Place the vegetable in an enamel pan or basin where the jam will be cooked. Add half a serving of sugar and leave the juice to simmer for several hours (from 4 to 8, depending on the ripeness of the melon).
Tip: Both ripe and unripe melons are suitable for this recipe. If there is a lot of juice, it is enough to cook the jam a little longer.
When the melon releases juice, add the other half of the sugar and place the pan on low heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously and simmer the melon jam for about an hour. To maintain the amber color of the melon, you should add a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice or replace it with 20 grams of citric acid. At the last moment, add grated ginger root.
Tip: You can check the readiness of the jam by dropping a drop of syrup onto a saucer. If it does not spread after cooling, then the jam is ready. If necessary, you can boil the mass for another hour, and in this case ginger and citric acid should be added at the end.
Turn off the mixture and use the utensils to roll the jam. The jars need to be thoroughly washed with soda and then sterilized by steam, in the oven or in the microwave. Fill clean, dry jars with jam and wait until the mixture stops steaming.
Tip: It is better to prepare melon jam for the winter in small portions, otherwise it will be difficult to achieve the required consistency.
Seal the melon jam, rolled into jars for the winter, tightly with boiled lids. The jars should be placed in a cool place and covered with a thick blanket to allow them to cool slowly. A delicious, aromatic and healthy treat is ready!
Tip: Melons contain more vitamin C than orange citrus fruits. And the iron content is 17 times higher than in milk. Also, melon contains potassium, calcium, sodium and chlorine. High amounts of fiber help lower cholesterol levels. Therefore, we recommend that you always eat fresh melon during the season - for example, make fruit salads with melon.
Enjoy your tea! Cooking time: 1.5 hours. Makes 5 jars of 250 grams each.
The large melon berry, with its excellent taste, is very popular. It is consumed not only fresh. Many housewives have adapted to harvesting melon for the winter. These include syrups, preserves, jams, and compotes. Today we will take a closer look at the options and methods for making melon jam. If you strictly follow the instructions, the cooking procedure should not be difficult even for novice cooks.
Different varieties of melons may differ from each other in the shape of the fruit, their color, as well as the structure and juiciness of the pulp. Berries with soft, loose pulp are best used for making jam with a homogeneous structure, and those with dense and coarse pulp are best used for dessert with pieces.
Before starting work, be sure to wash the melons, peel the skins and remove the seeds. The recipes below are based on net product weight.
Methods for making jam
Jam with melon pieces
A kilogram of dense (hard) melon pulp is crushed into small cubes. In order for the jam to cook evenly, the cutting should be as uniform as possible.
The cubes are covered with 500 grams of sugar, mixed, and set aside for a couple of hours. During this time, the juicy melon pulp will produce a large amount of juice.
The container with the food is placed on the fire and another half a kilo of sugar is added. Bring the jam to a boil over low heat and cook for 25-35 minutes. Cooking time varies depending on the amount of juice extracted and the density of the melon pulp. As soon as the mass begins to thicken, add the juice of one lemon or finely chopped zest to the bowl. You can also add a few wheels of fresh ginger root for flavor. In order for the jam to absorb all the flavors, it is allowed to rest for 20-30 minutes. After this, the saucepan is returned to the heat and cooked for a quarter of an hour. A minute before readiness, remove the ginger slices.
The Kartata Potata channel will tell you how to make melon jam with banana
Jam with citric acid
The main ingredients, melon and sugar, will need equal amounts. Two kilograms of melon are passed through a meat grinder along with sugar. This will allow the melon juice to release faster.
The liquid puree mass is placed on the fire and cooked until thickened. When the jam begins to “spit”, reduce the heat to minimum. From this moment on, they do not leave the cooking container, monitoring the cooking process and constantly stirring the dessert. It is very important to prevent burning to the bottom, otherwise the rancid taste of the dish will ruin all your efforts.
The readiness of melon jam is checked using standard technology by dropping a drop on a saucer. Jam that holds its shape confidently is considered ready.
Once the final degree of readiness of the dish is determined, add citric acid. For this volume you will need approximately a level teaspoon of powder. It is advisable to first dissolve the crystals in a small amount of boiled water.
After boiling the jam for another minute, turn off the fire, and the dessert is packaged in jars for further storage.
