Generality
Jam and jam are preserved foods based on fruit, sugar and food additives with a thickening and antioxidant action; etymologically, "jam" comes from the noun "marmelo ", which is the Portuguese name for the quince plant.
Knowing how to produce marmalade and marmalade at home is an excellent method to save and reduce residual waste.
Homemade production
Jam and jam are the result of a real "food transformation"; the traditional process is based on four cardinal principles which include:
- Washing, peeling, peeling of fruit and adding lemon juice to lower the pH of the food
- Fruit cooking with reduction of total water, denaturation of its own enzymes and solubilization of the viscous fiber
- Addition of thickening molecules:
- Sugar (sucrose or fructose) which also favors the dehydration of fruit pieces and performs an important preservative function; however, it significantly increases the energy supply of the jam or jam
- Pectin (viscous fiber) which does not alter the energy supply from jam or jam and is also a prebiotic nutrient as well as useful for intestinal regularization. NB. The use of pectin is optional and can be replaced by large quantities of sugar, to the disadvantage however of the glycemic load of the food
- Potting into sterile vacuum capsules and storage in a suitable long-term environment.
First of all, to obtain the maximum solubility of the sugar, it is advisable that the pH of the marmalade and jam tends to be acidic (less than 7); to do this, at home it is advisable to squeeze some lemon juice into the pieces of fruit before cooking or add it directly to the pan. Many believe that, by virtue of the content of vit. C, this ingredient acts as an antioxidant also in jam or jam; however, considering the long heat treatment to which they are subjected, it is likely that the ascorbic acid contained in the lemon juice will be totally degraded with the cooking of the food.
The cooking of the marmalade and the jam takes place in an aluminum saucepan (or in a copper pot) with the help of a lid. It is a very slow treatment (from 2-3 to 6-7 hours), which it takes place at moderate intensity (low flame and use of the flame spreader), during which it is necessary to continuously mix the contents. PLEASE NOTE: the addition of pectin or special commercial gelling mixtures allows to reduce cooking times to a few minutes, preserving the nutritional and organoleptic characteristics of fresh fruit, and avoiding excessive cooking with caramelization of sugars.
By virtue of the considerable chemical and nutritional difference of the various types of fruit, each jam or jam requires: cooking times, doses of sugar and doses of pectin, which are also very different from each other.
It is important to reiterate that marmalade and jam reach a bound and homogeneous consistency thanks to the reduction of water, the dilution of sugar and the thickening function of pectin. The latter, which is a type of viscous fiber naturally contained in many types of fruit (especially apples, pears and citrus fruits), melts when cooked and thickens at room temperature. To improve the thickening potential of marmalade and jam, rather than increasing the doses of sugar, it is always advisable to increase the concentrations of pectin using a special ingredient available in any grocery store or supermarket.
The pectin contained in jams and marmalades is a striking example of how the term "food additive" is often misinterpreted by the consumer; this molecule, although artificially added, is a totally natural element and commonly present in many fruit and vegetable products.
And now a theoretical and practical video recipe to make strawberry jam (or more correctly the jam) at home
Strawberry jam - how to make homemade jam
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Other Video Recipes on Homemade Jam: Blackberry and Vanilla Jam - Melon Jam - Green Tomato Jam - Fig Jam
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
Finally, to obtain a long-life product, it is necessary to: wash or rinse the capsules thoroughly, sterilize them in boiling water and immediately fill them with jam or jam at very high temperature; in this way, in addition to ensuring the absence (or almost) of microorganisms inside the jars, by tightening the caps and turning them over on a cold surface it will be possible to obtain an excellent vacuum seal.
It is therefore necessary to keep the jam or marmalade in a dark, dry, ventilated pantry with a temperature ranging around 18-20 ° C.
Blackberry jam
Blackberry jam is one of the best known recipes but also the least indicative; it does not require the addition of pectin and reaches a decidedly solid consistency even only by cooking with sugar. It is however possible to drastically reduce the intake of sucrose by adding pectin, obtaining a further reduction in the overall caloric intake and shortening the cooking times.
Ingrediants: 1000g of blackberries, 300g of sugar.
Method: wash the blackberries, purée them and mix the contents with the sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the right consistency is reached; in the meantime, wash and sterilize the capsules. Fill the capsules with the boiling mixture and turn them upside down; let them cool.
The procedure for making homemade blackberry jam is illustrated in this video recipe.
Nutritional characteristics
Jam and jam are basically very sweet foods, although some dietary types have recently been placed on the market, as they are free of ADDED sugar. Unlike fresh fruit, due to prolonged cooking, marmalade and jam are poor in thermolabile vitamins and antioxidants. The quantity of fiber and mineral salts remains almost unchanged, as well as that (even if insignificant) of proteins and lipids.
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