Many are waiting for the winter, because it is a time of miracles, magic and snowflakes. But, alas, it is also a time of progressive colds. Over the year, our immunity is greatly weakened and needs additional strengthening by the means that nature has given us. Very few people are unfamiliar with the beneficial properties of viburnum. It cures many diseases, but in winter it is very difficult to get it. Harvesting viburnum for the winter is an easy process, just think in advance that you will need it during the freezing cold. In this article we will reveal all the secrets of the preparation of this "berry doctor" for many months.
Preparation of viburnum for the winter: how to choose berries for storage
Whatever method of preserving viburnum you choose, Do not forget to follow some simple rules for picking and preparing berries:
- berries must be fresh;
- do not use overripe and too green berries;
- wrinkled and rotten fruit should be discarded;
- berries must be dry;
- remove bones, stems, twigs and any debris;
- wash the berries, dry and start the process;
- Prepare the container and storage place in advance.
Did you know? The scientific name of the plant Viburnum comes from the Latin 'viere' - to bind or weave. In ancient times, branches of viburnum were used for weaving.
How to freeze viburnum for the winter
The easiest way to preserve the nutritional value of viburnum berries for a long time is to freeze them. You can do this in various ways: put the bunches in containers or wrap them in bags and put them in the freezer; You can pick berries and decompose a thin layer, then freeze and divide the packages into equal parts.
Specialists serving refrigeration equipment claim that a temperature in the range of -23 ... -18 ° C is suitable for freezing. At this temperature, viburnum, like other fruits, vegetables and berries, will store its properties in an icy shell from eight months to a year. Thus, you will have a supply of vitamins by next season. You can freeze the berries and at a temperature of -8 to 0 ° C, only the shelf life is immediately reduced by three times.
Berries are best kept in the freezer in convenient amounts for you. A small volume is better and quicker to freeze, and, consequently, it is stored longer. Why is this so important? The whole thing in re-freezing products, which is strictly prohibited to do, as viburnum will lose suitability. Divide the berries into such portions to immediately prepare the entire contents of the container or hermetic package.
To preserve the shape of the berries, it is better to use cellophane bags and small plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. All this can be found in the usual supermarket in the crockery department. Due to their shape, such containers are conveniently and compactly placed inside freezers. If you need to freeze a really large amount of berries, then a small life hack on saving in-camera space will not interfere. Plastic containers can be used as molds for plastic bags.
Make it very easy. Pour a small amount of berries in the bag and put in a container, evenly distributing the fruit. Put everything in the freezer. When the viburnum in the bag freezes and turns into a regular rectangular layer, empty the container and continue until the harvesting of the berries is complete. Of course, the process will take more time than using containers for its intended purpose, but saving space is obvious.
The following method will freeze the berries so that they do not stick together. In the freezer select one or more shelves. Cover them with thick plastic. Prepare the berries - sort, wash and dry. Then put them in portions in the freezer, distributing in a single layer on the shelf. After a few hours, remove the batch and fold it into containers or bags and return it to the freezer.
Did you know? Healers believed that viburnum endowed with magical properties. And the women told the tree about their sufferings and sorrows.
The option of preserving viburnum rubbed with sugar
Freshly ground viburnum, harvested for the winter in sugar, is not only very healthy, but also extremely tasty. For the preparation of such a therapeutic dessert, you need only two ingredients: sugar and, in fact, the berries of viburnum.
First of all, separate all the berries from the branches and rinse them well. Let the water drain. Transfer the clean berries into a large bowl and chop with a blender until smooth. Now mash the puree through a fine sieve into another clean bowl. The process is time consuming, but worth it.
With each kilogram of viburnum should get about 700 grams of pure puree. Pour there 1 kg of sugar and stir until dissolved. Pour the sweet mass into clean sterilized jars and twist it with metal threaded caps or roll it up as preservation. Put in the fridge.
Important! Kalina, ground with sugar, you need to impose only a clean and dry spoon.Add the mass to warm water and stir to get a tasty and healthy drink. Kalina, harvested according to this recipe for the winter without cooking, can be stored in the cellar. For this, it must be pasteurized, laid out in banks, for half an hour. Kalina, ground with sugar, will retain all its tastes, so that in the winter you will enjoy only useful delicacies.
