Mulberry jam: 9 recipes

The mulberry family includes 17 species that are quite dissimilar in appearance, but are ranked by botanists in the same section. Breadfruit, cowpea and rubber tree are relatives of mulberry, an ancient and mysterious plant. It has been known since biblical times, it was attributed miraculous properties, assuring that the fruit could restore youth. The leaves are food for silkworms that produce silk threads, and the berries are prized in cooking, cosmetology, and folk medicine. They do not keep fresh, but as a filling for pies, jams and marmalades are great.

The "king berry."

Mulberry trees are common in Central Asia, China, Kuban, central and southern regions of Russia, and North America. Black and white mulberry are considered the main species. They have approximately the same composition of berries, differences in the color of fruits and the level of frost resistance.

An interesting peculiarity of the plant is that the time of intensive formation of the trunk and crown falls in the first years of life. When it reaches 10-15 m it almost stops growing and lives to be 200-400 years old. The yield of one mature tree is up to 100 kg.

In Eastern countries in the yard of a new house it is customary to plant a young tree as a family amulet, a pledge of long life in a large and friendly family consisting of several generations.

The name "king berry" comes from the East. In China, it is dried and must be included in the diet of the elderly to maintain physical strength and mental clarity.

Composition and calories

The secret of the powerful effect of mulberry fruits on the body lies in their unique composition. If you start listing, you will get most of the alphabet:

• Vitamins A, C, E, PP, K, group B;
• starch;
• Omega-6 fatty acids;
• phylloquinone;
• retinol;
• thiamine;
• biotin;
• dietary fiber;
• ash;
• organic acids;
• phosphorus;
• magnesium;
• calcium;
• zinc;
• potassium;
• silicon;
• iodine;
• cobalt;
• molybdenum;
• nickel;
• fluorine;
• zirconium;
• alkaloids;
• mono- and disaccharides.

The caloric value of 100 grams of fresh berries is 52 kcal. When dried or in jams the figure increases by 5-6 times.

Therapeutic properties of fresh berries

Whole fruits and juice are equally used. They get rid of constipation, stabilize digestion, accelerate the removal of toxins, regulate the water-electrolyte balance. When constantly consumed during the season, berries help:

• Renew the composition of the blood;
• increase visual acuity;
• reduce the intensity of inflammatory processes;
• Cleanse the liver from toxins and start the process of cell regeneration;
• improve digestion;
• stimulate the metabolism;
• speed up the elimination of excess weight;
• Strengthen the heart muscle;
• reduce the risk of blood clots.

For women

During hormonal malfunctions, typical for pregnancy and menopause, mulberry stabilizes the emotional state, relieves anxiety, normalizes sleep, removes edema and improves digestion. It supplies the female body with B vitamins that maintain the excellent condition of skin, hair and nails.

In old age, berries reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis, support bone density.

For men

Mulberry is especially useful for problems in the sexual sphere. It minimizes complications after mumps and scarlet fever, strengthens the immune system. Fresh juice perfectly restores strength after physical and mental stress, increases endurance and resistance to viruses during seasonal epidemics. Juice and fresh fruits are recommended for genetic predisposition to cancer.

Worth considering: To protect and strengthen the cardiovascular system, it is better to choose dark varieties, for the nervous system - the light ones.

What is useful for mulberry jam

The berries have many interesting properties, the B vitamins are most strongly decomposed by heat treatment, the other components are preserved in almost unchanged form. Jam has a lower intensity of action compared to the fresh fruit. Nevertheless, it can relieve the threat of avitaminosis, improve blood composition, remove excess fluid from the body, stimulate the bowel. Regular consumption of mulberry preserves the elasticity of joints, reduces the risk of cholesterol plaques.

High content of antioxidants slows down aging, triggers accelerated regeneration at the cellular level.

How and when to pick mulberry for jam

The peculiarity of berries is that they are very delicate. The unripe fruits are not suitable for making jam, but the ripe ones are easy to crush with your fingers. The fermentation process begins quickly in them, so you need to prepare in advance and start making jam on the day of harvesting.

The fruits ripen irregularly, starting harvesting in July and finishing in August, returning to the tree with a basket about once every 2 weeks. Removing small berries from the branches by hand is a thankless task. For more productive work there are several ways and devices. The simplest one is used when the main mass of berries has ripened. To do this, a tarpaulin, thick cloth or film is spread out under the crown, and then you just shake the branches vigorously. With this option, you need to be mentally prepared for a large amount of work on harvesting the fruits. The ripest and juiciest are selected for jam and juice, the smaller ones go for drying and freezing. The ones that are almost overripe or choked when they hit the ground are intended for tincture, liquor, or as the basis for moonshine.

You can make a hanger out of cloth and attach it to the branch with the most ripe berries, and then shake them off in the same way into the resulting hammock.

Important: Harvesting along roads and in the city limits is not recommended. Silky quickly absorbs exhaust and harmful emissions.

How to make mulberry jam: recipes

Fragrant and beautiful treat will become one of the most favorite, especially since the harvests of mulberry are abundant, and the cost of such a dessert is purely symbolic, where the main costs fall on sugar. You can make it according to the traditional recipe and with additional ingredients. We must remember that the taste of berries is not combined with all products and it is better to experiment with small portions. And if the result is above all praise, you can repeat it "for an encore" by increasing the dosage.

Classic

Prepared in two versions: with preservation of the integrity of berries and in the form of jam. The ratio of berries and sugar 1:1, in the main composition must add citric acid, otherwise the finished product turns bland. For 2 kg of weight need 1/2 tsp. or freshly squeezed juice of 1/4 lemon.

