Thickener for jam: which one to choose

Fresh berries from your garden are a treasure trove of minerals and vitamins. It's impossible to keep berries fresh for the winter since they spoil quickly. It's best to process excess harvests - make jam. To ensure the jam is not only aromatic and delicious but also healthy, the cooking time must be significantly reduced. With this approach, many beneficial substances remain in the finished product, but the jam turns out liquid. To make it thick, a thickener can be added during cooking. We will discuss three of the most popular options in this article. So.

Why add a thickener

Jam made from juicy berries (blueberries, strawberries, currants, etc.) usually turns out liquid. To get a thick jam, the product must be boiled until its volume is reduced by half. This increases boiling time and decreases the amount of nutrients. By adding a thickener, you can shorten the cooking time to 5-10 minutes. This way, the consistency of the jam will be thick.

Pectin

Pectin is a natural thickener for winter preparations that is made from apples. By adding it during the jam cooking process, you can achieve a thick mass resembling jelly. This additive has no smell, so the aroma of the finished dish does not change.

To achieve a positive result, you must adhere to the recommended proportions - for 1 kilogram of berries, add 12 grams of pectin. When adding sugar to the jam (for 1 kg of berries - 0.5 kg of sugar), you should sprinkle in 5 grams of pectin - this is sufficient for the mass to become thick. If you add more thickener, the taste of the jam will be spoiled. If there is not enough pectin, the consistency will be liquid.

Good to know. Do not boil the jam for more than 5 minutes, or else the pectin will lose its gelling properties.

Let's consider an example of preparation - jam made from different berries with pectin.

Usually, winter preserves are made from one type of berry. To add variety, you can make 'Assorted' jam. We will need:

• 500 grams of fresh berries (raspberries, currants, cranberries, etc.);
• a cup of sugar (200 grams);
• pectin (5 grams).

Preparation:

1. Fill a deep pot with berries, sprinkle in sugar. Mix thoroughly with a spoon, then put the pot on the stove.
2. Stir occasionally to prevent the berries from burning. After boiling, cook for 5-10 minutes.
3. In a small plate, pour 2 tablespoons of sugar and mix thoroughly with the pectin. Then add to the jam and immediately stir with a whisk to evenly distribute the pectin throughout the mass.
4. Boil the jam for 1 to 3 minutes, then pour into glass jars. Close with a lid and store.

Gelatin

Agar-agar

Agar-agar is a completely natural additive - it is made from seaweed. Adding agar-agar to jam means you don't have to worry about losing taste - this thickener does not change the color or smell of the product. Additionally, unlike gelatin, agar-agar solidifies at room temperature.

Let's take a look at a strawberry jam recipe with agar-agar. For preparation, take the following ingredients:

• 2 kg of ripe strawberries;
• 150 ml of drinking water;
• 1 kg of sugar;
• agar-agar (20 grams).

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Clean the strawberries from any plant debris, discarding overripe or damaged berries. If necessary, rinse the strawberries under running water.
2. In an enameled saucepan, layer the berries (strawberries - sugar - strawberries, etc.). Leave for 12 hours so the strawberries can release juice.
3. Half an hour before cooking the strawberry jam, prepare the agar-agar - pour the powder with water (for 1 tsp of thickener - 1 cup of liquid) and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Place the saucepan with strawberries on low heat. After boiling, cook for 3 minutes. After this time, add the hot mixture with agar-agar and boil the jam for 3 minutes. During cooking, be sure to remove the foam that forms.
5. Pour the jam into sterilized jars, cover with a tight lid, and let cool completely. Then transfer the winter preparation to a cool place.

Which thickener to choose for jam

Above, we reviewed popular food additives. To make a decision on which thickener to choose, one must determine what kind of jam they want to end up with. If you want to make a marmalade from berries, then it’s better to choose gelatin. To achieve a thick mass, like jelly, it is advisable to use pectin. Agar-agar is ideal for making "firm" jam, which will quickly set at room temperature.