11 Best White Currant Recipes for Winter

During the cold season, homemakers try to stock up on as many healthy berries and fruits as possible. White currants aren't preserved for the winter as often as black currants, but the recipes are easy to follow, even for novice cooks. Before starting, study the step-by-step instructions for your favorite variety, prepare all the ingredients, and prepare the container. You can store these preserves at home without worrying about them spoiling.

What are the benefits of white currant?

Blackcurrants are the most popular berry in garden plots, but white currants are undeservedly forgotten. And in vain. After all, their composition and beneficial properties are in no way inferior to blackcurrants. They contain pectin, which has a positive effect on the blood and can remove heavy metals from the body.

White berries contain much more elements such as iron and potassium than black ones, which have a positive effect on the heart and blood vessels, making them recommended for older adults. They also boost the immune system and have a positive effect on vision. In addition, consuming white berries speeds up metabolism and improves the functioning of the digestive organs.

How to harvest and prepare the crop

It's recommended to begin harvesting in dry, sunny weather, after the dew has cleared. The berries are carefully picked, stems included, and placed in plastic containers or buckets.

You shouldn't pick currants when it's raining, as they will be difficult to sort later, and these berries are especially sensitive to transportation.

At home, the berries are separated from the stems, sorted to remove any debris, and washed under cold running water. They are then dried by laying them out on a waffle towel and paper towels. Once the berries are dry, further work on the preserves begins.

Healthy and delicious ways to prepare berries

White currants can be used to make a variety of winter preserves: juice, jam, compote, and even wine. The berries can also be dried, frozen, and made into delicious marmalade. The key is to follow the step-by-step instructions correctly and choose the right storage location.

Drying

There are several ways to dry white currants at home. The most economical method is sun drying. While this method takes more time, it saves energy.

The washed and sorted berries are spread in a thin layer on a plastic tray or plate, covered with gauze to prevent insect penetration, and left in the sun. The cover is removed periodically to prevent the berries from rotting, and they are turned over for even drying. In good weather, the entire process takes about four days. After this, the berries are transferred to canvas bags or dry glass containers and stored in a dark place.

If you choose to process the product in an oven, the entire process can be completed in 1-2 days. The principle is the same, but the temperature should be carefully monitored; it shouldn't exceed 60 degrees Celsius. Also, turn off the oven periodically and open the door for ventilation.

The fastest way to dry white currants is to use an electric dehydrator. The berries are spread out on trays and set to the appropriate setting. After approximately 10 hours, the currants are ready to dry and can be stored.

Freezing berries

Frozen white currants retain the maximum amount of minerals and vitamins, making this method popular among home cooks. If you have a freezer, you can stock up on this healthy berry for the entire winter.

The currants are plucked from the branches, washed, and left to dry completely. They are then spread in a thin layer on trays and flash-frozen. Afterward, the frozen currants are placed in plastic bags or plastic food containers.

Tip! It's best to portion the berries so you have enough for one meal. Currants should not be re-frozen.

The fruits are also frozen as a puree with sugar. The berries are crushed with a wooden masher, sugar is added, and they are packed in cut-down plastic bottles or food containers. Use as needed, adding to tea or baked goods.

Let's prepare a fragrant compote

To prepare a vitamin drink for the winter, prepare the following ingredients:

• 1 kg white currants;
• 700 grams of granulated sugar;
• water.

The berries are sorted and washed. They are placed in clean three-liter jars, filling them 1/3 full. A sweet filling is prepared from water and sugar. Boiling syrup is poured into the jars and allowed to cool completely. The liquid is poured back into the saucepan and brought to a boil. The berries are poured over the syrup again and sealed with metal lids. The jars are turned upside down and tightly wrapped. Once they have cooled completely, they are stored.

The most delicious jam

Any homemaker can make delicious jam. To follow this classic recipe, you'll need the following ingredients:

• 1 kg white currants;
• 200 ml of clean water;
• 1 kg of granulated sugar.

