Summer is a time not only for relaxation, but also for active preparation for winter. Almost all the kitchens of the country are in full swing with work, preparations are made, herbs and fruits are dried, salads are cut and, of course, jam is made. There are many secrets to successfully preparing a sweet treat.
It is better to pick berries intended for jam in sunny, dry weather on the day of cooking. Berries picked in the rain absorb a lot of moisture. Because of this, they will boil in the jam, and the delicacy itself will turn out watery. The berries should be equally ripe - then the jam will taste better. Before making strawberry jam, sprinkle the berries with granulated sugar and let them stand for 2-3 hours.
To remove pits from cherries, experienced housewives advise using a pitter. This will speed up the work and protect the berries from damage. The cooking utensils should be wide, but not high, so that the liquid evaporates faster. Bowls for 2-4 kg of berries are most convenient. In large containers, the tender berries will lose their shape and the jam will become more like jam. Containers for making jam must be perfectly clean. Do not use cookware that has rust or oxide stains. Before each preparation, the dishes are cleaned with soda, washed with boiling water and dried. We start making jam with syrup. Pour sugar and water into a bowl (proportions according to the recipe) and boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then add the berries and cook. For the first 5-10 minutes, the fire should be low so that there is not a lot of foam, then increase it.
During the cooking process, the foam should be removed with a spoon or slotted spoon and poured into a deep bowl. It is necessary to remove the foam, as it can cause the jam to turn sour. To prevent the berries from shrinking, remove the container with the future jam from the heat every 5-7 minutes.
The readiness of the jam is checked as follows:
- The berries do not float to the surface, but are evenly distributed in the syrup.
- A drop of syrup, when rubbed between your fingers, forms a viscous thread.
- A drop poured onto a saucer does not spread, but retains its shape.
- Many fruits and berries (apples, apricots, plums, quinces) become transparent.
When the jam is already cooked, it should cool. Then it is poured into a clean and dry container. Under no circumstances should you cover the jam with a lid. It is better to use gauze or parchment paper for this. Glass jam jars are thoroughly washed with soda, rinsed with hot water and dried. Transfer the jam into dry, hot jars. Store jam in a cool, dry place. The jars are covered with parchment paper, then with a cardboard circle, then again with parchment paper, then tied with twine. The twine is pre-wetted. As it dries, it will tighten the jar tightly and prevent air from getting into the jam.
If the jam is candied, put it out of the jars into a basin, add 3 tablespoons of water per 1 kilogram of jam, bring to a boil over low heat and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly. The hot jam is placed in jars, cooled and sealed. Jam that has begun to ferment (sour) must be immediately digested by adding 200 grams of granulated sugar for each kilogram of jam. The jam foams a lot. The foam needs to be removed and cooking stopped. When the jam stops foaming, it is poured into jars, cooled and sealed. By following these simple tips, even a novice housewife will be able to make delicious jam and in the winter please her family and friends with her own prepared delicacy. Keep at it and everything will work out!
How to sterilize and seal jars?
- First, all jars must be thoroughly washed with soda inside and out.
- The next stage is sterilization of the jars. Previously, housewives sterilized jars by placing them on the spout of a boiling kettle, but now the process is significantly speeded up - the jars are sterilized in the oven on a wire rack (not on a baking sheet) at a temperature of one hundred degrees.
- Tin lids must be boiled in a saucepan with a lid on for 5 minutes.
- When the jars are dried in the oven, they are filled with hot jam to the very neck.
- Then cover with a lid and roll up with a special rolling machine. It is important to choose the right seaming machine.
- The rolled up jars are checked for a tight fit of the lid (so that it does not move or spin) and turn the lid down and wrap it warmly. Leave the rolled jars to cool (approximately overnight).
The second method is sealing with nylon caps.
Jam prepared in this way is stored only in the refrigerator or in a very cold cellar.
- The barges are sterilized as in the first method, and the nylon lids are dipped in boiling water and the heat is immediately turned off.
- The jam is poured into a jar 2 cm below the neck level and covered with a 1.5 cm layer of sugar.
- Cover tightly with nylon lids and place in the refrigerator for winter storage.
