Strawberry jam is of interest to many lovers of delicious food. The berry is popular due to its taste, beautiful appearance and early ripening. The berries contain pectin substances that help remove radiation from the body. Today we prepare fresh berries for the winter in different ways.
For processing, fresh berries are taken, without the slightest sign of spoilage, especially gray rot, which can ruin the taste of the entire batch of preparations. The sepals are always removed, and the fruits themselves must be washed well.
There are many ways to prepare garden or forest strawberries. Let's look at the most popular recipes. We will store the jars on the shelves in our family cellar for winter preparations.
Strawberry jam Five minutes for the winter
Find out the recipe for delicious and healthy strawberries. This is the easiest and fastest recipe. We use only berries and sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
Cooking method
To ensure that the harvest is of high quality, the berries are selected fresh and not overripe. Small fruits shrink when cooked, and large ones are slowly soaked in sugar syrup.
1. Prepare 500 g of peeled and washed strawberries.
2. Pour the berries into a heat-resistant saucepan and sprinkle them with sugar in layers.
3. Place the saucepan with the berries on the stove, pour just a little water so that the sugar dissolves faster.
4. Mix carefully so that the strawberry jam contains the berries that have retained their shape.
5. Now the sugar has dissolved and the contents of the saucepan have boiled.
6. Maintain a slow simmer for 2 minutes and the fresh berry jam is ready.
7. Transfer the workpiece into a small sterilized jar with a volume of 400 g.
8. Close the jar with a lid and cover with a towel until it cools. Then let's put it in the cold. This product can be stored for up to 1 year.
How to select and prepare berries for harvesting for the winter
Regardless of what berries the jam will be made from - cultivated garden, meadow or field varieties of strawberries - special attention will need to be paid to preparing them for preservation. Spoiled, unripe, crumpled fruits are immediately removed, the rest, which have been sorted, are thoroughly cleaned of leaves, stalks and other debris.
There is no single point of view regarding washing berries: some recommend mandatory processing “under the shower,” while for others, lightly spraying the strawberries with a stream of water is enough. In any case, after completing this stage, the berries are left for a while to drain, get rid of excess liquid, and only then proceed directly to cooking.
Important. The taste, color and quality of the finished jam depend on the careful selection of strawberries and the degree of purity of the fruit, so it is better not to neglect this procedure.
In addition to the well-known ones, the berry can be of exotic varieties - white or forest, as well as remontant, which is a perennial plant and is especially convenient for growing in the country. A combination of several types is allowed; this will only improve the characteristics of the final product, adding piquancy and sophistication to it.
Garden or wild strawberry jam - a classic recipe
Now we will step by step analyze the usual, well-known, method of cooking. And apply it to our fragrant and healthy strawberries. In the recipe we keep the weight ratio as follows: for 1 kg of strawberries we take 1.2 kg of sugar.
Preparation
- Select dense and uniformly sized ripe fruits. The berries should be well and evenly colored. Rinse them in cold water and place them on a clean, dry cloth to dry. And we will also remove the sepals from them.
- Then transfer the berries to a bowl. Add half the sugar and put in a cold place for 5-6 hours.
- Time passed and the berries released juice.
- Separate the juice from the berries and mix it with the remaining half of the sugar. Place the container on the fire and bring to a boil. Let's cook a little, no need to add water.
- Place the berries in boiling syrup and cook over low heat for 15 minutes until tender. Remove the foam during this time and shake the basin a little.
Strawberry jam is prone to sugaring. Therefore, at the end of cooking you need to add citric acid (1 g per 1 kg of berries).
The harvesting will be of better quality if the fruits are not ripe.
Have fun and successful preparations!
From garden strawberries with star anise and cinnamon
What do you need:
- 2 kg of ripe strawberries;
- 2 kg granulated sugar;
- 2 cinnamon sticks;
- 2 star anise.
How to do:
- Wash, peel and dry garden strawberries.
- Place the berries in a bowl or pan, add granulated sugar, and let stand for three hours.
