The berry season allows us to enjoy the variety of tastes of summer fruits, but, unfortunately, it is quickly ending. Harvesting berries will allow you to preserve not only memories of summer, but also the harvest in all its diversity.

Freezing berries

Fully ripe or slightly unripe berries are frozen (sort them through, removing spoiled, green and overripe fruits, as well as debris and “tails”). It is advisable to freeze recently picked berries - every hour of storage reduces their benefits, and exposure to low temperatures makes this even worse. Rinse the berries and dry on a towel.

The most common method is bulk freezing (place the berries in one layer on a tray and put them in the freezer). Then place the frozen fruits in portioned bags, remove excess air and seal tightly.

Another option is freezing with sugar or sugar syrup. In the first case, place the berries in layers in a container, sprinkling each of them with sugar. In the second, cook syrup from water (juice) and sugar - the proportions of liquid and sugar are 1:2 or 1:3. Load the container with berries, and then fill with cooled syrup. Seal the containers and place in the freezer.

Another option is freezing berry puree. Grind the fruits, fill the portion molds, freeze. Then remove the frozen puree and pack it in plastic bags.

You can store the berries frozen for up to 12 months, but you cannot defrost them and then freeze them again.

Drying berries

When deciding to dry the berries, pay attention to the temperature. At 45-50 degrees, drying occurs, at 70 degrees, moisture is removed, and at 80 degrees, it is brought to the desired condition. But high temperatures are not suitable for all cases - each berry has its own “preferences,” which is specified in the recommendations. Drying should be accompanied by the removal of evaporating moisture - in dryers, fans cope with this task, and in ovens, the problem of excess humidity is solved by an open door.

Do not wash juicy berries (strawberries, etc.) before drying, otherwise they will become soggy. Dry them by first drying them in the sun. The temperature of the second stage should be 60...80 degrees.

Wash the remaining berries and dry them on a towel. Dry fruits with thick skin (gooseberries, black currants, blueberries, etc.) first at low heat (35-45 degrees), and then increase the temperature to 75 degrees.

Drying takes a long time (6-12 hours). The finished berries should not stick together when squeezed in your hand, but they should not be too dry (unless you plan to grind them into powder). Dried fruits can be stored for 1-2 years, avoiding contact with moisture.

You can dry the berries in the sun (on sieves), periodically stirring the raw materials for uniform drying.

Jam, marmalade and berry jam

Sort the berries, wash them, put them in a bowl and add a little water (about 1 tbsp per 1 kg). Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes and then pass through a sieve. Boil the resulting mass by about a third, and then add sugar (500-800 g are required per 1 kg of mass). Cook the jam for some more time until the desired consistency is obtained. Pack it into pre-prepared jars and seal.

Jam has similar technology. First, boil the berries with the addition of water, and then pour in syrup (1 tbsp. water / 1 kg of sugar) and boil to the desired thickness, increasing the heat after boiling and stirring constantly.

The preparation of marmalade is somewhat different. Boil the berry puree in a water bath until thick (salt the water to increase the heating temperature, add sugar at the rate of 1:2). Then place the mass on a baking sheet, let it harden, cut and dry at 40-50 degrees.

Berry jelly

Without adding gelatin, jelly can be prepared only from berries rich in pectin. This category includes all types, (). The berries should be slightly underripe. Extract the juice using cheesecloth or a juicer. Stir sugar into the juice (1:1.5). Transfer to sterile jars and refrigerate. Under the influence of pectin and sugar, the mass will thicken - you can use the jelly to make drinks, gravies and other delicacies. You can warm the jelly for 20 minutes and then sterilize it - this will save you from the need to store it in the refrigerator.

Berry jam

Jam differs from marmalade in the method of preparation - in this case you will boil the berries in syrup (there is no need to boil or grind them). The jam itself is cooked in different ways. The first option is suitable for juicy berries - place clean fruits in an enamel bowl, sprinkling each layer with sugar (1:1). Leave for a while (juice should appear). Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring gently to dissolve the sugar grains into the juice.