Irina Primorochka
I pour the freshly brewed jam into sterile jars, right flush with the neck, screw on the lids and turn it upside down. I just cover it with a towel. After cooling, the lid is pulled inward, creating an additional seal. The jam stays great at room temperature until spring.
I love kids
I pour the jam cold into sterilized jars, and the jam hot, respectively, under a blanket. Our jam has never molded, although there is jam from 2009 – 2013 in the garage now. Well, maybe it won’t mold if we roll it up, but if we closed it with screw caps or nylon ones, then I think it would mold. In general, my mother once told me that whether you pour it hot or cold only the appearance of the jam is different.
Clearfasting
The jam must be poured hot. High temperature helps to destroy all kinds of bacteria. Plus, hot jam has greater fluidity; cold jam is very difficult to pour into jars; there are many air cavities left. Actually, those who make jam know that if you wait until the jam cools down, then it will be difficult to work with it; the top may generally become covered with a frozen crust, which certainly will not contribute to pouring the jam into jars.
Green tomato
Whether the jam is poured into jars hot or cold depends on the cooking method. Previously, jam was traditionally cooked by adding sugar in a 1:1 weight ratio with fruit, and boiling it several times. Such jam was placed in clean, dry jars, already cooled, covered with plastic lids or tied with paper. The risk of spoilage of such jam is minimal. But recently they began to make jam with less sugar and for a shorter time - “five minutes”. This is due to both a lack of time and the fact that more vitamins are retained in such jam. This kind of jam should be poured hot into sterilized jars and sealed to prevent spoilage.
Elena
And I pour it into cold, dry jars. And in general, we don’t make jam anymore, we just sugar it... yum-yum!
Yunna
I always pour it hot because I don’t cook it too sweet to protect against any fungi and bacteria. And I sterilize the jars thoroughly. But many people close it cold and don’t even screw the lids on. For example, my grandmother did exactly this before, when there were no metal lids, they simply covered it with a thick piece of paper and thread and the jam stood perfectly and did not spoil, although they did not spare sugar then. And she poured it cold too. Oh, and there was delicious jam.)
SummerSunshine
I close it while it’s hot, sterilize the jars, and don’t put it under the blanket. They last a long time at room temperature and do not mold.
And in Turkey they keep the jam in the sun for several days, pour it cold and don’t sterilize the jars... Well, they often get moldy, they say that in such cases they didn’t keep it in the sun enough... I don’t take that risk.
Sveta
I pour the jam into hot jars. I take a ladle and pour jam into hot jars, then the jar will not burst, but if the jars have a temperature lower than the jam, then I pour the jam, slightly covering the bottom of the jar, wait two, three minutes, then pour the jam to half the jar and also wait two, three minutes, and then I top it up.
And I sterilize all the jars - it’s probably already a habit) As for under the blanket - this is necessary for the fact that it has not been subjected to much heat treatment. Here are cucumbers, for example - if you cover them using the triple-fill method, then of course I wrap them until they cool. And if I sterilize it in a saucepan (or, as correct, pasteurize it? I’m not very strong in terms), then there’s no need to wrap it up. Jam and jam are boiled depending on how you do it, but usually they are boiled. Therefore, as far as I understand, there is no need for additional languor under the blanket. I put them in dry, sterilized jars, close them and turn them over until they cool.
Silver fox
Usually upside down on a wire rack, in a warm (not hot!) oven, then heat it to 200 degrees. Min 20, no more. It is very important - you need to take out the jars from the oven and place them on the table on a dry wooden board or towel, otherwise they will burst. stand for 10 minutes, cool a little, pour hot jam into them. It can be warm, it won’t do anything for him :)) actually. I have a suspicion that well-made jam can be poured into anything and stand anywhere :)))
Mowglenok
Real jam (not five-minute jam) does not need to be sterilized or rolled. I pour it hot into jars (if I’m not too lazy, I rinse the jars with boiling water, but not always), and close them with an ordinary plastic lid. I keep it on the floor under the table.
tJulka
In recent years, I’ve been loading jars into the dishwasher, setting it to double rinse, and then pouring jam straight from it, adding cucumbers, and pouring juice.
