Wild strawberries are familiar to many from childhood. It has a strong fragrant aroma and truly amazing taste, as well as medicinal properties, plus it is a storehouse of vitamins. Therefore, it is no secret that jam made from small-fruited wild strawberries is extremely popular. But for proper preparation, you must strictly adhere to the recipe.
Features of making wild strawberry jam for the winter
Some housewives prepare strawberry jam from wild, forest strawberries at short intervals of 5 minutes. In this case, the berries retain their shape well and do not become overcooked.
Adding citric acid extends the shelf life of the jam, reduces the likelihood of sugaring and makes the color brighter.
The main difficulty in preparation lies in the initial stage - searching and collecting berries in the forest in the right quantity.
Berry selection
They should be well-ripened, rich red or crimson in color, not rotten or dried out. It is desirable that the strawberries are firm, then they will look more impressive in a jar. But soft, slightly overripe fruits are also suitable, but then, of course, they will be boiled.
Preparing containers
Jars for sealing jam must be thoroughly washed and sterilized. They use a microwave oven, steam treatment or frying in the oven, where they are placed wet and fried until completely dry.
How to make wild strawberry jam at home?
Making fragrant wild strawberry jam at home is not particularly difficult, the main thing is to strictly follow the recipe.
Classic recipe
The simplest, but at the same time favorite and delicious cooking option is the classic recipe. You can make jam using just three ingredients, but you need to be patient.
Compound:
- wild strawberries – 1 kilogram;
- sugar – 1 kilogram;
- a glass of water – 250 milliliters;
Preparation:
- At the initial stage, the strawberries are sorted, poured into a bowl, basin or pan and covered with sugar.Leave at room temperature until the berries release abundant juice.
- Then place the pan on the stove, pour a glass of water into the berries, bring to a boil and cook over low heat, stirring regularly, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- After the sugar has dissolved, turn up the heat and cook for another 15 minutes.
- At the end of cooking, mix well, turn off the jam and pour it into sterilized jars.
Quick recipe “Five minutes”
This jam is prepared simply, quickly and retains many vitamins and nutrients. For 1 kilogram of berries take 500 grams of sugar. The secret is that the berries are poured into a basin in thin layers, alternately sprinkling them with sugar. Then leave the juice to simmer at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Then put on high heat, bring to a boil, skim off the foam and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Thick jam with whole berries
This is a beautiful and tasty jam, with a thick consistency somewhat reminiscent of jam. For 2 kilograms of strawberries add 1.5 kilograms of sugar and 2 slices of lemon along with the peel. Then mix everything well, put it in the refrigerator and leave it there for a day. At room temperature, the period is reduced to 3-4 hours. Then place the pan on low heat, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
Then the berries are carefully removed, and the syrup continues to cook for an hour, adding finely chopped lemon. Then it is boiled for another 1 or 2 hours, depending on how thick the jam is required. Then add the berries and boil for another 5-10 minutes.
Multicooker recipe
It is convenient to cook jam using a multicooker right at the dacha, in the absence of gas. Thanks to the gentle cooking mode, the berries remain intact.The smallest fruits are selected, with or without tails. Strawberries are sprinkled with sugar directly in the slow cooker and the “Stew” mode is turned on.
To prepare, take 500 grams of berries, 500 grams of sugar and half a glass of water. Boil for 30 minutes and then pour into sterilized jars.
With stalks (sepals)
For cooking, take the berries along with the stalks, further saving effort on cleaning. The sepals will add an additional forest aroma and piquant taste to the finished product, but they are not felt directly when consumed. Plus, this jam looks very impressive in a jar. For 1 kilogram of fruit add 1 kilogram of sugar.
No cooking
With this method of preparation, the jam retains as much as possible all the beneficial substances and vitamins. Thanks to its exceptional, fresh taste and aroma, it is used as a filling for many desserts and baked goods.
For 400 grams of berries, take 300 grams of sugar and pour everything into a blender. Then the ingredients are crushed into a homogeneous mass and poured into jars. For added spice during processing, you can add a few sprigs of mint.
In syrup
This jam is prepared using a gentle method, this allows you to preserve vitamins as much as possible. For 1 kilogram of strawberries take 1.3 kilograms of sugar and 500 milliliters of water. First, syrup is boiled from water and sugar, and then berries are placed in it and left to infuse for 5 hours. Then put on fire, bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender.
With citric acid
Some housewives use lemon when cooking, but it is easier and more convenient to add citric acid at the end of preparing the jam. It helps brighten the color, prevents sugaring and increases shelf life.Add a teaspoon of citric acid to 2 kilograms of strawberries and sugar.
How to properly store treats?
Pasteurized strawberry jam is stored at temperatures from 0 to +20 C degrees, but not at sub-zero temperatures. And unpasteurized food is stored at a temperature no higher than +10 C degrees. In a hermetically sealed container, the jam does not lose its quality for up to 2 years. Cellars, basements, glazed balconies and home pantries are suitable for storage.
