Pine cone jam is not only tasty, but also healthy!

Composition and calorie content

The energy value of pine cone jam is relatively low - it is only 180 kcal per 100 g, which is much less than that of other delicacies, for example, made from berries. At the same time, pine cones, which serve as a protective shell for the seeds of this plant, contain many useful substances that are also stored in the jam. This part of the plant contains essential oils and aromatic substances, tannins that give them a viscous taste, phytoncides, fatty oils, terpene compounds, etc.

The most beneficial ingredients for health are phytoncides. Their very name, consisting of the Greek and Latin words "plant" and "kill", speaks of the mechanism of their action. They protect the plant by killing pathogenic microflora, and not only bacteria, but also fungi. In particular, it has been proven that pine phytoncides destroy E.coli and Koch's bacillus, which provoke tuberculosis, not to mention weaker pathogenic microbes. This is the reason for the beneficial role of pine cones in general and jam in particular, since phytoncides are still preserved during heat treatment.

Pine cone jam also contains the following vitamins and minerals:

1. Vitamins of group B. These are several different substances, the effect of which on the body can be called multifaceted. On the one hand, they normalize metabolic processes, on the other hand, they have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, on the third, they are necessary for the normal functioning of the central nervous system. The B vitamins contained in this jam strengthen the blood vessels and relieve the increased anxiety so characteristic of the inhabitant of the modern metropolis.
2. Carotene. It is useful for metabolic processes and blood vessels, but it is especially important that it provides good vision.
3. Vitamin K is involved in many vital biochemical processes, including it is needed to strengthen bones and for normal blood clotting.
4. Vitamin C. It is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substance. It is partially destroyed when cooking jam. But even the amount that remains is enough for the body to resist infections, especially since ascorbic acid also has immunostimulating properties.
5. Vitamin E is also a fairly strong antioxidant. It is often referred to as the beauty vitamin. Indeed, its properties make it possible to maintain the skin in good condition, preventing its premature aging. It is also essential for proper metabolism.

The vitamins in pine cone jam alone are enough to support physical activity, increase stamina, improve cognitive performance and fight various diseases. But the composition of the jam also includes useful minerals.

Here it is worth mentioning, for example, aluminum and chromium, which are quite rare in plant products. The first has a beneficial effect on the digestive tract, and is also good for the skin. Chromium is important for normalizing blood sugar levels. The jam also contains iron, the lack of which can lead to anemia and thyroid gland pathologies. Finally, there is also copper, which significantly improves the condition of the skin and hair.So pine jam from young cones has more than just general tonic properties. It can be called a delicacy of beauty.

Benefits for men and women

For women, pine cones can be useful in relieving pain during menstruation. Funds based on them will help with cystitis. They will not only eliminate pain and inflammation, but also kill the infection that caused it. And if you mix buds with some herbs, you can cure many gynecological diseases.

Cones can also be used to solve the problem of excess weight. They help control appetite. Women can also use the bumps for cosmetic purposes. The microelements and vitamins contained in the buds nourish the skin and hair, making them elastic and strong. Thanks to its antioxidant properties, a pronounced anti-aging effect can be obtained.

Men will be interested to know what is the use of such jam for them. Means based on pine cones can improve potency, improve reproductive function, and also prevent the development of such a formidable disease as prostate cancer.

Why pine cone jam is useful

This dessert has a peculiar, but quite pleasant taste. In folk tradition, pine cones have always been used as a medicine. Modern official medicine, after many years of research, has confirmed some of the properties that rumor attributed to both cones and jam from them. It is currently believed to have:

1. Antibacterial and antifungal properties.
   It is thanks to the phytoncides mentioned above that jam helps to fight infection caused by various pathogenic microorganisms.
2. Antiviral properties.
   The substances contained in pine cone jam help the body to provide decent resistance to the virus. At the same time, even the most unpleasant manifestations of it, such as fever, chills, headache, runny nose and cough, this delicacy can at least soften, or even completely remove.
3. Toning and restorative effect.
   Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. And this jam contains substances that strengthen the body, normalize all the most important biochemical processes, relieve chronic fatigue and drowsiness, improve the psycho-emotional state, eliminating anxiety and irritability.
4. Expectorant properties.
   This is very important for any illness accompanied by a wet cough. The mucus accumulating in the bronchi can aggravate the situation, lead to the development of negative consequences and complications. The use of pine jam allows you to get rid of phlegm and avoid stagnant processes in the bronchi and lungs.
5. Vaso-strengthening properties.
   The use of this delicacy is very useful for normalizing the work of the heart muscle. By strengthening the walls and increasing the elasticity of blood vessels, the risk of stroke is also reduced.
6. Pain relieving properties.
   Studies have shown that jam has an analgesic effect, albeit not as pronounced as that of finished preparations. It is recommended to use jam for joint pain. In addition, it is used for external compresses in order to deliver active substances to the affected areas as quickly as possible.
7. Digestion-improving properties.
   This jam improves the work of the pancreas and stimulates intestinal peristalsis, and in a rather mild way that has practically no contraindications.
8. Antineoplastic effect.
   Recent studies have shown that the high content of antioxidants helps prevent the formation of malignant neoplasms.

