Homemade jams for children: 5 snack recipes
Can jam be given to children? How can I make jam at home? What jams can I make? These are the questions that mothers ask themselves on the subject. Here are some tips and 5 easy recipes to prepare excellent homemade jams, perfect for snacks, breakfast and snacks!
Jam and its benefits for everyone
Jam – which would still be better called jam – is an excellent way to get children to eat fruit, both in season and out of season. In fact, jam was born as a way to preserve fruit, its flavor and properties over time.
And if it is true that in the transition from fruit to jam, just as happens in cooking vegetables, some vitamins are lost, it is also true that most of them are preserved and the minerals contained in the fruit remain intact.
In addition to the supply of vitamins and minerals, marmalade also brings a large contribution of energy, which helps children to cope with times of day with a lot of activity. Therefore its consumption is recommended for athletes and also for children who exercise during the day.
Another of the virtues of marmalade is that it allows children to eat both the pulp and the peel, therefore the whole fruit (which is normally difficult to do with children). This allows children to take on all the fiber contained in that fruit and this will help ensure the correct functioning of intestinal transit.
With homemade jam we are sure of obtaining a truly genuine product. We can use fresh and excellent quality fruit and we can also try to combine different fruits together to obtain jams with the most unusual flavours. All this without using dyes and preservatives and if you want, even without using sugar.
Making homemade jam for the kids
To prepare a good jam for children, the things to pay attention to are:
- the type of fruit suitable according to the weaning period and the child’s tastes (apples, pears, plums, apricots are the most “peaceful”, peaches, strawberries, wild berries are the most allergenic)
- the right degree of maturity of the fruit , which is recognized when the fruit is fragrant and the pulp yields slightly under the pressure of a finger (therefore it must not be too woody or too ripe)
- how much sugar to add We are well aware that sugar should really be used in moderation in children’s diets, but it is also true that sugar is one of the basic ingredients in addition to fruit. Generally the ratio is 1:1, i.e. one kilo of sugar for every kilo of fruit, but it is not a strict rule and in the case of jams for children it can go down to 5/600 grams of sugar per kilo of fruit. Even less using brown sugar.
- However, if you wish you can also make a sugar-free jam , choosing to add natural sweeteners such as cinnamon or ginger or slightly more mature fruits and naturally richer in fructose such as strawberries, figs, plums, apples, apricots and persimmons. Adding an apple cut into small pieces for every pound of fruit used helps to obtain a thicker sugar-free jam (the apple is a fruit naturally rich in pectin ).
Jams for children: 5 basic recipes
Making jam for children and with children is an excellent way to make them consume fruit and make it more “interesting” to their eyes. A slice of bread with jam is in fact perfect for breakfast and a snack or a snack (although we know that jam can also be used to prepare pies, crepes, biscuits and homemade desserts).
What better way is there to explain to children that jam is good and healthy for you than to teach them how to make it? Below are the recipes for making the most common jams.
Apple jam
After having washed and peeled 1 kg of apples , put the pulp in a large saucepan with the juice of half a lemon and 500 g of sugar. Leave to marinate for about 1 hour.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. When it has the right consistency, remove the saucepan from the heat. If you like a finer jam without lumps, puree the jam with the mixer. Pour the still hot jam into dry, sterilized jars. Let cool and cover. Put in the refrigerator to keep it.
Pears jam
Peel and cut 1 kg of ripe pears (leave the peel if they are organic). Place in a saucepan and add the juice of 1 lemon and a little sugar so that the pears produce their juice. Leave to rest for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Now add the rest of the sugar (400 grams in total) , the cinnamon stick and bring to the boil for 30/40 minutes. Stir occasionally. Leave on the fire until the pieces fall apart and soften or at the desired consistency. If you don’t like pear jam in chunks, when it cools, pass it to the mixer. Put the jam in jars and store in the fridge.
Plum jam
You need 1 kilo of prunes , 600 grams of sugar, the juice of one lemon and a cup of water. Wash the plums well, remove the peel and stone and cut into pieces. Add sugar and lemon juice. Refrigerate (covered) and leave overnight. The next day, pour the macerated plums into a large saucepan and add a cup of water. Stir with a wooden spoon and bring to high heat until bubbly (stirring occasionally).
Turn the heat down to low and cook for 45 minutes or until desired. Fill the jars, let them cool, cover and place in the fridge.
Apricot jam
Wash well 1 kg of apricots , cut them in half and remove the stone.
Put 400 g of sugar , the juice of 1/2 lemon, a spoonful of vanilla and the apricots cut into small pieces in a bowl. Stir and let sit for a couple of hours. At this point, put the mixture in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 30/40 minutes. Remove the foam with a slotted spoon and stir occasionally. When the apricots become golden and soft, turn off the heat and leave to cool. Pass everything through the mixer if you don’t like the jam in chunks. Fill the jars, let them cool, cover and place in the fridge.
Strawberry jam
Get 1 kg of strawberries, 600 grams of sugar and 1 lemon . Wash the strawberries very well and remove the green inside. Cut the strawberries into small pieces preferably lengthwise (especially if you want the jam in large pieces).
Place in a bowl and add sugar on top. Cover it well and leave it in the fridge until the next day as well. Transfer to a large saucepan and add the juice of 1 lemon. Simmer with the pot uncovered and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. With the slotted spoon instead, remove the foam that forms. The cooking time can vary from one to three hours or until desired consistency. Wait for it to cool down. Fill the glass jars close and put in the refrigerator.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.