Pour the appropriate amount of water and sugar into a wide enamel saucepan. Place over low heat and wait for the syrup to boil. Add the prepared berries to the hot liquid and simmer for 15 minutes. To ensure the jam remains clear, skim off any foam from the surface throughout the cooking process. Pour the finished dessert into sterilized jars and screw the lids tightly. Once completely cooled, store in the cellar.

Currants in jelly

Often housewives make delicious white currant jellyIt's used as a teatime dessert, which is much healthier than store-bought sweets. Another advantage of this preparation is that, thanks to the berry's high pectin content, there's no need to use thickeners.

The ingredient list looks like this:

• 1 liter of currant juice;
• 1 kg of granulated sugar.

Use a juicer to extract the juice. A meat grinder or blender can also be used for this purpose, but the resulting mixture is then strained and pressed through cheesecloth. Pour the juice into an enamel saucepan and add the prescribed amount of sugar. Place the future jelly on the stove, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 40 minutes.

Stir the mixture continuously during cooking to prevent it from burning to the bottom of the pan. You can test the jelly's readiness with a simple test: use a spoon to drop a drop of the mixture onto a saucer. If it doesn't spread, the dessert is ready. Roll into sterile jars and cool naturally.

White currant marmalade

To make homemade white currant marmalade you only need 2 ingredients:

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

The prepared berries are lightly steamed and mashed into a puree using any method you prefer. Sweetener is added and the mixture is brought to a boil. Once boiling, simmer until the finished product weighs 1 kilogram. The future marmalade is poured into silicone molds and, once cooled, refrigerated. Once the pieces of dessert have set, sprinkle them with sugar or powdered sugar.

How to make wine

You can also make white currant wine at home. Prepare the ingredients in advance:

• 2 kg of fruit;
• 1 kg of granulated sugar;
• 3 liters of clean water.

The berries used to make wine are not washed; after removing any debris or twigs, they are simply crushed by hand. A wooden rolling pin is also used for this purpose. Add 400 grams of sweetener and a liter of water to this mixture.

Cover the bottle neck with cheesecloth and place it in a dark, warm place. Periodically, stir the berries by hand, immersing them in the brine. After two days, when the first signs of fermentation appear, strain the liquid through several layers of cheesecloth and pour into another container.

The remaining 2 liters of water are heated to 70 degrees Celsius and poured over the pomace. After cooling, it is strained and added to the juice. A water seal is installed and the wine is left to ferment in a warm place. After 4 days, a small amount of the must is decanted, 300 grams of sugar is added, mixed, and returned to the must.

After the same period of time, repeat the entire process with the last 300 grams of sugar. The entire wine making process takes about 40-60 days. After fermentation is complete, carefully skim the wine off the sediment with a straw and pour it into glass bottles or jars. Skim it off the sediment a few more times over the next week and store it.

Preparation in the form of a sauce

The sauce served with meat is made using the following ingredients:

• 250 grams of white currants;
• 50 ml dry white wine;
• 30 grams of sugar;
• 30 grams of almonds;
• 100 ml of water.

Wash the berries, cover with water, add sugar, and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Puree the berries through a sieve and add dry wine. Toast the almonds in a frying pan and chop finely. Return the sauce to the boil and add the almonds a little at a time. Then, blend the cooled mixture until smooth.

Jam with added oranges

Prepare for the winter white currant jam You can also add orange. Use the classic version, but add the citrus zest to the jam. One medium orange is used per serving of jam.

Cooking a treat in a slow cooker

These days, almost every home has a jam maker. It's also used to make jam for the winter. Simply load the ingredients into the device and turn on the appropriate setting, periodically opening the lid to stir the treat. The only downside to this method is that you can't make a large amount of dessert at once.

White currant jam

To make the jam thick, add 800 grams of sugar to a liter of currant juice and boil the mixture until the desired consistency is reached.

Features of storing winter preparations

White currant preserves are easy to store at home, in a dark pantry or basement. You can also keep the jars on an insulated balcony.