Is homemade jam harmful? How does it affect the metabolism? Stars about jam

Description

Jam is one of the favorite natural delicacies of the people. It is relatively easy to prepare, you can always get ingredients for it, and it does not contain any harmful chemical additives. At least by being cooked at home.

But jam is sweet. And many lovers confectionery they suspect that with all the love for this delicacy, it is difficult to avoid the harm of jam and should not be abused.

Moreover, many argue about whether there is any benefit in the jam or not, whether it contains vitamins, whether it is nutritious or simply pleasing in taste, whether it can harm the teeth. And the most common such questions about the benefits and harms of jam should be dealt with.

Views

Jam is, as the name implies, just boiled fruit. Sometimes some vegetables. Moreover, in most cases - boiled with sugar, sometimes - with just the same loading doses.

Moreover, the jam itself can exist in different forms, depending on how it is prepared. For example, there are the following types of jam:

1. True jam - berries, fruits, simply boiled in syrup, or their pieces that have retained their shape.

2. Jam - the same, only slightly overcooked, as a result of which pieces of fruit or berries fall apart and lose their shape.

3. Jam - cooked minced fruit. It has the most uniform consistency and is very suitable for young people of the very young age.

4. Compote. The same jam, only with a lot of water. So that you can drink it. By the way, this also includes fruits that have undergone only scalding and sterilization - well-known pineapples and peaches from a jar. The essence has not changed ...

5. Fruit jelly - the antipode of compote. These are fruits cooked with a lot of sugar and very little water. The composition of the marmalade is a super thick jam, so to speak.

6. Jelly. This is no longer the most natural kind of jam, which contains gelatin. As a result, the product takes on a peculiar gelatinous appearance.

And at the same time, the boundaries of these types of jam are often erased. One housewife prepares more liquid jam, the other - almost marmalade. Someone is tormented and pulls seeds out of cherries, while others are convinced that the seeds give the jam a specific aroma. And in the industry there is no one solid standard. This is probably good - after all, the consumer can use a huge variety of products.

Jam: the history of its origin

It is believed that the ancient Greeks were the inventors of the "great-jam". They boiled quince with honey over low heat, achieving a viscous consistency of the mixture. In mythology, the quince is known as the golden apple, given by Paris to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The sweet delicacy was called melimēlon, which literally means “honey with fruit”. The culinary art of the Greeks was adopted by the Romans. The cookbook "Apicus", written in the late 4th-early 5th centuries, describes many recipes for making jam from lemon, rose petals, apples, plums and pears.

In the East, the history of the appearance of jam is counted in millennia. Perhaps the eastern ancestor of sweetness is a dessert made from honey, fruits, rose water with the addition of starch. For example, in Persia, the tradition of making jam from bitter oranges and quince is still preserved.

Sugar appeared in Persia much earlier than in Europe. Therefore, the Persians were the first to learn how to make jam in the traditional sense of the word. True, they did it in a peculiar way, adding a huge amount of spices to the sweetness. And they used jam as a seasoning for spicy dishes.

Jam got to Europe in the XIV century. Its mass consumption began much later, when Europeans were able to buy cheap colonial sugar.

In Russia, the term "jam" arose in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and meant boiled sweetness. Often in cookbooks it was replaced by "candying" (a method of cooking in sugar syrup). Now, in international culinary terminology, jam is understood as our national methods of candying. But the inhabitants of other countries can "call" anything "jam": the British - jam, the French - confiture. Hence the discrepancies and confusion that inevitably arises when trying to separate these concepts.

Features of national brewing

So, today, jam is a sweetness prepared by boiling berries and fruits with sugar. The syrup in the jam is transparent, and the fruits do not lose their shape and practically do not change color, being evenly distributed throughout the volume.

