Cooking lemongrass jam

The very useful berry of Chinese and Far Eastern Schizandra is excellent for making jams at home.Many cooks share some recipes and tips, inform about the features, beneficial properties and harm of fruits. Consider all these details in this article.

Lemongrass is a perennial deciduous vine that has a lignified stem. The height of the shrub can reach 15 meters. Lemongrass has oblong pointed fleshy leaves, these petioled leaves of light green color reach 10 cm. During flowering white flowers appear on the vine. Bright red berries are similar to wax balls, have a pronounced smell of lemon and pine needles. Each fruit has a small bone.

Lemongrass has an unusual, specific taste. The plant combines 4 flavors: sweet, sour, bitter and salty flavor. Fresh berries are usually not consumed because of too acidic flesh, bitter and stinging seeds. However, the skin of the fruit is incredibly sweet. Medicinal products made from lemongrass have a salty taste.

From ancient times in China, Japan and Korea, the berry was harvested for future use. Sailors and hunters enjoyed dried fruits that contain a special tonic substance with invigorating properties. The plant relieves fatigue, helps overcome sleep, gives a person strength.

The homeland of the shrub is considered to be the Far East, North China and Japan. Far Eastern and Chinese fruits ripen in late August or early September. Crop harvested in the fall before the onset of cold weather. Cut the clusters very carefully with a sharp knife. If the vines are damaged, there will be no harvest next year.

Lemongrass is easy to preserve. It is great for winter harvesting.

The plant has a lot of tannins and organic substances. It contains citric, malic and tartaric acid. Juice of ripe fruit contains carbohydrates, essential oils. The berry is rich in potassium, calcium, selenium, iodine, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins of groups B, C, E.

Fruit jam gives the body energy, strength and vigor. The plant helps to increase immunity, has a tonic effect. Jam improves the digestive tract. Bone tissue is also strengthened.

Berry contributes to the concentration of attention, improving visual acuity and the ability of the eyes to quickly adapt in the dark. It well stimulates the nervous system, helps to cope with depression, stress. The plant improves the reproductive function of the body, slows the aging process. Increased metabolic processes in the cerebral cortex.

Jam regulates blood circulation, reduces the risk of blood clots, and has a beneficial effect on the blood. For anemia and loss of strength, they also recommend eating lemongrass. Fruits can serve as a prophylactic agent for oncology. They are used for the manufacture of drugs intended for chemotherapy.

During the period of winter colds, jam from schizandra berries helps the body fight viruses, bacteria, relieves various inflammatory processes. The functioning of the respiratory system is normalized. Lemongrass is included in the complex therapy to combat bronchitis, bronchial asthma.

Far Eastern lemongrass is a very strong natural stimulant. People with increased excitability from its use should refrain. Despite the fact that the jam of lemongrass contains a high concentration of nutrients, children should be given very carefully.

Epileptics, hypertensive patients, pregnant and lactating young mothers are better off refusing jam from Far Eastern and Chinese Schizandra. Berry dessert can trigger an increase in blood pressure, heart palpitations.

Jam can cause allergic reactions, therefore, before use, it is advisable to check your body for individual tolerance of lemongrass.

Jam from Far Eastern Schizandra is great for preparing a dessert for the winter. There is a classic recipe for making jam. To do this, you need a kilogram of berries, 1.5 kg of granulated sugar and 100 ml of hot water. Ripe dense berry is washed with running water, removed from the twigs, covered with sugar from above.

Berry mixture should be infused day. Then add 100 ml of boiling water to the mass, heat it over low heat with constant stirring. Boil for 15 minutes. After cooling, the procedure is repeated. Hot berry mass is poured into pre-sterilized jars, rolled up according to the usual technology, cooled, sent for long-term storage.

To make jam from the Chinese lemongrass, the berries must be carefully picked, washed, separated from the twigs, covered with sugar and left for 12 hours. During this time, the fruit must absorb sugar. 900 g of sugar will be required for 500 g of berries. Natural apple juice (100 ml) is poured into the berry mass.

The mixture is brought to a boil. Boil for 7 minutes, remove from heat and wrap in towel. After the dessert has completely cooled, the procedure is repeated. Hot jam is poured into sterilized jars, rolled up, cooled, sent to storage. Finished products have a shelf life of up to 3 years or more.

Cook lemongrass jam without the addition of water and apple juice. The berries processed in advance are covered with sugar, left to stand for 24 hours. Then 5 minutes boil, cool. Boiling is repeated again with the same amount of time. The interesting thing is that Jam does not lose nutritional qualities, it can be added to baked goods or eaten with tea.

In addition, lemongrass can be prepared and jam.

Step-by-step process:

1. fruits are pounded in a strainer until the bones remain in it, and the flesh is in a bowl;
2. rubbed through a sieve kilogram of lemongrass cover with a layer of sugar in the same amount, leave for several hours until the appearance of berry juice;
3. boil, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved;
4. add cinnamon for flavor;
5. boil for about an hour;
6. check the readiness of the jam, dropping a drop on a saucer, which should no longer spread;
7. hot mass is placed in sterilized jars, rolled.

“Five minute” jam is made from berry puree. Pre-lemongrass scalded with boiling water. Washed, peeled from impurities, dried berries fray on a sieve. You can use a meat grinder, mixer, or other suitable household appliance. The resulting slurry is poured with sugar, boiled over low heat, stirring continuously. Then add to the berry mass half a glass of apple natural juice, boil for 5 minutes. Sweet dish is ready.

In the evening, it is advised to refrain from eating jam from the fruits of schisandra, as it introduces the body into waking states. The desire to sleep disappears.

Cooking jam is possible only in enamel or glassware. High chemical activity of the fruit contributes to the oxidation of the product, therefore the use of copper and aluminum containers is not recommended.

To learn how to make lemongrass jam, see the next video.