Pine cone jam is also used as a remedy after influenza or a long-term infectious disease, since it has a beneficial effect on all body systems.

Aromatic and tasty pine cone jam, of course, cannot replace a full course of antibiotics for pneumonia or tuberculosis. But it is an important adjuvant that enhances the effect of drugs. At the same time, it can be used to treat almost any diseases of the respiratory system, regardless of whether they were caused by fungi, microbes or viruses. Bronchitis, pleurisy, bronchial asthma - in all these cases, 2 tbsp. spoons of jam a day can work wonders.

Jam has a slight diuretic effect. Unlike finished pharmaceutical preparations, it does not wash out useful substances from the body, but, on the contrary, makes up for their deficiency. In any case, this jam will help relieve puffiness and even avoid venous stasis. In addition, it normalizes the level of hemoglobin in the blood, which has a beneficial effect on the circulatory system as a whole.

Finally, as early as the 18th century, research has established that cone jam is an anti-scorching agent. It helps to cope with inflammation and pain in the gums, which is the prevention of vitamin deficiency (although in those days there was not even such a term, sailors and explorers in Siberia had already encountered this phenomenon).

Like pine cones themselves, jam based on them enhances the production of gastric juice. This helps with gastritis with low acidity, but makes it necessary to use dessert with caution in the presence of pancreatitis or peptic ulcer disease - even in remission.

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What diseases can be cured?

Coniferous jam is used for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Medicines based on pine cones are successfully used for:

• bronchitis;
• ORD, ODS;
• flu;
• pneumonia;
• sore throat;
• scurvy;
• asthma;
• hypertension;
• stagnation of bile;
• helminthiasis;
• vitamin deficiency.

The beneficial properties of cones are explained by the phytoncides that are part of them. Thanks to them, the jam effectively kills viruses and bacteria. Sweet dessert effectively relieves painful cough in case of bronchitis, pneumonia, ARVI and asthma.

Treatment of respiratory diseases with its use is easier and faster. Those who regularly eat pine cone jam get sick less. After all, resistance to all kinds of infections is significantly increased. Jam helps to fight chronic fatigue, constant drowsiness, decreased body tone, which accompany many in the winter.

Pine cones contain antioxidants, so lovers of jam from them at the same time carry out the prevention of cancer.

Contraindications

It should be understood that, as with any other sweets, there are a number of contraindications and restrictions. For example, pine cone jam is given with caution to children as it can cause allergies.

This delicacy is contraindicated:

• in the presence of chronic kidney disease;
• acute form of hepatitis;
• hypersensitivity to its ingredients;
• diabetes mellitus;
• pregnancy and lactation.

Elderly people, who often have age-related disorders in the functioning of the kidneys and liver, should also use this jam with caution.

If a person tries a delicacy for the first time, he needs to listen to his own well-being. If there is discomfort in the stomach, a red rash appears, nasal congestion due to severe swelling, then it is better to immediately give up the jam and take an antihistamine, because all the symptoms listed above indicate an allergic reaction.

How to choose cones for jam

Pine has two types of cones - male and female. The former are something like soft spikelets that appear on young shoots. In most pine species, they are yellowish or reddish in color.But for jam you need young female bumps. They are usually small, with soft scales, and in almost all pine species they are bright green (and then darken) or immediately have a brownish color. These buds do not need to attract the attention of insects to pollinate. And they need such a color in order to better absorb heat, under the influence of which the useful substances described above are formed in them.

It is very important that the buds meet certain quality requirements for these fruits. Looking for female cones, dense enough, covered with ribbed small scales, resinous. They should be small, green (most often a light brown tint indicates that they have already begun to harden, and jam from them will not work), without any defects. In no case should such fruits be revealed. If they start to open - that's it, it's too late to cook them or make a tincture. The average bud size needed is 2.5–4 cm. The firmness of the buds should be checked. It is enough to prick the surface with a knife to see how well it lends itself.

