It's time to roll up, freeze, dry - in a word, make sweet preparations so that in winter we feel nourishing and sweet. There are some guidelines that will definitely help you with canning.
How much sugar to put
So that the jam does not disappear for sure, they usually put: 1 kg. raw material 1 kg. berries. But the jam is very sweet. If you want to keep the sourness and maximum flavor, then it is better to put less sugar - 600 or 500 grams. Only in this case, you need to boil the jam several times. For reliability, after you put the jam in the jars, pour a layer of sugar on top and cover. This layer forms a hard crust, which blocks the access of oxygen to the jar, which means that there will be no conditions for the development of bacteria.
Most hassle-free covers
It is best to use screw caps. Correctly they are called "twist-off". But in this case, jars are needed with a neck for these lids. With twist-off caps, you don't need a seaming wrench and much less effort to tighten.
Keep in mind: in order for jars with such lids to be properly corked, you need to close the jam or compote hot and turn the container upside down.
How to wash
- It is necessary to remove the stalks from strawberries and strawberries after washing.
- It is better not to wash raspberries before cooking the jam. So the berries will be more whole. But this advice is good if the berries are from your garden. Purchased ones still rinse. And in order not to spoil the integrity of the raspberries, do it under a weak shower pressure or immerse the raspberries in a bowl of water, after 2 minutes, drain the water and repeat the procedure.
- If there are larvae in raspberries, then you need to immerse the berries in salted water (for 1 liter of water - 1 tablespoon of salt) for 10 minutes. When the larvae emerge, remove them with a spoon. Then immerse the raspberries in plain water for 2-3 minutes.
- Rinse all fruits or berries with cold water only.
To keep plums, peaches and apricots intact in the jar
Delicate fruits will not boil if, before preparing the compote, you carefully rinse them under a weak pressure of a cold shower, and then immerse them in a soda solution for 5 minutes (for 1 liter of water - 1 teaspoon of soda).
After such a solution, immerse the fruits in ordinary cold water for 2 minutes. Now you can put fruits in jars and prepare compote.
If there is no lid to drain the hot syrup
In the recipes, this lid is called a lid with holes. It is usually sold at hardware stores. If you have not found such a cover, take a regular plastic one. Stick an awl on the fire (hold it over a gas stove that is on) and make 5–8 large holes in the lid. Let the cap cool and use as directed.
