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In recent years, the number of diseases from which humanity suffers has increased sharply, and the effectiveness of traditional medicines, on the contrary, has decreased. Therefore, many people remember the medicinal gifts of nature, rightly believing that they can represent, if not a panacea, then real help in getting rid of many health problems. Coniferous plants, and in particular juniper, have attracted people for their healing properties since ancient times. And juniper jam, despite all the poetry and unusualness of its name, is quite capable of providing real help in curing many diseases.
What are the benefits of juniper jam?
Juniper itself can hardly be called a rare plant. It is found everywhere in a wide variety of natural areas of the country, and is very popular for urban landscaping. The plants belong to the genus of evergreen conifers and to the Cypress family. Juniper is the oldest representative of the Earth's flora; it lived on our planet 50 million years ago. And on average, the lifespan of one juniper plant can range from 600 to 2000 years.This is achieved due to the incredible endurance and adaptability of juniper to the conditions of an ever-changing environment. An important role is played by the rich composition of all parts of the juniper, which allows it to survive in difficult conditions.
People have long noticed the unique properties of all parts of the juniper (bark, branches, needles and fruits) and used them for disinfection, for treatment, for household purposes and, of course, for cooking.
In fact, juniper jam is a very conditional and general name for a product, which, in its essence and consistency, may resemble more syrup or “honey”. In the classic recipe for jam from juniper cones, the percentage of this plant itself is very small. And this is not surprising. After all, juniper has a very powerful effect and is used in cooking, first of all, as a spice. It is added to various dishes in very small quantities, since even its minimal doses can have a significant effect on the human body.
The best known are the bactericidal properties of juniper and, accordingly, jam made from it. In addition, its diuretic, biliary and anti-inflammatory properties have long been recognized and widely used in official medicine. Thanks to them, juniper jam can be useful for pyelitis, pyelonephritis, cystitis, prostatitis, diseases of the biliary tract and liver.
Juniper can also help with a wide variety of rheumatic diseases, including gout.
Consuming juniper jam can help cleanse the blood and rid the body of toxins.
Juniper may also be useful for colds. Products based on it enhance the separation and dilute sputum, therefore they are used in the treatment of bronchopulmonary diseases.
Juniper jam has other additional beneficial properties:
- Reduces blood pressure.
- Reduces pain during menstruation.
- Increases the elasticity of blood vessels.
- Helps quickly restore the skin from various abrasions, wounds and burns.
- Improves the condition of varicose veins and hemorrhoids.
- Helps with gum inflammation.
Finally, both berries and juniper jam are a good way to stimulate the appetite, including in children.
Juniper jam recipes
As already mentioned, almost all parts of juniper have medicinal properties: from roots and bark to fruits. You just need to realize that only parts of the common juniper, which is found everywhere in Russia, are used for food. Other varieties of this plant, especially Cossack juniper, are distinguished by poisonous fruits, needles and twigs. Fortunately, common juniper is easy to distinguish from all other varieties. It has exactly 3 seeds inside the berries, and the fruits themselves usually grow in threes. In fact, it would be more correct to call juniper fruits cones, since they are gymnosperms. But the appearance of ripe fruits is so reminiscent of berries that it can mislead many.It is for this reason that even in official botanical literature they are often called “cone berries.”
Juniper cones have a round shape, with a diameter of up to 6-9 mm. The surface is quite smooth. The scales fit very tightly to each other, so the cones cannot open. The color of unripe juniper fruits is green; when ripe, they acquire a blue-black hue. But ripening occurs over a long period of time - 2-3 years, so on individual juniper bushes you can usually observe cones of varying degrees of maturity. Their smell is very specific with a spicy tint, and the taste, although quite sweet, is characterized by sharpness and astringency. Juniper seeds are frankly bitter, so you need to grind the berries very carefully when making jam so as not to damage the seeds and not add bitterness to the taste of the finished jam.
Juniper fruits consist of:
- essential oil;
- sugars;
- resins;
- mineral salts;
- acids
The leaves of common juniper have an elongated, awl-like shape, pointed at the ends. They are updated every 4 years. Therefore, in winter, juniper needles may turn brown, but in the spring they again acquire a bright green color due to young growth.
Juniper cone jam
Most often, the so-called juniper cones are used in cooking.
Juniper jam in its classic form, a step-by-step photo of its production can be seen below, is made with the addition of citrus fruits. This has a beneficial effect on the taste qualities of the future dish, and allows you to obtain a less intense concentration of highly active substances.
To make it you will need:
- 1 large sweet orange;
- 1 medium sized lemon;
- 10 juniper cones;
- 400 g sugar.
