Eggplant Jam: Recipes

Eggplant is not always cooked fried or salted for salad. A dish such as eggplant is also called a dessert with a surprise. This Armenian recipe shows what delicious cooking can be done with a little imagination.

General directions

Each ingredient must be washed and prepared in advance. Please note that according to the recipe, the presence of only small vegetables is important, because even at the stage of preparation they will be put in syrup whole, only without peel. It is removed carefully so that the insides are soft.

Note! Removing bitterness is the most important point in all recipes.

First, the vegetables can be soaked in cold water. And if it is salted, then the effect will be much better. In some cases, housewives resort to using slaked lime or soda.

After all, the eggplant will be cooked in a very sweet and thick syrup. It is possible to add citrus fruits and nuts. As for spices, many housewives prefer cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom or vanilla. If they are needed only for syrup, then it is necessary to cook in a special gauze. It is folded into a bag, and then squeezed out well, taste and smell remain.

Making eggplant jam according to the Armenian recipe

This nation has its own special flavor. Therefore, their jam contains citric acid and cardamom. It all starts at the purchase stage. If you can find very small and soft fruits, then you can leave the peel on them. Medium vegetables are equally chopped and placed in syrup.

Of the ingredients you will need:

• Eggplant - 3kg.
• 1.8 liters of water.
• Carnation asterisk.
• About 5 kg of sugar.
• A teaspoon of cinnamon, as much cardamom and citric acid.

Water is needed for the syrup, so it will sweeten to obtain the necessary consistency.

Cooking process:

1. Vegetables are poured with cold water for several hours. Moreover, they are covered with a thin cloth, which is covered with a layer of limestone. After two hours, bitterness is completely removed. In the absence of limestone, baking soda is added to the water.
2. After the vegetables are thoroughly washed and boiled in boiling water for no more than 5 minutes. Then everything merges into a colander, and medium and large fruits are cut into small pieces.
3. The syrup is prepared according to the above recipe. At the time of readiness, add eggplant, and everything is cooked for half an hour. After it is covered and cooled. When the temperature reaches room temperature, it is necessary to add citric acid, cinnamon and cardamom. And cloves must be powdered in advance.
4. The finished jam is brought to condition, which takes about 40 minutes. After spread neatly in jars and cleaned in a cold place.

Lemon Recipe

This jam is fragrant and not very sweet. The fruits used should not exceed 10 centimeters in length.

The following ingredients will be required:

• 10 non-solid eggplants.
• A pound of sugar.
• One 200 gram glass of water.
• Lemon.
• A teaspoon of cinnamon.

Cooking process:

1. Before soaking, eggplant needs to be prepared. So, the tips are removed. Also, each vegetable is pierced through the center through. You don’t need to cut anything, but you can make a small hole. In the end, each eggplant should be laid directly in the pan. One tablespoon of salt is added there. Everything is filled with water and remains so for one hour.
2. The next step will begin by washing the fruits with salt. It is even better to squeeze them several times under cold water.At this time, in another pan, water should already boil under the process of short-term processing of eggplant. It lasts only a minute, after which the vegetables go outside.
3. The syrup is prepared according to the technology described at the very beginning. At the end, cooked eggplant and a little zest are added to it. Within 15 minutes, everything boils. After everything has cooled, boiling is repeated again for 10-15 minutes. Next, the syrup is cooled.
4. The next step is to squeeze the juice out of the lemon. It is better to use a juicer, but you can cope with this task with your hands. This juice is poured completely into the already prepared jam. Next, cinnamon is poured and everything is boiled for 20 minutes. By readiness, you can eat.

Armenian recipe with nuts

This method includes the presence of walnut kernels. You shouldn’t even try adding anything else.

Of the ingredients, you will need the following:

• a kilogram of eggplant and as much sugar;
• 200 grams of walnuts;
• two tablespoons of lemon juice;
• a teaspoon of cinnamon and cardamom.

Cooking process:

1. Each eggplant is cut into large pieces. One side should not exceed two centimeters. Ready vegetables are laid out in a pan and soaked in cold water. Moreover, the fluid is replaced several times over the entire time. After each piece is carefully wrung out.
2. To make syrup, pour half a liter of water on the whole amount of sugar. It should be saturated and a little thick. When the water boils, slices of eggplant are added. All cook for 30 minutes. If a foam forms, then it is immediately removed.
3. The next step is to cool the jam. Moreover, it should stand at room temperature for at least 5 hours. Each eggplant fruit should be soaked in good quality. While everything happens, the preparation of nuts begins.
4. Each core is sorted. There should be no garbage! All pieces are carefully chopped. The condition should be average. If there is a corresponding experience, then they are also dried in the oven. In no case do not overcook.
5. Nuts are poured into jam, and then cinnamon, lemon juice is added. If there is no lemon, then citric acid is suitable - just a teaspoon. At the end, the treat will languish for 30 minutes.

Video: gourmet eggplant jam