Eggplant Jam: 10 Recipes

Eggplant is a dark purple vegetable that people are used to consuming in soups, pickles and side dishes. However, few people know about another excellent dish that can be prepared from this product. This is a delicious sweetness - eggplant.

History

Eggplant or nightshade dark - a vegetable with an ancient and interesting history. For example, its name has Persian roots and means "blue cucumber."

Today, dark nightshade can be found in any garden, and few people consider this vegetable to be exotic. Although in fact his homeland is distant India, Arab countries, southern Asia and Africa. Eggplant was first brought to Europe only at the beginning of the 9th century by Arab merchants. Like many other overseas products, its Europeans were not allowed on the table right away. After tasting the vegetable raw, people found it tasteless and bitter.

Eggplant was exotic for a long time and appeared only on the tables of eminent citizens, where skilled chefs made delicacies from it. It was also used by pharmacists of that time for the preparation of medicines, and not only the vegetable itself, but also its leaves. Eggplant was considered an effective remedy for toothache, gout and migraine.

In some countries, it was believed that eggplant was endowed with witchcraft power. Dark nightshade used for rituals, love spells, fortune telling. And representatives of the church instructed to stay away from the purple vegetable.

Eggplant was grown on a large scale in European countries only in the 15–16th centuries, and dark nightshade came into general use closer at the beginning of the 18th century. Eggplant jam was first prepared in Armenia. To this day, this dessert is an important component of the national cuisine of this country.

Composition and calorie content

Eggplant has a rich chemical composition:

1. Folic acid (0.8 micrograms per 100 grams of eggplant) is a vitamin responsible for the nervous system and blood formation.
2. Potassium and magnesium (9 mcg and 15 mg per 100 g of eggplant, respectively) are mineral elements that support the work of the heart and blood vessels. They are responsible for the functioning of the nervous system and have a calming effect on the body.
3. Dietary fiber and fiber (3 g) are non-digestible components that cleanse the intestines of toxins and toxins that accumulate in it, and remove excess fluid and salts from the body.
4. Silicon (29 mcg) is a chemical that regulates the functioning of the kidneys and urinary system. It cleans the tubules, eliminates possible stagnation, removes sand.
5. B vitamins (10 mcg) will improve blood circulation in organs and tissues, thereby saturating them with oxygen and beneficial substances. Vitamins regulate metabolism and accelerate metabolism.
6. Vitamin C (4.5 mcg) is responsible for the functioning of the immune system, improves overall well-being. In addition, it maintains the acid balance in the body.
7. Vitamin K (3.5 μg) strengthens the walls of blood vessels, is the prevention of strokes and heart attacks, and also normalizes blood coagulation.
8. Iron (0.4 μg) is the main component of hemoglobin, which nourishes all tissues with oxygen.
9. Copper (135 mcg) is an important element for the normal functioning of the female reproductive system. It normalizes the synthesis of sex hormones - estrogens, is involved in the formation of the endometrium and stimulates ovulation.
10. Iodine (2.6 mcg) regulates the thyroid gland, participates in the metabolism and brain activity.

100 g of raw eggplant contains 1.5 g of protein, 5 g of carbohydrates and 0.1 g of fat. More than 90% dark nightshade consists of water, so it is very often used for weight loss. Calorie eggplant - 24 kcal.

What is useful eggplant

Dark nightshade jam, like the vegetable itself, has many useful properties. It is characterized by astringent properties that improve digestion. Eggplant sweetness strengthens the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, restores damaged organ cells, stimulates their regeneration. This dessert helps to digest fatty foods, pork, butter due to the high content of fiber and dietary fiber.

Just need dessert from dark nightshade for the elderly. After all, it is not only very tasty, but also healthy. A unique property of this jam is the ability to remove cholesterol plaques from blood vessels, which very often cause heart attacks and strokes, as well as circulatory and tissue disorders. Vitamin K contained in eggplant jam in large quantities strengthens the walls of blood vessels, protecting them from tearing. And the potassium and magnesium present in the dessert improve heart function, normalize blood pressure.

The sweetness from dark nightshade will help when planning pregnancy. In a future mother, eggplant preserves normal hormonal levels and improves the condition of the father’s blood and urinary system. All this will help to conceive a healthy and happy baby.

If you cook eggplant jam without sugar, you can get an excellent dietary product. It will not only not damage the figure, but will also contribute to speedy weight loss, thanks to the chemicals contained in it and dietary fiber.

