Peppermint Jam

The unusual fresh smell and taste make mint a special ingredient in many culinary recipes. It is often used to make desserts and sweets, salads, sauces, tinctures. Mint leaves are useful not only because of their taste – it is an effective antipyretic and analgesic. From spring to mid-autumn, you can enjoy the beneficial properties of fresh leaves and stems of the plant, but with the advent of winter, dried mint or mint jam usually comes into use.

Fragrant and aromatic, mint jam is used in cooking as a component of various dishes, and if desired, it can be consumed with tea instead of dessert. Peppermint leaves are rich in essential oils. Sugar syrup, on the basis of which the dish is prepared, interacts with these substances and strengthens them, due to which the mint jam is so saturated.

The use of jam in cooking

Sweet and spicy mint jam can be eaten as an independent dessert, for example, with bread, with tea, or as an addition to ice cream. You can also add it to hot drinks or even make mojitos with it. Pouring semolina or oatmeal with a spoonful of jam can make it more satisfying. Sponge cakes are impregnated with mint jam, and with the help of gelatin it will turn into a beautiful top layer of a cake or pie. Confectioners have found another use for it – for color and aroma, the product is mixed in small quantities with an oil cream, so that it becomes airy and soft.

The unusual taste of mint jam is the reason why it is often used in the preparation of meat dishes as an ingredient in a sauce or marinade for lamb, veal, and pork. A few drops of balsamic vinegar and jam are mixed and added to vegetable salads as a dressing, because the mint aftertaste goes well with greens, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Nutritional value, chemical composition of the product

The jam has a homogeneous jelly-like consistency. Pure, uncolored, mint jam is a thick golden yellow or brown substance. With the help of small culinary tricks, it can be given a rich green hue. For example, for a beautiful emerald hue, use natural dye from spinach and parsley, or add food coloring.

Calorie content of the product: 220 kcal per 100 g, so peppermint jam belongs to high-calorie non-diet foods.

100 g of jam contains 0,12 g of fat, 56 g of carbohydrates and 0,44 g of protein.

Benefit, harm and contraindications

In addition to traditional medicines, during colds, SARS, coughs and high temperatures, traditional medicine advises using mint or jam from it – the beneficial substances contained in the plant perfectly cope with the symptoms of colds and fever, and have an expectorant effect.

Jam helps to get rid of migraines, insomnia, neurosis and has a tonic effect on the nervous system, therefore, as an alternative to soothing preparations, you can use tasty and sweet medicine. Mint helps to normalize the work of the cardiovascular system, reduces high blood pressure.

In this case, we should not forget about the possible complications that may be caused by the use of the product.

Since jam is prepared on the basis of sugar syrup, you can’t get carried away with it – this can cause excess weight. Mint has a mild sedative effect – it can be expressed in distraction of attention, deterioration in concentration, and even dizziness.

Among the contraindications of mint jam:

• low pressure;
• pregnancy and lactation;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, ulcer, reflux);
• diabetes;
• obesity.

Mint jam recipes – the nuances and secrets of cooking

The easiest option is a dish using a minimum of ingredients:

• 0,5 L of water;
• Xnumx mint leaf;
• agar-agar or mixture for making jams;
• 1 kg of sugar.

Mint leaves are washed, cut, covered with sugar and poured with warm water. Next they need to stand for three hours, after which the infusion is filtered and brought to a boil. 20 g mixture for jam is added to the dish, stirred until dissolved. On a weak gas under the hood, you need to hold it for 5-7 minutes. Hot broth is poured into sterile jars and rolled.

Another popular recipe is mint jam with lemon or lime.

To make it you need:

• mint – 150 g;
• water – 300 ml;
• lemon or lime – 1 pcs;
• sugar – 300

Mint is washed and finely cut, lemon or lime is washed and cut into circles, these two ingredients are poured into a shallow pan and, adding water, brought to a boil. The mixture is boiled for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool. Next, cover the pan with a lid and sent to the refrigerator for 12 hours. After two layers of gauze, it is filtered, poured into the pan, sugar is added and 5 is boiled for minutes. The finished jam is poured into jars and stored in the refrigerator.

Among other types of jam, mint is distinguished by its relatively simple cooking process and a pleasant fresh taste. It adds a savory note to meat dishes, salads, desserts, and as a single dessert, it is not inferior to other types of preserves. A few jars in the pantry will brighten up the winter season and add summer colors and fragrances to it.