be 1 kg. Cover the melon with granulated sugar in a 1:1 ratio. Mix thoroughly with sugar and leave at room temperature for 1 hour.
Pour the resulting melon mass into the oven mold, pour in 1 tbsp boiled water, or make it honey. To do this, take 1/3 honey and 2/3 water. Add 3 g of citric acid there. Those who wish can substitute lemon juice.
The final touch is the introduction of Quittin, it will make the mass jelly-like. Set the oven to jam mode for an hour. The finished dessert is placed in jars and becomes thicker as it cools.
Melon jam with banana and lemon
In order to make the taste of the jam more varied, various fruits, citruses and others are added to the melon. The dessert option with banana and lemon will appeal to many people with a sweet tooth. Below is a step-by-step recipe for its preparation:
- Step 1. The lemon must be cut into 2 parts, you will need citrus juice and sliced parts of the fruit.
- Step 2. Wash the melon in cold water, remove the peel and seeds, cut into thin slices, the mass of the workpiece should be 700 g. Pour 500 g of granulated sugar into it and add 60 ml of water. Leave at room temperature for several hours.
A prerequisite for preparing any melon jam recipe is to give the fruit time to sit with sugar. This will allow more liquid to appear and the workpiece will acquire a beautiful golden hue when finished. Because of this, the delicacy received the name “sun jam”.
- Step 3. Pour in lemon juice squeezed from 1 half of citrus. Cook for half an hour. While the dessert is boiling, you should stir constantly, as the jam will burn.
- Step 4. After time, add 2 bananas, cut into slices, and slices of chopped second half of lemon.
- Step 5. Cook the dessert over low heat until the bananas become soft. Afterwards, increase the heat and cook until the desired thickness, since this method of preparing jam contains a large amount of liquid. Approximate time 20-30 minutes.
- Step 6. The finished delicacy is poured into sterilized jars, rolled up and stored under a covering material until completely cooled.Cooled containers are removed for storage.
The finished dessert is served with tea or used at your discretion.
Melon jam with grapefruit
Jam with this fruit is no less popular with housewives than any other. You will need 1 kg of melon, 750 g of granulated sugar, 1 grapefruit.
The pulp is cut into cubes, covered with sugar and left for 10-12 hours. After time has passed, you need to put it on low heat, bring to a boil, and cook for 8 minutes.
Then remove from heat and leave the preparation for a day. Put it back on the fire and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off and leave for 7 hours.
Next, prepare the grapefruit, cut it into small pieces, and add to the boiled melon. Leave on low heat, stirring constantly for 20 minutes. Further, the procedure is the same for all dessert recipes. Twist it and put it under the blanket until it cools.
Cinnamon Recipe
Cinnamon in any form adds piquancy to the finished dish. Melon jam is no exception. This recipe uses ground spice. In addition, you need to purchase 2 lemons and a melon weighing at least 2.5-3 kg. Granulated sugar for this delicacy will be needed in the amount of 950 g.
Preparing the pulp is similar to other recipes. It is cut into cubes or slices, squeezed lemon juice and 0.3 kg of sugar are added. Give it time to brew and release the juice.
In the meantime, you need to cook sugar syrup from the remaining granulated sugar and 1 liter of water. Hot syrup is poured over the infused melon pulp. Mix well and place on low heat. Cook to desired degree of thickness. When the jam is ready, you need to remove it from the heat and add cinnamon. The finished treat is placed in jars and stored in a room at a suitable temperature.
Melon and strawberry
The combination of these ingredients gives an amazing taste. Every housewife can surprise guests with an unusual dessert for tea. To prepare you will need 1 kg of the main ingredient, 0.6 kg of strawberries, honey (optional) 200-300 g, water.
Cut the fruits into pieces, pour honey and water syrup. Boil for half an hour, stirring constantly, and collect the foam. Pour the finished product into jars and let stand until cool. Then put it away for storage.
Melon jam with pear
An ordinary pear will help diversify the taste of this sunny delicacy. To prepare it you will need 1 kg of ripe fruits, melon pulp weighing 0.85 kg, 0.9 kg of sugar, half a liter of water, 25 pink peppercorns, 110 ml of grapefruit essence.
Pears need to be washed, wiped dry, and the core removed. Cut into slices with peel. At the same time, cook the sugar syrup, after it becomes transparent, add the chopped pears to it.
Bring to a boil, cook for 5-7 minutes, let cool and repeat. And so on a total of 3 times. At the same time, prepare the melon pulp, cut into arbitrary pieces. Add it to the syrup along with whole or chopped peppercorns. Repeat the same steps again as when preparing the pear syrup. 2 minutes before readiness, pour in the grapefruit essence. Place into jars and store.
With apples
There are many options for making melon jam with the addition of these fruits, but there is the most popular one. For it you will need 1.5 kg of melon, 0.5 kg of granulated sugar, 1 lemon, 0.35 kg of apples. Their flesh should be quite dense.
First of all, prepare the lemon zest, approximately 1 tsp. for the entire volume of products used.It needs to be grated on a fine grater without touching the citrus pulp.