Traditions of making jam have long been established in Russian cuisine. The basic rules are as follows:

  • The best jam is obtained from berries and fruits with a high content of sugar, acids, aromatic substances. Only ripe, undamaged fruits are selected.
  • For the preparation of sugar syrup, refined sugar is used. Its content in the finished product must be at least 65-70%. Otherwise, the jam will ferment.
  • The required amount of water is poured into a large basin and sugar is added after it boils.
  • Pouring of berries and fruits is often done multiple times to prevent them from shrinking. Dip the fruit into the syrup, shake the basin several times to evenly cover the fruit with the syrup. Sugar concentration for different types jam - different.
  • For cooking, wide cans are used, preferably aluminum ones.
  • The readiness of the jam is judged by following signs: the fruits do not float to the surface and become transparent, the hot syrup, after cooling, flows down from the spoon in a heavy stream.
  • If the jam is cooked correctly, it will not ferment or become sugared.

The benefits of jam different types and its harm

The high calorie content of jam is not a reason to refuse it altogether, because jam is not only tasty and sweet dessert which is ideal for tea drinking and making cakes, it is considered a real home remedy. If you prepare it correctly, preserving all the nutrients of fresh fruits as much as possible, then such a jam will bring you more use rather than calories.

Almost all types of jam contain a lot of vitamin C, which makes them the best remedy in the fight against colds, strengthening the immune system. In order not to destroy vitamins during heat treatment, it is recommended to cook the jam in several steps, i.e. boil for 5-7 minutes, then let it stand for several hours.

Raspberry jam is a record holder in the medicinal field, because it is extremely effective for colds, bronchitis, sore throat, flu and fever. V medicinal purposes you should drink several cups of hot raspberry tea (boiling water with raspberry jam), after which you need to cover yourself with a warm blanket and sweat thoroughly. Raspberry jam also contains ellagic acid, which prevents the appearance and proliferation of cancer cells. Pear jam is useful for various kidney diseases, it is recommended for atherosclerosis, as well as for improving blood composition.

The considerable calorie content of the jam still allows you to use it in small quantities for disorders of the functioning of the liver, pancreas and gall bladder. Plum Jam reduces the acidity of gastric juice, swelling, enhances intestinal peristalsis. Apricot jam also effectively fights edema, but it is also especially useful for nervous disorders and stress. But strawberry jam is prescribed for anemia, atherosclerosis and hypertension.

Due to the high calorie content of jam, it is contraindicated for those who suffer from diabetes and obesity. It should be used with caution in case of exacerbations of diseases of the liver, kidneys, stomach, pancreas and biliary tract, after consulting a doctor. In any case, do not overuse jam, even if you are completely healthy, and also do not give this sweet treat to children under 5 years old.

Chemical composition

The taste, benefits and a set of useful elements in the jam are determined by the berries and fruits that make up its composition. For example, blackcurrant jam is rich in vitamin C, potassium, iron and many other useful substances. But strawberry jam is rich in antioxidants that can stop the development of cancer. Raspberry jam is a natural aspirin, in addition, it is rich in calcium, iron, potassium, fiber. The benefits of blueberry jam are widely known, which contain a large amount of iron, manganese, B vitamins, organic acids, as well as atocyanins. This jam is the leader in terms of the content of valuable substances, since, with the exception of the specified, it also contains carotene, vitamins C and PP, tannins.

Are vitamins stored in the jam?

They are saved, but not all.

Most of the fruits and berries from which the jam is made are famous for large amounts of beta-carotene (the precursor of vitamin A), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamins B1, B2, E and PP.

Of these, beta-carotene and ascorbic acid are partially destroyed when exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, there are really few of these vitamins in jams that are boiled several times. But vitamins B1, B2, PP and E are quite thermally stable. Especially - in sour traces, which are the fruits and berries themselves, and jam. And although a small part of them also decomposes during boiling, the main amount is preserved, and the benefits of jam in the form of these vitamins still exist.

Calorie jam

The jam is high in calories. And this is of course harm to our body. The total number of calories depends on the amount of sugar added to the dish. Sugar itself contains 370 kcal per 100 grams, being a fairly high-calorie product.

At the same time, fruits and berries contain few calories - on average, about 30-50 kcal per 100 grams. Then, when mixed in equal proportions of fruit and sugar, the calorie content of the jam will be about 200 kcal per 100 grams. There will be less sugar - and the calorie content, accordingly, will decrease, which means that the harm of the jam will not be so terrible.

How does jam affect metabolism?

