While the commercial jams are too sickly sweet and an
overdose of sugar, homemade jams can actually be blissfully delectable. Jam
making did not start in food factories but is a century old method invented in
homes. You can rediscover the old magic of fresher and tastier fruits with the
process of jamming. It’s a process for enjoying fruits far longer than their
normal shelf life. It’s especially functional for fruits that are either
seasonal or costly in the market. You need not be a culinary proficient to prepare jams and
jellies. It’s a very basic method with some skill that lets you enjoy the
citrus magic of any fruit at any time of the year. The right blend of sugar,
pectin and acid gives you the perfect jam. While some call it an art, it’s a
little science too. The crucial ingredient in any jam is the pectin. They are
large molecules that connect together to make gel. Apples and berries have
plenty of pectin but other fruits that are low on pectin need artificial pectin
for jamming. Acid further adds to the gelling capacity of the fruit. You need
to add lemon juice in order to provide high acidity environment for the pectin
to perform well.
How to make jam
Cardinally jam requires equal weight of sugar and fruit. Too
much fruit might hamper the preserving effect while excess sugar crystallizes
or even make it overly sweet. Select either just ripe or unripe fruit for
jamming. Remove the seeds or stones from the fruit and puree it. Slowly heat
and let it come to a boiling temperature. Fruits with high pectin or high
acidity do not require any lemon or pectin. For medium acidic or low acidic
fruits, there is a need to add lemon juice and pectin. Pectin is readily
available in the market with clear instructions on quantity to be used. Now you
may slowly add sugar and but do not stir. It will gradually come to a boil and
you can feel the sweet aroma filling the kitchen. This is when you know your
jam is nearly done. Let it cool and crystallize before you start filling in
jars. Cover it properly and your jam is all ready to be savored.
How to make preserves
Fruits are acidic by nature making them compliant to
preservation. Technically speaking, the acidity retards microbial growth and
activate pectin set which further reduces bacterial activity.
Dehydration remains the most common method of preserving.
Once moisture is driven off, the microorganisms cannot flourish. Basic methods
of dehydration are sun-drying, freeze-drying and hot-air drying. Dehydration
has edge over other methods as it is uncompromising on the nutritive value of
the fruits and vegetables. It enhances the shelf life and makes storage handy. Additionally,
one needs chemical process to deactivate the enzymes and prevent browning.
Thermal process in which heat is used to destroy the enzymes
is also commonly used in canning. Another alternative could be chemical
preservation wherein artificial substance is added to delay the maturing of
food items. However, the nourishment and vitality of the food item is altered under
each of these methods.
Corn Cob Jelly
If you think jelly is all about fruits and berries, it’s
time to relook into your culinary knowledge. While you are already freezing so
much corn every year, how about making a jelly out of it.
Ingredients that you need
- - 1 box pectin
- - 12 corn on the cobs
- - 1 tsp lemon juice
- - 3.5 cups sugar
Start by cooking the corns for about 5 minutes. Once the
kernels are soft, you can easily cut them off the cob.
Place the cobs in a pot with water. Ensure the water covers
the cobs and let it boil for an hour. After boiling the liquid should reduce. You
need to have 3.5 cups of water for each batch.
Add the flavoring of your choice now and let it heat a
little more. Now add 3.5 cups of sugar and let it boil. Add pectin now and let
it boil a little more.
Just pour them into the canning jars leaving about .5 inch
space on top. Put the seal and lid after
cleaning the jar’s rim. Add to the
water bath canner and you need to process it for 10 min.
Let it cool and your flavored corn cob jelly is ready to
use.
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