Contents
The Manchurian (Dumbey) walnut is a strong and beautiful tree that produces fruits of amazing properties and appearance. Its nuts are small in size, outwardly similar to a walnut, but richer in the nutrients that make up the composition. Therefore, Manchurian walnut jam is not only pleasant to the taste, but also very useful.
The benefits and harms of Manchurian nut jam
The benefits of the Manchurian walnut have been fully proven by experts. It is full of such important elements and chemical compounds for humans as: magnesium, potassium, acids (malic and citric), alkaloids, various phytoncides, carotene, coumarin and tannins. In addition, the unripe fruit of the Manchurian walnut is rich in vitamins B and C. It is tasty and contains about 60% of nutritious oils. It is used in medicine and in cooking, mainly for making jams and various tinctures.
Despite all the beneficial properties of this nut, it can be harmful. Due to the high content of chemical elements, it can cause an allergic reaction. It is not recommended to take it for pregnant women and during lactation. Contraindicated in people with cirrhosis of the liver, allergic reactions, stomach ulcers and gastritis.
What nuts are suitable for making jam
Only those fruits of the Manchurian walnut that are harvested in mid-July, approximately from the 10th to the 20th, are suitable for making jam. By this time, they have not yet fully matured and their peel has not grown stronger. Basically, such a collection is called the fruits of “milky maturity”. After removing the nuts from the tree, they are subjected to prolonged soaking with periodic changes of water.
Important! The bark of the Manchurian walnut is rich in iodine, so picking, soaking and peeling must be done with gloves so as not to stain your hands.
In order to be sure of the usefulness of Manchurian nut jam, you should strictly follow the recipe for its preparation.
Ingredients
There are several recipes for Manchurian nut jam, but the simplest is the preparation of unpeeled green nuts. To prepare it you will need:
- 100 pieces of unpeeled Manchurian nuts of milk maturity;
- 2 kg of sugar;
- 1 lemon;
- various spices and herbs in powder form (ginger, cardamom, cloves, chicory) approximately one pinch each;
- vanilla extract (sugar or pod);
- about 2,4 liters of water (2 liters for boiling and 2 glasses for making syrup);
- 1 pack of baking soda.
Optionally, various berries or orange peels can be added to these ingredients.
Manchurian walnut jam recipe
It takes a lot of time to properly prepare jam from the fruits of the Manchurian tree. It takes about two weeks to prepare the nuts for boiling in syrup alone. And the process of cooking jam takes 3 days.
The process of making jam begins with the selection and cleaning of fruits from debris. Then they are poured until completely covered with cold water and left to soak for a day. At this time, the water should be changed at least three or four times, while the nuts should be washed under running water.
After soaking the fruits in ordinary water, they are pierced or pierced, and poured with a special soda solution (5 liters of water are mixed with 100 g of soda). In this solution, the nuts should be about two days, then it should be changed. The procedure is performed 4 times. In this case, the nuts need to be mixed as often as possible. This procedure is necessary to rid the fruit of bitterness.
After the soaking of the nut fruits, they are removed and dried for the next cooking in syrup.
The syrup is made from sugar and water.
Dissolve 2 kg of sugar in two glasses of water and put on a large fire, bring to a boil, removing the white foam. Reduce the heat and dip the soaked and dried fruits into the syrup. Along with nuts, spice powders are added, as well as finely chopped lemon. Bring to a boil again and remove from heat. The resulting jam should be infused for at least 24 hours, then it is put on fire again, brought to a boil and removed for infusion.
In total, the jam should be boiled at least three times, until all the water boils away, and the jam acquires a viscous consistency resembling honey.
For flavor and piquancy, vanillin is added to the finished jam before the last removal from the stove. It eliminates the tart nutty smell.
The resulting jam is poured into jars, which are sterilized in advance and tightly closed with a lid. For hermetic sealing of jars, jam should be poured hot.
Rules for the use of jam from green Manchurian nuts
Ready Manchurian walnut jam can be eaten no earlier than a month after it is rolled into jars. During this time, the fruits will completely absorb the sugar syrup and become soft.
You should carefully eat jam, in moderation, so as not to cause an allergic reaction. In addition, this sweetness is very high in calories. 100 g of nut fruits contain approximately 600 kcal.
It can be consumed in this form along with tea as a stimulant to strengthen the immune system. Also, this jam is suitable as a filling for baking pies.
Terms and conditions of storage
Dumbey walnut jam, when properly prepared, can be stored for up to 9 months. In this case, a number of simple rules should be observed:
- dark place;
- cool temperature.
The optimal conditions for preserving the freshness and usefulness of this delicacy are a place closed from sunlight, with a temperature of 0-15 degrees. It could be a pantry or cellar.
After opening the jar, jam can be consumed and stored for no more than two months. Therefore, it is recommended to prepare it in liter or half-liter jars.
To save an open jar, you should place the sweet contents in a plastic container and close it tightly. The container should only be stored in the refrigerator.
Conclusion
Despite the laborious process of making Manchurian nut jam, the result will fully justify the long wait. The finished dish has a very unusual and pleasant taste, unlike the shades of this kind of sweets. Very valuable medicinal properties and nutritional value are worthy of becoming a favorite delicacy of the whole family.