The melon is cut into random pieces and crushed in a meat grinder or blender. The apples are washed and cored, and the resulting pieces are cut into cubes no larger than 3 cm in diameter.
Melon is mixed with sugar in a separate container. Bring to a boil over low heat. After boiling, reduce the heat to minimum, stirring constantly. Then the mass is brought to a state of transparent ductility.
The foam that forms on the surface must be removed.
Add apples with zest, after boiling, cook for 5 minutes. The finished delicacy is placed in jars and placed under a blanket or warm blanket until it cools down. Storage conditions are standard, there are no differences.
Melon jam with watermelon rinds
A good housewife never has too much. When a purchased watermelon turns out to be thick-skinned, it is used to benefit the family. The crusts are not thrown away, but an excellent delicacy is prepared from it, which will appeal to all those with a sweet tooth.
Housewives are advised to leave a little pink pulp on the crusts; this will give the finished dessert a beautiful appearance in the end result. To prepare, you need 0.5 kg of melon and watermelon rinds, 0.4 kg of sugar and 0.6 liters of water. Add water as desired; the taste of the finished jam will not change. Cut the skin off the crusts and cut everything into cubes.
To maintain shape when cooking, housewives give advice. Need 30 min. keep the chopped pulp in salted water, then 10 minutes. in boiling water.
Sprinkle the mixture with sugar or pour in separately brewed syrup. Let stand for 10-12 hours, then cook. If you don’t want to wait that long, dessert is prepared as follows.Place the diced fruits on the fire, bring to a boil, cook for 5-10 minutes, and remove. Let it stand for 3 hours, and repeat everything again, and so on 4 times. At the end of cooking, put into jars, cool, and store.
Melon jam with orange
Citrus fruits combined with the main ingredient add benefits and an unusual taste and appearance to the dessert. To prepare you will need 2-3 oranges, 1500 g of pulp of the main ingredient, 700 mg of water and 2 kg of sugar.
Cut the melon into arbitrary pieces and add 500 g of sugar, mix thoroughly and let it brew at room temperature for 3 hours.
Meanwhile, syrup is prepared from the remaining sugar and water. Allow to cool slightly, then pour into the melon mixture. Cover with thick material and leave for a day.
The syrup must be drained, boiled and added to the melon again. Leave to infuse for 8-10 hours.
Cut the oranges along with the zest. Combine with the present preparation. Cook until the consistency becomes thick. Place into jars and store.
Melon jam without sugar
This dessert is cooked with the addition of honey. The taste only improves from this. You will need 1 kg of pulp, 0.5 kg of honey, 1 lemon and 3 g of vanilla.
Melon cut into arbitrary pieces is poured with honey, mixed well and left for 5 hours. Before starting to cook, add lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and leave to brew for another 10 hours. Before putting the workpiece to cook a second time, pour in vanilla. Boil for 10-15 minutes. Dessert is ready. If you want to achieve a thicker consistency, you need to repeat the infusion process again.Once completed, pour into pre-prepared jars.
Rules for storing jam
In many ways, the result of housewives’ work depends on proper storage of workpieces. If any conditions are violated, the jam is lost and all the work along with it.
The basis for favorable preservation is proper seaming. Take small jars, sterilize them and be sure to dry them. Do this naturally or in a warm oven. The lids must be undamaged, intact and evenly covered with a protective layer.
It is best to store jam that contains acid. As for consistency, thick jam is better than thin jam.
The storage temperature of finished products is +10…+17 ⁰С. The sun's rays should not penetrate into the room.
If the jars are closed with paper lids, the room must be dry, otherwise the top layer of the preparations becomes moist and the product becomes harmful for consumption.
Jars that are rolled up with tin lids are stored at high humidity and at lower and higher temperatures. Only the lids are lubricated with Vaseline to prevent the oxidation process.
You cannot store jam at sub-zero temperatures. It may freeze.
Suitable storage conditions are in the refrigerator. But some housewives make a lot of blanks, and they simply don’t fit, as they take up all the free space.
You can store melon delicacy in your apartment, but only on condition that the air temperature does not rise above +20 ⁰C. The place in which the jars will be located is chosen to be dark and, if possible, cool. Following simple rules will ensure that the entire harvest will be saved. And the housewife’s labors will not be in vain.
How long can jam be stored?
Melon jam made in accordance with all the rules and requirements can be stored for several years. The only exception is those berries that were harvested with seeds. It is necessary to strictly monitor the external condition of the covers. The slightest changes indicate that the product is beginning to deteriorate. This jam cannot be stored for a long time.
Particular attention is required to those types of preparations whose berries have been rolled with seeds. The toxicity that is released from them at a certain point reaches a level that is dangerous to the human body. Such preparations are stored for 6 months.
It’s rare that a housewife will take up the task of making melon jam. But its taste and benefits are so valued that it is necessary to prepare it. There shouldn’t be any difficulties, all recipes are described in great detail. To prepare them you need to strictly follow the instructions. And a sunny dessert will delight your household in the depths of winter.