Preparing zucchini jam
Jam is a favorite delicacy of many, and it is prepared from a variety of fruits and berries. Some people like jam from plums or apples, others - from raspberries or strawberries. There are so many different options that everyone can cook a delicacy to their liking. But when everything has already been tried and you want something unusual, we make zucchini jam.
Benefits and calories
Zucchini jam is remarkable in that properly cooked slices of this vegetable can acquire the taste that we wish, it is enough to add an additional ingredient there. It can be lemon, orange or pineapple. Suitable for zucchini jam, which cook very quickly - their processing will take much less time. Their skin is very thin and there are not so many seeds that are present in zucchini, in which the seeds must be removed.
Zucchini are considered very healthy vegetables, they contain few calories, they are recommended to be included in the daily diet, they are assistants in the work of the heart, liver and kidneys, stomach and intestines, rid the body of cholesterol, helping to cleanse blood vessels. When compiling a dietary menu, these vegetables are also often used. Zucchini is known for its content of vitamins C, PP, group B, as well as minerals - calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium.
In the jam, in addition to zucchini, there are fruits that are rich in vitamins. Therefore, jam can be considered a useful product.But keep in mind that it also contains sugar, without which you can not do without.
The less sugar you put in, the shorter the shelf life of the jam will be, there is a risk that it can ferment and turn sour. If sugar is added in moderation, then such a product will be stored for a long time.
Any jam contains calories precisely because of the presence of sugar in it, the calorie content of squash is on average about 200 calories per 100 g of the finished product.
Contraindications
By itself, zucchini has practically no contraindications, it is useful for diets, and for various diseases, and during pregnancy. Even babies are introduced to the diet as one of the first vegetables. But with jam, everything is somewhat different due to the presence of sugar and citrus fruits in it. Therefore, there are a number of contraindications:
- it is not recommended to use jam for those who are allergic to citrus fruits or try carefully, literally one teaspoon;
- for patients with diabetes, this product is contraindicated due to the presence of a large amount of sugar;
- those who are overweight will also not benefit from such jam due to the high calorie content;
- with a strict diet, sugar is also usually completely excluded from the diet;
- this type of delicacy is not suitable for nursing mothers because of the content of citrus fruits, it is not known what reaction this will cause in the baby;
- young children are not recommended to use jam, not only squash, but any other;
- it should be remembered that even the most useful product can do harm instead of good, if you eat it without measure, a few teaspoons a day will be enough.
Cooking methods
You can cook zucchini in different ways and with the addition of various fruits. Each recipe is good in its own way.The preparation of any of them begins with the processing of vegetables. They need to be washed well, peeled, removed the seeds and cut into pieces, smaller or larger - at the discretion of the hostess. If it is jam or jam, you can grate it.
On the stove
You can make jam in the usual and fairly simple way. When the zucchini is washed, peeled, diced or grated, you need to cover them with sugar, using proportions one to one, and then let it brew for about three hours so that the sugar is well absorbed and the vegetables give juice. Then the container with the contents should be put on a slow fire, bring to a boil and cook for half an hour. After that, the jam should cool down. In the meantime, you need to prepare citrus fruits, depending on what the jam will be with - an orange or a lemon.
Three oranges or lemons will be enough for a kilogram of zucchini. They need to be peeled, remove the bones and cut into cubes. Then the jam must be boiled again, add fruit and cook for ten minutes. After it cools down, a delicious treat is ready.
You can add both types of citrus fruits, this will only improve the taste of the product.
And you can cook jam or jam. To do this, pass through a meat grinder or mix vegetables and fruits in a blender. Add sugar to the resulting puree and cook over low heat for an hour, while stirring the mixture occasionally. After cooking, cool and pour into clean sterilized jars, tightly closing the lids. Some housewives cook zucchini with apples. After the zucchini is washed and peeled, they need to be cut into slices.