You need to collect them away from the tracks, in an ecologically clean area, otherwise the jam will not bring the desired benefits. And the pines themselves, from which these cones are harvested, must be healthy - such trees should not show signs of rot, damage, the presence of any pests, reddened needles, etc.

Theoretically, buds can be stored indoors for quite a long time, up to a year and a half, provided there is good ventilation. But in order for the jam to turn out to be healthy and tasty, you need to cook the fruits that have just been picked, at the most - those that have lain down for a couple of days.

When to collect

The hostess has literally two weeks of time to collect the cones. You need to collect young cones, and in different climatic conditions they appear at different times. In central Russia, the optimal time is late June, in more northern regions, early July. In the Crimea and Krasnodar Territory, you can harvest fruits already at the end of May.

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How to make pine cone jam: recipes

Before boiling the jam, you need to prepare all the necessary ingredients and choose the appropriate cooking method, since there are several popular options.

Classic pine cone jam

First you need to take a suitable cooking container. This can be a bowl or saucepan. But enameled dishes are not suitable for such jam, you need to take aluminum, copper or stainless steel. It is desirable that the walls are thick enough, then the sugar and jam will not burn.

It is also very important to properly prepare the pine cones. They must be sorted out, because during the collection it is not always possible to consider the presence of defects. Then be sure to rinse them in running water. But this is not enough, many housewives advise soaking the cones in cold water for several hours to make it easier to remove floating debris, sand and needles.

The finished pine jam should have a beautiful pinkish brown color, and you don't even need to add food coloring to it. A properly prepared dessert should taste honey-resinous.

In the preparation of jam in the classical way, there are generally accepted proportions - for 0.3 kg of pine cones, 1 liter of purified water and 1 kg of granulated sugar are taken. At the same time, jam can be prepared in several ways.

The first option is the simplest. For this, the washed cones are poured with water so that it is literally 1–2 cm above their level. After that, sugar is poured into the container, brought to a boil and kept on low heat for an hour and a half. During this time, the bumps become soft. Some housewives boil it in three steps, removing it half an hour after boiling, leaving it for an hour in a dark place, bringing it to a boil again, etc.In some recipes, jam is boiled over low heat for an hour, covering a saucepan or basin with a lid, and then infused in a dark place for 12 hours before pouring into jars.

The second option is to mix the cones into the ready-made syrup. They make jam like this. The cones are washed, then soaked. Meanwhile, the sugar is thrown into the water and the syrup is boiled, stirring constantly, and then the cones are thrown into it, brought to a boil over high heat and left on low for another hour.

The third option - the cones prepared in the way described above are boiled over high heat until they become soft. This takes about 20 minutes. After that, they are taken out with a slotted spoon and temporarily set aside. In the meantime, they cool down, prepare sugar syrup. Cones are then thrown into it and boiled over low heat for 25 minutes.

Cone-free jam

There is a variant of jam in which the cones are not left. The proportions are the same as indicated above. The buds are simmered for four hours. Then put the pan with the resulting mass in a cool and dark place for 10-12 hours. The result is a fairly strong pinkish jelly. Throw the cones out of it, add sugar and boil until it dissolves. In the future, such jam can be used to prepare various desserts. And if you add agar-agar to it, you get marmalade or jelly.

Cold cooking method

Pine jam can also be prepared using the so-called cold method. To do this, you need to take the smallest and softest pine cones, rinse and sort them as described above. These small buds are usually easy to cut, so you need to chop them up, roll each bite in sugar and lay them in layers in a prepared glass jar. In this case, each next layer is additionally sprinkled with sugar. Banks are covered with gauze or a linen napkin and placed in the sun. Shake them periodically to completely dissolve the sugar. At the initial stages, the sun speeds up biochemical processes, which is exactly what is needed to prepare a dessert. But when it is ready, the jars are closed with lids and placed in a dark place.

Pine cone jam with honey

It will require 130-140 young cones, 1.5 cups of sugar, 0.5 cups of liquid flower honey, 100 ml of purified drinking water. It is prepared as follows: pre-washed cones are covered with sugar, then honey and water are added and left for 60-70 minutes. After that, the prepared mass is boiled over high heat, removed to a minimum and cooked until it becomes thick. This will take about 15 minutes. From time to time it is necessary to remove the emerging foam. Then the jam is cooled and poured into jars, which are closed with sealed lids.

