Now it’s time to harvest! – a rich and tasty time. A variety of berries and fruits, juicy colors, a variety of choices. You need to have time to try everything and enrich the body with vitamins. And ahead of autumn and winter – the time of rains and snow, warming drinks, warm clothes, the time of summer memories, friendly meetings and family evenings, the time of homemade pies and … jam! What could be tastier than homemade jam ?!
Jam is one of the favorite natural delicacies of the people. It is relatively easy to prepare, you can always get the ingredients for it, and it does not contain any harmful chemical additives. At least by being cooked at home.
But jam is sweet. And many confectionery lovers suspect that with all their love for this delicacy, it is difficult to avoid the harm of jam, and should not be abused.
Moreover, many argue about whether there is any benefit in the jam or not, whether it contains vitamins, whether it is nutritious or simply pleasing in taste, whether it can harm the teeth. And the most common questions about the benefits and harms of jam should be dealt with.
A bit of history
But the ancient Greeks invented the jam! They boiled it from quince with honey. A little later, at the beginning of the 5th century, the Romans already described various recipes for making jam in the cookbook “Marcus Gavius Apicius”.
In Switzerland, the same jam, in the standard sense of the delicacy.
Classic homemade jam is made from berries or fruits. Less commonly – from certain types of vegetables (for example, pumpkin, carrots, beets, zucchini) or flowers (for example, roses, lavender, or dandelion). For taste, ingredients can be combined and cooked with compound jam. Seasonings, spices, and other aromatic additives are sometimes added. Perhaps the most delicious homemade jam – strawberry, apricot, cherry, plum, strawberry, and apple
Vitamins in jam
The vitamin in the jam is preserved, but not all.
Most of the fruits and berries from which it is prepared are famous for large amounts of beta-carotene (the precursor of vitamin A), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamins B1, B2, E, and PP.
Of these, beta-carotene and ascorbic acid are partially destroyed when exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, there are really few of these vitamins in jams that are boiled several times. But vitamins B1, B2, PP, and E are quite thermally stable. Especially – in sour traces, which are the fruits and berries themselves, and jam. And although a small part of them also decomposes during boiling, the main amount is preserved, and the benefits of jam in the form of these vitamins still exist.
Most popular questions about jam
- Caloric content. The jam is high in calories. And this, of course, is harmful to our bodies. The total number of calories depends on the amount of sugar added to the dish. Sugar itself contains 370 kcal per 100 grams, being a fairly high-calorie product. At the same time, fruits and berries contain few calories – on average, about 30-50 kcal per 100 grams. Then, when mixed in equal proportions of fruit and sugar, the calorie content of the jam will be about 200 kcal per 100 grams. There will be less sugar – and the calorie content, accordingly, will decrease, which means that the harm of the jam will not be so terrible.
- How does it affect the metabolism? Differently. If the body is healthy and normally copes with the sugars supplied with food, then thanks to the B vitamins, the jam has a rather beneficial effect on the state of the body. With already existing disorders in the form of diabetes mellitus or obesity, jam, even not very sweet, will only intensify the manifestations of diseases.
- Does the jam cheer you up? True truth. Like any sweet product, when digested in the body, it causes the release of serotonin into the bloodstream, which is also called the hormone of joy. The benefits of serotonin, in turn, are that it leads to the activation of different parts of the brain and the emergence of a feeling of joy. Such are the useful properties of jam as a kind of soft drug.
- Does it harm your teeth? Maybe. It contains sugars, which remain as a thin film between the teeth and serve as good food for bacteria. And those, in turn, secrete a variety of acids that destroy enamel. The result is tooth decay and tooth decay. This is easy enough to avoid if you get used to eating jam (and other sweets) right before brushing your teeth. Or rinse your mouth diligently after a meal. Then there will be practically no harm from sugar in the jam.
- How does sour jam affect the stomach? Ambiguous. It all depends on the state of the stomach itself. If the eater has problems associated with low acidity of the stomach, then jam is only good for it. It will add its acids and stimulate the production of digestive juices, increasing appetite. If the acidity is increased, and even more so – a peptic ulcer develops – jam is contraindicated.
