Marmalade, jam, conserve, molasses...What is Difference?

I often see confused looks and wrong names for different fruit conserves. Here is basic explanation, which I hope will help understanding the difference.

Cesto vidim zbunjujuce poglede i pogresne nazive za razlicite vrste konzerviranog voca. 
Evo osnovnog objasnjenja, za koje se nadam da ce pomoci razumjeti razliku, te da mnogi vise nece dzemove zvati pekmezom.

Marmalade - Mostly made from citruses, but any fruit can be used (and /or mixture of a few different fruits); made by boiling fruit, pulp,  juice and peel with sugar and water
(original marmalade was made from quinces (Portuguese  Marmelo = quince)

Marmelada - Uglavnom je pravljena od citrusa, ali bilo koje voce (ili mjesavina vise vrsta voca) moze biti koristeno. Kuha se voce u cijelosti, znaci izrezana kora, sok, i unutrasnjost vocke sa vodom i secerom. (originalno potjece iz Portugala, gdje su se dunje najprije koristile; 
Marmelo = dunja) 


Marmalade / Marmelada


Jam- pieces of fruit boiled with sugar; Berries are used mostly, but also stone fruit.

Dzem - komadici voca ukuhani sa secerom; Uglavnom se bobicasto voce koristi, ali takodje kostunjicavo.


Jam / Dzem


Molasses - boiling fruit juice only, into a thick (honey-like) consistency.

Pekmez - nastaje ukuhavanjem SOKA odredjenog voca, tako da se dobije gusta (kao med) konzistencija.


Molasses / Pekmez


Conserve - whole fruits boiled with sugar (and other helping agents)

Slatko - cijelo voce ukuhano sa secerom (i drugim dodatnim tvarima)


Conserve / Slatko

Rose Petals Cordial

Rose petals are edible. In Bosnia (and many other countries) they're used for making cordials and jams. Only non-hybrid roses can be used, as only they have specific smell / aroma. Red roses give beautiful refreshing drink, while white roses are mostly used for jams.

Ingredients: (for 1L of cordial)
6 large red roses (petals only), quickly washed in cold water
1 1/2 tsp citric acid granules (from your supermarket)
a 500 ml jar with lid
water
1 1/4 cup sugar + 1 cup water (for syrup)
Method:
Place rose petals into a jar, sprinkle citric acid on top and pour water to the top. Close the lid, shake jar well until citric acid solved. Place jar into sunny spot for at least 48 hours.
After 2  days, strain water with rose petals into a bottle. Boil sugar with 1 cup water and let it cool slightly. Pour it in bottle with rose water and shake well. Keep refrigerated. Use as cordial.
Note: If you boil strained petals with 1/2 cup sugar (6-8 minutes in microwave), you'll get rose jam!

Sirup od Ružinih Latica

Kao sto znate, ruzine latice se mogu koristiti u prehrani. U nasim krajevima (a i sire) se koriste za pravljenje sirupa i dzema. Samo ne-hibridne ruze mozete koristiti, jer imaju specificnu aromu, za razliku od hibridnih, koje gotovo da nemaju nikakav miris. Crvene ruze se uglavnom koriste za pripremanje sirupa, dok se bijele ruze upotrebljavaju za pravljenje dzemova.

Potrebno: (za 1 L sirupa)

6 velikih crvenih ruza, latice saprane u hladnoj vodi

1,5 k limunske (citricne) kiseline - granule

1/2 L zapremine tegla / galon sa poklopcem

voda

1 1/4 solje secera + 1 solja vode - za sirup

Nacin:

Smjestite latice ruza u teglu, pospite sa limunskom kiselinom i zalijte vodom. Zavrnite poklopac, dobro izmuckajte sadrzinu i ostavite na suncanu poziciju najmanje 48 sati.

Nakon 2 dana, procijedite sadrzaj u flasu od 1 l. Prokuhajte secer sa 1 soljom vode, malo prohladite. Naspite u flasu sa ruzinom vodom i dobro promijesajte. Smjestite u frizider; koristite kao sirup za osvjezavajuci napitak. 

Napomena:  Ako preostale latice ruze prokuhate sa 1/2 solje secera (u mikrovalnoj 6-8 minuta), dobicete dzem od ruza!

Strawberry Jam from Microwave Oven

Following recipe is from my draft...No cooking today, as my town is hit by 45*C heat!

Why cook jam on the stove  for hours, stir it all the time and be in danger of burning your skin by splashing hot jam? This method takes only 30 minutes of cooking time and gives amazing results; beautifully smelling,  no preservatives, homemade low sugar jam ... no splashing and burning included!

