Homemade jam is one of the many ways to take the farm-fresh fruit in the summers and enjoy it throughout the year. Fresh fruit from the farm can be made delicious and preserved to serve you when needed. There are various recipes available to help you do so.
Ways to Enjoy Fresh Fruit Jam
Some of the most common ways to enjoy fresh Fruit jam are the long freezer jam, fruit preserves, and long cooking methods. The juice of the fruit can also be used to make delicious jellies.
Freezer jam
Freezer jam does not require cooking. What it needs is just small boiling water. The water will help dissolve the pectin. To make the freezer jam, the carefully measured fruit should be mashed. Add sugar next.
Ensure that you make use of a recipe that is specifically written for low sugar, even if low sugar is all the rage at the moment. The sugar helps in preserving the fruit, adds sweetness, and helps the pectin.
Preserves
Preserves mostly contain larger chunks of the farm-fresh fruit. They are regarded as a softer version of jam. You may add pectin and sugar to gel the ingredients. It takes less cooking time when using pectin and sugar when making jams than when you use only the cut-up fruit.
You should also know that preserves do not keep their shape when they are spooned from the jar. Additionally, the natural flavor of the fruit in preserves may be more intense.
Long cooking jam
Many of the flavors of jam may include ingredients such as pectin, lemon juice, sugar, and fruit. The long cooking jam is a classic form that requires sugar and crushed fruit cooked together for some time. The addition of pectin will reduce the cooking time.
Naturally, pectin can be found in fruits, but it is more prevalent in some fruits than others. The addition of more pectin also reduces the required time to achieve gelling. Jam is not stiff or solid, but firm. Spreading it is quite easy.
What Is Pectin?
You may choose not to add pectin to your jellies. Pectin can be found in all fruits in some amount. The gelling becomes more predictable with the addition of commercial pectin. Adding chopped apple to the fresh fruit in some instances will add pectin enough to cause gelling in your jam.
There are various types of pectin available if you choose to use it for your jam. Some examples are Sure-Jel and Ball Canning brands. You should know that gelling may not happen or even become unpredictable when you try to make a jam without adding pectin.
Health Benefits of Fresh Fruit Jam
Not all jams are the same. Some are loaded with fibers, gluten-free, and GMO-free contents. Many other jams have less sugar than conventional jams. Pure fruit sugars are used in making some jams, but a lot of sugar is present in others.
Jams have many benefits even if they are believed to be unhealthy for some people. A healthy choice is to take the key, fresh fruit. You can conveniently spread the fresh fruit jam across toast the way you like. Though there are benefits to farm-fresh fruit jam, overconsumption, just like with every other food, is not good for the body.
Here are some health benefits of farm-fresh fruit jam to know.
1. Less fat and cholesterol
Fresh fruit jam is unlike cheese, Nutella, and butter that you spread over a toast. This is because it does not have the high content of fat and cholesterol as those others. Additionally, jam does not contribute to the fat and cholesterol content of the body. It is made up of fruit, so it has less fat content and is free of cholesterol.
2. Improves fingernail, skin, and hair health
The substance pectin is present in all fruits. It helps make the eating process healthy. However, this substance gets modified when jams are made.
The pectin increases the more and gives the jam a jelly-like feel. This modified pectin can help improve the health of fingernails, skin, and hair.
3. Helps with constipation
There are many healthy contents present in fruit jam. These contents can help reduce the symptoms of constipation. In such a situation, it is good to have jam and multigrain bread.
Furthermore, jam is a great source of energy. It provides much-needed endurance during exercises. Jam is also a great source of fiber. As a result of taking it, you eat less and get satisfied without craving for more.
4. Decreases blood pressure
The pectin in jam is also good for forming red blood cells and decreasing blood pressure in the body. Consuming farm-fresh fruit jam will give you this benefit.
Additionally, jam helps in the healing of wounds and cuts. This means that the healing time from these types of injuries will be faster when you consume jam.
5. Reduces the risk of heart attack
As discussed already, jam is made with chunks of healthy fruit. As a result, jam can help reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other potential cardiovascular conditions.
Generally, it is recommended that you always include vegetables and fruit in your diet. This is to help promote heart health.
Nutritional Value of Farm Fresh Fruit Jam
Farm fresh fruit jam is highly nutritious. You can consume it by spreading it on bread for breakfast. However, there is a disadvantage to consuming it too much. It may contain too many calories. As a result, people with diabetes or who want to lose weight should use it sparingly.
Fruit jam has nutritional facts as follows:
Conclusion
There are many nutritional values to consuming jam, according to nutritionists. In addition to these values, farm-fresh fruit jam is good for your health when consumed moderately. As a result, you can include it in your diet if you are not diabetic or are not trying to lose weight. Aril Estate can guide you more about fresh fruit jam approach them to learn more!!