Peppermint jam: 7 recipes for cooking

Herbs used in the preparation of various tinctures and preserves give the preparations excellent properties. Since ancient times, many people have learned all the benefits of mint, lemon balm, linden, and other herbs, which have a significant effect on the entire human body and its immune system. In the presented article we will tell you how to cook delicious, fragrant mint jam, about its useful properties, as well as what additional ingredients can be added to this sweet delicacy.

Ingredients and Calories

To begin with, we want to talk about the very composition of peppermint jam and its caloric content. As in any other jam, the main ingredient here is sugar, which is taken in quantity much more than the leaves of the plant. For example, if you take 400 grams of mint, then you need to take at least 1 kg of sugar. It turns out that the sugar needs 2 times more mint. Thus, per 100 grams of product come out the following indicators:

• Protein - 0.79%;
• fats - 0.18%;
• carbohydrates - 23.33%;
• calories - 207.4 kcal.

As can be seen from the above list, the caloric value of mint jam is quite high, which does not allow you to use it for people sitting on a diet. Therefore, it is worth saying that lovers of sweets and fans of diets can still consume this treat only in small quantities, about 1 teaspoon per day. To reduce the caloric content, you need to reduce the amount of sugar, but if you do this, then the jam will not get the desired thick consistency, will come out little appetizing. Thus, this dessert is recommended to use only for medicinal purposes and to strengthen the immune system of the body in small quantities.

What is useful of peppermint jam

Mint is a very valuable plant that helps to fight and prevent a large list of diseases. In modern times, mint is an excellent sedative. However, in the times of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, it was a real healing plant, which contributed to longevity and good health. Consuming any composition based on mint, or just drinking mint tea every morning, you could forget about the different ailments and feel awake and fresh.

Now peppermint is used as a pharmacological concentrate, and in the form of a wonderful essential oil.

As you know, there are about 25 species of mint. All of them are exactly the same aroma and useful properties. Therefore, you can use absolutely any herb to make jam.

Let's talk about the useful properties of mint jam:

1. The very first property is soothing. Jam from such a plant helps to combat various types of depression, apathy, calms the nervous system in various breakdowns, restores strength, prevents headaches.
2. Also mint jam normalizes blood pressure, dilates the blood vessels of the brain.
3. The consumption of such a dessert before going to bed helps to overcome insomnia.

The main advantage of mint jam is that in its boiled form the plant retains all the useful vitamins for a long time and can be stored under a metal cover all year.

Peppermint jam is very useful for women, it prevents premature aging, prolongs youth. From the systematic use of such a dessert women's skin becomes smooth, silky.

This dessert also helps to relax after a long, hard day at work. A few spoonfuls of it with tea are enough - and you immediately feel invigorated and light. This is especially true for people with mental stress.

Health hazards and contraindications

Of course, like any jam, mint dessert also has its own disadvantages:

1. The dessert in large quantities is contraindicated for men. Some of the substances in mint have a bad effect on the sexual system of men, which subsequently reduces sexual arousal.
2. A huge disadvantage of peppermint is its sedative and vasodilating property, because of which it is not recommended for people with diseases of the heart system.
3. Pregnant women should not consume a lot of mint jam, because this plant contains estrogen and may cause premature birth.

From all the described pros and cons, we can conclude that mint jam is recommended to use exclusively for women. It is definitely worth to make for yourself a few jars of such a delicacy, especially since its preparation does not require professional skills and a lot of time, it is prepared quite simply and easily. And the rest for the summer mint jam can also be used as a refresher in the heat, making it a pleasant morsel.

When to harvest mint for jam

Before you start making jam from mint, you should definitely know when it is better to pick this plant, so that the delicacy will turn out really delicious, appetizing, with a pleasant and thick consistency. To do this, let us give a few tips:

1. Boil the jam better in the evening, and in the morning pour the mint leaves with sugar, so that they let the juice flow.
2. For jam, use only fresh mint leaves, plucked in the last three days. The plant in its fresh form does not retain vitamins longer, although in canned form they can keep for a very long time. In addition, dessert made from fresh leaves has a more pronounced flavor than from old ones.

