Not everyone knows that grapes can be made jam. Meanwhile, this type of harvesting for the winter is not only tasty, but also very useful. The best recipes for grape jam, as well as useful tips for its preparation, are collected in this review.

Useful properties of grape jam

To argue that jam is a useful product, of course, can be very conditional. No matter how valuable qualities the fruits and berries from which this dish is prepared, the amount of sugar contained in it carries a very real danger for the figure, and for the vessels, and for the teeth. And yet, in reasonable quantities, jam, especially home-cooked, from natural raw materials, without chemical preservatives and dyes, you can use, in any case, such a dessert is much safer than sweet carbonated drinks, as well as sweets and other purchased sweets.

Grapes - the berry is very valuable. It contains a huge amount of substances necessary for the body, and not all of them are destroyed during heat treatment.

In particular, in the sun berry there are:

• vitamins (A, B, C, E, H, K);
• minerals (potassium, calcium, iron, sulfur, magnesium, manganese, iodine and many others);
• organic acids (benzoic, boric, tartaric, salicylic, oxalic, malic);
• essential (alanine, glycine, serine, aspartic, glutamine, tyrosine, cysteine) and essential (arginine, valine, histidine, isoilecin, leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, phenylalanine) amino acids ;
• fatty acids, including saturated, mono- and polyunsaturated (arachinic, linoleic, palmitic, palmitoleic, oleic, stearic).

In addition, grapes contain pectins and tannins, essential oils, glycosides, biocatalysts, enzymes, volatile, phytosterols, enzymes, natural dyes and flavors. In particular, dark varieties of berries are given this color by a special polypherol called “resveratrol”, and the aroma is a substance called “pterostilbene”.

Did you know? Scientists from Oregon Research University in Eugene as a result of several years of research have established that it is resveratrol and pterostilbene that are the absolute leaders among natural immunostimulants. In addition to dark grape varieties, these substances in the “pair” are found only in blueberries.

100 g of grapes contain approximately 72 kcal. At the same time, about 80% of the composition of the berry is water.

The remaining 20% ​​is distributed as follows:

• carbohydrates - 88% (of which sucrose accounts for no more than 5%, about 85% is for fructose and glucose, and another 10% is fiber, a complex carbohydrate, very useful for the intestines);
• fats - 7.8% (including saturated, as well as mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids);
• proteins - 4.2%.
  
  • In particular, such a dessert, if consumed in reasonable quantities:
  • strengthens the immune system;
  • binds free radicals (antioxidant effect);
  • promotes cell regeneration;
  • possesses antifungal, antibacterial and even anti-cancer activity;
  • dilutes blood, prevents the formation of blood clots and the development of atherosclerosis;
  • stimulates the production of enzymes, stimulates the motility of the gastrointestinal tract;
  • beneficial effect on the liver and kidneys;
  • has a diuretic and mild laxative effect;
  • improves sexual activity;
  • calms the nervous system, relieves nervous tension.

How to choose and prepare grapes for harvesting

In the world there are a huge number of grape varieties that can be distinguished from each other by different criteria - color, the presence of seeds, the size of berries, purpose (the last factor is mainly determined by the percentage of sugar in the berry - it is more in wine or technical varieties than in canteens )

Did you know? White grapes do not exist in the wild. All such varieties are the result of a random mutation, fixed by a person, however, it should be recognized that such mutations are fixed very easily.

For the preparation of jam, in general, any variety can be used, however, it should be borne in mind that:

• dark grapes are healthier than light grapes (thanks to resveratrol and pterostilbene contained in it);
• contrary to a common misconception, the seeds in the berries are not an obstacle for jam, on the contrary, thanks to the seeds the product will not only get an extra tart taste and aroma, but also additional healing properties;
• so that the berries do not boil, it is preferable to choose varieties with a dense skin ;
• the size of the berries does not matter much, and although many housewives recommend using large-fruited varieties for jam, in reality this is exclusively a matter of personal preference;
• sour grapes, as well as low sugar varieties, are suitable for making jam as well as sweet ones, however, to ensure proper preservation, this parameter must be taken into account, if necessary, by adjusting it with citric acid or a decrease in the amount of sugar compared to that indicated in the recipe.

The best varieties for making jam, according to most housewives, are:

• Agadai (table variety from Dagestan);
  

• Delight (table white);
  

• Isabella (dark American hybrid);
  

• Kishmish (a group of dessert varieties almost seedless);
  

• Muscat (a group of table technical varieties with a pronounced musky aroma);
  

• Nimrang (table pink);
  

• Rizamit (table black with long large berries);
  

• Talisman (table white);
  

• Chaush (table, happens white and red, large-fruited and small-fruited).
  

