Cranberry compote: how to brew a healthy drink - options for preparing delicious cranberry compote

Where can I get cranberries?

Cranberries grow mainly in marshy areas. It is collected at the end of September - beginning of October. The main criterion for a quality berry is its appearance:

• The skin should be evenly colored red. It is also possible to collect pink-sided berries, but in this case they must ripen for some time when picked.
• The berry should be dense and smooth.
• Brown marks on the fruit or translucent skin indicate the beginning of rotting.

If you are far from the forest in every sense, then fresh cranberries can be purchased at the market during the season, and a frozen version of the berry can be purchased in the store. You can also use dried cranberries or berries to cook compote, ground with sugar.

Cook cranberry compote in a saucepan

From whole berries

The classic and simplest option. Take 2 liters of clean water and 150 grams of sugar. Combine these ingredients and cook the syrup. As soon as the crystals disperse, add 200 grams of fresh berries and immediately close the lid. Cook the compote for 10 minutes over low heat.

From crushed cranberries

Press 150 grams of fresh cranberries into puree using a masher. You don’t have to be too zealous, the main thing is to damage the integrity of the skin. Boil syrup (100 grams of sugar and 1.5 liters of water) in a saucepan on the stove. Place the berry mass into the boiling solution and cover the container tightly with a lid. To preserve the maximum amount of vitamins in the cranberries, cook the drink for no more than 1 minute. Do not rush to open the lid and take a sample; you need to let the compote brew for two hours.

After this, we pass the drink through cheesecloth or a fine sieve, freeing it from any remaining skin.

Using the same recipe, you can prepare compote from berries grated with sugar (take 1 cup of winter preparation for 1.5 liters of water).

The Tasty Life channel shares with you its recipe for a cranberry vitamin drink

From frozen cranberries with apples

Wash three fresh apples (preferably sweet varieties) thoroughly and remove the core and seeds. Cut the halves into thin slices without peeling the skins.

In a saucepan, boil water with sugar (2.5 liters of water and 250 grams of sugar), and as soon as bubbles appear on the surface, add the sliced ​​apples. After 5 minutes, add 250 grams of frozen cranberries to the drink. We do not defrost the berries first. Cooking time for compote under the lid over low heat is 10 minutes.

After this, set the container with the drink aside for several hours. The finished product can be strained before serving.

The Nadin life channel presents its version of cranberry compote with apples.

From dried cranberries in a slow cooker

To preserve for a longer period, cranberries are not only frozen, but also dried. Read about home drying methods Here.

To cook compote you will need 100 grams of dried cranberries and 50 grams of any dried fruit. These could be apples, dried apricots, raisins or prunes. A very tasty drink is obtained by combining dried cranberries with a compote mixture.

Pour dried fruits with 1.5 liters of boiling water, add 200 grams of sugar and tightly close the lid of the device. Cooking time – 25 minutes in the “Soup” or “Stew” mode. After the readiness signal is triggered, turn off the unit and do not open the lid for another 6 hours. The finished drink has a very rich taste. I recommend it to everyone!

Cranberry compote for the winter in a jar

Cranberries are also prepared for future use in the form of ready-made compotes.

Main feature: to create a drink that is balanced in taste, the natural cranberry sourness should be softened with other berries and fruits.

Cranberry compote with orange and apples

Pour 2 cups of cranberries into a three-liter jar, add chopped apples and orange. The amount of fruit may vary depending on the size of the apples.We use small fruits whole, and cut large ones into 6-8 parts, not forgetting to remove the seed capsule. Peel the orange and cut into rings. We try to remove all the seeds from the citrus fruit.

The next step is to pour boiling water into the jar right up to the neck. Cover the top of the container with a clean lid and let stand for 5-8 minutes. Then pour the infusion back into the pan and add 2.5 cups of sugar to it. As soon as the syrup boils thoroughly, refill the berry-fruit mixture with syrup. We wrap the workpiece for a day, and then store it in the cellar.

Cranberry and plum compote

In addition to apples, during the cranberry harvest season, plums are also available at an affordable price. The combination of sweet plums with sour berries makes the drink incredibly tasty.

So, put 1 cup of washed cranberries and 300 grams of plums into a clean three-liter jar. The plums must be thoroughly rinsed beforehand.

Fill the contents of the jar with boiling water to the very top, and cover with a lid, with which we will later roll up the workpiece. After 10 minutes, pour the water into the pan through a special grill or nylon lid with holes. Put it on the fire and boil again.

While the infusion is boiling, add 2 cups of sugar to the hot berries and fruits and shake the jar so that the sugar is evenly distributed.

Pour the boiling infusion over the fruits and berries and screw the lid on the jar. A warm blanket thrown over the hot preparation will ensure the drink cools slowly. After 20-24 hours, the jars of compote are sent underground with the rest of the winter preserves.

How to use and store the drink correctly

Cranberry compote can be drunk both hot and cold.During cold season, it is best to take a hot drink prepared on the stove and add honey to it before drinking.

Cranberry compote should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days. This rule also applies to opened jars containing compote prepared for the winter.

A drink canned for future use is stored in an underground, cellar or caisson for a year.

In addition to compote, you can make cranberries syrup, homemade jam or prepare winter cranberries in their own juice.