Blueberry jam for the winter

Blueberry jam is an excellent vitamin-rich dessert that can be prepared for the winter during the berry season. It is prepared for every taste: classic, simplified or does not require cooking at all, fluid or thick, from whole or mashed berries, with or without various additives. One thing is constant: no matter what option the cook chooses, the result will definitely be a healthy, tasty and fragrant sweet with the aroma of summer.

Benefits of blueberry jam

Blueberries are a real storehouse of beneficial properties, many of which they retain even in the form of jam:

• vitamins C and K, contained in the pulp of this berry in significant quantities, as well as a number of amino acids - natural antioxidants that prevent cell aging, improve memory and brain activity, and remove radioactive compounds from the body;
• organic acids have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the stomach, intestines, liver and gall bladder, and increase appetite;
• the presence of vitamin E supports vision and improves skin condition;
• thanks to saponins, the risk of inflammatory processes is reduced;
• pectins cleanse the body of toxic substances;
• betaine, which has an anti-sclerotic effect, lowers the level of bad cholesterol in the blood;
• a wide range of microelements (primarily potassium and calcium, as well as iron, sodium, magnesium and phosphorus) regulates the function of hematopoiesis, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, and normalizes metabolic processes.

It is not recommended to use blueberry jam and fresh berries:

• nursing mothers and children under 1.5 years of age: this product can cause diathesis in babies;
• people prone to allergies, as unpleasant consequences can manifest themselves in the form of skin irritation, runny nose or itching.

Features of making blueberry jam for the winter

In order for the jam to delight you with its excellent taste and not let you down during storage, you must first take a responsible approach to choosing the main ingredient:

• You need to buy hard, strong berries with a uniform blue skin color and a faint whitish coating on it;
• suitable blueberries will not stick together (this can be noticed if you shake the package slightly);
• the berries should not be crushed or damaged, or have traces of mold or rot;
• If you are going to buy frozen blueberries, you need to make sure that they lie loosely in the briquette, in bulk, without forming large pieces - that is, they have not been re-frozen.

Before preparing blueberry jam, you should sort it out, removing spoiled specimens, leaves, stalks, and then rinse under running cold water.

It is not recommended to use copper or aluminum utensils for preparing berry preparations. It is best to choose brass, steel or enameled wide pots or basins.

Blueberry jam for long-term storage should be packaged in glass jars, first washed with baking soda in warm water and heated over steam (5-7 minutes) or in the oven (about 10 minutes with a gradual increase in temperature from 100 to 180 degrees).

It is advisable to boil tin lids that will be used to roll up or screw on containers for 5–10 minutes.

Blueberry jam “Pyatiminutka”

Many valuable substances remain in this jam, since it spends only five minutes on fire:

• 1 kg of washed and sorted berries should be covered with the same amount of sugar;
• leave for a day so that they release juice;
• place the container with the mixture on moderate heat and, stirring constantly, let it boil well;
• boil for 5 minutes, turn off the heat;
• Immediately pour into sterilized jars, close the lids, wrap in a warm blanket and let cool.

A simple recipe for blueberry jam

Blueberry jam according to this recipe is really simple to prepare: nothing is required except the berries themselves, sugar and a small amount of water. It takes a little longer to cook than “five minutes,” but the jars are then safely stored on shelves in the pantry.

Preparation:

• place the prepared berries in a bowl for cooking;
• Separately, heat water in a saucepan, add sugar and, stirring, wait until it dissolves and boils;
• pour the prepared syrup over the berries and let stand for 10 minutes;
• place the basin on the stove, bring the jam to a boil and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring it from time to time and skimming off the foam;
• Place hot in sterilized jars, roll up, wrap and let cool.

Recipe for thick blueberry jam

Many people like blueberry jam thicker - so that, as they say, “it’s worth a spoonful.” Its secret is also simple: more sugar goes there and there is no need to add water.