Jam with cones and lingonberries

Since these berries are a natural antibiotic, a treat prepared from them will be doubly useful - both for treatment and for the prevention of influenza and SARS.

For 2 kg of young cones, you will need to take 4 kg of sugar, 1 glass of lingonberries, 2.5 liters of purified water. The syrup should be prepared first. Pour water into a saucepan with sugar, mix, bring the syrup to a boil. In the meantime, you can tackle the bumps. They are washed under running water and, when the syrup boils, they are put in a saucepan. Lingonberries are sorted out, washed, then pounded with a pestle. True, modern housewives prefer a blender in such cases. The lingonberry mass is added to the pan to the cone jam, mixed, brought to a boil and left under a closed lid, without lighting a strong fire, for another hour. The jam is cooled, transferred to sterile glass jars and hermetically sealed with lids.

Pine jam with pine nuts and cinnamon

This combination gives the finished dessert an exquisite aroma, makes the taste more delicate and softer, while all the ingredients are very useful. But making this jam will be a rather laborious process.

For 1 kg of washed young cones take the same amount of pine nuts, 1 kg of sugar and 1 liter of purified water. Cinnamon is added to taste, the main thing is not to overdo it. To begin with, all the ingredients should be prepared. The hardest part is with pine nuts. They need to be peeled and then calcined in a frying pan without oil for 10-15 minutes. Stir the nuts regularly to prevent them from burning. Meanwhile, the buds are washed, covered with water (it is best to let them stand for an hour to collect the emitted resin) and bring to a boil. After that, you can add pine nuts, cinnamon and sugar to them, actively mixing all the ingredients. The jam should be simmered for another 2 hours. Stir it periodically and skim it off. Then it is cooled and transferred to sterile jars.

Pine jam with orange zest

For 0.8 kg of young cones, take 1 kg of sugar, the peel of one large orange, 1 liter of water. As with the previous recipes, the pine cones are washed and soaked in water for at least an hour. Then they are washed again, poured with water, orange peel, cut into thin strips, sugar are added and left over low heat. The foam from the jam is periodically removed with a slotted spoon. In total, it should be cooked within 1.5 hours. During this time, cans can be sterilized. The cooled jam is poured into prepared containers and sealed with lids. Can be added to jam and lemon zest.

Pine jam with lemon juice

For 1 kg of young pine cones, take the same amount of granulated sugar, 0.5 liters of purified water and 60–80 ml of lemon juice. Cones should be prepared in the usual way - by rinsing them in running water and soaking them for at least an hour. Then they are washed again, covered with sugar, filled with water and left over low heat for 2 hours. About 10 minutes before turning off the heat, add lemon juice to the sweet mass. Some housewives replace it with citric acid - half a teaspoon will be enough. By the way, lemon prevents the jam from becoming sugar-coated.

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Cooking method with pine nuts

And now I suggest you prepare a real natural medicine, since we will add pine nuts to the healthy coniferous fruits. Can you imagine what kind of deliciousness it will turn out? Of course, I advise you not to imagine, but to cook and taste.

Ingredients:

• Young green pine cones - 1 kg;
• Sugar - 1 kg;
• Water - 1 l;
• Pine nuts - 250 grams.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the collected raw materials, remove the debris, and cut off the branches. Cover everything with water and leave overnight.

2. When time has passed, start preparing the sugar syrup. To do this, put water on fire, add sugar, and constantly stirring the liquid, bring it to a boil.

3. As soon as the syrup boils, pour the prepared buds into it.

4. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. At this time, peel the pine nuts.

5. When your mass begins to boil well, remove the foam from the surface. Fill in the nuts. Boil for 5-10 minutes. Turn off heat and cool slightly. Pour the contents into sterilized jars, close the lids.

What spices are suitable for pine jam

Today, many housewives add spices to their usual fruit or berry jam. But the spices will go well with the cone delicacy, revealing its taste and aroma even more fully. For these purposes, you can use cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric (saffron is also possible, but it is very expensive), as well as nutmeg. Spices are added to taste, but it is very important not to overdo it with them. For 1 kg of pine cones, you can add cinnamon on the tip of a knife, and for a few kilograms - a pinch or half a teaspoon.Spices will make the jam even more useful, but it is necessary that they do not cook for a long time, otherwise their active substances will be destroyed. Therefore, it is better to put them about 15 minutes before the jam is ready.

