Contents
Preparing a walnut for the winter is easy. Its healing kernels are easily stored both in a purified form and with a shell. But such a workpiece can be made many times tastier than just nuts. Green walnut jam has already become an indispensable item in the preparation for the winter at many gardeners and summer residents. An unusually delicious dessert and a means to improve memory, a fragrant tea supplement and a way to rejuvenate cells – all this is about nut jam. How to stock up on such a miracle, we understand in more detail.
Preparing to spin the nut
It is not known exactly who first came to mind to cook nuts, but the idea was beautiful. The processed kernels become soft, soak up syrup, give amazing aroma and taste. Immediately it should be noted that the process of making such a meal takes time and effort, but the result will delight any gourmet.
For nut jam, young fruits with not hardened shell will be needed. As a rule, this stage of ripening of the Vologda walnut begins in mid-late June. The degree of maturity can be easily checked. To do this, simply pierce the fruit with a large needle or toothpick; if it has passed through, you can start cooking. Nuts need to be collected and selected suitable.
Tasty jam from green walnuts is obtained from quality raw materials. Each fruit should be inspected for dark spots, cracks, rotten parts. The top layer of the green peel will be removed, but its condition is an indicator of the quality of the nut. The selected fruits must be washed and peeled from the top layer of the skin. You need to cut off with very thin layers. At this stage, it is imperative to use rubber gloves, since iodine in the composition of the skin will leave dark spots on the hands for a long time – many have learned this lesson since childhood.
After peeling the skin from each fruit, all the nuts must be placed in a basin where they will be soaked. The choice of dishes is a separate “song” and a stumbling block for many housewives. Literally two generations ago, the most common container for making jam was aluminum or copper basins. Many, using the recipe and great-grandmother’s advice, still do so. Today they are not recommended for use, since both copper and aluminum can react with jam acids, during which the dish is filled with heavy metals. Stainless steel utensils or enamelled containers are ideal.
They chose the dishes, prepared the nuts. Now follows an important step in the spin – soaking the fruits. Nuts must stand in the water for at least two days. This is necessary because the peel and kernels in an unripe state are very bitter. To get rid of this bitterness, they need to be soaked, changing the water three times a day. After 2 days, the soaking continues, at this stage you can choose one of two options: lime soaking and limeless.
Wetting methods
So that the walnut jam does not become bitter, it goes through several soaking phases before the main stage of cooking. After the fruits stand in the water of the 2 of the day, the water must be drained. They are then soaked additionally with or without lime.
Pointless method. It will require one knitting needle or a fork. Each nut needs to be pierced, and in the resulting hole to put on a stud. Prepared fruit should be filled with water and left for ten days. Be sure to change the water several times a day, because without this all work will come to naught.
After one decade, the water is drained, and the cores are covered with hot water for 13-15 minutes. After that, they need to be immersed in cold water again and insist another 24 hours. After a set time, the kernel must be dried.
Lime method. After soaking for 2 days, the nuts are placed in a solution of hydrated lime. To do this, you need 500 g of lime and 5 liters of cold liquid. Lime maceration lasts 4 hours, after which the solution is drained, and the fruit is thoroughly washed under a faucet. In the washed nuts, you need to make holes with a fork or knitting needle, pour them back with plain water and wait another 2 days. Do not forget to change the water to clean several times a day.
After all these efforts, the fruit of the walnut tree will be ready for the main stage of preparation. You can make jam from green walnuts using several recipes.
Jam Recipes
Such a dessert can be made only with nuts or diluted with spices, citrus peel, berries. The product in any case will be delicious, and if you follow the rules of soaking – also extremely useful.
Classic recipe:
- hundreds of nuts;
- 500 ml of plain water;
- kilogram of sugar.
Soaked nuts should be spread out to dry out a bit. Meanwhile, the syrup is boiled out of the water with sugar. When the sand is completely melted, immerse the fruit there and boil for 10-15 minutes. After that, the jam is deposited on the 6-8 clock, returns to the fire, and then stands again.
To boil the walnut jam you need 4-5 times with an interval of 6-8 hours. So the kernels are soaked with sweet syrup, they will not lose their shape, and the syrup will acquire a nutty color, taste and smell. At the last stage, you need to decompose the finished product in dry sterilized banks and roll up.
Spiced jam:
- nuts – 50 pcs .;
- 400 ml of water;
- 1000 grams of sugar;
- cloves;
- cardamom;
- vanilla sugar;
- cinnamon stick.
In the boiling syrup, lower the prepared kernels. Place all spices in cheesecloth and wrap tightly in a bag, put them in jam and cook with it. Contents must be cooked on medium heat until the fruit has a glossy black color. After that, add vanilla sugar or a little vanilla, roll up in jars.
Citrus Jam Nut:
- one kilogram of nuts;
- one kilogram of sugar;
- zest of one orange;
- one lemon.
First, boil the syrup, while it boils, you need to dry the kernels and cook citruses. Squeeze the lemon juice into syrup, and cut the zest with orange into thin strips. When the sugar is completely dissolved in water, add the fruits and citrus straws, cook for 15 minutes over low heat, leave to infuse for 6-8 hours. Such manipulations should be repeated three times. Pack warm jam in sterile jars.
In addition to these classic recipes with peeled kernels, a recipe with unpeeled nuts is used. From the fruit, the edges are cut from two sides and immersed in cold water for 10 days. The liquid at the same time also needs to be constantly changed so that all the bitterness will come out. After this period, the fruit should be boiled in pure water 15 minutes, then change the liquid to cold and leave again to insist another day.
The next day, drain the water and leave the nuts to dry. Meanwhile, syrup is prepared from the ratio: one part water and one part sugar. Cold sweet water should be poured over the kernels and left overnight. In the morning, drain the syrup and boil it with 20 minutes, return to the nuts. The same thing needs to be done three more times, for the last time all the ingredients are boiled together for 10-15 minutes. Jam from unpeeled green walnuts ready.
Application in medicine
As you can see, the preparation of such a dessert takes time and effort, but it is worth it, given that the benefits exceed all expectations. This dessert is useful for urological diseases, heart or liver problems. During the preservation process, some of the beneficial components found in fresh nuts are lost. But even what is left is enough to cover the need for vitamins, micro and macro elements.
A special “pride” of such a dish is an impressive amount of healthy acids: linoleic and oleic. The combination of trace elements and acids has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the brain and central nervous system. In folk medicine, nut dishes, including jam, are used as an anti-sclerotic agent.
The high content of iodine and vitamin C in such a dessert is the reason to take it into service during colds. Vitamin PP, which is also abundant here, protects the nervous system, improves blood circulation. It is proved that nicotinic acid reduces the risk of developing eye diseases, improves joint mobility.
Possible harm and contraindications
Any nuts, including walnuts, are included in the category of strong allergens. For this reason, nut jam is not recommended for children under three years old. It is also better for pregnant women to refrain from such a delicacy, so as not to cause an allergy in the baby.
Jam from nuts is contraindicated in people with diabetes. Due to its high calorie content, it is better to limit it to those who protect their figure and people with obesity, since 100 g of product contains 280 kcal.
For digestive problems, nut jam can only be used with the permission of a doctor. A large amount of fiber, tannins and fibers is useful only for a healthy digestive tract.
The rest is a treat, which is worth spending time. Its useful properties will be useful until the next season. And those who replenish stocks for the winter with such harvesting can be proud of the discovery of new horizons in cooking.