Cucumber jam is a variant of winter preparation using a non-standard main product - a vegetable. Cooking methods may vary. The main difference is the additional ingredients. The most popular is cucumber jam with the addition of orange and lemon. You can also supplement cucumber jam with mint, honey, and apples.
Recipes for cucumber jam have been known since ancient times. Preparing this unusual preparation is a fairly simple process using a small list of ingredients. Let's look at some of the most popular and interesting options for preparing delicacies.
Cucumber jam
If you want to prepare something more unusual instead of the already traditional fruit and berry jams, you should pay attention to cucumber jam. Not only does the delicacy have an amazing taste, but it also requires minimal costs.
Details about preparing the workpiece:
Recipe for cucumber jam with mint
Cucumber jam with the addition of mint has not only an unusual taste, but also an indescribable aroma that will not leave anyone indifferent.
In order to prepare this delicious dish, you will need:
- fresh cucumbers – ½ kg;
- granulated sugar – 0.2 kg;
- fresh mint – 1 bunch;
- 1 teaspoon of gelling mixture;
- freshly squeezed lemon juice – 2 teaspoons;
- purified water - half a glass.
Cooking time – 4 hours.
Calorie content – 138 kcal.
How to prepare a fragrant delicacy:
- Wash the cucumbers well and then cut into small pieces.
- Place the chopped vegetables in a saucepan, add granulated sugar (150 grams) and leave for 3 hours.
- Rinse the mint, dry it, then chop it and add water brought to a boiling point. Also leave for infusion.
- Place the infused cucumbers with sugar on the stove and cook the mixture for 20 minutes. During the process, the cucumbers should change their color.
- Place the mint together with the infused water in a blender and grind. Add to cucumbers.
- Mix the gelling mixture with the remaining granulated sugar (50 g) and add the resulting composition to the jam along with lemon juice.
- Bring the mixture to boiling point and simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes.
- Cool the resulting delicacy and you can immediately treat yourself and your family to it.
Cooking option with honey
This recipe requires the following ingredients:
- fresh cucumbers (any variety, you can even overripe) – 1000 g;
- natural honey (even candied honey and last year’s honey will do) – ½ l.
Cooking time – 5.5 hours.
Calorie content – 220 kcal.
About making jam:
- Peel the cucumbers. When using overripe vegetables, you should also remove the seeds, since only the pulp is needed for jam.
- Cut the cucumber pulp into small cubes or bars and place them in an enamel pan.
- Pour honey over cucumbers.
- Mix the honey and vegetable mixture and leave to infuse for 3 hours.
- During this time, the cucumbers will release juice and become saturated with aromatic and sweet honey.
- Place the container on the stove and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low intensity and cook, constantly stirring the mixture for 2 hours.
- The readiness of the jam is determined by the cucumbers, which should become translucent.
- Pour hot jam into previously sterilized jars and seal tightly with lids.
- Use a cool and dark room for storage.
Cucumber jam with apples
Despite the strange combination of vegetables and fruits in the recipe, the result is a very tasty sweet that amazes with its unusually bright taste and aroma.
In order to make jam, you need to purchase:
- 1 kg of overripe large cucumbers;
- 1 kg of fresh apples;
- granulated sugar – 2 ½ cups;
- 1 lemon;
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary.
Cooking time – 40 minutes.
Calorie content – 170 kcal.
Step-by-step technology for making jam:
- Vegetables must be thoroughly washed, peeled, divided into 2 parts and the insides removed. Grind the cucumber pulp using a coarse grater. During education large quantity juice should be squeezed from the pulp.
- Grate the lemon zest using a small grater.
- Peel and remove the insides of the apples. Then grate the fruit using a large grater.
- Place prepared vegetables and fruits in a container. Sprinkle them with freshly squeezed lemon juice and then sprinkle with sugar.
- Place the container on the stove and bring to boiling temperature. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Be sure to remember to constantly stir the mixture during the cooking process.
- After the specified time, add rosemary and lemon zest. Cook for another five minutes.
