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Strawberry jam is familiar to many. Who has not tried this wild berry? And its name came from the old Russian word “strawberry”, which literally means hanging close to the ground. Of course, now this berry has been cultivated and grown in personal plots. Although the fruits of garden strawberries are larger than those of forest strawberries, they are completely not so fragrant. A strawberry jam from a forest guest is much tastier and healthier.
There is also meadow strawberry. It differs from its forest cousin in its rounded shape, aroma and taste. In addition, the meadow berry has a longer shelf life, and it is also much denser than forest berries.
Any strawberry is appreciated for its useful and medicinal properties, which is why many housewives harvest it for the winter, so that it is possible to eat this product all year round. And the recipes for such blanks are quite diverse. Especially when you consider that for medicinal purposes use not only berries, but also the leaves and roots of the plant, which also contain medicinal substances that are beneficial to the human body.
The composition of strawberries and its healing properties
Wild strawberries have a rich vitamin composition and mineral complex. Due to its valuable chemical composition, it is called the “Queen of Berries” in the east.
Among vitamins ascorbic acid comes first. Vitamin E and carotene also prevail in the composition of this berry. It contains the vitamins of group B in almost complete assortment. Thiamine and riboflavin, folic and pantothenic acid, pyridoxine and niacin are present here.
The mineral complex is represented by: calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, copper and manganese. It also contains sulfur with sodium, iodine, zinc and chromium, as well as cobalt, fluorine, chlorine and many other micro and macro elements. The content of calcium and iron is the most distinguished, the latter being contained several times more in strawberries and products prepared on its basis than in plums and grapes.
In addition, the chemical composition of strawberries is represented by 0,3 grams of protein, 0,07 grams of fat and 58 grams of carbohydrates. Also in this berry there are beneficial salicylic, malic and citric acids, water and dietary fiber. And it owes its sweet taste to being in the composition of fructose and glucose.
Strawberries are a low-calorie berry, and its hundred grams contain only 32 kcal, but jam from it has a much higher calorie content and is already about 220 kcal.
The fruits of wild strawberries, like its leaves, are useful for adults and children, pregnant and elderly. The numerous healing properties of strawberries include:
- a decrease in blood glucose, but this applies only to fresh berries, not jam;
- beneficial effects on the heart and blood vessels;
- a positive effect on the body of a pregnant woman, since it contains folic acid, which is so necessary during this period;
- increased appetite and improved digestive system;
- wild strawberries quench thirst;
- improvement of hematopoiesis and increased hemoglobin;
- normalization of metabolic processes and a decrease in cholesterol;
- lowering blood pressure, so it is very useful to use this berry for older people and hypertensives;
- restoration of lost strength and energy, increased efficiency;
- diuretic effect of the plant.
With the help of strawberries, teeth are whitened, and also used as a prophylactic for various inflammatory and colds. Especially effective in this case is strawberry jam.
It also saturates the human body with useful vitamins, thereby helping to strengthen immunity and restore the body’s natural defense.
In folk medicine, not only jam and fresh berries are used, but also tea and decoctions from the leaves of the plant. They contain essential oils, tannins, beneficial flavonoids and ascorbic acid. Due to this, decoctions and teas based on such leaves are used for:
- throat diseases and colds;
- inflammation of the airways and bronchitis, due to the ability to dilute and remove sputum from the lungs;
- loss of strength and vitamin deficiency, as well as to improve the body’s immune system;
- diseases of the heart and blood vessels to strengthen the vascular walls and heart muscle;
- dyspeptic disorders and inflammatory processes in the intestines and stomach;
- violations of the liver and kidneys;
- puffiness, due to the ability of strawberry leaves to remove excess fluid from the body;
- nervous disorders as a sedative;
- bruises, abrasions and cuts, as a regenerating and restorative agent.
In addition, the infusion of strawberry leaves has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, has strengthening properties and promotes blood renewal.
The forest queen is also useful for cosmetic purposes. With its help, excellent anti-aging masks are obtained, since in its chemical composition there is a very high content of vitamins C and E, which effectively slow down the aging process, being essentially natural antioxidants.
Masks are made on its basis for whitening the skin, thus getting rid of age spots and freckles.
The beneficial acids that make up the berries, perfectly exfoliate keratinized skin cells, improve metabolic processes in the cells and tone them. And the grains present in strawberries are a natural scrub and are good for facial massage.
Harm and contraindications to the use of strawberries and products from it
No matter how good the strawberries are, they also have contraindications for use. Firstly, it is worth remembering that excessive consumption of sweet jam is unsafe for diabetes mellitus, and also leads to the appearance of excess weight and tooth decay. Also, do not use it with:
- individual intolerance of berries and leaves of the plant, as this often leads to the manifestation of strong allergic reactions;
- tendency to allergies in principle, since then the body is very sensitive to the effects of various kinds of allergens;
- increased acidity of the stomach and digestive problems;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, gastritis and peptic ulcer.
