Simple recipes for red and black bird cherry jam for the winter, with and without pits

Bird cherry has long been known for its beneficial and medicinal properties. The plant's aroma calms the nervous system. The fruits have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, and strengthening properties. Moreover, the berries have a vibrant flavor, making them popular in baked goods or eaten fresh. For the winter, it's best to prepare a healthy bird cherry treat in the form of jam.

How to make aromatic bird cherry jam at home

For a healthier treat, choose red, black, or white berries. Red berries are the healthiest, while red berries are high in vitamin A but tart. Black berries have a delicate texture, a pleasant flavor, and a lower vitamin content.

The fruits have large seeds that are difficult to remove. Therefore, when making jam, the berries are either whole or ground in a meat grinder. Some recipes call for blanching the berries first.

There are many options for preserving this healthy fruit. To preserve the plant's beneficial properties, it's best to use canning methods without sterilization or long cooking times. This delicacy has a longer shelf life thanks to tannins, a natural preservative.

You'll also need a sweetener and appropriate utensils for the preparation. The treat is prepared in stainless steel containers; enameled ones will be damaged by the berry pigment.

Harvesting fresh bird cherry and preparing it for jam making

You can pick the berries yourself in forests or wooded areas, armed with a basket and scissors. Alternatively, you can purchase twigs at markets. When choosing bird cherry trees, pay attention to their appearance. The berries are uniform, without damage or bruises. The fruits are black, making it harder to spot damaged or rotten ones.

For jam, it is better to take slightly unripe bird cherry, and dry overripe ones or use them in compote.

Fresh fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month. In this case, the berries are sorted and carefully placed in glass containers, alternating with leaves.

Prepare the fruits for cooking as follows:

1. Separate the berries and sort them.
2. Rinse the bird cherries. It's best to place them in a colander and submerge the container in a pan of water. This will prevent damage to the berries' surface and make it easy to remove debris and spoiled berries.
3. Dry the fruits.

Once the preparations are complete, the hostess only needs to choose a recipe and begin making it.

Bird cherry jam: a simple recipe for the winter

Ingredients:

1. Berries – 1 kilogram.
2. Sugar – 1.2 kilograms.
3. Lemon – 0.5 pieces.

Cooking plan:

1. Place the prepared berries in a bowl and sprinkle them with sugar in layers. Shake the berries and leave for 6-8 hours. During this time, juice will form, which should then be drained into a separate container.
2. Pour the juice of half a lemon into the bowl with the bird cherry. Stir the resulting mixture.
3. Place the container with the berries on the stove and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. After the time has elapsed, pour the bird cherry juice into the dish. Cook for another 15 minutes.
5. During this time, prepare clean and sterile jars with lids.
6. Pour the boiling delicacy into bottles and seal with screw caps.
7. Cool the jam under a blanket and store.

Jam made from ripe bird cherry and pitted

It's easy to prepare a boneless bird cherry treat by following this recipe. The key is to choose fleshy fruits.

Ingredients:

1. Berry puree – 1 kilogram.
2. Sugar – 1 kilogram.
3. Water – 0.2 liters.

Preparation:

1. Prepare freshly picked berries for cooking. Place the berries in a bowl and cover with water. Place the bowl on a gas stove and bring to a boil. Simmer the chokeberries for 40 minutes over low heat.
2. Place the berries in a colander and cool.
3. Strain the bird cherry berries through a sieve, cheesecloth, nylon, or tulle. The pits will remain inside, and the puree will pass through the holes.
4. Mix the berry mixture with granulated sugar and leave for 60 minutes.
5. Add water to the puree and boil the mixture for half an hour.
6. Pour the jam into sterile bottles and screw on the lids.
7. Turn the pieces upside down, wrap them up and let them cool.

Bird cherry jam with pits

There are various ways to cook this berry delicacy, but this recipe is considered the fastest.

Ingredients:

1. Granulated sugar – 1.2 kilograms.
2. Bird cherry – 1 kilogram.
3. Water – 500 milliliters.

Preparation algorithm:

1. Prepare syrup from sugar and water and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Pour the fruits into a colander and blanch in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
3. Place the prepared berries in the syrup and cook for 20 minutes, without allowing it to boil.
4. Pour the jam into clean jars and seal.

Red bird cherry jam

This delicacy, prepared according to this recipe, tastes like marzipan. It's easy for novice cooks to make. Moreover, the resulting product has a creamy consistency and is perfect for filling desserts.

The preparation will be beneficial for those who suffer from obesity, cholecystitis and diarrhea.

Ingredients:

1. Berries – 1.5 kilograms.
2. Sugar – 1.5 kilograms.

Preparation:

1. Grind the berries three times with a meat grinder (not a blender) and mix with sugar.
2. Simmer the resulting puree for 60 minutes, without allowing it to boil. Once it begins to bubble, turn off the heat and let the puree cool. Repeat this process for another hour.
3. Pack the finished treat into sterilized bottles.
4. Seal the jars tightly, cool and store.

Twisted bird cherry jam

This recipe is considered healthy because it allows you to make jam without any additional heat treatment of the berries. This ensures that the preserve retains all the beneficial properties of the main ingredient.

Ingredients:

1. Fruits – 0.5 kilograms.
2. Granulated sugar – 1 kilogram.

Preparation:

1. Pass the prepared berries through a meat grinder 3-4 times in a row.
2. Mix the berry puree with granulated sugar. Let the mixture sit for 60-90 minutes until the sugar crystals are completely dissolved.
3. Stir the jam again and pour into disinfected bottles. Seal the lids.

By consuming 2-3 spoons of raw jam in the morning, you can strengthen your immune system and fight infections.

Black bird cherry jam

To make black cherry jam quickly and easily, try the "Five-Minute" recipe. It's best to prepare the preserves in advance.

Ingredients:

1. Granulated sugar – 1 kilogram.
2. Berries – 1 kilogram.
3. Water – 0.4 liters.

Procedure:

1. Boil sweet syrup from sugar and water, simmering for 20 minutes.
2. Pour the prepared berries into the boiling brine, stir and let steep for 5 minutes.
3. Pour the treat into sterile containers and seal with lids.
4. Cool the workpiece under a blanket and only then send it to a cool place.

Contraindicated for children, pregnant women and nursing mothers due to the concentration of alkaloids.

Virginian bird cherry jam

Do You can make Virginian bird cherry jam in the traditional way or using the aromatic recipe below.

Ingredients:

1. Berries – 1 kilogram.
2. Sugar – 1 kilogram.
3. Water – 0.8 liters.
4. Cinnamon – 5 grams.

Preparation:

1. Blanch the washed and peeled fruits for 65 minutes, remove and dry.
2. Boil the water in which the berries were blanched to make syrup. Add sugar and cinnamon to the brine.
3. Throw the fruits into the sweet and spicy marinade and let sit for 20 minutes.
4. Pour the cooled jam into bottles and roll up.

How to store blanks

Store jam with seeds for no longer than 9 months in a cool, dark place. This shelf life is determined by the presence of seeds in the fruit, which are rich in hydrocyanic acid. Store uncooked preserves in the refrigerator.