Cranberry Jam: 11 Cooking Recipes

Cranberries - a small red berry that grows in marshy areas of the northern latitudes. Its beneficial properties have been discovered for a long time. The first who discovered and experienced them were medieval pilgrims. During the transitions through the northern lands, believing wanderers found a small bush with red sweet and sour berries. Cranberries not only satisfied the hunger, but also saved the pilgrims who became ill with scurvy. Since then, the berry has been used in medicine, cosmetology and cooking. The sweet and sour taste of cranberries is not to everyone's taste, so they make fruit drinks, jelly and jam. After all, how pleasant it is to drink tea with aromatic, besides very useful cranberry jam on a cold winter evening.

Composition and calorie content

Cranberries are a storehouse of vitamins, macro- and microelements, acids and other useful substances for the normal functioning of the body. This unique berry does not lose its healing properties during heat treatment, so the following substances are contained in jam:

1. A number of vitamins belonging to group B: B1, B3, B6, B9. Folic acid (B9) is found in small quantities. Vitamin A (beta-carotene) helps to improve vision, has a beneficial effect on the skin. Indispensable for maintaining immunity and alleviating the symptoms of colds, vitamin C is found in large quantities. Even with heat treatment of berries, 70–75% of this element remains in the jam.
2. Organic acids (oxalic, citric, malic, ursuloic, chlorogenic) have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. The presence of benzoic acid allows the berry to be stored for a long time, while it does not lose its beneficial qualities.
3. Chemical compounds. Flavonoids, which have a strengthening effect on the walls of blood vessels, contribute to the normalization of blood circulation. The content of pectins is quite high - in 100 g of the product 1.1 g. This element removes toxins, harmful substances and heavy metals from the body. At chemical plants and other harmful industries, employees include cranberries and preserves in their daily diets. Also included in the composition are catechins anthocyanins, phenol acids.
4. Cellulose. It improves metabolism and normalizes bowel function.
5. Micro and macro elements: iron, calcium, iodine, potassium, phosphorus, manganese.

Cranberry jam is mainly prepared with the addition of sugar, so it is quite high in calories. It is better to use it in small doses as a dessert. 100 g contains 218 kcal. This is approximately 14% of the daily intake of proteins, fats, carbohydrates. Given the full value of the nutrients contained, this is not so much compared to chocolate, 100 g of which contains 2 times more calories.

What is cranberry jam useful for

Tasty and fragrant cranberry jam contains many useful vitamins and elements that have healing properties for the body.

1. Due to the high content of vitamin C, the product is used as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent for colds. 2-3 teaspoons of cranberry jam per day help strengthen immunity, especially in the autumn and spring. Also, the product is useful after suffering various diseases. With a dry cough and sore throat, it is extremely necessary. Jam has a warming and calming effect on the respiratory organs.
2. Many doctors recommend the use of soothing cranberry jam teas for people who are prone to depression. After all, it is able to relieve nervous irritation, anxiety and improve sleep.
3. The vitamins that make up the product have a positive effect on the brain, improve memory, and have a beneficial effect on vision.
4. Cranberry berries are considered the best antioxidants, so jam has the ability to slow down the aging process and withering of the skin.
5. Cranberry jam lowers blood cholesterol, strengthens blood vessels, normalizes blood pressure. It is often recommended for people suffering from hypertension, heart disease.
6. Acting as a diuretic, jam reduces not only pressure, but also improves kidney function, preventing the development of urolithiasis. This is a great tool, besides tasty. By the way, women also consume berries in the fight against cystitis in the cold period.
7. Berries, both in raw form and after heat treatment, improve appetite, stimulate the production of gastric juice, thereby normalizing the digestion process.

Given all the beneficial properties, it is recommended to use cranberry jam:

• with infectious diseases of the genitourinary system;
• a weakened immune system;
• metabolic disorders in the body;
• swelling of the extremities caused by a large accumulation of fluid;
• gastric diseases (it is worth considering that cranberries are useful only for low acidity);
• varicose veins, thrombophlebitis;
• high blood pressure;
• anemia
• atherosclerosis.

Cranberry jam not only reduces the risk of disease and has preventative properties. This product improves tone, gives vitality and helps increase activity.

How to choose cranberries for jam

The ripening period of the berry falls at the end of the first autumn month. Therefore, it is best to buy cranberries for jam in late September - early October.

On sale may be a berry brought from the United States or Canada. Distinguishing this cranberry is quite simple - its size is larger than that of the local one. The berries are identical in composition, but those brought in have a less sour taste.

The smallest cranberries are wild, growing in swamps. It has a stronger smell, very juicy. Its peel is thinner than that of cultivated varieties. Wild cranberries make a very aromatic jam.