Preparation:

• pour sugar into a container with berries;
• lightly mash them with a potato masher until about a third is crushed;
• let stand for half an hour for the juice to separate;
• put on the stove, bring to a boil and cook for about 15–20 minutes;
• Pack into ready-made jars, seal with lids and let cool (in a blanket).

Frozen blueberry jam

If you want to make blueberry jam, but the berries are not fresh, but frozen, it doesn’t matter! The delicacy will be no less tasty. In this case, you don’t even have to wash and sort the berries - after all, they went through this stage of preparation before going into the freezer.

Preparation:

• pour the berries into a container, cover with sugar;
• keep on low heat, stirring occasionally, until it boils;
• skim off the foam, turn off the stove and let the jam cool completely;
• Bring the mixture to a boil again and keep on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, remembering to stir;
• Place the finished product in sterilized containers, seal and leave until cooled.

This will allow you to check the tightness of the blockage and will also additionally warm up the inside of the lids.

How to make blueberry jam with honey

Honey added instead of sugar and a small amount of rum will help complement the familiar taste of blueberry jam with refined notes.

Preparation:

• the berries must be heated over low heat until the juice releases;
• honey (after melting) should be added to them and mixed;
• Boil the mixture for 5 minutes (from the moment it boils);
• pour in the rum, stir and simmer for no more than half a minute;
• pour into prepared jars, closing them with lids (nylon or metal);
• Store cooled jam in the refrigerator.

Blueberry jam with gelatin

Delicate, jiggling blueberry jam in the form of jelly, seasoned with lemon juice, will appeal to many, especially children.

Preparation:

• pour water over the berries so that the liquid completely covers them;
• boil and simmer for a couple of minutes;
• strain the broth through a sieve;
• rub the berries through the wire rack and add to it;
• Dissolve gelatin in 2 tbsp. l. cold water, add to the slightly cooled broth and mix thoroughly;
• pour in lemon juice;
• strain the mixture and pour into small, cleanly washed jars;
• sterilize the product in a water bath, covering it with metal lids;
• After finishing the process, roll up the jars, wrap them tightly (in a warm blanket) and let them cool completely.

Blueberry jelly (with gelfix)

In order to get excellent berry jelly, you can use “Zhelfix” - a thickener based on natural pectin.It significantly reduces the preparation time for blueberry jam and preserves its taste and color well.

Preparation:

• lightly press the berries with a pestle or masher to release the juice, put on the fire and boil for 1 minute;
• grind the mass with a blender;
• mix “Zhelfix” with 2 tbsp. l. sugar and add to blueberry puree;
• bring to a boil over medium heat, add the remaining sugar and, stirring, cook for 5 minutes;
• at the end of cooking, remove the foam;
• Place the mixture in sterilized jars, screw on, and leave until cool.

Blueberry jelly without gelatin

Blueberry jam in the form of jelly can be prepared without adding gelatin or thickeners. This berry is rich in its own pectin, which will help the product maintain its density and thickness. However, in this case more sugar will be required and the boiling time should be increased.

Preparation:

• Grind the berries (previously prepared) into a puree;
• add sugar and citric acid to the mixture;
• put on the stove and after boiling, cook for 20–30 minutes over low heat, stirring and making sure it doesn’t burn;
• Pour the boiled thick mass into sterilized jars and roll up tightly.

How to preserve maximum vitamins

The so-called “live jam” undoubtedly has a number of advantages over preparations that require boiling. It completely preserves the beneficial and nutrients that raw berries are rich in, and does not require additional time spent standing at the stove.

But you should take into account that the shelf life of such jam is short.In addition, at the preparation stage, blueberries should be especially carefully sorted, washed and dried. Even one low-quality berry can completely ruin the resulting product.

Blueberry jam without cooking

Of course, blueberry “jam” according to this recipe can only be called such only conditionally - after all, in fact, the berry remains raw. However, this preparation for the winter is extremely healthy and tasty. The housewife should definitely devote time to it during the season along with traditional jam.