In the Middle Ages, doctors recommended the use of dark nightshade for the treatment and prevention of diseases of the teeth and oral cavity. They have an anti-inflammatory effect, and also whiten teeth and strengthen enamel. Jam made without sugar has the same properties and will be useful in the treatment of caries, stomatitis, periodontal disease.

Contraindications

Although dark nightshade has many useful properties, there are people to whom it only hurts. These are those who suffer from chronic or acute pancreatitis, acute liver failure, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, who have a gall bladder cut out or not functioning.

An allergic reaction to eggplant is quite rare, but still there is a place to be. Eggplant is also strictly contraindicated for such people.

How to choose eggplant for jam

To make the jam really tasty and healthy, you need to take care of the quality of the original product. Of course, it is advisable to use eggplants grown in your own garden or bought from farmers without chemical fertilizers. However, such an opportunity is not always there.

Small desserts, about 20–25 centimeters in size, are better for making desserts. As a rule, these are young vegetables, which contain the maximum amount of useful substances, and they also do not have large and hard seeds that spoil the dish. The taste of sweets made from them will be as saturated and bright as possible.

Selection Rules:

1. When choosing vegetables, first of all, you need to pay attention to the skin of eggplant. It should be approximately uniform in color, without foreign inclusions, spots and dents. Pale ebbs on the sides of dark nightshade are allowed.
2. When pressed lightly, the vegetable should quickly return to its original form. If the dent does not appear at all, this means that the vegetable is immature, so the jam from it will not turn out saturated and, possibly, will be bitter. And if the dent remains, then the eggplant has already begun to deteriorate and it is dangerous to eat it.
3. The vegetable should be smooth, not wrinkled and not curled like a snail. “Torsion” indicates a lack of liquid in the eggplant, such a product for jam will not work.
4. A healthy eggplant has a healthy, natural, but not glossy, skin. If the dark nightshade is matte - this indicates a lack of carbohydrates in it. In this case, the dark nightshade will most likely have a bitter taste.If the luster, on the contrary, is too strong and bright, this means that the vegetable has undergone chemical treatment, which can harm human health.
5. When choosing eggplant for jam, you should pay attention to the tail of the vegetable. In a fresh, young dark nightshade, it should be green, resilient and fleshy. If the shoot is dried, brown, this indicates that the eggplant is not fresh and has been stored somewhere for a long time. During this time, the vegetable has lost some of its beneficial properties, so it is undesirable to use it.

After buying the eggplants, wash them with soda or a special detergent for fruits and vegetables. This action will help to remove the remains of fertilizers and other traces of chemical processing and will make the dark nightshade ready to cook. If the quality of the purchased vegetables is in doubt, you should cut the eggplant into several parts and lower them in salted water for several hours, and then rinse again with running water. Soaking will draw bitterness out of them and make them tastier and safer for making desserts.

Eggplant combinations

You can make eggplant jam even more delicious by adding other products. The following components will improve the taste of dark nightshade:

• carrot;
• walnuts, sesame seeds, almonds, peanuts;
• quince;
• bell red pepper;
• dates;
• apples
• oranges, lemons;
• physalis, grape tomato;
• prunes, figs;
• gooseberry;
• lingonberry, blueberry.

Do not experiment:

• with pears;
• red, black and white currants;
• dried apricots, peaches and apricots;
• pistachios, sunflower and flax seeds;
• grapefruit, lime;
• grapes, raisins;
• beets, turnips and other root vegetables (except carrots);
• strawberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries;
• bananas.

You can add spices to eggplant jam: red chili peppers, paprika, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, vanilla, mint, lemon balm.

It is worth giving vent to imagination, and you can get a unique jam.

How to cook eggplant jam: recipes

There are a great many ways of making sweets from dark nightshade. Here are just a few of them.

Recipe 1

1. Wash two or three small dark nightshades and peel if desired. Jam from peeled vegetables will turn out more tender, with a peel - more saturated.
2. Cut the eggplant into small slices or cubes, place in a deep pan and pour clean water. Boil, then drain the liquid and rinse the dark nightshade. Repeat the action 2-3 times. Eggplant should become soft and darken a little.
3. In another pan, prepare syrup from a glass of water and two glasses of sugar. Simmer for 7-10 minutes with constant stirring, then dip the prepared eggplant, a teaspoon of citric acid or two tablespoons of lemon juice, the same amount of ground cloves, a pinch of cinnamon and red pepper. Stir constantly, cook for 20-30 minutes.