The berries are sorted, remove the stalks and pour sugar over them. It takes 4-5 hours to release the juice. Boil in one go 30 minutes, ready to check on a drop of syrup on a saucer. Citric acid is added 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

Silk cherry

Need 2 kg of mulberries and cherries for 3 kg of sugar. Pips are removed from the cherries beforehand, the mixture is filled with sugar and left overnight. Boil for 40 minutes over low heat while stirring constantly. In the hot rolled in jars, leave under insulation for a day.

Cunning raspberries.

The tangy sourness and flavor of raspberries perfectly complements the sweetness of mulberries. The secret of making the dessert is in the very short boiling periods. The proportions are classic, after the juice is released, the mixture is placed on medium heat, from the moment of boiling it is kept for 5 minutes and immediately removed from the stove. The next heating is carried out only after the complete cooling of the mass. Need to make 3 approaches, the last boiling mass packed in jars and hermetically sealed.

Silk-currant jam

Ingredients:

• mulberry - 1 kg;
• currants - 500 gr;
• sugar - 1,2 kg.

The method of preparation is classic - with ageing to get the juice and boiling once for 3-40 minutes. Very elegant variant is obtained by contrasting combinations of white mulberry with red currants or black mulberry with yellow varieties.

Citrus sparkle

The straightforwardly sweet taste of mulberry and the sourness of an aromatic orange make a great combination. The color is sunny golden if you take white mulberries. For an equal amount of berries and granulated sugar, 2 large citrus fruits are needed. In the process of preparation, it is important to observe the stages.

1. Fill berries with a glass of sugar and set aside for 4-5 hours.
2. The citrus fruits are boiled for 5 minutes in boiling water, then peeled of peels, seeds, membranes and shredded in a blender or squeeze the juice from the pulp.
3. Mulberries boiled for 5 minutes, add another glass of sugar.
4. After the next five minutes put the remaining sugar and orange pulp.
5. Cooking time is 7 minutes.

The dessert is spread into small jars and covered with plastic lids. Keep candy in a cool, dry place.

Mulberry with strawberries

In this combination, mulberry gives color and strawberry - aroma and taste. The delicacy goes well with cottage cheese and ice cream, is part of fruit cocktails and muffins.

You need 700 grams of berries and 1 kg of sugar. If the fruits are dry, then add a glass of water. First, boil the syrup, pour berries in it and bring to a boil, then immediately remove the pot from the stove for 12 hours. When the next heating in the mixture add 1/2 tsp. citric acid, kept on low heat for 15 minutes and immediately poured into jars. Due to the rapid boiling, the berries will remain relatively intact. The dessert is removed to a cool corridor or cellar.

Raw jam

Silkberries do not store fresh without processing. When combined with sugar, there is a process of natural preservation. This requires 1.5 kg of sugar per 1 kg of berries. The fruits do not need to be washed if they are picked from the branches. Excess liquid in the mixture is not welcome. If there are doubts about cleanliness, then after washing they are allowed to drain and for complete drying, they are scattered on a cloth. Otherwise, there is a risk of getting a fermented product instead of a vitamin mixture.

Mulberries are ground in a blender or grinded with sugar in a ceramic bowl. It is desirable to completely avoid contact with metal utensils. Then the mass is put into dry sterilized jars and stored only in the refrigerator. The mixture retains all the vitamins and unique properties of berries.

Sugar-free silkworm

With diabetes or during a weight correction program, extra calories and sweetness are not needed. The berries have enough fruit sugars to make a billet without a single gram of sweetener.

The process is simple, but labor-intensive. In small jars, the mulberries are spread out, leaving a little empty space up to the neck, put the container on a water bath. When the mass settles, add more portions of fresh berries. In total it will take 60 minutes. The last fruits are added 20 minutes before they are ready. To preserve the product requires tight seal and storage in a dark cool place.

Jam

A delightful dessert, an addition to ice cream and cottage cheese-based sweets, a coating for sponge cakes, and simply a delicious treat - jam does not require high culinary skills. You only need time and patience.

Berries are washed, remove water and rubbed through a sieve. The pulp and juice are mixed with an equal amount of sugar and put on low heat in a saucepan with a thick bottom. The mass is boiled for 20 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula. Then add 1 g of citric acid, and boil the mixture to the desired thickness. Store at room temperature. The disadvantage - very quickly eaten by the housemates.

Interesting facts about mulberry

Mulberry trees grow in many countries and everywhere they are treated with a degree of respect. Mulberry has interesting properties, with facts not only about the fruit, but also about the rest of the tree.

1. The wood is used to make musical instruments with a flying gentle sound.
2. Bark, twigs, leaves, fruits are used in folk medicine.
3. Hands and face stained with fruits of dark mulberry are easily washed with juice of white varieties.
4. In Transcaucasia mulberry vodka is prepared, the strength of which reaches 70-80 degrees.
5. The yield of 1 tree reaches 100 kg.
6. The oldest mulberry trees are 400 years old.
7. Mulberry is used in the creation of green areas in the cities of central and southern regions.
8. In Cyprus, there is an annual festival dedicated to the mulberry and mulberry silkworm.
9. The first mulberry trees appeared in Russia at the beginning of the XX century.
10. The berries have a powerful rejuvenating effect.

Mulberry jam will retain a piece of summer and give strength and good mood to those who have not spared time and effort to prepare it.

Photo of mulberry jam