Preparation:

• bring water to a boil, add sugar and dissolve it, add citric acid;
• sterilize and dry the container for storing the workpiece;
• put the berries in a jar, pour hot syrup and roll up;
• After cooling, place the resulting “jam” in the refrigerator.

Blueberries in sugar

Fresh blueberries in sugar are a real treasure trove of vitamins and a feast of taste, reminiscent of the generous abundance of summer in harsh winters. It should not be boiled, but will have to be frozen.

To do this, fill the container with berries, previously slightly mashed in a bowl, in layers, sprinkling the layers with granulated sugar. After this, the container must be tightly closed and placed in the freezer.

Blueberries pureed with sugar

You can prepare sweet blueberry puree for the winter using a blender or sieve. The more sugar is added to the product, the longer it will be preserved. Most often, the recommended ratio of berries and sugar in such recipes is 1:1.

Preparation:

• grind the berries into a homogeneous mass (if you use a sieve, you will need to discard the cake);
• add sugar (to taste) and a little citric acid to the puree;
• transfer to a clean jar, close the lid;
• Store the finished product in the refrigerator.

Assorted berries, or what you can combine blueberries with

Blueberry jam does not have to be mono-component. The cook can use a little imagination by combining it with other berries or spices.

You can, for example, make blueberry jam with mint, as shown in the video:

This berry also goes well with wild strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, and raspberries. She makes a very tasty ensemble together with apples and citrus fruits. As for herbs and spices, most often, in order for blueberry jam to acquire an original aroma, ground cinnamon, vanillin, ginger (in powder form), crushed cloves, lemon or orange zest are used.

Blueberry and apple jam

Thick blueberry and apple jam is easy to make. It will delight you with its original taste and pleasant aroma. At the same time, the given ratio of ingredients makes it much cheaper than a similar product that contains only blueberries.

Preparation:

• Grate the washed apples (on a coarse grater), add sugar and set aside for a quarter of an hour to release the juice;
• boil them for about 20 minutes;
• grind using an immersion blender and keep on fire for another 15 minutes;
• add blueberries and grind the mixture again using a blender;
• let simmer over low heat for 20 minutes;
• Place the hot jam into sterilized jars, roll up thoroughly and let cool.

Blueberry jam with orange

Blueberry jam with the addition of orange juice not only tastes unusual, but is also extremely healthy: all its main components are famous for their high content of vitamins.

Preparation:

• Heat a mixture of lemon and orange juices in a saucepan, dissolve sugar, add cinnamon and zest;
• Pour the prepared berries with syrup, wait until it boils, and keep on low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time;
• let the mixture cool well (about 12 hours);
• boil it again and, stirring, wait until it thickens;
• remove the cinnamon stick;
• pour hot into containers and roll up.

Blueberry jam in a slow cooker

A multicooker will be an excellent assistant for a modern housewife who wants to make blueberry jam. It will significantly save time and eliminate unnecessary hassle: there will be no need to constantly monitor the berry mass, stirring and removing foam.

Preparation:

• pour the berries into the multicooker bowl;
• add sugar, mix;
• close the lid and set the device to “quenching” mode for 2 hours;
• Place the finished jam in hot jars and screw.

Terms and conditions of storage of blueberry jam

The rules for storing different types of blueberry jam are easy to remember.Here's what you need to know:

• “live” blueberry jam (just like “five-minute jam”) must be kept in the refrigerator;
• frozen product is recommended to be consumed within 8–10 months;
• jars of candied berries, sterilized in a water bath, can be stored in the refrigerator or cellar for about a year;
• Blueberry jam made the classic way can usually be placed in a cool, dark place (on pantry shelves) and will remain edible for 2 years.

Conclusion

If possible, you should definitely make blueberry jam for the winter. This berry contains a lot of useful substances and vitamins, most of which can be preserved in the preparation. It is enough to choose the right recipe, pay attention to the preliminary preparation of ingredients and processing of containers, adhere to the preparation and storage technology - and tasty, original, healing jam will take pride of place on the table during the cold season.

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