For jam, mint can be harvested as early as late June and early July, so you shouldn't make other jams during this very period. The leaves of mint during boiling are strongly boiled, the finished jam comes out a little, so do not set yourself up for the fact that the cellar will be greatly replenished with sweet twists.

If any berries will be added to the composition of mint jam, for example, raspberries, currants, then it is not recommended to wash them. You only need to sort them from excess debris - this is a must.

Rules for making mint jam

Many housewives during the cooking of any winter jam often make a number of irreparable mistakes, because of which the jams are poorly preserved and even explode. To avoid this, let's tell a few rules for cooking such an unusual jam, so that the result will please you:

1. In the case of cooking thick mint jam, you should not keep the syrup on the stove with the fire on for a long time. If extra syrup is left over, it can simply be poured into a sink or a separate cup and used to impregnate cakes, pies, and other confections.
2. Before rolling up the jam, be sure to put boiling water on the lids and rinse the jars (first with a soda solution, then regular clean water) and dry on a towel.
3. Mint is very similar to lemon balm, so sometimes mixed with this plant when cooking. In this case, you need to be very careful not to overdo it with melissa and put exactly as much as you need to achieve the desired result. If you add too much, then the jam will turn out too spicy, with an unpleasant taste.

How to brew mint jam: recipes

And now we will present a list of the most relevant, accessible to every woman recipes for mint jam and describe in detail the step-by-step instructions for cooking. Recipes, in fact, are not complicated, consisting of inexpensive ingredients. You only need to stock up on a few sprigs of this miracle plant.

Classic recipe for mint jam

One of the simplest is the classic recipe. It includes only mint, sugar, a small amount of water and citric acid to give the finished dessert a firm thick consistency and a pleasant sourness.

Ingredients:

• 450 g mint;
• 1.1 kg sugar;
• 20 grams of citric acid;
• 200 ml water.

Step-by-step preparation

1. The leaves of the plant are separated from the twigs, washed, put in a colander to remove water. Transfer to a clean cloth, soak for a few minutes to dry out.
2. Put the leaves of mint in a metal bowl, pour 0.5 kg of sugar, alternating layers.
3. Dilute citric acid in a small amount of water in a clean bowl, pour it into a container with mint.
4. Cover the container with a lid, shake slightly and leave for 6 hours to release the juice.
5. Prepare the syrup, for this remaining sugar is mixed with a glass of water and boiled for a few minutes until a slight thickening.
6. The ready sugar syrup cools a little, pour it into a container with infused mint, again leave it for 6 hours under a lid.
7. After this time, the container is placed on medium heat and from the boiling point boil for 7 minutes.
8. Hot jam poured into sterile jars, rolled up under a metal lid, wrapped in a fur coat until it cools.

On a side note! The citric acid can be replaced with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Recipe for mint jam with lemon

In the following recipe, not just citric acid is added to peppermint jam, but lemons, cut together with the peel into cubes. Here, mint and citrus are first boiled without sugar, then infused for a while, and the mixture is strained and boiled with sugar for two hours. Thanks to this cooking, the jam turns out with a beautiful light green hue and a pleasant delicate consistency, similar to the real jelly.

Ingredients:

• lemons - 3 pcs;
• mint - 400 gr;
• sugar - 1,6 kilograms;
• water - 600 ml.

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Mint leaves are washed in a colander, dried, finely chopped with a knife.
2. Lemons are rinsed, also finely chopped with peel, mixed in a deep saucepan with mint.
3. Pour water over everything and simmer on low heat after boiling for a quarter of an hour.
4. After boiling, remove the container with the contents from the fire, cover and set aside in the heat for 1 day.
5. After that, the liquid is strained, the citrus pulp and mint are squeezed.
6. In the resulting liquid poured sugar, boil after boiling for a couple of hours on a low flame.
7. Ready hot jam poured into sterile bowls, wrap, cool under a coat.

On a side note! The number of lemons, if desired, you can take less than indicated in the recipe.

Recipe for mint jam with cucumbers

A very interesting, even unexpected version of mint jam. Cucumbers in the composition even more emphasize the green hue of the product, making it more pronounced, and the taste - refreshing, with notes of summer coolness.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers - 5 pcs;
• sugar - 250 grams;
• half a lemon;
• Jelly mix or usual jelly - 30 gr;
• mint leaves - 300 g;
• water - 110 ml.

