Cranberry preparations for the winter: dried, jam, frozen, in sugar, compotes, the best recipes

Among the cool peat bogs grows a beautiful low-growing bush, which in early autumn bursts into flames with hundreds of small rubies. This is a cranberry - a berry rich in all kinds of vitamins and microelements, healthy and simply very tasty. The “internal vitamin” world of this berry is incredibly diverse: ascorbic and benzoic acid, citric and quinic, ursolic and malic, vitamin PP, B (the whole group), K, pectins and glycosides, sugars and much more.

Benefit

Perhaps it is this rich combination of vitamins and organic substances that has allowed cranberries to take a leading place among garden and forest berries. It was its beneficial properties that allowed it to take the pedestal and be known as a natural cure for many diseases. For weakened and sick organisms, this berry is simply irreplaceable, mandatory and indicated in all recipes.

However, for an ordinary healthy person, cranberries will not be superfluous in the diet. It boosts immunity, removes harmful substances from the body, helps fight colds and prevent more dangerous diseases. But few housewives know what can be done with cranberries in order to stock up on medicinal berries for the winter and preserve the benefits hidden by nature inside them. Today we will tell you how to properly harvest this berry and what reserves from it can be preserved for the winter.

Storage without preservation

First, let's figure out what you can do with fresh cranberries, besides canning. Our ancestors simply stored cranberries in a cold cellar, carefully sorting out and removing rotten berries and drying the good ones. It is recommended to scatter the berries in a loose layer so that they are well ventilated. Previously, the berries were stored in senets, scattered directly on the floor. But in urban housing conditions, of course, this option will not work. And in this case, you won’t have to expect long-term storage. Cranberries with this method tend to wither and dry out, which is completely undesirable.

Freezing

What can you do with cranberries if you have a large freezer? Of course, deep freeze the berries. This is the second, but most popular way to preserve all the benefits nature contains in this berry. For storage in the freezer, it is better to choose those berries that have already been exposed to frost under natural conditions. As a rule, experienced gardeners wait until the first light frost catches the cranberries, and only after that the berries are picked.

Before freezing, it is recommended to sort out the cranberries and carefully inspect them for rotten spoiled berries. Then rinse, spread on a clean kitchen towel in a thin layer and let dry naturally. After this, we pack the clean and dry berries into bags and store them in the freezer. If you have very ripe berries, then for freezing it is better to choose not cellophane bags, but a plastic container with a lid.

Cranberries in their own juice

For such preparation you need very ripe fruits, preferably “caught” by the first frosts. These cranberries are well suited for making fruit drinks, various cocktails, mousses or jellies.

There are two cooking options:

1. Sort the fruits well, wash with cold water, separate small from large. Mash small berries, for example, with a masher, and squeeze out the juice through cheesecloth. Dry large specimens, place them in a large saucepan, and pour in the juice.

Approximately 10 glasses of large cranberries require 5 glasses of juice. Now we warm up our berry mass, but do not boil. Pour into sterilized jars, cover with boiled lids.

Sterilize jars (half liter jars - 10 minutes, liter jars - 15 minutes). Next, roll up the cans, hide them under a “fur coat,” and send them for storage within a day.

2. Sort out good ripe berries, rinse in cold water, and dry on towels. Next, transfer to a saucepan and simmer at minimum power until the juice releases (you can use a water bath).

Gradually, the fruits will decrease and the amount of juice will increase. When this process stops, you need to distribute the berry mass with juice into clean and dry jars, cover with boiled lids, sterilize the containers for 10-15 minutes and roll up.

This procedure can be carried out immediately in banks. To do this, fill the containers tightly with raw materials and place them in a water bath. The level of berries will gradually decrease, then fill the rest from one jar. When this boiling process stops, simmer for another 10 minutes and roll up.

Dried cranberries

Frozen berry jam

What can you make from frozen cranberries? There are a lot of options: compotes, juices, fruit drinks, jam and purees. But today we will prepare an amazingly tasty and incredibly healthy cranberry jam. It will not contain any unnecessary ingredients. Sugar and berries are the whole secret of making a tender, melt-in-your-mouth and amazingly aromatic jam.

