Walnut Jam: Step-by-step Cooking Recipes With Different Ingredients + Photo And Video

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Unusual from the usual: learning to make walnut jam

What are we used to see walnuts? A strong shell, inside of which there are delicious kernels that we just eat or add to soups, pastries, sauces, tinctures, salads, main courses … It turns out that you can make delicious jam from whole walnuts! And today we will learn how to do it. But keep in mind - you have to stock up on time and patience.

Content

• 1 History of an unusual recipe

  • 1.1 General principle of preparation of nut jam
  • 1.2 What is the use of such a dessert

• 2 Nut jam recipes

  • 2.1 Classic
  • 2.2 Armenian
  • 2.3 Lime-free nut jam
  • 2.4 Italian recipe with chocolate
• 3 Video: preparing jam from young walnuts according to all the rules
• 4 Hostess reviews

History of an unusual recipe

Do not be intimidated by our courage and determination: you can really make jam from walnuts. But only not from those that have already ripened, but from very young ones, the so-called milk maturity. These green fruits are still unsuitable for fresh food: they are bitter and taste completely different from those nucleoli, which in childhood we compared with brains for their appearance.

These same fruits will be needed for tasty, aromatic and healthy jam. They need to be collected, depending on the region, from the end of May to the first decade of July. For example, in the south of our country, already in mid-June, most often the nuts already enter the ripening period and become unsuitable for jam: the shell begins to form and harden.

To determine the desired level of ripeness, pierce the fruit with a toothpick. If it easily passes through and just as easily gets out - feel free to collect the nuts. You can check each of them in this way, because later you still have to prick them.

This is what milk-ripened walnuts look like, which are suitable for jam

Jam from unripe walnuts has been known since ancient times in the Middle and Near East, in the southern countries of Europe and Southeast Asia. Now this dessert is very popular in Italy, Spain, Greece, Moldova, Ukraine, the North Caucasus, in the Kuban.

In each region, the recipes for this dessert have their own characteristics, but they are all based on the same principle.

The general principle of making nut jam

Although milk-ripened walnuts are very soft compared to fully ripe walnuts, they still need additional processing before boiling. The juice of the nuts is very bitter due to its high iodine content, so it should be removed by prolonged soaking.

Traditionally, nuts are soaked not in pure water, but in a solution of lime at the rate of 100 g of substance per 1 liter of water. Modern housewives are often indignant: "And so there is continuous chemistry around, and also soak nuts in lime!" Let's remember a school course on this wonderful subject.

First, all products we know have chemical elements in their composition. Secondly, lime is nothing more than calcium oxide, a harmless substance that is used everywhere in everyday life. It's not worth talking about the benefits of calcium for the body. If you remember that table salt is sodium chloride (the result of the interaction of two toxic substances), you can get scared altogether. However, we add it to most dishes, and nothing, very tasty.

Don't be afraid to use lime: it's just harmless calcium oxide, not an evil poison that will poison your jam

Let's finish our excursion into the basics of chemistry and return to our jam. Nuts for it are soaked in a lime solution from 5 days to 2-3 weeks, until soft. Those heavily darkened during this time are repeatedly pricked or cut in half, after which they are boiled for several hours in sugar syrup. The standard product ratio is:

• 1 kg of soaked nuts;
• 1.2 kg of sugar;
• 1 liter of water.

The amount of ingredients may vary slightly depending on the region or even the preferences of the hostess. In addition, many people like to add spices to the dessert - cinnamon, figs, anise, cloves.

By the way, it is advisable that the dishes for soaking nuts were made of stainless steel: aluminum is contraindicated for so long to be in contact with water and iodine contained in nuts, and you may not even wash an enamel pot or bowl from persistent nut juice. For the same reason, you need to peel the nuts with gloves so as not to go around for a week with black hands.

Peel walnuts only with gloves: walnut juice eats hard into the skin of the hands

What is the use of such a dessert

Compared to ripe nuts, unripe fruits contain much more vitamins (groups B, E, PP), phytoncides, tannins, vegetable fats. All of them are preserved in fruits after making the jam, albeit in smaller quantities.

In folk medicine, nut jam has been used for a very long time, it effectively treats diseases such as:

• rheumatism;
• gout;
• heart disease;
• kidney and bladder diseases;
• angina;
• furunculosis;
• stomatitis;
• gastrointestinal diseases.

In addition, it is recommended for:

• nervous overload;
• intense mental work;
• trouble sleeping;
• pressure surges;
• increased physical activity;
• pregnancy (since the jam contains the required amount of iodine);
• the rapid growth process of children.

Green walnut jam - a source of trace elements useful for the body

And for men, this jam is very useful: it has a beneficial effect on reproductive function.

But it is worth noting that walnut jam is contraindicated for people with stomach ulcers, diabetes and obesity.

Nut Jam Recipes

We offer you several popular, not very complicated, but interesting ways to make jam.

