The berries are suitable for compote
Ideal – freshly picked cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants red and black. Apples and apricots, gooseberries and plums. In less suitable cherries, peaches and pears. Of course, you will not need to use all the berries at once. Choose the combination of sweet and sour berries, then a drink will be tastier. Apples combines with any berry compote. They can take as the basis of useful vitamin drink.
Winter is well to prepare the compote of berries fast freezing of berries pureed with sugar or homemade pieces in the form of berries in their own juice, cooked with no more than 5 minutes.
It is good to diversify compote extras such as a sprig of mint or lemon balm, a couple of sprigs of cloves or lemon peel. Very healthy to add to the compote twigs of cherry, raspberry or black currant.
The preservation of vitamins and minerals
If the berries are purchased, keep them in the fridge. But not more than 2 days. Over time, the vitamins are slowly but steadily destroyed, the berries lose juice and useful properties. For longer storage use the freezer. Frozen berries are perfect for compote.
In addition to vitamin D, which is not present in berries and fruits, all the other b vitamins in varying degrees are rapidly destroyed in the cooking process. How can you keep them? The process of preservation of valuable substances begins with the purchase or gathering of berries. Loop them. Store in a cool and dark place. Wash berries immediately before making the compote. If you want to chop the apples, apricots or peaches – do it with a sharp knife in stainless steel. The dishes use only enameled, stainless steel or glass. The Board is better than wooden.
And most importantly, boiling water tends to neutralize the effect of ascorbicacid, which in turn can destroy the vitamin C. And if you give the drink to infuse until cool, the most part of vitamins and mineral salts pass from the berries in the compote, saturate it with useful substances.
Proper cooking of the compote
Take the saucepan for 3-5 liters. Fill it to the maximum with water, leaving only a place for sugar and berries.
While the water is boiling, collect the berries for the compote, rinse with cold water, if necessary remove bones. Large berries can be cut. These berries, like large black currants and gooseberries, well pierced with a fork or toothpick. Then they better "give" compote your vitamins and minerals.
If you decide to add cloves, sprigs of cherries or raspberries – rinse and add to boiling water. Mint and lemon balm, zest is best added to the compote after berries.
Add to boiling water sugar, depending on the set of berries and your tastes – it's the portion from 3 to 10 tablespoons of sugar. If possible, the sugar can be replaced honey. But it is added to prepared, cooled to a temperature not above 40oC compote. Otherwise, all useful properties of honey are lost.
Berry to put in boiling water should be fast portions. Once you put all the berries in the boiling water, cover pot and let stand off the stove. Boil the berries is not recommended to save their properties. Leave the compote to infuse till cooling, without opening the cover. The compote has reached room temperature ready. It can drain from the berries, and chill in the fridge.