Ingredients:

500 g strawberries (2 punnets)

1 cup sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon 

(Clean jars with fitting lids)

Method: 

Rinse strawberries in water and soak them for 10 minutes (this will help pesticides and other toxins resolve). Rinse again, drain and clean them. If large, cut into small pieces. Put strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into a tall glass / ceramic (oven-proof) dish that is at least twice the capacity of strawberries (so there is enough space for boiling / cooking). Cook 5 minutes on high, stir and cook for 25-30 minutes on medium, opening every 5 minutes and stirring it (this will help escape  moisture from the oven). Carefully take out and spoon into clean jars. Close the lids and let it cool (as they cool, lids will retract the extra air trapped inside and hermetically lock it). After opening a jar, keep refrigerated. Unopened jars can last up to 6 months.

Džem od Jagoda iz Mikrovalne Pećnice

...iz 'drafta'...Nema kuhanja danas, jer je u mom gradu vec 45*C!

Zasto kuhati dzem na stari nacin;... satima stajati nad stednjakom, mijesati i biti u opasnosti od dobijenih opekotina od dzema sto prsce? Ova metoda uzima samo 30 minuta od vaseg vremena i daje odlicne rezultate; divan mirisan, bez konzervanasa, domaci dzem sa malo secera...bez prskanja i opekotina!

Potrebno:

500 gr jagoda

1 solja secera (250ml)

sok 1/2 limuna

(Galoni / staklenke sa poklopcima)

Nacin: 

Operite jagode pod mlazom vode, ostavite ih 10 minuta u vodi (da se pesticidi i drugi toxini otope), isperite ponovo, ocijedite i ocistite. Ako su prevelike, isjecite ih. Stavite jagode, secer i limunov sok u posudu koja je pogodna za mikrovalnu upotrebu i najmanje 2 puta veceg kapaciteta (za prostor pri kuhanju). Kuhajte nepoklopljeno 5 minuta na najjacoj moci, promijesajte zatim smanjite na srednju jacinu i kuhajte jos 25-30 minuta, otvarajuci mikrovalnu i mijesajuci svakih 5 minuta (ovo ce pomoci vlazi iz jagoda da izadje). Pazljivo izvadite dzem, i kasikom ga smjestite u tegle / galone. Poklopite svaki i ostavite hladiti. Pri hladjenju, zrak koji je unutra ce se povuci i tako cete dobiti hermeticki zatvorene tegle. Neotvorene mogu trajati 6 mjeseci; jednom kada otvorite, drzite u frizideru.

Kiflice ( Kiflitseh) - Classic of eastern Europe

Every country in eastern Europe has some kind of kiflice. These are coming from  countries of former Yugoslavia. 

Ingredients:

500 g flour

1/2 cup  milk, warm

1  (7 g) packet of instant yeast

2 tbs sugar

200 g butter, softened (or 175 g lard)

100 ml sour cream

1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

jam for filling

icing sugar for dusting / rolling in 

Method: 

Mix yeast, 1 tbs flour and 1 tsp sugar with milk. Let it activate. 

Mix all dry ingredients, add butter, activated yeast and sour cream. Make a soft dough, kneading for at least 5 minutes. Divide into 4 balls and let it (covered) double in a warm spot. After an hour or so, roll out each ball into a (large dinner plate size) circle. Cut wedges (8 or 12) with pizza cuter. Place 1/2 tsp of jam on each end of dough, fold corners then roll towards sharp corner (picture bellow). Place kiflice on a baking sheet, cover with clean cloth and let it rest for 30 min. Preheat oven to 170*C, bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool slightly, then roll each into icing sugar. Lasts for a week, stored in a cool, dry spot.

Kiflice

Mnoge ih zemlje imaju, ali su nase najbolje!

Potrebno:

1/2 kg brasna

1/2 solje mlakog mlijeka

1 pakovanje  (7 gr) instant kvasca

2 K secera

200 gr  maslaca, omeksalog (ili 175 gr masti)

1 dl kajmaka / vrhnja

1 k ribane limunove korice (ako zelite)

dzem za filovanje

secer u prahu za uvaljati 

Nacin:

Pomijesajte 1 K brasna i 1 k secera sa kvascem i mlijekom, ostavite da se aktivira.

Pomijesajte sve ostale suhe sastojke, ubacite kvasac, maslac i vrhnje. Mijeste tijesto  bar 5 minuta; podijelite na 4 lopte pokrijte i ostavite nadolaziti. Nakon 1 sata (otprilike) razvaljajte svaku loptu na velicinu velikog tanjira. Rezite kao picu na 8 ili 12 dijelova. Na kraj svakog dijela stavite 1/2 k dzema, pritisnite uglove pa zarolajte prema kraju. Postavite na pleh, pokrijte i ostavite 30 minuta na toplom. 

