Content
Barberry is a shrub from Asia, which is known both in Russia and throughout the world. The sour, dried berries are used as a spice. Barberry recipes for the winter involve harvesting a significant part of the crop for the cold period, so that the tasty and healthy berry is available all year round. You can use simple preparation methods, for example, dry or freeze the berries, or you can make a delicacy for the whole family.
Where can you use barberry berries?
The sour berries of the unpretentious shrub are used in:
- cooking;
- cosmetology;
- medicine.
Dishes using this plant are varied: sauces, jams, marshmallows, sweets, honey, juice, liqueurs and fruit drinks. Barberry sauce for meat is highly valued in many cuisines around the world. Classic pilaf also includes the use of dried barberry in its recipe.
In medicine, berries are used to strengthen the heart and blood vessels, as a choleretic agent, to improve appetite and to stop bleeding. Berries also normalize liver function and hormonal levels. For medicinal purposes, barberry is most often brewed and tea is drunk from it.Dry berries are used for this.
In cosmetology, nourishing face masks are made from milk, rolled oats and barberry. You need to keep this mask for about 20 minutes.
The low calorie content of the fruits of the shrub determines their use in nutrition for weight loss.
How to preserve barberry for the winter
To preserve barberry for the winter, it is dried or frozen. You can make jams, sauces and make various preparations. But when dried or frozen, the berry retains the maximum amount of vitamins and nutrients. At the same time, in winter, you can prepare any dish of your choice from preserved berries, both for an everyday dinner and for a holiday table. Each type of workpiece has its own nuances.
Freezing barberry for the winter
Any freezer is perfect for freezing barberries. To begin, the berries must be washed and dried. Then the fruits are laid out in portions in plastic bags. You cannot freeze more berries than are consumed at one time, since after defrosting you cannot re-freeze the product - it loses its properties and appearance. Instead of bags, many housewives use plastic containers.
Drying
Drying barberry fruits is the most convenient method, since the process is simple and the shelf life is long. The vitamin composition also does not differ from freshly picked berries. You can dry barberries for the winter in the fresh air, in a drying cabinet or in the oven.
The first stage of drying is preparing the fruit. They need to be sorted out, separating diseased and damaged specimens. Then wash the barberry under running water and lay it out on towels. After the berries have dried, you can start harvesting:
- When drying in a cabinet or dryer, the temperature at first should not exceed 50 °C; as soon as the fruits stop releasing juice, raise it to 60 °C.
- To dry in the fresh air, you need to cover the fruits with a fine mesh or gauze, and the berries themselves should be in the shade. You will need gauze to protect against birds and insects that want to eat the available fruits.
- Be sure to turn or mix the berries during the drying period, do this carefully so as not to crush them.
There is a simple way to check readiness: squeeze the berries in your hand. If they are ready, they do not release juice, do not choke and remain crumbly.
What to do for the winter with barberry
There are many recipes using berries for preparing preparations. The main advantage is that barberry fruits can be used both in dessert rolls and in the form of seasonings or savory preserves. And beekeepers prepare delicious and healing honey from barberry. It all depends on the additional ingredients and the desire of the hostess.
Recipe for barberry sauce for the winter
This type of sauce is used most often in Indian cuisine. Lovers of rice and pilaf will like it, and it is used with poultry meat. Barberry sauce for the winter requires the following ingredients:
- 1 kg barberry;
- 250 g granulated sugar;
- to taste cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
The step-by-step recipe looks like this:
- Place the berries in a saucepan, add water and cook until soft.
- Grind the cooked fruits through a fine sieve.
- Add granulated sugar and all necessary spices.
- Boil.
- Cook until thickened, do not forget to stir.
- Pour into glass jars and cover with lids.
- Sterilize the product for 15–20 minutes, depending on the volume of the cans.
- Roll up hermetically, wrap in a blanket and let cool overnight.
Store in a basement or cellar, serve with meat. An important indicator of correct preparation is that the fruits should not darken during cooking.