- After this time, put the basin on the fire, let it boil and cook for ten minutes. Remove from heat until completely cool.
- Return the bowl of jam to low heat and bring to a boil.
- Add cinnamon and star anise and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Sterilize the jars, lay out the dessert, and seal. With the addition of spices, garden strawberry jam acquires noble piquant notes
Thick strawberry jam with whole berries
This method is simple and you need to pay attention to it and notice the difference and some similarities with other recipes. For 1 kg of berries you will need 1.3-1.5 kg of sugar and 2 g of citric acid.
Preparation
- Place the prepared berries in a container and sprinkle with sugar in layers.
- Keep at room temperature until juice appears.
- Then put on low heat and heat, stir carefully, do not crush the berries. The sugar should completely dissolve in the released juice.
- Add heat and cook for another 20-25 minutes. Remove the foam.
- At the end of cooking, add citric acid, which prevents the jam from sugaring. Thanks to citric acid, strawberry jam retains its color.
Happy jam making.
In a slow cooker or bread maker
To cook in a slow cooker you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 kg strawberries;
- 250 ml water;
- 1 kg sugar.
How to cook strawberry jam in a slow cooker:
- Pour the berries into the multicooker bowl, add sugar and pour in a glass of water.
- Open the steam valve and set the “Extinguishing” mode for 30 minutes.
- After the beep, turn off the multicooker and put the finished jam into jars.
Wild strawberry jam in syrup for the winter
This preparation must be made from berries with dense pulp. The ratio of products is as follows: for 1 kg of berries we take - 1 kg of sugar, 1.5 glasses of water, 2 g of citric acid.
Preparation
- Prepare sugar syrup using the usual known method.
- Carefully add the berries in portions to the boiling syrup, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
- Then remove the container from the heat and remove the foam. Using a colander, separate the syrup from the berries.
- Bring the syrup to a boil again and cook for 5-8 minutes. Add citric acid to the syrup.
- Place the berries in the boiling syrup again and cook over moderate heat for 3-5 minutes.
- Then remove from heat and let the contents sit for several hours.
And only then pour it into clean sterile jars.
Delicious wild strawberry jam
If the collected or purchased berries are very small, then it is not necessary to pick off the stalks during processing. Even with them, the jam will turn out very tasty and aromatic. In addition, the sepals also have beneficial properties, and will not affect the taste of the delicacy itself.
Products:
- 4 cups sugar;
- 1 glass of water;
- 4 cups small strawberries;
- 1 g citric acid.
Technology:
- Place the berries in a basin, add water and sort through. Wash the processed strawberries with sepals twice. Then spread on a towel or paper napkins to absorb excess liquid.
- Next, transfer the strawberries into a cooking vessel and sprinkle with sugar.
- Dilute lemon juice in a glass of water and pour the liquid over the berries and sugar.
- Then cover the dish with a lid or towel and set aside for at least 3-4 hours.
- After this, place the container with jam on the stove, turn on the minimum heat and boil the berries in the syrup for about 5 minutes, constantly skimming off the foam.
- Then put away the dishes with the hot treat again for a day.
- As soon as the jam has settled, you need to return the container to the stove and cook until done. You can check in the standard way by dropping a little jam from a spoon onto a saucer; a drop should not spread.
- Place the hot treat in sterile jars. Roll up.
Strawberry jam in syrup - a recipe for the winter
Get acquainted with the third option for preparing wild or garden strawberries in syrup.
Preparation
- Make syrup from strawberry juice and sugar.
- Place the berries in boiling syrup, bring to a boil and remove from heat for 2-4 hours.
- Then bring to a boil over low heat and cook for 20-25 minutes. Periodically shake the contents of the bowl in a circular motion so that the berries are covered with syrup.
- Then turn off the heat and leave the strawberry jam for a day.
- Next, cook the contents of the basin until tender, until the berries become transparent. Add citric acid, mix carefully and pour into jars.
In jars, the berries should sink to the bottom.