Another option involves using syrup (1 kg of sugar/1 cup of water). Pour syrup over berries and bring to a boil.

The next important point is that jam can be prepared either in one step, or by stretching the process over several days. In the first case, cook the berries in the syrup until it thickens (the drop should not spread over a flat surface). In the second case, cook the berries in several stages with a break of 6-8 hours (boil the jam for 4-5 minutes each time, skimming off the foam).

To obtain clear jam and preserve the beauty of the berries, you can boil the syrup separately, each time removing the berries with a slotted spoon and then loading them again. Transfer the finished product into clean jars and close.

Berry compotes

To prepare compotes, berries with a dense structure are used (you should not take overripe fruits). Compotes can be prepared in two ways - with and without sterilization. In the first case, cook the syrup (choose the concentration based on the taste of the berries). Typically, syrup 20% (200 g sugar per 0.8 l of water) and 30% (300 g / 0.7 l) is used. Pour boiling syrup over the berries, cover the jars with lids and place in a deep and wide container (lay a towel on the bottom). Pour hot water (up to the hangers of the jars) and heat from the moment it starts boiling for 5-7 minutes (0.5 l), 10 minutes (1 l). Seal the jars, turn them over, and cover with a warm blanket.

The second option for preparing compote does not require sterilization, but the berries are softer. Fill clean jars with raw materials, pour boiling water and leave covered for 5-10 minutes. Then drain the water, add the desired amount of sugar, prepare a syrup and pour it over the berries. Seal the jars and leave them under a warm blanket.

Fig and berry marshmallow

Figs are prepared from berry puree and sugar (per 1 kg of fruit - 0.6-0.7 kg of sugar). Boil the puree over low heat for 3-4 hours. Place the thick mass on a lined baking sheet (layer thickness - 2 cm) and dry on low heat (50 degrees) for about 10 hours. Cut the dried mass into pieces. Sprinkle them with powdered sugar and put them in jars.

To get marshmallow, prepare berry puree and beat it well. Then add sugar and continue whisking until the grains dissolve (per 1 kg of berry mass - 0.55 kg of sugar). Separately, beat the egg whites (per 1 kg of berry puree – 1 piece). Add it to the puree, place on ice and beat well again. Dry as you would dry figs (add more time if necessary).

Natural berry juice

Grind the berries and squeeze the juice through cheesecloth. Pour it into sterile bottles, sterilize for 30 minutes (0.5 l) and close the stopper (then fill it with paraffin).

Mashed berries with sugar

Grind the berries using a masher or meat grinder, mix with sugar (1:2), transfer to sterile jars, close, and refrigerate.

Berry puree

Place the berries in an enamel pan, add a little water and heat them until completely softened. Wipe the resulting mass, pour into jars and sterilize (0.5 l - 15-20 minutes). Roll up the jars and leave to cool under the blanket.

Pickled berries

To soak berries (,), use wooden barrels or glass jars. Place the berries in a container, put pressure on them and pour in a marinade of water, sugar, seasonings (for 5 kg of berries - 200 g of sugar, 2 liters of water, 5 g of cinnamon, 1 g of cloves). You can add rye flour. Cover the container with gauze. First, keep the berries warm (several days), and then take them to the cellar.

Harvesting berries is carried out according to many recipes - choosing convenient methods is not difficult.

To ensure that winter food is not deprived of useful microelements and vitamins, you need to make preparations in the summer. Berry preparations are especially valuable in this regard. This can be done in several ways: boiling, drying, freezing, squeezing juices and grinding with sugar.

Jam is perhaps the most popular way to prepare berries. Many people believe that with prolonged heat treatment, berries lose their beneficial properties. Of course, eating jam will not replenish the body's supply of vitamins to the same extent as raw berries. But still there is a way out of this situation. To preserve more nutrients when making jam, it is better to use gelling sugar. It contains pectin, and therefore accelerates the thickening process. Consequently, the berries are less susceptible to heat treatment, and therefore the jam made from them contains more useful substances and vitamins.