Jam storage rules

The optimum temperature for storing pine cone jam is from 0 to + 20 ° C. The humidity should be 70%. In such conditions, the jam can be stored for about a year, that is, until the next restocking.

Therefore, you can keep it in the refrigerator - there you can provide all the conditions so that the product does not lose its useful properties. But in general, any fairly cool and dark place would be a good option (for example, a closet on an unheated balcony). It is important that the jam does not come into direct sunlight, as this will destroy the beneficial substances.

Pine jam has a strong aroma, so it is not recommended to store it in the same place as foods that quickly absorb odors, such as cheese and dairy products. It is best to keep it on a shelf with other closed cans. And, of course, the jam itself also needs to be kept only with the lid closed.

Beneficial features

In terms of medicinal properties, essential oil is the most beneficial in the product. It boosts immunity and stimulates the proper functioning of the circulatory system and the production of white blood cells. Buds have antioxidant properties that prevent chronic ailments.

• Among the useful properties, it should also be noted:
• antibacterial;
• antifungal;
• blood-purifying;
• soothing;
• choleretic;
• diuretics;
• antivirus;
• anti-inflammatory;
• expectorant.

How to take pine cone jam

Experts warn that pine cone jam is only beneficial if consumed in small quantities. To improve health, it is enough to eat 2-3 teaspoons of a treat per day, washed down with warm tea without sugar.

In folk medicine, there are also certain rules for the use of jam for various diseases, in particular:

1. With angina, pine cone jam disinfects the throat, helps cleanse it of the waste products of bacteria, and relieves pain. It also lowers the temperature. For recovery, you need to drink tea with pine jam three times a day (add 1 tsp to the drink). Tea should be warm, but not hot, so as not to injure the mucous membrane. You can also dilute the jam with water and gargle with it. This medicine is taken in exactly the same way for bronchitis. Only sometimes doctors advise to drink the jam with a large amount of liquid, for example, after a cup of tea, drink another glass of water. It is best to take this medicine within two weeks.
2. For any diseases accompanied by a cough (unless we are talking about allergies and angioedema), so that it goes into the wet stage, and the patient can cough up phlegm, you need to take 2 tablespoons of jam. in a day.
3. For asthma, 2 tbsp is recommended. divide the jam into 5-6 receptions. Moreover, you cannot drink the delicacy. And it should be taken one hour before meals or two hours after.
4. For cardiovascular diseases and hypertension, jam can be effective, but you need to take it for a long time - at least two weeks, or even longer. It is also advised to use it to improve blood circulation after a stroke in the recovery period. This also requires long-term treatment - at least for a month, you will have to drink this medicine in 1 tbsp. in a day.
5. With parasitic infestation, when there is an infection with worms and lamblia, traditional medicine recommends eating a tablespoon of this dessert on an empty stomach in the morning without drinking it or eating it. After 30 minutes, you can have breakfast. These helminths do not tolerate the substances contained in the cone jam. The course of treatment is designed for a week when it comes to getting rid of worms.If there are giardia, the jam will need to be taken for two weeks.

It should be remembered that with a parasitic infection, jam does not in any way get rid of helminth larvae, so you will have to drink pharmaceuticals at the same time as traditional medicines. In any case, you should consult your doctor before using it.

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To read

Is it okay to eat bumps

Of course, you shouldn't eat buds raw. If only because it is not tasty.

Important! Jam is useful in the morning on an empty stomach, washed down with 2 tbsp. l. with a glass of warm water. This will be useful for those who wish to bring their weight back to normal.

But you can cook a lot of useful medicinal products from them:

• decoctions, infusions and teas;
• alcohol tinctures;
• honey or jam.

All of them have a beneficial effect on the body, toning it up in the morning, and in the evening helping to relieve stress after a hard day. These cooking recipes are simple. They won't take much of your time. Therefore, you can eat healthy buds, but only cooked. The dessert has an intense pine aroma. It's easy to chew and very healthy.

If you eat jam every day, you can forever forget about vitamin deficiency, flu, colds, sore throats. In those situations where it is urgently required to increase immunity, improve the effectiveness of treatment of various pathologies of the body: the nasopharynx, lungs, stomach, such a delicacy will come to the rescue. Considering that this is a seasonal product, do not forget to collect the cones at the end of May and cook delicious and healthy jam for yourself and your loved ones.