Cherry plum jam

Cherry plum – the predecessor of the garden plum. There are several varieties of the product that differ in color (yellow / red / dark purple), taste and structure. The size of the fruit does not exceed 3 centimeters, and the sweet and sour variety of plums is the most popular. Cherry plum is rarely eaten fresh. Most often, compotes, syrups, jelly, marmalade, marshmallow, juice, wine or jam are prepared from it. Let us dwell in more detail on cherry plum jam.

General characteristics of cherry plum

Cherry plum is a fruit woody plant that belongs to the genus plum of the pink family. It is this plant that is considered one of the original forms of homemade plums that we are accustomed to eating. Alternative names – plum splayed / cherry / cherry / cultivated.

Brief etymological note. According to M. Vasmer, the word “cherry plum” is of Azerbaijani origin and is translated as “small plum” or “beautiful variety of garden plums”.

The plant is bred as a fruit crop. During the harvest period, one adult tree can produce up to 300 kilograms of ripe fruits. Fruits are most often eaten fresh or canned. From them you can cook compote, thick syrup, jam, marmalade, juice, wine, oriental marshmallow (lavash based on aged plum puree). Cherry plum is also the main component of the traditional Georgian Tkemali sauce.

The most valuable part of the fruit is the pit. The seeds of cultivated plants contain a non-drying fatty oil. It is used in traditional medicine and cosmetology. Previously, the oil was used in folk medicine to treat a range of both internal and external ailments.

Useful Properties

The maximum benefit is contained in the peel of the cherry plum. In addition to vitamins / minerals, fiber (the coarse part of plants) is concentrated in it. Our body cannot fully assimilate fiber, which determines its beneficial properties. The substance cleanses the gastrointestinal tract, improves bowel function, gives a feeling of lightness and literally restarts metabolic processes for more intense work. Also, the rough part of the plants regulates the level of cholesterol in the blood, protects us from internal inflammatory processes and even cancer.

Cherry plum pits are used in the production of activated carbon. This is a porous substance that is obtained from carbon-containing organic materials. Activated carbon is used in traditional medicine and industry for the separation, extraction, purification of various compounds (for example, sugar or drinking water).

Useful properties of fruit jam:

• cleansing the body of toxins / toxins;
• stimulation of blood circulation;
• choleretic effect;
• normalization of metabolic processes, the functionality of the nervous system;
• neutralization of headache;
• strengthening the protective functions of the immune system, fighting pathogenic microflora, blocking the symptoms of a cold (cough, sore throat, runny nose, feeling unwell);
• improving skin condition, preventing the harmful effects of free radicals and early aging.

The chemical composition of the food component

Fruit seeds contain mucus, as well as amygdalin glycoside, starch, tannins, enzymes, oils and organic acids. A ripe fruit abounds in sugar (about 11%, 6% of which is fructose), tannins, pectins, oils and three organic acids – tartaric, citric, malic. Ethers are found in the peel, which are responsible for the special smell of plum fruits. The juice contains malic, ascorbic acid, gum and sugar. All these substances retain their effect even during heat treatment. To increase the benefits of the finished dessert, you can add cherry plum with seeds and peel – during heat treatment, they will take on a delicate, pliable structure.

Possible harm and contraindications

The composition of the jam contains cherry plum and refined white sugar in equal proportions. Despite the fact that heat treatment affects the balance of nutrients, the fruit remains a valuable source of vitamins, fructose, minerals and organic acids.

With refined sugar, things are much more complicated. Nutritionists recognize white crystallized powder as a “blank” product that contains neither vitamins nor minerals. But there is also the other side of the coin. Sugar consumption leads to heart / vascular / liver diseases, the development of metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and in especially severe cases, cancer.

The food product contributes to the accumulation of visceral fat. This is fat that accumulates in the abdominal cavity and surrounds our internal organs. If the norm of fat is exceeded, then the organs begin to work worse, experiencing tremendous pressure and stress. Visceral fat is the cause of the strongest inflammatory processes inside the body.

