In the middle of summer, blackcurrant berries begin to ripen in the infield. It has a relatively short harvest period and ripe fruits may begin to crumble. Therefore, it is necessary to take care in time and choose the right method of harvesting blackcurrant for the winter.
Pick your recipe
Black currants for the winter can be prepared in several ways. It is well exposed to thermal effects and retains useful vitamins and minerals. Blackcurrant is very rich in vitamin C and contributes to an increase in hemoglobin in the blood.
Blackcurrant jam
To prepare the jam, large and ripe berries are collected, which are sorted, rotten and damaged, and also too small, are removed from them.
Then, the selected berries are washed and blanched in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, and then cooled with cold water. After a little drying, the berries of black currant are poured with syrup. This will require 1.5 kg of sugar and 2 cups of water per 1 kg of berries.
Then cook on low heat until cooked in one go. After cooling, they are laid out in jars and closed with lids.
Blackcurrant compote
Ripe and dense berries are ideal for compote. They are washed, damaged ones are removed and laid out in banks. Then blackcurrant is poured with sugar syrup in a ratio of 1 glass of sugar per 1 liter of water. Banks are covered and sterilized. Many are not afraid of the very beautiful color of the compote, as the berries are boiled, but its taste is very good.
Blackcurrant mashed with sugar
The increased acidity and high sugar content make it possible to harvest blackcurrant fresh without boiling and pasteurization. A very good way is currant berries, rubbed with sugar. For this, the berries are picked and washed. Be sure to dry to avoid fermentation. The berries are mixed with sugar and rubbed thoroughly until the sugar dissolves in the juice. To grind, you can use a colander or crank everything into a meat grinder. The ratio of berries and sugar is 1: 2. Then, the resulting mixture is laid out in jars and covered with lids or parchment paper. You can store blackcurrant, mashed with sugar in the refrigerator, cellar or dry basement.
In addition to all these common methods of harvesting blackcurrant for the winter, you can also freeze or dry its berries for future use. For freezing, the berries are washed, dried from water and laid out in bags. Then placed in the freezer of the refrigerator. And you can dry naturally in the sun or in special dryers. These berries are stored in dry and dark places. In winter, it can be used to make tea.
Everyone knows about the usefulness of blackcurrant, so it remains only to learn how to preserve its useful properties for the winter period of time.