The proportions of the products in this recipe are 1*1, that is, per kilogram of sugar you will need to take the same mass of berries. Frozen berries should be given time to thaw on their own. No microwave ovens!

Place the berries in a large container with a thick bottom and stacks (it is best to take a cauldron for pilaf) and pour in the required amount of granulated sugar. Place the blender into the mixture and grind until smooth. Next, dissolve the sugar by placing the pan on the stove and letting the berry mixture simmer over low heat for five to seven minutes.

All that remains is to remove the container from the heat and, carefully transferring with a spoon, rub the hot berries through a sieve. We no longer need cranberry peels and seeds. The result should be translucent cranberry jam. When it hardens, it will resemble a pliable aromatic jelly.

Cranberry recipes without cooking

There are various options for preparing berries without cooking. Most often, housewives use the classic method, where it is necessary to grind cranberries with sugar for the winter. A jar of treats can be supplemented with the aroma of citrus (orange or lemon), various spices or other fruits, which will make the product more useful. Sugar can be replaced with natural liquid honey, keeping the same proportions.

Cranberries with sugar for the winter: a classic recipe without cooking

To prepare the dessert you will need:

• raw berries – 1 kg;
• sugar – 1 kg.

Recipe for mashing cranberries with sugar:

1. Sort, wash and dry the berries.
2. Grind the raw materials in a convenient way (using a blender, using an electric or manual meat grinder, rub through a sieve).
3. Add granulated sugar.
4. Cover the container with the future dessert with a cloth or gauze.
5. Place in a cool place for 8-12 hours.
6. Prepare jars and lids (wash, sterilize, dry).
7. Fill the container with the resulting mass and seal it tightly.
8. Place in the refrigerator for storage.

Advice!
The most convenient way to grind raw materials is to use a blender. It works quickly and is easier to clean than a meat grinder. If desired, the amount of sugar can be increased to 50%.

Important! In winter, when eating berry dessert, you need to take it out of the jar only with a clean, dry spoon. Failure to comply with this rule will result in fermentation of the product.

Winter recipe for whole cranberries with sugar

To prepare this recipe for the winter, the raw materials do not need to be crushed. You will need:

• cranberries – 1 kg;
• granulated sugar – 1 kg.

Actions:

1. Prepare the berries (sort through, removing debris and spoiled fruits, wash, dry on a towel).
2. Fill the processed jar with whole fruits, alternating with layers of sugar, up to the shoulders.
3. Fill the remaining space up to the neck with granulated sugar.
4. Close the lid and leave to cool.

Attention! Cranberries must be washed thoroughly, as natural yeast is present on their surface.

Mashed cranberries under a sugar stopper

This preparation lasts longer for the winter thanks to the sugar jam.

Required ingredients:

• cranberries – 1 kg;
• granulated sugar – 900 g.

The recipe for grated cranberries is very simple:

1. Grind clean and dried berries.
2. Cover with sugar and place in the refrigerator for half a day.
3. Pour the mixture into prepared jars.
4. Cut out circles from parchment paper whose diameter will be several cm larger than the neck of the container with the workpiece.
5. Place the prepared paper on top of the sweet mass.
6. Sprinkle 3 tbsp on top. l. granulated sugar.
7. Place in the refrigerator.

Cranberries, pureed with sugar, for storage in the freezer

The cranberry preparation can be stored in the freezer for the winter. It is frozen in small portions. This type of storage is convenient because you can get as many treats as you need for a one-time treat. A berry frozen for the winter in this way has less calories than a dessert that is simply chilled in the refrigerator. Sugar consumption is also more economical.

You will need:

• fresh cranberries – 1.5 kg;
• granulated sugar – 300 g.

Recipe:

1. Grate the prepared cranberries.
2. Add sugar.
3. Place into small containers or bags.
4. To freeze.

Cranberries pureed with sugar: recipe with orange

Orange will make the dessert more aromatic and fortified.