Delicate smooth jam
A kilogram of melon pulp is first cut into cubes, and then they are pureed with a blender. It is better to grind melon immediately with sugar. You will need from 700 grams to a kilogram. Depending on the sweetness of the main product, this figure may vary in one direction or another.
The sweetened puree is placed on the stove and boiled until tender for 10 minutes. Then the workpiece is allowed to rest for 5-6 hours. The jam is not covered with a lid. After the specified time, cooking is continued. The total number of passes is 3-4, and the boiling time is 10-15 minutes. The thickened, homogeneous jam is poured hot into jars and screwed on with lids.
Melon jam in a slow cooker
Grate a kilogram of melon on a medium grater. The mass is placed in the main container of the multicooker and covered with the same amount of granulated sugar. After mixing the products, they are allowed to stand for 20 minutes. Before cooking, add another 50 milliliters of water to the melon. Cook the jam using the “Stew” mode. Cooking time can be set automatically or manually. The timer should go off after 60 minutes. During this time, the jam must be stirred several times with a wooden or silicone spatula. Jam from a multicooker turns out to be a little thinner in consistency, but this is compensated by the least amount of time you spend preparing it.
The video presented by the “Good morning, WORLD!” channel will reveal to you the secrets of making melon-watermelon jam
How and how long to store melon jam
The finished melon jam is placed in steamed jars while hot. This allows you to store the workpiece for a maximum amount of time – up to 2 years. If packaging is done in non-sterilized containers, then such a product can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 months.
Unsweetened melon can be a real disappointment, but don't worry. An unsuccessful purchase is a great opportunity for culinary experiments. I have already made melon jam with lemon using half a melon. And the other half went to making jam. We didn’t need a lot of ingredients either in the first or in the second case. In this recipe I will limit myself to melon and a few spices, although I will also add lemon zest.
Melon is a very tasty product if you are lucky enough to buy a good one. But if the melon you come across is not sweet, then this product has a rather neutral taste. And spices and lemon zest will just add aroma and taste to the tasteless melon. To make melon jam for the winter, I use a cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves. Remove the seeds from the melon by cutting the fruit in half.
Cut off the thin skin, and cut the pulp without skin into small pieces.
Remove a thin layer of zest from the lemon. Let's cut this zest into smaller pieces.
Place the melon pieces, star anise (star anise), cloves and chopped lemon zest in a bowl.
Add granulated sugar and let it cook. Cook over low heat, stirring regularly.
After an hour and a half, the jam will begin to thicken and acquire a brownish tint. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise and grind the mixture into jam. You can grind until smooth, but I broke it so that you could feel the pieces. Use your own discretion here. Put the mashed mass on the fire and boil for another 7 minutes. Here you need to be careful so that our jam does not burn.
While the jam is cooking, just sterilize the jars and lids.
Place the jam into jars, seal the lids and turn the jars upside down.
Melon jam made for the winter with spices and lemon zest is pleasant to eat with tea. Can also be used for making baked goods and desserts.
Few people like melon jam, and all because it practically loses all its delicate aroma during cooking. Instead, what remains is a strong sweetness, unbalanced by anything. This is, of course, if you prepare a jam where there are no other ingredients besides melon and sugar. But you will be surprised how interesting and unforgettable melon jam can be if you skillfully use spices and additives!
Melon confiture according to this recipe is a sweet melon, aromatic honey that goes so well with it, as well as lemon juice to balance the sweetness and incredibly fragrant cardamom. The taste of this melon confiture is incredibly subtle, harmonious, but at the same time spicy and memorable! And in order to add texture, add a handful of chopped almonds to the confiture.
Melon jam itself turns out to be very liquid. You can add a lot of sugar and boil it for a long time to get a thick confiture. And you can easily avoid this by adding a pectin-based gelling additive to the confiture - with its help you can reduce the amount of sugar and the cooking time will be minimized.
Ingredients
- 1 half medium-sized melon (without seeds and peel 400 grams)
- 125 grams of sugar
- 50 grams of honey
- 1 package of gelling additive for jam (Zhelfix, Confiturka or similar)
- 15 grams of almonds
- juice of 1 lemon
- 5-6 boxes of cardamom
Finished product yield: 500 ml
Melon confiture recipe
Peel the melon from seeds and peel. Cut half the pulp into 1 cm cubes.