Preparation of raw materials for the preparation of jam involves the following procedures:

1. Wash thoroughly the collected clusters.
2. Separate the berries from the stem. Care must be taken to maintain the integrity of the fetus.
3. In the process of working with a bunch, select only ripe, intact, and healthy fruits, removing dried, rotten, green, or cracked fruits.
4. Put the prepared berries on a paper towel and leave in an open place until completely dry. If necessary, periodically, the fruit must be turned over to allow excess water to drain or evaporate.

Important! You should never remove seeds from grape berries. The concentration of the most valuable substances in them is much higher than in the pulp, so when using ready-made jam, you should not spit out the seeds either.

However, many housewives do not recognize jam with stones. It is certainly more difficult to extract them from grapes than from apricots or plums, but if you have patience and the help of households, you can do this almost without violating the integrity of the berry. To do this, it’s enough to use a female hairpin, using it as tweezers.

How to cook grape jam with seeds: a step by step recipe

There are many different grape jam recipes. Below are five ways to prepare this unusual dessert, which differ not only in the composition of the ingredients, but also in the technology of execution. The list of necessary ingredients in all recipes is based on 1 kg of “pure” raw materials (grape berries without twigs).

A simple recipe "Five Minute"

The advantage of this recipe is the speed of preparation and, due to the short heat treatment, the maximum preservation of the initial amount of vitamins and other useful substances in the final product. The disadvantage is the increased requirements for compliance with the sterility regimen, otherwise the jam will quickly deteriorate.

List of required ingredients:

• granulated sugar - 500 g;
• purified water - 100 ml.

Cooking Technology:

1. Pour sugar in a bowl for cooking jam, add water, mix.
2. Put the container on fire, bring to a boil.
   

3. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the foam that has appeared.
4. Add the pre-sorted, washed and dried berries to the syrup, bring to a boil again.
   

5. Cook for 5 minutes, while keeping the fire to a minimum.

It must be borne in mind that jam cooked according to this recipe is quite liquid. Many housewives consider this circumstance a drawback, since the possibilities for using the finished product in this case are greatly limited (it does not keep its shape and spreads).

With citric acid

In this recipe, the possibility of long-term storage is achieved due to two natural preservatives at once - sugar and citric acid.

Did you know? Citric acid (symbol "E330") until the 90s of the last century was considered a dangerous carcinogen. This supplement was even included in the so-called Villejuif List of unhealthy substances prohibited for use not only in Europe, but even in many African and Middle Eastern countries. to cut

In order to make jam, in addition to grapes, you will need:

• granulated sugar - 1 kg;
• purified water - 500 ml;
• citric acid - 1.5 g (approximately 1/3 tsp).

Cooking Technology:

1. Cook syrup by mixing and boiling water and sugar syrup.
2. Remove the foam that forms on the surface.
3. Pour the cooked berries into boiling syrup. Boil.
   

4. Having removed the fire to a minimum, cook for an hour under the lid, stirring occasionally.
5. When the syrup becomes thick, carefully add citric acid (the reaction when acid enters the syrup is quite violent) and mix thoroughly.
   

6. Boil another 1-2 minutes.
   

With walnuts

This recipe is good because it combines not only one, but immediately two extremely useful products, ripening at the same time at about the same time.

Per kilogram of selected grape berries you will need:

• granulated sugar - 1/2 kg;
• purified water - 100 ml;
• walnuts - 10-15 pieces;
• vanilla sugar.

Read also how to make wine from white grapes.

Cooking Technology:

1. Peel the nuts and chop them using a rolling pin. Pieces can have an arbitrary shape, but it is better that they are not too small, so that during the tasting process they feel good “by tooth”.
2. Pour sugar into a prepared pan, add water, stir well.
3. Bring the syrup to a boil.
4. Simultaneously boil water in another saucepan and pour the prepared grapes on it.
   

5. Discard grapes in a colander.
6. Quickly pour the berries into a container filled with cold water, you can even add ice cubes to it. This will protect the fruits from cracking.
7. Add blanched and chilled fruits to boiling syrup, bring to a boil again, boil for 5-7 minutes.
   

8. Remove the jam from the heat and leave to stand at room temperature for 10-12 hours.
9. Bring the jam to a boil again, add prepared nuts and vanilla sugar. Cook for 15–20 minutes.
   

With spices

Any jam will sparkle with new notes, if you add spicy herbs to it, and the less standard their set is, the more interesting the result may be.

Jam according to the proposed recipe involves the use of grapes and sugar in a ratio of 2: 1.