Proportions:

• cranberries – 1 kg;
• orange without peel – 250 g;
• sugar – 1.5 kg.

Necessary actions:

1. Grind the berries, before doing this, carefully sort them out, wash and dry them.
2. Grind the pitted citrus pulp through a meat grinder.
3. Mix cranberries, orange and sugar.
4. Place on low heat. Stir the fruit and berry puree thoroughly to achieve a homogeneous mass as quickly as possible. Do not bring to a boil under any circumstances!
5. Pour the treat into prepared jars and close the lids.
6. Once completely cooled, place in the refrigerator.

Cranberries pureed with sugar and lemon

A cranberry-lemon dessert will help against colds in winter. It can be taken both for prevention and during treatment. The treat will be rich in vitamin C, which is abundant in citrus.

For preparation you will need:

• 1 kg cranberries;
• 1 whole lemon.

Making cranberry-lemon dessert is quite simple:

1. Grind the products. Lemon can be used with the peel.
2. Pour 1.2 kg of sugar into the mixture.
3. Stir until smooth. Divide into jars.
4. Seal and store in a cool place.

If you have the ingredients, you can prepare a dessert for the winter with several types of citrus fruits at the same time. The following proportions are observed:

• 1.5 kg sugar;
• 250 g oranges;
• 100 g lemon;
• 1 kg of sugar or honey.

Cranberries, grated with sugar and lingonberries

Raw cranberry jam will become even tastier if you add lingonberries to it. It has a sour, bitter-tart taste. Lingonberries are no less useful than cranberries and are used for the same purposes. Cold jam is easy to prepare, following the step-by-step recipe for the classic version of the dessert. The proportions of cranberry fruits with sugar are 1:1. You can take equal quantities of berries, or slightly fewer lingonberries than cranberries.

Cranberries, grated with sugar and ginger

Ginger root is a powerful antioxidant and a storehouse of vitamins and beneficial microelements. The taste will become much brighter with this ingredient.

Recommended proportions:

• cranberries – 0.5 kg;
• ginger root – 70 g;
• sugar – 600 g.

Recipe:

1. Prepare the berries according to all the rules and grind them.
2. Peel the ginger using a knife or vegetable peeler.
3. Wash the root and place it on a towel to completely remove moisture.
4. Grate the ginger or cut into small cubes as desired.
5. Combine all ingredients.
6. Mix thoroughly until the sugar dissolves.
7. Pour the raw confiture into jars and close with prepared nylon lids.
8. Keep refrigerated.

Advice! Sugar can be replaced with honey. The dessert will gain more beneficial properties. In this case, it is recommended to keep the mixture warm for several hours until the honey is completely dissolved.

Cranberries mashed with sugar and apples

With the arrival of winter, if you have not prepared a cranberry treat in advance, you can make it from frozen berries. You can improve the raw jam recipe by adding apples. It is advisable to choose sweet varieties for this. You can also replace the apple with a pear. Cooking time will take no more than 10 minutes.

Components:

• frozen cranberries - 1 tbsp.;
• apples – 2 pcs. (large);
• sugar – 1 tbsp.

You need to follow simple steps:

1. Remove the cranberries from the freezer and let them thaw a little.
2. Peel the apples, remove the seeds and cut into small pieces.
3. Place ingredients in one container.
4. Grind using a blender.
5. Add sugar, mix.

This treat will not last long in the refrigerator. It can be served immediately. To do this, it is better to take all the ingredients in small quantities. In this case, you can change the amount of sugar to your taste.

Soaked cranberries

If you have large supplies of healthy berries, then you can not only dry or freeze them, but also soak them. Since ancient times, people have known what can be made from lingonberries and cranberries. The berries were sorted, poured into large wooden barrels and filled to the top with ice-cold well water. Some heavy weight was placed on top and the berries were left alone for a month or two.

Nowadays, of course, no one uses tubs and barrels to store berries, but the method of soaking cranberries still exists today. For storage, ordinary glass jars with a capacity of three liters are used. The berry is sorted, washed and poured into a jar. Pour in water or special syrup (1 liter of water, a pinch of salt, a spoonful of sugar, 2 cloves, a pinch of cinnamon).

