For some people, summer is a time for vacations and long-awaited rest, for others it is desperate suffering, when the house turns into a mini-factory for processing fruit and berry products. But today the conversation will not be about bowls of jam or giant pots of winter salads. Residents of big cities also want to leave a fragrant memory of summer in the form of a jar or two of jam. After all, store-bought is not the same at all. And a multicooker will be your assistant in this matter. Strawberry jam in a slow cooker turns out tasty, aromatic, no worse than traditional jam.
A multicooker is the dream of any housewife, a real magic pot from the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. You just don’t need to say a magic spell, but put all the ingredients in it, set the program and turn it on.
The process of preparing preserves and jams in a slow cooker is almost identical to traditional technology. You just don’t need to watch the process and constantly be nearby. The ratio of fruit weight to sugar is classic (kilogram of sugar per kilogram of berries). You can take a little less sugar. However, such a product must be stored in the refrigerator under a tight lid. Otherwise it may go sour.
Strawberry jam in a slow cooker with the lid closed comes out a little liquid, but the berries remain completely intact. This situation can be easily corrected if a special composition containing gelatin is added at the end of cooking.The product will gain the desired thickness. There are a variety of gelling compositions on sale: from the almost exotic agar-agar to pectin and gelatin.
Jams and preserves in a slow cooker are most often prepared using modes.
- Languor.
- Extinguishing.
You can find recipes using the “Frying” mode and continuous stirring. But with the same success you can make preparations in your grandmother’s copper basin on an antediluvian gas stove. In addition, stirring can damage the coating of the multicooker bowl.
In fact, there are many recipes for a slow cooker. If, for example, you are not very concerned about keeping the berries intact, you will get wonderful jam. At the same time, the preparation of berries and syrup is almost the same.
Basic Tips
- Rinse the berries with running water and dry on a paper towel. The drier they are, the more concentrated the final product will be.
- Sprinkle berries with vodka. The alcohol concentration is negligible, so there is no harm in health. But the jam will have a piquant taste.
- For an unusual taste, you can add lemon zest, walnut or almond kernels to the jam.
- Flavoring additives (cinnamon, vanilla) also have a right to life. But it is important not to overdo it with these spices, so as not to spoil the product. The natural aroma of strawberries is already wonderful.
- When placing ingredients into the multicooker bowl, make sure the bowl is about a quarter full. Otherwise, the jam will “run away” from the saucepan onto the table.
Classic jam
Products.
- 1 kg of sugar and berries.
- 1 packet of gelling mixture.
Remove the sepals from the berries. Rinse them and dry them. Place the strawberries in the multicooker bowl and add sugar.Set the extinguishing mode (60 min.). Cook the jam with the lid closed and the valve removed. Add the gelling mixture a couple of minutes before the program ends. Stir carefully. The jam turns out thick, beautiful bright color, with whole berries.
Strawberry jam
Products.
- Strawberries – 1.5 kg.
- Sugar – 3 cups.
- Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons.
- Fruit pectin – 50 g.
The algorithm for making jam is as follows. Crush the prepared strawberries with a wooden pusher, mix with sugar and lemon juice. Transfer the resulting mixture to a slow cooker and turn on the “Stew” cooking method for 3 hours. Cook the jam with the lid open. Add pectin 30 minutes from the start of cooking. Stir the jam 2 times throughout, using a silicone or plastic spoon.
Jam with nuts
Ingredients.
- Strawberries and sugar - 1 kg each.
- Water – 2 multi-cups.
- Walnut kernels – 200 g.
Sprinkle the prepared berries with sugar and leave for half an hour. Add nut kernels. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker, add water and stir. Set the simmer mode to 1 hour.
Strawberry confiture with cherries
The jam tastes excellent, and the smells filling the kitchen are simply magical!
Ingredients.
- Strawberries without sepals – 0.5 kg.
- Pitted cherries – 0.5 kg.
- Sugar – 1 kg.
Wash the berries separately, place in an enamel bowl, and cover with sugar. Leave for about an hour until the berries release their juice. If desired, you can add walnut kernels (300 g). Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. You need to cook for 60 minutes using the “Stew” mode.
Place the finished jam in sterilized dry jars, roll up and wrap. Until the product has cooled completely, keep it covered.
