Green walnut jam: benefits, recipes

Most s have little idea what walnut jam is. This delicacy can be prepared mainly by residents of the southern regions, since nuts for jam must be collected while still quite soft, best of all directly from the trees, in a green (unripe) state. However, due to the development of selection, many southern crops are gradually moving north. And, perhaps, soon even the inhabitants of the middle lane will have the opportunity to make this exotic jam by picking fruits from the trees in their area. Recipes for green walnut jam do not indulge in a special variety. But, for those who have similar walnut trees growing on or near the site, it will be interesting to get acquainted with the features of the technology and recipes for making this very healthy dessert.

Benefits of green walnut jam

Walnut fruits contain a rich set of vitamins (PP, C, group B), trace elements that are important for the functioning of the body of acids, as well as phytoncides that help in the fight against certain types of bacteria.

The content of iodine in green fruits is especially high, therefore, jam is most often recommended for people who have problems with the thyroid gland. But green walnut jam can also provide tangible benefits for the following health problems:

• with instability of blood pressure (hypertension);
• with insomnia, migraines and headaches, especially in weather-dependent people;
• with depression and all kinds of fears;
• with liver diseases;
• to increase immunity, especially for colds: sore throat, flu and others;
• with gastritis;
• with atherosclerosis.

And this is only the data of official medicine. Traditional medicine recommends the use of walnut jam for rheumatism, gout, the presence of gynecological and urological diseases.

In addition to, in fact, painful conditions, the beneficial properties of young walnut jam will have a beneficial effect on pregnant women, people whose work is associated with intense mental activity, as well as those who are extremely weakened after a recent operation.

Harm of nut jam from green walnuts

Since nut jam contains a fairly large amount of sugar, it should be consumed with great caution by obese people.

In addition, it is contraindicated in young children and those who suffer from peptic ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract, diabetes and allergic manifestations.

Taste of walnut jam

The taste of walnut jam is so unique that not everyone can describe it accurately enough. In addition, due to the difference in manufacturing technology, it can vary quite a lot. The classic taste of walnut jam with peel is slightly reminiscent of a sweet chocolate candy. The syrup itself is sweet, even cloying, and the fruits are very tender, slightly elastic and also sweet.

If citric acid is used in the recipe, then a refreshing sourness appears in the jam. And the addition of spicy aromatic substances adds new facets of taste to the jam.

How to make green walnut jam

The process of making nut jam can conditionally be divided into two uneven stages.

• The first stage – the actual preparation of fruits for cooking takes the most time, from 5 to 15 days.
• Second phase, which includes the direct preparation of jam, can be completed in one day.

For those who have never made such a dessert, most questions arise at the first stage. And this is not surprising.

First of all, you need to understand in what months you can cook this jam, because in the absence of experience, you can miss the right time. Fruits should be picked at the so-called milky ripeness, when the shell is still light green, soft and supple to the touch. A sharpened wooden stick or toothpick should easily penetrate into it. And on the cut, the pulp of the nut should be quite uniform, pale white.

Usually the most suitable time for making green nut jam is from the end of May to the end of June. In July, it may already be somewhat late, although much depends on the particular variety and region of growth (weather conditions in the current season).

Fruits are selected approximately the same in size, without damage, that is, there should not be dark or especially rotten spots on the peel.

Particular attention should be paid to the dishes in which the nuts will be prepared and the cooking process itself. Under no circumstances should aluminum or copper containers be used for these purposes. Thick-bottomed stainless steel pans work best. Enamelware is also suitable, but light enamel can darken thoroughly from interaction with the fruits during their soaking. You have to be ready for this. To stir the jam, it is best to use wooden, glass or ceramic spoons.

The first stage is soaking.

Green walnuts have a very bitter and unpleasant taste due to the high content of iodine in the shell. Prolonged soaking allows you to release the fruit from bitterness. For the same purposes, various substances are also used: lime, soda or citric acid.

There are two main varieties of nut jam:

• With a peel, having a thick dark, almost black color.
• Without the peel, in this case, the color of the jam becomes light brown.

The peel can also be removed in different ways: in a thin layer, using a vegetable peeler, or in a thick layer, practically leaving only the pulp. When peeling nuts, it is recommended to use rubber or latex gloves. Since the pigment substance contained in the peel of the fetus can permanently color the skin of the hands in an almost black color.

Most often, preliminary soaking of nuts is carried out as follows:

1. First, whole green fruits are soaked in cold water for 2 days, not forgetting to change the water two or even three times a day.
2. Then they are washed and for at least 4 hours, and for a maximum of XNUMX hours they are immersed in a lime mortar or in a soda composition, or in a solution of citric acid.

3. At the next stage, the nuts are washed under running water, pricked with a sharp object over the entire surface of the peel, or completely peeled.
4. Again, pour cold water for at least one or several days, not forgetting to change the water regularly (2-3 times a day).
5. The fruits are washed again under running water, and then boiled in boiling water for 10-12 minutes.
6. Take out in a colander and allow excess liquid to drain.

The second stage – making jam

This stage is more traditional.

1. First, a fairly rich sugar syrup is prepared.
2. Having thoroughly boiled it, prepared fruits are placed in it and boiled for about 5 minutes.
3. Set aside for 1 hour and, again bringing the jam to a boil, cook for 5 minutes.
4. Repeat this procedure with settling at least 5 times.
5. After that, the jam is laid out in sterile jars and tightly twisted.