A good way to prepare berries is drying. Vitamins are completely preserved. It is very good if the berries are dried in the sun. But if this is not possible, then electric dryers can be a good alternative. The air circulates in them so that each berry is blown. As a last resort, you can dry the berries the old fashioned way - in the oven, the main thing is to know that the temperature in the oven should not exceed 50 degrees. Otherwise, the berries may burn.

Along with drying berries, you can use freezing. With this method of preparation, useful substances and vitamins are also preserved, because It is known that during the crystallization process the composition of the berries is not destroyed. Freezing berries is easy. You need to wash them, dry them thoroughly on a towel or clean piece of cloth, and then freeze them. It's best to do this in small portions. This will allow you to avoid re-freezing the product in the future, during which the berries lose some of their beneficial properties. It is best to freeze berries in plastic containers or ziplock bags. You can also freeze the berries on one large tray or tray and then package them into small bags. This way the berries will remain intact and will not stick together.

You can make juices from berries for the winter. But with this method, most of the vitamins are destroyed. In any case, the juice will need to be heat treated so that it is stored and does not turn sour. And this in any case will lead to the destruction of ascorbic acid. It is best to make juices from frozen berries. You just need to defrost them and beat them in a blender. This juice will be very aromatic, tasty and fortified.

Another way to prepare berries is to grind them fresh with sugar. So they are not subjected to heat treatment, which means vitamin C is preserved in them. Sugar is used as a preservative. This means that berries in this form should not be consumed by people suffering from diabetes or those who are watching their figure. In addition, it should be noted that during the harvesting process in this way, the integrity of the berry is violated, which means that part of the ascorbic acid evaporates from the pulp. It is important to take into account the fact that berries ground with sugar can also be frozen. It is very convenient to do this in small plastic bottles.

It doesn’t matter how the berries are prepared. The main thing is that this is done immediately after collection (or purchase), otherwise the product will lose some of its beneficial properties.

And another very interesting fact. Under no circumstances should prepared berries be immersed in boiling water - this will destroy all the beneficial properties and vitamins. The drink should not be hotter than 35-40 degrees. And this applies to all berries except raspberries. Raspberries are the only berry that does not respond to boiling water. On the contrary, raspberry tea effectively fights colds.

Do-it-yourself gardening provides an excellent opportunity to enjoy homemade preparations all winter long.

This is a selection of the best recipes for raw jam without cooking for the winter. The simplest recipes and step-by-step preparation of cold jam at home are collected here. Berries canned in this way are an ideal preparation. Tasty and healthy, it will help preserve all vitamins for the winter. Don’t know how to make preparations from blueberries, lingonberries, cherries and other berries and fruits in this way? Our recipes for jam without cooking will tell you step by step, but briefly and clearly, how to make them in order to preserve their beneficial properties as much as possible. Follow the technology outlined in them and you will be provided with not only jam, but quickly prepared compotes, pie fillings, desserts and other goodies for the whole winter!

The best recipes with photos

The last notes

Sea buckthorn pureed with hawthorn is prepared without boiling. The home-made preparation preserves the vitamins found in two fresh berries unchanged. After all, it is known that in addition to vitamins, sea buckthorn is famous for treating inflammation of the oral cavity, burns, wounds, herpes, while hawthorn tones the heart muscle and relieves fatigue.

Let's be honest - jam should be made differently in the 21st century than it was two hundred years ago. Now I will receive a hundred angry comments, but I will still say: it’s funny for us to simmer all this on the fire for several hours. If our ancestors didn’t know much about vitamins, then we do, right? Or not?

Moreover, gelling preparations, huge refrigerators, and, as a rule, very small families. Therefore, each of us can make the most healthy, vitamin-rich and delicious jam for the winter - one that does not require cooking at all.

Which berries to choose?

