What can you make from blackberries for the winter and 14 best recipes for preparing preserves

During cold weather, the human body needs a vitamin boost. To avoid taking pills, people preserve berries and fruits for this time. Blackberries can be used to make a variety of preserves for the winter, which fit perfectly into the daily diet and provide the body with beneficial nutrients. Before cooking, prepare the ingredients and strictly follow the step-by-step instructions.

Benefits of harvesting berries for the winter

The benefits of winter berry preservation are obvious. Gentle heat treatment preserves the maximum amount of vitamins, essential for the human body during the winter. Freezing berries can be used later as a filling for pies, buns, or to make a flavorful compote.

Picking and preparing blackberries

During the summer season, berries are not only purchased at the market but also picked in the forest. Afterwards, they are carefully sorted, removing any spoiled ones to avoid ruining the flavor of future preserves. Avoid berries growing near railway lines and highways. These fruits accumulate harmful chemicals that can negatively impact human health. Rinse the berries under running water and leave to dry.

Many gardeners also grow blackberries in their gardens. In this case, the berries don't need to be washed, as their origin is known.

Sterilization of jars

Before canning berries for the winter, be sure to prepare the containers. Their sterility determines how long the preserves will last.

This can be done in any way convenient for you. Sterilization can be done using the spout of a boiling kettle, a microwave, a pot of boiling water, or an oven. After sterilization, turn the containers upside down to prevent germs from getting inside.

Preparing Blackberries for Winter: Methods and Delicious Recipes

There are several popular recipes for preserving blackberries for the winter, which are used most often by home cooks. There's nothing complicated about preparing them; the main thing is to follow all the steps in the step-by-step instructions.

Blackberry liqueur

A drink made from this aromatic berry will take center stage at any holiday table, and it's very easy to prepare.

You will need:

• 2 kilograms of aromatic blackberries;
• a small orange for zest;
• 500 ml of clean unboiled water;
• 450 mg powdered sugar;
• 5 pieces of allspice;
• 1 piece of cinnamon stick.

Next, work on the berries. Rinse them under cold running water, discarding any damaged ones. Take a clean jar, place the berries in it, and press lightly. Add enough berries to leave room at the top for the spices. Wash the orange, pour boiling water over it, and dry it with a kitchen towel. Grate a tablespoon of zest, being careful not to touch the white layer of the citrus. Place all the spices on top of the berries. Then pour high-quality vodka over the berries to a depth of 1-1.5 cm.

The container is tightly sealed with a lid and left in a dark place (pantry or kitchen cabinet).

Every 2-3 days, remove the jar and shake it gently. Continue this process for two weeks.

After this, strain the liqueur through cheesecloth folded in four layers, squeeze out the must, and discard. Next, boil water to dissolve the powdered sugar. Skim off any foam as needed. Cool to room temperature and mix with the liqueur. Pour into a clean glass container and leave in a cool, dark place for another 5 days. Then filter and bottle.

Berry juice

To prepare vitamin-rich blackberry juice, prepare the following ingredients:

• 1 kg of ripe berries;
• 1.5 liters of clean water;
• 350 g granulated sugar.

Sort the fruit and rinse it carefully in cool water, being careful not to damage its integrity. Use a juicer or squeeze the juice out by hand. Discard the pulp; it won't be needed for further preparation. Bring the water to a boil, pour in the resulting juice, and dissolve the sugar in the drink. After boiling, let it steep for no more than 5 minutes. You can use the fruit drink directly, or pour it hot into sterilized jars and preserve it for the winter.

Vitamin jelly

Children love this vitamin-rich fruit jelly, and it's also beneficial for people with gastrointestinal issues. To prepare the drink, you'll need:

• 120 grams of granulated sugar;
• 250 grams of aromatic blackberries;
• 2 grams of citric acid;
• 45 g potato starch;
• 1 liter of clean water.

Rinse the berries, pour boiling water over them, and press them through a fine-mesh sieve. Pour the resulting mixture into an enamel pan and refrigerate for 1 hour. Pour hot water over the pulp, add citric acid, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and strain through cheesecloth. Once it has cooled, slowly whisk in the starch dissolved separately in water. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and immediately add the resulting puree. Cool and drink.

Jelly

You can make delicious jelly without cooking. It takes very little time. You only need two ingredients:

• 1.5 kg of granulated sugar;
• 1 kg of blackberries.