Barberry with sugar for the winter
This is a recipe for jam without cooking. Suitable for hasty housewives and those who do not like heat treatment. The fruits better retain their healing properties and taste. Products for preparation: barberry and sugar in a ratio of 1:3.
Process step by step:
- Grind the fruits in any convenient way. To do this, you can use an ordinary meat grinder.
- Add granulated sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
- Place the resulting product in sterilized glass jars and seal.
This preparation should be stored in the refrigerator. The required temperature for the product is maintained there, and the barberry will last successfully all winter.
Barberry juice
Juice from the red berries of the eastern bush is a vitamin drink. It can be prepared for the winter in two ways: with and without sugar.
The ingredient for the unsweetened recipe is barberry itself. It is washed and then blanched in boiling water for just a couple of minutes. Then the soft berries are squeezed through a juicer. The juice should be poured into dry sterilized jars and rolled up.
Ingredients for sweet juice:
- barberry - 1 kg;
- 250 g sugar;
- ginger and cinnamon with cloves - optional.
Preparing the juice is simple: squeeze the juice as in the first recipe, add sugar and pour into glass jars. Then sterilize for 15–20 minutes. Roll up, turn the lids down to check the tightness and wrap with a blanket.
Barberry honey
Barberry honey is a healing product and famous throughout the planet.This product has a restorative, hemostatic, as well as antibacterial and choleretic effect.
Barberry nectar cannot be confused with others: it is golden-amber in color and has some sourness in its taste. The viscosity parameters are average. The process of crystallization of honey from barberry takes place within 2–6 months. Everything directly depends on storage conditions, as well as on the climate in the region.
Glass containers with high-quality lids are used for storage. Honey is stored at a temperature not exceeding +20 °C. Otherwise, fermentation processes will begin.
Barberry sweets
Barberry recipes for the winter, according to which marshmallows, marmalade, and jam are made from these berries, will appeal to all those with a sweet tooth, without exception.
Ingredients for jelly: a kilogram of barberry and sugar, plus 200 ml of water. Preparation:
- Rinse the berries, place in a pan (preferably enameled), add water.
- Heat until fruits soften.
- Rub through a sieve.
- Add granulated sugar and cook until required thickness.
- The hot product is poured into jars and sealed hermetically.
The berries are also used to make marshmallows. Products for treats:
- kilogram of berries;
- sugar - 800 g;
- 30 g powdered sugar;
- 300 ml of drinking water.
Step-by-step instructions for preparing marshmallows:
- Boil the berries and place in a colander to drain.
- Add half of the total sugar to the resulting broth and beat.
- Add the remaining sugar and beat again.
- Place on the stove, simmer over low heat until reduced to a characteristic consistency.
- Place in molds or simply place on a baking sheet and place in the oven to dry.
- Pull out and cut into strips, sprinkle with powder.
This recipe will appeal to those who have children. The delicacy will delight any baby.
To prepare marmalade you will need 1 kg of fruit, 750 g of sugar, 200 ml of water. The preparation algorithm is the same as for making jelly. You just need to cook it until it reaches a thicker consistency, and at the end, don’t pour it into jars, but cool it and cut it into cubes. The product looks great if sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Terms and conditions of storage
Any preparations for the winter have identical storage conditions. You need a cool temperature, but without frost, and a dark room. Preserved barberry, be it sauce or jam, does not tolerate direct sunlight. For dried berries, any access to moisture is contraindicated. The optimal storage conditions in this case are a fabric bag.
A dry cellar without moisture and mold, as well as an unheated pantry, are best suited for storing workpieces in winter. If the jars are on the balcony, then the temperature should not drop below 0 degrees.
Conclusion
Barberry recipes for the winter help preserve the healthy berry for a long period. In the cold season, jam or jam from the fruits of this shrub will help support the immune system and fight colds, and the sauce will decorate any meat dish. If the housewife does not know how best to use the fruits, then you can simply dry or freeze them and use them as a seasoning in winter.