- Place the prepared mixture into dry jars and seal tightly with lids.
Are you preparing for the winter? Read how to make quince jam.
Orange jam with ginger prepared according to this recipe has an unusual taste.
You can learn how to make dogwood jam with stones.
Cooking methods
Many methods have been developed for preparing cucumber jam. Housewives have to choose based on the availability of ingredients and their taste preferences.
Cucumber jam with mint and lemon
The pleasant taste and subtle aroma of this dish will be an excellent addition to a winter evening. Ingredients:
- fresh cucumbers - 0.5 kg;
- peppermint - 1 large bunch;
- granulated sugar - 400 g;
- thickener (for example, gelatin) - 1 tsp;
- freshly squeezed lemon juice - 2 tsp;
- water - 100 ml.
Cooking technology:
Making a cucumber treat is simple. You need to wash the greens and cut them into pieces, then cover them with sugar and leave for 4 hours. Wash the mint and grind until mushy using a blender. Then add boiling water and leave for half an hour. After this, the mint is filtered through cheesecloth or used together with the grounds.
After the cucumbers have released their juice, place them on the stove and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, observing how the vegetables change color. After this, add mint and lemon juice, cook for another 10 minutes, and pour in the thickener solution. The tasty treat is ready.
Cucumber jam with lemon and orange
This favorite recipe for gourmets and exotic lovers not only inspires, but also serves as a preventative against viral diseases in winter. Ingredients for cooking:
- fresh cucumbers (can be overripe) - 1 kg;
- lemon - 1 pc.;
- orange - 1 pc.;
- sugar - 0.5 kg;
- dry cloves - 4 pcs.;
- citric acid - ¼ tsp;
- spices - to taste.
Cooking technology:
Wash the cucumbers thoroughly, peel and chop (on a grater or in a meat grinder). Peel the lemon, remove the seeds and chop them too. Do the same with oranges. Stir the citrus fruits, add sugar, put on fire and cook for 20 minutes. After this, add cucumbers and seasonings, mix thoroughly and cook for another 10 minutes. Place the resulting delicacy in jars, close and cool.
Cucumber jam with honey
Ingredients:
- fresh cucumbers of any size and variety - 1 kg;
- honey (candied is also suitable) - 0.5 liters.
Cooking technology:
Wash the cucumbers, cut them, remove the core if necessary and peel them. Cut the pulp into cubes and place in a saucepan. Add honey and mix thoroughly, leaving for 3 hours. After this, put on the fire, bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 2 hours. During this time, the cucumbers should become translucent. Place the finished product in jars and roll up.
Cucumber jam with gooseberries
Required ingredients:
- fresh cucumbers - 700 g;
- gooseberries - 300 g;
- sugar - 550 g;
- water - 100 ml;
- citric acid - on the tip of a knife.
Cooking technology:
Wash the cucumbers, peel and cut into cubes. It is advisable to remove the skin to ensure a tender product. Gooseberries are mixed with cucumbers, sugar is added and everything is left for a couple of hours. After this, water is added and left for another 1 hour. Then place the pan on the stove, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for half an hour. Add citric acid and cook for another 10 minutes.
As a result, the cucumbers turn out to be very soft, and it is by this indicator that the readiness of the jam is determined. The delicacy is poured into jars and rolled up.
Cucumber and redcurrant jam
Ingredients:
- fresh cucumbers - 2 kg;
- sugar - 1.5 kg;
- red currants - 1 cup;
- peppermint - a few leaves;
- spices to taste.
Cooking technology:
The cucumbers are washed, peeled and cut into small cubes, placed in a deep bowl and poured into 1 kg of sugar. Leave for 6 hours, after which add another 0.5 kg of sugar and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Let it cool, add red currants, throw in a few mint leaves and put it back on the fire. Bring to a boil, turn off, pour into jars and seal.
How and with what to serve?
Cucumber jam will be an excellent addition to pancakes, cheeses, and baked goods. It can be consumed during home tea drinking and used for making confectionery. This dish is served at the table as a dessert.