Green walnut jam with peel

You need:

• about 100 pieces of green walnuts;
• 1,6 L of water;
• 2 kg of sugar;
• 5 L of water;
• 0,5 kg of hydrated lime;
• a pinch of citric acid.

Manufacture:

1. Gather unripe nuts from the tree.
2. Sort, wash and cut them into two halves.
3. Placed in a deep bowl, poured with cold water for several days.
4. Constantly change the water at least 3-4 times a day.
5. Then the fruits are poured for 24 hours with prepared lime mortar.
6. The solution is drained, and the nuts are thoroughly washed.
7. Again pour fresh cold water and leave for a day.
8. The water is drained, poured fresh, heated to a boil and boiled for 25 minutes.
9. The procedure is repeated 2 times.
10. Nuts spread on a towel and dried.
11. A syrup is prepared from water and sugar, to which citric acid is added and nuts are placed.
12. Boil for 5 minutes and turn off the heat until the mixture cools.
13. Repeat the procedure 5 times.
14. Green walnut jam with peel can be considered ready.
15. It is laid out in sterile dishes, rolled up.

Bulgarian green nut jam

According to the Bulgarian recipe, nut jam is prepared with the obligatory use of citric acid for soaking.

You need:

• about 1 kg of pre-soaked walnuts;
• 200 ml of water;
• 1 kg of sugar;
• 10 g citric acid for syrup.

Manufacture:

1. First, the nuts are soaked in the traditional way for 5 days, constantly changing the water.
2. Then the peel is pierced and soaked for another 5 days.
3. At the next stage, a solution is prepared from 1,5 liters of liquid and 1 teaspoon of citric acid.
4. Heat it to a boil, immerse the soaked nuts in it for 5 minutes.
5. Fruits are removed with a slotted spoon and lowered into a container with cold water.
6. Repeat this procedure 5 times, each time reheating the solution with citric acid until boiling.
7. Then the traditional syrup is boiled from water and sugar, citric acid is added to it.
8. Washed nuts are lowered there and boiled for about a quarter of an hour until cooked.

Armenian walnut jam

According to the Armenian recipe, green walnut jam is prepared with the obligatory addition of spices: cinnamon or vanillin, sometimes cloves.

You need:

• about 1,5 kg of peeled and soaked walnuts;
• 2-2,2 kg of granulated sugar;
• 500 ml of pure water;
• 2 cinnamon sticks;
• 1,5 g vanillin.

Manufacture:

1. Water with sugar is heated to a boil and the syrup is completely transparent.
2. Lay in boiling syrup completely soaked nuts with peeled off.

   

3. It is advisable to place spices with a gauze bag and also lower them into the syrup along with the fruits.
4. Boil the syrup with nuts for a few minutes and let it cool for 6-8 hours.
5. Repeat this procedure three times.
6. Before laying out the jam in jars, remove the bag of spices.
7. Then spread out in clean and dry jars, roll up.

How to make green walnut jam with lemon

Especially tasty and not as cloying as classic jam is a green walnut dessert prepared with lemons.

The cooking process itself is completely the same as described in the previous recipe. Only 2 lemons are added to the ingredients, which are used whole along with the zest.

Lemon juice and grated zest are added at the very beginning of cooking, at the first stage of cooking.

Unripe walnut jam with cloves

Clove is a very interesting spice that goes well with the taste of green walnuts.

You can make jam according to a standard recipe by adding a bag of 10-12 cloves during cooking to add flavor to the dessert.

But there is a more original way to use cloves. To do this, nuts, peeled before the next soaking, are stuffed with clove buds, using 3-4 pieces for each fruit.

Then, according to the traditional scheme, they are soaked for a few more days, boiled in water, and then in sugar syrup. Roll up for the winter. It turns out a very original delicacy, which lovers of spicy desserts will appreciate.

Jam from young walnuts

For those who are limited in time, but want to try to create a sweet miracle from green nuts, there is a recipe for making this jam relatively quickly.

You need:

• 1 kg of young walnuts;
• 1 kg of sugar;
• 250-300 ml of water;
• a pinch of cinnamon.

Manufacture:

1. The fruits are washed, pierced in several places with a fork and boiled for 20 to 30 minutes without pre-soaking.
2. Pour cold water, keep in it for at least half an hour.
3. Repeat the procedure one more time.
4. Syrup is prepared by completely dissolving sugar in water and adding cinnamon.
5. The nuts are thrown into boiling syrup, boiled for a quarter of an hour and left to cool for 10 hours.
6. Boil again for the same amount of time and set aside for 10 hours.
7. After the third cooking, the jam is packaged in sterile containers and twisted.

Reviews of green walnut jam

Terms and conditions of storage

Hermetically rolled or twisted green walnut jam jars can be perfectly preserved for several years in a cool place with a temperature not exceeding + 25 ° C. It is desirable that they are not exposed to sunlight.

Conclusion

The green walnut jam recipes described in this article do not exhaust all the possible culinary fantasies of housewives. Having tried to cook this jam once, you can experiment endlessly with the addition of various spices (ginger, nutmeg) or berries and fruits. Thus, the usefulness of the finished product will only increase.