How to cook a simple but delicious melon jam

Melon jam has a delicate texture and wonderful aroma. Melon is often combined with apples, citrus fruits, berries and spices, which make the taste of the delicacy brighter. In the article, we will reveal the secrets of making jam and share proven recipes.

Selection and preparation of fruits

For cooking, use a soft, overripe melon... The pulp of such fruits has a sweet, even sugary taste, quickly boiled down during heat treatment.

Before slicing, the melon must be washed with warm water and dried. Then the fruit is cut into pieces, the seeds are removed and peeled crust... The pulp is cut into small pieces, so it will quickly boil down into a gruel.

Melon jam is often prepared with apples, the pulp of which is rich in pectin. It is he who provides the necessary viscosity of the jam. Before cooking, the peel is cut from the fruit, the seed capsule is removed and cut into small pieces.

Citrus fruits are thinly sliced ​​or twisted through a meat grinder and boiled along with the rest of the ingredients. Most melon jam recipes use only juice and zest.

It tastes interesting with the addition of banana. The fruit adds a tropical flavor. To balance the sweetness, use citric acid or fresh citrus juice.

How to cook melon jam

The technology for cooking jam provides for boiling the fruit mass to a thick consistency. For this, overripe melons with a loose but very sweet pulp are ideal. It doesn't take long to prepare food. There are two ways to make jam:

1. The pulp is cut into arbitrary pieces, put into a saucepan and covered with sugar. After a while, the melon starts up juice... Boil the mass over medium heat until the pieces are completely softened, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Then whisk in a puree using a hand blender and bring to the desired consistency.
2. The second method involves grinding raw melon pulp. For this purpose, use a meat grinder or blender. The mass is mixed with sugar and cooked over medium heat until thick.

The amount of sugar is adjusted taking into account the sweetness of melon. To prepare jam, use an enamel pan or a wide basin.

Classic simple recipe

According to this recipe, melon jam is prepared quickly and tastes good.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of melon;
• 300 g granulated sugar;
• 15 g citric acid.

Preparation:

1. Cut the melon into pieces, remove the crust, remove the seeds. Chop the pulp randomly, put in a saucepan and cook for 15-20 minutes over low heat.
2. The melon will put out a lot of juice. Stir quickly with a spatula during the first cooking step. This will speed up the evaporation of the liquid.
3. At the end of the cooking time, transfer the pulp to a sieve and wipe or use a hand blender.
4. Stir in granulated sugar and citric acid. Cook over low heat until thick. Stir occasionally with a spatula.
5. Pour the hot mass into jars and close the lids. Store in the refrigerator.

Melon jam in a slow cooker

The multicooker makes the process much easier. All that is required is to prepare the food and put it in the bowl. The technique will do everything for you.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of melon;
• 400 g sugar;
• 1 large lemon.

Preparation:

1. Wash the fruit, cut and core. Remove the skin and cut the flesh into slices. Place in a multicooker bowl and add sugar.
2. Select the "Steam" program, set the cooking time to 10 minutes.
3. After the beep, leave the mass to cool for 40-60 minutes. Then turn on the Steam program for 10 minutes and leave to cool again.
4. Whisk the mixture with a hand blender. Select the "Pilaf" program for 40 minutes. At the end of cooking, add lemon juice and stir. If the mixture is too thin, cook to the desired consistency with the lid open.
5. Pour the jam over the jars and cover with lids.

The best recipes with additives

Fragrant melon goes well with various fruits and berries. Sour apples and citrus fruits help to set off the sweetness of melon, to balance the taste, and spices (star anise, cinnamon, cloves) add an exquisite spicy aroma.

With apple

Apples make the jam thicker, shorten the cooking time and dilute the sweetness of the melon.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg apples (sour or sweet and sour varieties);
• 1 kg of melon;
• 1.5 kg of sugar;
• 250 ml of water.

Preparation:

1. Wash the apples, remove the skin, remove the seeds and cut into cubes. Place in a saucepan.
2. Cut melon, remove the core, remove the crust. Cut the pulp into pieces and add to the apples.
3. Cover the fruit with water and cook over medium heat until tender. Use a blender to puree and add sugar. Cook until thick, about two hours.
4. Pour the hot mixture into jars and cover with a cotton cloth or gauze. In the process of cooling, a dense film will appear on the surface, which will protect the jam from damage. Close the container with lids and place in the refrigerator or cellar.