- Does the jam retain fiber? Definitely yes! When cooked, the fiber hardly changes. And therefore, getting into the intestines, it stimulates its work and collects all sorts of harmful substances. And in parallel, it slows down the absorption of cholesterol. As a result, the threat of atherosclerosis is really reduced.
- Does it help maintain immunity in winter? Contributes to a certain extent. Thanks to the already mentioned vitamin E, which is present in almost all fruits and berries. And the remains of the same ascorbic acid and carotene greatly enhance immunity. This is especially true for products made from currants and raspberries, which include the seeds of these berries. Many of these bones are not chewed, but those that get under the teeth bring their portion of benefits to the body.
- Which jam is healthier: with or without seeds? It’s healthier with bones. It is known that the seeds of the same apricots or plums, preserved in the jam, give it a unique shade of natural taste. This is due to the substances released from the bone during boiling. These substances not only have an original taste and smell but also have beneficial properties for the body. Therefore, it is better to eat jam and spit out the seeds than to enjoy a smooth, soft mass.
- Jam and jam – are they one dish? No. The main difference between jam and jam is the preservation of the shape of the fruits themselves. They can, of course, fall apart a little, but in general, they will retain a certain shape. Jam is especially boiled down to such a state when all the starting products completely lose their shape and turn into the most homogeneous mass. By the way, such boiling takes longer and leads to a decrease in the benefits of jam in comparison with jam.
There are other questions related to different types of jams made from specific fruits. But in order to deal with them, it is easier to thoroughly study the properties of the starting products themselves, and then take into account the effect of heat treatment during cooking.
Jam – it means a delicacy made from berries, fruits, nuts, and even flowers cooked in honey or molasses. Indeed, what was not used to make jam here – not only the usual berries and fruits were used, but also radish, pumpkin, chicory, turnip, green tomatoes, dandelions, flower petals, and so on. So, the benefits and harms of jam, this concept is very relative. It all depends on how exactly it was prepared.
Is there any benefit from jam ?
Nowadays, it is generally accepted that jam is a high-calorie and harmful pampering that only those who do not have to worry about maintaining their health or their figure can afford. Meanwhile, initially in Switzerland, the jam was made not from sugar, but from honey, this was one of the ways to preserve berries and fruits for the winter. Of course, only very rich people could afford such a jam. The jam was rarely seen on the table of the poor, but it was served regularly to the tsar’s table. So, there is information that Ivan the Terrible was very fond of jam from cucumbers drenched in chalk.
Unfortunately, there are not so many useful vitamins, which fresh vegetables and fruits are rich in, in the traditionally prepared jam. The fact is that under the influence of high temperatures, some of them really collapse. Some – but not completely, and far from all. The least heat-resistant are vitamin C and beta-carotene. But in berries and fruits from which jam is made, they are often found in very significant quantities. Therefore, some of these vitamins are still present in the jam. And, for example, vitamins B1, B2, PP, and E are quite heat-resistant. Therefore, they are almost completely preserved even in jams prepared in the traditional grandmother’s way. It is also in jam, in addition to vitamins. There are also other useful substances, organic acids, macro-and microelements that have passed into it from fruits and berries.
Well, if you stubbornly continue to believe that there can be no benefit from classic jam, except harm, you always have the opportunity to make a “five-minute” jam or even “raw jam” – this is the name of vegetables and fruits chopped and rubbed with sugar … With this manufacturing method, the original components are practically not exposed to high temperatures, which means that much more vitamins are stored in them.
And, finally, why, when it comes to benefits, should you immediately start talking about vitamins? Isn’t the pleasure that you get by opening a jar of fragrant grandmother’s strawberry jam for tea with pancakes – this is no longer a benefit in itself? The pleasure hormone serotonin, which is produced in your body under the influence of such tea-drinking, is already a significant benefit to your health in itself.
