The forest gives us many benefits, among them lingonberries stand out; it has long been customary to wet them for the winter. In this way, a large amount of useful substances is preserved; lingonberries will help you easily overcome colds and viral diseases, and will significantly increase immunity, and therefore resistance to infectious diseases.
Features of preparing soaked lingonberries
They prepare it for future use in different ways, but, as practice has shown, it is the soaked one that lasts much better and longer. To do this, it is important to carry out the process correctly.
Urination has the following features:
- A large number of berries for preservation in this way are placed in large containers made of plastic or wood.
- Before placing lingonberries in a container, the berries undergo careful selection.
- If you come across leaves during the preparation process, do not throw them away. By transferring lingonberries with them, we get an additional portion of vitamins and microelements in the marinade.
- Antonov apples will give a pleasant aroma to the forest gift. They are cut into large cubes and placed on top.
- Soaked lingonberries without sugar and spices will last for a long time. The fruits contain benzoic acid, which is responsible for preservation, but the filling must be changed periodically. Without sugar, it can become moldy or sour.
The product is added to vegetable salads, sauces for meat are prepared from the berries, and used as a snack with tea instead of jam.
Important! Lingonberries are very useful in any form. Regular consumption will improve metabolic processes, strengthen the heart and blood vessels, and in winter it will be an excellent immunomodulatory agent.
Preparing lingonberries before starting the process
The method of soaking came to us from ancient times; our ancestors prepared food for the winter in this way, because they did not have freezers or jars for seaming. Nowadays, many different methods of preserving food have been invented, but they have not abandoned the practice of soaking lingonberries. This way it is preserved much better.
In order for the product to be preserved as expected, it is necessary to carry out a preliminary preparatory process. Its subtleties are as follows:
- Each berry is inspected for rot and bruises; spoiled ones are placed in a separate container; they will not take part in the urination.
- Select ripe but firm fruits.
- Washing thoroughly is a must.
- The water is allowed to drain from the berries; if desired, you can dry them.
Dishes also remain important; the quality of the final product directly depends on it. Under no circumstances should aluminum containers be used - oxidation of the metal will lead to the formation of toxic substances. The product immediately goes from being useful to being harmful. The most acceptable option are wooden barrels or glass jars. Food-grade plastic will perfectly preserve urine throughout the year.
The containers are thoroughly washed with soda and rinsed. It is advisable to sterilize glass jars before starting work.
The best recipes for preparing pickled lingonberries at home
Strict adherence to proportions and a conscientiously carried out preparatory process will help preserve the gift of the forest with many benefits for a long time. To get the best quality lingonberries, time-tested harvesting recipes are used.
A simple recipe for the winter
Preparation for this recipe is simple, just put everything in a prepared jar and fill it with boiled water. It is enough to take a kilo of prepared berries, half a kilo of sugar, a teaspoon of salt and about 3 liters of water.
The forest gift is placed in a container for soaking, and the filling is prepared separately. Water is boiled with sugar and salt. Cool the marinade. The stacked berries are poured with prepared water with sugar and salt, placed under pressure, and covered with gauze. After 20 days the berry is ready.
Cold way
Berries soaked using this method are easy to store, and they are not difficult to prepare.Proper calculation of ingredients will help the product last longer.
The recipe differs in that the berries are filled with boiled water, without adding spices and herbs.
As a result, we get a drink with a natural taste, and the berries will be as fresh. For every one and a half kilos of berries you will need 4.5 liters of water.
The workflow is carried out like this:
- Berries are placed in a third of the prepared container.
- Fill with water to the top.
- Cover with a lid with holes and place in a dark place for a week.
After 7 days, a sample is taken. You can consume as you wish, but do not forget to add the selected amount of liquid to the berries.
Sugarless
The filling in this recipe turns out to be very tasty; you can add it for daily use, as it is used up. It is worth remembering that after 2-3 months the berries and liquid will no longer be suitable for consumption. A jar with a capacity of 3 liters is prepared for soaking; about a liter of prepared berries is placed there. Boil 2.5 liters of water in a saucepan and cool to room temperature, pour it into a jar with lingonberries. The jar is closed with parchment or a nylon lid with holes. Place in a dark place. Additionally, it is advisable to cover the lid with gauze, this will prevent small insects from entering.
With salt
To prepare the urine, use very little sugar - the main taste will be provided by salt and selected spices. The most commonly used is cloves. For a kilo of berries you will need a liter of water, 30 grams of salt, sugar on the tip of a knife, and a bud of cloves. The berries are placed in a container for soaking, syrup is boiled from the remaining ingredients, cooled and poured over the berries. Under a nylon lid, store for 10 days in a room with a temperature of up to 10 degrees, then take it out to a cooler room.
With honey
In this way it will be possible to prepare the berries, as in ancient times - there was no sugar then. Instead, honey was used as a sweetener. Per kilo of product from the forest, take no more than 100 grams of honey, salt on the tip of a knife, and optionally, cinnamon and cloves.
The prepared jars are filled with berries up to their shoulders. The water is measured, the boiled and cooled liquid is poured into jars, and then poured into a common container. Add the rest of the ingredients and heat in a water bath. The cooled syrup is poured over the berries and placed in a cool place without light.
With sugar
How to soak lingonberries with sugar so that they are not cloying, but you can also feel the sweetness? We use the following recipe:
- A kilo of berries are laid out in jars, leaving 5 centimeters short of the top.
- Syrup is prepared from a liter of water, 250 grams of sugar, 2 grams of salt.
- The cooled brew is poured into jars.
- Cover with gauze in several layers.
Storage can be carried out at room temperature, but no more than a couple of months.
No cooking
Urine is carried out in the standard way, but it is not necessary to boil the syrup, just dissolve the sugar in water. For a liter of liquid, take a glass of sugar, fill the jars completely with berries, fill them with syrup, and cover them with a lid or gauze in several layers.
How to store it correctly
Preserving the benefits of berries by urinating is not enough; you need to choose the most suitable temperature regime. Storage is usually divided into two stages: for the first 2-4 weeks, the soaked berries are stored at higher temperatures, and then taken to a cool room without light. At the very beginning, you can store the gifts of the forest in the room or kitchen, and then put them in the refrigerator or basement, if there are no other instructions in the recipe.