In the same way, cut apples into slices, mix everything and cover with sugar, let it brew for several hours.Then cook on low heat for half an hour, cool, then boil again for the same amount of time.
in the microwave
Having prepared vegetables and fruits, you need to cover them with sugar and, after insisting, send them to the microwave. At the same time, it must be remembered that the dishes should be only half filled with the mixture. Otherwise, it will begin to boil away and stain both the dishes and the microwave. It is necessary to cook the mixture for about ten minutes, choosing the most powerful mode. Then cool and boil again in the same mode. The third time, you can reduce the time to five minutes and select the minimum mode. To give the jam an unusual taste, some housewives add a little grated ginger there.
Zucchini is convenient because it allows you to experiment with different additives. The main thing is not to overdo it by focusing on one or two components.
In a slow cooker
You can make zucchini jam with lemon in a slow cooker using two options. Those who prefer a light bitterness can also use lemon zest by grating it. If bitterness is not needed, only lemon pulp can be used, which will give the product a pronounced taste and aroma. Vegetables and fruits are peeled, cut into pieces, covered with sugar and infused for two hours. Then the mixture is placed in the container of the multicooker, setting the quenching mode for half an hour. After that, the jam cools down and then boils again for another forty minutes.
Next, the sweetness should be laid out in prepared jars and put in a cool place. In exactly the same way, you can make jam with the addition of oranges, or you can use both types of citrus fruits.
Unusual Recipes
If lemon and orange are known to many as additives to this delicacy, then there are other interesting recipes that will give an unusual taste to a sweet dessert. It can be a great preparation for the winter. If the jam is made from fresh products and, according to all the rules, placed in a sterile container, then it will be stored for a long time. It is not necessary to store it in the refrigerator at all. Any cool room will do, it can be a pantry, a cellar or a balcony, if it is insulated and there are no large sub-zero temperatures.
You can make jam from zucchini with dried apricots. To do this, take the zucchini, wash, peel, cut into pieces. Grind in a blender along with dried apricots. After that, add sugar and leave to soak for two hours. After cooking on low heat for forty minutes, stirring occasionally, you need to cool the resulting mixture. Then boil again, reducing the time to twenty minutes. If you cook these simple vegetables with pineapple juice, then the resulting delicacy will be difficult to distinguish from pineapple pieces. The main thing is to prepare everything correctly. A half-liter pack of juice is enough for two kilograms of zucchini. You can, of course, add natural pineapple juice and even its slices. It will only improve the final product.
The first thing to do is prepare the zucchini. As in previous recipes, vegetables must be thoroughly washed, peeled, seeds removed, cut into pieces, then add sugar and pineapple juice. You need to cook for about half an hour, and then cool. Boil again for ten minutes. This time is enough for the jam to acquire a beautiful amber color. When preparing all recipes, you need to focus on your taste. If you like liquid jam more, you need to cook it less. The thicker the delicacy is required, the longer it will take to cook it. And, of course, you need to constantly try so that the pieces are not too hard, but also do not turn into porridge.
Another very original and delicious recipe is with bananas. Zucchini and bananas are cut into pieces, covered with sugar. Stir lightly occasionally. When the composition gives juice, you can put the container on the stove and cook for thirty minutes. When preparing the ingredients, you need to choose only fresh zucchini, without damage. In young zucchini, there is more juice and almost no seeds. They cook faster and provide more liquid. More mature zucchini give a thicker mass, but they have more seeds and the skin is much denser.
It is more convenient to store jam in small glass jars so that an open jar does not stand for a long time. If the jam is made from quality products and prepared in accordance with the technology, it should not be sugared, fermented or moldy. But if this still happened, most often the delicacy can be saved. If it is candied, it must be poured into a container and melted by holding it in a water bath or boiling over low heat. Can also be melted in the microwave.
If the jam fermented, it means that there was little sugar in it. In this case, it must be poured into a container, boil well, adding sugar. When mold appears, it must be removed and discarded, the remaining jam is also boiled over low heat.
All recipes are tasty and healthy, and each housewife will choose the most interesting one for herself, as well as the cooking method. This jam is perfectly used as an independent delicacy, and as an addition to pancakes, pancakes. Also, jam can be used as a filling for pies or a sweet pie.
See the following video for how to make delicious zucchini jam.