For high-quality jam, it is worth buying only ripe berries. The ripened fruits resemble "kegs with juice." It seems that at the slightest touch they burst. This should not happen, as fresh, unripe berries are juicy but resilient.

Ripe cranberries have a uniform color - rich red color. Pale berries with brownish, barely noticeable spots - immature or affected by disease. Cranberry berries, which undergo deformation during a light touch, are clearly overripe. Fresh, recently picked fruits may be slightly moist. The main thing is that there should be no signs of diaper rash or moldy spots.

Berries that are too dry should not be purchased. When buying cranberries, you should ask in which region the fruits grew. It is better to give preference to ecologically clean places.

The easiest way to determine the degree of cranberry maturity: toss the berry over the surface. Hitting it, a ripe cranberry will jump like a ball.

You can cook cranberry jam from frozen fruits. When choosing such a product, you should pay attention to the expiration date, the integrity of the package. Inside the berries should be crumbly.

How to cook cranberry jam: recipes

Fragrant and healthy cranberry jam is made not only from fresh berries, but also frozen.There are many recipes where cranberries act as an independent ingredient or supplemented with other berries and fruits.

Vintage Cranberry Jam Recipe

Cooking takes a little time, and the preparation process takes several days. But the result exceeds all expectations, cranberry jam turns out to be very tasty and fragrant.

For every 400 g of cranberries, 800 g of sugar and 200 g of purified water will be needed.

Preparatory stage
Rinse cranberries, pierce each berry in several places with a pin. Put in a container and fill with water. It should completely cover the berries. So leave for three days. Change water every morning and evening.

Cooking process:

1. On the fourth day, get the cranberries out of the water. To weigh.
2. Pour the right amount of sugar into the pan, pour water. When choosing a container, it should be noted that all cranberries will be added to it. Cook thick sugar syrup. If foam forms, be sure to remove.
3. Pour all the berries into the finished syrup. Boil twice. After each boil, removing the pan from the heat.
4. Boil over low heat for 5-10 minutes.
5. Pour into dry jars. Allow them to cool, then tighten the covers tightly.

The water in which the cranberries were soaked can be boiled with sugar (to taste). Get a great fruit drink.

You can store such jam in the basement or in the refrigerator.

Classic Cranberry Jam

Ingredients:

• Cranberries - 1 kg.
• Sugar - 1 kg.

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Sort the cranberries. For cooking, leave only ripe, whole fruits.
2. Rinse several times with water.
3. In a container prepared for cooking, crush cranberries to a puree consistency. A flea market is best suited for this. You can use a blender, but part of the juice is lost.
4. Add all sugar to the resulting mass, taking into account the proportions. Leave on the table for 2-3 hours until sugar is dissolved. Do not interfere with the mass.
5. Put the pot on a small fire. So bring to a boil. After that, all the time, stirring, cook for another 15–20 minutes.
6. Pour hot jam into pre-washed and dried glass containers. Allow to cool.
7. Close tightly with lids.

This jam is stored for up to two years. During this time, it does not lose useful properties, while maintaining a bright color and amazing aroma.

Cranberry Jam with apples, honey and walnuts

Ingredients:

• Cranberries - 1 kg.
• Walnut kernels - 1 tbsp.
• Apples - 1 kg.
• Honey - 3 liters.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse cranberries thoroughly. Fold in a saucepan or pan, add water (1 kg 125 ml) and simmer until softened. This step takes no more than 15 minutes. Pass the resulting mass through a fine sieve.
2. It is better to take apples for this jam sweet or sweet and sour, but surely tight. Rinse fruit and cut into segments.
3. Grind walnut kernels with a rolling pin or a kitchen hammer.
4. Pour honey in a separate container, put on a stove. Bring to a boil, and then hold on fire for another 5-8 minutes.
5. In hot honey add cranberries, apples, nuts. Boil over low heat for 20–25 minutes.
6. Pour into dry, pre-sterilized jars. Leave to cool on the table. Then roll up the lids.

Keep refrigerated.

Piquant Cranberry Jam with Melon

Ingredients:

• 0.5 kg of fresh cranberries.
• 1 kg of melon.
• 750 g of sugar.

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Sort cranberries and rinse several times. Put in a container and lightly soften the berries with a wooden spoon.
2. Pour cranberry berries with sugar and leave for 2 hours.
3. Peel the melon. Cut into small slices, approximately 1.5 * 2 cm.
4. After the required time, put the cranberry sugar on the fire. When the sugar has completely dissolved, add melon slices to the mass.
5. Cook over low heat, stirring slightly, until the melon becomes transparent (glassy).
6. Arrange the finished jam in glass containers and close the lids.

Store in the refrigerator for no more than 12 months.

Diet Cranberry Jam

This recipe does not contain ingredients such as sugar, honey, so jam is safe for people with diabetes. It is low-calorie and suitable for women who are watching their figure.

