REAL JAM RECIPES!

From little up I’m a greatest sweeties lover: chocolate, buns, pastry, fancy cakes and of course cookies. Many tastes of mine have changed, but passion for sweeties remains permanent. It’s strange but I’m astonished at people who don’t like cookies or at worst any sweet – did they forget as they were kids and could eat up a whole ton of candies? When I enjoy my favorite chocolate chip cookies I get carried away into my childhood: my little brother and I sit in the shelter of branches on an old tree behind our house; it’s getting dark and we tell some terrifying stories by the light of a candle and drink milk with cookies…

In one encyclopedia I read that cookies appeared about 10 thousand years ago, at the same time as bread appeared. In other words, history of cookies is a culinary history of mankind. Certainly, they weren’t sweet from the very beginning and for a long time – sugar became a part of human ration much later. I myself used to think that cookies must be sweet, but in fact the taste of first cookies would seem objectionable for modern men.

Cookie was made from different sort of flour: Europeans used wheat flour, and people in the east – rice flour, what is quite clear. Later oatmeal and corn meal were used, just like other flour sorts.

Traveling and migrating, people shared with each other various cookie recipes for centuries. Today we have so many cookie kinds, that one man couldn’t try them for his whole life. They all differ in dough and filling components, icing, form and color. And here I’d like to publish my favorite cookie recipes, like girl scout cookies or christmas cookies (though christmas isn’t in the near future, you can practice a little to get a perfect dish by the time it comes).

Apricot jam is not only extra-tasty – doctors say that apricot seeds contain laetrile, an alternative treatment for cancer. In past centuries this fruit was used against tumors and ulcers.

1 kilo apricots
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup water
1 kilo sugar

1. Halve apricots and take out stones.
2. Combine apricots, water and lemon juice in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover with lid and cook about 15 minutes until apricots are tender.
3. Add sugar and stir. When sugar dissolves, bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes, stirring. Don’t cover.
4. When jam thickens, allow it cool for 5 minutes, and then pour into jars and seal.

I’m not a fan of supermarket jelly, which needs only to be coated with water. home jelly requires much time and effort, but still I prefer its natural taste.

1-2 pears
2 cups pear juice
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp pear liqueur
1 lemon juice
3 cups sugar
1/3 cup fluid gelatinizing agent

1. Combine cinnamon and pear liqueur and leave it for a night. Next day pass through a sieve and pour the extract in a small bowl.
2. Pour pear juice in a big saucepan, add extract and sugar.
3. Peel pears and slice. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
4. Constantly stirring, bring pear juice to a boil and add pear slices. Cook for 2 minutes. Then add gelatinizing agent.
5. Pour jelly into rummers or other ware. Put jelly into fridge to cool.

This easy jam recipe is based on a simple principle – “bring to a boil”. Blackberry turns to be very tender and palatable. Cook it yourself and make certain of that.

1 kilo blackberry
1 ½ kilos sugar
2 cups water

1. Bring water to a boil and add blackberry.
2. Bring blackberry to a boil and combine with sugar.
3. When sugar dissolves, bring jam to a boil once again. Cook over gentle heat 20-25 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and allow jam cool. Then pour into jars and seal.