Magic surrounds us everywhere! Very often it is next to us, but we don’t even notice it. After all, even being a cook means having a little knowledge of magic. And to be able to create real magic in the kitchen when preparing unusually tasty things, combining with each other such products that you, perhaps, would not have thought to put next to each other, but he not only put them, but also successfully combined them with each other, and created something... it's completely unimaginable! This is real skill, this is called magic tricks!
It's like taking zucchini and limes and making them! Or cucumber and lemon. Although, why not? Moreover, the dessert turns out to be simply incredibly delicious! Just imagine, jam made from vegetables and fruits! Anyone who tastes it will think you are a wizard! And, to completely surprise everyone, add a little aromatic and spicy mint! One color of what will happen is worth it! With such a pure and emerald color, with a slight hint of golden lemon, this cucumber lemon jam is quite unlike anything else! I really want to try at least a spoonful of this wonderful invention! And its aroma is a whole song, perhaps this is the most aromatic jam you have ever tried!
So, necessary ingredients:
- 3 large cucumbers,
- half a lemon,
- 1 cup of sugar,
- 0.5 glasses of water,
- a sprig of mint (or dry leaves).
First of all, wash it very well under running water all products. In this case, the lemon must be doused with boiling water.
Cut the peel from the cucumbers with a sharp knife. Cut the cucumbers into small cubes. 
We will also cut the lemon. 
Place the chopped ingredients in a deep bowl. 
Add a glass of sugar. 
Then add a small amount of water (just don’t overdo it, as the lemon and cucumber will already release juice).
We will also add a sprig of mint.
Boil the jam for 20 minutes and then put it into jars.
This is the jam we made!
Have you already tried
An incredibly original way to preserve cucumbers - jam, the real thing. Since cucumbers themselves do not have a pronounced taste, it is easy to add a citrus note. Add sweets and get an unusual, but very tasty delicacy. Cucumber jam can be spread on bread or cookies, added to cereals and desserts.
To prepare cucumber jam with lemon for the winter, we will prepare the necessary ingredients, there are not so many of them: cucumbers, lemon and granulated sugar. Instead of the latter, you can also use cane sugar.
Take a vegetable peeler and peel the cucumbers in a thin layer. There should be no damage or stains on the vegetables - we must cut out such places. Also, do not forget to check the cucumbers for bitterness - a slight inattention can cost a batch of unedible jam, spoiled food and a bad mood.
Using a sharp knife, chop the cucumbers into small cubes, you can also cut them into strips or even half circles - as your heart desires.
Rinse the lemon thoroughly under the tap and rub with a sponge, then grate the zest without touching the white shell - it can also give off bitterness. After removing the zest, cut the lemon into two halves and squeeze out the juice.
In a saucepan, combine chopped cucumbers, lemon zest and juice and add sugar. Stir and let sit for half an hour - the cucumbers will quickly release juice.
Boil the cucumbers over low heat for half an hour - the pieces should become soft. The heat should be very low so that the sugar syrup does not evaporate. Place the finished jam into jars and cover with lids. Sterilize in a saucepan with water for 15 minutes (for 500 ml jars).
Screw the lids on tightly. Turn the jars upside down and cover with a blanket, and after a couple of days, hide the cucumber jam with lemon in the pantry or cellar for the winter.
Enjoy your winter tasting!
Cucumber jam with lemon is quite unusual because the basis for the preparation is cucumbers. But believe me, this dish will surprise you with its unforgettable taste and aroma. In addition, there are a lot of recipes for making it, so once you make this jam you won’t be able to stop. This is especially true for those who grow cucumbers on their own, but if this is not for you, then purchasing them in season at the market will not cost much at all. In addition to this, you can combine cucumbers with various berries and fruits; the combination with black currants is incredibly tasty.