Grind the remaining half of the melon pulp using a blender.
Place the melon pieces and melon puree in a small, heavy-walled saucepan.
Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add it to the melon.
Add honey to the pan.
Grind the cardamom in a coffee grinder and sift.
Add cardamom to the jam.
Chop the almonds and also add them to the pan.
Place the melon jam on low heat. While it comes to a boil, mix the sugar with the gelling agent.
Add sugar to the jam.
When the jam boils, skim off the foam and cook for 5 minutes.
Pour the finished melon confiture into sterile jars and seal.
Cool the confiture by wrapping it in a towel and turning it upside down. Sweet pleasure in winter is guaranteed to you!
Golden-hued jam with floating transparent slices of melon is a delicacy that is considered a full-fledged dessert on the holiday table in many families. There are many recipes for preparing this delicious preserve - you can add tropical fruits, spices, and fruits that are familiar to everyone. Even an inexperienced novice housewife can make melon jam; the main thing is to strictly adhere to the recipe.
There are many rules and tricks for preparing aromatic preserves, so before the exciting process, the result of which will be a delicious delicacy, it is recommended to find out the most useful and important requirements. The main rule is to use only high-quality fruits. If signs of spoilage are noticed on the melon, be sure to remove them. You should also not leave the skin and core with the seeds - they can spoil the taste of the preserve.
Be sure to taste the melon slices before preparing the preparation. There should be no unpleasant bitterness or suspicious herbaceous taste. If you have doubts about the quality of a vegetable, it is better to refuse to prepare canned food - it can quickly deteriorate.
Another trick that is recommended for making jam is to use several ingredients. Melon itself does not have a pronounced aroma, so it is better to experiment and add citrus fruits, spices, and fruits.
When preparing preserves, one should also not forget that much depends on the shade of the fruit. The brighter it is, the more appetizing the treat in the jar will look. Light colored pulp can cause unsightly pale colored jam.
Benefits of melon jam
Thanks to its composition, which combines vitamins, natural fiber, minerals, and beneficial elements, melon delicacy has remarkable qualities that can have a beneficial effect on health. Heat treatment reduces the amount of useful substances, so it is recommended to reduce the cooking process to a minimum - this will preserve the positive properties.
Regular consumption of delicious jam allows you to:
- improve hair condition, cope with hair loss and split ends;
- even out skin tone, cope with pigment spots, rashes;
- accelerate the recovery of affected dermal tissues;
- put metabolic processes in the body in order;
- normalize blood pressure;
- relieve fatigue, nervous irritation, depression, stress.
Another feature of bright orange preservation is that it has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, eliminates insomnia, even prevents anemia and improves immunity.
How to choose melon for jam
Pumpkin vegetables, and melon is no exception, perfectly absorb harmful substances, so when choosing, you should be guided by some rules. First, it is recommended to purchase fruits away from roads, large industries, and gas-polluted areas. Be sure to first inspect for integrity - there should be no damage or signs of deterioration.
For canning, it is better to purchase fully ripened vegetables. It’s easy to verify this - check the tail (it should be dry) and lightly pat the surface (if you hear a dull sound, you can safely purchase the fruit). Be sure to sniff well - the absence of smell indicates an excess of nitrates.
Seeds can also indicate that fruits have been treated with nitrates to speed up ripening and shelf life. If they are empty and have an unpleasant dark brown tint, it is better to refuse to use melons for canning and not to eat them at all. Most likely, it is stuffed with harmful substances that can cause harm.
A simple recipe for the winter
The easiest way to prepare melon eliminates the addition of other ingredients. It will take a little time to prepare, which is very convenient for housewives who do not have time for preservation.
Preparation:
- Prepared melon pulp (rinse, peel, remove seeds and pre-dry the fruits), cut into arbitrary slices (1 kg).
- Boil water and place the pieces in the bubbling liquid (it’s convenient to do this in a colander) for 5 minutes.
- Allow excess liquid to drain.
- Boil the syrup (bring 1250 g of sugar and 320 ml of water to a boil), add 2 g of acid.