Dried berries

What else can you do with fresh cranberries? A very popular option is drying. The process is carried out using a special kitchen unit for drying berries, vegetables and mushrooms or the old fashioned way - in the oven. To dry the berries in the oven, you must first rinse them and then boil them for a couple of minutes in boiling water. Next, spread the foil on a baking sheet, scatter the berries and put them in the oven for 4-5 hours. Remember that the layer should not be very thick. Every 30-40 minutes you need to monitor the berries by turning them over.

When the drying is finished, don’t hesitate to remove the berries. At room temperature, it should cool down and “reach” within another 1-2 hours. And after all these manipulations, we put the cranberries into glass jars for storage.

Recipe for grated cranberries with sugar for the winter

This is how “raw” jam is prepared. Sort the raw materials, rinse in cold water and dry on towels. Next, grind in a blender or through a meat grinder.

Add granulated sugar to the resulting mass (take 1.2 kg of sugar per 1 kg of raw materials), mix everything, leave for 1-2 hours so that the sugar dissolves. Place the cranberry puree in clean, dry jars and store in the refrigerator.

You can put it in plastic jars and freeze. To freeze granulated sugar, you can use a little less.

Preparation

As with other storage methods, before cooking the compote, it is recommended to carefully sort out the cranberries, removing bad berries. We rinse them under running water using a colander. Now put the berries in a saucepan, add water, add sugar and do not turn on the heat, but let it sit. Ten minutes is enough for the cranberries to swell. Now you can turn on the heat and cook the berries for compote. It will quickly release all the beneficial juice contained inside and, therefore, useful substances and vitamins.

As soon as the water begins to boil, time it for five minutes. Then turn off the gas and let the compote cool slightly. During this time, you can prepare the jars. It is recommended to wash them thoroughly with soda and sterilize them. If you like berries in compotes, then you can leave them. If not, then remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon, pour healthy water into the jars and roll up the lids.

What can you do with cranberries if you are a lover of compotes? There are a lot of options and combinations:

• cranberry - lingonberry,
• cranberries - sour apples,
• cranberry - mint leaves,
• cranberries – raspberries, etc.

Jam

What can you do with cranberries for the winter if you are a lover of sweet preparations? Of course, jam. We suggest you prepare very healthy and fortified jam from berries, walnuts and apples. It can be served with pancakes, pancakes, or used as a filling for pies, pies, bagels, croissants, sweet pizza, etc.

Required Ingredients

• Cranberries – 1 kg.
• Two glasses of water.
• 1.5 kg of sugar.
• One large green apple.
• A handful of chopped walnuts.

Drying cranberries for the winter

Another way to prepare cranberries for the winter will also preserve the vitamins and minerals that make up the berries, and is characterized by the simplicity of the process itself. In this case, you can dry cranberries:

• in the microwave;
• in the oven;
• in an electric dryer;
• on air.

Before drying the fruits you need to:

1. Select whole, undamaged, ripe berries. Remove twigs, leaves, spoiled berries.
2. Rinse the cranberries with running water.
3. Blanch the fruits in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, transfer to cold water and cool.
4. To make the preparation less sour, soak the berries for 4 hours in syrup (per 1 kg of cranberries and 0.5 kg of sugar), then drain in a colander and dry.

Microwave drying

Dry in the microwave in the following way:

1. Cover the dielectric grill of the oven with a cloth and scatter the berries on top in an even layer.
2. Place the rack in the microwave.
3. Turn on the device at maximum power for 3 minutes.
4. After this, open the microwave door for 2 minutes and stir the berries. Repeat the process 4-5 more times until the fruit is completely dry.

Dried berries

Oven drying

To dry the berries in the oven, you need to pour the prepared cranberries in one layer onto a baking sheet and place them in an oven heated to 70 degrees. Dry the fruits for 7-8 hours, leaving the oven door ajar to allow moisture to escape.

