Delicious melon jam

Usually, when eating a juicy and sweet melon in the summer, there is not even a question about whether it is possible to extend this season of pleasure and enjoy the honey and fragrant fruit in winter. It turns out that it is possible, and the simplest recipe for melon jam for the winter does not require anything other than the very "berry" and sugar.

The benefits of melon jam

There are few doubts that melon has many health benefits. But after all, jam from it retains most of the vitamins, minerals and other useful substances, although some of it disappears irretrievably during heat treatment.

Eating melon jam can:

• benefit from vitamin deficiency;
• alleviate the condition with atherosclerosis, anemia and cardiovascular diseases;
• normalize digestion and liver function;
• serve as a sedative;
• strengthen immunity;
• have a beneficial effect on women during pregnancy and menopause;
• improve the condition of the skin, nails and hair;
• normalize blood pressure;
• improve metabolic processes in the body;
• help fight insomnia, irritability, fatigue.

How to make melon jam for the winter

There is nothing complicated in the process of preparing an exotic dessert. As with many other fruits and berries, there are two main ways to make melon jam:

1. Falling asleep with sugar and cooking in its own juice.
2. Using cooked sugar syrup, in which the melon pieces will be boiled.

The first method is more suitable for fully ripe and juicy melon varieties. The second is best used in the case of unripe melons or varieties with dense pulp.

Actually, you can try to cook jam from absolutely any melon. The sweeter and more ripe fruits can be boiled during the manufacturing process and are best chopped at some stage with a blender. Plus, they require less sugar. On the other hand, jam can be made even from unripe melon or from white hard pulp near the rind itself, which turns out to be not very tasty for one reason or another. It is only desirable that the melon still has its characteristic aroma. In this case, in winter, a melon dessert will be able to remind by its mere presence of a hot and sunny summer.

Melon varieties with orange or red flesh are especially good for making jam. They are usually the hardest and even after relatively long boiling, the pieces remain intact.

Some sugary and monotonous taste of melon jam can and should be varied with the help of additional ingredients:

• fruit - apples, pears, bananas, peaches, oranges, lemons;
• vegetables - pumpkins, zucchini;
• spices - cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, anise.

Before cooking, the melon is completely peeled from the hard outer shell, cut into two halves and all seeds are removed from the inside.You can cut the melon into pieces of any size and shape, depending on the preferences of the hostess.

Melon jam can be used as a sweet dessert for tea, and as a delicious gravy for pancakes, pancakes, cheese cakes. It is very tasty to add it to ice cream and various cocktails. It is also suitable as an additive to homemade cakes.

Since the dessert is subjected to a rather long heat treatment, melon jam usually does not require additional sterilization. In addition, the use of citric acid or natural lemon juice serves as an additional preservative for winter preservation.

Melon jam recipes for the winter

Despite the fact that melon jam relatively recently got into the cookbooks of Russian hostesses, there are already quite a few interesting and useful recipes for making it.

Simple melon jam for the winter

This recipe does not require any additional components, except for citric acid, without which the jam cannot be stored so well at normal room temperature.

So, you will need:

• 1 kg of melon pulp;
• 1-1.2 kg of sugar;
• 300 ml of purified water;
• 3 g citric acid.

The amount of sugar used is directly related to the sweetness of the melon itself. If it is really sweet, then granulated sugar should be used in smaller quantities.

Manufacturing:

1. The melon is peeled from the skin and internal seed chambers.
2. The pulp is cut into cubes or other pieces.
3. Sugar is diluted in water and the syrup is boiled until it is completely dissolved.
4. Pour melon pieces with hot syrup and leave to cool for 6-8 hours.
5. Then it is boiled again over moderate heat for 5-10 minutes.
6. Cool again by repeating this process at least three times.
7. When the melon pieces become transparent, and the syrup thickens slightly, the cooking can be considered finished.
8. Melon jam is laid out in sterilized jars and rolled up for the winter.

Melon and pumpkin jam

Adding pumpkin will make the jam even healthier and give it a nice orange hue. In the absence of pumpkin, it can be replaced with zucchini, the taste will be slightly different, but the consistency will become even softer.

You will need:

• 500g melon pulp;
• 200 g pumpkin pulp;
• 200 g dried apricots;
• 200 g of sugar.

Manufacturing:

1. Melon and pumpkin are peeled from the tough outer shell.
2. The seeds are also removed, and the required amount of pulp, after weighing, is cut into small pieces.
3. Pour melon and pumpkin pieces with sugar, stir and leave for several hours at room temperature to form juice.
4. Then boil over low heat for 10 minutes.
5. Dried apricots are washed and cut into small slices, attached to pumpkin and melon slices.
6. Boil for another 10 minutes, cool for about an hour.
7. The operation is repeated several times.
8. On the last run, you can boil the treat for about 20 minutes until thickened.

Peach and Melon Jam

Both peaches and melon ripen at the same time. In addition, these fruits have almost the same density of juicy pulp, so they can be excellently combined with each other when cooking. To add contrast, it is customary to add freshly squeezed lemon juice to the jam.

