The best recipes for making gooseberry compote for the winter step by step
Almost all people love strawberries and raspberries, using these berries to make aromatic compotes and jams. And hostesses often avoid gooseberries, believing that something delicious cannot be cooked from them. A properly prepared gooseberry compote for the winter can please relatives and complement the festive table. This drink has a refined taste and an unforgettable aroma.
Features of cooking gooseberry compote for the winter
Compote can be made from berries of any ripeness. But many housewives prefer to use green ones, since in this case the drink is transparent. The berries do not have to be covered immediately; after harvest they can lie in a cool place for up to 2 weeks.
To prevent the berries from bursting, they are pre-pricked with a toothpick. You can close the gooseberry compote with or without sterilization.
Before preparing the drink, the jars are thoroughly washed with soda, rinsed and kept in the oven for 15 minutes.
The iron lids should also be boiled.To close the compote without sterilization, take cans with a capacity of 2-3 liters. In them, the water cools for a long time, the berries have time to boil.
What berries is it combined with?
Gooseberries are covered neat and combined with other berries or fruits. It goes well with black and crane currants, cherries and plums. You can add apples, lemon, orange, apricots and raspberries to the compote. The more ingredients in the gooseberry compote, the richer and richer the taste. But do not put too many other ingredients in the jar so as not to interrupt the taste and aroma of the gooseberry.
What are the best gooseberry varieties?
Gooseberry is the only berry used for conservation at various stages of maturity. Using green gooseberries is advisable if you want a clear drink. Lemon balm or mint is often added to such a compote to add flavor.
The red berries give the drink a pleasant pink hue. Such compote is also prepared with the addition of other components - citrus fruits and currants.
The use of a black, overripe product gives a rich ruby color. Such a product has its own incomparable aroma, which can be supplemented with cherries or plums.
How to choose gooseberries before starting the process
For harvesting for the winter, only strong, large berries are selected, without traces of rot and spoilage.The same applies to other ingredients that are added to the drink. The berries are sorted out, the stalks and tails are torn off. Rinse the product with cool water. It is not necessary to dry the gooseberries, as they will be filled with hot water several times.
To prevent the berries from bursting and the drink remains transparent, they are pre-pricked with a toothpick. A needle is also used for pricking.
How to make gooseberry compote at home
Gooseberry drink can be prepared according to different recipes. Each housewife determines the cooking method independently. Simple recipes are often chosen that do not require a lot of time and effort.
A simple recipe for a 3-liter jar step by step
According to this recipe, you can take berries along with tails and stalks. To prepare the workpiece, take:
- gooseberries - 2 cups;
- sugar - 1 glass;
- water - 3 liters.
Water is poured into a saucepan, sugar is added and brought to a boil. Berries pre-pricked with a toothpick are poured into the syrup. Now you need to make the fire quieter and boil the berries for 10 minutes. Pour the finished drink into a jar and close it with a metal lid. The jar is turned over on the neck and wrapped in a blanket.
Without sterilization
Many housewives prefer to sterilize the blockages for the winter, but this is quite possible to do without. To roll up a gooseberry drink without sterilization, prepare the following products:
- gooseberries - 1.5 cups;
- sugar - 150 grams;
- water - 2 liters.
The berries are poured into a 2-liter jar and poured over with boiling water. The drink is kept for 15 minutes, after which the water is poured into a saucepan, sugar is added and brought to a boil. Pour the berries with boiling syrup and cork. The billet can be made sweeter or sour by adding more or less granulated sugar.
Before pouring boiling water into a jar, put it in a deep bowl. Burns can be avoided if the can accidentally bursts.
With lemon
You can make a preparation for the winter with lemon. This drink has a refreshing taste and aroma, it tones up well and fills with energy.
To prepare a fragrant drink, the following products are prepared:
- green gooseberries - 1 glass;
- sugar - 70 grams;
- lemon - 2 slices;
- water - 1 liter.
The berries are pricked and poured into a liter jar, lemon slices are also added there. Sugar is poured into the water, the syrup is brought to a boil and poured into a jar.
Next, the jar is placed in a pot of water and sterilized for 20 minutes. At the bottom of the pan, you need to lay a piece of gauze, folded in two layers. After sterilization, the jar is rolled up and wrapped in a blanket for a day.
Frozen gooseberry
You should not make blanks from frozen berries. This product is best used for cooking compote. To prepare a delicious drink, pour a glass of berries into the pan, add 3-4 apples cut into slices and 4 liters of water. Bring the compote to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, add a glass of sugar and turn off the oven.
With tarragon
A drink made from green berries with the addition of mint or lemon balm is very tasty. To prepare the workpiece, take the following products:
- gooseberries - 2 cups;
- sugar - 200 grams;
- water - 3 liters;
- lime or lemon - 2-3 slices;
- mint or lemon balm - 3-4 branches.
The berries are poured into a jar and washed greens and lime are added there. The water is brought to a boil, poured into a jar and the container is wrapped with a blanket for 20 minutes. The water is poured from the jar back into the pan, sugar is added and the syrup is boiled. Pour it into gooseberries, roll up the jar with a lid and wrap it for a couple of days.
Gooseberry mint drink can be cooked in a saucepan with all the ingredients, and then poured into jars and corked.
With black currant
A delicious and aromatic drink is obtained from gooseberries and black currants. To prepare the blank, you should take:
- gooseberries and currants - 1 glass each;
- sugar - a little more than a glass;
- water - 3 liters.
The water is brought to a boil and poured into a jar, where the berries are previously poured. Withstand the jar under the covers for 20 minutes, then the water is poured back into the saucepan. Add sugar and boil the syrup. Pour it into a jar and roll it up with a lid. The jar is well wrapped in a blanket.
With mint
In winter, a drink made from gooseberries and mint will remind you of the taste of summer. Required Ingredients:
- green gooseberries - 1 glass;
- water - 1 liter;
- sugar - 70 grams;
- a couple of sprigs of mint.
Mint berries and leaves are put in a jar. The first time it is poured with simple boiling water, and the second time with syrup made from water and sugar. The jar is rolled up, wrapped in a blanket and left to warm up for a day.
With orange
Compote with the addition of orange is brewed by analogy with the recipe in which there is a lemon. The tastes of these two drinks are different, so if you want, you can experiment.
With apple
To prepare this blank for the winter, you need to prepare the following products:
- sweet and sour apples - 0.5 kg;
- gooseberries - ½ cup;
- sugar - 1 glass;
- water - 3 liters.
The apples are peeled and cut into small wedges. Apples and gooseberries are poured into a 3-liter bottle and filled with syrup made from sugar and water. They are put to sterilize for 20 minutes, after which the jar is rolled up.
With raspberries
The combination of gooseberry and raspberry gives a delicate and unusual taste. To make preparations for the winter, you should prepare the following products:
- gooseberries and raspberries - 1 glass each;
- water - 3 liters;
- sugar - a little more than a glass.
Place the berries in a bottle, pour boiling water over them and leave for 20 minutes. After this time, the water is drained, sugar is added and the syrup is boiled. Pour it off the can and roll it up.
One chopped apple can be added to the gooseberry and raspberry compote, in which case the taste will be richer.
Storing compote
Gooseberry compote should be stored in a cellar or cool pantry. When living in an apartment, an insulated loggia will be a good storage option. A properly closed drink can be stored at room temperature without changing its taste.