Recipe for cucumber and gherkin jam
To prepare you will need:
- 1 kg of small cucumbers;
- 1 kg sugar;
- 370 g water;
- Salt;
- Cabbage leaf
Preparation:
The peculiarity of this jam is that to prepare it you will need to select really small cucumbers, no more than 5 cm long. Dip these small cucumbers in salted water, to which you also need to add a cabbage leaf. This brine should stand for 3-4 days, the cucumbers should acquire a yellowish tint. After which they will need to be pulled out of the salt water and placed in a bowl, covered with a leaf of cabbage, and the brine from which you pulled the vegetables will need to be boiled and poured over the cucumbers again. Repeat this procedure until your cucumbers turn green again. Then you need to place them in cold water and leave them for 3 days. Remove them from the water again, dry them a little and fill them with syrup.
To prepare the syrup you need to take 1.5 cups of water, add a pound of sugar, the juice of two lemons, add their zest and, if desired, you can also use grated ginger (25 g will be enough). Leave the cucumbers in this syrup for a day, after which it needs to be drained. Then add 600 g of sugar in proportion to 400 g of cucumbers, cook until thick, boil twice. After that, you can put the kettle on and have a tea party! If you want to preserve cucumber jam for the winter, roll it into clean jars and store it in the cellar or refrigerator.
Culinary tricks:
1. If you have time and desire, you can boil the cucumbers a couple of times over high heat and then give them time to brew, preferably longer so that they are saturated with their own juice and sugar, in which case the cucumber jam will turn out even tastier.
2. For cooking, it is best to use medium-sized cucumbers that have a minimum number of seeds. It is also necessary to ensure that the peel is not too thick, because in this case there will be more waste than the jam itself.
3. You can control the sweetness of cucumber jam according to your personal preferences by adding less or more sugar. In addition, do not forget to also taste the cucumbers first to find out how sweet the cucumber jam should be.
4. Jam can be made not only with sugar but also with honey.
The first mention of cucumbers appeared more than 6 thousand years ago. India is considered the birthplace of this culture, from there it spread throughout the world.
The ancient Egyptians used cucumber juice for cosmetic purposes - it was valued on a par with rose water. In Ancient Greece, the vegetable was called “aoros”, which means “unripe”. The fact is that cucumber fruits are still eaten today, being unripe. They were mentioned in the treatises of Hippocrates as a medicinal ingredient.
By the 10th century, cucumbers were already common in Europe; they began to be imported to Russia and East Asia. In the 16th-17th centuries, the vegetable was grown freely throughout the country and was widely used in Russian cuisine. Recipes for barrel cucumbers, pickles, cold soups and many other dishes are well known. However, not everyone realizes that even sweets were made from vegetables. One of Ivan the Terrible's favorite delicacies at the feast was cucumbers in honey.
Today you can prepare “royal” food yourself using a wide variety of additives. We offer you several recipes for cucumber jam!
Cucumber jam with spices
Wash 1 kg of cucumbers, peel them, cut them in half and remove seeds. Grind, pour 3 glasses cold water, add 1 clove inflorescence and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Cook the mixture over low heat until the cucumbers soften. Strain the water, squeeze out the vegetables and set aside. Prepare a thick syrup from the broth by adding 150 g of sugar and the juice of 1 lemon with zest. Place cucumbers in it and cook until transparent. 5-7 minutes before readiness, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanillin. Place in sterilized jars and seal.
Cucumber and redcurrant jam
Peel and cut 2 kg of cucumbers into cubes. Place in a deep bowl, sprinkle with sugar (1 kg). Leave for 6-8 hours, add another 500 g of sugar and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Cool, add 1 cup of peeled red currants and a few fresh mint leaves. Bring to a boil and pour into jars.
Cucumber jam with gooseberries
Wash 1 kg of cucumbers, peel and remove seeds. Cut into bars and fill with ice water. Leave for several hours, drain the liquid, sprinkle the cucumbers with sugar (1 kg). Grind 500 g of gooseberries, add the juice of half a lemon, 2 tablespoons of nettle (or spinach) juice, bring to a boil and cool. Mix the cucumber mass with gooseberries, put on fire and cook until tender - until the cucumbers become transparent. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.