Step by step preparation:

1. Washed cucumbers are freed from the ends, cut into small slices.
2. Stir the cucumbers with 150 g of sugar, set aside for 4 hours, covered with a towel.
3. Mint leaves are rinsed, dried, pour water, bring to a boil on a medium flame. The mixture is removed from the stove, insist 25 minutes.
4. Place on a medium flame of fire cucumber mixture and from the boil boil for 25 minutes.
5. Mint leaves are chopped in a blender, draining the water.
6. In a clean bowl, mix the gelling agent and 50 g of sugar.
7. At the end of cooking cucumber mixture add ground mint, gelling mixture, lemon juice from half a citrus, everything is well mixed and simmer on a low flame for 10 minutes until it thickens, stirring often.
8. Finished jam let cool and spread in jars, roll up.

On a side note! During the grinding of mint in a blender decoction can not be drained.

Recipe for mint jam with raspberries

The following recipe is even easier than the previous ones. Here you do not need a long infusion of mint leaves, except for raspberries with sugar. The leaves are simply added along with the sprigs to the raspberries and boiled for a few minutes, then taken out of the jam. The treat gets a pronounced sweetness, an interesting, red-green hue.

Ingredients:

• Raspberries - 2 kg;
• 1 kilogram of sugar;
• mint - 4 sprigs.

Step-by-step preparation:

1. The berries are sorted from the existing debris, put in a saucepan.
2. Pour sugar over the berries, set aside to extract the juice for a few hours.
3. Boiled with sugar raspberries grind in a blender.
4. Add sprigs of mint to the raspberry puree, pre-rinsed, dried, place a container on a low flame of fire and bring to a boil with frequent stirring.
5. After boiling the mass for a few minutes, turn off the heat, remove the sprigs of mint.
6. Jam poured into clean containers, cover and send under the fur coat to cool.

On a side note! During boiling, be sure to remove the foam that exudes.

Recipe for mint jam with strawberries

In addition to raspberries, mint jam can be brewed with strawberries. The cooking technology differs from the previous one in that the berries here are not ground in a blender, boiled whole, and after mixing the strawberries with sugar and mint, insist the mixture for 12 hours. The dessert turns out fragrant, very appetizing.

Ingredients:

• "Victoria" berries - 1 kg;
• sugar - 1,2 kg
• mint - 300 g;
• lemon juice - 50 ml.

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Peel the berries, separate the green part, rinse thoroughly in a colander, put them in a container with cold water and incubated for 15 minutes.
2. Drain the water from the strawberries, rinse them again, spread them out on a paper towel, and leave for a few minutes to discuss.
3. Transfer berries to a saucepan, pour sugar, pour lemon juice, add washed, dried sprigs of mint, slowly stir the contents, cover and leave for 12 hours.
4. Place a container with the mixture on a low flame of fire, and after boiling, boil for 15 minutes.
5. Turn off the fire, leave the mixture aside until it cools.
6. Again place on a low flame, boil for the same time, and turn off the stove.
7. Ready candy poured into jars, cover with lids.

On a side note! If the strawberries are very large, it can be cut into small pieces.

Recipe for mint jam with basil

This option is included in the list of "five-minute", as it takes very little time to cook here, most of it is spent on the infusion of ingredients. It turns out such deliciousness tender, sweet, with a beautiful rich color.

Ingredients:

• mint - 300 g;
• sugar - 500 gr;
• fresh basil - 100 gr
• citric acid - 7 gr;
• filtered water - 350 ml.

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Mint is washed, dried, put in a deep saucepan, pour half the rate of sugar.
2. All well mixed, set aside for 6 hours.
3. Prepare the filling: in a bowl, mix water with the remaining sugar, boil over low heat until the crystals dissolve.
4. The pour is slightly cooled, poured to the mint, cover and insist for 6 more hours.
5. Put a pot with a mixture on a low flame and boil after boiling for 8 minutes. After about 4 minutes add chopped basil.
6. After the time has elapsed, continue to boil for another 5 minutes.
7. The hot jam is removed from the stove, and left for 3 hours under a lid.
8. Cool mixture strain, boil over medium heat and pour into jars, sealed.