Fragrant strawberry mint jam
Mint, which is part of the jam, will give the delicacy a refreshing taste and extraordinary aroma. It is permissible to take both dried and fresh leaves.
Products:
- 2 tbsp. crushed mint leaves;
- kilo of sugar;
- kilo of strawberries.
Technology:
- Sort through the berries, wash them and dry them.
- Place strawberries in a bowl for making jam and sprinkle with sugar.
- Shake the container slightly and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
- Pour the resulting juice into another container and boil over a fire, selecting moderate heat, until it boils.
- Then pour the berries into the syrup and cook for 5 minutes, constantly removing the foam from the surface.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool completely.
- Repeat the welding and cooling procedures 2 more times.
- During the last (third) cooking, add chopped mint to the berry mass. Gently stir the treat and let it cook for about 3 minutes.
- You need to pack the jam into jars after it has cooled completely.
- Cover the preparations with lids and store in the cellar.
Strawberry jam for the winter is an easy-to-make, healthy and tasty treat. You can prepare it either thick, in the form of jam, or with whole berries. The aroma will remind you of bright sunny days, and the taste of the healing delicacy will not leave either adults or children indifferent. And for adults there is another interesting recipe.
Recipe for strawberry jam with whole berries Under a fur coat
Find out a recipe in which the contents of the jar will be transparent and the berries themselves will be whole. Product ratio: 1 kg of berries will require 1.5 kg of sugar.
Preparation
- Prepare the berries and sprinkle them with layers of granulated sugar.
- Place the container in a cool place for 10-12 hours.
- Prepare a saucepan with a capacity of 8 liters for 1.5-2.0 kg of berries. Carefully pour the juice and sugar into it. Place on the fire and boil the syrup.
- Dip the berries into the syrup and boil from the moment of boiling for 5 minutes. While the strawberry jam is boiling, do not stir it, just shake the pan occasionally.
- Then turn off the heat. Take the lid and wrap it completely in a towel. Cover the pan with this lid. Place the pan in a container with plenty of cold water (bathtub or basin).
- And so let everything stand until completely cooled.
With this method, the berries will be whole and the vitamins will be well preserved.
How to Prepare Jars for Canning
Careful selection of containers for storing finished jam and adherence to preservation technology are important stages in the preparation of a sweet, nutritious product. Despite the development of technology, practically nothing has changed in traditional approaches to preserving (canning) fruits and berries: the best way to preserve vitamins and microelements in the gifts of summer remains to pack the jam into clean, thoroughly washed glass jars.
The optimal capacity is 0.5, 1 or 2 liters, more (less) are used less often. The container must be sterilized before filling with contents; this is done in an oven or steamed at a temperature of 100 ºC. There should be no moisture in the jars; they are wiped dry.
Strawberries
Strawberry jam is very much appreciated by lovers of berry preparations. A simple jam recipe allows you not to spend a lot of time and effort on preparing it. It is best prepared from fresh fruits, but in winter conditions you have to cook it from frozen ones. The delicacy will be aromatic and sweet. It can be added to cheesecakes, casseroles, soufflés, ice cream, and cakes. To prepare this jam we need:
- 1 kg strawberries,
- 800 g sugar.
Manufacturing stages:
- First you need to prepare the berries. They are washed and placed on a paper towel. This way they dry quickly.
- Pour them into a container for cooking, add sugar (wait 3 hours for the juice to release).
- Place on gas and cook after boiling for 5 minutes, remove from heat and cool completely.
- Repeat heating to boiling temperature 2 times and leave to cool again.
- For the fourth time, bring the jam to the required consistency, giving the desired thickness.
- Sterilize the dishes, put the jam in the container and roll up the lids.
This dessert is stored in a cool place with moderate humidity. If you skip the sterilization issue, the jam can be kept in the refrigerator for 1-3 months. The canned product is stored for at least 1 year.