The berries are carefully sorted and washed, as the recipe requires no heat treatment. The prepared berries are placed in a wooden bowl and mashed in small batches until smooth. The required amount of sugar is then added and left for two hours to dissolve. The containers are sterilized, the finished jelly is placed in them, and a teaspoon of sugar is sprinkled on top to preserve the product. The jelly is then sealed with metal lids and stored in a cool cellar or refrigerator.

Fragrant jam

For the winter, blackberries are also used to make a fragrant jam. It's used as a filling for pies, to decorate cakes and pastries, and simply as a vitamin-rich addition to tea.

The ingredient composition is simple:

• 1 kg of fruit;
• 1 kg of granulated sugar.

Wash the berries, removing any spoiled ones. Lay the blackberries on a paper towel to dry. Next, pound them until smooth in a wooden mortar.

It is not recommended to use metal utensils to prevent oxidation.

Add a glass of clean water to the resulting pulp and strain the mixture through a sieve. Place the container with the blackberries over low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Then add the required amount of sugar and simmer until thickened. Transfer to sterile containers, seal, and cover with a terry towel until cool.

Healthy berry marmalade

This dish will appeal to both adults and children and will become a vitamin-rich alternative to store-bought sweets.

Prepare in advance:

• 1 kg of sugar;
• 1 kg of blackberries;
• 60 grams of instant gelatin;
• 2 glasses of clean water.

Place the washed and sorted berries in an enamel saucepan. Add a cup of sugar and the same amount of water. Mix thoroughly and simmer over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then, strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds.

Return the resulting mixture to the saucepan and add the remaining sugar. Cook over very low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Prepare the gelatin (dissolve it in water) and slowly whisk it into the marmalade mixture. Once it boils, remove from heat. Once cool, pour into plastic molds and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Wine

Making wine from aromatic berries at home isn't as difficult as it seems. For those who don't like the smell of yeast, there's a simple recipe.

Component composition of the drink:

• 600 grams of granulated sugar;
• 300 grams of blackberries;
• a liter of clean water.

Mash the fruit with a wooden pestle, add the specified amount of water, and add half the amount of granulated sugar. Cover the enamel container with cheesecloth and leave in a warm place for 3 days to allow the fermentation process to begin. Skim off any foam that forms periodically.

After this, pour the entire mixture into a jar or bottle, making sure it takes up no more than 2/3 of the volume. Attach a seal or glove. Vigorous fermentation will continue for about 3 weeks. After this time, drain the liquid, press out the pulp, add the remaining sugar, and partially fill the glass container again. The rest of the fermentation process will take no more than 2 weeks. After this, drain the wine through a straw into a clean jar, add more sugar if necessary, and leave it in a cool place for 3 months to mature.

Jam

Making berry jam is very simple. Puree the berries and mix them with sugar in a 1:1 ratio and simmer until thickened. While hot, pour into half-liter jars and seal with lids.

Jam

For jam, use less sugar; 700 grams per kilogram of berries is sufficient. The berries can also be boiled whole, without mashing. The rest of the process is similar to making jam.

Compote for the winter

You can also preserve a compote of this aromatic and healthy berry for the winter. Use a 1:1 ratio of sugar to berries. Pour the prepared berries into washed and sterilized jars. Dissolve the sugar in boiling water and pour it over the blackberries. Let cool and repeat the entire process twice, sealing the lids on the final pouring.

Berry juice without sugar

The process of making berry juice is as follows:

1. The juice is squeezed from the fruits using any convenient method (it is better to use a juicer).
2. Pour into an enamel bowl and bring to a boil.
3. Pour into jars and sterilize for 10-20 minutes to prevent the products from exploding.
4. After this, they are sealed with lids and taken to a cool place.

Drying berries

Blackberries are also dried for the winter, to be used later as an ingredient in compote. It's best to use a special electric dehydrator for this; it simplifies and speeds up the entire process.

Freezing in the freezer

Freezing helps preserve the maximum amount of vitamins in berries. Washed and dried blackberries are laid out in a single layer on a tray and frozen. They are then placed in plastic bags or food containers.

Blackberry syrup

The syrup is prepared in the same way as juice, except the same amount of sugar is added per kilogram of berries. It's poured into jars while still boiling; sterilization is not necessary, as sugar acts as an excellent preservative.