Cooking method:

1. Prepare cans in advance. They must be thoroughly washed and dried. Suitable capacities of 0.5 and 1 liter.
2. Rinse the berries and put them in banks. Pour cranberries at the very neck. Cover with a lid.
3. Place a metal stand in a large pot (can be used with a slow cooker). Put on the stove. On a stand place jars of cranberries, pour up to half the cold water. Turn on the gas, the water will gradually heat up. It should not boil, so you should reduce the fire.
4. In such a water bath, cranberries will gradually start to drain juice. Due to this, the level of berries will decrease. When 2/3 remain in the jar, you should open the lid and again add the fruits at the very neck.
5. Repeat this procedure several times until the whole jar is filled with cranberry juice.
6. When this effect is achieved, the water in which the jars are placed should be brought to a boil. This step is called sterilization. For 0.5 liters it is enough to boil for 10 minutes, liter - 12-15.
7. To take out and at once to roll up covers. Put to cool.

A refrigerator is best for storing this type of cranberry jam.

Frozen Cranberry Jam

This amazing berry, even after freezing, retains most of its vitamins and nutrients. Therefore, jam has the same healing properties as prepared from fresh fruits.

Ingredients:

• Frozen Cranberries - 700 g
• Sugar - 750 g.
• Freshly squeezed orange juice - 250 g.
• Purified water - 250 g.
• 1 tsp Roots (optional)

Cooking method:

1. Thaw cranberries first. Put the berries in a pan, add the remaining ingredients.
2. Place the container on the stove, bring the cranberry mass to a boil. Then reduce the heat and, stirring constantly, cook for 20–25 minutes.
3. Using a blender or strainer, grind jam.
4. The finished mass can immediately be laid out on the banks. Screw containers on the lids and sterilize for 5–10 minutes.

Cranberry Jam is ready to eat.

Cranberry jam with apples

The unique combination of two types of berries gives the dessert even more useful and healing properties.

Structure:

• Fresh cranberries - 1 kg.
• Water - 400 g.
• Fresh lingonberry - 500 g.
• Sugar - 1.5 kg.
• Apples - 300 g.

Step by step cooking:

1. Sort out cranberries and cranberries. Rinse several times with water. Lay out on a paper towel and allow to dry a little.
2. Rinse the apples. Peel, core. Cut into small pieces.
3. Sugar syrup: pour sugar into a saucepan, pour water. Put on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until thick. In the process, do not forget to stir so that the sugar does not burn. Remove from the stove.
4. Put the dried berries in a bowl and pour over boiling water, thereby eliminating the remaining microbes.
5. Pour cranberries and lingonberries into syrup. Put on low heat. Warm the mass until the berries are softened.
6. Add apples. Boil the mass over moderate heat for 10-15 minutes.
7. Pour hot jam into banks. Let it cool. Screw tightly on the covers.

Store in a cool place.

Cranberry Jam with Quince and Ginger

This dessert has an exquisite aroma and taste. This jam can warm, relieve discouragement on the coldest winter day.

Structure:

• 400 g of fresh cranberries.
• 600 g of sugar.
• 600 g quince.
• 300 g of water.
• Ginger Root

Step-by-step method of preparation:

1. Before making jam, sort out the cranberries, separating the spoiled and unripe berries. As part of the dessert, select only elastic ripe fruits.
2. Rinse selected fruits thoroughly several times with water. Put on a napkin to get rid of residual moisture.
3. Rinse quince, peel, remove seeds. Cut into small slices (can be cubed) with a thickness of not more than 1 cm.
4. Prepare sugar syrup: add sugar to the water and boil on the stove. The syrup should not get a very thick consistency.
5. Slices of quince in the resulting syrup, cook for 20–25 minutes on moderate heat.Quince should be soft.
6. Add cranberries to quince syrup.
7. Cut a small piece (2–4 cm) from the ginger root and peel it. You can cut, but not very finely. Put it in a pan with cranberries and quince.
8. Bring jam to a boil. Then reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes. Do not forget to mix the dessert.
9. Pour hot jam into pre-pasteurized jars. Close cooled banks tightly with lids.

A refrigerator is best for storage.

Cranberry-citrus mix for the winter

This dessert has a very high content of vitamin C, so it will be indispensable for the prevention and treatment of colds. Cranberry jam with the addition of oranges, lemon and honey is prepared without heat treatment. It enhances immunity, gives vitality. In addition, it is very tasty.

Essential Ingredients:

• 500 g of fresh cranberry.
• 1-2 medium oranges.
• ½ lemon.
• 800 g of honey.
• ½ lime.

