A simple recipe for making apple and cherry compote for the winter
Today, almost every garden plot has cherry and apple plantings. During the harvest season, the question arises of what to do with fruits and berries and how to save them for the winter. Cooking apple and cherry compote is one of the possible solutions, and the drink will be an excellent source of vitamins during the cold season. There are many cooking recipes, so it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with several options and choose the most suitable one.
Cooking features
The apple and cherry compote can be prepared without sterilization, as it is enough to use the double pouring method. This method allows you to preserve the value of the fruit and the natural taste. The average cooking time is 20 minutes. When sterilizing, it is worth considering that the duration of the procedure should not be more than 40 minutes, otherwise the apples will lose their shape and turn into puree.
The drink can be prepared from fresh or frozen berries, but in most cases the first option is chosen, since it allows you to get the most healthy drink.
The calculation of sugar is carried out taking into account the sweetness of fruits and berries. It should be borne in mind that apples darken quickly after cutting, so you should not delay processing. The most convenient containers are 3 liter cans.
How to choose the right fruit for cherry and apple compote
A drink made from fresh berries and apples turns out to be richer in taste and color. The minimum number of treatments allows you to maximize the preservation of useful properties. For the drink, fully ripe apples are chosen; varieties such as White filling are considered the most suitable. Green fruits with a dense structure are not able to give a rich taste to compote, but they do not boil when cooked. Cherries are harvested during the period of full ripeness, the Vladimir or Hungarian variety is well suited. The berries are dark in color and give the compote a beautiful color.
The material for the compote is selected without signs of rot and defects, otherwise it will not work to keep the drink in winter, and it will become moldy. The raw materials are thoroughly washed, all debris and stalks are removed. It is not necessary to remove the skin and cores of apples, but if you want to get a "clean" material, carry out this procedure.
Compote recipes
Today there are many recipes for making apple and cherry compote. The recipes give the recommended proportions, which, taking into account the material and its properties, can be slightly adjusted up or down.
A simple recipe for the winter
The recipe proportions are based on the preparation of 1 can. To prepare compote you will need:
- cherry - 300 g;
- apples - 500 g;
- water - 3.5 l;
- granulated sugar - 500 g.
The apples, processed and cut into 4 parts, are placed in a colander and kept in a saucepan with boiling water for 15 minutes, after which they are poured over with cold water. Syrup is prepared in a separate container by mixing sugar with water until completely dissolved. Processed apples and cherries are placed in a jar, after which they are poured with boiling syrup. Within 30 min. it is required to pasteurize the containers, then seal and wait until they cool down, after turning the cans over and covering them with a blanket.
Apple-cherry compote with mint
You can cook compote with the addition of additional ingredients. Mint goes well with cherries and apples, which gives the drink freshness and aroma.
For cooking, you need the following ingredients:
- apples - 5 pcs.;
- cherry - 300 g;
- granulated sugar - 4 full tbsp. l .;
- water - 3 l;
- mint - 2 branches.
The apples are cut into small slices and, together with the berries, are placed in boiling water for 10 minutes. During boiling, the process should be monitored and at the first signs of cooking, the fire should be reduced. Granulated sugar and mint are added before turning off, after which they give some time for the herbs to saturate the liquid with taste and aroma.
Apple and cherry compote in a slow cooker
Cooking compote in a multicooker is easier, as it requires a minimum of time and effort. The recipe will require:
- apples - 1 kg;
- cherry - 500 g;
- granulated sugar - 300 g;
- water - 2 l.
Cherries and apples are washed and cleaned from debris, defective fruits are removed. When peeling apples from the peel, do not throw it away, as it can be used when cooking syrup. To prepare it, pour water into the multicooker, place the peel of the fruit, if any, and set the mode 160 C. After boiling, sugar is poured into the liquid and kept for 5 minutes.
Syrup is poured into sterilized and dried jars with fruits filled to ½ capacity.
In this form, the compote is left for a couple of minutes. After that, the liquid is poured into a multicooker, brought to a boil again and poured into a jar. Leave at least 2 cm of open space to the top.
For sterilization in a multicooker, several layers of gauze are spread on the bottom and water is added. Choose a baking mode, after boiling, leave in the stewing position for 20 minutes. After this time, the jars are closed and removed to cool.
Frozen apple and cherry compote
You can cook compote from frozen fruits in compliance with the rules of the traditional recipe for the winter. The advantage of this method is that it can be done at any time of the year.
It is not necessary to cook and boil water with fruit for a long time, otherwise the value of the drink will decrease significantly.
For cooking for direct consumption, it is enough to place frozen apples and cherries in boiling water and wait until it boils again, then add sugar and, if desired, spices.
For a simple recipe, you can take the following proportions:
- cherry - 500 g;
- sugar - 400 g;
- water - 2 l.
The average cooking time for a simple compote is 10 to 15 minutes.
No sterilization recipe
The peculiarity of the recipe is that at the first stage, jars and lids are sterilized, and the compote itself is not heat-treated. You will need to make a syrup, which is prepared with the expectation that there are 200 g of sugar per 1 liter of water. Berries and apples are placed in jars in equal proportions so that their number fills ½ of the container.
Banks are poured with syrup immediately after the liquid boils. After that, they are turned over and removed to cool. The resulting compote will be sweet, so after opening it is recommended to dilute it with water in a 1: 1 ratio.
How to store compote
The main problem when preparing compotes is that after rolling, the cans become moldy or explode. The risk of the appearance of the first option is excluded by the correct processing of fruits, the use of quality raw materials and adherence to the preparation technique. To prevent the cans from exploding, after rolling up the hot containers should be turned over and placed on the lid, well wrapped in a warm blanket. Cooling time should be at least 12 hours, after which containers can be removed to a permanent storage location.
Store jars of compote in a cool, dark room. The drink is stored without loss of quality for 1 year. After opening, it is recommended to put the container in the refrigerator.