By the way, if you are a fan of homemade recipes, then these Homemade Jams below will make your day.! Petershof-kaerselen.ch “SIMPLICITY AND UNIQUE TASTE COMBINE HARMONY WITH NATURE” FROM PETER FAMILY.
The benefits of raspberry jam
Our conversation about the benefits of jam should start with the traditional raspberry jam. Our grandmothers were absolutely right when, with a cold and high temperature, they put us to bed and gave us hot tea with raspberry jam. Raspberry jam is a real storehouse of phytoncides. They are no worse than pharmaceutical drugs that help us fight colds. In addition, raspberry jam contains calcium, potassium, iron, and fiber, which our body needs so much. The use of raspberry jam is useful not only for colds – it helps to normalize the metabolism in the body, prevents the development of cancer cells, and neutralizes the effects of possible carcinogens.
The benefits of viburnum jam
Another jam, extraordinary in its medicinal qualities, is viburnum. However, it must be said that because of the seeds in the viburnum, this jam is not cooked too often – but in vain. Viburnum contains a very large amount of vitamin C – there is much more of it than citrus fruits. Viburnum jam is an excellent remedy not only for colds, but also for gastrointestinal disorders, bleeding gums, skin diseases, it helps to normalize blood pressure, has a diuretic effect, and has a calming effect on the nervous system.
The benefits of blackcurrant jam
Black currant is another record holder for the content of vitamin C. And although, of course, a significant part of it is destroyed during cooking, even what remains is quite enough to enrich your body with this useful vitamin. In addition, blackcurrant jam contains iron, potassium, and other nutrients necessary for a normal life, maintaining a good tone and general well-being.
The benefits of blueberry jam
Blueberries are an extremely healthy berry. It contains vitamins C, A, PP, B vitamins, organic acids, anthocyanins, manganese, iron, tannins. Blueberry jam is useful regardless of the method of its preparation, because if vitamin A or C is partially destroyed when cooking traditional jam, then all other vitamins and microelements are preserved in it almost completely. Therefore, in the summer you can indulge yourself with fresh blueberries without restriction, and in the winter – wipe them with sugar or cook the usual grandmother’s jam. All this will bring you undoubted benefits – it activates the activity of your brain, strengthens vision, supports immunity, and normalizes the activity of the central nervous system.
The benefits of strawberry jam
Beyond the pleasure, you get from the delicious divine taste
All of the above, however, does not negate the fact that for those people who do not have special health problems, pampering themselves with a jam from time to time is not only harmful but even very useful.
Jam for children – benefits and harms
Everyone knows how children love sweets, especially jam. But pediatricians are ambiguous about the question of whether it is necessary to give jam to children. Someone thinks that there is nothing terrible in this, someone – that it is quite possible to do without jam, and that it will not bring anything to the fodder of harm to the child’s body. Perhaps the doctors are united in only one thing – it is extremely undesirable to give jam in any form to children under three years old. It is a pity that for some reason ours did not know about this, who gladly treated their grandchildren, even the smallest, with the most varied homemade jam. And what is interesting, all these grandchildren grew up healthy and strong. Refuting all the fears of pediatricians about this.
If you are giving your child jam, for example, along with porridge or pancakes, make sure that such a meal is accompanied by a large amount of drink. The thing is that glucose actively draws the fluid from the tissues, and this deficit must be replenished immediately so that metabolic disorders do not occur. On the other hand, jams in reasonable quantities will bring children all the same benefits as adults. The main thing is that this amount is really reasonable.
Slimming Jam
This is not at all an oxymoron, as you might think. As you know, speaking about the dangers of jam, many first of all indicate that it contains too many calories. And that it is obviously harmful to those who seek to maintain a good figure, and even more so – to lose weight. Meanwhile, there is such a magic jam that will take care of your beautiful figure by itself. And bring you very tangible benefits. We bring to your attention ginger jam. It helps to speed up metabolism, helps break down fats, and significantly reduces cravings for sweets, which is a very significant factor for those with a sweet tooth.
To make this wonderful jam, you will need:
- ginger – 150 g;
- orange peels from two large fruits;
- lemon juice from 0.5 pcs.;
- granulated sugar – 1 glass.