Cooking method:

1. Sort cranberries, removing unripe, soft and spoiled berries. Wash and allow to dry.
2. Pour boiling water over the orange. Peel, remove the remaining white peel. Disassemble into slices, if there are bones, remove.
3. Grind cranberries with orange in a meat grinder.
4. Cut half a lemon and lime, removing the seeds beforehand. Leave the zest.
5. Pour honey into a separate container, if thick, slightly dissolve. Add lime and lemon here. Let the citrus-honey mass infuse for 20-30 minutes.
6. Place the two masses obtained in one container, mix thoroughly.
7. Sterilize banks in advance. Spread the jam. Close tightly with a lid.

This mix is ​​recommended to be stored only in the refrigerator for no more than 7-8 months.

Cranberry Jam (Marmalade)

Dessert prepared according to this recipe can be spread on toast and used as a filling for pies.

Structure:

• 0.5 kg of cranberries.
• 0.5 kg of sugar.
• 1. To sort through berries, to wash.

1. Steam cranberries until soft. You can use a double boiler or the usual way: take two pots of different sizes. Pour water into a large one. Place a smaller pan filled with cranberries in it.
2. Grind softened berries. It is better to use a sieve.
3. Add granulated sugar to the resulting puree, mix.
4. Place in oven, temperature must not exceed 50 ° C. Dry for 20-30 minutes. Sugar should completely melt, and the mass will acquire a darker shade. The main thing is not to overdo it.
5. Arrange in dry clean jars, seal tightly.

Keep only in the refrigerator.

Jam in the slow cooker

This is a pretty simple way to make a delicious cranberry dessert with apples. It takes a minimum of time, but the jam does not get worse.

Structure:

• Cranberries (fresh or frozen) - 450 g.
• Water - 400 g.
• Sweet apples - 1 kg.
• Sugar - 1.5 kg.

Cooking method:

1. Sort the berries, rinse, dry. If frozen cranberries are used, allow them to thaw at room temperature. Then rinse and dry slightly with a paper towel.
2. Rinse the apples. Peel the peel. Get rid of the core and cut into small slices. Put in a slow cooker, cover with sugar. Select "Extinguishing" in the menu, set the timer for 50 minutes. Open the lid every 10 minutes. Lift the cover 20 minutes before closing and do not close.
3. After the time has passed, turn off the multicooker. Put cranberries in the apple mass. Stir the mixture.
4. Put the option “Baking” for 10 minutes. After graduation, a thick aromatic jam is obtained. If it is liquid, add time, but not more than 25 minutes.
5. Pour into banks. After cooling, tighten the covers.

Store better in the refrigerator.

Jam storage rules

Cranberry Jam is good for your health. To keep it as long as possible, you need to adhere to several rules:

1. The best and most suitable container for jam is a glass jar with a hermetically twisted lid. Before use, they need to be washed well with hot water, dried, best sterilized.
2. The optimum storage temperature should not exceed 15 ° C. Do not transfer jars of jam from one place to another, changing the temperature regime. In this case, the product may be sugared and moldy.
3. The air in the room should not be humid. Rust may appear on the inside of the metal covers. It will give an unpleasant taste and smell of jam, which will lead to spoilage of the product.
4. A negative effect on the shelf life of aromatic jam can have sunlight. Therefore, the banks should be placed in a dark room.

The best place to store cranberry jam is the basement (cellar). If this is not available, you can store in the refrigerator.

Properly prepared jam, stored in accordance with the rules and recommendations, may be suitable for use for 3 years. Then the beneficial properties disappear, the taste of the product deteriorates. Such jam can cause poisoning.

Cranberry Interesting Facts

1. About 300 berries are harvested annually from one small shrub of cranberries.
2. One of the oldest ways to store cranberries is a wooden barrel filled with water. The berries placed there retain their healing properties for a whole year until the new crop.
3. Red sweet and sour berry adorned a postage stamp issued in the Soviet Union in 1964.
4. In the 80–90 years of the last century, cranberry juice was used on the set. Using it, they imitated blood.
5. As part of bright red berries, 90% of the water.
6. A flowering shrub of cranberries adorns the coat of arms of Bezenbüren (commune in Switzerland).
7. Lemon is inferior to cranberries in content in vitamin C.
8. In 1816, Henry Hall, a native of Massachusetts, first cultivated cranberries.
9. In the Vologda Oblast of Russia and in Ukraine, cranberries are called “crane” and “crane”. Presumably, this is due to the fact that cranes like to enjoy cranberries.
10. Every year, people in America eat up 18.5 million tons of cranberries. Americans consider this berry a national treasure. Plantations for its cultivation occupy more than 15,000 hectares of land.
11. Cranberry bush is considered a long-lived plant. In a favorable environment for him, he grows and bears fruit for more than a hundred years.
12. Historians have not yet figured out where the name "cranberry" comes from. Indeed, in Latin the name sounds "oxycoccos", which means "sour berry."