To give the finished product a richer taste and aroma, you can use it in different proportions:

• cinnamon
• cloves;
• cardamom;
• anise or star anise;
• mint or lemon balm;
• nutmeg;
• tarragon;
• fresh or dried leaves of cherry, currant, raspberry;
• citrus zest;
• apple, lemon, orange or grape juice (in this case, you do not need to add water during the preparation of jam);
• almonds, peanuts or cashews.

Important! It is better to add brown (cane) sugar to spicy jam, because, unlike white sugar, it has its own taste and unique aroma. The higher cost of such a product is also justified by its richer vitamin and mineral composition.

Cooking Technology:

1. Very carefully, so as not to violate the integrity of the berries, mix grapes and sugar in a container for cooking jam.
   

2. Leave the fruit to insist for 10-12 hours. Important! Preliminary aging of berries in sugar plays the same role as their cooling in ice water after blanching: this way ensures the integrity of the fruit in the finished product.
3. Add water or juice at the rate of 150 g per 1 kg of grape berries, as well as all cooked spices (except nuts).
   

4. Gently mix the mixture so that the spices do not remain on the surface, and, if possible, are evenly distributed.
5. Put the workpiece in the oven, heated to + 150ºС.
6. Strain the jam for 3 hours, periodically removing it for gentle stirring.
7. An hour before being ready, add peeled and chopped nuts to the mixture.
   

8. Remove jam from the oven, remove cloves, cinnamon (stick), anise or star anise, if they were added, and only then pour the product into jars.
   

In a slow cooker without water

Modern technology allows you to make grape jam as quickly as possible. At the same time, the hostess no longer needs to stand at the hot plate for a long time, constantly stirring the sweet mass, then wash all kitchen surfaces for a long time from sticky drips. All problems can be solved by a universal device called a "slow cooker".

The list of ingredients for making jam in a slow cooker is also extremely simple. You need to take grapes and sugar in a ratio of 2: 1.

All you need to do:

1. Mix berries and sugar in a multicooker bowl.
   

2. Set the "Extinguishing" mode, the cooking time is 2 hours.
3. Launch the device.
   

   We advise you to read about the best recipes for seedless grape jam for the winter.

   Useful cooking tips

   In order to make the jam tasty and at the same time not lose its useful qualities at least until the next harvest, the housewives should take note of such useful tips:

   1. To make jam, you need to use only fresh grapes . It is very desirable that the clusters be removed on the same day, in extreme cases - the day before, otherwise the process of fermentation may begin in the berries. To avoid this, if necessary, the fruits should be washed well, sorted and dried, this will save the crop a little longer (wine yeast is on the surface of the berries, with water, a significant part can be washed off).
      

   2. Freshly prepared jam, not removing from the fire, should be poured into sterilized jars and rolled up with a lid (ordinary tin or self-twisting - they are called "Twist off"). Sterilizing cans is easiest in a microwave, adding a few tablespoons of water to the tank to form steam. The maximum power is set, the processing time is 2-3 minutes, depending on the total volume of the dishes. In the same way, you can prepare two- or three-liter bottles, you just need not to put them, but put them on the side of the oven.
      

   3. From damaged or overripe berries that were rejected during the grape selection process, you can make jam, juice or wine .
   4. Under running water, grapes are not washed, because a stream can violate the integrity of a delicate berry. To remove dirt, dust and yeast, clusters should be carefully dipped one at a time in a large container filled with warm water . It will be useful for you to find out if grapes can cause allergies and how they manifest.
   5. The traditional way to check the readiness of jam is to let a drop of syrup drain onto a cold saucer. If the liquid remains rounded, the product is ready . An even simpler method is to focus on the position of the berries. Jam can be removed from the fire when the fruit sank to the bottom.
   6. The jam will be even richer if you use other seasonal fruits along with grapes, for example, apples or pears cut into slices . The cooking technology may not change, just the same amount of fruit mix is ​​used instead of a given amount of grapes.
      

   7. You need to store jam in a dark place at a constant temperature not higher than room temperature . A product that is not closed in an airtight manner (some housewives cover jars with ordinary nylon covers or parchment paper) should be kept in the refrigerator.
   8. Candied, fermented or moldy jam must be disposed of . There are no ways to “save” such a product (boiling, using it to make homemade wine, etc.), more precisely, all of them are hazardous to health.

   We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with table grape varieties:

   From grapes you can make not only juice, wine and raisins, but also a wonderful jam for the winter. Almost any variety of berries is suitable for this, and through the use of various additives and combinations with other fruits, experienced housewives manage to get real culinary masterpieces that can bring joy to the household and pleasantly surprise guests who have looked into the house.