Walnut Jam: 5 Recipes

Walnut jam has been known since ancient times. The powerful sprawling tree gives an abundant harvest, gives shade, and is considered a symbol of well-being and longevity. An interesting resemblance between the walnut pulp and the human brain has been noticed. In fact, the fruit stimulates thought processes and stops aging. They are stored until the new harvest, supplying the body with the necessary substances. The valuable product is added to many dishes, used for snacks and included in the recipes of folk medicine, having powerful healing properties. In cooking, it is used as an ingredient in baked goods. The green fruit of the milky ripeness makes a very unusual, but delicious and useful jam.

History of walnut popularity

The first documented information about the plant dates back to the 8th millennium BC. Archaeological finds were made in Persia, suggesting that the nuts' homeland was in those territories. The name was given to the suppliers. And they were brought to Europe by Greek merchants, who strictly kept the secret of where these amazing fruits grew. Sometimes they were called Persian or English.

In the wild the plant is found in Northern China, India, the Tien Shan, Asia Minor, Iran and Greece. There are especially large areas in Transcaucasia. Relict groves have survived in Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The plant prefers light, humus-rich soils, warmth and abundant sunshine; in prolonged frosts below -28 degrees Celsius it fades. Rationed varieties are capable of yielding in the Volga region and more northern areas, but their shells are thicker and the fruits themselves are shallower. Breeders have bred many varieties that differ in terms of maturity, fruit size and resistance to frost. Among the most famous:

• Zarya Vostoka;
• Elegant;
• Five-Year-Old;
• Dessert;
• Astakhovsky;
• Krasnodarets;
• Pelan;
• Sadko;
• Aurora.

Every year the volume of walnut exports increases. China leads the way, closely followed by Turkey, Iran, Mexico and India. If possible, it is better to give preference to domestic walnuts grown in the Transcaucasus and on your own garden plot.

The tree is very tall, reaches 25 m, the root system is powerful. The central root often goes to a depth of 4-5 m. The peripheral network diverges to a diameter of up to 20 m, so the walnut is never planted close to the foundation of a building. Over time, the roots will destroy it.

Live these giants about 400 years, in Georgia there are specimens whose age is confidently approaching 1000. Yield depends on the variety and growing conditions. On average 150-300 kilograms of fruit are harvested from a mature tree. The fruiting period starts at the end of August and lasts until October. The knuckle is hidden in a soft fibrous shell. It gradually dries out, changing color from deep green to brown, cracks, and then the nut falls out of it. When harvesting, the fruits are plucked together with the shell, and then peeled from it.

Important: The juice of the outer shell stains the skin brown and leaves persistent stains on clothing.

Composition and calories

The concentration of substances in green and ripe fruits is different. But the basic set remains:

• vitamins A, K, C, E, PP, group B;
• calcium;
• iron;
• magnesium;
• iodine;
• potassium
• manganese
• zinc;
• phosphorus;
• fluorine;
• glutamic and asparagic acids;
• arginine;
• tryptophan;
• lysine;
• glycine
• tyrosine;
• fatty acids;
• carotenoids;
• alkaloids;
• tannins;
• antioxidants;
• essential oil.

Leaves contain quinones, flavonoids and organic acids. Fruits of milky and full ripeness are used equally for medicinal purposes. The caloric value is very high, in the range of 840 kcal with a low glycemic index and complete absence of gluten.

Benefits and harms of walnut jam

The unique composition of the fruit of milky ripeness gives jam healing properties that support almost all systems of the body. To cook this delicacy is very long, it requires skill, patience and exact adherence to the recommendations. But the result is magnificent. A few spoonfuls of this dessert speeds up the metabolism and protein production, which helps to cope with increased physical exertion and quickly recover from them. The anticonvulsant effect gets rid of involuntary muscle contraction and pulling pain in them.

The treat reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, reducing the likelihood of atherosclerosis. Walnut strengthens the walls of blood vessels, maintaining their elasticity and having a vasodilating effect.

A large amount of iron in the kernels accelerates the recovery of the body after severe long-term illnesses, gives the prevention of anemia, improves blood composition. Walnut accelerates thinking processes, improves memory and concentration, reduces the adverse effects of stress. The presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids slows the aging process, improves regeneration and strengthens neural connections.

Nut jam stabilizes the digestive process, creates favorable conditions for the development of normal intestinal microflora, strengthens bone tissue and supports the work of the thyroid gland.

Worth considering: Nuts contain plant steroids that help the proper formation of the male body during the period of active growth.

Moreover, 50-70 grams of nuts every day will reduce the risk of developing prostatic adenoma and increase blood circulation in the small pelvis organs. Kernels are considered a strong aphrodisiac and are recommended in a mixture with honey and figs for problems with potency. In jam, they do not lose their properties.