Preservation of viburnum juice
Even in ancient times, they knew that you can cook a lot of delicious things from viburnum, for example, the most useful juice for the winter! Recipe juice from viburnum following:
- Wash the berries on the bunches, then separate them and squeeze through a juicer or double gauze.
- Pressed cake press boiled water, cover with a lid and boil on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Strain the broth, mix with the juice, add sugar to taste and heat to 85 ° C.
- Pour into cans or bottles and cover with boiled corks or caps. Ready juice from viburnum can be stored either at home on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, or in the cellar.
Important! Viburnum juice is extremely useful, but it cannot be consumed in such a concentrated form. Be sure to dilute it with water.
Using juice, you can make a syrup from viburnum, and the recipe is as follows:
- Take the following ingredients: vanilla, water, 1 liter of concentrated juice and 1.5 kg of sugar.
- Remove the viburnum from the branches, clean the berries from debris and peduncles. Rinse them under cold water and place in an enamel bowl. Fill with clean cold water so that it covers the berries slightly.
- Put the tank on a small fire and boil until the viburnum is completely softened. When the fruit starts making juice, explain it.
- Take a saucepan and put a colander on it, covered with a thick layer of gauze. Pour the boiled berries with broth. Well squeeze cake. Viburnum juice will have to stand for at least three hours.
- Then carefully pour everything into another clean pan so that the precipitate does not get there. Add all the sugar there. Put on the fire and stir constantly, heating until all the sugar is dissolved. To improve the taste, add vanilla.
- Bring to a boil and pour into sterilized jars, then roll them up. Turn the jars down with a lid and wrap a warm blanket. Store either in the refrigerator or in the cellar.
How to cook viburnum for the winter
During the winter period it is very important to monitor your health and take preventive measures to strengthen your immunity. In its pure form, viburnum berries are very useful, but it fruits only in a certain period, and its taste is tart and bitter. As soon as the period of full maturity comes, you can cook viburnum for the winter.
Morse from viburnum
Cranberry juice is a delicious drink full of healthy vitamins. It is recommended to take doctors for the prevention of many colds. Also, juice from viburnum remarkably boosts immunity and improves gastrointestinal function. Since the berries of viburnum tart and slightly specific to the taste, you will need to stock up on a lot of sugar.
For 1 kg of viburnum fruit you will need 700 g of granulated sugar. Berries can be taken both fresh and frozen. Rinse them with cold water. If you use viburnum with sprigs, then separate them.
Important! This should be done as carefully as possible so that the most valuable Kalin juice does not disappear in vain.Rub the berries through a sieve. You should have about 0.5 liters of juice with a good result. Pour the cake with water and bring to a boil over the fire. Boil for 4 minutes. Squeeze the cake well and throw it away.
In the finished broth, pour the specified amount of sugar and stir until dissolved. Then add kalin juice to it. Cover the pot and leave to infuse for three hours in a cool place. Mintberry juice is ready. It can be poured into glasses and immediately filled with health or poured into sterilized jars, closed with a lid and put in the refrigerator. Morse is not stored for long, but for a couple of months you can enjoy it.
Kalinovo jam
The options for making jam from viburnum are a great many, each of which will appeal to everyone who was previously skeptical of this berry. In order to maximize all the beneficial properties of viburnum berries, Try to minimize thermal manipulation. Therefore, a recipe for viburnum jam without cooking was invented.
This recipe will require fruits collected after the first frost. This berry will give less bitterness. Jam is prepared quickly, it turns out tasty, but it has a small shelf life, although it can be significantly extended when stored in the refrigerator. In winter, raw jam is a very big gift for your body, just a storehouse of vitamins and nutrients.
To cook raw jam, you need to carefully pick viburnum and free from branches, rinse well under a tap and twist through a meat grinder or grind with a blender.
Pour the resulting mass into sugar and mix thoroughly until it dissolves. Proportions observe 1: 1. Pour the jam into clean sterilized jars, close tightly with the lids and send to the refrigerator.
What just do not make viburnum - various combinations with other berries, fruits, honey, but the classic always remains in demand. To cook the classic viburnum jam, you need the following ingredients: 1 kg of fresh viburnum, 2 cups of water and 800 g of granulated sugar.