Based on my own experience, I can say: the most delicious “raw” jam comes from. While in Sochi, I even tried to make such jam from dogwood, but the gigantic work of tearing out the seeds made my experience with this berry unique. Although... if there was a device for peeling dogwood seeds, then why not?

Many of my colleagues boldly experiment with mixing berry flavors. The most famous mix is ​​strawberry or raspberry and honeysuckle. However, combinations of raspberries with sea buckthorn or viburnum, with gooseberries, currants and blueberries are possible. Raspberries will soften the natural bitterness of these berries, and in return will acquire a huge amount of vitamins.

In the northern regions. You don’t need to add sugar to these berries at all, since these berries contain a lot of benzoic acid, which is a good preservative. They are simply poured with cooled boiled water at the rate of 0.5 liters per 1 kg of berries; If desired, add a little cinnamon and cloves to the water.

How to calculate the amount of sugar?

Traditionally, one measure of berries is taken and 1 - 1.5. measures of sugar. However, in reality it doesn’t always turn out this way: the amount of sugar directly depends on the type of berry, on its ripeness (sweetness), natural gelling and preservative properties, the quality of the sugar itself, and finally!

Therefore, first, let’s take a good look at our berries. The most “sugar-intensive” are strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. This is because they have a lot of water and less sugar or gelling agent. As an illustration, I’ll tell you about an experiment in my family code-named “Malina-2009”.

It all started when my husband and I argued about who was the most daring and economical. And it was just above the bowl of raspberries. He stuck to the 1:1 combination, and I stuck to the 1:2 combination. The raspberries were loose, watery and not too sweet (rainy summer). Ok, I say, here’s half a raspberry for you, and here’s for me. Let no one accuse me of sexism. We do as we see fit. Winter will judge. She reasoned. “His” raspberries ended up going like liqueur, because they fermented even in the refrigerator, and we happily ate mine until April. We were just a little short of the new harvest.

To prevent the jam from fermenting

In order for the jam to remain jam and not turn into homemade liqueur, you need to follow only 3 rules:

1. , fresh and ripe.

2. Jars for storing jam - sterile.

3. Raw jam should be stored in a cellar.

Sometimes the jam is covered with a layer of sugar (1-1.5 cm) to form a “plug” that will protect the jam from fermentation.

What to chop with?

Oh, here is another shaky place where the swords of the zealots of deep antiquity, the knights of the mortar and pestle and the man of the Wi-Fi era with his blender at the ready, cross. I am among the second. Although sometimes I use a mortar.

However, seriously, common sense tells us: when making fresh strawberry jam for 4 small jars, there is no need to dirty the blender. Strawberries are a delicate berry and can be crushed perfectly with a pestle or masher for puree. But if you are working with dense sea buckthorn, currants or gooseberries, and even ten kg of berries, then you cannot do without a blender, or, at worst, a meat grinder.

Where to store?

Fresh jam is usually stored in the refrigerator or cellar, if you have one. In the autumn and winter months, the jars can be placed on the balcony or loggia: a large amount of sugar prevents the jam from freezing.

Recipes for jams without cooking

Gooseberry jam (raw)

Wash unripe green gooseberries (when the seeds in them are still soft), dry, mince or beat with a mixer, mix with sugar in a ratio of 1:1.5, place in sterile glass jars, close the lids and store in the refrigerator.

Currant jam (raw)

Peel the currants from the branches, rinse with water, dry, pass through a meat grinder or chop with a mixer. Mix the currant mass with sugar (combine 1 part currants with 1.5 or 2 parts sugar). Pack the jam into sterilized glass jars, close with sterile lids and store in a cool place.

Raspberry or blackberry jam (raw)

Remove the sepals from freshly picked raspberries and blackberries after picking (do not wash them!). Mix the berries with sugar (combine 1 part of the berries with 1.5 or 2 parts of sugar), place in sterilized glass jars, close with lids and store in a cool place.

Raw feijoa jam

Wash feijoa fruits thoroughly and cut off dry inflorescences. Scroll through a meat grinder. Mix thoroughly with granulated sugar. Place in sterilized jars and close with lids. Keep refrigerated.