- Dip the slices into the bubbling syrup, stir, and leave for a day.
- Boil over low heat, avoiding noisy boiling, for a quarter of an hour.
Immediately pack and seal. Cool by first turning the containers with jam upside down.
Five-minute recipe
It’s easy to prepare a delicious delicacy in just 5 minutes, and it is stored no worse than canned food, which takes a longer time to cook.
Preparation:
- Remove the peel from the fruit (1100 g), rinse, cut into small cubes.
- Boil sweet syrup (combine 200 ml of water and 900 g of sugar).
- Place the prepared cubes into the bubbling liquid.
- Boil with constant stirring for 5 minutes.
- Immediately pour into pre-sterilized containers.
After capping, turn the containers over, placing them on a flat surface with the lids down. It is recommended to wrap it in a towel or blanket for a day, especially if long-term storage is planned.
Melon jam with ginger
Spicy ingredients in the form of ginger root and vanilla will add their own zest to the preservation, turning the jam into a pleasant-tasting delicacy with a subtle, refined note.
Preparation:
- Wash and peel the fruits (2 kg).
- Cut the aromatic pulp into small cubes.
- Place the prepared raw materials in a cooking container.
- Rub peeled and washed ginger root (50 g) directly into a saucepan or basin with melon cubes, squeeze the juice from 2 medium-sized lemons.
- Sprinkle the preservation ingredients with granulated sugar (250 g) and leave for 4-6 hours. During this time, use a slotted spoon several times and vigorously mix the mass.
- Boil water (1 l) and sugar (1200 g).
- Mix the melon cubes and syrup and cook for half an hour.
- Add more sugar (500 g) to the mixture and cook until tender, avoiding noisy boiling.
It’s easy to check the readiness of preservation - drop the mixture onto a plate that has been previously cooled in the refrigerator, and check if it spreads over the surface. If the drop does not lose its shape, feel free to pour the delicious, aromatic jam into a container (washed and sterilized). It is not necessary to turn it over for cooling - after capping, immediately store it in a cold place.
Using a multicooker allows you not only to reduce the time for preparing dessert, which will allow you to spend a pleasant time on a winter evening with your family, but also to preserve all the useful elements. The delicacy is usually prepared from bright orange fruits - the jam turns out to be an amazingly rich color and has a pleasant honey aroma.
Preparation:
- Grind the delicious melon pulp into cubes of the same shape (1 kg is enough).
- Place the raw materials in the multicooker bowl, add sugar (550 g), do not stir.
- Squeeze lemon juice into a container (you can simply grate the citrus on a fine grater) or simply add 4 g of acid.
- Leave for 2 hours.
- Cook, turning on the “Steamer” mode, until it boils.
- After the mixture begins to boil, switch to the “Baking” mode.
- Cook, uncovered, until tender (about 35 minutes).
- Stir the mixture periodically and skim off the foam if necessary.
Pack into containers, seal, leave to cool, first turning the lid down. Be sure to wrap it up - this will successfully replace sterilization and extend the shelf life of the delicious delicacy.
Melon jam in a bread maker
To make jam using a bread machine, be sure to use slightly unripe fruits, otherwise it’s easy to end up with regular jam instead of the orange delicacy. Citrus fruits will be useful here, as they will improve the aroma and taste. You can also make preserves with vanilla.
Preparation:
- Prepare sunny vegetable (550 g), cut into not too large cubes.
- Add sugar (280 g), mix, place in the bread machine container.
- Squeeze the juice from 2 lemon slices, add vanilla (1-3 g) if desired.
- Cook in a bread machine for half an hour, during which time it is recommended to stir several times and skim off the foam.
After packaging, seal immediately. There is no need to turn it over; it’s better to just wrap it in a blanket and leave it for a day.
Melon jam with banana and lemon
The combination of melons and bananas allows you to get a preserve that resembles thick jam. The preparation will take several days, so it is better to prepare in advance for a long process. It is recommended to use bananas for cooking that are not too ripe, slightly greenish. Ripe fruits will boil completely, turning into a thick mass.
Step by step recipe:
- Peel, chop melon (1.7 kg) into arbitrary slices, place in a saucepan in which cooking will take place.
- Add granulated sugar in equal quantities with melon slices, leave until the next morning.