Tip! During the first boil, be sure to stir the mass thoroughly, so it does not stick.

Recipe for mint jam with pears

In addition to various berries, mint jam can also include fruit. So, with the addition of pears, you get a stunning, delicate, tangy, sweet treat, which is memorable in taste for a long time. In addition to pears and mint, here we add lime, which gives a distinctly refreshing sourness. The strawberries make the jam surprisingly beautiful, with a pronounced reddish hue.

Ingredients:

• mint - 1 small bunch;
• strawberries - 300 g;
• pears - 5 pcs;
• sugar - 2 kg;
• lime - 1 piece.

Step by step preparation:

1. Strawberries are washed, freed from the green stalks, pears are also rinsed, cut out the core and places where there are darkening.
2. Cut strawberries, pears in small pieces, put in a deep saucepan, pour sugar, leave for a few hours to start the juice.
3. As soon as the juice appears on the surface of the pear-strawberry mixture, the container is placed over a medium flame of fire and cook for a few minutes.
4. Limes are rinsed, cut into several circles, remove the pips, peel, and grind the pulp in a blender.
5. Pour the lime puree into a pan with the mixture, stir well, adjust the heat to a low setting and simmer for another 60 minutes.
6. Mint is rinsed, dried on paper towels, remove the leaves from the twigs, grind them in a blender and transfer to the jam.
7. After adding the mint, boil the mass for another half hour and turn off the fire.
8. Allow the jam to stand on the stove under a lid.
9. Glass containers are washed, sterilized in a steam bath for 2 minutes, let dry out and arrange the jam.
10. Corked with metal lids, turned upside down, kept at room temperature until it cools and sent to the cellar for storage.

If desired, this jam can be made without adding strawberries, with only pears and mint, or replace this berry with strawberries.

How to store peppermint jam

In fact, mint jam is considered an unpretentious dessert and does not require any favorable conditions for storage. The glass jars for such a delicacy can not be sterilized for a long time, just rinse them well with a soda solution and heat them in a water bath for a couple of minutes. Or the container can simply be lightly steamed in the oven.

Rolled mint jam can be perfectly preserved in a cool cellar or even in a regular cupboard, pantry of the city apartment. In a dry, ventilated room mint jam, as, however, any other, can be stored for 1.5 to 3 years. In the same way, not only pure mint jam can be preserved, but also with the addition of raspberries and strawberries.

Interesting facts about mint

Mint is a very interesting plant with unusually useful properties for the human body. It found its popularity in folk medicine and many other branches back in ancient times. Strangely enough, at that time it was called by such unusual names as "perekop", "bejava". By its excellent aroma, mint cannot be confused with any other plant. In different sources of information you can find a lot of very interesting facts about mint, some of them - below:

1. Many people are madly fond of such a popular alcoholic drink as mojito, which includes exactly mint. It gives it an incredible freshness, coolness and a beautiful light green hue. Thanks to the presence of mint mojito perfectly quenches thirst on hot, hot days.
2. As already described above, mint is able to fight all kinds of headaches. Just pick one leaf of this plant, feel its fragrance, and immediately you begin to feel calm and relaxed.
3. In ancient Rome, mint was often used by housewives in the preparation of various dishes, it was added as a fragrant spice, which gave any dish a delightful aroma that stimulated the appetite. It was also used in perfumery: women made different perfumes at home.
4. The most ancient sources say that mint was known even in the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs. From this it follows that this plant was widely used even before our era.
5. Fragrant tea can be consumed by almost all people without exception, even small children, but only in a less concentrated form due to the large amount of menthols contained in the mint. But still this tea should not be used by people who suffer from chronic heartburn.
6. It is known that in the old days, many people used to put a few sprigs of mint in a can to extend the shelf life of fresh milk. The milk remained fresh for several hours, did not sour and did not spoil.
7. Peppermint is an excellent remedy against insects. If you put a few sprigs of mint on the table at home in a vase, then flies, mosquitoes, wasps and bees will not fly into the room.
8. Another interesting old superstition: mint is a money plant, if you put a couple of leaves in your purse, you will always have money. But even if there is no money, the pleasant aroma in the wallet will remain for a long time.