Note to housewives: how to properly cook strawberry jam
- Correctly selected strawberries are the key to tasty and successfully prepared jam. If you pick wild strawberries yourself, do it in dry weather in the first half of the day. Pay attention to the degree of ripeness and size of the fruits, they should be approximately the same. Also, for winter jam, it is necessary to select only whole berries without signs of spoilage. By the way, strawberries from the first harvest are the most aromatic and juicy.
- You need to cook the jam on a medium burner. Otherwise, the jam may not be cooked enough or, on the contrary, overcooked, which will have an equally bad effect on its taste.
- Be sure to check the readiness of the strawberry jam before the final cooking stage. To do this, simply drop some syrup onto a cold saucer. If the drop has retained its outline, then you can put the jam into jars.
- Follow the exact amount of granulated sugar specified in the recipe. Otherwise, the finished product may become moldy or, on the contrary, become sugary.
With blueberries
These berries get along well with each other in one jam. The taste of this dessert is perfectly balanced.
What you will need:
- 1 kg blueberries;
- 0.5 kg strawberries;
- 1.5 kg granulated sugar;
- 1.5 glasses of water.
Strawberries and blueberries ripen at about the same time, and often these berries are collected in the same basket in the forest. The taste of this assortment is very harmonious
How to cook:
- Wash and dry blueberries. Do not wash strawberries.
- Pour water into a saucepan, boil, add sugar and cook until it dissolves.
- When the grains of sand dissolve and boiling begins, add blueberries and strawberries.
- Cook after boiling for 10 minutes. Don't forget to remove the foam.
- Transfer the berries with a slotted spoon to another bowl, cook the syrup over low heat until it reduces and thickens.
- Place the berries in the syrup and boil.
- Place blueberry-strawberry jam in sterilized dry jars and close tightly. After cooling, remove to a cool place.
Five minutes - fast and tasty
Quickly cooking jam will preserve not only the taste of wild berries, but also all its value. The next dessert recipe that we want to offer you is called “five-minute” by housewives, since wild strawberry jam is cooked for no more than five minutes.
Cooking method:
- Place the prepared berries together with sweet sand in a saucepan. As a rule, the ratio of the main ingredients is 1:1, but if you are not an ardent fan of sweet jam, then the amount of sweetener can be reduced.
- Leave the strawberry for a while so that it releases the juice, then light a strong fire and bring the contents of the pan to a boil, cook for five minutes.
- In principle, the delicacy can be preserved after the first batch, but it is better to repeat the cooking process for five minutes twice after cooling, so that the jam does not turn out with a bitter taste.
With lemon zest and walnuts
For this unusual and very tasty jam you need to take:
- 1 kg strawberries;
- 1 kg sugar;
- 100 g nuts, crushed to fine crumbs;
- a little grated lemon zest.
How to cook deliciously:
- Prepare the strawberries, place them in a saucepan or basin for cooking.
- Add sugar. Do not stir. The berries should sit overnight.
- In the morning, put the dishes on the fire and bring to a boil. The sugar should completely dissolve.
- Remove from heat for 15 minutes.
- Return to the stove, add the zest and walnuts, stir, bring to a boil, remove from the stove.
- Place in jars and seal. When cool, transfer to a storage location.
Harvesting strawberries and their benefits
It is best to collect wild strawberries in low and wide containers so that there are fewer layers and the top ones do not put pressure on the bottom ones. It is not recommended to wash it, so be careful not to get any debris in it.
Strawberries cannot be stored for a long time, especially if you brought them home from afar and in the heat. You need to process it as soon as possible, otherwise the berries will release juice and settle.
It is best not to pick wild strawberries (strawberries), but to cut them along with the branches - their stems are strong, and this is not easy to do with your hands. Or pick off the berries with sepals. This dense berry is best stored; it can last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
What are the benefits of strawberry jam? Berries increase performance, endurance, heart function and lower blood pressure. They quench thirst, improve digestion, soothe and help you sleep, and have a beneficial, healing effect on the kidneys and respiratory organs. Strawberries help with atherosclerosis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, and are used for constipation and gout.
The calorie content of strawberry jam is 220 kcal/100 g.