Red currant bushes are quite common in our garden plots. These berries may be less popular than their black counterparts, but they are still not uncommon. But if our people prefer to eat black currants fresh, then red currants are good for preparing for the winter. Indeed, how pleasant it is to open a jar of currant jam, compote or jelly in winter! Not only is it delicious, it is also extremely healthy. Currants strengthen the immune system, are a diaphoretic and diuretic, and are also a real storehouse of nutrients and vitamins. However, to maintain these qualities throughout the long winter, you need to know some tricks. So, let me introduce you: recipes for harvesting red currants for the winter.
Freezing red currants for the winter
The most basic way to preserve red currants throughout the winter is to quickly freeze them. This option is convenient because the berries remain almost fresh and lose a minimum of nutrients. True, this method is suitable only for those housewives who have free space in the freezer.
There is nothing complicated about freezing. The berries must be sorted, removing unripe or spoiled fruits and all leaves. Then rinse them carefully and dry them on a cloth or large towel. Well, then put it in containers or bags and put it in the freezer.
It is better not to pack in too large portions, since red currants will not withstand repeated freezing. By the way, you don’t have to pick the berries from the branches to freeze them. Red currants can be packaged directly in bunches. Here everything remains at the discretion of the hostess.
Red currants in sugar - preparation for the winter
It is no less easy to prepare red currants for the winter with sugar. The delicacy turns out delicious, and there is still space in the freezer. True, in this case the berries must be removed from the branches, otherwise you will end up with a tasteless mess with “firewood”. As for the amount of berries and sugar, all housewives agree that for 1 kg of berries you need to take 1.5 kg of sweet product.
First, you need to sort out the currants, rinse and dry them. Then put a layer of currants, a layer of sugar, again a layer of currants and again a layer of sugar into sterilized jars. The last layer should be the sweet ingredient. When the jar is full, the contents must be lightly compacted with a spoon, then rolled up with lids and stored in the basement or in the upper compartment of the refrigerator.
Sugar free jam
Not everyone likes jam with a high sugar content, and for some it is simply contraindicated. But there is a way out - sugar-free jam. It allows you to preserve the natural taste of red currants. The recipe for preparing it for the winter is quite simple:
- Place washed and prepared berries into a pasteurized jar.
- Pour water into the pan, spread a rag on the bottom and place a jar of berries. The water level should reach the top edge of the jar.
- Set the container over low heat.
- When the water heats up and boils, the berries will begin to release juice and boil in it.
- Periodically you will need to add currants several times as they settle.
- Having filled it in for the last time, cover the container with a lid and simmer for another 1 hour.
- Roll up. Wrap until completely cool.
Red currants, prepared for preservation
For diabetics, it is recommended to prepare sugar-free jam using honey instead. It must be taken in proportion to currants 1:1. A syrup is boiled using water and honey and the berries are dipped into it. Boil them a little to achieve their transparency. Transfer to jars and seal. Despite the fact that the product is sugar-free, this does not affect the taste.
Red currant: the best jams for the winter
No cooking
Redcurrant jam can be made in different ways. The easiest way doesn't even require cooking. In some ways it is akin to the previous version of harvesting currants for the winter. To make this jam, you need to take 2 kg of sugar for every kilogram of currant berries.
Remove the berries from the branches, rinse and dry. Then they should be poured into a large bowl (it is better to use a metal, but not enamel bowl), cover with sugar and grind thoroughly until the juice is released and the sugar is dissolved. After this, the jam can be put into jars, covered with plastic lids and stored.
Classic currant jam
This option differs from the previous one only in that instead of jars, the sugar-berry mixture must be placed in a saucepan, put on fire and after boiling, boil for about 10 minutes. This jam must be poured into prepared jars, and can also be closed with plastic lids. Although, if desired, you can roll them up with iron ones. This will not affect the taste or quality in any way. Completely cooled jam should also be stored at a temperature of about +5C.