You will need:

• 500 g of melon pulp;
• 1000 g of peaches;
• 1 lemon;
• 1 kg of granulated sugar;
• a bag of vanilla sugar.

Manufacturing:

1. The melon is peeled and seeds removed, the pulp is cut into pieces of arbitrary shape and ground in a blender.
2. Granulated sugar is added to the melon puree and heated until boiling with constant stirring.
3. Peaches are pitted, cut into slices.
4. Pour melon syrup over the peach wedges and leave for 8 hours (overnight) to soak.
5. After the specified time, the jam is heated, boiled for about 5 minutes, skim off and cool again.
6. For the third time, hot jam is laid out in sterile jars and tightly rolled for the winter.

Unripe Melon Jam

In the middle lane, the melon does not always ripen to the desired condition, and it is often necessary to observe fruits before frost, which did not have time to gain the necessary sweetness and maturity. But in green melon jam, the flavor of the fruit is more important, and the added sugar will help create sweetness.

You will need:

• 500 g of hard melon pulp;
• 800 g sugar;
• 15 g salt;
• 1500 ml of water.

Manufacturing:

1. In any case, you must first carefully cut off the thin layer of the coarse outer rind.
2. The pulp is also cleaned of seeds and washed thoroughly under running water.
3. Cut it into pieces 1 cm wide and 2 cm long.
4. Dissolve 15 g of salt in 0.5 l of cool water and soak the blocks in it for 20 minutes. This will help keep them from creeping during the heat treatment.
5. Then the sticks are placed in boiling water for 8-10 minutes.
6. After blanching, they must be rinsed completely under cold water.
7. At the same time, a syrup is prepared from a liter of water and the amount of sugar required by the recipe.
8. Pour melon sticks with cooled syrup and leave for 5-6 hours.
9. Put everything together on the fire and cook for 12-15 minutes.
10. Cool again for 5-6 hours.
11. Repeat this process three times until the sticks are completely transparent.
12. After the last boiling, the finished dessert is laid out in sterile containers and twisted for the winter.

Melon jam with cinnamon

Melon jam with the addition of spices turns out to be very fragrant and tasty.

You will need:

• 1000 g melon pulp;
• 600 g granulated sugar;
• 1 lemon;
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon;
• 10-12 cardamom stars;
• 1 bag of zhelix (pectin).

Manufacturing:

1. The melon pulp is divided into approximately two equal parts.
2. One part is chopped with a blender into a homogeneous puree, the other is cut into small cubes.
3. The cardamom stars are ground into a powder using a coffee grinder.
4. The lemon is poured over with boiling water and the zest is wiped off its surface on a fine grater.
5. In a heat-resistant container, melon pieces are mixed with mashed potatoes, squeezed lemon juice, zest, granulated sugar, cinnamon and cardamom are added. Mix everything thoroughly.
6. Place the container on heating, bring to a boil, remove the resulting foam.
7. A bag of zhelix is ​​mixed with 1 tbsp. l. granulated sugar and gradually added to the melon jam.
8. They boil for about 5 more minutes, while hot they are laid out in sterile jars and closed for the winter.

How to cook melon jam in slices

Melon jam is cooked in pieces according to the usual classic recipe for the winter, outlined above. Only according to this recipe, melon varieties with dense pulp are usually used. But, so that the pieces probably retain their shape and do not creep in different directions, the following technique is used. After cutting, melon wedges are blanched in boiling water for 5-10 minutes, depending on their size. And then they are transferred to a colander and washed under cold water.

The rest of the manufacturing technology remains the same.

For 1 kg of melon pulp, they usually use:

• 1.2 kg of sugar;
• 300 ml of water;
• juice of one lemon;
• 5 g vanillin.

Melon jam without sugar

The sugar in melon jam can be replaced with fructose, stevia syrup, or honey.

In the latter version, the dessert will acquire additional value and flavor. For 1 kg of melon pulp, 0.5 liters of honey is usually taken.

But in the case of using truly sweet and juicy melon fruits, you can make jam without adding sweeteners at all.

For better preservation of the jam for the winter, it is advisable only to use pectin or zhelfix.

You will need:

• 500 g melon pulp;
• 1 sachet of gelatin.

Manufacturing:

1. As in the previous recipe, the melon pulp is divided into two halves. One half is mashed using a blender, and the other is cut into 1 x 1 cm cubes.
2. The cubes are mixed with mashed potatoes, put on fire and simmer over low heat for about a quarter of an hour.
3. Jellix is ​​carefully poured into the jam, brought to a boil again and cooked for another 5 minutes.
4. Hot melon jam is distributed in jars and rolled up for the winter.

Melon jam with gelatin for the winter

Another option for a fairly quick preparation of delicious and thick melon jam.

You will need:

• 1 kg of melon pulp;
• 500 g granulated sugar;
• a bag of gelatin (40-50 g);
• 1 tsp citric acid;
• 1/2 tsp vanillin.