Ukljucite rernu na 170*C, pecite 12-15 minuta. Malo prohladite pa jos tople uvaljajte u secer u prahu. Mogu trajati 1 sedmicu na hladnom i suhom mjestu.

Parisian Pastry

Evoking my memories from Paris...

Ingredients:
1 sheet of puff pastry (25X25cm)
8 teas jam
1 teas corn flour
icing sugar for sprinkling
(or Nutella, thick custard...for filling)
Method:
Take the dough out of freezer, and let it defrost.
Mix jam and cornflour well, heat in microwave oven until start bubbling. Let it cool.
Divide puff pastry into 8 equal pieces. Cut surface of 4 of them, so it represents a 'mesh' (2 rows of 2 cm cuts with a space of 1 cm; In between those cuts, from middle to middle make another row of cuts). Use pastry cutter for 'mesh' effect if you got it.
On whole pieces of dough put some of thickened jam: place 'meshed' part, press the edges with your fingers.
Bake 10 min, on 200*C; dust with icing sugar and enjoy!




Pariška peciva

...evociranje sjecanja na 3 dana u Parizu

Potrebno:
1 list lisnatog tijesta (25X25cm)
8 kasicica dzema po zelji
1 kasicica gustina
malo secera u prahu
(ili Nutela, gusci puding...za punjenje)
Priprema:
Izvadite tijesto iz zamrzivaca, ukoliko takvo koristite.
Pripremite nadjev za peciva: dzem i gustin pomijesajte, pa ga ‘zgusnite’ . Dovoljno je da kratko prokljuca (mikrovalna ili na ‘vatri’). Ostavite hladiti! U medjuvremenu podijelite lisnato tijesto na 8 jednakih dijelova. Jednu polovinu svakoga dijela narezite na ‘mrezu’ – napravite proreze 2 cm dugacke, sa razmakom od 1cm. Treba da dobijete 2 reda proreza. Izmedju tih proreza (od srede do srede), narezite druge – tako kada tijesto blago rasirite dobijete efekat mreze. Pri tome pazite da ivice tijesta ne prorezete!
Na citavi dio tijesta nanesite po malo gustog dzema, pa preklopite sa narezanom polovicom. Krajeve pritisnite prstima.
Pecite na 200*c 10-ak minuta.
Pospite secerom u prahu i uzivajte!
Posluživanje
Ovakva brzinska peciva mozete puniti guscim pudingom, Nutelom…
Najbolje ih je konzumirati dok su jos topli.

Shortbread Bells

                                                                                                                                         With oil dough

They melt in your mouth!
There are 2 options for the dough; one with oil, other one with cream cheese. Both are wonderful!

Ingredients:
-(Oil dough)
500 g flour
1/2 teas baking powder
200 ml sour cream
200 ml oil
jam and icing sugar

-(Cream cheese dough)
200 g butter, soft
80 g cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar (50 g)
lemon zest or vanilla essence
350 g flour

Method:
Mix first 4 ingredients (5 ingredients in second option) and make a dough. Leave it to rest for 20 minutes.
Roll the dough out to thickness of 2 mm on a floured surface; dust with flour all the time. Cut out circles 5 cm diameter; place them on a baking sheet, and put 2 sides together close to one edge to form a bell/Lilly shape. Put jam in a little bag, cut the corner off, and squeeze the jam into bell cavity. Bake 10 min on 160*C.
When slightly cooled, dust with icing sugar.


                                                                       Cream cheese dough


Prhki Zvončići

Tope se u ustima!
Imate opciju za tijesto sa uljem, ili sa krem sirom. Obje su podjednako divne.

Potrebno:
(Tijesto sa uljem)
500 gr brasna
1/2 kasicice praska za pecivo
200 ml pavlake/kajmaka
200 ml ulja
dzem i secer u prahu

(tijesto sa krem sirom)
200 gr maslaca, omeksalog
80 gr krem sira, sobna temperatura
50 gr secera
ribana korica limuna ili vanila
350 gr brasna

Nacin:
Umijesite tijesto od prva 4 sastojka (5 sastojaka u drugoj verziji), ostavite odmarati 20 minuta. Na pobrasnjenu povrsinu, razvaljajte tijesto do debljine od 2 mm. Vadite krugove precnika 5 cm. Poredajte na pleh, pa prstima savijte krajeve jedne strane da formirate zvoncice.
Stavite dzem u manju plasticnu kesu, odrezite joj vrh pa u svaki zvoncic istisnite malo dzema. Pecite 10 minuta na 160-170*C. Kada se malo prohladi, pospite secerom u prahu.