Cucumber jam with orange and ginger
Peel and seed 1 kg of cucumbers, chop finely. Place in a deep saucepan, add 500 g of sugar, add 1 glass of water and cook for 20 minutes. Add the juice and zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon, grated ginger to taste and boil for another 5 minutes. Pour into jars and roll up.
This amazing dessert will delight you, your family and guests with its fresh aroma and unusual taste. It can be served with tea, used as a filling for pies and a topping for ice cream, yogurt or pancakes.
Most housewives are accustomed to making sweet preparations for the winter from berries or fruits. But those who prefer original proposals will like jam from. It does not have the characteristic cucumber taste that residents of countries have former USSR associated exclusively with salty preserves.
Instead, the unusual option will delight you with its pleasant consistency, original aftertaste and will become the guest of honor at every noisy feast.
Cucumber "wisdom"
India is usually called the birthplace of this vegetable. Local residents began to use this gift of nature about eight thousand years ago. Over time, other peoples appreciated the freshness and benefits of cucumbers, which resulted in the spread of the culture to other territories.
Despite its Indian origin, its name comes from the Greek language. Literally translated, it means “unripe.” This strange name is explained by the fact that it is practically the only representative of the vegetable garden that is eaten unripe, that is, green.
Main secret weapon The vegetable has a high content, which helps effectively cleanse the body of accumulated toxins. It also helps get rid of residues, which usually provokes serious diseases of the circulatory system.
An additional advantage is the overall rejuvenation of the body, which occurs at the cellular level. It’s not for nothing that cucumber often becomes the main component of various cosmetic products aimed at enriching the skin with moisture. With regular use of such masks, you can even slow down the aging process.
It is convenient to include a storehouse of youth in your diet depending on the season. But what to do in winter, when you can only enjoy salted canned preparations, or foreign cucumbers with the addition of chemical components? The best solution would be a special jam, the recipe for which is very simple.
Classic recipe
There are many different variations of preparing this unusual delicacy. Some of them undergo complete changes in the hands of skilled chefs. In the basic version, it is customary to call a proposal with gherkins. They will need to be taken according to the “1:1” principle with granulated sugar.
Instructions for step-by-step preparation as follows:
- First you need to sort out the crop. You need to select only the smallest specimens, the length of which should not reach five centimeters. This is the key to softness and freshness of taste.
- This is followed by thorough rinsing. If you skip earthen spots, it is preserved high risk introduce the causative agent of botulism.
- Peeled gherkins are sent to a pre-created brine based on water, salt and cabbage leaves.
- In this position, the workpiece should stand for about four days until they turn yellow.
- After yellowing, the solution is poured into a pan and sent to boil.
- Immediately after boiling, the gherkins are again filled with brine and allowed to brew thoroughly.
- The boiling procedure followed by pouring is repeated until the cucumbers again acquire their usual yellow color.
- Once the desired result is achieved, the semi-finished products are filled with cold water, remaining in this position for about three days.
- All that remains is to prepare the syrup. This will require a kilo and a half glasses of water (detailed calculations are based on the number of servings). You need to add ground to the syrup ginger root, ground lemon zest and citrus juice.
- The gherkins are placed in syrup for a day, after which the liquid is drained clean.
Next, the algorithm provides for the usual procedure for making jam. For sweetness, sugar is added during boiling at the rate of 600 g per 400 g of gherkins. It is important to remember here that boiling should be done twice until the mass completely thickens.
You need to spread the resulting mass into sterilized jars and roll up.
With added cinnamon
There is also a more exotic option, which includes a spicy filling. Instead of a couple of lemons and ginger, the modernized syrup includes just one lemon. You should also add one, several pieces of cloves, one each and a crushed cinnamon stick. The amount of spices can be adjusted at your own discretion.
All that remains is to cut the prepared cucumbers, removing the seeds and filling them with other ingredients. Citrus fruits should be divided into slices ahead of time. Having combined everything, you need to let the mixture brew for an hour, and then cook for another half hour until it thickens. That's it. You can start surprising your guests.