Council. You can make homemade lids from parchment paper and tie them with jute.

With apple, condensed milk and orange zest

Try this recipe for jam. The finished product has an interesting creamy flavor that sets off orange peel.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of melon;
• 2 g vanillin;
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 0.5 kg of apples;
• 20 g of condensed milk;
• 200 g sugar;
• zest of one orange.

Preparation:

1. Peel the fruit and pass the pulp through a meat grinder. Pour into a wide enamel bowl and set over low heat. Add granulated sugar and stir.
2. Cook the mass until thick, not forgetting to skim off the foam.
3. Add condensed milk, cinnamon, vanillin and zest to the jam. Stir and simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
4. Pour the mixture into glass containers and roll up.

With banana

With a banana, the jam will come out thicker and sweeter. It also allows you to put less sugar or not add it at all.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of pectin;
• 1 lemon;
• 500 g melon;
• 200-300 g sugar;
• 300 g banana pulp.

Preparation:

1. Peel the melon and cut into pieces. Cut the banana pulp and lemon together with the peel into slices.
2. Transfer the melon pulp to a saucepan and add sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 15-20 minutes.
3. Add bananas and citrus to the mixture. Cook until thick and make sure the jam does not burn.
4. At the end of cooking, puree the mixture, bring to a boil again and add the pectin. Mix thoroughly, boil for 2-3 minutes and pour into jars. Close with threaded caps.

With ginger

Fresh ginger root adds a little spice and enriches the melon jam flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of melon;
• a piece of fresh ginger (about 2 cm);
• 1 lemon;
• 400 g sugar;
• cinnamon stick.

Preparation:

1. Prepare the melon, finely chop the pulp. Place in a saucepan and add sugar. Leave on for 1-2 hours until juice appears.
2. Put the saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature and cook for 30 minutes until the melons are tender. Rub the mass through a sieve or grind with a blender. Pour in lemon juice, add grated ginger and cinnamon.
3. Send the jam over medium heat and cook for 7-10 minutes. Take out the spicy stick and pour the mixture into the jars. Close with threaded caps.

Cinnamon

This recipe contains vodka, but it can be replaced with brandy, whiskey, or not added at all. Thanks to cinnamon, the jam gets a wonderful aroma.Suitable as a topping for ice cream or puddings.

Ingredients:

• 2 kg of melon;
• 2 kg of sugar;
• 100 ml of vodka;
• 200 ml of water;
• 1 lemon;
• 1 pinch of cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Peel the melon, cut the pulp into pieces. Put in a saucepan and cover with sugar, wait until the juice appears.
2. Place the container on high heat and cook the melon until tender. Using a blender, make mashed potatoes, pour in alcohol, lemon juice, add ground cinnamon.
3. Bring to a boil and pour into jars. Seal with tin lids.

How to prepare jam for the winter

To roll up melon jam for the winter, take any recipe you like as a basis. The success of the process depends on adherence to the sterilization rules. Jars for blanks must first be disinfected by steam or in a microwave oven.

Use a large saucepan to sterilize jam in a glass container. Place a small tea towel at the bottom. This will protect the cans from cracking. Boiling water should cover the container 2 cm below the neck. Pay due attention to the covers as well. Sterilize them at the same time as the blanks. For jars with a capacity of 0.5 liters, 10-15 minutes is enough, for liter jars - 20-25 minutes.

At the end of the procedure, close the jars with lids and turn upside down. Cover with a blanket or thick blanket and leave to cool completely. Store in a pantry at room temperature.

Terms and conditions of storage

Jam, cooked without additional sterilization, is placed in a refrigerator or cellar. Otherwise, the product cannot be stored throughout the winter.

On a note. Sterilization in a water bath allows you to store the jam for several years even at room temperature. The shelf life is affected by the amount of granulated sugar. The more it is, the longer the product costs.

Conclusion

Homemade melon jam is a wonderful aromatic delicacy that can replace sugary store options. It is served with buns, pancakes, pancakes, puddings, pies, ice cream. The jam preparation process is not limited by strict rules. Add different fruits, spices, adjust the amount of sugar, and each time you get a new interesting taste.