Redcurrant jam in a slow cooker
For those who have a multicooker, everything is simple. To do this, you need prepared (clean and without branches) berries and sugar at a ratio of 2:1, i.e. For 2 kg of currants you will need 1 kg of sugar.
The berries must be washed, dried and placed in the bowl of the device. Add sugar there, mix the products and let stand for half an hour. During this time, the currants will release juice and the sugar will dissolve. When this happens, carefully mix the mixture with a spoon and cook with the lid closed in the Simmer mode for 20 minutes. Immediately pour the finished jam into prepared jars.
Currant jam with fruits for the winter
Red currants go well with most fruits. For example, you can make excellent jam if you add some apples to the berries. For this you will need 0.5 kg of red currants and apples, the same amount of water and 1 kg of sugar.
First you need to boil the syrup. Add sugar to the water and boil for 5 minutes after boiling. Then add prepared (peeled from leaves/twigs and washed) currants to the syrup and cook until they begin to lose their usual shape (usually 10-15 minutes). Then add apple slices (without seed pods) to the mixture and cook until the mixture begins to thicken (about another 10-15 minutes). Transfer the hot jam into jars, let cool and store.
It is worth pointing out to young housewives that the times indicated here are only approximate. It’s better to focus on the shape of the berries and the consistency of the future jam.
Jelly currant jam for the winter
An original option for preparing red currants for the winter is gelled jam. It is done quickly and easily. In this case, berries and sugar should be taken in a 1:1 ratio. And for every kilogram of berries you will need 1 glass of water.
Prepare the berries by removing the leaves, twigs and foulbrood, then put them in a saucepan, add water and cook for 2 minutes after boiling. Remove the saucepan from the heat and thoroughly rub the contents with a masher. Now you need to add sugar to the resulting mass, mix and put it on the fire again. Cook the mixture over medium heat for half an hour, stirring it regularly. Pour hot jam into prepared jars and seal with metal lids. All! All that remains is to put the workpiece away for storage in the winter.
Redcurrant jelly prepared for the winter
From the previous section it already becomes clear that currants gel well. So it’s not a sin to prepare a couple of jars of red berries in this form for the winter. Here, however, you will have to tinker a little longer. But everyone will be happy with the result, especially the children. So, for such preparation for the winter you will need 1.3 kg of sugar for every kilogram of red currants.
Place prepared, clean berries in a saucepan, add sugar and stir. In order for the currants to release juice faster, you need to crush them a little with a masher. Leave the mixture for 15-20 minutes. During this time, the sugar should completely dissolve. As soon as this happened, it was the turn of heat treatment. Place the pan over high heat and cook for 5 minutes continuously, stirring vigorously. After the specified period of time, remove the mixture from the heat, cool slightly and rub through a sieve. You won’t need the cake anymore, you can do whatever you want with it, but the liquid fraction needs to be poured into a saucepan and brought to a boil over medium heat. After this, the still liquid jelly can be poured into jars and screwed on with metal lids. As it cools, the jelly will harden completely. And you need to store chilled dessert in the refrigerator.
How to make jam without cooking
Few berries can be preserved in their natural form for winter consumption. The recipe for making without cooking involves the absence of heat treatment, due to which the maximum amount of vitamins remains in the finished product and makes it even more useful, especially for colds or flu.
The product should be stored in the refrigerator without cooking.
You will need currants and sugar in a ratio of 1:2. The yield of the finished product is equal to the mass of sugar. The process occurs in this order:
- Prepare the berries, wash and dry.
- Place the currants and sugar in small portions into a plastic container and mash with a spatula. It must be wooden. Metal utensils should not be used; they are prone to oxidation under the influence of the acid contained in currants.
- Knead and mix the mixture until the sugar crystals disappear.
- Sterilize jars. Pour jam into them.
- You can sprinkle sugar on top and close the lid. There is no need to roll up the jars; jam prepared without cooking can be stored perfectly for more than a year at 0°.
Attention! It is not recommended to use a blender to speed up the grinding of currants. In this case, such valuable vitamin C is destroyed.
