Blackcurrant is rich not only in vitamins, but also contains essential oils, organic acids, pectins, and silver. Eating berries strengthens the immune system, improves vision, and restores health. Jams and compotes are made from currants. Even after heat treatment, the berries do not lose their healing properties. Regardless of the recipe chosen for the winter, blackcurrant syrup always turns out fragrant and beautiful. The richly colored drink is added to ice cream and desserts.
Specifics of preparation
It takes a long time to make the syrup by hand; many women first put the berries in a juicer, where they turn into a thick liquid and into a cake, from which a delicious jam is obtained. The aromatic blackcurrant drink is prepared in 2 ways, in one way the berries completely retain all the healing components, but the syrup quickly turns sour. During the cooking process, some of the vitamins are lost, but the drink does not spoil for a long time, even indoors.
Features of choosing ingredients
Fresh berries are used to prepare the syrup. If the juice is not boiled, 2 kilograms of sugar are added per 1 kg of liquid, which acts as a preservative.
When preparing a drink using the hot method, the ratio of ingredients changes, water is added, and the amount of sugar is reduced.
How to properly prepare the container?
It is convenient to store the syrup in glass jars with a volume of 1 liter or more. Each container is carefully inspected; containers that are found to be chipped are not used. The selected container should be washed with water and soda or mustard powder. To prevent the drink from spoiling or becoming moldy, the jars are disinfected from fungi and bacteria by sterilization:
- in a saucepan with boiling water;
- in a steamer;
- in the microwave;
- in the oven;
- in an electric grill.
Disinfection time depends on the volume of the container. Liter containers are sterilized for a quarter of an hour, 3 liter jars - 30 minutes. When heating in the oven, place the dishes on a cold rack, and then raise the temperature to 180–200 °C.
How to make currant syrup for the winter
A drink made from berries improves appetite, stimulates the functioning of the intestines and stomach. For long-term storage, the syrup must be boiled before rolling.
Hot method
The currants are separated from the branches, cleaned of leaves and debris, washed, and placed in a colander. When the water has drained, transfer the berries to a bowl and press lightly to soften them:
- The mixture is combined with water and placed in a saucepan over high heat, which is reduced when boiling.
- Boil the currants for at least half an hour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon so that the berry mass does not burn.
- To remove the seeds, separate the pulp from the juice, filter through a sieve into a deep pan, which is covered with a towel.
The process takes 3–4 hours. During this time, the syrup container is washed, sterilized and dried, turning it upside down. The juice separated from the berries is placed on the stove, after boiling, sugar is poured in and boiled for 15–20 minutes, removing the foam from the surface.
The hot drink is poured into disinfected jars, hermetically sealed and insulated with thick cloth.
To prepare syrup from 2 kg of berries, use 2.5 cups of sugar and 300 ml of clean water.
Cold way
Fresh currants need to be sorted, rotten fruits removed, the rest rinsed well and the juice squeezed out. To do this, the berries are sent to a blender, and the resulting puree is strained through a sieve. The second method is less labor-intensive - the berries are placed in a juicer.
Sugar is poured into pure syrup. To prevent the drink from fermenting, by closing it, add citric acid, which serves as a preservative. It is recommended to heat bottles for vitamin preparation in the oven, and dip the corks in hot wax or paraffin.
The syrup, which is not boiled, has a rich aroma, retains useful components.
To prepare a cold drink, you need to take 2 times more sugar than you get juice from berries. 1 tsp is enough for 0.5 liters of liquid. citric acid.
Further storage of treats
Vitamin blackcurrant syrup, which is boiled over a fire for at least half an hour and rolled into a disinfected glass container, does not spoil for up to 2 years. You can store the thick drink both in the cellar and in the pantry. When the container is opened, the jar of treats is placed in the refrigerator and consumed within several days.
The syrup, which is prepared from currant berries without boiling, does not lose any vitamins, pectins, or minerals. However, such a drink cannot be stored indoors. Even in the refrigerator, blackcurrant syrup, closed with sugar and citric acid, begins to ferment after 2 weeks.