How to make jam from pine cones - the desired dessert with a forest smell

Cheap, special and very tasty.

From the outside, the pine cone jam resembles watery honey. But its taste is different - sweet, but with a resinous note and a slight bitterness. Boiled cones can also be eaten. They turn out very soft, juicy and resemble candy. The cones retain a pleasant pine scent.

Literally no one remains indifferent to this unique delicacy. Especially kids:

What to make jam from

1 kg of young cones (pine cones are ideal, but spruce or larch are also suitable);
water;
1 kg sugar.

From the indicated amount of ingredients you will get about 2 liters of jam.

Where and when to collect pine cones

For jam you need green soft cones that can simply be pierced with a fingernail or cut with a knife. They should be no longer than 3–4 cm.

Do not collect cones in the town, near roads or industrial establishments. Go into the forest and try to find young trees.

The 2nd half of June is the average time for collecting cones, but it may vary depending on the region. In warm regions, cones can be collected already at the end of spring, and in cool regions - until mid-July. It also depends on how late the summer was.

From time to time the cones are sold at the market. If you have no doubt about their origin, buy it. But before that, take a close look at the product.

How to make jam from pine cones

Some people prefer to boil the cones once, but for a long time. Still, it’s better to prepare the dessert in several steps. This way the jam will be the richest and most fragrant, and the pine cones will be saturated with syrup and become tastier.

Carefully wash the pine cones to remove any dust or dirt. If they still have stalks, cut them off with scissors. Fill the cones with clean water so that it covers them by 1.5–2 cm.

Place the pan with the pine cones over medium heat and bring to a boil. Then remove it from the heat, cover with a lid and let it brew for 12–15 hours.

Drain the water from the pine cones. You should have approximately 1 liter of water, but it could be less or more. This amount must be known to find the exact weight of sugar. For 100 ml of infusion take 100 g of sugar. Pour the infusion back into the pan with the pine cones and cover them with sugar.

Place over moderate heat, bring to a boil and cook for another 5 minutes, skimming off the foam from time to time.

After this, remove the pan from the heat and leave the jam covered for 10 hours. Then bring to a boil again, boil for 5 minutes and cool for another 10 hours.

Repeat cooking again, but do not let the jam cool.

Thus, after infusion, the buds must be boiled three times. It is convenient to create this, for example, according to this scheme:

1st cooking - in the morning;
2nd cooking - in the evening;
3rd cooking - subsequent in the morning.

If you create 2-3 more approaches, the jam will become even richer.

Place the pine cones at the bottom of the jars and fill with syrup. After cooling completely it will thicken. Jars of jam can be closed with nylon lids and stored in the refrigerator. Or roll it up and put it in a dark, cold space.

What are the benefits of pine cone jam?

Therefore, almost everyone uses cone jam to relieve fever, bronchitis, cough and runny nose.

On forums, people share the following tips for taking sweet medicine:

For prevention, adults are recommended to eat no more than 2 tablespoons of jam per day, and children over 3 years old - no more than 2 teaspoons.
For healing, adults are recommended to consume 1 tablespoon of jam three times a day, and children over 3 years old - 1 teaspoon.

What you need to keep in mind before eating jam

Jam can cause an allergic reaction, especially in children. So try just a little bit at first. If after a day no signs of allergy appear, you can safely continue to eat dessert.

Pregnant and lactating women, as well as people suffering from kidney disease, should consult a doctor before use. Those who suffer from diabetes should also not indulge in the delicacy.

Cone jam: usefulness and contraindications, recipe and manufacturing development

Jam is a common delicacy loved by children and adults. From childhood, everyone is familiar with the traditional versions of apple, apricot, peach, gooseberry, raspberry, and currant jam. If you want to amaze the guests gathered at your home, offer pine cone jam for tea. This unusual ingredient gives the jam a unique taste and appearance. And how much usefulness there is in this dessert. I will tell you in this article how to make jam from pine cones without the help of others.

Usefulness and restrictions in the use of jam

Medical scientists have proven that pine cone jam has not only preventive benefits. Constant consumption of pine cone jam has a healing effect and affects all systems of the body.

