You are used to jams from supermarkets, but the vast majority of Russians enjoy homemade preserves. Berries are turned into jams, vegetables are pickled. According to a recent survey, 90% of people in Russia eat homemade preserves throughout the year.

9 out of 10 Russians eat homemade preserves, 85% make them at home

Russians are big on home-grown vegies and berries, which they cultivate at their countryside homes, called “dacha“. The idea of having a plot to grow potatoes, vegetables and berries for home consumption was actively promoted during the Soviet times and most families own a small block of land near the city to do some gardening and harvest the crops.

“Dacha” is the place where most Russians spend their weekends in summer, used both for relaxation and gardening pursuits. Rarely people have a home in the countryside without a vegetable garden there.

While saving money is one of the reasons why Russians are making preserves at home, it’s not the only reason. And even people who consider their financial situation as good or very good make preserves at home, as well as get them from family and friends. Only 9% of respondents said they don’t eat homemade preserves at all.

Although more people among the group who consider their financial situation as poor make preserves as compared to the group who view themselves as well off, the difference is not staggering: 22% of families in good financial situation don’t make home preserves, as compared with 17% of families who are poor. In other words, 78% of families who are well off still make preserves at home.

Russian women make the most of it

Gender-wise, it’s mostly women who are making the preserves at home: 69% of females said they do it themselves (as compared to 31% of males).

Only 15% of survey participants admitted that their families don’t make preserves at home, which means, 85% of people make jams and pickle vegies! Or it is someone they live with who does it.

What kind of preserves Russians make?

Apparently, they make them from about anything!

• The most popular vegetable used is tomato (73%): Tomatoes are usually pickled or minced to a paste.
• Homemade pickled cucumbers are in fridges of 70% of Russians.
• Cabbage, which is typically turned into sauerkraut, is processed in 32% of households.
• Berries are also a popular produce to preserve: 24% of respondents do it at home.

Why are they going into such a trouble?

Processing and storing the preserved foods, many of which need to be kept in a cool place, is no doubt a hassle.

Why would Russians go into such a trouble?

• The biggest reason on the list is because it’s delicious: 38% of respondents do it because of that.
• Savings were mentioned by 35% of respondents.
• 32% of survey takers say that the quality of homemade jams and pickles is higher as compared to the food that can be purchased in shops.
• 31% of respondents believe such food is healthy.
• 23% do it to be able to store the crops they have grown.
• 17% simply enjoy making it, while 15% say it’s a habit, they are simply used to doing it.
• 10% of people do it to give as a present to family or friends.

Surprisingly, Russians don’t do it to sell (0%). This could be because people are wary about buying preserved food in markets; it’s fresh home-grown produce that people love to buy in the markets.

Yes, it’s not unusual for people to buy fresh produce in markets to make preserves. In season the fresh produce is cheap, so many people buy vegies and berries and process them at home, using their favourite jam or pickles recipe. It’s still a type of cooking, just with delayed consumption.

• In large cities 53-54% of Russians make preserves from the produce they have grown themselves, as compared with 70-71% in villages and towns with population under 100,000.

Do they manage to eat it all?

• 58% of people say they manage to eat it all by the next season, while 23% say they consume more than a half.
• 12% of respondents eat only a half of what they made, while 2% consume nearly nothing from what they have preserved.

Getting pickles and jams from family members can be a burden, too. You feel bad about throwing good food away, and if you are not a big fond of such products, storing jars in the fridge for some visitors who are potential admirers of homemade pickles can become annoying.

Besides, the kind provider of homemade delicacies always wants the jars back, so that they can be re-used. And once you gave the jars back, you are going to get another portion of delicacies to enjoy. If it’s your mother-in-law, you have to endure it forever — there is no way you can survive the confession that you don’t love her pickled cucumbers.

Ask your Russian girlfriend about homemade delicacies in jars — you will learn how it works first hand!

Data: WCIOM.ru

Read also:

• Economic Crisis in Russia: 46% of Russians Forced To Grow Their Own Food
• How much Russians drink
• Who is the “head of the family” in modern Russia?
• Is it possible for me to meet a good Russian woman for marriage?