TOP 10 simple recipes for sloe jam with and without pits for the winter, "Five Minutes"

To make delicious sloe jam for the winter, follow a few simple recipes. A spoonful of this jam makes a wonderful accompaniment to strong tea during the cold season.

The subtleties of making sloe jam

There are many varieties of blackthorn. Hybrid plants are distinguished by their large fruits, which are sweet and mild in flavor. When cooked, they resemble plums.

Wild blackthorn, on the other hand, has the opposite properties: the fruits are small, hard, and tart. Jam made from these berries is delicious if you know the secrets of making it.

1. It's best not to use unripe sloes of any variety for making jam. You need ripe, dark-colored, moderately soft sloes.
2. Washed sloes should always be pre-heated to soften their skins. This method involves boiling sloes for 5 minutes in boiling water. This method is suitable for hard varieties.

Good to know: to shorten the cooking time, soak the sloe berries in syrup for 3-4 hours beforehand. You can even pierce each berry with a toothpick to speed up the process.

How to choose sloe for jam

The quality of jam directly depends on the quality of the berries. It's best to choose sloes that are firm to the touch and have pinkish flesh. The skin should be dark blue. There should be no defects or dents. If the sloes are too small for jam, they are mixed with larger varieties or plums.

Although there are different varieties, some sloe berries may not reach their peak ripeness until late autumn. Before cooking, it's best to taste the berries to determine their tartness and whether they're soft enough.

A simple and quick recipe for "Five-Minute" jam

Jars of this jam can be stored for a long time on a shelf with other preserves, although this dish is eaten quite quickly. To prepare the preserve according to this recipe, you'll need 2 kilograms of fresh sloe, and it's advisable to add more sugar—3 kilograms is sufficient. You'll also need 1 liter of distilled water.

Preparation:

1. Place the clean, dried fruits in a deep bowl and sprinkle with sugar. You can stir them or add them one at a time. Let them sit in the shade for 4-5 hours.
2. Place the berries and sugar in a saucepan, place over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes after the jam boils.
3. Distribute into jars and roll up.

Blackthorn plum jam with pits

Sometimes sloes are too hard, so they have to be boiled with the pits. For this recipe, you'll need 1.5 kilograms of sloes, 2 kilograms of granulated sugar, and, ideally, 1 cup of clean water.

Recipe:

1. Each berry needs to be pierced with a toothpick so that the skin can peel off quickly.
2. Such fruits may not produce juice, so you can simply mix them with sugar and start cooking.
3. Place the candied plums in a saucepan and add a glass of water. Place over low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes and remove from heat.
4. Let the berries cool and boil them again three times. The jam should be smooth, then you can divide it into jars and seal it.

Seedless blackthorn jam

This dessert is moderately sweet and has a pleasant aroma. It's quite easy to prepare. You'll need 1 kilogram of berries, a glass of clean water, and 2 kilograms of granulated sugar.

Method of preparation:

1. Boil the washed sloes in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain them in a colander and let them cool.
2. Remove the pit from each berry.
3. Make a syrup from water and sugar. Gradually dissolve the sugar in boiling water and simmer the mixture over low heat until the syrup thickens.
4. Combine all ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally while the jam cooks.
5. Pour into jars and roll up.

Blackthorn jam with cherry plum

Cherry plums pair beautifully with sloe berries in jam. The flavor of this dessert will appeal to many. You'll need about 700 grams of fresh cherry plums and 400 grams of hybrid sweet sloe. The recipe also calls for 2 kilograms of sugar and 1 tablespoon of baking soda per 200 berries.

Recipe:

1. Prick the sloes with toothpicks. Mix them with the cherry plums.
2. Mix a spoonful of baking soda with warm water and add the berries. Soak them in the liquid for 30 minutes.
3. The syrup is made by mixing water and sugar. Dissolve the sugar syrup in boiling water and simmer until thickened.
4. Place the fruit in the syrup and simmer for 20 minutes. Divide the finished jam into clean jars and seal.

Blackthorn jam in a slow cooker

Sloe berries can be cooked quickly at high temperatures—in just 5 minutes. The best way to cook them is in a slow cooker, as you can unwind while the treat cooks. You'll need 3 kilograms of berries and 4 kilograms of sugar per container. You might also need some water.

Step-by-step recipe:

1. Place the berries in a multicooker bowl, sprinkle with sugar, and add a glass of clean water. Let the ingredients sit for 3 hours.
2. Set the "stewing" setting to the most suitable setting. Cook the berries for 30 minutes.
3. While the jam is cooking, you can prepare the jars. Pour the finished product into the jars and seal with metal lids.

Blackthorn and apple jam

This jam makes a wonderful treat with strong tea on a cold winter evening. You'll need 3 kilograms of fresh sloe berries, 3.5 kilograms of granulated sugar, and 500 grams of apples.

Recipe:

1. Sort the berries, wash the apples, remove the cores and peel, and cut into cubes.
2. Place the apples and plums in an aluminum pan and sprinkle them with sugar, layer by layer. Let them sit for 4 hours to release their juices.
3. Place the jam over medium heat, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Distribute into clean jars and roll up.

Storing jam

To preserve the positive qualities of the product, it is necessary to follow a few simple rules:

1. Sloe jam should be stored in a cool, dark place. This could be a cellar, basement, or the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
2. An opened jar can be stored for a long time (12-24 months) if you close it with a lid and put it in the refrigerator.
3. The optimal temperature for sloe jam is +5 to +14 °C.

Important: a product with seeds should be stored for no more than 7 months, otherwise the poison contained in them will begin to spread throughout the jam.

Conclusion

Blackthorn is considered one of the best and healthiest berries for making winter jam. Even a novice can master the simple recipes listed above, and experienced homemakers will appreciate a couple of original, tried-and-true recipes.