Aronia raisins

Blackberry raisins are an unusual dessert, reminiscent of the usual dried grapes in taste and texture. It is easy to cook at home and can be used all winter as an original delicacy, a filling for baking, a base for compotes and jelly. Raisins retain all the useful qualities of black rowan, it is easy to store without taking up much space on the shelves.

How to make raisins from chokeberry berries

It takes very few ingredients to make black rowan raisins. The classic recipe, in addition to berries, includes sugar, water and a small amount of acid. Chokeberry is perfectly stored due to the presence of natural preservatives in the composition, without requiring special additives to prevent product spoilage.

Since the dessert is not subjected to prolonged heat treatment, the quality of the fruit directly affects the successful result. To get a tasty, healthy product, the chokeberry must be properly selected and prepared.

Rules for the selection and processing of berries for raisins:

1. The best raw material is a fully ripened chokeberry, touched by the first frosts. Such berries contain more sugars and lose some of the astringency. The peel of the fruit becomes more pliable for impregnation with syrup.
2. The chokeberry, harvested before the cold weather, is placed in the freezer for several hours, which will replace the natural freezing.
3. When sorting, all unripe, damaged, dried berries are removed. Chokeberry with a red barrel can be bitter after drying.
4. Wash the berries under running water. Black rowan bushes usually do not need to be sprayed from pests and diseases, so it is not necessary to pour boiling water over the fruits before cooking.

The acid in the recipe will soften and complement the taste of chokeberry. Lemon juice or store-bought powder serve as preservatives, extending the shelf life of raisins. To enrich the taste in the recipe, it is permissible to introduce spices at your own discretion. Vanilla, cinnamon, cloves are best combined with chokeberry.

A simple recipe for chokeberry raisins

Raisins from aronia at home are prepared by boiling in syrup, followed by drying to the desired consistency. The fruits do not differ in their own bright taste. Therefore, for raisins, it is pre-impregnated with a concentrated sweet and sour composition.

Ingredients for syrup based on 1,5 kg of berries:

• granulated sugar – 1 kg;
• filtered water – 0,5 l;
• citric acid – one package (20 g).

Washed chokeberry berries are placed in a colander, allowed to drain excess water. It is convenient to use large-capacity enameled, ceramic or stainless dishes for syrup cooking, later all the berries should fit there. Having measured the ingredients, proceed to the preparation of raisins.

Step-by-step recipe:

1. Syrup is boiled from water and a full norm of sugar, heating the mixture until the grains are completely dissolved.
2. Pour acid and wait for the syrup to boil.
3. Without removing the container from the fire, pour the prepared chokeberry into it.
4. With constant stirring, boil the composition for about 30 minutes.
5. The hot composition is filtered through a colander or sieve, saving the aromatic liquid for later use.
6. Berries can be left to drain all night, so their drying will accelerate.

The boiled chokeberry is scattered in one layer on a flat surface for drying and drying. Depending on the temperature or humidity of the air, this process takes from 1 to 3 days. The fruits should be stirred regularly.

Recipe for blackberry raisins with lemon juice

Delicious homemade chokeberry raisins are often prepared with natural lemon juice. So the delicacy gets more citrus flavor, and the remaining syrup will be healthier and tastier. The amount of sugar in the recipe has been reduced for those who want to preserve the natural taste of dried fruit.

The composition of the products for 1,5 kg of chokeberry:

• sugar – 500 g;
• water – 700 ml;
• lemon – a few pieces (at least 150 g).

Preparation:

1. Sugar is poured into water and heated to a boil.
2. Squeeze lemon juice, pour into a sweet solution.
3. Add chokeberry, boil for at least 20 minutes.
4. Drain the liquid into a separate bowl, allow it to drain completely from the berries.
5. Berries are dried to the desired consistency.

Each housewife tries to achieve the density and degree of dryness of the fruit to her taste. Blackberry raisins with sugar can be dried in several ways:

1. In a warm room at room temperature. The result is highly dependent on the humidity of the air. Raisins can remain too soft for a long time, requiring prolonged drying.
2. With the help of an electric dryer for vegetables and fruits. Berries are dried on lattice pallets at a temperature of 40-45 ° C. The whole process will take no more than 8 hours.
3. In the oven. Drying trays should be covered with baking paper, and sugared chokeberry should be sprinkled on top. Having adjusted the heating to about 40 ° C, the fruits are dried in the oven with the door ajar. While stirring, determine the degree of readiness of the raisins.

How to make candied chokeberry

Ripe fruits of black mountain ash are sorted and prepared, just like for raisins, with slight differences:

1. For candied fruits, wilted raw materials are not chosen, while for raisins it is appropriate.
2. To get rid of excess bitterness and astringency, the berries are soaked for a period of 12 to 36 hours. Water during this time is changed at least 3 times.
3. The long stay of black mountain ash in syrup allows you to give the dessert different shades of taste with the help of spices. Vanilla flavor best emphasizes the belonging of the dessert to candied fruits.
4. For candied fruits, the use of an electric dryer or oven is preferable to natural drying. The quick-baked top layer retains sufficient moisture inside the berry, creating the consistency of a candied fruit.

Candied chokeberry with vanilla

The preparation of candied chokeberries at home differs in the composition of the syrup and the duration of the impregnation of the berries. Otherwise, the principles of preparation are similar to raisins.

The ratio of products for processing 1 kg of black mountain ash:

• sugar – 1 kg;
• water – 20 ml;
• citric acid – 10 g;
• vanilla extract (liquid) – 0,5 tsp. (or 1 packet of dry powder).

Cooking syrup is similar to the previous recipes. Vanilla is introduced into the boiling solution before adding the chokeberry.

Further preparation:

1. Berries with syrup are allowed to boil with moderate heat for about 20 minutes.
2. The container is removed from the fire, left until the product cools completely.
3. Repeat heating, boiling for another 20 minutes.
4. The cooled mass is filtered.

Dried chokeberry berries are heated in an oven or dryer on baking sheets covered with paper at a temperature of about 100 ° C. It is enough to dry the top layer of pulp. Readiness is determined by squeezing the candied fruit between the fingers. If the berries are elastic, and the skin is not stained with juice, the dessert can be removed from the oven.

Storage rules for candied fruits and raisins from chokeberry

Ready-made candied fruits and raisins from chokeberry for the winter are laid out in glass, ceramic containers or cardboard boxes and left at room conditions without access to light. Storage of dried, sweet foods has its own characteristics:

• 10 ° C – the ideal temperature for storing candied chokeberry;
• in the refrigerator, such products quickly become damp, stick together;
• at + 18 °C, the risk of insect damage increases.

In an apartment, it is better to choose glassware with tightly screwed lids for long-term storage of raisins and candied chokeberries.

Conclusion

Blackberry raisins are a great example of a sweet yet healthy meal that is easy to make on your own. At home, such “sweets” can be stored until the next harvest. It is important to remember the strong healing properties of chokeberry and use sweet medicine in moderation.