Various preserves, jams, preserves and marmalades have an ancient history and to this day is one of the world's most popular sweets. There are a lot of recipes of such blanks, and one of the most interesting is perhaps the fragrance of quince jam. While preparing the jam is not very easy, the result is worth the effort: quince jam is captivating golden color and subtle flavor.

Quince: what kind of fruit

Quince is a close relative of apples and pears. But, unlike those of fruit, hard fruit quince raw malosedobny, and, according to doctors, even harmful to the intestines. Therefore, this fruit for centuries subjected to heat treatment. In a boiled or baked quince tart and firm becomes soft and sweet.

Quince grown in Asia four thousand years ago. With these "golden apples" connected many legends, myths and legends. For example, it was believed that it was the fruit of quince was presented by Paris to Aphrodite, and since then the beautiful goddess often depicted with the "golden apple" in his hand. With quince was related many traditions: these fruits thrown in ancient Greece under the wedding chariot, and the couple shared the fruit and ate a piece of quince before the wedding night. In the Middle Ages, quince, as a symbol of love, marriage and fertility, also be sure to include in the menu of the wedding table.

The benefits of quince

Fragrant quince jam is not only delicious, but also useful. It is recommended to use in various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Due to the large amount of pectin contained in the quince, the fruit improves digestion, helps to lower cholesterol Cholesterin   in the blood, as well as strengthen the stomach and liver. According to Japanese researchers, quince can even be used to treat stomach ulcers. This fruit is rich in fiber is recommended to use, and those who want to lose weight.

A huge amount of antioxidants contained in the quince, lets deal with stress and to maintain youth and beauty. Antiviral properties of quince makes it a good helper in the difficult task of preventing influenza. Due to the large amount of potassium quince useful useful for hypertensive patients and people suffering from a number of diseases of the cardiovascular system. Finally, the pulp is cooked or baked quince can be used as an antiemetic, for example, pregnancy toxicosis.

Quince in cooking

Solid and almost inedible raw fruits require prolonged cooking. In the process of baking or cooking quince gets the coveted soft, sweet, amazing amber color and delicate flavor.

In many national cuisines quince is added to the meat to give the latter an exquisite taste and aroma, making it gentle and neutralize the excess fat dishes. The restaurants are popular original combination of quince with blue cheese or mushrooms. However, the most common around the world with quince dessert. Most often this variety of fruit is prepared jam, jam, candied fruits, jellies and marmalades.

Secrets of a tasty jam

One of the best ways to permanently preserve fruit - cook them with sugar. So you can prepare whole and chopped fruits and berries, as well as fruit juices and teas. Traditional Russian jam different varieties of jams and preserves that blanks are used for this whole berries or sliced ​​into pieces of fruit. Boil the jam can not only from any fruit and berries, and vegetables, nuts, and even flower petals. However, fruit jam was and remains the most popular.

Technology cooking jam greatly depends on whether the raw material used. If the berries are soft and delicate fruit cooked in one way, the dense sour quince requires a completely different attitude. Rough peel fruit, covered with down, certainly need to clean off, but be sure to remove the seed pods. For the treatment of the fruit should be used sharp knives as quince different high hardness. Treated fruit should be cut into slices and blanch in boiling water for five to ten minutes. This simple procedure reduces the cooking jam.

Because the skin of quince contains a lot of aromatic substances, which can greatly improve the taste and flavor of jam, it should be used for cooking syrup. Thereafter, the skin discarded and the obtained syrup is cooked fruit slices.

Especially delicious is obtained from quince jam when cooking with alternate infusion. This means that the fruit slices are lowered into boiling syrup and cook a few minutes, then infused for a long time (from a few hours to days). This operation is repeated several times until cooked jam. Such a method of cooking allows you to save the form of slices of quince and delicate flavor.

The original recipe: quince jam with lemon and nuts

For one kilogram of peeled and chopped quince should take five or eight grams of sugar (depending on sweetness of fruit), two to two and a half cups of water, a little lemon, a bag of vanilla sugar and one hundred grams of nuts (suitable hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts). Quince be slightly lower in the blanch and syrup made from water and sugar. Boil the jam for five minutes, and then insist for twelve hours. After this period, bring the jam to a boil and boil for five minutes, then cool again and insist twelve hours.

Nuts coarsely chop, squeeze the juice from a lemon. The third time, bring the jam to a boil, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and chopped nuts. Jam with additives cook until done to quince slices were soft, but dense, and a drop of syrup does not spread on the saucer, holding form. Then remove the jam from heat, cool slightly and add the vanilla sugar.

Prepared for this recipe jam has a pleasant sweet-sour taste, it is very well served with tea and incorporate a variety of desserts. If the jam will be used for filling pies Patties. Hospitable dish , It is better to make less liquid, reducing the amount of water in the recipe and a half to two times.

Maria Bykov

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