Jam is Definition, types, composition, benefits and harms

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-02 16:12

Jam is any boiled treat made with sugar, honey or molasses. It may include fruits, berries, nuts and even some vegetables. Experienced housewives are not limited to this and make medicinal jam from inflorescences of medicinal herbs. In a word, any fruits of nature boiled with sugar syrup can be called jam.

Meaning and types

What is jam? The definition of this word is quite simple and means boiled fruit. Almost every nation has a similar dish. Its name may be different, but the essence remains the same. Whatever the name of the jam: jam, marmalade or jam - will always mean fruits boiled with sugar. Interesting to know:

• Very thick jam is called marmalade. It is usually prepared with a lot of sugar.
• When making jam, the fruit is boiled until it disintegrates and loses its shape. Thus, a homogeneous mass of a rather thick consistency is obtained.
• A simple, familiar jam is prepared with the addition of water. First, sugar syrup is made,which is subsequently added to pre-prepared fruits.
• Jammy is fruits twisted through a meat grinder or blender, which are also boiled with sugar. This is the kind of jam that stays quite thick and opaque with any kind of fruit.

You can also make jelly from fruits, which is considered one of the types of jam. In addition to sugar and water, it contains gelatin. The appearance of the jelly is quite attractive, but it is difficult to call it a real jam.

Benefits of jam

Despite the presence of sugar, jam still brings considerable benefits. First of all, most of the vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables remain in its composition. Jam is a good option for preserving crops grown on a personal plot. In addition, this is a favorite delicacy of children and adults with a sweet tooth. Jam is much he althier than sweets, cakes and cakes. Therefore, it is advisable to replace all sweets with this fruity treat.

Why is it harmful

The main reason for the harm of jam, marmalade and jam directly lies in the presence of sugar. About half of the composition of this dish is sugar. For this reason, people with diabetes cannot use it. In addition, too much jam harms any he althy person. It should not be forgotten that one hundred grams of jam contains approximately 280 kilocalories. In other words, five tablespoons of sweet treats will bring 300 kcal.

Chemical composition

Jam - what is it? This product does not contain fat, and it also contains very little protein. Due to sugar, the calorie content of the dish is quite high. For example, in 100 g of apricot jam there are 260 kilocalories, in plum jam - 280, and in strawberry jam - 270 kilocalories. Among the vitamins, the largest amount belongs to vitamin C. Especially a lot of it in strawberry jam. And also in this type of jam there is a sufficient amount of vitamin PP and a little B_2.

Apricot jam boasts a fairly decent amount of vitamin A, trace elements of phosphorus and potassium. But strawberry jam is a pretty good source of iron. Plum jam is high in calcium and magnesium.

These are the data on the three most popular types of sweet treats. In a word, every dish made from boiled fruits or vegetables has a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals, which means it can benefit he alth.

Definition of jam according to GOST

According to generally accepted GOST standards, jam can be considered any dish made from fresh, frozen and dried fruits or vegetables. Other ingredients may include nuts, herbs and rose petals. Jam is prepared by boiling in sugar syrup or molasses. Raw materials can be either whole or finely chopped. It is allowed to add any preservatives, spices, acids and pectins. This is the basic definition of jam.

Classic recipe

For cooking, you will need one kilogram of sugar and a kilogram of pre-prepared fruits or vegetables. Honey can be used instead of sugar. Fruit is placed in a fairly spacious copper or aluminum pan. Separately, sugar and water are boiled in a saucepan and fruits are poured into the resulting syrup. Next, the composition should be brought to a boil and left to cool. Throughout cooking, it is recommended to remove the top film and lightly mix the composition. The readiness of the dish can be recognized by its appearance. Jam is also checked in the following way: using a teaspoon, pour a small amount of syrup into a plate. If the composition is thick enough and does not blur, then the jam is ready.

In a properly prepared dish, the fruit will retain its shape and the syrup will remain clear. Jam is poured into pre-prepared and sterilized jars, after which they are rolled up with a lid. In this form, a sweet dish can be stored for a long time. However, experienced housewives advise using it in the next two years.

Making thick jam

This dessert is usually called jam or marmalade. Its consistency can be both transparent and saturated. The meaning of the word "jam" does not change from this. To make jam, you need a kilogram of fruit and nine hundred grams of sugar. Very often, lemon juice is added to the jam. Thus, the taste acquires a pleasant sourness, and the composition of the jam becomes lighter. To prepare a raspberry dessert, one kilogram of berries is covered with sugar, kneaded untilhomogeneous mass and put on fire. After five minutes of slow boiling, the container with raspberries is turned off, and the juice is filtered.

Next, the juice is combined with whole berries and a small amount of sugar is added. The composition is again put on fire and after thirty minutes the pan is turned off. When cooking, the jam should boil well. To do this, the fire, as a rule, turns on at full power. The resulting composition will be of medium density. If it resembles marmalade, then it is diluted with lemon juice.

Most Helpful

Scientists have compiled a list of the he althiest jams. The result was the following rating:

• The first place was taken by sea buckthorn jam (due to the huge amount of vitamin C). In addition, some substances in the composition of sea buckthorn are able to fight viruses and microbes. Also, sea buckthorn is the leader in the amount of vitamin A, which has wound healing and regenerating properties.
• Cranberry jam came second. Cranberries have the ability to significantly reduce the amount of pathogenic microflora in the intestines. In addition, cranberry juice has long been considered an excellent remedy for the treatment of the pancreas. It contains a lot of antioxidants, as well as cholesterol-lowering substances.
• Chokeberry jam has a large amount of iodine, so it is recommended to use it for people working in hazardous industries. Thanks to pectin, chokeberry is also able to remove s alts of heavy metals. Regular consumption of rowan berries helpsreduce pressure and strengthen blood vessels.
• Plum jam has such important trace elements as magnesium, potassium and boron. Thanks to them, the cardiovascular system is strengthened. In addition, a large amount of iron significantly improves blood composition.
• To improve immunity and cope with colds, raspberry jam has long been used. This dessert contains a fairly large amount of acetylsalicylic acid, which thins the blood and helps get rid of inflammation.

Also, the most useful jams include apricot, which has a huge amount of carotene, and quince, which has a beneficial effect on the intestines and promotes its cleansing. No less useful is walnut, which has a large amount of iodine, and fig jam. It is recommended for use in diseases of the genitourinary system and asthma.