Winter raspberry jam is a very tasty and aromatic delicacy. Ezhemalina is rarely found in home gardens, but those who grow it are extremely pleased with the hybrid of raspberries and blackberries. It is easy to care for, the fruits are juicy and very tasty. The hybrid bears fruit for a long time, closer to autumn, when other berries have already departed. There are many recipes for winter preparations from this crop.
The nuances of making raspberry jam
The hybrid has features that need to be taken into account when making jam:
- raspberries are not juicy enough, so you will need to add water when cooking;
- to obtain a thicker product without increasing the cooking time, add more sugar or use gelling additives: pectin, agar, gelatin;
- Instead of gelling agents, you can add apples, gooseberries, and red currants to the recipe - they contain natural pectin.
Selection and preparation of berries
To prepare a winter delicacy, fruits of the same ripeness are selected. After picking, you should not wash them if the raspberries are already ripe, otherwise the berries will become wrinkled and lose their original appearance. Preparing for cooking involves sorting if the raspberries were picked unripe and have stalks and twigs.
Ripe raspberries, as a rule, are already collected clean, and there is no need to touch them again.
Preparation of containers
It is best to use small jars with a volume of up to 500 milliliters as containers for raspberry jam. Before putting the finished product into jars, they are washed, sterilized and dried.
Tips for preparing containers:
- as a detergent, it is better to prefer laundry soap, or a mixture of soda and mustard powder;
- for washing you need to take a new sponge for dishes;
- The simplest methods of sterilization are heating in a microwave oven and boiling in water;
- You need to dry the jars on a clean towel until all the moisture has evaporated.
To sterilize in the microwave, pour a little water into the container and heat it for five minutes at a power of 700-900 Watts. The lids are boiled separately in a saucepan.
Having chosen the boiling method, you should place the jars together with their lids in a pan of hot water and boil for up to ten minutes. Then remove it carefully so as not to burn yourself and leave to dry.
How to make raspberry jam for the winter
Making raspberry jam is not difficult; even an inexperienced housewife can handle it. The result is a fragrant berry dessert that you can pamper your family with all year round. The main ingredients are berries and sugar. Spice lovers will love the hint of cloves, cardamom or rosemary that can be added to the recipe. The dessert will acquire an amazing aroma when you add mint, vanilla or cinnamon.
Classic recipe
Ingredients:
- ripe raspberries - 1 kilogram;
- granulated sugar – 1 kilogram;
- water – 200 milliliters;
- lemon juice – 3 tablespoons.
Preparation process: You should not wash the raspberry for this recipe, so as not to spoil its structure. The fruits are placed in an enamel bowl, sprinkled in layers with half the amount of sugar. This container should be left in a cool place for several hours to allow the juice to form. A little of it is released, so you will need to boil the syrup.
Pour a glass of water into the remaining half a kilogram of sugar and boil the syrup. Carefully pour it into the berry mixture and heat over low heat until the sand dissolves. At this time, the jam must be stirred so that it does not burn. Then turn off the stove and leave the mixture for a couple of hours. At the end of this period of time, put it on the fire again, but make it bigger. Remove the resulting foam.
Cook until the foam stops coming out.During cooking, the jam must be stirred and ensure that it does not boil under any circumstances! Otherwise, lumps with seeds and syrup will form, rather than a homogeneous mass. When the syrup becomes thicker, add lemon juice and cook for five to seven minutes.
The readiness of the product is checked with a drop of syrup. To do this, dip a spoon in the jam and drop the thickened drop onto a plate. When rotating in a circular motion, the drop should remain formed and not flow down like water. As it cools, the mixture will thicken further.
Pour the finished product hot into jars and close.
Five minutes
Ingredients:
- raspberry fruits – 2 cups;
- granulated sugar – 2 cups;
- water – 2 tablespoons.
Preparation process: pour the fruits into an enamel bowl and pour water into it. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and continue cooking for one minute, stirring with a spatula. Then add sugar and cook for about five minutes until thick. Without cooling, pour the finished product into jars and close.
Storage rules and periods
The optimal place for storage is a cellar, where it is dark and cool. But, subject to the rules for sterilizing containers, aromatic raspberry jam can even be stored in the cupboard until the next season.