Complexity
Jam - has an ancient Russian origin and means a delicacy cooked in honey or sugar molasses. In Rus', it was brewed not only from the usual berries and fruits, but also vegetables and flowers. Thus, in many huts in the summer-autumn season, the aroma of freshly made jam from tomatoes, radishes, ylang-ylang flowers, roses and dandelion was in the air. Cooked with honey and cucumber jam.
Its most famous lover was Ivan the Terrible. There is also a known story about Catherine the Great, who, having tasted the “emerald” gooseberry delicacy, presented the cook with a ring from her hand.
In those days, instead of sugar, honey was used as a preservative, and people knew that jam was a healthy natural product that had a positive effect on the body, thanks to healing properties berries If there was no honey, then fruits and vegetables were simply boiled down and served as fillings for pies.
Well, the first person to officially voice this canning process was the Frenchman Nicolas Appert, for which he received the award and title “ Benefactor of Humanity».
"Mister" cucumber
Cucumber began to be grown in India, no less, eight thousand years ago, from where it spread. This vegetable came to our country from Greece, which is reflected in its name, because translated from Greek it means “unripe”, “unripe”. This is indeed true, because cucumber, in fact, is the only vegetable or fruit that can be eaten unripe and green.
Thanks to its high fiber content, it has become famous for effectively cleansing the body of excess cholesterol and having a beneficial effect on rejuvenating the body at the cellular level, which helps slow down the aging process. It turns out that someone who constantly eats cucumbers will be able to maintain youth and health for a long time.
In summer and autumn, cucumbers come to our table from the beds, and thanks to greenhouses, greenhouses replace ground ones, so you can enjoy the vegetable both in summer and winter. All the more reasons not to put it off for later and immediately buy gherkins and try to cook our recipes.
Let's start by trying the most popular recipe.
Ingredients:
- Gherkins – 1 kilogram;
- 1 kilogram of granulated sugar;
- water;
- a pinch of salt;
- cabbage leaves;
- 25 grams of ginger;
- two lemons.
Cooking method:
- Making jam is preceded by a long preparatory period, so be patient when starting.
- First, let's select cucumbers; these should be very small specimens, no more than five centimeters in length.
- The gherkins are washed and dipped in brine, which consists of salted water and cabbage leaves.
- The gherkins should stand in the brine for three to four days until they turn yellowish.
- As soon as the cucumbers turn yellow, pour the brine into a saucepan and boil.
- After it boils, pour it over the gherkins and let it sit.
- When the water has cooled, pour it back into the pan, boil and pour the cucumbers again.
- This is done until the gherkins turn green again.
- Then they are again filled with cold water and left in it for three days.
- Now you can prepare the syrup.
- It consists of water and sugar, which are taken in the ratio of 1.5 glasses of water per kilogram of sugar.
- The juice and zest of two lemons, and grated ginger are also added to the syrup.
- We place the gherkins in the syrup for one day, and then drain it without regret.
- The last stage of preparing this unusual jam consists of boiling.
- Add sugar to our cucumbers, per 400 grams of gherkins, 600 sugar.
- Everything is boiled until it thickens, and the jam is boiled twice.
- Now your jam is ready, you can invite your household to try this unprecedented delicacy.
- You can also put cucumber jam in jars for the winter.
Recipe for jam from old yellow cucumbers
Tasty and aromatic jam can be made from old yellow cucumbers, which are sold in markets at bargain prices. And it turns out no less tasty than from tight and dense fresh gherkins. These cucumbers have thick skin and large seeds, and they must be removed. Only the pulp is suitable for jam.
It is prepared in enamel and wooden dishes. As already written above, first the cucumbers are peeled, cut in half and all large seeds are removed with a knife. Then the crumb is cut into small cubes and covered with sugar for an average of six hours. Afterwards the crumb is brought to a boil and boiled for about 15 minutes.
After the brew has boiled, the pan is removed from the stove and left overnight. Then during the day, the jam is boiled again several times for fifteen minutes until the crumb settles to the bottom. To give the jam a delicate taste and aroma, during the last cooking, add the zest and juice of lemon and orange, a couple of cloves, and cinnamon on the tip of a knife.