You should be aware that it is necessary to introduce such a berry into the children’s diet with care, several berries, determining the possibility of consumption by the presence or absence of a reaction to them in a child.
In addition, you should not eat strawberries and jam based on it on an empty stomach, as this can provoke undesirable negative consequences.
Strawberry Jam Recipes
Every housewife has her own recipes for making this delicious and healthy dessert. However, in order for this product to turn out to be of the highest quality and valuable, some rules must be observed when preparing it:
- Berries should be picked before cooking, no more than a day before making jam. It is good if the collection takes place in dry and sunny weather.
- It is recommended to store them in a dark and dry place with temperature conditions not exceeding twelve degrees Celsius.
- It is best to use medium-sized strawberries for jam, so that the cooking process takes less time, since larger berries require a long preparation. And this leads to the loss of valuable and useful properties of the product, because they are significantly reduced during heat treatment.
- In order to avoid sugaring the finished product at the end of cooking, it is recommended to add a little citric acid there.
- Cook strawberry jam on average half an hour.
- It is important to maintain sugar balance. The ideal ratio is half a kilogram of sugar per kilogram of forest berries.
- Before cooking, it is necessary to remove the sepals and other possible greens, otherwise the product will acquire a tart aftertaste.
Strawberry Jam Recipe
Five-minute jam from strawberries contains the maximum amount of nutrients, it turns out very fragrant and natural. In order to cook it, you need the following ingredients:
- strawberry berries – 1 kilogram;
- sugar – from 300 to 900 grams depending on the desired sweetness.
Before cooking the berries must be sorted, washed and dried, spreading evenly on a towel. Then place the dried product in a pan, alternately pouring with sugar, and leave for eight to ten hours to isolate the juice.
After this time, put the pot on low heat and bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes, then cool and repeat this procedure another two to three times.
After the end of the last cooking, pour the finished product into pre-sterilized jars and roll up.
Strawberry Jam Recipe
For the preparation of strawberry jam, the following components are necessary:
- berries of garden strawberries – 1 kilogram;
- sugar – 800 gram;
- lemon juice or citric acid – a quarter of a teaspoon.
Berry must be sorted out, separated low-quality and cleaned from greens. Then rinse well with cold water and spread on a towel with an even layer to dry.
Put strawberries in a prepared pan, pour sugar and let it brew for six to twelve hours.
After isolating the juice, send the pan to the fire, bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes, periodically removing the foam. Then remove from heat and cool.
After cooling, re-heat the berry syrup and boil for five minutes after boiling, stirring constantly. Then cool again. Repeat the process until done, at the last cooking add lemon juice or citric acid.
How to understand that the jam is ready? To do this, drip a small amount of jam on a saucer: the drop should be thick and not spread. In such cases, usually two to four brews of five minutes are enough.
If you do not want to use cooking in several periods, then for the first time you need to increase the cooking time from five to fifteen to twenty minutes.
Arrange the finished product in previously prepared sterilized jars, seal, cool at room temperature and put in a cool place.
Meadow Strawberry Jam Recipe
To make jam from meadow strawberries, you will need the following ingredients:
- berries of meadow strawberries – 1 kilogram;
- pure water – 250 ml;
- granulated sugar – 1,5 kilogram.
Meadow berry is not as juicy as garden varieties of strawberries, so it makes no sense to pour it with sugar, it is easier to boil it in sugar syrup. To do this, mix water and granulated sugar and dissolve, gradually stirring, over medium heat.
Bring the syrup to a boil and boil for a couple of minutes.
Then add the peeled, washed and dried berries to the syrup and insist on the mass for five to eight hours.
After the time has passed, put the resulting mass on fire, boil for five minutes and cool again. Repeat the procedure three times. By the last stage, the strawberries will be saturated with sugar syrup, the unnecessary water will evaporate, and the product will thicken.
Pour the prepared strawberry jam into sterilized jars and cork.
Instead of totals
Strawberry Jam is an incredibly tasty and very healthy product. It is used both as a medicine and as a dessert. Often it is used as a filling for baking, dumplings, pies or pancakes. And in winter, adding strawberry jam to tea, you can use it as a preventative measure for colds and viral diseases. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that wild strawberries contain almost one and a half times more nutrients than its meadow and garden sisters.
But it is necessary to remember that excessive enthusiasm for such a product often leads to tooth decay, a set of extra pounds, and also causes allergic reactions. Strawberry jam should not be abused, because everything is good in moderation.