Drying in an electric dryer

The berries are dried in an electric dryer at 55 degrees, packaged on pallets. Periodically, the trays are swapped to ensure uniform drying of all the berries.

Drying naturally

You can dry the fruits very simply by cutting them in half and laying them out in a layer on a tray or wire tray. Then transfer the workpiece to a ventilated balcony or attic and leave until completely dry, stirring the cranberries periodically.

Store the dried product, scattered in fabric bags, or placed in glass jars, in a cool, dry place. You can pour the dried fruits into containers, close the lids and put them in the freezer.

How to cook

As in the case of making jam, the berries for jam need to be clean, processed, free from rotten or unripe “brethren”. To make the cranberries soft and release their healthy juice faster, they should be blanched in hot water for ten minutes.

While the berries are “resting” in boiling water, prepare the syrup. Pour two glasses of water into a deep saucepan, add sugar and place on medium heat. Bring to a boil, wait for the sugar to dissolve. Turn off the heat and add the berries to the pan. Cook over low heat for about ten minutes. This will be enough for the jam to harden later, and for the berry not to lose its beneficial qualities due to exposure to high temperature. At the last stage of cooking, you can add a few slices of apple and a handful of chopped walnuts. Also, lemon zest or even a whole fruit, cut into large pieces, will work great in this jam.

Cranberry Syrup Recipe

This syrup is well suited for soaking cake layers and can be added to tea or berry compotes.

You will need:

• 2 cups – raw materials
• 3 cups granulated sugar

How to cook:

1. Extract the juice from the prepared raw materials, preferably using a juicer.

2. Pour into a large saucepan, add sugar, bring the juice to a boil, cook for another 2-3 minutes on low power.

3. Pour into sterile jars and seal with boiled lids.

Bon appetit!

What can you make from twisted cranberries?

A very popular recipe is grated or ground cranberries with sugar. Such a preparation will be perfectly stored for a long time, and the berry will not lose its beneficial qualities, since it will not be subjected to heat treatment at all.

The recipe requires one kilogram of granulated sugar and the same amount of washed and dried berries. Cranberries should be pureed. A meat grinder, food processor or blender can help with this process. The twisted cranberries are covered with sugar and left for two hours at room temperature. All that remains is to put it in jars and store it in the refrigerator or cellar.

Freezing berries for the winter

Freezing is one of the gentlest ways to prepare berries for the winter, since before freezing cranberries in the refrigerator, they are not subjected to heat treatment, retaining all their beneficial properties.

Attention! You need to pick berries before the onset of cold weather. If the berries have already frozen, you need to carefully remove them and quickly freeze them. In winter, this preparation is convenient to use in tea or a healing decoction.

The process of freezing a product consists of several successive stages:

1. Sort through the berries, removing spoiled ones.
2. Pour into a colander and rinse with running water.
3. Dry well by spreading on towels.
4. Place the fruits on a tray covered with cling film in one layer. Cover the top with cling film and place another row of berries. Cover everything with a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for 1.5-2 hours.

Attention! You can also prepare sweet frozen berries for the winter by mixing dried fruits with sugar in a 2:1 ratio.

Frozen cranberries

1. Pack the frozen cranberries into small bags, tie them, releasing the air from each. You can also use containers with airtight lids or special zip-top frozen food bags to store berries.

Attention! The size of one piece should be equal to the amount of cranberries needed to prepare one dish.

Store the product at a temperature of -18 degrees for a year.

What can be made from cranberries. Preparations for fighting colds

We have already talked a lot about what can be made from cranberries. There are still a lot of recipes left in stock. Very quick to prepare and healthy, the preparation is made from cranberries and honey. A jar of such natural medicine will be just a lifesaver during the period of colds. Two or three spoons of cranberries with honey at breakfast and tea, and your immune system will say a firm no to the flu and ARVI.

The cooking process in this case is very similar to the previous one, only instead of sugar, honey is added to the twisted cranberries in a 1/1 ratio. You can grind the berries using a blender, gradually adding honey. This way the mass will be more homogeneous. Pour it into jars. Store in the cold.