Cucumber jam with mint
If you haven’t stopped being surprised yet, then we bring to your attention an even more amazing dish. Jam made from fresh homemade cucumbers already looks quite unusual, and with the addition of mint the dish turns into an unprecedented exotic, as this herb gives it a refreshing taste and pleasant aroma. So you want to surprise your friends? Offer them a cucumber mint dessert.
Ingredients :
- 1 kilogram of cucumbers;
- 600 grams of granulated sugar;
- zest and juice of 2 lemons;
- a bunch of fresh peppermint leaves.
Cooking method:
- Mint leaves are finely chopped; it is better to use a mixer for this.
- Cucumbers are peeled and seeded and chopped into small cubes.
- Place cucumber pulp, sugar, lemon zest and juice, and chopped mint in a thick-bottomed pan.
- Everything is mixed and left for several hours to soak.
- Bring the pulp to a boil and simmer for an average of half an hour, until the mixture acquires the consistency of liquid caramel.
- Hot jam is poured into jars.
The first mention of cucumbers appeared more than 6 thousand years ago. India is considered the birthplace of this culture, from there it spread throughout the world.
The ancient Egyptians used cucumber juice for cosmetic purposes - it was valued on a par with rose water. In Ancient Greece, the vegetable was called aoros, which means unripe. The fact is that cucumber fruits are still eaten today, being unripe. They were mentioned in the treatises of Hippocrates as a medicinal ingredient.
By the 10th century, cucumbers were already common in Europe; they began to be imported to Russia and East Asia. In the 16th-17th centuries, the vegetable was grown freely throughout the country and was widely used in Russian cuisine. Recipes for barrel cucumbers, pickles, cold soups and many other dishes are well known. However, not everyone realizes that even sweets were made from vegetables. One of Ivan the Terrible's favorite delicacies at the feast was cucumbers in honey.
Today you can prepare royal food yourself using a wide variety of additives. We offer you several recipes for cucumber jam!
The cucumber jam recipe looks quite unusual. Meanwhile, such a product will surprise you with its unique taste. We offer you several options for cucumber jam. Don’t forget to bring them to life in the summer, when cucumbers are available in the markets and presented in all their variety.
Cucumber jam with mint
The mint needs to be chopped. At the same time, peel the cucumbers, cut them in half and remove all seeds. Place the pulp in a saucepan with a thick bottom and add mint, lemon juice and zest, and sugar. Leave all the ingredients for 2-3 hours so that the future cucumber jam is perfectly soaked and acquires the desired aroma.
Now bring the whole mixture to a boil and cook until the cucumber jam acquires the consistency of caramel. This takes approximately 30 minutes.
1 kg of cucumbers, 600 g of sugar, zest of 2 lemons, a small bunch of mint.
Cucumber jam
Cucumbers need to be washed, peeled, cut into pieces, placed in a container with a thick bottom and covered with sugar. We leave the food for 6 hours so that the cucumbers absorb the sugar and slightly release the juice. Boil for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and leave for 12 hours.
It is advisable to repeat the above procedure several times. As a result, the cucumbers should settle to the bottom of the dish. If desired, at this stage you can add mint, currants, lemon juice.
1 kg of cucumbers, 700 grams of sugar, 1 lemon.
Cucumber jam with spices
Wash 1 kg of cucumbers, peel them, cut them in half and remove seeds. Grind, pour 3 glasses of cold water, add 1 clove inflorescence and 0.5 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Cook the mixture over low heat until the cucumbers soften. Strain the water, squeeze out the vegetables and set aside. Prepare a thick syrup from the broth by adding 150 g of sugar and the juice of 1 lemon with zest. Place cucumbers in it and cook until transparent. 5-7 minutes before readiness, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanillin. Place in sterilized jars and seal.
1 kg of cucumbers, 150 g of sugar, 3 glasses of water, 1 lemon, 0.5 teaspoons of cloves and cinnamon, vanillin
Cucumber and redcurrant jam
Peel and cut 2 kg of cucumbers into cubes. Place in a deep bowl, sprinkle with sugar (1 kg). Leave for 6-8 hours, add another 500 g of sugar and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Cool, add 1 cup of peeled red currants and a few fresh mint leaves. Bring to a boil and pour into jars.
