Content
Blackberry raisins are an unusual dessert, reminiscent of the usual dried grapes in taste and consistency. It is easy to make at home and can be used all winter as an original delicacy, filling for baking, base for compotes and jelly. Raisins retain all the beneficial qualities of black mountain ash, they are easy to store without taking up much shelf space.
How to make chokeberry raisins
Very few ingredients are required to make Black Rowan Raisins. The classic recipe, in addition to berries, includes sugar, water and a small amount of acid. Blackberry is perfectly stored due to the presence of natural preservatives in the composition, without requiring special additives to prevent spoilage of the product.
Since the dessert is not subjected to prolonged heat treatment, the quality of the fruit directly affects the successful result. To get a tasty, healthy product, the chokeberry must be properly selected and prepared.
Rules for the selection and processing of berries for raisins:
- The best raw material is a fully ripe chokeberry, touched by the first frosts. These berries contain more sugars and lose some of the astringency. The peel of the fruit becomes more pliable for syrup impregnation.
- The blackberry, harvested before the cold weather, is placed in the freezer for several hours, which will replace natural freezing.
- When sorting, remove all underripe, damaged, dried berries. Blacks with a red barrel can taste bitter after withering.
- The berries are washed under running water. Black rowan bushes usually do not need to be sprayed against pests and diseases, so the fruits do not need to be doused with boiling water before cooking.
The acid in the recipe will soften and complement the taste of the blackberry. Lemon juice or store-bought powder serves as a preservative, extending the shelf life of raisins. To enrich the taste, it is permissible to add spices to the recipe at your own discretion. Best combined with black chops vanilla, cinnamon, cloves.
A simple recipe for chokeberry raisins
Aronia raisins are prepared at home by boiling in syrup, followed by drying to the desired consistency. The fruit does not differ in its own bright taste. Therefore, for raisins, it is pre-soaked with a concentrated sweet and sour composition.
Ingredients for syrup per 1.5 kg of berries:
- granulated sugar - 1 kg;
- filtered water - 0.5 l;
- citric acid - one packet (20 g).
The washed black chokeberry berries are placed in a colander, allowed to drain off excess water. For cooking syrup, it is convenient to use large-capacity enamel, ceramic or stainless steel dishes, later all the berries should fit in there. Having measured the ingredients, they begin to prepare the raisins.
Step by step recipe:
- Syrup is boiled from water and a full norm of sugar, heating the mixture until the grains are completely dissolved.
- Pour in acid and wait for the syrup to boil.
- Without removing the container from the fire, pour the prepared blackberry into it.
- With constant stirring, the composition is boiled for about 30 minutes.
- The hot composition is filtered through a colander or sieve, preserving the aromatic liquid for later use.
- The berries can be left to drain overnight to speed up their drying.
The boiled blackberry is scattered in one layer on a flat surface for drying and withering.Depending on the temperature or humidity of the air, this process takes from 1 to 3 days. The fruits should be mixed regularly.
Black chokeberry raisin recipe with lemon juice
Delicious homemade chokeberry raisins are often prepared with natural lemon juice. This way the treat gets more citrus aroma, and the remaining syrup will be healthier and tastier. The amount of sugar in the recipe is reduced for those who want to preserve the natural taste of dried fruits.
The composition of the products for 1.5 kg of black chops:
- sugar - 500 g;
- water - 700 ml;
- lemon - several pieces (at least 150 g).
Preparation:
- Sugar is poured into water and heated to a boil.
- Squeeze lemon juice, pour into a sweet solution.
- Blackberry is added, boiled for at least 20 minutes.
- Strain the liquid into a separate bowl, let it drain completely from the berries.
- The berries are dried to the desired consistency.
Each housewife tries to achieve the density and dryness of the fruit to her taste. Blackberry raisins with sugar can be dried in several ways:
- In a warm room at room temperature. The result is highly dependent on air humidity. Raisins can remain too soft for a long time, which will require a long drying time.
- With an electric dryer for vegetables and fruits. The berries are dried on trellised trays at a temperature of 40–45 ° C. The whole process will take no more than 8 hours.
- In the oven. Cover the trays for drying with baking paper and sprinkle sugared black chops on top. Having adjusted the heating to about 40 ° C, the fruits are dried in the oven with the door ajar. With stirring, determine the degree of readiness of the raisins.
How to make candied chokeberry
Ripe black rowan berries are sorted and prepared in the same way as for raisins, with minor differences:
- For candied fruits, they do not choose raw raw materials, while for raisins it is appropriate.
- To get rid of excess bitterness and astringency, the berries are soaked for 12 to 36 hours. During this time, the water is changed at least 3 times.
- Long-term stay of black mountain ash in syrup allows you to add different flavors to the dessert with the help of spices. The vanilla aroma best emphasizes the belonging of the dessert to candied fruits.
- For candied fruits, using an electric dryer or oven is preferable to natural drying. The quick-baked top layer retains sufficient moisture inside the berry, creating a candied fruit consistency.
Candied blackberry with vanilla
Cooking candied chokeberry at home differs in the composition of the syrup and the duration of the impregnation of the berries. The rest of the cooking principles are similar to raisins.
The ratio of products for processing 1 kg of black mountain ash:
- sugar - 1 kg;
- water - 20 ml;
- citric acid - 10 g;
- vanilla extract (liquid) - 0.5 tsp (or 1 bag of dry powder).
Cooking syrup is similar to the previous recipes. Vanilla is added to the boiling solution before adding the black chokeberry.
Further preparation:
- The berries and syrup are allowed to simmer with moderate heat for about 20 minutes.
- The container is removed from the heat, left until the product cools completely.
- Repeat heating, boiling for another 20 minutes.
- The cooled mass is filtered.
Dried blackberry berries are heated in an oven or dryer on paper-covered baking sheets at a temperature of about 100 ° C. It is enough to dry the top layer of the pulp. Readiness is determined by squeezing the candied fruit between the fingers.If the berries are firm, and the skin is not stained with juice, the dessert can be removed from the oven.
Storage rules for candied fruits and raisins from chokeberry
Ready-made candied fruits and raisins from chokeberry for the winter are laid out in glass, ceramic containers or cardboard boxes and left in room conditions without access to light. Storage of dried, sweet foods has its own characteristics:
- 10 ° C is the ideal temperature for storing candied blackberries;
- in the refrigerator, such products quickly damp, stick together;
- at + 18 ° C the danger of insect infestation increases.
In an apartment, it is better to choose glassware with tightly screwed lids for long-term storage of raisins and candied blackberries.
Conclusion
Blackberry raisins are a great example of a sweet yet healthy meal that's easy to make yourself. At home, these "sweets" can be stored until the next harvest. It is important to remember about the strong medicinal properties of the chokeberry and use sweet medicine in moderation.