Differently. If the body is healthy and normally copes with the sugars supplied with food, then thanks to the B vitamins, the benefits of jam are tangible - it has a rather beneficial effect on the state of the body. With already existing disorders in the form of diabetes mellitus or obesity, jam, even not very sweet, will only intensify the manifestations of diseases and will be harmful.

Does jam cheer you up?

True truth. Like any sweet food, when digested in the body, it causes the release of serotonin into the bloodstream, which is also called the hormone of joy. The benefits of serotonin, in turn, are that it leads to the activation of different parts of the brain and the emergence of a feeling of joy. Such is the use of jam as a kind of soft drug.

Does jam harm your teeth?

Maybe. It contains sugars, which remain as a thin film between the teeth and serve as good food for bacteria. And those, in their turn, secrete a variety of acids that destroy enamel. As a result of this harm of jam - tooth decay and tooth decay. This is easy enough to avoid if you get used to eating jam (and other sweets) right before brushing your teeth. Or rinse your mouth diligently after a meal. Then there will be practically no harm from sugar in the jam.

How does sour jam affect the stomach?

Ambiguous. It all depends on the state of the stomach itself. If the eater has problems associated with low acidity of the stomach, then jam will only be beneficial here. It will add its acids and stimulate the production of digestive juices, increasing appetite. If the acidity is high, and even more so - a peptic ulcer develops - jam can be harmful.

Does the jam contain fiber?

Definitely yes! When cooked, the fiber hardly changes. And therefore, getting into the intestine, it stimulates its work and collects all sorts of harmful substances. And in parallel, it slows down the absorption of cholesterol. As a result, the benefits of jam, which contains fiber, is that the threat of atherosclerosis is actually reduced.

Does jam help maintain immunity in winter?

Contributes to a certain extent. Thanks to the already mentioned vitamin E, which is present in almost all fruits and berries. And the remains of the same ascorbic acid and carotene greatly enhance immunity. This use of jam is especially characteristic of currant and raspberry products, which include the seeds of these berries. Many of these bones are not chewed, but those that have got under the teeth bring their portion of benefits to the body.

Which jam is healthier: with or without seeds?

It's healthier with bones. It is known that the seeds of the same apricots or plums, preserved in the jam, give it a unique shade of natural taste. This is due to the substances released from the bone during boiling. These substances not only have original taste and smell, but also have beneficial properties for the body. Therefore, it is better to eat jam with benefit and spit out the seeds than to enjoy a homogeneous soft mass.

Jam and jam - are they one dish?

No. The main difference between jam and jam is the preservation of the shape of the fruits themselves. They can, of course, fall apart a little, but in general they will retain a certain shape. Jam is specially boiled down to such a state when all the starting products completely lose their shape and turn into the most homogeneous mass. By the way, such boiling takes longer and leads to a decrease in the benefits of jam in comparison with the benefits of jam.

There are other questions, more often associated with the benefits and harms of different types of jam from specific fruits. But in order to deal with them, it is easier to thoroughly study the properties of the starting products themselves, and then take into account the effect of heat treatment during cooking.

Simple jam recipes

For housewives who have never made zakotov, or do not have enough time to prepare them, there are simple recipes jam. They cook quickly and are easy to prepare.

How to make dandelion jam

To make jam you will need:

  • 400 dandelion inflorescences,
  • 7 glasses of sugar, 2
  • glasses of water.

We collect fully open flowers away from dusty roads. Then we wash them, dry them, fill them with water and boil. When the mixture boils, we insist it for 3-5 minutes. After that, filter, squeeze, add sugar and boil for another 7 minutes. Pour the jam into jars and close it like a regular blank. Dandelion jam contains many vitamins and biologically active substances, it is very useful for hepatitis, anemia and hypertension.

How to make strawberry jam

Free the strawberries (1 kg) from the stalks, rinse with water and put in a container. After that, fill it with sugar (1 kg) and wait for the juice to stand out. Then we put the container on low heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, pour into jars and close. Strawberry jam contains a huge amount of beneficial micronutrients and antioxidants that prevent the development of cancer.