Popular questions
How to seal jam to prevent mold?
There are the following reasons for the formation of mold in twists:
- Not enough sugar. Sugar is an essential component of most preserves. When making jam, it is used as a sweetener, and, more importantly, a preservative. For each can of preserved food, a separate amount of sugar is calculated, which is intended for each kg. berries/fruits. Avoiding this mistake is very simple - just follow the recipe from start to finish, and add sugar exactly in the amount indicated.
- The product is poorly cooked. The finally cooked dessert is moderately thick. Experienced housewives can determine the degree of cooking with the naked eye. Young housewives can use the following trick: put a small amount of jam on a flat plate. If it holds its shape and does not fall apart, you can safely roll it up.
- The jars are screwed while hot. This promotes the formation of condensation, which is an excellent condition for the healthy functioning of mold fungus. When rolling, the jars must be cool.
- Preservation was defined as wet or unsterilized jars. In a damp environment, the product is diluted and, accordingly, the sugar concentration decreases. Its preservative effect is lost and this encourages mold to grow in the jar. Poor processing of the jar has the same effect on preservation.
What to do if mold forms on the jam?
Many housewives, having discovered a moldy jar in the bins of the pantry, immediately say goodbye to it. However, it is worth sending it to cook for 5-7 minutes and adding sugar in the proportion of 0.1 kg for each kg of jam. In the future, you can make jelly or compote from the resulting mass, and it is also not forbidden to add it to baked goods.
Where and how best to store jam?
It is more advisable to store it in small jars - this way it will be consumed faster, and there will be nothing left in the jar to spoil. If the jam is preserved strictly according to the recipe and securely screwed, then it must be stored for two to three years in a closet or on a balcony at a temperature of ten to twelve degrees. If it is made from unpeeled fruits, then it is better to use the product no later than a year later.
Jam is one of the most popular preparations for the winter. But it’s not enough to make good, tasty jam – you still need to preserve it. Do you know how to seal jam correctly? So that the results of your labors do not go to waste, but turn into orderly rows of jars on the shelves of your pantry. If not, then we will tell you about it now.
What kind of jam is there?
Jam for the winter can be prepared in different ways. Although, strictly speaking, classic jam should be cooked using the traditional “grandmother’s method.” Unfortunately, such jam contains a minimum of vitamins, since many of them are destroyed under prolonged exposure to high temperature. That’s why today housewives prefer to either cook the jam in a “quick” way, keeping it on the fire for no more than 7-10 minutes, or even less. Or, don’t make jam at all, but simply grind fresh berries and fruits with sugar. This method allows you to preserve most of the vitamins and nutrients, but such jam requires mandatory preservation. You can store jam rolled up under tin lids both in the cellar and at normal room temperature, without taking up space in the refrigerator.
How to properly sterilize jars to seal jam
Before pouring the jam into jars and using a seaming machine, these jars must be carefully prepared. First, they need to be washed very well with soda, not only from the inside, but also from the outside.
Sterilization is the process of treating jam jars with high temperatures to kill all bacteria. You can sterilize jars either using steam or simply placing them in the oven, preheated to 100 - 120 degrees. It is also necessary to sterilize the metal lids with which you will close the jars. But with lids it’s easier - you just need to boil them for 5-10 minutes in a covered pan.
How to seal jam correctly
Before pouring jam into jars, make sure they are completely dry on the inside. If you put jam in wet jars, it may turn sour and then all your work will be in vain.
It is recommended to pour jam into jars while hot, then roll up the jars using a special seaming machine, turn them upside down and cover with a clean terry towel. In this form, the jam cools down, after which it is sent to the shelf for storage.
Sometimes, for additional guarantee, it is recommended to pasteurize the jam before sealing the jars. In this case, after you pour the hot jam into the jars, they need to be covered with sterilized lids, placed in a pan of hot water and boiled for an additional 10 minutes. Only after this the jars are finally sealed and turned upside down to ensure that the packaging is sealed. The jars, as in the previous case, are covered with a warm towel and left to cool in this form for 10-12 hours. And then they are put away for storage.
