Time-tested recipes for aromatic lingonberry jam

Preparatory stages

The berries ripen in August-September. For preserves, it's best to choose fully ripe berries; they're less tart and sweeter. People with peptic ulcers and low blood pressure should consume lingonberries with caution.

This amazing gift of nature can cause real harm to everyone if it grows near roads or industrial facilities. The plant accumulates radioactive elements, and no amount of processing will remove them, so it's best to harvest them in ecologically clean areas, away from cities and highways.

It's believed that jam made from dry, rather than wet, berries will keep best. Therefore, after harvesting, the berries are carefully sorted, discarding any dried, rotten, or damaged ones. They are washed under running water, and then dried thoroughly, spreading them out in a single layer on a clean sheet or blanket.

The second stage of mandatory preparation is aimed at reducing bitterness and astringency. Before preparing the dessert, lingonberries must be blanched. You can dip the berries in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, add cold water and bring to a boil, or at least simply pour boiling water over them.

Video: "Lingonberry and Pear Jam"

This video will show you how to make delicious and healthy lingonberry and pear jam.

Step-by-step recipes

Every home cook has her own recipe for homemade lingonberry jam. Today, we offer a step-by-step guide to making several jam varieties using freshly picked or frozen berries.

With oranges

By combining lingonberries with citrus, we create not just a winter treat, but a cure for all seasonal colds. This jam doesn't need to be boiled for long; it's quick to prepare and stored in sterilized jars with the lids sealed.

For every 1 kg of prepared berries, use approximately the same amount of oranges (at least 0.5 kg) and 800–900 g of sugar. If desired, you can add a few of your favorite spices—cinnamon, star anise, or something else.

If you want to get a homogeneous mass similar to jam, then do this:

1. Mix clean, dried lingonberries with sugar and let sit until the juices release. Stir vigorously, pressing the berries with a spoon to speed up the release of the juice.
2. Once the lingonberry juice appears, place the mixture on the stove and let it simmer for no more than 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. Wash and scald the oranges with boiling water and chop them using a meat grinder or blender, after removing the seeds.
4. Add the orange mixture to the lingonberries, stir, and cook for another 10 minutes.
5. Now we can put it into jars.

The second option is suitable for those who want to feel pieces of orange in their mouth:

1. The oranges should be peeled, separated into segments, and each segment cut into several pieces. You can even remove the white peel to avoid it in the finished jam, but leaving it on will ensure the pieces remain whole.
2. Place the lingonberries and orange slices in a bowl and place over low heat. Simmer the mixture, along with any juices that appear, for 10 minutes.
3. After this, add sugar (and spices), stir and cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Place slightly cooled jam into jars.

With apples

If you chop the apples finely, you can make jam, but apple slices soaked in lingonberry syrup are a special treat on a winter evening.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg lingonberries;
• 800–900 g apples;
• 1.2 kg sugar;
• 1 glass of water;
• spices as desired (usually cinnamon and/or lemon zest).

Process:

1. Peel and core the apples and cut them into 7–8 mm thick slices. Blanching is recommended for firm fruits.
2. Sugar is dissolved in water and brought to a boil.
3. Place the lingonberries and apple slices in syrup. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Then let sit for 8-10 hours.
4. The second time, boil until done, this usually takes no more than 35 minutes.
5. The finished jam is placed into jars and sealed with lids.

With pears

It's best to use firm pears that are already sweet but not yet ripe. For 1 kg of lingonberries, use 1–1.5 kg of unpeeled pears, 0.9–1 kg of sugar, 1 cup of water, and the juice and zest of one small lemon.

Prepare the jam like this:

1. Peel the pears, cover with water, and add lemon juice.
2. Lingonberries with pear peelings and zest are poured with water and cooked until they turn into a pulp (10–15 minutes).
3. The resulting mass is rubbed through a sieve.
4. Remove the pears from the water, core them, cut them into wedges, and combine them with the pureed mixture. Add sugar and cook until tender, stirring gently to skim off any foam. This takes up to 40 minutes.

In a multicooker

Jam takes much longer to cook in a slow cooker. For 0.5 kg of berries, use 0.3–0.4 kg of sugar and ¼ cup of lemon juice. Layer the berries and sugar in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. The steam release valve should be fully open. First, set the mode to "Stewing" for 1 hour, then to "Warm" for another 2 hours. You'll need to stir frequently and skim off any foam.

Five-Minute

Five-Minute Jam preserves not only the cook's time but also most of the vitamins. For every 1 kg of berries, use at least 0.5 kg of sugar. Sprinkle half of it over the berries, placing them in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for exactly 5 minutes, skimming off any foam. Then remove from heat, add the remaining sugar, and stir thoroughly to dissolve. Then, pour the jam into jars, screw on the lids, and turn the jars upside down until completely cool.

If you want to add apples, you'll need to chop them finely. Add the spices right from the start, and taste them after they start to boil.

Of course, the simplest recipe is for jam made with just lingonberries, to which spices can be added for a piquant flavor. But lingonberry jam is also made with cranberries, blueberries, nuts, carrots, pumpkin, and zucchini. This wild berry is very low in calories, and its bitterness can speed up the body's digestion process, so combining it with pumpkin and zucchini makes a pleasant addition to weight-loss diets. For added benefits, replace sugar with honey.