Rhubarb grows in the garden, its sour petioles are familiar to many from childhood; jam from this plant was often present on the table. They also made compotes from rhubarb; few people used it for the winter. It turns out that the drink, even after heat treatment, will retain many useful substances; if consumed regularly, it will increase immunity and protect against viral diseases. In addition, the drink is very tasty, and berry and fruit additives make the taste unusual.
Subtleties of cooking
The recipe for rhubarb compote for the winter has its own subtleties of preparation.For excellent results, you need to know these secrets:
- use only well-washed and sterilized containers;
- check the quality of the seaming; the lids should not allow air to pass through;
- use only trusted manufacturers when purchasing the necessary additives;
- properly store the prepared product.
To improve the taste, various spices and seasonings are added to the compote; the main thing here is not to overdo it. It is best to use one type and then in moderation.
All berries and fruits that will be used are also thoroughly washed and dried. It is advisable to cut citrus fruits into thick rings or slices, remove the seeds from stone fruits, and remove the cuttings from the berries.
Preparation of the main ingredient
Rhubarb compote for the winter can be prepared in several ways. The preparatory part must always be present; this is the only way the drink will turn out tasty and healthy. Rhubarb stems are prepared as follows:
- For preparations for the winter, only red petioles are used; green ones will not give full flavor, and sometimes they can ruin the finished product.
- Before use, the stems are washed well. It is mandatory to clean and remove the film from the surface of each petiole.
- Only chopped stems are used in rhubarb jam and compote.
- It is best to take freshly cut petioles.
Advice! If it is not possible to use the stems of a plant immediately after cutting, you should not store them in the refrigerator; after a couple of days they will become unsuitable for preservation.
The cooking features also include the use of freshly squeezed lemon juice or citric acid in granules when preparing. Cinnamon sticks, zest, berries and fruits are often added.
Cooking methods
It's time to prepare a healthy and tasty drink, all the ingredients are prepared, let's get to work.There are just a lot of recipes, everyone chooses according to their taste.
The main ingredients will be water, rhubarb stems, sugar, the remaining ingredients will complement the soloing element.
A simple recipe for the winter
They prepare rhubarb compote for the winter, a simple recipe for which will not take much time, and in winter it will delight not only your family with its taste and color, but also unexpected guests. You need to take:
- 12-13 medium plant petioles;
- 4 liters of water;
- a teaspoon of dried Sudanese rose flowers;
- a glass of sugar.
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a container, put prepared and chopped rhubarb stems into the syrup, and add hibiscus. Boil all the ingredients for 4-6 minutes, and then pour into prepared jars and roll up.
Advice! To avoid hibiscus flowers in the compote, you can brew it in advance, and then use this base to prepare syrup for the compote.
Some housewives boil the petioles until completely soft, then puree them, boil them again with syrup and only then pour them into jars. This compote is called a drink with pulp.
With orange
Many people like rhubarb and orange compote for the winter. In addition to being fragrant, the drink contains a high concentration of vitamin C, which helps fight viruses and bacteria during the cold season. A sprig of rosemary will add new notes to the drink; later it can become an excellent base for other warming drinks.
For preparation take:
- approximately 200-250 g of peeled rhubarb stems;
- orange;
- half a liter of water;
- a glass of sugar;
- a glass of fresh orange juice;
- sprig of rosemary.
Place chopped orange and rhubarb into prepared jars. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan, add rosemary.Immediately after boiling, add juice and zest from the fruit. After 2-3 minutes of boiling, the syrup is poured into jars with prepared products and immediately rolled up.
Advice! You can put orange slices or rings and rhubarb in boiling syrup. After boiling, soak them in syrup for 5-7 minutes, and then pour into jars. In this case, rosemary may not be used.
With strawberry
Many people like rhubarb; recipes for making compote for the winter from it are very diverse. The method of cooking with strawberries is distinguished by its sophistication; in addition to the ingredients already listed, it will require a little mint, sugar and water for the syrup. Based on 2 liters of water, take half a kilogram of strawberries and sugar; you will need twice as much petioles from the garden, about a kilogram.
Strawberries are cut in half, rhubarb into small pieces, placed in a saucepan, sprinkled with sugar and chopped mint. Add a small amount of water and simmer until the petioles are soft. In this form, the semi-finished product for compote is left to soak for 6-8 hours.
In a separate container, syrup is prepared from water and a glass of sugar. Warmed strawberries and rhubarb are placed in prepared jars and filled with hot syrup. Roll up and store until winter.
Advice! It is not at all necessary to use mint; without it, the compote will be no less tasty and fragrant.
With apples
Compote of rhubarb and apples for the winter is prepared without sugar; it is replaced with honey. An unusual ingredient is pomegranate seeds, which give the drink a special taste and color. Prepare the drink like this:
- 45 g of natural honey are diluted in 1.3 liters of water and brought to a boil.
- Add 45 g of lemon juice, add chopped rhubarb and apple pieces.
- Boil for 5 minutes, then add pomegranate seeds, boil for a couple of minutes, pour into prepared jars, and seal.
Important! Before boiling the syrup, be sure to taste it and add more honey if necessary. You can make a compote of rhubarb and apples with sugar.
With lemon
A drink with lemon is quite easy to prepare; the procedure will not take much time if you prepare it correctly beforehand. The proportions are as follows: for half a kilo of stems take a couple of lemon slices, 2.5 liters of water, one and a half glasses of sugar.
A syrup is prepared from water and sugar, chopped rhubarb and lemon slices are placed in it. Boil for 4-6 minutes, pour into prepared jars and roll up.
Advice! For taste, you can add a little vanilla sugar at the end.
With cherries
A drink made from the following ingredients will make you happy in winter:
- 400 g each of cherries and rhubarb;
- 3.2 liters of water;
- sugar to taste.
They boil the syrup, put chopped cherries and rhubarb in the jars, pour hot syrup over everything, and seal them.
Advice! It is advisable to wrap such a drink and leave it until it cools completely.
Without sterilization
This option will take a little longer, but the drink will turn out more refined. Rhubarb compote for the winter without sterilization is prepared from the following components:
- half a kilo of stems;
- cinnamon sticks;
- teaspoon lime juice;
- pinches of vanilla;
- one and a half liters of water;
- 70 g sugar.
Place the chopped stems on the bottom of the jars and boil water in a saucepan. Boiling water is poured over the prepared petioles and covered with lids, but not rolled up. After 5-10 minutes, pour the liquid back into the pan, add the remaining ingredients, except lime juice, and boil. Pour in the juice, bring to a boil and pour the resulting syrup into jars with scalded stems.They're rolling up.
It is important not only to prepare the drink correctly, storage conditions are also important.
How to store such compote
An excellent place for storage would be a cellar or basement, where it will be dark and cool. Only completely cooled jars that have been checked for leaks are placed there.
It is advisable to periodically check the containers for swelling of the lids; such compote must be poured out. A bloated lid indicates that the process was carried out incorrectly; some of the ingredients did not undergo the necessary heat treatment.