How to make pine cone jam

This jam has a resinous taste and delicate aroma. This delicacy is good for colds. The recipe for pine cone jam is pretty simple. Cones (1 kg) need to be washed and sorted out. After that, we soak them in cold water for 24 hours. We cook syrup from water (10 glasses) and sugar (1 kg). Put the cones in hot syrup and cook, stirring with a wooden spatula. The jam is ready as soon as the buds open. Put the hot jam in sterilized jars and roll it up.

How to cook jam

For cooking jam, ripe, overripe, damaged and dented fruits are used. They are washed, cleaned of rot and passed through a meat grinder. A puree-like mass of fruits can be obtained in another way: by boiling pieces of fruit in a small amount of water and rubbing them through a colander. Jam is usually prepared from plums, apples, apricots. Prepare the sweetness in a wide bowl, because for fast food intensive evaporation of liquid from the entire surface is desirable. While boiling the fruit mass, stir it continuously with a wooden spatula, avoiding splashing. Perhaps this dessert is the most traumatic - due to the splashing of the hot mixture that occurs during boiling and the formation of bubbles. The hot steam they contain causes burns.

The jam is ready if, when holding a wooden spatula along the bottom of the pan, a path forms, slowly filling with hot mass.

Jam, jam, jam and confiture provided correct preparation and packaging in sterilized jars, stored for a long time, without losing their taste properties and useful qualities.

Jam is called the familiar seven-boiled sweetness. Most often these are fruits, berries, flower petals, vegetables and much more boiled in honey or molasses. We are all more used to jam made from fruits or berries, but there are many recipes for flower and vegetable jam. It was cooked and boiled from vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, radish and turnip, as well as from dandelion, chrysanthemum, rose hips and many other plants. Jam is useful with a large amount of vitamins that it contains, where sugar is just a substance that provides it with long-term storage.

Before people discovered sugar, they replaced it with honey. They learned early about the healing properties of jam and its components, so they used honey to preserve everything. beneficial features components of jam, and use them to treat many ailments. If there was no honey, then the necessary components were simply cooked in the oven, and after that they served as filling for baking, as well as important components for compote and uzvar.

Fruits and berries flavored with sugar were previously considered one of the most expensive delicacies and they could only be seen on the tables of the rich. One of Ivan the Terrible's favorite delicacies was honey-based cucumber jam. And Catherine the Great, having once tasted the so-called "emerald" jam, presented the cook with a ring with a stone of the same name in it. Conservation was invented in 1795 by a chef from France. He won a culinary competition by proposing the most successful method for long-term storage of food. For this he was awarded the title "Benefactor of Humanity".

The most useful of all is the product in which the components were not treated with heat, but simply mixed with sugar and ground or ground in a meat grinder. The use of the so-called "cold" method allows you to preserve the maximum amount of vitamins and other nutrients.

Jam composition

The taste quality, the degree of usefulness and the vitamin set of the product form its main components, that is, the fruits or vegetables from which it is made. So currant jam contains a lot of vitamin C, as well as potassium and iron. Strawberry jam contains antioxidants that can prevent cancer in humans. Raspberry jam it is a great substitute for aspirin, and besides that, it contains fiber, and also contains a lot of calcium, iron and potassium. Blueberry jam contains a lot of vitamin B, manganese and the same iron, as well as organic acids. It is this jam that contains the largest amount of nutrients. It contains a lot of vitamins C and PP, carotene and tannins.

Useful qualities

This product can be easily classified as a drug. Indeed, it contains fruits and berries, which are very useful for humans, as they are full of vitamins and useful microelements. Most often, jams are treated for colds, and especially cough and high fever.

With diseases of this kind in folk medicine I advise you to drink herbal teas with jam of strawberries, sea buckthorn, cherries, currants, mountain ash, raspberries or pears. In all the bottom there is a lot of vitamin C, which helps to increase immunity and quickly cope with the disease. In addition, pear jam is a good remedy for the treatment of kidney disease, and it can also significantly improve the blood composition.


Remember, sometime in childhood, your most delicious medicine that your mother or grandmother took out of the cabinet and served with tea or made tea from it? Jam - from raspberries, viburnum, rose hips, currants. It is not for nothing that Karlson loved this medicine so much) However, is jam really so useful?