- Squeeze the juice from one citrus into the mixture (you can use lemon or lime), and let it cook for half an hour.
- Cut well-washed lemons (3 pcs.) together with the peel, add to the boiling mixture.
- Peel, cut bananas (1 kg) into large pieces, add to the main mass.
- Cook everything together until completely thickened (about an hour).
After packaging and capping, leave to cool slowly. To do this, turn it over and wrap it using an old blanket.
Grapefruit is a must-have addition to melon jam for lovers of the piquant taste of preserves. It is recommended to use fully ripened tropical fruits, otherwise there is a risk of getting a delicacy with a slight bitterness.
Preparation:
- Grind the melon pulp (1 kg), place in a bowl.
- Add granulated sugar (at least 750 g).
- Wait until the mixture releases juice (this will take up to 12 hours), during which time you need to stir the mixture 3-5 times.
- Place the main ingredient of the jam on the stove and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-9 minutes.
- Remove from heat and leave for a day.
- Boil again for about 10 minutes, leave until completely cooled.
- Grind the grapefruit using a grater (do not remove the skin).
- Combine the grapefruit pulp with the main mixture and cook until fully cooked (half an hour).
Package, seal, cool using a blanket. Store for storage after complete cooling.
Cinnamon Recipe
An exquisite melon dessert with a spicy cinnamon note is an independent dish on the holiday table. It is also recommended to use preservation for baked goods - pies, pies, buns.
Preparation:
- Place the chopped melon cubes (1.8 kg) into a thick-walled cooking container.
- Add juice, previously squeezed from two lemons, to the main ingredient and mix.
- Add sugar (350 g), leave until the sweet component is partially dissolved.
- Put the syrup on the stove to boil (1 kg of sugar, liter of water).
- After the sweet liquid boils, add melon slices to it.
- Cook until almost done (half an hour).
- Add the cinnamon stick and cook for another quarter of an hour.
Before packaging, it is better to remove the cinnamon stick, otherwise the canned melon will develop an unpleasant taste during prolonged storage.
Melon jam with pear
Preparation:
- Cut the melon (900 g), remove the skin, seeds, chop as desired (preferably in small slices).
- Prepare syrup from 900 ml of water and sugar (1200 g), place melon slices in boiling liquid, and boil for a quarter of an hour.
- Cut the pear (350 g) into slices and add to the main mass.
- Cook until done (check with a drop on a plate - if it holds its shape well and does not start to spread, you can start packing).
- If you need to get a thicker preserve, it is recommended to prepare the delicacy in three steps, cooking for 6-9 minutes. Allow to cool completely each time.
The essence of grapefruit will improve the taste of the jam - add it three minutes before the end of preparing the dessert. You only need 2-4 ml of aromatic seasoning.
With apples
It is recommended to prepare melon jam, which is planned to be used for baking, with apples. The fruits will provide the necessary sourness and extend the shelf life of the preserve.
Preparation:
- Finely chop the fruits (melon will need 1400 g, apples - 500 g).
- Mix the fruit mass with sugar (650 g), put on fire.
- After boiling, cook for about 20 minutes.
- Add the zest of one citrus, crushed using a fine grater, to the main composition.
- Cook, stirring, for another quarter of an hour.
Immediately pour into pre-prepared containers (it is recommended to sterilize first). Cooling, as usual - upside down, under a warm blanket.
Melon jam with watermelon rinds
Watermelon rinds are an excellent addition to preserved melon. A prerequisite is to use only fresh peels; even short storage in the refrigerator can spoil the valuable ingredient for jam.
Preparation:
- Chop the melon (650 g), previously peeled and cored with seeds, into small strips.
- Wash watermelon rinds (400 g), remove the top green layer of skin with a sharp knife, and also chop into thin bars.
- Mix the melons and pour in pre-boiled syrup (380 ml of water and 670 g of sugar).
- Leave until completely cooled, put on the stove, and cook for half an hour.
- Cool again, finish preparing the preserves the next day (boil the mixture for 20 minutes).
Store after complete cooling in a cool cellar or refrigerator.
Melon and orange jam
Using oranges in the preparation of melon jam allows you to completely change the taste of the preserve - it becomes more aromatic, with a pleasant sourness. It is important to use citrus fruits with thin skin - no need to peel it.