To make juniper jam, you can use both fresh and dried berries. They should be smooth, shiny, brownish-black with a clear blue tint. A triradiate groove should be present at the apex. The pulp is greenish-brown in color with triangular shaped seeds. Before use, juniper berries are washed, slightly dried and gently rubbed with a wooden rolling pin or spoon so as not to crush the seeds.
Preparation:
- The orange and lemon are washed thoroughly, then scalded with boiling water.
- Grate the zest from both fruits using a fine grater.
- Then the remaining peel is removed and a thick white layer is cut out from the inside.
- The pulp of citrus fruits is cut into pieces of a convenient size and freed from seeds, which can also bring bitterness with them.
- The peel is cut into small pieces.
- In a convenient deep bowl (or blender bowl) combine the grated zest, peel and pulp of an orange and a seedless lemon.
- Grind using a blender into a homogeneous mass.
- Then the resulting mass is placed in a deep frying pan or pan with a thick bottom, mashed juniper berries are added, the amount of sugar required according to the recipe is mixed and left to infuse for several hours in the room.
- After that, put the dishes with the future juniper jam on heating and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and cook for about 12-15 minutes.
- Remove the juniper jam from heating and cool to normal room temperature.
- These steps are repeated 4 to 6 times until the jam reaches the desired thickness.
- Juniper jam can be considered ready.It is transferred to a sterilized jar, hermetically sealed and, after cooling, placed for storage.
Very often, wise housewives use the beneficial properties of juniper not to make pure jam from it, but add a few crushed cones to traditional jam from any other fruits or berries. As a result, ready-made desserts not only acquire an additional pleasant aroma and taste, but become capable of providing the whole range of beneficial effects characteristic of juniper.
Juniper berry jam with plums and apples
A recipe for juniper jam is popular, which allows you to use the resulting dish not only as a dessert, but also as a sauce or seasoning for meat dishes.
You will need:
- 1 kg plums;
- 1 large green apple;
- 50 juniper berries;
- 1 lemon;
- 600 ml water;
- 1 kg sugar.
Manufacturing:
- Remove the pits from the plums and cut them into small pieces.
- Peel the apple and cut it into thin slices.
- The lemon is scalded with boiling water, the zest is removed from it using a fine grater and the juice is squeezed out of it.
- The squeezed juice is immediately poured over the sliced apples so that they do not have time to darken.
- Juniper berries are lightly crushed in a wooden mortar.
- Mix apple peels, lemon zest and juniper berries in a saucepan.
- Add water, heat until boiling and cook over moderate heat for half an hour.
- Chopped plums and apples are mixed together in a fireproof container.
- The broth is ground through a sieve, and the resulting puree is added to the apple-plum mixture.
- Heat the future juniper jam to + 100 °C, boil over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add sugar and after boiling again, cook for about 20 minutes until relatively thick.
Juniper branch jam
Juniper branches contain no less useful substances than cone berries. To make tasty and healthy juniper jam from them, you can use the following recipe.
You will need:
- about 1 kg of young juniper branches, which are collected around mid-May;
- 1 kg granulated sugar.
Manufacturing:
- Juniper branches are thoroughly washed in cold water, then dried on a cloth towel.
- Then, using a sharp knife, chop them into as small pieces as possible.
- Place a layer of juniper branches on the bottom of a prepared sterile jar and sprinkle it with a layer of sugar.
- Then again lay out a layer of chopped branches, which are again covered with sugar.
- This is repeated until the jar is completely filled. There should be a layer of sugar on top.
- The jar is covered with a cloth and left in room conditions for 12-24 hours.
- The next day, the contents of the jar are mixed, water is added to the neck and the syrup is filtered through several layers of gauze. They squeeze it out.
- Heat the resulting syrup until it boils and cook over very low heat until thickened, stirring all the time.
- The finished juniper jam is placed in sterile jars and hermetically sealed.
How to take juniper jam
Juniper jam, especially made from young branches, is a product with a high concentration of useful substances.Therefore, it should not be consumed as a dessert, but rather as a medicine.
Usually use one teaspoon or dessert spoon of juniper jam after meals 2-3 times a day.
Contraindications
In addition to the obvious benefits, juniper jam can also be harmful to human health. It is not recommended to use:
- pregnant women;
- persons with severe hypertension;
- those who suffer from kidney disease;
- with exacerbations of gastric and duodenal ulcers.
Terms and conditions of storage
Juniper cone berry jam can easily retain its properties in cool conditions without light for a year. Jam made from juniper twigs can be stored in such conditions even longer - up to two years.
Conclusion
Juniper jam is an original and rarely found dish that has a pronounced healing effect. It’s not difficult to prepare; you just shouldn’t take it exclusively as a dessert and exceed the recommended daily intake.
