7 simple recipes for making chokeberry jam for the winter

Chokeberries (aronia) ripen in early autumn. Their berries are sweet and sour, but quite tart. Therefore, when making chokeberry jam, it's important to add plenty of sugar, otherwise it will be too sour.

The intricacies of making chokeberry jam

You can make delicious black rowan jam if you follow the preparation technology.

Therefore, during the cooking process, you need to observe the following subtleties:

• The rowan berries should be ripe. This will give the jam a darker, richer flavor.
• Since the berries are covered with thick skin, it is recommended to steep them in boiling water for 10 minutes or blanch them. This will ensure they are well-saturated with the sugar syrup.
• There should be 1.5 times more granulated sugar than rowan berries.
• Jam jars should be sterilized. This will extend the shelf life of the dish.
• Rowan berries can be combined with other fruits—apples, pears, plums. Citrus fruits also add a nice flavor.

If you follow the above recommendations, the jam will turn out very tasty.

Preparing rowan berries

Chokeberries should be carefully sorted to remove any spoiled berries and leaves. They should be rinsed thoroughly, preferably under running water. The berries have thick skins, so they won't be damaged.

Methods for making chokeberry jam

There are many recipes for making rowanberry jam. They vary in the ingredients and the labor involved in the preparation process.

A simple recipe

To make jam according to this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 kg of fruit;
• 1.5 kg of granulated sugar;
• 250 ml of water.

Place the sorted berries in a colander and drop them into a saucepan of boiling water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, then remove and strain the berries. Bring the water to a boil and add all the sugar in 4 additions to create a thick syrup.

Place the rowan berries in the jam and simmer for 10 minutes. Then remove from heat and let cool for 3 hours. Then bring to a boil again and simmer for a few minutes. Repeat this process 4 times. Divide the finished jam into jars and seal with lids.

With apples

Rowanberry-apple jam is delicious. To make it, you'll need the following ingredients:

• 1 kg of black rowan;
• 400 g apples;
• 1.5 kg of sugar;
• 500 ml of water;
• 5 g citric acid.

To enhance the flavor, you can add cinnamon, but this is optional.

Sort the berries and place them in a saucepan with 100 ml of boiling water. Blanch for 5 minutes. Then pour them into a colander and let them strain.

Prepare a liquid sugar syrup from 500 ml of water and 500 g of granulated sugar. Add the rowan berries, simmer for 10 minutes, and then let sit for 5-6 hours.

Meanwhile, peel and core the apples. Cover them with water and cook until soft. Drain and let cool.

Add the remaining sugar to the rowan berries and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the apples and simmer for another half hour. Finally, add the citric acid, bring to a boil, and jar.

With oranges

To make delicious orange jam, you need:

• 1 kg of rowan;
• 500 g oranges;
• one large lemon;
• 2 kg of sugar.

To enhance the flavor, you can add cinnamon, mint, basil, or any nuts.

The main thing is to correctly calculate the proportions of additional ingredients so that when they are added, the taste of rowan is felt.

Wash the citrus fruits thoroughly, then pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 10 minutes. Then, slice them, peel and discard the seeds. Add the rowan berries and blend until smooth. Add all the sugar and stir well until completely dissolved.

Then reduce heat to low and simmer until the jam thickens. This may take about 1.5-2 hours. Afterward, pour into jars and seal. This jam can also be eaten fresh.

Five-Minute Recipe

To make quick jam, sort 1 kg of rowan berries and chop them using a meat grinder or blender. Add 2 kg of granulated sugar and bring to a boil over low heat. Then increase the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. Pour into jars and seal with metal lids.

Prepare a sterilization container. Place the jars of jam in it and boil for 30 minutes. Then remove and seal.

Storage Features

This jam keeps well for up to 2 years. Adding lemon or citric acid can extend this shelf life to 3 years. Therefore, when preparing jam for the winter, you don't have to worry about the jars bursting if you follow the recipe.

It's best to store them in a basement or refrigerator. Temperatures above 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) can cause the treats to spoil, causing the jars to explode.

Opened containers are not recommended to be stored for longer than 2 weeks. Consuming jam that has changed flavor may result in poisoning.