Coniferous plants are used to fight viruses and colds. Jam is no exception; it helps reduce the frequency and duration of the disease (disturbances in normal functioning, performance) .
The smell of pine cones fights lethargy, drowsiness (Hypersomnia is a term denoting the presence of excessive sleep) , increases the body's tone, and resistance to diseases.
Pine cones are effective as an expectorant. For bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma and common ARVI, the product helps get rid of a painful cough.

Tannin, which is part of the cones, strengthens blood vessels and prevents the development of heart attacks and heart attacks.
Perfectly copes with dental, headache, joint and muscle pain.
Improves digestion, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the pancreas.
Possessing antioxidant qualities, it prevents the development of cancer.

Since pine cone jam is recognized as a healing agent, there are a number of contraindications to its use. These include the lactation period and the age of children under 3 years old, previously identified allergies, renal failure and acute conditions of hepatitis.

You may need

Collecting cones

The properties and taste of the product are directly affected by the timely and correct collection of buds.

The average time to harvest buds varies by region. In the south of the country, you can start collecting as early as mid-May. If you live further north, wait until mid-June.
I do not recommend collecting pine cones from trees located within the town. To obtain an environmentally friendly product, it is better to retire to a grove or pine forest.
Choose the right tree from which you plan to collect fruits. Pine must be free of signs of decay or insect damage.
Pay special attention to the correct choice of cones. Only young cones of the first year are collected for jam; they are located on bright green branches. A suitable cone is no more than 4-5 cm in length, it is colorful, juicy, with a fragrant resin. Check the lump by breaking it with your fingernail. If the time for collecting cones is chosen correctly, it will simply be pressed through.

Making jam

To make a traditional recipe for jam from cones, you will need 1 kg of cones, 2 glasses of water and 1.5 kg of sugar. The amount of sugar can be reduced to 1 kg if desired. Wash the cones thoroughly and cut into pieces. The jam will look especially luxurious if each cone is cut into 2 or 4 pieces lengthwise. Mix sugar with water, boil and cook the syrup over low heat until thick. Place the cones in an enamel bowl, pour in syrup, bring to a boil, remove from heat for 4-5 hours. Repeat the function 3 times, during extreme boiling, leave the buds to simmer over low heat for an hour. Place the finished jam into sterile jars, seal and place in a black space to infuse.

If the cones were not collected in a suitable quantity, or there simply weren’t any on the tree, there is a recipe for jam made from pine shoots with similar healing properties. In terms of its beneficial properties, it is not inferior to the pine cone, but is prepared faster and easier. Pour 1 kg of pine shoots with 3 glasses of water, let stand for an hour, boil for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and leave to steep for a day. Strain the broth and squeeze out the shoots. Add sugar to the liquid and return to heat. After 15 minutes of boiling, pour the jam into jars, close with nylon lids, and send to the black space.

Essential advice from gardeners. In the process of preparing raw materials for cooking, cut only a few cones. Leave others whole. Inside the cones, a pink resin will be preserved, which is the source of its usefulness and taste.

Cone jam

Jam from cones has been made since ancient times. The nutritional value of pine cones and the rich vitamin composition make them an ideal component for winter sweets. This dessert is both therapeutic and preventive. It is quite savory, although there may be a pronounced tartness. The best recipes for pine cone jam, the benefits and harms of the dessert will be described in this article.

Cones for jam

From the outside, cone jam is very similar to honey. The delicacy is viscous, from amber to rich brown in color. The only thing that gives the jam away is the rich smell of pine needles, the tart taste and the presence of cones. But you can cook the desired dessert only from high-quality ingredients. So, how to choose cones for making jam?

Cones for jam

The collection of cones is carried out in the middle of May or in early June, when they are young.
It is better to collect pine cones away from roads, factories, and factories.
The pine tree must be healthy. If parasites and strange spots are noticeable on the crop, then it is better to choose another tree.
Only young cones are used, which have not yet hardened and are up to 4 cm long. They are greenish in color, stick to the hands due to the juicy resin, and are very soft - they can be cut without effort and even pierced with a fingernail.
The best jam is made from lady type cones. They have the most intense smell and color. In addition, they can be distinguished by their powerful ribbing.