Compotes from red currants - preparation for the winter
Fans of vitamin drinks will also appreciate this option for preparing red currants for the winter, such as compote. It requires currants, sugar and water. As for the amount of ingredients, it all depends on taste. For example: a three-liter jar is filled by a third with berries - this is approximately 700-750 g. This amount of berries will require approximately 250 g of sugar. If someone likes it sweeter, then you can put more, and for those who are against sweetness, you can put less. It’s easier to measure water after the fact, i.e. Fill jars filled with berries with cold water to the top, and then pour into a saucepan. As much as you get is exactly what you need.
Pour the required amount of sugar into a saucepan with water and cook the syrup. This is done quite quickly; within 5 minutes after boiling, the liquid becomes transparent. This means the syrup is ready. Immediately after removing from the heat, they need to pour in the currants that have already been placed in the jars (they need to be poured right up to the neck) and immediately roll up. Turn the jars over and let them cool completely, then store them in a dark and cool place.
Delicious and aromatic jelly
What redcurrants are most famous for when prepared for the winter is their tasty and aromatic jelly, which has the appropriate consistency and amazing color. There are many options for preparing it. The most traditional recipe looks like this:
- Wash and prepare the berries.
- You need to squeeze juice out of 1 kg of currants. To make this task easier, you need to grind it in any way: in a food processor, blender, mortar.
- Squeeze the juice through cheesecloth and a fine sieve so that the grounds do not get into the jelly, otherwise it will not be transparent.
- Place the juice on the stove. Add 1.3 kg of sugar.
- Boil for 30-40 minutes. Check readiness by dropping a drop of liquid onto a saucer. When it becomes thick and stops spreading, the jelly has acquired the required consistency.
- Pour into containers and seal. The jelly will thicken completely when it cools.
Currant jelly
Advice! To make the berries softer and make it easier to extract juice from them, you can simmer them for 1-2 minutes with the addition of a small amount of water on the stove.
There is also a simpler option for making jelly. You need to boil the syrup and pour red currant juice into it. This will speed up the thickening and will only take 5-10 minutes.
Smorodinovka
Many people will like this method of preparing currants for the winter. True, the resulting drink can only be consumed (but not abused) by adult representatives of our population. Another disadvantage is that this preservation takes quite a long time to prepare – about two weeks. And the ingredients for it will not be as cheap as in all other options.
To prepare currant liqueur, you will need berries and sugar (a kilogram of each product) and a 0.5 liter bottle of high-quality vodka or vermouth. If you have all this, then you can start cooking. Everything is simple here.
Place the prepared berries (without leaves and twigs) into a jar of suitable volume, cover them with sugar and pour in a strong drink. Cover the filled container with a lid and place in a cool and dark place for 14-15 days. When the mixture is infused, it should be strained through cheesecloth and the filtered liquid should be poured into bottles. The currant is ready.
Bon appetit and have a delicious time!
What is five-minute jam?
This recipe for red currant jam allows you to keep the berries whole. It cooks very quickly, as the name suggests. The preliminary preparation of the berries takes much more time. You need to remove all the leaves and twigs, trim the ends with scissors and thoroughly rinse 1 kg of berries.
Five-minute jam allows you to preserve the beneficial properties of berries
Next you need to follow the steps:
- Boil the syrup: 200 g of water and 0.7 kg of sugar.
- Dip the berries into it.
- Boil for 5 minutes.
- Remove the container from the heat, add another 0.7-0.8 kg of sugar, stir quickly.
- Roll up.
There are skeptics who deny this cooking option. They prefer longer heat treatment to ensure that the product is preserved throughout the winter. You can use a simple recipe:
- Prepare syrup from the entire volume of sugar.
- Add the berries, and after boiling, keep on low heat for 5 minutes.
- Leave the workpiece to cool.
- Boil again and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Leave to cool.
- Simmer again for 5 minutes.
- Place in jars and roll up.
Don't forget to skim off the foam during cooking
. Tip! To prevent the berries from disintegrating, they do not need to be stirred. It is better to shake and rock the pan itself a little.