How to seal traditional jam correctly
Jam made in the traditional way does not require sealing with tin lids. Due to the high sugar content, it is perfectly stored without it, even at normal room temperature. However, if you want, of course, you can seal such jam, but this will only be a waste of time and effort. In order to preserve traditional classic jam, it is enough to know how to seal it correctly.
As in the previous case, jars for storing jam must be thoroughly washed, sterilized and, no less thoroughly, dried. Remember that jam can only be poured into clean and completely dry jars.
Before putting the jam into jars, unlike the previous case, you need to cool it. You can cool the jam in the same bowl in which it was boiled, you just need to cover it on top with gauze or clean white paper. But there is no need to use a lid; the jam should evaporate moisture freely.
After the jam has cooled, place it in clean jars, making sure that the berries and syrup are distributed evenly. Then a circle cut out of paper and soaked in alcohol or vodka is placed on the neck of the jar, covered with another sheet of paper on top and tightly tied with twine soaked in hot water. If you don't have twine, you can use strips cut from fabric. They also need to be moistened with hot water and tied tightly around the neck of the jar. When dry, the twine or fabric will shrink and hug the jar even more tightly.
Instead of regular paper, you can use parchment or plastic lids.
If you prefer parchment, then you need to close the jam in the following way: put one piece of parchment on the neck of the jar, place a circle cut out of cardboard on top, cover with a second piece of parchment and tie everything tightly with twine.
With the onset of summer, every housewife tries to stock up on more jam for the winter. It is not only sweet, but also a source of vitamins and minerals, as well as protection against infections and viruses. And how many fragrant pies, bagels and cookies will be made from such preparations on winter evenings! The main thing now is not to miss the moment, to cook the jam correctly, preserving all its beneficial properties, but preventing possible souring of the product.
For novice owners
This is the simplest preparation, absolutely everyone can handle it. The jars behave calmly, their lids do not swell. And all because there is a lot of sugar in the jam and it is boiled down gradually, in several stages. It has no chance of failure, unless the basic rules of procurement have been violated. In particular, young housewives are interested in whether jam is poured into jars hot or cold.
General rules
To make the process of making preparations for the winter enjoyable, you need to constantly select new recipes so that there is an element of surprise: what will come of it? Today this is not a problem; e-books with recipes, forums and specialized websites are at your service. They are distinguished by their ability to exchange experiences. Here housewives will share how they make the preparation, pour the jam into jars hot or cold.
Berry picking
In order for the finished dessert to be of excellent quality, you need to provide yourself with the best berries. To do this, they must be collected in warm and dry weather. If you do this in the rain, the berries will absorb a lot of moisture, fall apart, and the delicacy will be watery. The entire collection should be the same in ripeness, then it will turn out much tastier. In parallel with the berries, you need to choose the container into which you will pour the finished product. Usually these are glass jars. Their preparation will directly determine whether the jam is poured into jars hot or cold.
Before cooking
Berries or fruits need to be washed and sprinkled with granulated sugar. They must stand for 3-4 hours to release the juice. If the jam is made from cherries, some housewives prefer to extract the seeds from the berries, which can be done using a special machine. At this time, the jars are washed well and prepared for sealing.
Meanwhile, the berries are poured into a wide bowl. A small basin is ideal. It is best to use 2-4 kg bowls. In a large container, delicate berries lose their shape. Do not forget that the cooking container must be perfectly clean. The basin should not be used if it has rust or oxide stains. At this stage you need to decide whether to pour the jam into jars hot or cold.
Preparing the dishes
Well-washed jars are placed on the table for inspection. It is very important now to notice any defect on the glass and immediately exclude such containers in order to prevent damage to the product. Actually, if the crack is small, then it is acceptable to store jam in it. But in this case it is better to leave it in the refrigerator.
In order for the jam to stand in the room, you will need to take better care of its safety. In this case, it would be best to thoroughly sterilize each jar. To do this, you can use a kettle, oven or microwave. Based on this, you can already decide how to pour the jam, hot or cold. A well-boiled delicacy can be placed in sterile jars, even cold, and nothing will be done to it.