Recipe for preparing whole berries

It is not necessary to grind cranberries to prepare them with sugar. A simple way to preserve whole berries has long been known, so that in winter they can be used to decorate baked goods, various dishes, and prepare desserts.

Proportions:

• Fruits – 1 kg.
• Granulated sugar – 1 kg.

Blank:

1. Carefully sort the cranberries, removing any spoiled or not too ripe ones. Wash and dry the raw materials thoroughly, spreading them in one layer on a towel.
2. Steam the jars and place ¼ of the sugar on the bottom.
3. Place some of the berries on top. Cover with the next layer of sweets and make a row of cranberries again. Alternate layers until you run out of ingredients.
4. The last layer must be granulated sugar - this is an important condition. And one more nuance that needs to be taken into account: be sure to leave 2-3 cm between the sugar and the lid so that the metal of the lids cannot oxidize.
5. Close the jar with a lid and put it on the refrigerator shelf.

Juices

Another option for preparing cranberries for the winter is making juice. The berries must be thoroughly washed. It is recommended to sort them out, discarding bad cranberries. For preparation, take two kilograms of berries and 0.5 liters of water. Pour the berries into the water and, after bringing to a boil, immediately turn off. This is done so that the cranberries soften, and it is easier and faster to squeeze the juice out of them.

Press the juice using regular gauze. It will quickly separate the pulp. Bring the resulting healthy liquid to a boil again, cook with sugar (to taste) for three to five minutes. Pour the resulting juice into sterilized jars and seal with metal lids using a key.

Sugar Free Cranberry Juice Recipe

You will need:

• 2 kg. – selected berries
• 300 ml. - water

How to cook:

1. Wash the raw materials for the juice, sort them, and grind them through a meat grinder.

2. Heat the resulting berry mass in an enamel pan to t = 70 degrees (as soon as the first bubbles appear, turn it off immediately), add water.

3. Berry puree needs to be rubbed through a sieve or colander with small holes, or squeezed through cheesecloth.

4. Bring the resulting juice to a boil, heat over low heat for another 2 minutes, pour into sterile jars and roll up.

Bon appetit!

Cranberry syrup

Pouring

In conclusion, I would like to offer you a healthy and very tasty drink, which is obtained from cranberries through fermentation. This is the answer for those who don’t know what can be done with cranberries, for those who don’t like sweet jams or preserves.

The liqueur is prepared from 750 g of sugar, a liter of water and a kilogram of berries. The fruits should be mashed with a spoon or masher, put into a bottle with a narrow neck, pour water and add granulated sugar.

Tip: It is not recommended to wash the berries, as natural yeast should remain on their surface. Without them, the fermentation process will not begin, and the liqueur will not work.

Mix the ingredients in a bottle and wrap it with gauze. Leave the drink for several days. After 48 hours, making sure that the fermentation process has begun, we put a medical glove on the neck. We make several holes in it that will allow air to escape. In this state, the liqueur “rests” for another 40-45 days. Next, we filter the liquid, removing the berry pulp, and pour it into storage containers.

Now you know what preparations you can make from cranberries for the winter. If you have the opportunity to buy this most useful berry at the market or pick it up in the nearest forest, then do not neglect this opportunity. It will take you minimal time to prepare, but the benefits will be enormous.

Dried

We will learn further how to dry cranberries with minimal loss of nutrients. The fruits for drying are sorted, peeled and washed thoroughly. To preserve maximum vitamins, the fruits are either blanched for several minutes in boiling water, or kept in a steam bath for the same time.

This preparation of cranberries is carried out
in two ways :

1. In a dry, ventilated room, the fruits are laid out on any flat surface and dried until they no longer stick to your hands. After this, they are collected and stored in bags made of any natural fabric.
2. Drying takes place in an oven or microwave, or in a special dryer. At the beginning of the process, the temperature should not be high - up to 45°C; after drying the fruits, the temperature is increased to 70°C. Store the finished product in glass containers under a lid for up to 3 years.

Important! Dried berries must be periodically inspected and darkened ones removed to avoid spoilage of the product.