In the same way, you can make raw jam from cranberries and lingonberries, viburnum and blueberries, as well as from any berries that you want to keep fresh.

Since ancient times, people have known the healing properties of sea buckthorn. It contains a huge amount of vitamins, which is simply necessary in winter. It is very easy to preserve sea buckthorn with sugar for the winter without cooking, the main thing is to know all the secrets of this process. You can also make juice from this berry and freeze it. Almost all housewives know the basic cooking recipes, but out of all the variety, it is worth highlighting the most popular ones.

Selection and collection of berries

The fruits begin to be collected as they ripen. They should have a rich yellow-orange color. It is necessary to ensure that the berries are not overripe, otherwise they will be crushed when harvested and unsuitable for harvesting. Beginning of autumn - this is the main harvest period.

The product is collected using several methods:

1. Any devices are used.
2. Cut off along with the shoots.
3. Plucked from branches.

The method of picking berries from branches is used more often than others, but it takes a lot of time. The advantages of this method are that the berries remain intact and the tree does not suffer. To make the process faster, you can use combs and rake the fruits from the branches.

Cutting along with the shoots is good if you want to freeze the berries. In this case, the berries are picked along with the branches and then placed in the freezer. After this, the berries are well picked from the branches. The negative side of this method is that cutting branches can cause harm to the tree.

When picking berries, you must use old clothes or an apron, since the juice is difficult to wash off.

In each method, whole, undamaged fruits are selected, freed from all debris and stalks, and then washed well.

Fruit harvesting methods

There are different ways to prepare sea buckthorn for the winter. Recipes without cooking are just as widely presented as various jams, because they help preserve the vitamin composition of the product. The main ones are:

Leaf tea

Sea buckthorn tea made from leaves has preventive and healing properties. It is very useful to drink it against infections and viruses, for the prevention of thrombosis and vascular elasticity, for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Tea is prepared as follows: one tablespoon of raw material is steamed in one mug of boiling water. This is done in an enamel bowl with a lid on. Honey is best used as a sweetener. This drink is drunk like ordinary tea. You can add spices to it: ginger, cinnamon or anise.

The recipes for preparing sea buckthorn are very simple. Winter preparations made from this berry do not lose their beneficial properties, and their preparation does not take much time and effort.

Grated with sugar

Sea buckthorn with sugar is a classic recipe for preparing this berry for the winter. The ingredients are taken in equal quantities. For 1 kilogram of berries you need the same amount of granulated sugar. The fruits must first be washed and dried, and then grind both components using a blender or meat grinder until a homogeneous mass is formed. The resulting composition is compacted into a sterile glass container and covered with parchment paper. Cover the top of the container with a lid.

You can rub sea buckthorn with hawthorn or apples. In this case, after blanching the hawthorn or boiling the apples, they are ground and combined with pureed sea buckthorn. Such preparations should be sterilized for a third of an hour, so they last longer.

The recipe for grated sea buckthorn with apples includes the following components: sugar - 700 grams, grated apples - 400 grams, grated sea buckthorn berries - 1 kilogram.

And in the recipe with hawthorn, the following components are used: granulated sugar - 500 grams, grated hawthorn - 600 grams, grated sea buckthorn - 1 kilogram.

Raw jam

This preparation is the most gentle for the vitamin composition. If the jam is raw, then it should not be subjected to heat treatment. To prepare, you will need 1 kilogram of berries and 1.3 kilograms of granulated sugar.

The cooking process is very simple. It is necessary to wash and dry the berries (on a towel or napkin), and then mix them with 1 kilogram of sugar. Sterilize the jars and place the workpiece in them to ¾ of the volume. Fill the remaining space with the rest of the sugar. Close the lid and refrigerate. In the refrigerator, such a product will be stored for longer than 12 months. All the sugar will gradually dissolve, and the jam will retain the beautiful orange color of the berries and that’s it their healing properties.

