15 Best Dogwood Recipes for Winter Preserves

Cornelian cherry berries are used as an unusual and delicious base for homemade preserves. The richly flavored red berries lend themselves well to a variety of recipes. Preparing cornelian cherry for the winter, combined with additional ingredients, allows you to create preserves to suit any taste.

Benefits of harvesting dogwood for the winter

Regardless of the recipe, harvesting dogwood has a number of advantages. These include the following:

1. Berries contain a large number of beneficial components, so eating them increases appetite and has a positive effect on the circulatory, cardiovascular, and diuretic systems.
2. The fruits are small in size, oblong in shape and have a smooth skin that does not need to be peeled for preparation.
3. Thanks to the variety of recipes, you can choose the appropriate option based on your own taste preferences.

Selecting and preparing berries

When preparing food, it is important to select and prepare the fruits correctly. The taste and shelf life of the berries directly depend on their quality and condition. When selecting the berries, they must be carefully inspected to eliminate rotten and discolored specimens. Fruits suitable for preserving are washed and dried, spread out on thick parchment or cloth. If fresh fruits are required for preparation, they can be used immediately after washing.

How to preserve and prepare dogwood for the winter

Fresh dogwood can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Dried berries can be stored in a dry place for up to a couple of years. It's recommended to stir the dried berries periodically during storage.

Recipes for making preserves vary widely, so it's worth familiarizing yourself with popular options and choosing the right one. Consider your taste preferences, the amount of berries you'll need, and your culinary skills.

Drying berries

There are several options for drying berries. If you need to speed up the drying process, it's easier to use specialized equipment, while in other cases, natural drying is optimal.

In an electric dryer

The washed berries are placed on the dryer's trays, the dryer is turned on, and the temperature is set to no more than 60 degrees Celsius. The trays with the berries arranged in a single layer are then placed inside the dryer and heated for 5 hours, then the temperature is reduced to 50 degrees Celsius.

You can tell that the dogwood is dry enough by the wrinkled skin and darkening.

When poured into a container, the fruits will make a slight clicking sound if they are well dried.

In the oven

Whole dogwood berries are easily dried in the oven. To do this, spread them out on a baking sheet and heat at 50-60 degrees Celsius, gradually increasing the temperature to 75 degrees Celsius. This method takes little time and is effective.

Outdoors

If you have plenty of time, it's best to let the berries dry outdoors, away from direct sunlight. Wash the berries, pits included, and place them in a location with minimal humidity, after blanching them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Stir them regularly during drying to ensure even drying. After 3-5 days, when the dogwoods have wilted slightly, remove them from the open air for further storage.

Freeze in the freezer

Freezing is a common method for storing dogwood. To preserve more of the berries' vitamins, it's best to store them at low temperatures. To freeze, place the dogwood on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer. Then, portion the berries and pack them into individual bags so you don't have to store them all at once.

Let's make classic dogwood jam without sugar.

The classic jam recipe doesn't require added sugar. Simply use 1 kg of berries and 300 ml of water. Rinse the dogwood berries thoroughly, steep them in boiling water for a minute, and then transfer them to the boiling water. Once the berries have released sufficient juice and the jam has reached the desired consistency, let it cool to room temperature and then boil again. Then preserve the jam by pouring it into sterilized jars and sealing them with lids.

Thick berry jam

To make a thick jam, wash the ripe berries, place them in an enamel saucepan, cover with water, and boil until the berries soften. Then, mash the berries through a sieve, mix with sugar, and simmer. The finished jam is preserved by distributing it among jars and sealing them tightly.

Marmalade

Marmalade can be made from overripe and soft dogwood. The berries are pitted, the pulp is placed in a saucepan, and boiled until a puree forms, mixed with water. The resulting mixture is mashed, sugar is added, and the mixture is boiled again until the marmalade peels easily from the sides of the saucepan. The gelatinous mixture is transferred to a plate, shaped into an even shape, and dried. The finished marmalade is cut, each piece is rolled in powdered sugar or whole sugar, placed in glass containers, and stored in a cool place.

Dogwood in jelly

Jelly is made from the juice released during the cooking process. Since the fruit contains a large amount of pectin, it quickly acquires the desired consistency. To prepare the jelly, follow these steps:

1. Place the berries in a saucepan and cook until softened. This usually takes 10-15 minutes.
2. The resulting juice is strained, and the fruit is lightly squeezed. The remaining pulp can be used for other preparations, including marmalade.
3. The amount of juice is measured and sugar is added in proportions of 70 g per 100 ml of juice.
4. The sugared juice is boiled over high heat until a thick mass is obtained.
5. Pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars and seal. Turn the jars upside down. The jelly will fully thicken within 24 hours.

Berry wine

To make wine, the dogwood is crushed, covered with 1 liter of water, 200 g of sugar, and mixed thoroughly. Wine yeast is added to the resulting mixture and left to ferment for 2 days. The liquid is then filtered, 3 liters of water and 1 kg of sugar are added. The wine is sealed with a special type of cork with a water seal. Once the wine has fermented, it is bottled and sealed.

The wine will be ready to drink in a couple of days.

Sweet syrup

A sweet syrup can be made from overripe dogwood. The fruit is mashed and left to steep for 24 hours. The juice is separated, mixed with water and sugar, and then boiled until thick. The resulting syrup is bottled and tightly sealed.

Sauce for meat and poultry

The sauce for dishes is prepared in the same way as syrup, but sugar is excluded from the recipe. This allows you to give the finished sauce a more tart flavor.

Pickled dogwood

To prepare this preserve, prepare a marinade of water, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Add the berries to the mixture and simmer for 16 minutes. After cooking, pour the dogwood and marinade into containers. Bay leaves and cloves can be added to taste.

Drying the dogwood harvest

The selected fruits are washed and pitted, then mixed with sugar and left for 24 hours. The resulting syrup is drained, the dogwoods are placed on a baking sheet, and dried in the oven at 80-90 degrees Celsius. After cooling, the process is repeated twice.

Salted dogwood

The recipe for pickled dogwood is very simple. Place a bay leaf in a sterilized jar, add the berries, and pour in salted boiled water.

Dogwood compote

The compote is prepared in a sterilized jar by placing the berries inside and filling it two-thirds full with boiled water. The jars are sealed and left to cool, then the water is poured into a saucepan and brought back to a boil. The hot mixture is returned to the jars and left to steep for 30 minutes. Add sugar, seal the jars, and cover.

Jam "Five Minutes" without pasteurization

Using this quick jam recipe, you can preserve dogwood without cooking, just like you normally would. Pour boiling sugar solution over the pitted fruit and heat over high heat for 5 minutes. Then turn off the stove, but leave the pan in place. Gradually skim off any foam, then pour into jars.

Duration and rules for storing blanks

The preparations are stored in the refrigerator or in a dry, cool place, protected from sunlight.

The shelf life depends on the specific preparation and can reach several months, provided storage rules are followed.