Cucumber jam with gooseberries
Wash 1 kg of cucumbers, peel and remove seeds. Cut into bars and fill with ice water. Leave for several hours, drain the liquid, sprinkle the cucumbers with sugar (1 kg). Grind 500 g of gooseberries, add the juice of half a lemon, 2 tablespoons of nettle (or spinach) juice, bring to a boil and cool. Mix the cucumber mixture with gooseberries, put on fire and cook until tender, until the cucumbers become transparent. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.
Cucumber jam with orange and ginger
Peel and seed 1 kg of cucumbers, chop finely. Place in a deep saucepan, add 500 g of sugar, add 1 glass of water and cook for 20 minutes. Add the juice and zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon, grated ginger to taste and boil for another 5 minutes. Pour into jars and roll up.
Helpful Tips:
If you have time and desire, boil the cucumbers several times over low heat and leave them for as long as possible so that they are saturated with sugar and their own juice - in this case the jam turns out very tasty.
It is best to choose medium-sized cucumbers with a minimum number of seeds. Also make sure that their peel is not too thick, as in this case there will be more waste than the cucumber jam itself.
You can control the sweetness of the jam to suit your preferences by adding more or less sugar. Don't forget to also taste the cucumbers first to get an idea of how sweet the jam should be.
This is a simple old recipe for making cucumber jam. The good thing is that it’s easy to prepare, with a minimum of ingredients, and it turns out delicious. Because it is made, like all old jam recipes, using honey instead of sugar. Which provides rich taste without additional ingredients.
So we only need two products:
Cucumbers, any - 1 kg.
Even the big, old, yellow ones are better. In this way we kill two birds with one stone - we find a use for the overripe fruits and make delicious preparation for the winter.
Honey - 500 g.
Any honey too. Maybe last year's, candied. It is also quite possible to replace honey with sugar in the same amount. But then it’s better to add some flavorings - zest and juice of lemon and (or) orange.
As you can see, the proportions are simple - 2 parts cucumbers, 1 part honey (sugar).
Preparation
Peel the cucumbers. It is better to use a vegetable peeler; it removes the skin thinly. Cut from one or both ends. It is necessary to remove the stalk, and only old fruits can be trimmed from the front.
For small salad cucumbers, the seeds do not need to be removed. But it’s better to spend a little time and peel the fruit from the seed core. The jam will be more beautiful. And of course, this must be done with large cucumbers containing seeds that have begun to ripen. While cooking the jam, the seeds will become even harder, and then you will feel them on your teeth. It is best to scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon.
Cut the prepared cucumbers into cubes 0.5-1 cm in size. Place in a suitable enamel bowl.
Fill with honey. If the honey is crystallized, melt it. The most convenient way to do this is in the microwave, setting it to full power for a minute and a half. If there is no microwave oven, heat in a water bath or on the stove over low heat, stirring constantly.
If we use sugar, then we simply add it to the cucumbers. Mix thoroughly and set aside for several hours. From two to 8. You can spend the night in a cool place. The time depends on the juiciness of the cucumbers and how quickly they produce juice.
Put the pan on the fire. If you use sugar, at this point it is better to add the grated zest and juice of a lemon or orange. The proportion is approximately half a citrus fruit per 1 kg of cucumbers.
Bring to a boil, switch to the lowest heat and cook with the lid open for several hours, stirring occasionally. The time depends on the density of the fruit and the size of the cut. It is necessary that the liquid evaporates by half or more, and the pieces become translucent.
You can cook over medium heat, it will be faster, but slow cooking will allow you to preserve the nutrients and aroma much better. The specified amount of cucumbers and honey yields a little more than half a liter of jam.
Immediately transfer the hot jam into sterilized jars and close the lids. The most convenient jars are those with screw-on lids. Cool and put in a cool place.