- Rinse fresh viburnum under running water and detach from bunches. Go through and throw out the spoiled one.
- Put the fruit in a heat-resistant dish and pour in 1 glass of water. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and put the tank with viburnum there. Simmer until the berries soften.
- Take a pan, pour sugar into it and fill it with a second glass of water. Mix well, bring to a boil. The result should be a thick and uniform sugar syrup.
- Take the finished berries and put in a container of syrup. Cook for half an hour on low heat, stirring all the time.
- Remove the jam from the stove and let it cool and brew for six hours. When time passes, put the jam on the stove again and bring it to readiness, often stirring and removing the foam.
- Pour still hot jam on sterilized jars. Roll the covers with the key for preservation.
Did you know? Previously, people believed that viburnum removes the evil eye and drives away evil spirits. Therefore, they hung her hands in the corner of the hut, which was called red.
Kissel
Kalina is primarily valued as a very useful berry, so various recipes using it for the winter cover many areas of home cooking. For example, Kalinova Kissel - one of the most famous recipes. Its preparation does not take much time and money, it is a favorite delicacy of many, and to a greater extent - children. Kalinov kissel can be drunk and only cooked and cooled. For 200 g of viburnum, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 6 tablespoons of starch and 4 liters of water are used.
Kalina well rinse and separate from the branches. Explain. Put in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Ten minutes, boil over medium heat. Then strain the broth and again put on the fire to boil. Add sugar, stir. Dissolve starch in a glass of cold water. Gently pour in the decoction, stirring constantly. Bring the jelly to a boil and turn off the stove.
How to prepare compote of viburnum
Perhaps compote is the simplest, tasty and refreshing thing that can be made from red viburnum. Consider the classic cooking recipe.
Important! Before you start cooking compote for this recipe, be aware that the inherent bitterness of Kalina will not be eliminated, but it can be softened. Just add to taste mint and cloves. It will also give some spice to the drink.
To prepare the classic Kalina compote you will need the following ingredients: 2 kg of viburnum berries, sugar, 800 ml of water. Rinse the berries under cold tap water. Dry and transfer to a deep bowl. Pour 100 g of sugar. After half an hour, mash the fruit and drain the juice. Berries with sugar, put in a saucepan, add cold water and put on maximum heat. After boiling remove the foam and try the water.
If necessary, add more sugar. Stir and reduce heat. Boil 7 minutes, removing the foam. Add decanted juice, mix and cover with a little sliding it. Boil for 5 minutes at minimum heat. Remove the pan from the stove and close tightly. The drink should be infused under the lid until it cools completely. After that, put it in the fridge.
How to cook viburnum jelly
We consider the universal recipe for viburnum jelly:
- Rub the berries through a sieve. To remove bitterness, lower them to boiling water for five minutes.
- Mix the obtained kalin puree with sugar in proportions 1: 1 - this is for those who like sweeter, or 2: 1.
- Bring the jelly to a faint gurgling and boil on a low fire, stirring regularly, until sticky jelly pieces remain on the walls of the pan.
- Pour into clean sterile jars and tighten them tightly.
You can cook jelly for an hour longer, like jam. If you took a double dose of sugar and covered with threaded caps, this preservation can be stored at room temperature. If the caps are nylon, sugar is added less, and the heat treatment lasts less, then this jelly should be only in the refrigerator or cellar.
Did you know? Since ancient times, viburnum - a symbol of maiden beauty. In ancient Russia, it was called a wedding tree, and she always participated in all wedding ceremonies. Clusters of viburnum decorated wreaths, festive tables and dishes.
Dried brush viburnum for the winter
Both outdoors and at home you can dry viburnum. As such she can very long retain its beneficial properties and taste.
Take brushes of viburnum and gently rinse them under cold water. Cover the baking parchment on a baking sheet and place the viburnum on it. Preheat the oven to 60 ° C and set the berry to dry. Leave the door slightly ajar.
In the open, select a shaded area and place the tassels of viburnum on cloths or tie them in bunches and hang them.
When the berries are completely dry, tear them off and fold them into glassware or rag pouches. It is best to store in a dry and ventilated area.