Black currant is a very tasty berry. And she is almost the most nutritious! It contains five times more vitamins than strawberries, eight times more than citrus fruits, 10 times more than apples, and as many as 100 times than grapes! So you need to try to eat this berry all year round.
There are many ways to store it. But all of them can be divided into two main ones: “fresh” and canned. We will talk about them. But first, a few words about how to properly pick currants.
Collection of black currants
The berries of this shrub are best collected in dry weather, when the dew already comes down (10-11 hours before dinner). It is better not to tear them apart, but with whole brushes. It is not recommended to harvest wet fruits for future use, because in this form they deteriorate quickly. However, you can store individual berries, but they must first be dried, spreading out a very thin layer.
By the way, overripe fruits are poorly suitable for storage: almost immediately after harvest, they lose almost all of their valuable properties.
Fresh berries storage method
Fresh currants in “natural” conditions do not spoil for a relatively long time - approximately two weeks. But it is important to follow a few simple rules.
Firstly, the air temperature in the room should not be above plus 10-12 degrees. Secondly, the humidity should be close to optimal. If it is high, the fruit will start to rot, and if it is too low, it will dry.
“Cold” storage of black currant
Continue to store fresh currants will help the refrigerator.
In the refrigerator, the berries of this plant are best kept:
- in small baskets;
- in Bulgarian boxes;
- in bags made of polyethylene or cling film.
It is very important that the width of all these containers exceeds the height, otherwise the berries may rub under their own weight, it will be difficult for them to “breathe”.
In boxes and small baskets, fruits should be stored at about zero degrees. In such a container currants will be edible for 20 days. As for plastic bags, it will not spoil them for a month or even one and a half. This is provided that the temperature will vary from 0 to -1 degrees. But at a temperature of minus 2 degrees, the fruit will remain edible for 3 months.
It is very important not to allow even a small amount of air into the plastic bags. The water vapor contained in it is converted to destructive condensate at low temperatures. Under its action, the berries will quickly turn into an inedible mass.
In household pouches of food film, fruits are stored as follows:
- First, the berries are cooled in the fridge freezer. This is done so that the currant does not sweat.
- Then the fruits are folded in plastic film bags and tied well. But more than 2-3 kilograms should not be put!
For “cold” storage, it is better to pick up slightly unripe currants: in the fridge they will reach the desired condition.
How to defrost properly
Thawed berries need to gradually, otherwise all their vitamins will die. First, a couple of hours we keep the fruits in the upper compartments of the refrigerator at a temperature of maximum 4-6 degrees. After 2-2, 5 hours, safely remove them and can use. By the way, compote of these berries - just yummy fingers!
“Dry” method of preparation for future use
Currant berries are easy to dry. To dry the fruit you need:
- Carefully sort through them.
- Wash and dry.
- Spread one layer on a sieve.
- Send to the oven and dry at 50-60 degrees for no longer than 2-4 hours.
- The procedure should be completed when the berries no longer stick together if they are squeezed with a fist.
It is not recommended to dry currants in the sun, as this will lose its beneficial properties and pleasant taste.
How to store currants in the form of juice
To prepare and store the juice all the berries:
- Wash thoroughly with water.
- Put in a glass container with a capacity of about 1-10 liters.
- Fruits are poured with sugar, and one kilogram of sugar is taken per kilo of currant.
- All this is shaken by shaking.
- For blocking glassware, you can use absorbent cotton wrapped in gauze.
- Keep the future dainty in a cool place.
Currant juice is not only tasty, but also very useful. Thanks to him, digestion is improved, gums become stronger, sleep and think better.
Currant storage in the form of jam
Jam from the berries of this shrub do and store as follows:
- Fruits need to be washed, thoroughly chopped in a meat grinder.
- The resulting mass should be mixed with sugar (per kilogram of berries - 2 kg of sweet sand).
- The resulting mixture should be put in dry jars and tightly closed.
Currant jam has an excellent taste, helps to get rid of colds and stomach ailments, eliminates migraines.
Black currant has an excellent taste, it is nutritious and helps with many diseases. Eating a treat all year round is easier to stay healthy.
