Mint and lemon jam: a simple recipe for cooking for the winter, storage conditions

Preparing mint jam with a refreshing note of lemon does not require any special skills from the hostess, since the following is a detailed description of the preparation of containers and products, the cooking process, conditions and shelf life of fragrant treats. Before cooking the workpiece, it must be taken into account that the taste of the finished product varies depending on the type of mint used.

Features of making mint lemon jam for the winter

Experienced housewives prepare mint-lemon jam in late May or early June, since during this period a large amount of essential oils is concentrated in the greenery, but it has not yet bloomed.It is recommended to choose dry, sunny weather for grass harvesting, so that there is no dew or raindrops on the stems and foliage.

Due to the fact that the beneficial properties of the plant are not long-term, the jam is made from fresh herbs, which are collected no more than 5 days before cooking.

Jam Ingredients

For cooking, any kind of mint is used: lemon, peppermint, menthol, for mojito, forest, indoor and others. In choosing a variety, housewives are guided by the taste preferences of household members.

Lemons are better to choose with a smooth bright yellow skin, without visible signs of tuberosity and spoilage. Fruits should be fresh and heavy, as stale fruits that have lost some of their moisture are considered poor quality products. When choosing fruits, you should pay attention to the stalk - if the cut point has already dried up, you should not purchase such raw materials.

Optionally, a thickener (Jelfix or Zhelinka) is included in the recipe, if the liquid consistency of the workpiece does not suit. This ingredient is added to the pot a couple of minutes before the end of cooking.

If the color of the finished product, in the opinion of the hostess, did not meet expectations and turned out to be rather pale, a pinch of green food coloring will correct it.

How to prepare food?

Fragrant greens must be sorted out before cooking, removing wilted, insect-damaged leaves from the bunch. Then the mint is thoroughly washed under running water, leans back in a colander. After most of the liquid has drained, the plants are laid out on a clean towel and lightly blotted with a paper towel.

Before use, organically grown lemons are rinsed well under running water and wiped dry with a paper towel.

If the hostess is not sure about the origin of the fruits, then to remove nitrates, they need to be soaked in a soda solution for 50-60 minutes, preparing a mixture of a liter of liquid and a teaspoon of baking soda.

Preparation of containers

The lemon mint treat is stored in glass jars with tin lids or twist lids.

Before sterilization, the container should be washed with hot water, with the addition of baking soda, from the inside and outside.

With a good quality of washing, you can hear a characteristic creak if you run your finger over the can. Clean containers are steamed in an oven or microwave oven or steam sterilized before being sealed.

Caps should be boiled for 5 minutes before use, after removing the rubber ring.

Cooking process

In order to properly cook a delicious he althy delicacy of mint and lemon, you should strictly adhere to the step-by-step cooking technology:

Step 1. 250 grams of mint cut into small pieces. 2 large unpeeled lemons cut into small cubes.
Step 2. Both components are transferred to an enameled pan, 0.5 liters of water are poured. The mixture is put on fire, brought to a boil, simmered for 10 minutes.

Step 3. After the time has elapsed, the pan is removed from the heat, the fragrant liquid is cooled, closed with a lid, and put in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Step 4. A day later, the future jam is filtered through several layers of gauze. Mint and lemon are squeezed into a filtered broth and discarded. 1 kilogram of granulated sugar is added to the liquid, the ingredients are mixed until the bulk substance is dissolved and boiled over low heat for 1.5-2 hours.
Step 5. The finished jam is hot poured into jars, rolled up and put away for storage.

How and how long can a treat be stored?

Mint Lemon Jam should be refrigerated no more than 3 months from production date.

Longer recommended shelf life may affect the taste and he alth benefits of the treat.

If, during storage, the jars are exposed to temperature changes or frost, the product will quickly become sugary or covered with a film of mold due to condensate accumulated inside the container.

Happy tea!