Preparing for the winter is a common thing for every housewife. Only compotes are made less often than all other marinades. Many do not recognize the fruits in this form, preferring to eat them fresh. Compotes with apples and currants for the winter are not only tasty, but also healthy. Each ingredient has a certain positive effect on the human body in its own way, and together they become even more beneficial.
Features of preparing compote from apples and currants
To prepare a delicious compote for the winter, it is important to follow some requirements. In addition to preserving the beneficial properties, this will help to store the finished drink longer:
- To preserve the elements that make up the fruit, it is necessary to reduce the duration of heat treatment to a minimum.
- In order to preserve the color of apples, they are blanched. The fruits are placed in a colander and dipped in boiling water, then cooled sharply. The water that remains after this procedure is used to prepare the filling or boil the syrup.
- Apples are cored; some recipes recommend removing the peel.
- Using small apples, leave them whole.
There is nothing complicated in preparing compote from apples and currants; it is enough to strictly follow the steps of the recipe and perform all the necessary actions.
Preparing Ingredients
The final taste of the drink depends on how correctly the fruit is prepared. As well as a set of vitamins that they contain:
- Variety selection. In order to create a certain contrast of flavors, sweet varieties of apples are used to prepare compote. Since currants are most often sour.
- All ingredients are thoroughly washed, dried and sorted. They should be free of stains, foulbrood or other visible damage. This feature affects the taste of the finished drink.
- The apples are cut into several parts, removing the core.
- To give an aesthetic appearance, currants are removed from the branches. But some housewives practice preparing the whole thing directly with chopsticks.
After the main ingredients are prepared, proceed to further steps.
How to make apple and blackcurrant compote at home
In order to brew the drink, you will need 3 liters of water, 0.5 kg of apples, 1 glass of currants, granulated sugar to taste and depending on the sweetness of the ingredients included in the compote. Presumably from 5 tbsp. spoons up to 1-1.5 cups.
The apples are thoroughly washed in cold running water, divided into 4 equal parts and the cores are removed.
Pour water into the cooking container and immediately add apples and currants. Bring to a boil over low heat. Then add sugar and wait until the mixture boils again. Then cover with a lid and boil for 5 minutes.
In order for the fruits to be well saturated with syrup, the finished compote is left to brew a little. For immediate use. But if the drink is closed for the winter, it is poured into pre-prepared sterilized jars. Cover with lids, roll up and cover until completely cool.
If the currants are red
To prepare this compote you will need 0.5 kg of apples, a glass of currants, 3 liters of water and 1-2 glasses of sugar.
Granulated sugar is added to taste; do not forget that red berries are more sour than black ones, so you will need a little more sugar.
The preparation of apples in both recipes is the same; they need to be washed, cut into 4 parts and the centers removed.
Sort the currants, wash them and put them to dry. Pour water into a container, add chopped apples and bring to a boil, add sugar. Taste and add more granulated sugar if necessary.
When the mixture boils, turn the heat slower, boil for 2-3 minutes, add red currants, boil for another 1-2 minutes. Pour into prepared jars and roll up. Wrap up and keep at room temperature until completely cooled.
In general, the process of preparing currant-apple compote is the same, regardless of the color of the berry that is involved in the preparation. There are only minor deviations.
If the currants are frozen
If it is not possible to prepare compotes for the winter, you can freeze the berries. Apples are stored in the cellar or bought fresh in the store. Thus, in the middle of winter, a wonderful vitamin drink is prepared that will be useful for the whole family.
To prepare it you need: 0.4-0.5 kg of apples, the presentation does not matter, a glass of frozen black currants (red ones are also suitable), 3-3.5 liters of water, sugar to taste, depends on the preferences of household members and the variety currants
Apples are washed, cut into pieces, and cores are removed. Place the water on the fire, bring it to a boil and lower the main ingredients into it. After boiling, pour in the sugar, wait for it to completely dissolve, taste, and add more if necessary.
Currants are not defrosted, so they retain most of the nutrients.
After the mixture boils, leave to simmer over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Then remove from heat and allow time to brew. The finished drink is strained and poured into jars, stored in a refrigerator or glassed-in balcony, provided the temperature is above zero.
The berries left after cooking are used as a filling for pies. Serve at the table if household members like boiled fruits.
The recipe is simple, but there are a lot of benefits, so everyone who cares about their health takes note of it.
How to store such compote
You don’t need to do anything special, just store it in suitable conditions. So that your efforts are not wasted.
The storage room must have a positive temperature, from 0 to + 20 ⁰С. Relative humidity 80%.If such conditions are created, the compote will keep well for a year or more.
Another important detail for long-term storage is strict adherence to the recipe, sterilized jars and lids.
Preparing compotes for the winter is not difficult, just purchase or collect the required amount of fruits, prepare them correctly, and a delicious vitamin drink will delight you throughout the cold period.
