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Strawberry jam, closed for the winter, is not only a delicious treat reminiscent of summer days, but also an excellent source of healthy vitamins and minerals. For many years, our grandmothers and mothers made strawberry jam as usual for five minutes. But there are many more recipes for this delicacy. This article will tell you about them and the intricacies of their preparation.
Subtleties of making strawberry jam
The main condition for preparing tasty and healthy strawberry jam is high-quality berries. They can be either fresh or frozen.
For fresh berries, the following criteria exist:
- She must be mature and strong. It is these berries that will be able to retain their shape during the process of making jam. Crumpled and overripe berries will not spoil the taste of the delicacy, but they will soften during cooking and give a lot of juice, making the consistency of the jam very liquid;
- Small berry size. Of course, you should not measure each berry before adding it to the jam. You just need to try to choose berries of a similar size. Only then will they be able to cook evenly.
When choosing frozen strawberries, you must be guided by the following criteria:
- The color of the berries should be red or burgundy. Berries that have a bluish or purple tint should not be taken;
- All berries must be separated from each other. If they are packaged in an opaque bag, then you just need to shake it or feel it with your hands;
- You should not take berries that are covered with water glaze. When defrosted, they will soften and will not be able to hold their shape.
By following these simple criteria for choosing berries, you don’t have to worry that strawberry jam won’t work out.
Strawberry five-minute
There is nothing easier than making strawberry jam for the winter using this recipe. This recipe has earned its popularity due to its simplicity and speed of obtaining the finished delicacy.
To make strawberry jam you need:
- kilogram of strawberries;
- 1.5 kilograms of granulated sugar;
- glass of water;
- a pinch of citric acid.
Before you start making the jam, the prepared strawberries should be washed under low pressure of water and allowed to dry. If the strawberry is taken fresh, then all the tails and leaves must be removed. Frozen berries are sold already peeled, so they do not need this procedure.
The next step is preparing the syrup. To do this, pour all the prepared granulated sugar into a deep enamel basin or pan. It should be poured with a glass of water and mixed thoroughly. Turning on the stove over high heat, bring the future syrup to a boil.
When the strawberry syrup has boiled for about 5 minutes, add all the prepared berries to it. At the same time, they must be mixed very carefully. Cook the strawberries without reducing the heat for 5 minutes. That is why the recipe was called “five-minute”.
When 5 minutes come to an end, add citric acid to the almost finished strawberry jam. This is done so that the jam does not turn sour after being placed in jars. After this, the stove is turned off, and the strawberry jam is left to rise and cool. In order for the berries to be better saturated with syrup, and for excess moisture to be removed from the jam, it must cool slowly. Therefore, the basin or pan must be covered with a lid and wrapped in several layers of towels or blankets.
Strawberry jam for the winter can be sealed in jars only when it has completely cooled down. In this case, the jars must be sterilized in advance. You can learn how to quickly and easily sterilize jars from the video:
Classic recipe
Jam prepared according to this recipe will be noticeably different in taste from the usual five-minute jam. Despite the similar ingredients, classic strawberry jam turns out to be richer in taste and more aromatic. In order to make strawberry treat for this recipe you will need:
- kilogram of strawberries;
- 1.2 kilograms of granulated sugar;
- 1.2 liters of water.
Before you start cooking, you need to prepare everything, namely:
- Prepare the berries - first of all, they need to be washed well. After the water has drained from them, they should dry for another 10-15 minutes. Only after this can all tails and leaves be removed from the berries;
- Prepare the syrup - for this, water with granulated sugar added to it must be brought to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. The syrup should boil until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Now you can proceed directly to making the strawberry jam. Its duration should not be more than 40 minutes. All prepared berries must be placed in a deep bowl and filled with hot sugar syrup.First, the berries should be cooked over medium heat for about 10 minutes. When abundant foam begins to appear on the surface, reduce the heat and continue cooking. The resulting foam must be skimmed off with a slotted spoon or spatula throughout the cooking process.
During the cooking process, it is very important not to miss the moment when the strawberry delicacy is ready. When the strawberry jam begins to boil more slowly and the foam stops forming, you need to carry out two small tests to determine its readiness:
- Use a tablespoon to scoop out a small amount of hot syrup and slowly pour it back. If the syrup stretches slowly and does not flow quickly, then the jam is ready.
- Again you need to scoop up a little hot syrup, but do not pour it back, but cool it slightly. Cold syrup should be dripped onto a saucer or plate. If the drop does not spread, then the jam is ready.
After both tests have shown that the strawberry jam is ready, the stove must be turned off. Hot jam should be poured into sterile jars and closed with lids. At the same time, you should not pour to the end of the neck; you need to leave at least a little free space.
Strawberry jam
Strawberry jam, unlike previous jam recipes, does not contain whole strawberries and has a more uniform consistency. To prepare it you will need:
- kilogram of strawberries;
- 1.2 kilograms of granulated sugar;
- a pinch of citric acid.
Even though there won’t be whole berries in the strawberry jam, you should still sort them out. Of course, one spoiled berry will not greatly affect the taste of the finished jam, but it can reduce the shelf life of a closed jar.
Selected strawberries must be washed and removed from the tails. After this, they should be crushed in any available way, for example, with a masher or blender. When the berries turn into puree, they need to be covered with granulated sugar and mixed carefully.
Before you start making strawberry jam, you need to sterilize the jars and their lids. You need to put a little citric acid at the bottom of each jar. When all the preparations are done, you can start making the jam. To do this, place strawberry puree with sugar in an enamel cooking pan. It must be brought to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. When the puree boils, reduce the heat and continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes.
The finished hot jam can be poured into jars, which must be immediately wrapped until completely cooled.
Strawberry confiture
Strawberry confiture is slightly different from ordinary preserves and preserves in its jelly-like consistency. Additives in the form of gelatin or gelatin help to achieve it.
To prepare this winter preparation you will need:
- 3 kilograms of strawberries;
- 3 kilograms of granulated sugar;
- 6 tablespoons of gelatin or gelatin.
Ripe and well-washed strawberries must be peeled from the tails and cut into several parts.
The chopped strawberries should be placed in an enamel bowl and covered with sugar so that they give juice. In this form, strawberries should be left for a period of 3 to 6 hours, depending on how well the berries release juice.
After the juice has been released, the strawberry mass can be boiled. To do this, bring it to a boil over medium heat.After boiling, reduce the heat and cook for another 30 minutes. While the strawberry mixture is cooking, prepare the gelatin. It should be poured with a quarter glass of cold boiled water and left to swell for 30 minutes.
When the strawberries are cooked, remove them from the heat and add gelatin. After this, everything should be mixed thoroughly and simmered a little over low heat.
For optimal consistency, just simmer it for 2-5 minutes over low heat.
Ready confiture can be poured into clean, sterilized jars. After closing, the jar should be wrapped in a blanket or blanket until it cools completely.
When storing strawberry jam for the winter according to any of the recipes discussed, it is worth remembering that it must be stored and consumed within 6 months. But given the taste and aroma of such a delicacy, you don’t have to worry about it going bad.