Classical

You've probably tried prunes, and maybe love to use them for various dishes. So, walnut jam, prepared according to the classic recipe, very much resembles good sun-dried plums, both in taste and in appearance.

Walnut jam looks like prunes

It will take you a lot of time. And besides him you will need:

• 4 kg of green nuts;
• 2 liters of water;
• 2.5 kg of granulated sugar;
• 10 carnation buds;
• 1 pinch citric acid;
• for soaking nuts - slaked lime at the rate of 100 g per 1 liter of water.

Be sure to weigh the nuts: depending on their mass, you will have to adjust the amount of the remaining ingredients.

1. Rinse the nuts and place them in a deep bowl or basin. Fill completely with water, to the top. The water should be changed at least every 6 hours, and so - for 6-7 days. If in doubt that the nuts are a little closer to ripening, keep them in water for a week. But do not forget that you also need to change the water 4 times a day! Do not worry that the liquid takes on a greenish color: it is the peel of the nuts that gives off excess juice.

   

   Pour the washed unripe nuts with cold water and soak for a long time

2. Now is the time to prepare the mortar. Add 0.5 kg of lime to 5 liters of water. Stir the solution thoroughly and let it sit for 20-30 minutes.

   

   Prepare a slaked lime solution

3. Pour the settled clear solution without sediment into a bowl with soaked nuts. Leave it on for 24 hours. The fact that the surface of the nuts darkens or becomes stained is a natural reaction, and not at all a reason to get scared and throw the product away!

   

   Soak nuts in lime solution for 24 hours

4. After 24 hours, rinse the nuts thoroughly in running cold water. If they are too large, cut them in half; chop smaller nuts with a fork in several places, and deeper.

   

   Cut large nuts in half, small ones - prick with a fork

5. Boil water in a saucepan. Place the nuts in it and blanch for 20 minutes. Drain the boiling water and chill the nuts in cold running water.

   

   Blanch the nuts in boiling water

6. After all these "procedures" the nuts will noticeably change color to olive or brown. Boil a pot of water again and blanch them, but for half an hour. Drain the water again and keep the nuts in running cold water until they cool.

   

   Boil the nuts again and cool them

7. Notice that the nuts darkened even more? So it's time to start making jam.

   

   After the nuts have darkened significantly, you can start making jam

8. Prepare the syrup in a separate saucepan. Dissolve sugar in boiling water, boil, stirring constantly. Add cloves and a pinch of citric acid. Pour the nuts with hot boiling syrup, bring to a boil and soak for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and leave for 1 hour.

   

   Make sugar syrup and add spices to it

9. The nuts will darken strongly after the first boil, and you need to carry out 4 more such executions with them, each for 5 minutes, with an hour break. And finally - another 15 minutes in a boiling state, after which the jam can be poured into clean sterilized jars.

   

   Boil nuts in syrup several times

Green walnut jam can be stored under lids in a cool room for a whole year, or you can eat right away.

Armenian

Armenians are big lovers of walnut desserts, including jam. The peculiarity of this recipe is in the use of alum. In addition, it is imperative to peel the nuts from the skin in a manner similar to potatoes. Do this only with gloves: it is very difficult to wash your hands from peanut juice.

You will need:

• 100 pieces of young walnuts;
• 3 kg of sugar;
• 1.5 liters of water;
• 10 carnation buds;
• 10 g cinnamon;
• 5 cardamom fruits;
• 0.5 kg of slaked lime;
• 75 g alum.

You can start making jam.

1. Peel off the shell from each nut. Place the fruit in a deep bowl.

   

   Peel the nuts off as you would a potato

2. Fill the nuts with clean cool water. Leave them in a cool place for at least 6 days. Change the water four times a day. During this time, the fruits will darken significantly.

   

   Fill the nuts with water for 6 days

3. Drain the water one last time and rinse the nuts thoroughly.

   

   After draining the water, rinse the nuts thoroughly

4. Pour 0.5 kg of lime with 5 liters of water, mix thoroughly. Let stand and strain through cheesecloth.

   

   Prepare the mortar, let it settle

5. Immerse the nuts in the strained solution and keep for 24 hours, stirring from time to time, so that the fruits are completely soaked and not caked.

   

   Soak the nuts in a lime solution

6. Rinse the nuts again in running water, but now with special care. Place each fruit with a fork in several places (the more holes there are, the better), then rinse again.

   

   Chop each nut with a fork

7. Dissolve 75 g of alum in 5 liters of water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

   

   Dissolve alum in water and bring to a boil

8. Dip the nuts in boiling water with alum and cook for 10 minutes.

   

   Boil nuts in water with alum

9. Throw the nuts on a sieve, wait until all the water drains.

   

   Drain the water from the nuts through a sieve

10. Transfer them to a deep bowl, cover with cold water and leave for an hour.

    

    Leave the nuts to cool in cold water

11. While the fruits are cooling, we will deal with spices. Place the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in a cheesecloth bag.