For women, the delicacy will also help to establish the work of the reproductive organs, in pregnancy will make up for the deficiency of minerals. But they will have to eat them very carefully and not more than 1 teaspoon with tea a day.

For all their benefits, the nut dessert should not be used for diabetes, obesity and peptic ulcer in the period of exacerbation. Individual intolerance to the product will also be a contraindication.

How to choose walnuts for jam

The peculiarity is the right time of harvesting. For a therapeutic delicacy, only fruits of milky ripeness, in which the outer shell of the kernel has not yet formed. Approximate time of harvesting is the end of May and very early June. Timing varies by a week depending on the region and weather conditions. A toothpick will help you determine the exact level of ripeness. If it freely pierces the skin and comes out through, then you can start collecting raw material for jam.

It is impossible to eat such nuts raw, they are bitter. But it is during this period that they have an increased content of ascorbic acid and other useful substances. Since the hardening of the kernel, the concentration will gradually decrease to the standard level.

Collect the fruit only with gloves, otherwise the hands will quickly turn a dark brown color and will not wash off for several days.

How to cook walnut jam: recipes

Unusual for Europeans jam since ancient times is well known and highly appreciated in the Middle East, Asian countries, Greece, Spain, Italy, Moldova. The delicacy is becoming increasingly popular in Russia as well. In Kuban, one of the recipes is also well known and inherited, allowing to avoid many age-related diseases or to reduce the intensity of symptoms.

General Cooking Principle

The most famous are several basic recipes characteristic of different countries. But the preparation of raw material for jam at the initial stage is almost the same. The green fruits need to be freed from the bitter juice, the taste is given to it by the excess iodine in the outer shell. To do this, use a long soaking, using citric acid or a solution of lime in the proportion of 100 g per 1 liter of water. Lime is not harmful and does not affect the chemical composition.

Before soaking in water, each nut is pierced with a wooden skewer or toothpick. The process of soaking in the liquid is long, taking from 5 to 21 days. The fruits should become soft and darken. Choose a stainless steel bowl or take a container, which then do not regret to throw away. Wash it already can not.

You can do without lime and soak in plain water, but you have to change it clearly after 12 hours, morning and evening. The soaking period is 12 days. The details may vary depending on the method of preparation.

The classic recipe for jam

Boiled green nuts in taste and appearance resemble prunes. Harvested fruits are washed, pour water so that over the top layer of nuts was not less than 5 cm of liquid. Change the water twice a day for 6-7 days. It will be stained greenish color. This is normal.

Next, dilute the lime solution, stir it thoroughly, give it to stand. Soaked nuts are poured with the transparent part for a day. Then they are washed in running water. Larger nuts are cut in half, the small ones are pierced with a toothpick on all sides. The whole mass is shifted into boiling water and blanched for 20 minutes. The procedure is repeated again, changing the water. The fruits will become noticeably darker and take on an olive-brown color. They are ready to cook.

For the jam take:

• nuts - 4 kg;
• sugar - 2.5 kg;
• citric acid - 10 gr;
• dried cloves - 10 pcs;
• water - 2 liters.

First of all, prepare the syrup, immerse the nuts in it and boil for 5 minutes, and then set aside for 1 hour. At the second boil, citric acid and cloves are added. Again, the mass cools for 60 minutes. This results in 5 approaches of 4-5 minutes with a cooling period in between. The last boil is longer, 15 minutes, and quickly placed hot in jars.

Armenian

The recipe calls for the use of alum. Ingredients:

• nuts - 100 pcs;
• sugar - 3 kg;
• water - 1,5 liters;
• alum - 75 gr;
• cloves, cardamom - 10 pcs;
• cinnamon - 10 gr.

In general, the recipe is not much different from the classic one.

1. Peel the fruit from the skin.
2. Soak in water for 6 days with a change of liquid every 12 hours.
3. Immersed in a solution of lime for a day and thoroughly rinsed after it.
4. Pierced in several places and boiled in water with alum for 10 minutes.
5. Transfer to a dish with cold water for an hour.
6. Place spices in the boiling syrup, after 3 minutes put the nuts. The pot is removed from the heat after 5 minutes and infused for 24 hours.
7. The procedure is repeated two more times. At the last approach, the boiling time lengthens to 30 minutes.
8. Ready to eat cake in jars.

Italian recipe with chocolate

For the dessert, you will need 1 kg each of sugar and already processed nuts, 100 ml of water and 300 g of cocoa powder. First, cut into halves the fruits are boiled in plain water for 2.5 hours, then transferred to the sugar syrup and continue boiling for another 90 minutes. The cocoa powder dissolved in the syrup is added to the mass 15 minutes before it is ready.

Anise, cinnamon, cardamom or ginger are added to the jam to spice it up. You can make a mix of your favorite spices. The main thing is to maintain a reasonable balance, so that the delicacy does not turn out too spicy or sugary.

It is worth considering: Nuts to remove the bitterness can be soaked in water with citric acid, then the soaking time is increased to 2 days.

Honey Sweets

A very unusual and rich taste is obtained in a delicacy, if you add honey to it. The benefits are increased, the immunity is accelerated, performance and resistance to stress is increased. For the preparation you will need:

• sugar - 1,7 kg;
• nuts with milky ripeness - 2 kg;
• honey - 250 g.

From the spices you need to prepare cardamom and cinnamon - 1 pc, 5 clove buds and 1 g vanilla.

Peeled fruits are soaked for a week with regular water changes, then boiled twice for 15 minutes with the change of liquid and cooled. Each nut is pierced with a fork 2-3 times, then brought to a boil in water with honey. After half an hour of soaking on low heat, they are transferred to a saucepan with boiling syrup. A sack of spices is added there as well. The mass slowly boils for 2 hours, after which it is carefully packed in jars.

Important: Fruit in containers should be completely covered with syrup.

The result is an amazing vitamin delicacy with a honey flavor.

Jam from ripe nuts with an apple

When the harvest is ripe and carefully folded for storage, you can allocate some fruit for the preparation of delicate apple jam with a nutty flavor. It will require a sweet variety of apples and not yet fully dried, but already ripe nuts. For 1 kg of fruit need an equal amount of sugar and 300 grams of nuts.

Apples are peeled, diced and put in a saucepan with a thick bottom. Pour sugar over the mass, add 100 ml of water and slowly bring the mixture to a boil. After removing the first foam, a bag of spices is placed in the pot. The mixture can be chosen arbitrarily. In the classic version, it is 5 pieces of allspice and cloves with half a cinnamon stick.

After 15 minutes of boiling, add walnut kernels cut into quarters and boil the mixture for another 15 minutes. Boiling dessert is poured into jars and hermetically sealed. Shelf life of jam - 1 year, in fact, it ends much faster.

Experiments based on the classic recipe are welcome. Nuts are well combined with the juice and zest of citrus fruits, the original taste is obtained with raspberries or cherries.

How to eat walnut jam properly

The most important rule of consumption is in reasonable doses of the treat. The benefits of walnuts are undeniable, but too strong a craze in children will lead to diathesis, and in adults - to a sharp spike in blood sugar levels. A day of 3-4 tablespoons of the treat is enough for adults. A child should not be given more than 1-2 spoonfuls.

Jam is eaten as an independent dessert, it perfectly sets off the taste of black tea, suitable as a filling for pies. If there is an excess of iodine in the body, the delicacy will have to be abandoned.

Interesting facts about walnuts

1. Walnut kernels have a very high caloric value. They are nutritious, but have a low GI.
2. The plant is considered to be native to Asia Minor, and the name has nothing to do with this fact.
3. The fruit is only called a nut, but by botanical definition is a knuckle.
4. In Greece the fruit was called "food for the mind". Only the nobles were allowed to eat it. The commoners did not know the taste of walnuts.
5. The export of walnuts increases every year.
6. China is recognized as the leader in the cultivation of the crop.
7. During the Renaissance, oil paints were created from the sap of the plant.
8. The wood is one of the valuable species. It is used to make furniture and furnishings.
9. If you eat a lot of kernels, you may experience drowsiness. The sedative effect is also noticeable due to the high content of magnesium.
10. Walnuts are recommended as part of a complex therapy for male impotence.
11. The protein in the product is equal to animal protein, but it is absorbed several times faster and easier.
12. The concentration of useful substances is higher in green fruits.
13. In order for the body to fully absorb the useful elements, the kernels will have to be chewed to a mushy state.
14. The daily rate of useful substances is contained in 400 grams of fruit. But more than 100 grams per day to eat them is undesirable to avoid intestinal problems.
15. Some people regard the tree as sacred.
16. The scientists found out that the trees have been growing on the slopes of Fergana Valley for 47 million years.
17. The average lifespan of the nut tree is 400 years.
18. The tree bears its first crop in the 10-12th year, reaches its full power only by the age of 30 and bears fruit during the whole life.
19. The largest area of the relic forest is preserved in Kyrgyzstan. The trees there reach a height of 30 m.
20. The walnut shell serves as a kind of bunker storing useful substances. If they are peeled, they quickly lose most of their unique properties.

Walnut jam, cooked according to the recipe, will become a real vitamin chest, keeping away from colds and bad moods.

Photo of walnut jam