Step-by-step recipe for marrow and zucchini jam with apricots for the winter
Zucchini is such a versatile product that it is suitable for both salty and sweet dishes. Cakes, cookies and pancakes are made from it, but a particularly interesting option is zucchini and apricot jam for the winter. The abundance of these products in the season sometimes catches by surprise, the housewives want to preserve the maximum of the fruits, and then conservation comes to the rescue. The color of the jam will come out in a pleasant carrot shade. The smell and taste will be dominated by apricot, and the zucchini will give volume.
The subtleties of cooking zucchini and apricot jam for the winter
Observance of some subtleties will help to prepare jam as close to ideal as possible:
- Wash apricots and zucchini thoroughly before making jam, this will ensure long-term storage.
- Instead of jam, jam can easily turn out, just change one step in preparation. Remove wet items from food. In a zucchini, it will be pulp with seeds, and it is better to replace the apricot with dried apricots.
- Roll up the jam spilled on the jars with new sterile lids, scratched or deformed products will only spoil the product.
- Do not overexpose the zucchini and apricot mass on fire, this will destroy all the nutrients.
- If you plan to store the jam for a long time, you do not need to roll up the jars with vacuum lids, this will lead to their depressurization or air ingress after 1-2 months.
Required ingredients for the recipe
You will need to prepare the following components:
- zucchini - 1 kg;
- sugar - 1-1.5 kg;
- apricots (can be replaced with dried apricots, but the amount should be reduced by 2 times) - 500 g;
- lemon juice and zest - from 2 lemons;
- water - 700 ml.
How to choose and prepare ingredients
Take young zucchini, in this case, you do not need to remove the peel and seeds with pulp. But it is not forbidden to choose old fruits, they are especially suitable for jam, and will not greatly affect the taste.
To prepare the zucchini, wash it well from dirt, if necessary, remove the peel with a peeler or knife, and the seeds with a tablespoon along with the fibers.
If apricots are used, they should not be overripe, but not quite firm either. Medium in firmness would be ideal. Wash them thoroughly before cooking and remove the seeds by cutting them in half. If it is not possible to choose fruits without flaws, then they will need to be removed with a knife.
If, instead of apricots, dried apricots are added, it should be without shine and simple, since it is this one that has naturalness and does not contain additives and dyes.
It is important to select zucchini and apricots for jam that are free of damage and signs of spoilage.
Preparation of containers
The jars selected for seaming zucchini jam with apricot should not have any defects, the same applies to the lids. It is good to wash and sterilize containers using a convenient method.
You can do this in the microwave, pouring about a centimeter of water to the bottom of each container and sending it to the microwave for 3-5 minutes at a power of 800 watts. Alternatively, you can use the roasting in the oven by sending wet cans into it at 160 degrees and take it out when the drops on their walls completely disappear.
Hold the screw caps in boiling water for 15 minutes just before screwing the cans, and sterilize the plastic ones together with the containers.
How to make squash and apricot jam
Cooking steps:
- Grate prepared zucchini on a coarse grater or cut into arbitrary pieces and put in a saucepan. Add a little water and simmer, crush into puree.
- Send apricots, cut in half, to a separate container. Add a small amount of water and boil. If dried apricots are used, it must be left soaked in 500 ml of water overnight.
- Combine two prepared masses, add sugar, zest and juice from two lemons to them.
- Put the container with the future jam on high heat, and after boiling, reduce it to medium, leave for 35 minutes, stirring often until thickened.
- Pour the finished product into hot jars, tighten them with lids.
- Turn each container with jam upside down, cover with warm clothes and leave for 24 hours.
Storage conditions
Store the cooled jam jars on a common shelf with the rest of the preservation. As a rule, a dark and cool room is used for this. Under such conditions, the jam will be usable for 1 to 3 years.
