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Soaked thorns are a winter preparation that was made in ancient times. In the old days, berries were stocked in large quantities; they were infused in wooden barrels using hot or cold methods, with the addition of various components. Then these fruits, rich in vitamins, were used as a snack for many dishes, and also as a medicine.
The benefits of soaked thorns
The plant is not particularly welcomed by gardeners, because its bushes have an abundance of thorns and harvesting from them is quite problematic. The berry is not for everyone, it tastes sour and tart. Despite this, due to the high content of useful substances in it, it is used to prepare various preparations for the winter. It is soaked, dried, used for jam, sauces, jams, tinctures.
The product is distinguished by a high content of vitamins C and B, magnesium, carotene, calcium, organic acids and minerals. Berries help improve immunity, prevent vitamin deficiency, and saturate the body with strength.By consuming them in moderation, you can improve the functioning of the intestines and stomach, minimizing the chances of developing peptic ulcers and gastritis. Experts note that wild plum is useful for people suffering from flatulence, as it helps eliminate gases. In addition, it rids the body of waste, toxins and other harmful substances.
Sloes are rarely consumed fresh, but both adults and children like their taste when prepared.
Features of preparing pickled thorns
Harvesting blackthorn begins in the fall. It is usually collected on the outskirts of the forest, along ravines, near fields. But if you have a great love for berries, you can grow a shrub in your garden plot. This plant is unpretentious and does not require special care when growing.
The harvest begins in the autumn, it is better to do this after the temperature at night begins to drop below 0 ° C.
How to select and prepare the turn
To prepare soaked sloe, you need to collect only ripe, preferably slightly frozen, fruits. Undamaged and whole specimens should be selected. Before cooking, they are sorted, freed from the stalks, and rotten and spoiled berries are removed. Next, they are washed well in a colander and allowed to drain. Blackthorn quickly deteriorates and can be softened, so it is advisable to use it immediately after collection. The cooking method is most often chosen cold, since high temperature has a detrimental effect on the integrity of the berries.
When poured hot, the sloe bursts, and its taste becomes less balanced
Preparing containers
As for the container, when collecting prickly plums, it is best to line the container where it is placed with a cloth, so the fruits will be less damaged. The dishes for soaking are enamel or glass, previously thoroughly washed with soda and sterilized.
How to wet thorns at home
Most often, housewives prefer to soak thorns according to ancient recipes used by our ancestors. This technology is passed down from generation to generation and still remains relevant. Some experiment with recipes, adding aspirin, vinegar, spices and other ingredients to containers with berries, thereby slightly changing the taste of the product.
An ancient recipe for pickled thorns
To make soaked sloe according to your grandmother’s recipe, you will need a tub or barrel. The preparation prepared in such a container was considered a real delicacy. Products you will need:
- spring or well water – 4 l.;
- blackthorn berries – 10 kg;
- sugar - faceted glass;
- salt – 100 g;
- garlic – 2 cloves;
- cherry or currant leaves, dill umbrellas, horseradish.
Preparation:
- Sort the thorns, wash and dry.
- Peel the garlic and cut into thin slices.
- Add bulk ingredients to boiling water.
- Place the fruits in a barrel, topping them with washed leaves and garlic slices.
- Pour the cooled brine into the container, cover the top with a cloth, under the load.
- After a week, remove the barrel to a cool place.
Soaked sloe is ready for consumption after a month and a half
A simple recipe for soaked sloe
This quick wild plum recipe takes no more than half an hour to prepare.Using this technology, the output is a product with a mint flavor.
Ingredients:
- thorn – 1 kg;
- sugar – 1000 g;
- water – 100 ml;
- mint leaves.
Sequencing:
- Wash the fruits, dry them, put them in a jar.
- Boil syrup from water and sugar and add to berries.
- Wash mint leaves and place in a jar.
- Cover the top with gauze and leave in a warm and dark place for a month.
Mint gives soaked berries a special flavor
Sloes soaked in jars of aspirin
Many housewives, when preparing food for the winter, are accustomed to adding aspirin tablets to jars. Especially for them, there is another technology for preparing soaked blackthorn, which contains this ingredient in the recipe.
Required Products:
- thorn – 3 kg;
- aspirin (500 mg) – 3 pcs.;
- sugar – 20 g;
- salt - a pinch;
- water.
Cooking technology:
- Rinse the berries and let them dry.
- Crush aspirin tablets.
- Pour medicinal powder into the bottom of a sterilized jar, lay out thorns, add salt and sugar.
- Bring about 2 liters of water to a boil, let it cool to room temperature, pour into a jar.
- Seal the container with a plastic lid and put it in a dark place for half a month.
- After the specified time, the workpiece must be removed to a cold place for further storage.
The amount of ingredients for soaked thorns with aspirin is calculated for a volume of 3 liters
Recipe for soaked sloe with vinegar
Blackthorn soaked with vinegar is made in glass jars. The fruit tastes sweet, but with a spicy aroma and slight sourness.
For preparation you will need:
- wild plum fruits – 2-3 kg;
- water – 1 l;
- sugar – 0.5 kg;
- salt – 1 tbsp. l.;
- 9% vinegar – 0.5 l;
- vegetable oil – 60 ml;
- bay leaf – 4 pcs.;
- cloves, pepper - to taste.
Step by step recipe:
- Rinse the berries.
- Boil water, add sugar and salt, after boiling, pour in vinegar and remove the pan from the heat.
- Place spices, the main ingredient, at the bottom of sterilized jars, pour the cooled marinade over everything.
- Pour vegetable oil into each container, cover with lids and leave in this form for three days, then close and put in the cellar.
The liquid from blackthorn soaked in vinegar can be used to prepare shish kebab.
Cold soaked sloe
This technology for preparing the product allows you to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients in the fruits.
Required ingredients:
- thorn – 3000 g;
- granulated sugar – 60 g;
- salt – 30 g;
- water – 1 l.
Step-by-step preparation:
- Dissolve sugar and salt in water and boil.
- Place the washed berries in a glass or enamel bowl.
- Pour the completely cooled marinade over the fruits, cover them with a piece of linen cloth, place a plate on top, and place a weight on it.
- Leave the thorns in this form in a warm room for a week, then put them in a cool place for a month.
Pickled berries can be served as a snack
Terms and conditions of storage
At home, soaked sloe should be stored in the refrigerator or other cool place for no more than five months, with vinegar, peppermint or pennyroyal for a maximum of a year.
If soaked sloe is stored at room temperature, excluding herbs, spices and garlic from the recipe will help protect it from rapid souring. In order for an open jar with a preparation to stand longer, a little vegetable oil should be poured onto the surface of its contents.
Conclusion
Soaked thorns are a preparation whose recipe comes from ancient times. There are several options for its preparation; there are two methods used during the process: hot and cold. The dish has a specific, slightly sour taste and is considered very healthy and fortified.