First - syrup
Our goal is to prepare not only tasty, but also healthy delicacies. Therefore, you need to start by preparing the syrup. Place sugar and water in a bowl and bring to a boil. Once the crystals have completely dispersed, you can add the berries and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.
Be sure to skim off the foam with a slotted spoon. By the way, it is very tasty. Children will happily eat it with tea. To prevent the berries from shrinking, remove the basin from the heat after five minutes. After cooling, the mixture is heated again. It also depends on the number of approaches whether to pour the jam into jars hot or cold. The five-minute mixture must be poured immediately after preparation, rolled up and put away under a warm blanket. And if you boiled the berries in 4 batches, then there is nothing to be afraid of.
Future plans
Already picking berries, the housewife knows what she plans to do with the preparations. You can leave something for tea, that is, eat it right now. And some should be preserved until cold weather. Based on this, the jam should be poured hot or cold. For direct consumption, they most often make a five-minute one, which is not rolled up, but stored in the refrigerator. Therefore, it is better to pour it hot, this will help destroy all the bacteria that survived after washing. In addition, this measure allows you to save time on sterilizing jars. The temperature of boiling jam is very high; it can completely replace heating in the oven or by steaming.
For winter storage
To prevent it from souring during storage, only two things are important. The first is a sufficient amount of sugar. If there is not enough of it, even prolonged boiling will not help. Therefore, follow the recipe strictly. The second point is the cooking time. You can simply turn on the heat and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes. It will store normally, but will look like jam. Therefore, it is necessary to approach preparation step by step. That is, heat for 3-5 minutes, then cool completely for three hours. It takes more than a day to prepare, but then it will stand at room temperature. As you can see, it is difficult to say unequivocally how to pour the jam correctly, hot or cold. It all depends on your plans for it.
Jam is ready
Before finishing cooking, you must make sure that the product is completely ready. To do this, gently stir the jam. If it is ready, the berries are evenly distributed in the syrup and do not float to the top. Take a drop of syrup, cool on a plate and rub between your fingers. If a thread forms, you can turn it off. In addition, the drop on the saucer does not spread, but retains its shape.
How to close the jar
If the jam is intended for long-term storage, it must cool completely. Then it is poured into a clean, dry container. But it’s better not to use a metal lid. It is best to use parchment paper and twine. Glass jars are thoroughly washed with soda, dried and kept over steam. After this, the cooled jam is placed in hot jars. It will need to be stored in a dry place. The procedure is quite simple. Place parchment on the jar, a circle of cardboard on top and then parchment again. They are tied together with moistened twine, which, when dried, blocks the flow of air into the jar. Some housewives use different techniques. They pour the jam hot and seal it under a metal lid. In fact, we have already described to you how best to pour the jam - hot or cold. The rest depends on your personal preferences.
During the conservation period, many housewives are faced with the question: “What kind of lids should I use for the best storage of jam?”
Opinions on this matter differ significantly. Some people recommend rolling up the jars with metal lids, while others recommend covering them with paper or cellophane and tying them with thread the old fashioned way.
However, to the question “Can jam be covered with nylon lids?” The answer is clear - you can. Every year, more and more housewives give preference to plastic products for twisting, because they are much easier to use and the preservation process with them becomes much easier and more enjoyable.
And in order to prevent winter preparations from deteriorating and losing their original appearance and smell, it is enough to follow a couple of simple rules:
- firstly, the jam must contain a sufficient amount of sugar. It will prevent fermentation and help maintain the freshness of the product;
- secondly, in order to preserve the freshness of the jam for as long as possible, it needs to be boiled more;
- thirdly, under the lid (on the surface of the jam) you can put a circle of clean paper soaked in alcohol or vodka. If mold does form on the surface, then such protection will completely absorb it. If necessary, such a filter can be changed at any time.
For greater reliability, you can also use plastic hot canning products. They differ from ordinary ones in that they are preheated in hot water and then put on the jar. These lids are more airtight.
In general, we can say that jam should be stored at a temperature no higher than room temperature in a dark room.
Nylon lids are very convenient to use; they can be removed from the jar without any tools such as openers, and put back on immediately as needed. There is another important advantage of a nylon product over a metal one; unlike it, the nylon cover does not rust.
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