Rinse the ginger, peel it, cut it into small cubes. Place in a glass jar and cover with cold water. Put the orange peel in another container and fill it with water too. Leave to soak for three days, changing the water regularly two to three times daily.
On the third day, drain the water, finely chop the orange peels, put in a saucepan, add ginger, cover everything with sugar, stir and add 75 ml of water. Put on fire and, stirring occasionally, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool at room temperature. Put on fire again and bring to a boil, remembering to stir. Remove and cool again. The whole process will need to be repeated three times. The last time the mixture boils, remove from heat, cool, squeeze the juice from half a lemon into it, stir and transfer to a clean, sterilized jar. Close the lid and store in the refrigerator.
Raspberry jam best of all helps against colds, “royal” jam is made only from green gooseberries, jam with lemon and ginger is suitable for immunity, and sea buckthorn jam has powerful antibacterial properties. Is it really?
Variations of jam in different eras in many countries were considered not only a delicacy but also a panacea for various diseases. Thus, Avicenna treated patients with herbs prepared in honey syrup with spices.
Today, you can hear from most nutritionists that this is just an exceptionally high-calorie dessert, in which nothing useful remains during the manufacturing process.
Can jam really be not only tasty, but also healthy, or is it just a sweet, but harmful calorie bomb for our body? Let’s figure it out together.
Types of the jam by the composition
Apples, raspberries, oranges, cherry plums, currants, plums, cherries, gooseberries, pears, lingonberries, sea buckthorns, even mangoes and feijoa – from which jam is not made today, all the ingredients and their combinations are simply innumerable! But if you were still convinced that the ingredients for this dessert are only berries and fruits from your grandmother’s garden or from a fashionable hypermarket, we will tell you a lot of new things.
For example, in many cultures jam is known from candied flower petals – most often roses, although flowers of chrysanthemum, iris, acacia, elderberry, lilac, and commonplace dandelions are also used.
Very often, jam is made from vegetables – most often with a more or less neutral taste and with the addition of sweeter ingredients. In proven recipes, you can usually find various variations of zucchini jam (with lemon, vanilla, mint, etc.). But did you know that jam from other vegetables is just as famous and popular in the world – for example, peppers (both sweet and hot), beets, pumpkin, rhubarb, green tomatoes
Very often, jam is made from vegetables – most often with a more or less neutral taste and with the addition of sweeter ingredients. In proven recipes, you can usually find various variations of zucchini jam (with lemon, vanilla, mint, etc.). But did you know that jam from other vegetables is just as famous and popular in the world – for example, peppers (both sweet and hot), beets, pumpkins, rhubarb, green tomatoes, cucumbers and even onions, sorrel or watermelon peels!
The most unusual jam – strange, but delicious!
Did you think that jam is made only from berries and fruits? No matter how it is!
At one time, among Soviet housewives, “tsarist” or “emerald” gooseberry jam with walnuts was very popular. Each berry had to be manually cut beforehand, placed inside a nut, and boiled all together in syrup. A lot of fuss, but how delicious! But this is just one of the possible recipes for this dessert with the addition of nuts! The nut “filling” is hidden in plums or quince, mixed with apples or figs, combined with peaches and lemons. Jam made from green walnuts and almonds is very popular.
Pinecone jam, perhaps, can be called a fashionable trend, although, to be honest, it was prepared in our lands a long time ago, then “forgetting” the recipe in favor of newfangled jams from overseas ingredients. Young green cones of pine, cedar, or spruce are boiled with water and sugar, sometimes lemon juice or honey is added. The finished product is obtained with an unusual piquant bitterness – and you can eat both the resulting syrup and the boiled soft bumps themselves.
Pinecone jam – useful recipes with photos and descriptions of cooking
Simple recipes for jam from young cones are tasty and healthy.
