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Red currant pastila is a traditional dish of Russian cuisine. To prepare this dessert, use whipped applesauce and berry pulp, including red currants. Blackcurrant recipes are popular.
Preparing marshmallow is simple, and additional ingredients for the dish are available in every home: eggs and sugar or honey. You don’t need to purchase anything exotic to prepare this dessert.
Beneficial properties of red currant pastille
Red currants contain a large number of useful macro- and microelements, acids and vitamins, which are preserved in homemade marshmallows almost without loss. This is precisely the reason for the rather wide range of useful properties of the finished product:
- a red currant delicacy helps normalize the gastrointestinal tract;
- regular moderate consumption of currant marshmallows serves as a prevention of many diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- currants strengthen the immune system and help the body recover from illness;
- dessert is useful to consume during outbreaks of viral and colds, as it has bactericidal and disinfectant properties;
- the treat effectively removes waste and toxins from the body;
- Honey, often used in marshmallows, normalizes metabolism.
Redcurrant marshmallow recipes
Homemade red currant dessert is a soft, but at the same time quite elastic canvas of sweet and sour taste with a rich fruity aroma. It is prepared by “spreading” berry puree on a flat surface, which is the basis for the name of the dish. Then the marshmallow is dried so that it acquires a viscous consistency.
Red currants produce a rich dark red product, sometimes with a hint of purple. Both large and small berries are used to prepare marshmallows. The main thing is that the currants are from a variety with thin skin and are fully ripe. Overripe currants make the marshmallow too sweet, but it is also better not to use unripe ones. The degree of ripeness is indicated by the general tone - the berries should have an even color without inclusions of a greenish tint. This is a sign of immaturity or illness.
In the dryer
It is most convenient to prepare red currant pastille using a special dryer.
Ingredients:
- 250 g sugar;
- 300 g red currants;
- 50 g powdered sugar;
- 1-2 tbsp. l. potato or corn starch.
Recipe:
- Granulated sugar is poured into a container with washed and dried berries. All this is mixed and left to settle for 30 minutes to form juice.
- The resulting mass is transferred to a saucepan and placed on low heat.Stir the berry mass from time to time. When the mixture boils, keep it on the stove for another 5-8 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- When it cools down, transfer it to a blender and make a homogeneous puree.
- After this, you need to place 1-2 sheets of parchment on the dryer tray. The berry mass is carefully laid out on top of it, spreading evenly over the entire surface with a spatula.
- Dry for 4-6 hours at a temperature of 60°C. The dried fabric is removed from the dryer and placed on a mixture of powder and starch. At this point the dish can be considered ready.
In the oven
In the oven, red currant pastille is prepared according to the following scheme:
- 1 kg of red currants are thoroughly washed and dried.
- Then the raw materials are brought to a liquid puree using a blender or meat grinder.
- After this, the resulting mass is rubbed through a sieve to give it uniformity.
- The next step is to add 500 g of sugar to the red currants. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Then the sugar-berry mixture is placed on medium heat and kept on the stove until it boils. After this, turn the heat down to low and cook the pastille base for another 5 minutes.
- Lightly beat the cooled mass, then distribute it on a baking sheet, having previously covered it with parchment.
- Maintain at a temperature of 60°C for 8-10 hours.
What else can you add to currant marshmallow?
Homemade currant pastille in its pure form, without adding other products, has a rich sweet and sour taste. Sometimes the emphasis is shifted towards acidity, so young children do not always like the treat. On the other hand, dessert can always be sweetened.
There are different ways to do this.
- Banana is added to the raw material for the delicacy in a 1:1 ratio. It will give the dish softness, tenderness and sweetness.
- One of the most common sweeteners for marshmallows is granulated sugar, but of all the additives it is the least healthy. In addition, if you overdo it with sugar, the treat can become too hard and brittle.
- Honey is often used instead of sugar. This product gives the dish a rich honey aroma. Not all types of honey can be used, as some of them prevent the marshmallow from hardening. In particular, it is not advisable to mix acacia honey with berries. Rapeseed honey is best suited, which is added to the base at the rate of 500 g per 1 kg of berries.
- The mixture of berries and applesauce gives the dish uniformity. If desired, it can be replaced with grape pulp.
Calorie content
On average, the calorie content of dessert per 100 g is 327 kcal. This indicator may vary slightly depending on what food additives are present in the finished dish: honey, nuts, orange juice or others.
Pastila is far from being a dietary product, but it is healthier than chocolate and other sweets.
Terms and conditions of storage
Pastila does not tolerate high humidity. You can check if it is damp by applying pressure. A product that is properly stored is resilient and does not crack. If the material is sticky and loose, it means the treat has gone bad.
After cooking, the sweet and sour cloth is cut into small plates, which are folded together and stored in a glass container. It is very convenient to store currant marshmallows in the form of small rolls, which are wrapped in cling film. If you don't insulate each tube, they may stick together. The rolls are then also placed in a glass container or sealed plastic container.
If stored properly, the shelf life is 8-12 months.
Conclusion
Red currant pastille is a tasty and healthy dish. In addition, it can be used as an independent dessert, and as a sweet additive when brewing tea. Sweet and sour sheets go well with baked goods, so sometimes they are used as a layer in homemade pies and rolls. Also, pieces of red currant pastille are added to various tinctures and compotes.
You can learn more about how to make currant marshmallow from the video:
