Content
Manchurian (Dumbey) walnut is a strong and beautiful tree that produces fruits of amazing properties and appearance. Its nuts are small in size, outwardly similar to a walnut, but richer in the nutrients included in the composition. Therefore, Manchurian nut jam turns out to be not only pleasant to the taste, but also very useful.
The benefits and harms of Manchurian nut jam
The benefits of the Manchu nut are fully proven by experts. It is full of such important elements and chemical compounds for humans as: magnesium, potassium, acids (malic and citric), alkaloids, various phytoncides, carotene, coumarin and tannins. In addition, the unripe fruit of the Manchu nut is rich in vitamins B and C. It is delicious and contains about 60% of nutritious oils. It is used in medicine and in cooking, mainly for making jams and various tinctures.
Despite all the useful properties of this nut, it can be harmful. Due to the high content of chemical elements, it can cause an allergic reaction. It is not recommended to eat it for pregnant women and during lactation. Contraindicated in people with cirrhosis of the liver, allergic reactions, stomach ulcers and gastritis.
Which nuts are suitable for making jam
For making jam, only those fruits of the Manchurian nut are suitable, which are harvested in mid-July, approximately from the 10th to the 20th. By this time, they have not yet fully ripened and their peel has not matured. Basically, this collection is called "milk ripeness" fruits. After removing the nuts from the tree, they are subjected to prolonged soaking with periodic water changes.
Important! The bark of Manchurian walnuts is rich in iodine, so picking, soaking and peeling must be done with gloves so as not to stain your hands.
In order to be sure of the usefulness of Manchurian nut jam, the recipe for its preparation should be followed exactly.
Ingredients
There are several recipes for Manchu nut jam, but the simplest is to make unpeeled green nuts. To prepare it you will need:
- 100 pieces of milk-ripened Manchu nuts, not peeled;
- 2 kg of sugar;
- 1 lemon;
- various spices and herbs in powder form (ginger, cardamom, cloves, chicory) approximately one pinch;
- vanilla extract (sugar or pod);
- about 2.4 liters of water (2 liters for cooking and 2 glasses for making syrup);
- 1 pack of baking soda
If desired, you can add various berries or orange peels to these ingredients.
Manchu nut jam recipe
It takes a lot of time to properly prepare jam from the fruit of the Manchu tree. It only takes about two weeks to prepare the nuts for cooking in syrup. And the process of making the jam itself takes 3 days.
The process of making jam begins with the selection and cleaning of fruits from debris. Then they are poured until completely covered with cold water and left to soak for a day. During this time, the water should be changed at least three to four times, while the nuts should be washed under running water.
After soaking the fruits in ordinary water, they are pierced or punctured, and poured with a special soda solution (5 liters of water are mixed with 100 g of soda). The nuts should be in this solution for about two days, then it should be changed. The procedure is performed 4 times. In this case, the nuts must be mixed as often as possible. This procedure is necessary to get rid of the bitterness of the fruit.
After the walnut fruits have been soaked, they are removed and dried for the next cooking in syrup.
The syrup is made from sugar and water.
Dissolve 2 kg of sugar in two glasses of water and put on high heat, bring to a boil, removing the white foam. Reduce the heat and dip the soaked and dried fruits in the syrup. Together with the nuts, spicy powders are added, as well as finely chopped lemon. Bring to a boil again and remove from heat. The resulting jam should be infused for at least 24 hours, then it is put on the fire again, brought to a boil and removed for infusion.
In total, the jam should be boiled at least three times, until all the water has boiled away and the jam acquires a viscous consistency, reminiscent of honey.
For aroma and piquancy, vanillin is added to the finished jam before the last removal from the stove. It removes the tart nutty odor.
The resulting jam is poured into jars, which are sterilized in advance and tightly closed with a lid. To seal the jars, the jam should be poured hot.
Rules for the use of green Manchu nut jam
Ready-made Manchurian nut jam can be eaten no earlier than a month after it has been rolled into jars. During this time, the fruits will completely absorb the sugar syrup and become soft.
You should be careful to eat jam, in moderation, so as not to cause an allergic reaction. In addition, this sweetness is very high in calories. 100 g of nut fruits contains approximately 600 kcal.
It can be used in this form along with tea as a stimulant to strengthen the immune system. Also, such jam is suitable as a filling for baking pies.
Terms and conditions of storage
Dumbey nut jam, when properly prepared, can be stored for up to 9 months. In this case, a number of simple rules should be followed:
- dark place;
- cool temperature.
The optimal conditions for preserving the freshness and usefulness of this delicacy is a place protected from sunlight, with a temperature of 0-15 degrees. This could be a pantry or a cellar.
After opening the jar, the jam can be consumed and stored for no more than two months. Therefore, it is recommended to make its preparation in liter or half-liter cans.
To keep the jar open, place the sweet contents in a plastic container and close it tightly. Store the container only in the refrigerator.
Conclusion
Despite the laborious process of making Manchurian nut jam, the result obtained will fully justify the long wait. The finished dish has a very unusual and pleasant taste, unlike the shades of this kind of sweets. Very valuable medicinal properties and nutritional value deserve to become a favorite treat for the whole family.