Arrange the finished jam in pre-sterilized jars, close the lids. Jam made according to this recipe has a pleasant sweetish-spicy taste and a very delicate structure.

Recipe 2

1. Peel two small eggplants, one orange and one red apple, cut into cubes. Put all the products in a deep container, and then pour cool boiling water. Hold for a few minutes, then drain the water.
2. Add to the mixture a glass of sugar, half a glass of pre-roasted sesame seeds, a teaspoon of citric acid, a tablespoon of honey, spices: cinnamon, ginger, red pepper - optional. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spatula so as not to damage the structure of vegetables, and leave for an hour to give juice.
3. Arrange a mixture of eggplant, oranges and apples in prepared jars. Place them in an oven preheated to 180 degrees, keep there for half an hour. Do not open the oven during cooking so that the jars do not crack. After the specified time has passed, turn off the fire, remove the cans after an hour, close the lid.

The taste of the resulting dessert is sweet and sour. Eggplant and fruit complement each other perfectly.

Recipe 3

1. Peel one dark nightshade from the skin, soak in hot water for half an hour. Peel quince, pour boiling water over it. Then grind on a coarse grater two quinces, one peeled carrot. Cut the eggplant and two red bell peppers into small cubes. Put all the ingredients in a frying pan with high sides, pour in two glasses of sugar.
2. Cook over medium heat for half an hour, stirring constantly. Add a tablespoon of turmeric, a pinch of vanillin, a teaspoon of citric acid, mix, close the lid and leave it on fire for another five minutes.
3. Arrange the prepared jam in pre-sterilized jars.

The resulting dessert will be tartly sweet. It will be difficult for an ignorant person to guess what exactly this sweetness is made of.

Recipe 4

1. Pass through a meat grinder one peeled eggplant, 5–7 dates, 3 fig berries, 1 apple. Grind a glass of almonds with a blender at a maximum speed of 10 minutes.
2. Stir the first and second mixture, add half a glass of honey and 5 tablets of stevia or other sweetener.
3. On a dry baking sheet put the baking paper and spread the resulting mass on it in a thin layer with a spatula. Put for 40 minutes in the oven preheated to 100 degrees, cook for 40 minutes, mixing 3-4 times during this time. Then quickly spread out the prepared banks.

This eggplant sweet is not only amazing in taste, but also very healthy. It helps to normalize metabolism, lose weight and improve digestion. Using it every day will contribute to a significant improvement in well-being.

Recipe 5

1. Cut five small dark nightshades along in small strips. Grind the carrots in a Korean style.
2. Prepare the syrup from a glass of orange juice and two glasses of sugar, having prepared it for 10 minutes over low heat. Dip carrots and eggplant there, cook for 20 minutes.
3. Add half a glass of lingonberry berries, a teaspoon of citric acid, vanillin. Cook for another 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and keep the dessert under the lid for 5-7 minutes.

Arrange the jam in prepared jars. The sweetness prepared according to this recipe has a bright, memorable taste and unique aroma.

Recipe 6

1. Cut several unpeeled eggplants into rings and place on a baking sheet covered with paper. Put in the oven preheated to 180 degrees for 20 minutes, then remove, let cool and finely chop.
2. Syrup from a glass of sugar and a glass of water, cook, stirring for 10 minutes, dip the baked eggplant into it. Cook for 10 minutes, then add slices of sweet tomato or physalis and a teaspoon of citric acid.
3. Cook another 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and put the jam in the jars.

The resulting jam is not only very tasty, but also beautiful. It has a sweet and sour taste with a pleasant bitterness. It will not be easy for guests to guess what this wonderful dessert is made of.

Recipe 7

1. Cut the peeled dark nightshade into cubes, then fill with a glass of sugar and leave for 5 hours, and preferably at night. After that put on fire and, stirring, cook for 40 minutes.
2. Add citric acid and a pinch of mint and cinnamon, stir and arrange in banks.

Jam according to this recipe is easy to make, but very tasty and soft.It has a gentle, non-sugary taste and a pleasant smell.

Recipe 8

1. Four eggplants to peel, cut ponytails and cut into cubes. Add a teaspoon of mint and ginger. Pour a glass of white wine and leave for a couple of hours.
2. Then drain the wine, add half a glass of lemon juice and a glass of sugar. Put on low heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Then add eggplant to the wine syrup and, stirring, cook for 15–20 minutes. Unlike other types of jam, this cannot be stacked in jars. It must be eaten immediately after manufacturing.