Berry juice

Sea buckthorn juice for the winter is prepared by pressing crushed fruits or passing them through a juicer. The juice can be with or without sugar, with pulp or pure.

The composition of sea buckthorn juice is the key to human health. It contains 15 important microelements, more than 10 types of vitamins, as well as many unsaturated fatty acids. The calorie content of the composition is low - only 52 kilocalories.

Cooking without sugar

You will need 1 kilogram of sea buckthorn berries and 350 milliliters of water.

Another way to make juice without sugar is to run it through a juicer. after that they are sterilized at 85 degrees and immediately rolled up.

Harvesting method with granulated sugar

The juice from the berries is squeezed out, and then hot sugar syrup is added to it. The ratio of juice to syrup is 60 and 40% respectively. After this, the drink is sterilized and immediately rolled. The syrup is prepared from 400 grams of granulated sugar and 1 liter of water.

Option with pulp

To prepare you will need 2 liters of water, 1.5 kilograms of sugar and 5.5 kilograms of pureed sea buckthorn.

The berries are washed well, blanched in boiling water for 3 minutes, and then rubbed through a sieve. After this, hot sugar syrup is added. The workpiece is poured into jars, sterilized and screwed.

Jam Recipes

A very tasty and healthy product is sea buckthorn jam and preserves. They have a pleasant pineapple aroma, original taste and a beautiful orange color. You can cook it with or without mashing the berries.

In the first preparation option you will need the following ingredients: sugar - 1.2 kilograms and berries - 1 kilogram.

Slightly unripe fruits must be washed, covered with sugar and left in a cool room for 6 hours. After the time has passed, place the sea buckthorn preparation on the stove. After boiling, cook in one batch until fully cooked. The foam must be removed. During this period, it is worth sterilizing glass containers. When the jam is prepared, it must be packaged in jars and immediately sealed tightly.

In the second option, you will need 0.5 liters of water, 1.5 kilograms of granulated sugar, 1 kilogram of berries.

Ripe berries should be washed and dried well. Prepare the syrup and add the berries to it. Leave to infuse for 4 hours. After the time has elapsed, drain the resulting liquid and within 10 minutes boil it. Place the berries in the syrup and cook until fully cooked. The berries should become almost transparent. At the end of the cooking process, pour the mixture into sterile jars and roll up.

You can make sea buckthorn jam in a bread maker. To do this, dissolve the sugar over low heat and place the berries with sugar in the bread maker on the “jam” setting. You can add various components to sea buckthorn (apples, lemon juice, etc.).

Amber jam can be served on toast, casseroles or baked goods. To prepare you will need 1 kilogram of sea buckthorn, 800 grams of sugar, 200 grams of apple juice with pulp.

The preparation method includes the following stages:

If during cooking you add 5 mint leaves to the berry puree (before the juice has been added) for 3 minutes, and at the end of cooking 4 tablespoons of lemon juice, the jam will have a completely different taste.

Oil preparation

Although sea buckthorn oil is not considered a food product, it must be prepared in at least small quantities. This is a healing remedy that has a unique multivitamin complex, and is also a good anti-inflammatory, wound-healing and antibacterial substance.

Oil obtained from the seeds and from the pulp has a different shade and composition. More effective kernel oil.

Making it at home is not difficult at all. To do this, you should chop the berries and seeds, and then grind them and squeeze out the juice. When the juice peels off, a layer of oil appears at the top. It must be collected in pre-prepared containers.

You shouldn't throw away the pulp either. It is washed well and dried at a temperature of 60 degrees. After drying, grind through a coffee grinder or meat grinder and pour in sunflower oil at a temperature of 60 degrees. You can also use olive oil. The ratio of components should be 1:2. The oil should cover the mixture. Mix well and reserve the mixture. After about a week, collect the floating oil and pour it into the second portion of the pulp.

To make the oil more concentrated, the procedure is repeated 4 times. The last portion of oil is poured into a dark glass container, sealed well and put in the refrigerator.