MELON JAM

Identity Card of the Recipe

131 KCal Calories per serving

Ingrediants

1 Kg of melon pulp
450 g of sugar
25 g (1 sachet) of 2: 1 jam preparation
1 vanilla pod
half a cup of untreated lemon juice
half a glass of Zibibbo wine or Marsala wine

Materials Needed

Large bowl
Food cutting board
Knife
Spoons of wood and steel
Ladle
250 g glass jars with respective caps
Large pot to boil the jam
Pot to sterilize jars and caps
Immersion mixer
Sponge or tea towel

Preparation

To obtain an excellent result, it is recommended to soak the melon pulp with the lemon juice, sugar, vanilla pod and marsala (or zibibbo) 24 hours before starting the preparation of the jam.
Furthermore, leaving the fruit to macerate with the lemon juice prevents the sugar from crystallizing during cooking: in general, this is very important when using rather acidic fruit.

Immerse the glass jars with their caps in a saucepan full of water. Calculate 20 minutes from the moment of boiling: by doing so, it will be possible to sterilize the containers to best preserve the jam.
Meanwhile, prepare the jam. With a skimmer, remove the melon pulp from the maceration liquid and thicken the syrup obtained in a saucepan for at least 5 minutes.
Pour the sachet of thickener (type "2: 1") into the drained melon pulp: the thickener is very useful for speeding up the gelatinization times of the jam.

What type of gelling agent to use?
We have chosen a type of thickener prepared with pectin, citric acid and dextrose, capable of gelling 1 kg of fruit with 500 g of sugar in 8-10 minutes.

Pour the melon pulp with the pectin into a large saucepan, then add the syrup which has thickened in the meantime.
Calculate about 8-10 minutes from the moment of boiling, taking care to skim from time to time with a ladle or a skimmer.

Why foam?
It is important to always remove the foam that forms during the boiling of the fruit: once poured into the jar to be stored, in fact, the foam (rich in oxygen) would constitute an ideal environment for the proliferation of aerobic bacteria potentially harmful to health.

Blend everything with the immersion blender, until all the pieces of fruit are reduced to a puree. In the meantime, new foam will have formed: proceed with its removal.
To check when the jam has reached the right consistency, we recommend using the so-called "saucer test", which is performed by dripping a spoonful of jam onto a cold surface. If this, after a few moments, congeals in jelly without forming a liquid broth, it means that it is ready to be potted.
The jars will also be perfectly sterilized. Then remove the jars with pliers, possibly with the help of a damp sponge and being careful not to burn yourself.
Place the caps and jars upside down on a clean cloth, wiping away any drops of water.
With the help of a ladle, fill the jars with the jam leaving only a couple of centimeters of "empty" from the edge: close the jar with the hermetic cap and let it rest at room temperature until you hear the characteristic "clap" closing.
Store the jam in a dark and cool place: it is recommended to consume it within 12 months of preparation.

Alice's comment - PersonalCooker

Preparing homemade jam has now become a very sweet hobby that allows you to preserve fruit in the best possible way for a very long time, even after the ripening period of that particular fruit.
Here's how to always have melons available even in winter!

Nutritional values and Health Comment on the recipe

Melon jam is a food based on preserved fruit; to achieve a certain consistency and ensure conservation, this jam also requires the addition of sugar, which helps to increase its energy intake, load and glycemic index (however moderate compared to industrial jams on the market). average of melon jam is 15-30g (20-40kcal).