Alcohol in this recipe is not felt at all, all alcohol evaporates during the heat treatment.

Recipe 9

1. Boil peeled eggplant, apple and quince in water until soft. Drain the liquid, and boil the cooked products with a blender or crush with a blender.
2. Add a glass of citric acid, half a glass of sugar and spices to taste.
3. Spread mashed potatoes in sterilized jars and put them in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 15 minutes.
4. Turn off the fire, carefully remove the cans and close their lid.

Jam has a sweet and sour, not sugary taste. It is very soft - it is good for young children and the elderly.

Recipe 10

1. Pour a glass of sugar into the pan, heat until caramel forms.
2. Pour half a glass of orange juice, mix quickly until completely dissolved.
3. Add finely chopped eggplant and lemon, cook, stirring until thickened. Arrange in sterile jars.

Jam has a sour caramel-chocolate flavor, suitable for evening tea drinking.

Jam storage rules

Eggplant jars and lids must be sterilized in a special sterilizer or in boiling water for 7 minutes. It is necessary to impose jam to the edges, tamping so that there is no free space. The edges of the jar and the lid should be lubricated with hydrogen peroxide in order to prevent the growth of bacteria.

The shelf life of the resulting homemade delicacy is no more than 8 months. Jam should be stored in tightly closed jars in a cool dark place. The temperature should be no more than 20 degrees.

It should be remembered that the use of spoiled eggplant jam can be detrimental to health. In no case should you use dessert from bloated cans, as well as in the presence of an unpleasant smell or white, blue coating. A brownish, dusty coating of eggplant jam is considered normal in the absence of other signs of spoilage.

The ideal place for such a jam would, of course, be a cellar or cellar. If it is not possible to store it there, it is better to put the dessert in the refrigerator.

It is necessary to protect jars of jam from direct sunlight and light - so they will quickly deteriorate. After opening the jar, it is necessary to use the eggplant sweetness no later than 2 days later. However, if you can’t eat so quickly, you can boil the jam again and place it in another sterile container. After this procedure, dessert can be stored for several months.

What to eat jam with

Eggplant jam universally. It can be used with pancakes, and with buns, and pancakes, bake cakes with it, add to biscuit and cakes instead of cream. The taste of the dishes along with the eggplant filling will not be spoiled, on the contrary, it will acquire a zest and make others wonder what is inside.

Interesting Eggplant Facts

1. Earlier, eggplants were called differently in different regions of Russia: “blue eyes”, “blue”, “bazhizhki”, “baladans”, “demyanka”. This happened because the country had no connection between people and a common language. Often the same subject was called differently in different parts of the state. The difference of dialects took place before the mid-18th century.
2. The abusive word "cormorant" comes from the word eggplant.This is the name of lazy, apathetic people, comparing them with ripening eggplant lying under the leaf.
3. According to the genetic code, the closest "relative" of the eggplant is the thistle. Surprisingly, this is a thorn, not a zucchini or a cucumber.
4. In Europe, eggplants used to be called "Turkish tomatoes", as they were often sold by people from this country.
5. To be precise, this purple vegetable is not a vegetable at all, but a berry. Therefore, to make sweet jam out of it is quite logical.
6. The sages of ancient Greece called the dark nightshade “rabid apple” and advised to beware of eggplants, believing that this plant causes madness and dullness of reason.
7. Nicotine is present in eggplant seeds, but its concentration there is negligible to harm health. Therefore, this vegetable is useful for those who wish to abandon the harmful habit of smoking.
8. Eggplant is one of the few products that does not lose its beneficial properties during heat treatment. The reason is the fibrous structure of dark nightshade.
9. In Arab countries, to this day, toothpaste is made from eggplant. To do this, dark nightshade is dried and then ground. Judging by what white teeth the population of this country has, the remedy is quite effective.
10. In India, the birthplace of dark nightshade, a kind of wine was made from eggplant, which was served only in exceptional ritual cases - at sacrifices, weddings, at the birth of a child and death. Hindus attached sacred meaning to this vegetable.
11. Although we are used to seeing eggplants dark purple, they come in a variety of colors - white, and blue, and pink, and red, and black. The forms of this vegetable are also replete with variety - the eggplant can be pear-shaped, long, like a cucumber, round, like tomatoes, flat, like a squash. Forms and color depend on the place of growth of nightshade and growing conditions.
12. There is a legend that when eggplants were first brought to Europe, the first person who tried them lost consciousness from surprise. That is why they did not want to eat them for a long time.