By the way, the list of ingredients for jam can also be significantly expanded due to spices – depending on the type of dessert, knowledgeable housewives put in it, in addition to sugar, not only traditional additives like cinnamon, vanilla, or cloves, but even pepper, cardamom, spicy dry herbs, ginger, wine, vinegar …
As for the benefits of this or that jam from different ingredients, then, of course, first of all, you can focus on the beneficial properties of its constituents – trace elements, vitamins, organic acids, antioxidants, phytoncides, pectins, essential oils, many other biologically active substances …
It is only important to remember that with any heat treatment, most of the nutrients (but not all!) Are quickly and actively destroyed – and 10-30% of the “benefit” and plus calories remain, which in various types of jam can be from 200 to almost 300 kcal per 100 g!
Heat treatment of fruits when cooking jam in the usual way most of all affects the content of vitamin C, carotenoids, and B vitamins – all of them are destroyed by 50-80%.
So the less cooking the better. Is there jam without cooking, you ask? Of course, it happens!
Types of the jam by cooking method
It would seem – what secrets can there be? From the name itself, it is clear “jam” – from the word “cook”. You take your favorite ingredient (or several) and slowly boil it down for a long time with sugar or, as before, with honey – how else can you make jam? You can, and even in several ways.
Raw jam (it is grated berries, cold jam, fruit puree), unlike dry, does not even need to be cooked – which means that the benefits of such a “jam” are an order of magnitude greater than in products prepared with heat treatment. For cold jam, you just need to chop the berries and fruits and grind them with sugar or powdered sugar. Such a dessert is laid out in sterilized jars and stored in the refrigerator for up to a year. Interestingly, in most types of raw jam, the calorie content is much lower than that of cooked “hot”.
A five-minute jam is a kind of “transitional option” between a long cooking jam and grinding raw fruits with sugar. In this case, the fruits and/or berries are boiled in syrup, cooled, then brought to a boil a couple more times so that they are soaked in syrup. The last time without cooling: “five minutes” is poured into cans hot. Thus, up to 70% of useful substances are retained in the jam – they do not have time to collapse during short-term heat treatment.
Jam-“five-minute”: what is it and why is it cooked
Why cook the jam three times for five minutes each with cooling, if you can do it quickly, spending only 15 minutes?
And there is also dry jam – candied fruits – under different names it has long been known in different countries of the world. Cooked in honey or juice and then air-dried or oven-dried. Experienced housewives cook it today – however, instead of a wood-burning stove, they use an oven or an electric dryer in the drying process. Such jam is stored for a very long time, and you can use it as usual – both as an independent dessert and as a filling for all kinds of baked goods.
5 best dry jam recipes
We will teach you how to make an unusual treat at home.
Marmalades, jam, confiture, and jam are also jam
Here’s another common question – you can’t find real “grandmother’s” jam “with berries” in stores today with fire in the afternoon – on the shelves, there are completely newfangled jams and confitures. Are they essentially different, or are they all names for the same product?
Unlike jam, confiture, and marmalade (in the English sense, citrus jam), jam is prepared in such a way that the ingredients retain their shape, has a heterogeneous consistency, and consists of more or less liquid syrup and individual pieces of fruit, or even small fruits (figs, paradise apples) and whole berries (of course, after removing the seeds).
Nevertheless, the varieties of jams represent a jelly-like confection, a kind of sweet “jelly” with fruits and berries or their parts evenly distributed in it. Unlike jam, the original product should not remain intact and may be destroyed during the cooking process, or may initially be chopped or crushed, and the syrup should acquire a jelly consistency and should not remain transparent. Often gelling agents (pectin, agar-agar) are added to these products during the preparation process.
It cannot be said that marmalades, jams, confitures and marmalades are healthier or “more harmful” than our usual jam. Their effect on the body and calorie content also depend on the cooking time and ingredients. But due to the presence of gelling substances in the composition, these products can additionally help cleanse the intestines and stabilize the digestive tract.
Of course, no jam, whether it is made from the most useful sea buckthorn, cones, sorrel or raspberries, can serve as a full-fledged medicine. But here’s a tasty help for colds, problems with blood pressure, dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, vitamin deficiency or insomnia – why not. However, such a delicacy should not be abused – 2-3 tbsp. a day will be enough.