Indeed, along with lovers of jam, there are also opponents who believe that it does not bring any benefit, since after boiling in fruits and berries there are practically no vitamins left, and the sugar contained in jams and preserves in large quantities has a detrimental effect not only on the teeth, but and on the liver and on the pancreas. Which one is right? Jam - is it still harmful or healthy?


Of course, it is pointless to deny the benefits of jam. Remember at least how once dandelion jam saved you from coughing, raspberry jam helped bring down the temperature, thanks to currant jam you quickly got back on your feet after a cold. Jam can really be beneficial.

For example, black currant jam is a storehouse of vitamin C, as well as potassium, iron and other useful substances. Strawberry jam It is rich in antioxidants, known for their anticancer properties, and a whole range of micro- and macroelements. Raspberry jam is a natural aspirin and also contains calcium, iron, potassium and fiber. The benefits of blueberry jam are widely known - it contains a large amount of iron and manganese, B vitamins, organic acids and atocyanins. Blueberry jam is generally a champion in terms of the content of nutrients - in addition, it contains carotene (provitamin A), vitamins C and PP, B vitamins, tannins.

It is only important to be able to properly cook the jam in order to preserve the vitamins contained in fruits and berries as much as possible.

At home canning remember that the most the best way- this is to grind the berries with sugar in order to preserve their useful qualities.
If you decide to just cook jam, jam, jelly for dessert, remember that the most best jam- "five minutes", when fruits and berries are boiled in syrup, cooled, then brought to a boil a couple more times so that they are soaked in syrup.

You can also cook jam without using sugar (by the way, in ancient times, our ancestors did this because of the high cost of sugar). The process, of course, will be laborious and involves 2 stages: boiling fruits and berries on the stove over low heat using a divider, and then in the oven. But as a result, you will get an absolutely healthy product, which can be sweetened with honey before use. By the way, some housewives recommend cooking jam with honey instead of sugar, but this is not worth doing. Firstly, it will turn out to be expensive, and secondly, if heat treatment honey will lose its beneficial properties.

As for store jam, if you are going to buy it, you need to pay attention to what color the berries are, they should not be very bright, and the color of the jam should not be unnatural, atypical and highly saturated. Since all these are clear signs that dyes were used in the manufacture of the sweets.

If we talk about ordinary jam with sugar, you should not abuse the delicacy. After all, sugar is known to be a source of "fast" and harmful carbohydrates. Otherwise, extra pounds on the waist and dental problems cannot be avoided. Jam can be harmful for allergies, diabetes, obesity.

How much does the jam cost (average price per 1 kg.)?

Moscow and Moscow region

Perhaps not everyone in childhood read the wonderful and kind children's book by Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren from the eponymous trilogy "Carloson Who Lives on the Roof". But the Soviet cartoon "Kid and Carlson" was watched, we think, by all without exception. Do you remember what was the main delicacy of Carloson "a man in his prime", of course, in addition to buns and cakes? That's right, jam.

The name of the dessert and the vitamin-fruit delicacy originated in ancient Russian times, when they began to make the first jam. If we remember classic composition jam (berries or fruits, sugar and water), then we will see how the old Russian delicacy differed from the modern version. In ancient times, berries and fruits in Russia were cooked not in water, but in sweet molasses or honey.

And sometimes they existed completely unusual combinations in the ingredients of the jam. For example, radish jam with nuts, often made more familiar and familiar to us flower jam (rose hips, dandelions). The time-tested and undeniable benefit of jam lies in the natural vitamin component of this product.

The beneficial properties of jam are increased many times if you make it not with sugar, but with honey. Apparently due to the presence of sugar in the recipe of the product, many people consider the calorie content of the jam rather big. This is not entirely true, since the sugar level in the jam can be changed or not used at all.

The calorie content of jam made from the same berries or fruits can be completely different. For example, there are naturally sweeter berries, to which you can add less sugar, thereby changing the calorie content of the product. There are an incredible many varieties of jam, it all depends on the imagination and taste preferences of the hostess.

The following types and useful properties of jam are better known. Jam is made from currant berries, which has excellent anti-cold properties due to the high content of vitamin C. Strawberry jam is considered a natural antioxidant, and raspberry jam is rich in calcium and iron, and is also considered the second "aspirin" for colds. Blueberry jam is rich in vitamins B, PP, C, A (carotene), iron and organic acids, which affects vision and human health in general.

