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Fir cone jam is a tasty, aromatic and very healthy delicacy. It can lift your spirits, have a miraculous effect on the body and even relieve some diseases. A delicacy made from spruce cones has long been considered a healing potion, but nowadays housewives make it less and less. The reason for this is considered to be the difficulty of collecting raw materials and ignorance of the recipe.
Fir cones are sometimes replaced with pine cones; the jam made from them is similar
The benefits of spruce cone jam
The main benefit of spruce fruit jam is its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect. This is achieved due to the fact that the product contains a large amount of essential oils. It is because of this that many people use the sweet dessert to alleviate the condition during colds, runny nose, bronchitis, cough and even fever.
The effectiveness of pine cone jam has been proven by modern scientists. According to them, spruce fruits contain a large amount of phytoncides and vitamin C, iron, carotene, vitamin D and many other elements necessary for the body.
What does fir cone jam help with?
Jam made from green fir cones is taken not only as an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent, but its positive properties lie in many ways. The dessert has an analgesic, choleretic, diuretic effect, helps improve the condition of anemia, stomatitis and periodontal disease. It can remove bad cholesterol and improve blood circulation. It is a natural cure for food poisoning, replenishes vitamin deficiencies, can normalize blood pressure and increase vascular tone.
The aroma of pine jam helps you fall asleep quickly and acts as a sedative.
How to make jam from fir cones
Despite all the benefits of delicacies made from spruce fruits, you need to take it in small portions, as it can also cause harm to the body. For prevention purposes, healthy adults should eat no more than two tablespoons of jam per day, and during treatment, one spoon three times a day. Children are given the product 1 tsp. morning and evening, and during a cold in the same dose three times a day.
Contraindications for use
Like any product, jam made from fir cones has a number of contraindications. It is recommended to avoid taking sweet medicine for the following diagnoses:
- kidney diseases;
- tendency to allergies;
- peptic ulcers;
- diabetes;
- hepatitis;
- pregnancy and lactation period.
You should not give jam to children under three years of age, and also take it with caution to people of retirement age.
When to collect fir cones for jam
A fairly important step in the preparation of cone jam is the collection of raw materials. It is recommended to carry it out at the beginning of summer, when the tree begins to grow green mass and produces young, unopened fruits. The trees from which they are plucked must be located far from production plants and roads; it is better if they are up to 20 years old. In addition, they must be healthy and strong, the branches undamaged and green.
Young cones grow on the edge of the shoots in the upper part of the crown. They are soft, small in size (up to 4 cm in length), and colored brown-green. Attention should also be paid to the scales, which should fit tightly to each other.
Cones for making dessert should be easily pierced when pressed with a fingernail.
Preparing Ingredients
Before making jam from fir cones, you must first collect and properly prepare the raw materials. It is recommended to shake off the fruits from dirt and needles, then rinse them thoroughly under cold running water. Next, you need to put all the selected specimens in a large saucepan for soaking. After this, pour clean water into the container so that it is a couple of centimeters higher than the raw material. So the product should stand in a cool place for 24 hours. After the specified time has passed, it is recommended to remove the fruits using a slotted spoon and place them on a wire rack to drain excess liquid.
You need to wear gloves when working with coniferous products
How to make jam from fir cones
There are several ways to make jam from fir cones. Sometimes, in addition to ephedra fruits, additional components are added to the delicacy: lemon, honey, zest, but the classic technology involves using only cones and sugar with water in a 1:1:1 ratio of components.
To make the dessert more aromatic and rich, it is advisable to cook the main ingredient in several stages: bring to a boil, let it brew for about 5-6 hours, boil again, let cool. Repeat the procedure 3-4 times.
Fifty cones are usually enough to make a liter of jam.
An old jam recipe
This recipe has reached modern times due to the fact that it was passed down from generation to generation. Previously, with the help of this delicacy, people protected themselves from the flu and other infections and restored their strength.
To prepare healing jam you will need:
- fir cones – 0.5 kg;
- sugar – 0.5 kg;
- water – 0.8 l.
Technological process:
- Rinse healthy young cones and soak in cold water for 24 hours.
- Pour the water into a saucepan, add granulated sugar and wait until it boils.
- Add cones to the syrup, cook until the scales on the fruits open.
- Divide the jam into sterilized jars, let cool, then close the lids.
Fir cone jam according to an old recipe has a thick consistency and dark brown color.
Jam with lemon
Jam made from fir cones with the addition of lemon turns out to be more aromatic, with notes of citrus.
To prepare the dessert you will need:
- cones – 1.5 kg;
- sugar – 1.5 kg;
- lemon – 1 pc.;
- water – 2 l.
Step by step recipe:
- After soaking for a day, rinse the cones and cut them into two or four parts.
- Combine water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil, add fruit.
- After boiling, skim off the foam and cook for about an hour.
- Pour boiling water over the lemon, then cold water, remove the zest, chop it, add to the cones and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Squeeze the juice from the fruit into hot jam, keep on fire for a couple more minutes.
- Pour into jars and store.
The jam may become slightly cloudy when adding lemon juice.
With orange
With the addition of orange, the jam becomes even healthier. In this case, the bud bitterness is almost completely lost.
Compound:
- fir cones – 30 pcs.;
- sugar – 1 kg;
- orange – 1 pc.;
- water – 1000 ml.
How to cook:
- Combine pre-prepared fir cones with water and granulated sugar and bring to a boil.
- Wash the orange, cut it into pieces along with the zest, add to the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally and skimming off the foam.
- Roll up.
With the addition of orange, the jam acquires a more delicate taste.
From candied cones
The method involves preparing thick pine syrup at the first stage, and then converting it into a more liquid product.
Ingredients:
- cones – 0.5 kg;
- sugar – 600 g;
- water – 300 ml.
Step-by-step preparation:
- Cut the pre-soaked cones into slices and place them in a saucepan in layers, sprinkling them with sugar.
- Leave for about six hours, stirring 2-3 times.
- Pour in water, boil for a quarter of an hour, cool.
- Bring to a boil again, cook for 30 minutes.
- Place hot in jars and roll up.
Pieces of fruit from this jam can be used to decorate desserts
Storage conditions and periods
If the jars are sterilized, jam made from fir cones can be stored for a long time.In a suitable room - cellar, basement - underground, it can stand without loss of properties and qualities for up to one and a half years. However, it is better to renew the supply of treats annually.
It is recommended to keep the opened jar in the refrigerator for no more than a month.
Conclusion
It’s not particularly difficult to make jam from fir cones; the main thing is to find the right raw materials, collect them and prepare them correctly. You can choose any recipe at your discretion; if you follow the technology, the result will always be excellent, and thanks to the tasty, healthy treat, you will be able to saturate your body with nutrients during the winter and during the period of vitamin deficiency.
Reviews of fir cone jam
https://youtu.be/ROSZN7HRZMU
