Simple recipes for making prune compote for the winter, with and without sterilization

Fresh prune compote is one of those drinks that you will enjoy both on a hot day and on a frosty winter evening. For those who don't know, a prune is a dried plum. The dried fruit itself, as well as dishes made from it, is a storehouse of useful substances. You can buy it inexpensively in winter, summer, and autumn, which means you can pamper your body with healthy benefits all year round. And most importantly, preparation will not take much time and money.

Cooking features

To prepare compote, no matter what recipe you choose, it is important to find out three nuances:

1. What volume should I cook?
2. How long to cook?
3. How to properly prepare prunes for cooking?

The most suitable volume for one-time preparation for a family is 8-10 servings of 200 milliliters each. There is no point in cooking any more: the drink does not last long. How long does it take to cook? At home, 15-20 minutes will be enough. With further cooking, the prunes will become very soggy and fall apart - the drink will have to be filtered from large pieces.

And the most important thing is the selection and preparation of prunes for cooking. Both the impression of the resulting drink and the ease of its preparation depend on this.

If you are a lover of subtle notes of taste, the compote can be diluted with other dried fruits to taste: dried apricots, pears, raisins.

Selection and preparation of prunes

When buying prunes in a store or market, it is worth studying several properties of high-quality dried fruit:

• choose black and blue fruits;
• holds its shape but is soft to the touch;
• the ideal prune has a matte color;
• the taste is sweet and sour, without bitter notes;
• a high-quality dried product develops a white coating during soaking;
• a good product does not leave black marks on your hands.

Having selected and brought home prunes, you need to prepare them for further use. There are two most practical ways:

• rinse under pressure of cold water;
• soak in cold water and wait 25-30 minutes.

After this, the prunes will be ready for cooking.

How to make prune compote at home

The technology for preparing compote at home is simple and does not take much time.First, the fruits should be prepared and washed in warm water 2-3 times. Next, add boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat. Add sugar, reduce heat and cook for another 8-10 minutes. Remove the finished compote from the heat and cool to 15-20°. Before pouring into portions, stir the drink in a container.

A simple recipe for the winter

There are several simple methods, the recipe of which includes additional ingredients, or the preparation method itself differs in its characteristics. All of them are designed for a 3-liter jar.

Ingredients:

• 0.5 kilograms of fresh prunes;
• 200-250 grams of sugar;
• 3 liters of filtered water.

First, boil all the water in a saucepan. As soon as the water boils, add sugar and stir. Boil for 3-4 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. Place prunes in pre-sterilized jars. Pour into containers up to the neck. Then you need to close it with a sterilized lid and roll it up. Place upside down and cover with a thick blanket. After 3-5 days, the blanket can be removed and the jars can be stored.

Without sterilization

For convenience and speeding up the cooking process, sterilization of containers can be neglected. Make compote with similar ingredients in similar proportions.

1. Fill the jars exactly halfway with dried fruit.
2. Bring water to a boil and pour prunes over it. Wait 10 minutes.
3. Drain the water from the jar into the boiling container again.
4. Add sugar and boil a second time until completely dissolved.
5. Pour the resulting syrup over the prunes to the edge.
6. Turn the jar over, cover and leave for 5-7 days.

Sugarless

This recipe is suitable for consuming the drink only in the first 24 hours.

For a liter of drink you will need:

• 0.2 kilograms of dried plums;
• 1 liter of water.

Bring water to a boil, add prunes, cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Then remove from heat and, without opening the lid, leave for another 1 hour. Properly aged compote will have a mild laxative effect and will be especially useful for children under 1 year of age.

Seedless

If you come across a prune with a pit inside, but want to use not only the drink, but also the fruit itself, you will have to remove the pits. This is quite easy to do. There is no need to boil, scald or make other unnecessary movements.

As soon as the bones are removed, cook compote according to any of the recipes you like.

In a slow cooker with dried apricots

If you have a slow cooker on hand, you can cook compote in it.

1. Sugar – 150 grams.
2. Water – 4 liters.
3. Dried apricots – 150 grams.
4. Prunes – 150 grams.

Pour boiling water over two types of dried fruits for 10-15 minutes. As soon as the ingredients soften, place them in the multicooker and fill with cold water, retreating 6-7 centimeters from the top of the multicooker. Add 150-170 grams of sugar per 4 liters of water. Set the “soup” or “stew” mode for 1 hour. After the device has finished operating, leave the compote for another 1.5-2 hours.

With raisins and fresh apples

1. Apple 1 piece.
2. Raisins – 65 grams.
3. Dried plum – 110 grams.
4. Water – 3 liters.

If in the future you want to strain the compote, you don’t have to peel the apple, just cut it into 10 equal pieces. Place all ingredients in boiling water and cook for 15-20 minutes in a closed container. Infuse the drink for 2-3 hours.

With honey and cranberries

For cooking, you can use both fresh and frozen cranberries:

• dried plum – 300 grams;
• cranberries – 150 grams;
• honey – 30-40 grams;
• water – 3 liters

Place the dried fruit in boiling water and cook for 10-15 minutes. Then add cranberries and cook for another 5 minutes.Add honey to the cooled drink and stir well.

With zucchini

1. Prunes – 0.5 kilograms.
2. Water – 3 liters.
3. Zucchini – 0.5 kilograms.
4. Sugar – 0.5 kilograms.

For cooking, you only need the zucchini pulp, so you need to remove all the seeds and skin.

Pour boiling water over prunes and zucchini for 10 minutes, then drain the water into another container. Add sugar to the broth and cook the syrup for 2-3 minutes. Separate the prunes from the zucchini and add only them to the drink. Leave for 2-3 hours.

With lemon

Great option for a hot day:

• prunes – 200 grams;
• sugar – 150 grams;
• water – 1 liter;
• lemon – 1 piece.

Scald the lemon with boiling water and cut in half. Cut into thin slices. Add prunes to the boiled sugar syrup and cook for 15 minutes. Then cook with lemon for another 10 minutes. Cool, add ice and a little fresh lemon.

With wine berries

1. Dried plum – 0.2 kilograms.
2. Wine berries – 0.05 kilograms.
3. Lemon juice – 0.01 milliliters.

Boil the grapes for 20 minutes over low heat. Cook the prunes separately for 20 minutes. Cool, mix the two decoctions and dilute with lemon juice to taste.

With pear

You will need:

1. Dried plum – 150 grams.
2. Dried pear – 150 grams.
3. Water – 1.5 liters.
4. Sugar – 150-170 grams.

Boil all the dried fruits in sugar syrup for half an hour, then cool.

Terms and methods of storing compote

Fresh compote will last in your home for no more than 36 hours at a temperature of 2-15 °.

Canned food, subject to storage rules, can be consumed after 2-3 years.

1. Keep at a temperature of up to 18°.
2. Check for bloating and foam from time to time.