Manufacturing:

1. The melon pulp is cut into slices of a convenient size.
2. They are put in a saucepan, covered with sugar and set aside for several hours, until some juice forms in it.
3. Gelatin is poured with a small amount of water at room temperature and allowed to swell for 40-60 minutes.
4. Place a saucepan with melon pieces on the fire, add citric acid, heat to a boil, remove the foam.
5. Simmer on low heat for about half an hour.
6. Add vanillin and remove from heat.
7. Immediately add the swollen gelatin, mix and, spread out in glass jars, roll up for the winter.

Melon jam for the winter with ginger

Ginger is able to make the taste and aroma of melon jam unique. In addition, this spice itself is very healthy.

You will need:

• 2 kg of melon pulp;
• 1 kg of granulated sugar;
• 50 g fresh ginger root;
• 2 lemons;
• a pinch of vanillin (optional).

Manufacturing:

1. The melon pulp is chopped into 1 x 1 cm pieces.
2. Remove the skin from the ginger root and rub it on a fine grater.
3. Put the melon pieces into a suitable saucepan, put the grated ginger there, squeeze the lemon juice, add vanillin and sprinkle everything with a few tablespoons of sugar.
4. The remaining sugar is dissolved in 500 ml of water and boiled for about 5 minutes.
5. Pour melon pieces with sugar syrup and set aside for an hour.
6. Then boil over low heat until thickened. In the process of cooking, be sure to remove the foam.

Delicious melon and strawberry jam

Earlier, before the appearance of remontant strawberries, it was impossible even to think about such a delicacy. Unless you use frozen strawberries for jam. Now remontant strawberries ripen almost simultaneously with the melon, so making such a tempting dessert for the winter will not be difficult.

You will need:

• 1 kg of melon pulp;
• 600 g strawberries;
• 200 ml of water;
• 500 g sugar;
• 5 tbsp. l. honey.

Manufacturing:

1. Peel and seed the melon and cut the remaining pulp into small slices.
2. The strawberries are washed, the stalks are removed and each berry is cut in half.
3. Water and sugar are mixed in a saucepan. Heat with constant stirring until all the sugar is completely dissolved.
4. Honey is added to the syrup and heated again to + 100 ° C.
5. Put fruits in boiling syrup, bring to a boil again and, reducing the heat to a minimum, cook for about half an hour. Remember to skim and stir the jam periodically.
6. While hot, the jam is distributed in sterile jars and closed for the winter.

How to cook melon jam for the winter with apples

This delicacy looks like jam, and the pieces of apples in the melon pulp are more like some kind of exotic fruit. The following step-by-step recipe with pictures will help you create melon and apple jam for the winter, even for novice cooks.

You will need:

• 1.5 kg of melon pulp;
• 500 g sweet and sour apples with firm, crispy pulp.
• 1 medium lemon;
• 500 g of sugar.

Manufacturing:

1. The melon pulp is cut into pieces of any size.
   
2. And immediately turn them into puree with a blender. Melon puree is placed in a saucepan, covered with sugar and heated to a temperature of + 100 ° C.
   
3. Remove the zest from the lemon with a fine grater, and then squeeze the juice.
   
4. At the same time peel off the apples, remove the seeds and cut them into thin slices.
   
5. Place the apple slices along with the lemon juice and zest in the boiling melon puree. Boil for about 5 minutes and set aside for 6-8 hours.
   
6. They put it back to heat, cook for about 3 minutes and immediately put it in a glass container and seal it for the winter. The result is such a tempting treat.
   

Melon jam recipe for the winter with pear

If for this jam it is possible to pick up hard and crunchy varieties of pears, then you can make a blank according to the above recipe.

If the pears are softer and juicier, then it is better to use the following recipe.

You will need:

• 2 kg of pears;
• 2 kg of melon pulp;
• 1kg of sugar;
• 1 lemon;
• 3-4 things of star anise.

Manufacturing:

1. The lemon is thoroughly washed, doused with boiling water and rubbed with the zest on a grater with small holes. Juice is squeezed into a separate container, trying to prevent lemon seeds from getting into it.
2. Both melon and pears are peeled and seeds, cut into small cubes, sprinkled with lemon juice, sprinkled with sugar and left for 6-9 hours to extract juice.
3. Place the container with fruits on the fire, heat until boiling, remove the skins, add lemon zest and star anise, stir and remove from heat again for at least 8-10 hours.
4. The next day, once again heat the jam to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, remove the star anise.
5. The delicacy itself is laid out in sterile jars, rolled up for the winter.

Terms and conditions of storage

Melon jam is best preserved in a cellar or basement. But within a year, it can be stored in an ordinary pantry without light at a temperature not exceeding + 20 ° C.

Melon jam reviews

Conclusion

Even the simplest melon jam recipe for the winter will surprise you with the unusualness of the resulting dish. But in terms of its useful properties, this preparation is quite comparable to natural honey. The variety of recipes described in the article will provide an opportunity for any housewife to choose something special to her liking.

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