Rhubarb compote for the winter: properties, subtleties of preparation and storage rules
Rhubarb compote is a source of pride for any housewife. Such a drink not only pleases with a sweet taste, but also retains most of the nutrients after heat treatment, which means it provides significant health support.
Properties
Rhubarb compote for the winter has significant benefits if consumed regularly. Rhubarb has the following beneficial properties:
- strengthens the cardiovascular system;
- serves to prevent the occurrence of tumors;
- beneficial effect on the state of the digestive system;
- strengthens the immune system;
- improves vision due to vitamin A present in the composition;
- a large amount of magnesium and iron helps to normalize sleep and generally calms the nervous system.
However, rhubarb compote also has a number of disadvantages, which, rather, are contraindications.
The drink should not be indulged in people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Rhubarb is also prohibited for people suffering from diabetes and impaired kidney function.
Compound
The main ingredients of any rhubarb compote are its stems, water and sugar. The remaining products are used as an addition and are selected according to the preferences of the cook. All the numerous fruits and berries used for compote must be thoroughly washed and dried. It is customary to immediately cut citruses into rings, without peeling off the peel, and free the stone fruits from hard cores. Berries should be immediately cleaned of cuttings and twigs.
As for the rhubarb itself, only red petioles are used for compote, ideally freshly cut, as the taste of green leaves much to be desired.. The pieces are thoroughly washed, after which they are cleaned of the film covering the surface. Besides, the stems must be cut - this rule is also relevant for making jam.
Most recipes contain ingredients such as lemon juice or citric acid, so these should be taken care of ahead of time. The most commonly used spice is cinnamon.
cooking recipes
The preparation of compote from rhubarb can be carried out according to various recipes, but subject to several important rules. Containers must be thoroughly rinsed and sterilized, as should the lids used. If rhubarb is to be combined with any purchased ingredients, such as spices or spices, they should only be purchased from trusted manufacturers. Finally, no less important is product storage conditions.
The recipe for the simplest rhubarb compote involves the use of 12-13 medium-sized petioles, 4 liters of water, a glass of sugar and a teaspoon of dried hibiscus flowers. Water is poured into a saucepan, sugar is poured there, the syrup is brought to a boil. Processed and already chopped rhubarb is laid out in it, and hibiscus petals are also poured. The compote is boiled for 4 to 6 minutes, after which it is poured into vessels and rolled up.
By the way, hibiscus flowers can be used in another way: brew them in a separate vessel, then strain and use the liquid as a base for syrup.
In the event that you want to get compote with pulp, you need to boil the rhubarb until soft, mash to a puree state and boil again, but already mixed with sugar syrup. The finished substance is poured into jars and closed.
Most housewives necessarily use sterilization for winter preparations, and therefore subject the compote to such processing. Rhubarb stalks are cut into centimeter-sized pieces, after which they are blanched. Pieces of the main product are poured into the prepared jar, and everything is poured with boiling sugar syrup. At the next stage, the sterilization process should take place, the duration of which is determined by the volume of the jars. Half a liter will take a quarter of an hour, but liter vessels should be sterilized for about 25 minutes. The blanks are twisted with lids and cleaned for a day under a warm blanket.
Rhubarb compote recipe without sterilization involves the use of 350-400 grams of rhubarb, 60 grams of sugar and 1.5 liters of pure water. The stalks are crushed into small pieces and immediately placed in containers. Bay products with boiling water, you must wait about 20 minutes. Then the used liquid is drained into a separate saucepan, combined with sugar and boiled until a syrup appears. The sweet liquid is returned to the jars, which are immediately closed with lids.
To make a compote of rhubarb with strawberries, you will need a kilogram of the main product, a pound of ripe berries, 2 liters of pure water, 500 grams of sugar and 5 mint leaves.
Compote is prepared like this:
- pre-prepared petioles along with strawberries are cut into small pieces;
- mint is also crushed;
- all ingredients are placed in a saucepan, covered with sugar, poured with a small amount of water and boiled for some time;
- at the next stage, a pause is made in cooking, since the resulting substance must be infused for approximately 5 hours;
- the remaining water is mixed with sugar and boiled until a sugar syrup is obtained;
- the fruits are laid out in jars, after which they are poured with a sweet liquid;
- banks are immediately closed and put away for storage.
A bright taste is obtained from a compote made from rhubarb and cherries. In addition to 400 grams of the main product, you need 400 grams of ripe berries, 3.2 liters of water, as well as granulated sugar to taste.. The rhubarb is prepared according to the instructions, and the cherries, checked for unripe and rotten specimens, are thoroughly washed. It is better to immediately remove both the bones of the berries and the existing petioles. Berries, along with rhubarb, are laid out in containers.
Sugar is poured into boiling water, after which the liquid remains on fire for several minutes until the syrup is formed. The resulting substance is used to fill the fruit, after which the jars can be immediately closed.
Rhubarb compote with orange has a high content of vitamins, so this drink is indispensable in the winter months, when there is an increased fight against viruses. From the products you will need somewhere 200-250 grams of peeled stems, one orange, 0.5 liters of water, a glass of granulated sugar, a glass of freshly squeezed natural orange juice, and rosemary.
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- citrus is cut into rings and placed on the bottom of the containers;
- rhubarb immediately goes there;
- a mixture of water and sugar is brought to a boil, and rosemary is added there;
- as soon as the liquid begins to boil, it is necessary to pour orange juice into the pan and add the zest peeled from the fruit;
- the syrup needs to boil for a couple of minutes, after which it can be poured into jars;
- the finished compote immediately rolls up.
The preparation of compote with lemon is carried out in a similar way. For 0.5 kg of rhubarb petioles, a couple of citrus slices, 2.5 liters of filtered water and 1.5 cups of granulated sugar are used. Sugar is stirred in boiling water until a syrup is obtained, after which pieces of rhubarb and citrus slices are laid out in a saucepan. Compote is boiled for 4 to 6 minutes, after which it is poured into jars and rolled up.
Optionally, at the end, you can add a pinch of vanilla sugar to the drink.
Usage Tips
Despite the fact that compote is not forbidden to be consumed as a regular drink, it can become a full-fledged dessert, especially if served with pulp. A winter drink should be poured into beautiful bowls or full-fledged compotes that look like wide bowls. Rhubarb compote can also be an addition to some of the main dishes of the festive table.. It goes well with steamed meat or fish, soups with tomato paste in the composition, cold cuts and jerky, cheese or pizza.
In everyday life, the drink is recommended as a second breakfast or a light snack.
Storage rules
Although blanks are cooled under a warm blanket and at room temperature, they should be stored in a cool and dark place. Ideally, this should be a cellar or a special pantry with a lower temperature, but cabinets on the loggia, shelves under the kitchen window sill, or even a refrigerator are also suitable. It is allowed to store ordinary compote in a saucepan for only a couple of days. Storage of winter preparations will be successful only if all jars are sterile and the lids are tightly fixed.
From time to time, jars should be checked for swelling.
How to cook rhubarb compote for the winter, see the following video.