    

    Prepare a gauze spice bag

12. Dissolve granulated sugar in boiling water, stir and boil for 1 minute.

    

    Boil the sugar syrup

13. Add a bag of spices, nuts to the syrup and simmer for another 5 minutes, then remove the pan from heat and leave to infuse for 24 hours. You need to completely repeat this procedure 3 more times. After the workpiece has settled for the last time, cook it again (it will take 3 hours) and remove the bag of spices.

    

    Boil nuts and spices in sugar syrup

That's all. Now the finished jam can be put in jars and rolled up. Or serve, after cooling.

Lime-free nut jam

If the presence of lime still confuses you, we suggest a method of cooking without using this tool. It can be easily replaced by the usual and often used in cooking soda.

So, take these products:

• 100 pcs of walnuts;
• 250 g of soda;
• 1 lemon;
• 2 kg of sugar;
• 4 glasses of water.

Cut the skin off the nuts, be sure to wear gloves, and start cooking.

1. Place the nuts in a deep saucepan and cover with water. There is a little secret: so that the fruits are guaranteed to soak faster than usual, it is better to take warm water, not cold, about 35-40 C. Put the pan for 2 days in a quieter place and keep it there, visiting every 6 hours to change the water to fresh …

   

   Soak prepared walnuts in warm water

2. When you drain the water for the last time, cover the nuts with baking soda while they are wet. Mix thoroughly so that each fruit rolls well. Put the dishes back in a suitable place, now for 12-15 hours. Stir the nuts regularly to prevent the baking soda from falling on them.

   

   Drain the water, cover the nuts with baking soda and leave for 12-15 hours

3. Now rinse the nuts thoroughly in running water, then prick each fruit with a fork in several places. In order not to get dirty in the juice, which will most likely splash from the nuts, do it by putting the fruits in water or wearing clothes that you do not mind.

4. During the time the nuts were in water and soda, they turned brown. Fill them again for 2 days and change the water at the same frequency.

   

   Fill the nuts with water for another 2 days

5. Transfer the prepared nuts to a pot of boiling water, hold for 3 minutes after immersion. Drain the boiling water into another saucepan, put it on the fire and immerse the nuts there again. You need to do this 3-4 times. Boil the sugar syrup, transfer the fruits to it, wait for it to boil and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off the stove, wait 5 minutes, put it back on the fire and boil. Add the sliced lemon, boil for another 3 minutes. Now you can pour the jam into the jars.

This jam goes well with creme brulee ice cream: in tandem, you get the taste of Coca-Cola. And by the way, this method is the fastest. Unlike the previous ones, this jam will take you only 5 days.

Italian recipe with chocolate

Sunny Italy has its own traditions of making desserts. Italians are big lovers of sweets; they often add additional ingredients to a familiar dish to make it original. Milk-green walnut jam is very popular in this country, and we are sure that you will like its chocolate version.

You will need:

• 1 kg of nuts (already boiled);
• 1 kg of granulated sugar;
• 300 g of water;
• 100 g cocoa powder.

Take for jam only those nuts that can be easily and effortlessly pierced with a toothpick through. Sort out any spoiled fruits immediately.

1. Cut each nut off at both ends. This is necessary in order for the fruits to give off the bitter juice contained in them as quickly as possible while in the water.

   

   Cut the nuts on both sides and cover with water

2. Place the nuts in a deep bowl and cover with cool water. Soak for 2 weeks, changing water 2-3 times a day.

   

   Remember to change water regularly

3. Sort the soaked nuts by size, cut the largest in half. If there are a lot of nuts, then you can make 2 servings of jam: one from the large cut, and the second from the smaller whole fruits.

   

   Sort the nuts by size

4. Rinse the selected fruits thoroughly and cook for 2 hours. After that, pierce a couple of nuts with a toothpick: if this was done without difficulty, the fruits are ready. If they are still harsh, cook for another 30 minutes. Boiled nuts should be intact and not flake. If you cut them, you can see that the skin has not lagged behind the unformed shell.

   

   After processing, the nuts must remain intact

5. Prepare a syrup from water and sugar, boil nuts in it for at least 1.5 hours. 15 minutes before the end of cooking, put a little syrup in a cup, and gently, in a thin stream, pour cocoa into it, stirring constantly so that the powder does not stray into lumps.

6. Also while stirring gently, pour the cocoa syrup into the casserole of nuts. At this stage, you can optionally add your favorite spices to the jam, such as anise, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and even hot red pepper. But don't be too zealous so that the taste isn't too spicy.

   

   Boil the nuts in sugar syrup, gradually adding cocoa and favorite spices like cinnamon

Chocolate walnut jam can be more than just a separate dessert. Its syrup is great as a sauce for cakes, pastries and ice cream.

Video: we prepare jam from young walnuts according to all the rules

Hostess reviews

Summer is a great time to experiment, so why not try new dishes you've never cooked before? We hope our recipes will help you make new culinary feats.

Or maybe you have experience in cooking it? Share it with our readers in the comments. Enjoy your meal!