The number of cones that need to be collected depends on how much jam will be made. On average, the same amount of sugar is taken per kilogram of cones.

The usual recipe for pine cone jam

This version of the dessert is also known as “Bear Delicacy”.

Ingredients:

Pine cones – 1 kg;
Sugar – 1 kg

Manufacturing:

The cones need to be washed and dried well.
The cones and sugar are placed in a container for making jam and filled with water so that the water only slightly covers the cones.
Cook the jam over low heat for approximately 2 hours, depending on how thick the jam is to be obtained. It is important to stir it from time to time so that the sugar does not stick.
During cooking, foam will appear; it must be removed so that the dessert comes out transparent and beautiful.
The jam jars are sterilized and the lids are boiled for 15 minutes.
When the buds turn reddish, this means that they are saturated with sugar and have given maximum nutrients. At this time, the jam is turned off and poured into jars. It is necessary to pack both the syrup and the buds themselves.

The finished preserve is covered with a warm blanket and left to cool for a day, and later hidden in the pantry.

The usual recipe for pine cone jam without cooking

This is a very healthy delicacy, but when cooking you need to do everything according to the rules!

Ingredients:

Pine cones – 1 kg;
Sugar – 1 kg;
Water – 375 ml

Manufacturing:

You need to add sugar to the water and boil the syrup, and then remove it from the heat.
The cones must be washed, dried and cut each into 4 parts.
The prepared pine cones are poured with syrup and left for 3 hours or a little more.
Place the jam on the stove and bring it to 80 °C. After this, the fire is immediately turned off and the jam is allowed to cool one hundred percent.
This heating procedure is carried out 3 times. The finished dessert has a brown color. It is poured into sterile containers and sealed.

For storing jam, it is best to use a refrigerator, cold cellar, or basement.

A quick recipe for pine cone jam without cooking

This version of jam differs in that it is made quickly and without cooking.

Ingredients:

Cones – 500 g;
Sugar

Manufacturing:

The cones are washed and dried. Later you need to cut them into pieces.
Any piece of pine cone is rolled in sugar. Such candied pieces must be immediately placed in jars (they are washed and sterilized in advance) in a 2 cm layer and covered with sugar.
The alternation of cones and sugar in the jars is carried out until the jar is one hundred percent full. There is definitely a layer of sugar on top, not lumps!
Now you need to cover the jar with a cloth (A collection of different and interacting tissues form organs) and place it on the windowsill. Shake the jam every 3 hours.
When the sugar is one hundred percent dissolved, the jam is ready. It is rolled up and placed in the refrigerator.

It is not allowed to store such jam for a long time; it is consumed first.

Honey jam from pine cones

This version of jam resembles honey on the outside and is used mainly to cure coughs.

Ingredients:

Cones – 1 kg;
Sweet Sand;
Water – 3 l

Manufacturing:

Pour washed pine cones and sugar into a saucepan for cooking dessert and add water. Not enough sugar is needed to make a weak syrup. Boil the mixture over low heat for 3 hours, stirring constantly.
After 3 hours, remove the pan from the heat. The jam must steep for 12 hours and then the cones are separated from the syrup.
Sugar is added to the syrup to taste and it is again set on fire (small). Boil the jam from the cones until it becomes light brown, similar to honey. Later, you can distribute it into sterilized containers and seal.

Useful characteristics of cone jam

Pine cone jam has a pleasant taste and healing properties. During manufacturing, the buds do not lose their own disinfectant and antibacterial properties. Therefore, it is believed that this delicacy is capable of killing bacteria, removing toxins (Ancient Greek toxin (toxikos) - poisonous - poison of biological origin) , and waste. It stimulates the immune system.

The benefits and harms of pine cone jam are based on its chemical composition

For various diseases, weakened immunity, simply as a prophylactic, it is used in various forms. It is also used to fight viruses, such as influenza, sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, gastrointestinal diseases (the gastrointestinal tract is the digestive system of the organs of real multicellular animals, designed for processing and extracting nutrients from food) . This is an effective remedy in the fight against apathy, depression and insomnia; it is also prescribed for acquired lethargy.

