Concentrated fruit juice without added sugar is called pekmez, and sometimes treacle or macun.
The unique sweet temptation, invariably prepared in the past in our country, has the consistency of honey, but is made from fruits that are rich in sugar. Grapes, sugar beets, watermelons, plums are suitable products from which you can prepare pekmez.
Juice is obtained by squeezing the fruits or after boiling and pressing them.
It does not contain preservatives, artificial enhancers, flavorings and thickeners, which makes it a completely pure, ecological and natural product. Pieces of fruit or vegetables can be added to the juice, which adds different nuances to the taste of the finished product.
Technology of making pekmez
The fruit from which the pekmez will be made is prepared and pressed to squeeze out the juice. The liquid is poured into a large cauldron or a wide pan, which has been previously heated on the heat.
It is boiled with constant stirring until thickened. The resulting product has the consistency of liquid honey.
If desired, pieces of fruit are added, with about a kilogram of fruit being added to 15 kg of the pekmez. The fruit is added when the juice is half-thickened.
The taste can be improved by adding slightly toasted walnuts or almonds. The pekmez is poured into storage containers after it has cooled completely, so that the fruit can be well soaked.
Grape and Apple Pekmez
Required products:
12 liters of grape juice
2 kilograms of apples
A few leaves of geranium or 6-7 cloves for flavor
About 300 grams of sifted ash
A solution of 5 liters of water and 150 grams of slaked lime
Important points when boiling pekmez
The grape juice must is mixed with the sifted ash or the same amount of white soil and, after it has clarified, it is poured and placed in the cooking vessel.
The apples cut into pieces are left in the slaked lime water for 1-2 hours, washed well and then added to the semi-concentrated juice. If the fruit being added is quince, the pieces are left in the slaked lime water water for no more than an hour so that they do not harden too much.
All processes of preparing this jam, ancient delicacy are done manually, they are not subject to mechanization and this makes the whole process of preparing pekmez very laborious. However, the result is worth it.
Consuming pekmez
The jam is suitable for direct use. It can be spread on slices of bread, on mekitsi, rolls, cookies and all kinds of pastries. Boiled pumpkin with pekmez is a dish prepared for major holidays. Sweets, homemade cakes and muffins acquire a new taste sensation with this unique homemade jam.
Here's how to make it:
- plum pekmez;
- date pekmez;
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