The best recipes blanks of red currant for the winter

You can save the taste and benefits of red berries by properly preparing it.Fans of home cooking have plenty to choose from: jam, juice, jam and jelly, marmalade - all this can be made from red berries.

Red currant contains a large amount of vitamins. First of all, it should be noted the high content of ascorbic acid, better known as vitamin C. This makes berries a powerful natural remedy in the fight against flu and cold viruses, vitamin deficiency, depletion of the body due to prolonged illness.

However, if we compare the black and red berries, then the first content of vitamin C is still less. But she is a champion in the presence of vitamin A in the composition, bypassing in this black berries.

In addition to this vitamin, red currant contains vitamins A and E, vitamins of group B, and also vitamin K, which is rather rare in fruits and berries.

The presence of iron in the berries allows you to enhance the positive effects of currant on the circulatory system. Thanks to this trace element it is possible to prevent the development of anemia - the blood is saturated with oxygen in sufficient quantities, carrying it to the organs and tissues. High content in currant potassium, strengthens the heart muscle.

The sour taste of berries is due to the presence of organic acids, in particular, malic, phosphoric, folic. The presence of the latter, by the way, makes red currants useful for pregnant women, since folic acid is necessary for the proper formation of fetal organs in the first months of pregnancy.

However, the main purpose of these acids is to improve the digestive process, better processing of food. Acids in combination with dietary fibers of currants improve intestinal motility, accelerate metabolic processes and lipid metabolism.

Phosphorus and vitamin complex of red currant make it useful for the brain. Regular consumption of berries allows you to improve brain activity, allows you to quickly concentrate.

In addition, we should not forget about the immune stimulating and tonic effect of currants. As a rule, signs of chronic fatigue, including intellectual fatigue, appear in the second half of the year, at the end of winter - in early spring. Acceptance of red currants during this period will heal, help to cheer up and remain energetic.

Harm from taking berries threatens primarily those who are allergic to them. If we are talking about blanks of red currant with sugar, the allergic reaction may occur on the sweet.

People suffering from high acidity of the stomach should not eat fresh berries. The same applies to those who have acute diseases of the digestive tract (ulcers, gastritis).

Due to the ability of the berries to influence blood clotting, their consumption should be abandoned to those who have serious diseases of the circulatory system and tend to form blood clots. Do not combine the use of red currant with the reception of anticoagulants.

Pregnancy and lactation are not a contraindication to eating red currants. On the contrary, its sour taste allows women in the position to cope with attacks of toxicosis. However, during pregnancy a woman undergoes hormonal changes in the body, so an unexpected allergic reaction can be detected.

Like all red berries and fruits, red currants are considered allergenic products. During breastfeeding, it can be used only in the absence of a negative reaction from the body of the infant.

Save currants for the winter in several ways. One of them is to cook along with sugar, which will be a natural preservative.Currant can be combined both raw and heat-treated. In the first case, it will be possible to save more vitamins and microelements, however, the calorie content of the dish will increase - more sugar will be needed.

In this case, the preservation of currants involves grinding the berries into mashed potatoes, for which you can use a blender, meat grinder or tolkushku. Then the puree is filled with sugar in the ratio of 1 part of ground berries and 1.5-2 parts of sweetener.

Sweet berry mixture should be given a day or two in order for the sugar to completely dissolve, this will prevent the fermentation processes in the future. After that, the mixture is distributed in sterile jars, a 1 cm layer of granulated sugar is poured on top and the container is closed with nylon covers.

Canned currant berries are perfectly combined with citrus fruits, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries. You can make jam on honey or fructose, in the first case, increasing the benefit and caloric content of the dish, in the second - reducing the energy value.

If the recipe for making raw red currant jam is essentially one (when adding other berries or fruits, they also turn into puree), then there are a lot of recipes for traditional jam requiring heat treatment.

A lover of clear syrup and whole berries in jam can recommend the following recipe.

You will need 1 kg of berries and sugar and 300 ml of water. Berries should be prepared from the liquid and sweetener to cook the syrup. As soon as the last one boils, put the currant in it, bring it to the boil again and then 5 minutes. After a specified time, turn off the jam and leave it to cool.

After this, the procedure should be repeated twice more, bringing the mixture to a boil and boiling for 5 minutes, and then cooling. After the third cooking, the hot jam is distributed in the cans, and the lids are rolled.

Due to the peculiarities of cooking, this jam is called “Five minutes”. After the first cooking, it is advisable to give him time not just to cool down, but also to insist, for which the first “5-minute” is better to spend in the evening, and the second only in the morning.

If you prefer a thicker consistency of jam, then the following recipe may seem interesting.

The ratio of sugar and currant in this recipe is 1: 1, and so that it does not burn, you will also need a glass of water. Berries need to throw in boiling water and blanch a couple of minutes. Then drain in a colander, cool slightly and grind.

Now, in the resulting puree, you need to gradually add sugar and with constant stirring, boil the mixture for 20 minutes over moderate heat. Pour into cans, hermetically close the lids. The dish will turn out to be a beautiful ruby ​​color, with a jelly like texture.

Another way to preserve all the healing properties of red currant is to freeze it. To do this, free the berries from the stalks and leaves, rinse and dry, laying out on a paper towel.

Only whole berries are suitable for freezing without skin damage. All you need is to put them in one layer, not allowing them to touch, on a baking sheet or board and place in the freezer for an hour. After that, pour the berries in the bag and tightly tie. You can start to freeze the next batch.

You can freeze and grated berries. Convenient to use for this container. Sugar can be added or not. This mixture can be further used for the preparation of juices, fruit drinks, jellies. If you freeze it in a mold for ice, you get an interesting addition to the usual drinks. The resulting cubes are also convenient to use for making sauces.

Rubbed currants can be pressed. Get concentrated juice. It should be brought to a boil and roll up the banks.If you put the washed berries on the bottom of the jar and pour syrup (a glass of sugar per 1 liter of water) 2-3 times, you will get currants in their own juice. For this hot syrup is poured into jars, and after 2-3 minutes, poured into the pan again. After being brought to a boil and returned to the bank.

Currant juice produces amazingly beautiful jelly and marmalade in taste and taste. The first dish can be prepared for future use, scrubbing juice and sugar to the desired consistency, and rolling the dish in jars. Some recipes are silent about this, but it is better not to allow the stones to get into the jelly. To do this, squeeze the juice from the mashed mass recommended through 2-3 layers of gauze.

Cooking red currant requires compliance with certain recommendations.

• Before cooking, the berries are washed, freeing from sticks, litter, leaves, and then sorted. Do not use unripe and rotted fruit, as well as those who have damaged skin.
• Enameled cookware and wooden kitchen tools should be used for cooking.
• Despite the high content of acids in the berry, they do not protect the product from fermentation and the appearance of pathogenic flora. To avoid this, only washing the berries and sterilizing the cans and lids helps.

How to cook red currants for the winter, see the next video.