Preparation:
- Chop the pre-prepared melon crop (one and a half kilograms) with a sharp knife. Cubes look best in jam, but you can cut them into thin bars.
- Add sugar (700 g) to the melon slices, stir, and immediately place on the stove.
- Boil, without increasing the heat too much, for half an hour.
- Wash the oranges, chop them into a fine pulp along with the peel, but be sure to remove the seeds.
- Place the orange pulp into the boiling base mixture and simmer for another quarter of an hour.
Package, wait until a thin frozen film appears on the surface of the jam, and only then seal the jars. Do not turn over, store immediately.
Pre-steaming citrus fruits will help improve the taste. To do this, pour boiling water over them, close the container with a lid and leave for 15 seconds. After cooling, chop and add to jam.
Melon jam without sugar
If the house has run out of sugar, but you urgently need to use melons for jam, you should not immediately rush to the store - canning without a sweet ingredient will turn out no worse than the traditional preparation. Before serving the delicacy to the table in winter, you can mix it with powder or simply sprinkle a sweet ingredient on top. This is not necessary - the melon itself is very sweet.
Preparation:
- Grind melons (1 kg), sprinkle with a little lemon juice.
- Place on the stove, pour 100 ml of water into the container.
- Cook covered, do not stir.
- Cooking time is half an hour.
Place into containers and pour in the thick juice released from the slices. Seal and leave for several days at room temperature - this will ensure that the jam is prepared correctly and is not going to spoil. If during storage indoors a cloudy sediment appears in a container with melon cubes, immediately open the container and boil again.
You can make jam that does not use sugar using another recipe. It is recommended to take bee honey as a sweet component, which will replenish the range of useful substances. Typically, such preservation is used for colds in winter, increasing the body's resistance to infections.
Preparation:
- Chop the previously prepared (free from peel and seeds) melon crop. You will need up to one and a half kilograms of melon to prepare the preparation. If the fruits are too juicy, take more.
- Heat honey (400 g) in a water bath until it becomes semi-liquid. If the bee product contains sugar grains, melt them completely.
- Pour warm honey over the prepared vegetable cubes, stir, and leave for 5 hours. It is not recommended to stir during this time.
- After a large amount of sweet syrup appears, transfer the mass to a pan with thick walls.
- Place the container in the oven; do not set the temperature to high - the jam should simmer, not boil.
- Cook, occasionally opening the oven and stirring the mixture, for 35 minutes.
- Pour immediately after cooking.
The workpiece is not sterilized - seal it and send it to the refrigerator or cellar, after making sure that the jars are completely cold. Bee honey serves as an excellent preservative, so jam can be stored for a long time - even after 2-3 years it will retain its beneficial qualities.
Rules for storing jam
There are no particular difficulties with storing melon jam - it usually keeps well for a whole year. That is why it is recommended to stock up on a considerable amount of appetizing preserves - they usually sell out quite quickly.
The main storage rule is that containers with jam should only be kept in a cool place. Under conditions close to room temperature, fermentation may begin. In such cases, it is prohibited to use preserved food even in baked goods - most likely, harmful bacteria that can cause poisoning have already begun to multiply in it.
During storage, it is recommended to regularly check the quality of the workpieces. If mold appears on top, but the fermentation process has not yet begun, try to save the preservation. To do this, carefully collect the top layer, which has already begun to deteriorate, place the contents of the container in a saucepan and boil for about half an hour.
You can add a little boiled water - this will protect against burning. Cool directly in the saucepan, transfer to a clean container, cover and place in the refrigerator. Use in baking or consume neat within a week.
It is prohibited to uncork the melon preparation and send it back for storage, even if boiling or sterilization has been carried out beforehand. Use opened jam immediately and store only in the refrigerator.
Melon jam is an excellent preserve that can serve as a complete dessert. You can use the delicacy in different variations - add it to baked goods, sauces, prepare delicious desserts, even add it to drinks. The benefits of the preparation are difficult to overestimate, because in terms of the number of useful elements, melon can compete even with apples or currants. Preservation will be especially valuable in winter, allowing all family members to replenish the lack of vitamins in the body.
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