Sugar is highly addictive, which can be compared to a drug. Once the substance is ingested, the body produces large amounts of dopamine. Dopamine is a hormone that is responsible for the feeling of pleasure. The body remembers the chain “sugar – stimulation of pleasure centers” and literally makes a person eat more and more in order to produce more dopamine. That is why we cannot stop at one candy, a few sips of soda or a small spoonful of cherry plum jam.

Sugar addiction leads to food intolerance, obesity, internal pathological processes and problems with psycho-emotional health. How to avoid it? Regulate the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates and reduce the consumption of “harmful” foods. If cherry plum jam is your main weakness, then you don’t need to deny yourself your favorite dessert. Eat it daily. The main thing is that jam and other fatty/too-salty/processed/fried foods make up 10-20% of your diet. The remaining 80% should be reserved for vegetables, fruits, grains, meats, eggs, superfoods. The 80/20 ratio will help satisfy the psychological need for sweets without violating internal health.

Use in cooking

Recipe #1: Seedless with Walnuts and Cinnamon

We need:

• cherry – 1 kilogram;
• granulated sugar – 1 kilogram;
• peeled nuts – 200 grams;
• crushed cinnamon – 2-3 teaspoons.

Preparation

Wash the fruit thoroughly, remove the seeds from them and evenly place them in a deep saucepan. It is not necessary to cook jam without stones, if desired, they can be left (in this case, there is no need to cut the fruits). Pour 1-1,5 cups of water into the pan, bring the mass to a boil and cook for 20 minutes over low heat until the cherry plum becomes soft.

Add crushed/whole nuts, cinnamon, sugar. Stir the mixture until the sugar crystals dissolve. After the sugar dissolves, boil the mixture for another 10 minutes, then remove from the stove and pour the hot mixture into sterilized jars. Ready-made jam can be eaten as an independent dessert, added to pastries, pancakes or used as a sauce.

Recipe number 2: with bones

This simple recipe is called “five minutes”. It is ideal for those who want to cook delicious jam, while spending a minimum of time.

We need:

• cherry – 1 kilogram;
• sugar – 1 kilogram;
• filtered water – 250 milliliters.

Wash the fruits thoroughly and place them in a deep cooking pot. Immediately add a kilogram of sugar, 250 milliliters of water, stir the mixture and leave for 30 minutes. During this time, the cherry plum will release the juice, and the sugar will dissolve in the resulting liquid.

Put the finished mass on low heat. If you want to make a small batch of jam, use a pot of water and a small metal bowl to make a bain-marie. Bring the sugar-fruit mixture to a boil and boil for 5-7 minutes. Pour the finished jam into sterilized jars, roll up with a can key and place in a cool place without access to ultraviolet rays.

Use in folk medicine

In folk medicine, cherry plum seed oil, its juice or pulp-based decoction were more often used. Jam was considered mainly as a food product, which was especially appreciated in the cold season. Harvesting jam for the winter is a mandatory procedure for every family. During the period of cold weather and the minimum presence of high-quality fruits / vegetables on the grocery shelves, jam is a real storehouse of vitamins / minerals. Jam is simply poured with water, lemon / orange slices are added and drunk instead of powder medicines for flu or colds.

A few spoonfuls of sweets can relieve a sore throat. Fruit juice and tender pulp literally lubricate the mucous membranes, muffling pain or a strong cough. It was believed that the dessert restores potency, treats arrhythmia, restores vitamin deficiency, removes toxic compounds from the body, relieves fever and neutralizes gastritis. To completely get rid of the disease, you will have to eat more than one can of cherry plum jam. In modern conditions, this makes no sense, it is much easier to take a course of pills prescribed by a doctor.

Jam may not always give the desired effect. It depends on the quality of the raw materials, the initial condition of the patient and the degree of progression of the disease. Learn to feel your body and trust doctors. If the condition is getting worse every day, and bed rest and jam do not work, seek qualified help as soon as possible.