The benefits of jam

The benefits of jam are not only rich in vitamin composition, but also in excellent saturating properties. Agree, few people can eat 10 spoons of jam at a time, but chocolate candies, which are much more high in calories, are sometimes absorbed in kilograms. The interesting thing is that there are not only benefits, but also harm from jam.

Jam harm

With all the content of nutrients and vitamins, the jam contains a large amount of carbohydrates. On average, 68% of carbohydrates are per 100 grams of the product, this is the main harm of jam for a good figure and human health, because high intake of high-carbohydrate foods can contribute to the development of diabetes. Therefore, you should not lean on jam, using this product, which is certainly healthy in moderation, as an alternative to chocolate or other sweets.

Calorie content of jam 254 kcal

Energy value of jam (The ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates - bju):

: 0.4 g (~ 2 kcal)
: 0.3 g (~ 3 kcal)
: 68.2 g (~ 273 kcal)

Energy ratio (b | f | y): 1% | 1% | 107%

Product proportions. How many grams?

In 1 teaspoon 7 grams
in 1 tablespoon 20 grams
in 1 glass 250 grams
in 1 can 245 grams

Jam is an Old Russian word, and it means a boiled delicacy, most often berries, fruits, vegetables, nuts and flowers cooked in honey or molasses. Almost everyone knows berry and fruit jams. But from vegetables and flowers ?! In fact, the jam was made (and is still being made today!) From carrots, radishes, pumpkins, green tomatoes, turnips, chicory, as well as rose petals and Japanese chrysanthemum, rose hips, ylang-ylang flowers and dandelion. The undeniable benefits of jam are in the plant vitamin component, and not in sugar, which acts as a preservative.

The way to preserve berries and fruits with honey appeared long before sugar appeared. Our ancestors not only knew that jam is useful, but also skillfully used healing properties berries to treat many ailments, preserving them with honey. In the absence of honey, the berries were simply boiled in a Russian oven and then used to prepare fillings for pies, for compotes and broths.

Fruits and berries candied in honey were an expensive delicacy, and they were served only to the table of noble people. Ivan the Terrible loved honey-drenched cucumber jam. And Catherine the Great, having tasted the "emerald" gooseberry jam, presented the cook with a ring with a real emerald. Officially, this canning process has been known since 1795. And he is associated with the French chef Nicolas François Apper, who proposed the best method of preserving food in a culinary competition. For which he was declared the winner of the competition and awarded the title "Benefactor of Humanity".

Most of all, of course, jam is useful, prepared "cold", when the berries are not cooked, but mixed with sugar and grinded or twisted in a meat grinder. Most of the vitamins and nutrients are preserved in this jam.

Chemical composition

The taste of delicacies, the benefits of jam and a set of useful elements and vitamins in it are determined by the berries and fruits that make up it. For example, black currant jam is a storehouse of vitamin C, as well as potassium, iron and other useful substances. Strawberry jam is rich in antioxidants - substances that stop the development of cancerous tumors, and a whole range of micro and macro elements. Raspberry Jam is a naturally occurring aspirin, along with calcium, iron, potassium, and fiber. The benefits of blueberry jam are widely known - it contains a large amount of iron and manganese, B vitamins, organic acids and atocyanins. Blueberry jam is generally a champion in terms of the content of nutrients - in addition, it contains carotene (vitamin A), vitamins C and PP, B vitamins, tannins.

The benefits and harms of jam

Beneficial features

Jam is a dessert made from fruits and berries that can be considered delicious. drug... Fruits, rich in vitamins and minerals, can accelerate the treatment of many diseases. It is well known about the benefits of jam for colds, coughs, high fever.

Traditional medicine in this case prescribes herbal tea with cherry, currant, strawberry, mountain ash, sea buckthorn, raspberry, pear jam. These jams contain a large amount of vitamin C, the intake of which increases immunity and promotes a speedy recovery. Besides, pear jam it is used as a prophylactic agent for renal diseases, it is recommended to use it to improve blood composition and prevent atherosclerosis.

For anemia, apricot jam is very useful. Substances contained in apricots