Secrets of making nectarine compote for the winter
The end of summer is a hot time in the life of every housewife. It is during this period that the most active period of harvesting fruits and vegetables for the winter begins. This is a rather laborious process, however, the effort is worth it so that on long winter evenings the whole family can gather at the table and enjoy a piece of summer. One of the most successful reminders of summer will be nectarine compote, because they retain their natural, fresh flavor so well when canned.
Benefit
Making nectarine compote for the winter is not only to please your loved ones with a delicious drink during the winter cold, it is also a way to fortify the body, support it during a period of vitamin deficiency, strengthen immunity and the ability to fight seasonal viruses. In the process of preparing compote from nectarines, the fruits are subjected to thermal effects. Some of the vitamins and minerals, of course, are destroyed, however, this does not make the drink useless. Nectarine compote contains a huge amount of vitamin C, which will come in handy for those suffering from respiratory diseases and for their prevention.
Vitamin A, H, PP and B vitamins will help support the body in the winter. Potassium, pectin, iron, phosphorus and sodium will perfectly cope with the nutrition of all tissues of the body, they are natural stimulants of the nervous system, and therefore an excellent prophylactic against depression and bad mood. In winter, many feel lethargy and weakness - this is due to the short daylight hours and lack of sunlight.
Nectarines are a natural energy source. Compote from these fruits perfectly invigorates and awakens from winter drowsiness.
Recipes
simple recipe
This recipe, more than others, allows you to preserve the aroma of fresh nectarines, their juiciness and elasticity, such a compote can be prepared without spending time and effort on sterilization. Required: 2 kilograms of nectarines, about 1 kilogram of sugar, 3 liters of water. Wash the nectarines thoroughly, lay them out on a waffle towel and let them dry slightly. Whole prepared fruits should be laid out in clean sterilized jars, filling them with at least 2/3 of the volume.
Banks with nectarines must be filled with boiling water, cover with lids and leave to infuse for 10-15 minutes, then drain the water into a saucepan with a wide bottom. To this water, add 1 more glass of boiled water, bring it to a boil and add sugar at the rate of 300 grams of sugar per 1 liter of water, mix thoroughly, bring to a boil and boil for 3-5 minutes. Pour the finished syrup into jars with nectarines, cork the compote, put the jars upside down, cover with a thick blanket or blanket and leave until the jars become cold.
Spicy
Such a compote will be a great addition to a Christmas dinner, the aroma of spices will fill the house with a festive mood and comfort. To prepare such a compote you will need: 1 kilogram of small tangerines, 700 grams of plums, 500 grams of grapes, 1 lemon, a small cinnamon stick, 2-3 star anise, 1 rosette of cloves (optional), 400 grams of sugar, 2 tablespoons of natural wine vinegar .
All fruits and berries must be thoroughly washed and drained. Grapes must be separated from the bunches, remove all branches.Plums and nectarines should be pitted and cut into wide slices. All prepared components must be put into clean, sterilized jars or bottles, filling them by 2/3 of the volume.
Remove the zest from a lemon with a special citrus knife or with a fine grater. The white layer of zest cannot be used in the preparation of compotes - it is bitter. Such a layer must be cut off, peeled lemon cut into circles or divided into slices and put in jars of fruit. In each jar you need to put an asterisk of star anise, drip 5-10 drops of wine vinegar.
Pour sugar into a deep saucepan, pour 2 liters of water, put cinnamon and cloves, mix thoroughly and bring to a boil. Hot syrup should be poured into bottles with fruit, covered with lids. Each jar must be sterilized. Banks with a volume of 1 liter must be sterilized for 15 minutes, 2 liters - 20 minutes, 3 liters - 25 minutes. Then roll up the lids, turn the jars upside down and leave them in this state until they cool completely.
Citrus
Compote of nectarines and citrus fruits is a light and bright drink that will appeal to adults and children. To prepare such a compote you will need: 1 kilogram of nectarines, 2 large oranges, 1 lemon, 500 grams of sugar. Nectarines, oranges and lemon must be thoroughly washed and allowed to drain. Cut the orange and lemon into small cubes along with the zest. Remove the pits from the nectarine and cut into small slices of arbitrary shape.
Pour 4 liters of water into a deep saucepan, add sugar and mix thoroughly. Syrup, stirring, boil and pour chopped oranges and lemon into it, boil them for 5 minutes. Pour nectarines into the resulting mass and bring to a boil. Nectarines do not need to be boiled, so freshly boiled compote must be poured into jars and corked. Place jars with compote in a warm place, cover with a blanket and leave for self-sterilization.
Halves in syrup
This method of preserving nectarine compote will appeal to lovers of pies. Fruits sealed in this way can be used as a filling in pastries or as an addition to ready-made desserts. To preserve such a compote preparation, you will need: 1 kilogram of nectarines, 300 grams of sugar. Nectarines should be washed thoroughly, spread out on a clean waffle towel or parchment and allowed to dry slightly. Prepared fruits should be divided into halves and carefully, so as not to damage the pulp, remove the seeds. To keep the pulp intact, you can remove the bones with a spoon.
The resulting slices must be decomposed into clean sterilized jars cut down, filling them with at least 2/3 of the volume. Banks with nectarines must be filled with boiled water, cover them with lids and leave in this state for 5 minutes, then drain the water into a deep saucepan. It is necessary to add 1 more glass of boiled water, bring everything to a boil, add sugar and cook for 3-5 minutes. Pour the finished syrup into jars with nectarines, cover with lids and sterilize for 10-20 minutes.
To prepare such a compote, it is better to choose jars with a volume of 1-2 liters, a large container needs a longer sterilization, during which the nectarine pulp will boil and turn into gruel.
On a note
Nectarines are a rather finicky product in conservation, they are prone to fermentation, so they can disrupt the canning process without sterilization. In order to simplify the task and not waste time on the lengthy process of sterilizing each jar, you need to know a few features of working with this product.
- Only whole, dense fruits are suitable for making compote. Soft, overripe, and even more crushed or scratched nectarines are most prone to activating the fermentation process - compote from such fruits will not last more than a couple of weeks.
- The peel of nectarines contains live, natural wine yeast. So that the compote does not jump, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the fruit. Wash them in plenty of cold water, changing it often. It is advisable to wash each fruit separately, it is important not to violate the integrity of the peel and not to crush the pulp.
- Jars and bottles for compote from nectarines must be not only thoroughly washed, but also steam sterilized or calcined at high temperatures - this will destroy all bacteria that can start the fermentation process.
- Apples and grapes are considered to be classic components-additives for compote from nectarines. Recently, combinations of citrus fruits, as well as plum and sloe supplements, have become popular.
- There is an opinion among housewives that compote from whole nectarines is less likely to ferment and tear off the lid. There is some truth in this, however, this does not mean that it is impossible to close seedless compote. Compote from divided or cut nectarines must be subjected to a sterilization process - then it will definitely stand the whole winter.
You will learn more about how to make nectarine compote in the following video.