The benefits and harms of pine cone jam are based on its chemical composition. Pine cone jam, due to the presence of vitamin A (vitamins are a group of organic substances combined by chemical nature, united on the basis of their absolute necessity for a heterotrophic organism as an integral part of food) A, regulates the functioning of the nervous system and improves vision. Tannins in the composition enhance the regeneration of tissues and cells. Phytoncides (another important component) destroy a wide variety of bacteria. In addition, the composition also contains vitamins (a group of low molecular weight organic compounds of relatively simple structure and varied chemical nature) B, C, K, P, essential oils (improves the structure of skin and hair). The dish is moderately nutritious, 100 g of product contains approximately 185 kcal.

How to make pine cone jam

Despite the fact that cone jam can be quite sweet, it is at the same time quite tart, so you won’t be able to eat a lot of it, as is the case with apricot or cherry sweets. Most often it is used as a healing agent. It is recommended to eat a dessert made from pine cones with tea, it is served with pancakes or cheesecakes, and in winter, if you dilute it in hot water, you will get a medicinal compote.

Eating a dessert made from pine cones is recommended with tea

With all this, conventional medicine advises consulting with a doctor before using this remedy, so as not to provoke a bad reaction, because this jam also has a number of contraindications.

Harm and contraindications

In some cases, it is not recommended to use jam from pine cones, and sometimes it is completely unsafe for health. So before you cook a delicacy, you should make sure that it will only bring benefits. So, what are the contraindications?

Tannins, although useful, are unsafe in case of poor blood clotting (the internal environment of the human and animal body) and can cause blood clots. Therefore, if people suffer from atherosclerosis or have suffered strokes, they can eat this dessert only with the permission of the treating doctor.
The delicacy made from pine cones can cause allergies, so it should not be consumed by allergy sufferers, pregnant or nursing mothers, or small children under 3 years of age.
If you have a personal intolerance, eating jam is no better.

For all other people who have normal blood clotting (the internal environment of the human and animal body) and do not have allergies, jam is not unsafe. Personally, it brings a lot of joy in the winter, thanks to its taste, rich color, and nutrition. In jars it looks elegant and has a wonderful smell that the whole family will certainly enjoy.

Cone jam: how to make it, when to collect the cones, benefits for the body

All parts of pine have medicinal qualities. A tasty and healthy jam is prepared from the cones of this tree, the life-giving power of which has long been used in folk medicine. Pine cone jam, which has a light pine smell and delicate taste, can be consumed as an ordinary dessert. But most often it is used to heal a number of diseases.

When to collect pine cones

Young pine cones are collected for healing purposes. Specifically, they are used to make jams, tinctures and balms, which are effective against colds, vitamin deficiency, joint diseases, and low hemoglobin.

The time for collecting cones may vary in different regions depending on weather conditions, most often it is June–August. When collecting you need to consider:

the cones should be small, greenish, without visible flaws;
the cones should not be open;
the average size of the cone is about 4 cm;
the pine tree should not show signs of decay or damage by pests;
You can store cones for a year and a half in a well-ventilated area, no more;
It is better to choose lady fruits - they are resinous, dense and with small ribbed scales.

The end of June is the best period to collect pine cones for jam in Russia.

What are the benefits and harms of pine cone jam?

Cones contain many necessary substances that have a beneficial effect on the human immune system. If you start to get sick, then just eat a couple of spoons of jam. Jam from cones will have a positive effect on the body during influenza, acute respiratory viral infections, as well as lung diseases and low hemoglobin.

Despite the fact that jam has many positive parameters, you should not abuse it. Healing diseases using traditional methods is not suitable for every person, because it has contraindications. For example, if you have diseases (impaired normal functioning, performance) of the kidneys, then do not rush to try pine jam.

It is not recommended to take homemade mixtures containing cones for people with acute hepatitis. In huge quantities, pine cone jam can cause side symptoms (Symptom from Greek - case, coincidence, sign - one separate sign, frequent manifestation of any disease, pathological condition or disruption of any vital process) , such as headache and inflammation (Inflammation is a complex local response of the body to damage) of the gastrointestinal tract. Pregnant and elderly people over the age of 60 should also be wary of prevention or treatment with pine cones.

For preventive purposes, also for colds, you can take 2-4 tablespoons of jam, if you have no symptoms for contraindications.

Recipes

To get a very useful product, you need to follow the secrets and aspects of making pine jam:

It should be cooked as quickly as possible after collecting the raw materials. If there is no such ability, you need to store the collected cones in a fabric bag, but not for more than a month. Otherwise, they dry out and lose their beneficial properties.
It is not recommended to cook dessert in a snow-white enamel pan. During the cooking process, resin is released, from which the dishes are not easy to clean.
Store the finished jam in a dark room at a temperature no higher than 15 degrees.
To extend the shelf life of jam, you must follow the rule: the temperature of the poured mass and the jars must be similar.

The usual recipe for pine cone jam

With a large number of required parameters, pine cone jam has some contraindications. It should not be used for kidney disease, hepatitis, pregnant women, nursing mothers and people over 60 years of age.

Making jam is not difficult. For this you will need:

1 kg of pine cones;
2.5 kg of sugar;
3 liters of water.

sort out and wash the pine cones;
Pour water into a saucepan, add pine cones and bring to a boil;
reduce heat and simmer for another 4 hours;
put the pan in a cold space for 12 hours;
pour the resulting broth into another container, add sugar in proportions 1:1;
add cones and cook over low heat for 2 hours;
Sterilize the jars and fill them with hot jam.

To prevent colds, it is recommended to eat 1 tbsp. l. jam a day with tea, for healing - 2 tbsp. l. per day This medication should be given to children with caution, reducing the dose by half. If you follow all the tips, pine cone jam will help you feel better and strengthen your immune system in the midst of viral diseases.

With lemon

This recipe makes a very healthy and tasty delicacy. In winter, when viruses are everywhere, protect yourself from them with a spoonful of this forest sweet. You can easily prepare and store maximum vitamins and indescribable taste in a jar.

The recipe is very simple and affordable. The main thing is to collect the cones correctly - we’ll talk about this a little lower.

List of required ingredients

young pine cones - 100 gr.
lemon without pit - half
sweet sand - 200 gr.
water - 200 ml.

As necessary, the proportions can be multiplied, tripled, and so on.

Step-by-step manufacturing process:

We sort out the cones, clear them of needles and other debris. We wash them well and put them in a clean pan, where you plan to cook.
We wash the lemon with soap, because we will use it together with the peel. Rinse thoroughly, cut into 2 parts and remove all seeds. For 100 grams of pine raw materials, we need half a citrus. We, in turn, cut it into 2 more parts, and then into thin slices.
Transfer it to the same pan, add sugar and fill with clean water.
Place on the stove and wait for it to boil. Once everything boils intensely, we will cook at moderate power for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When the syrup acquires a pinkish caramel color, turn off the heat.
By that time, wash and sterilize the jars. It is better to choose a small container, because such jam is not eaten in large quantities, and it is not recommended to store it open for a long time. In addition, it is more convenient and quicker to sterilize a small jar in the oven (5 minutes at medium power).
Fill each container to the top. You can use any lids - screw-shaped ones or those used to seal jars.
We close the workpiece, turn it upside down, holding the vessel with oven mitts, because it is very hot. Cover the top with something warm (towel, jacket, blanket, etc.) and let it brew for 12 hours. During this period of time, the contents will cool down and, therefore, undergo additional sterilization.

We store it in a cold basement or a dark place on the balcony.

Recipe with lemon juice

120 grams of pine cones;
1 kilogram of sugar;
1/2 cup lemon juice;
vanilla sugar – 1 teaspoon;
water.

Peeled and washed fruits are poured into a pan and placed on a leisurely fire. Pour enough water into the pan to cover the layer of cones. The contents of the pan must be simmered over low heat for half an hour. After this, the mixture is left to brew for about a day. So much water is poured into the pan so that it covers the layer of cones.

The decoction of the cones is filtered through cheesecloth, sugar and lemon juice are added to it. The resulting mixture is put on fire and boiled until syrup forms. Then add the cones again and boil for another 10 minutes.

This option is doubly beneficial for the body: lemon juice will enrich the jam with ascorbic acid and remove the bitterness in the taste of the finished sweet.

Useful articles from the “Conservation” section: