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Compotes are loved not only by children, but also by adults. How great it is to take out a jar of compote on a winter evening and enjoy delicious berries or fruits. There are a huge number of varieties of compotes. It can be prepared from any berries and fruits. But some Russians have long been cooking compote from vegetables - zucchini, pumpkin. Our grandmothers passed this recipe on to their daughters and granddaughters.
Pumpkin compote for the winter is easy to prepare, without much expense or time. The taste of this product is extraordinary. Moreover, based on this recipe, every housewife can, using her imagination, create her own masterpieces. We will now tell you about the rules for preparing pumpkin preparation for the winter.
How to make pumpkin compote
To prepare a delicious pumpkin preparation for the winter, you will need a minimum of products that a housewife always has in her arsenal:
- pumpkin – 1 piece;
- cold water 3 liters;
- granulated sugar – 5 glasses;
- cloves – 5 pieces;
- citric acid – 1 teaspoon;
- vinegar essence - 1 tablespoon.
It's no secret that any dishes and preparations turn out excellent if you do the work with soul and in a good mood. Therefore, put all troubles aside, think about how your children will enjoy winter evenings while eating delicious pumpkin compote.So let's get started.
Step one - preparing the products
The main ingredient of the compote is pumpkin, which grows on the ground. Therefore, before slicing, it is thoroughly washed in several waters. It's better to use a cloth to clean the soil.
- After this, the vegetable is wiped and cut into pieces. The peel is cut with a sharp knife to the pulp. The middle with the seeds is removed. The fibers are scraped out with a spoon.
- For compote, the pumpkin is cut into pieces measuring 1x1 cm, or at most one and a half centimeters. Try to keep the compote elements approximately equal in size so that they can cook through. How to do it? The pumpkin is first cut into strips 1 or 1.5 cm wide, and only then into slices one centimeter thick.
Imagine how happy your children will be. The main thing is to prepare to do it secretly.
Step two - the cooking process
To prepare a delicious pumpkin compote, you will need a large 7 liter basin or saucepan so that all the ingredients fit in it and do not boil over. The pumpkin in the container is first placed on the surface of the water, and at the moment of boiling it rises upward along with the foam. It could easily fly out.
- Cold water is poured into a vessel (3 liters) and pieces of pumpkin are placed. The recipe does not indicate the weight of the pumpkin; the thing is that some housewives prepare pumpkin compote with a lot of liquid, while others like it when it contains a lot of fruits or berries. The same applies to preparing pumpkin for the winter. Pieces or figures are placed in water depending on the future consistency.
- Sugar and all the spices are added to cold water, stirred so that the granulated sugar begins to dissolve, and the container is placed on the fire. It should be strong before the contents boil. Then the temperature is reduced to average. Pumpkin, as a rule, does not stick to the bottom, whichever is more convenient for you, but you still need to stir from time to time.
- The foam that appears on the compote is removed with a slotted spoon. Reduce the temperature and continue cooking after boiling for 25-30 minutes. During this time, the pieces or figures should become amber and transparent. It’s easy to check the pumpkin’s readiness - take out a piece and try.
Step three - final
- Ready pumpkin compote for the winter is immediately poured into prepared jars. Distribute the juice and pumpkin pieces evenly. The liquid should be poured right up to the neck so that there is no room for air in the jar. It is best used in half-liter and eight hundred gram jars. Although the product can be stored in the refrigerator after opening for at least 24 hours, experienced housewives do not recommend using large containers.
- The jars are sealed with regular metal or screw lids. Pay attention to the tightness of the seal. The slightest leakage of liquid will lead to damage to the workpiece. Turn it upside down and wrap it in a fur coat or blanket for additional sterilization.
- Cooled pumpkin compote for the winter can be stored in any cool place: basement, cellar. If there are no such storage facilities, place the jars in the refrigerator.
Variant of pumpkin compote without berries and fruits:
Benefits of pumpkin
Some housewives may be perplexed: why make pumpkin compote when there are a lot of different fruits and berries all around. They would be wrong, since this vegetable has truly unique properties.
Pumpkin, like no other vegetable, contains a huge amount of minerals, nutrients and vitamins. If we consider the chemical composition, then this vegetable contains:
- sucrose and starch;
- fiber and proteins;
- pectins, macro and microelements.
The medicinal properties of orange pulp and seeds have been known and widely used since ancient times. This vegetable:
- heals wounds;
- relieves inflammatory processes;
- dilates blood vessels;
- cleanses the body of waste, toxins, bad cholesterol;
- has a beneficial effect on the nervous system;
- normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, bladder, bile;
- prolongs youth;
- suppresses the tuberculosis bacillus.
Doctors recommend consuming the yellow or orange pulp of the vegetable for people suffering from obesity, gout, cardiovascular disease and many other ailments.
Conclusion
Pumpkin compote is an excellent refreshing and vitamin drink that quenches thirst. In addition, by drinking a glass of compote and eating pieces of pumpkin, you will receive a large amount of nutrients, microelements and vitamins. After all, heat treatment does not destroy them; they are preserved almost one hundred percent.
If you are still not sure about the taste of pumpkin compote, use smaller quantities of the ingredients.It’s safe to say that you will take up the workpiece again, and more than once.
Any housewife preparing pumpkin compote has a wide field for experimentation. The fact is that pumpkin goes well with various berries and fruits, including citrus fruits. Make different variations and create your own recipes. Don't forget to share your finds!
