A good compote is a drink in which the beneficial properties of berries and fruits, vitamins and minerals are preserved to the maximum. In a delicious compote, the natural sweetness of berries, sugar or honey and natural "sourness" are balanced. At the same time, the drink has a pleasant color, from golden yellow to rich wine red.
Berries suitable for compote
The ideal option is freshly picked cherries, strawberries, raspberries, red and black currants. Apples and apricots, gooseberries and plums. Cherries, peaches and pears are less suitable. Of course, you don't need all the berries at once. Choose a combination of sweet and sour berries, then the drink will be tastier. Apples are combined with any berries in compote. They can be taken as the basis of a healthy vitamin drink.
In winter, it is good to cook compotes from quick-frozen berries, from berries rubbed with sugar or from homemade preparations in the form of berries in their own juice, boiled for no more than 5 minutes.
It is good to diversify the compote with such additives as a sprig of mint or lemon balm, a couple of sprigs of cloves or lemon zest. It is very useful for health to add sprigs of cherry, raspberry or black currant to the compote.
Preservation of vitamins and minerals
If purchased, store in the refrigerator. But no more than 2 days. Over time, vitamins are slowly but steadily destroyed, the berries lose their juice and useful properties. For longer storage, use the freezer. Frozen berries are perfect for compote.
In addition to vitamin D, which is absent in berries and fruits, all other vitamins are rapidly destroyed to varying degrees during the cooking process. How do I save them? The process of preserving valuable substances begins with the purchase or collection of berries. Go through them. Store in a cool and dark place. Wash the berries just before preparing the compote. If you need to cut apples, apricots or peaches - do it with a sharp stainless steel knife. Use only enamel, stainless steel or glass dishes. The board is better than wood.
And most importantly, boiling water has the ability to neutralize the action of ascorbate oxidase, which in turn can destroy vitamin C. And if you let the drink brew until it cools completely, a significant part of the vitamins and mineral salts will pass from the berries to the compote, saturating it with useful substances.
Correct preparation of compote
Take a 3 to 5 liter pot. Fill it with as much water as possible, leaving only room for sugar and berries.
While the water is boiling, select the berries for the compote, rinse them with cold water, remove the seeds if necessary. Large berries can be cut. Berries such as large black currants or gooseberries are good to pierce with a fork or toothpick. Then they will more fully "give" their vitamins and minerals to the compote.
If you decide to add cloves, cherry or raspberry twigs, rinse and add to boiling water. It is better to add mint and lemon balm, zest to compote after berries.
Add sugar to boiling water, depending on the set of berries and your tastes - this is a serving of 3 to 10 tablespoons of sugar. If possible, sugar can be replaced with honey. But it is added to a ready-made compote cooled to a temperature of no higher than 40 ° C. Otherwise, all the beneficial properties of honey will be lost.
Put berries in boiling water quickly, in portions. Once you have put all the berries in boiling water, cover the pan with a lid and set aside from the stove. It is not recommended to boil the berries in order to preserve their properties. Leave the compote to infuse until completely cooled without opening the lid. Compote that has reached room temperature is ready. It can be drained from the berries and cooled in the refrigerator.
