Morse is a drink that is wonderfully refreshing in the heat and is often consumed cold. It also warms wonderfully in winter and can be consumed warm, but not hot. Why waste vitamins?
Recipe 1: Ordinary redcurrant juice
The simplest recipe for red currant juice, which requires only three ingredients.
Ingredients
• 0.25 kg of currants;
• 1 liter of water;
• 4-5 spoons of sugar.
Preparation
1. We sort the berries, remove the twigs and leaves, then rinse them well and put them in a bowl.
2. Take the pestle and knead it well into a puree. You can also use a blender, but do not over-mix. The seeds should not be crushed.
3. Strain, lightly rub the pulp through a sieve.
4. Place the juice in the refrigerator for a while; it is not needed yet.
5. Fill the cake with prescription water. Cook for about five minutes after boiling, then cool.
6. Strain the cake and add sugar. The quantity can be adjusted to your taste.
7. Pour in the juice from the refrigerator, stir thoroughly and the drink is ready!
Storing berries
Many people do not know how to properly store black currants, and, moreover, do not suspect that they are very different in this respect from their red “relative”. As a result, the berries rot very quickly and lie much shorter than they could if the right conditions were provided. But black currants are much more tender than red ones.
When fresh, the shelf life is up to two weeks at a temperature of about 10-12 degrees Celsius and without access to direct sunlight . The humidity level should be average, because if the humidity is too high, the currants will rot, and if the humidity is low, they will simply dry out.
The berries can remain in the refrigerator for up to 45 days (that is, up to one and a half months). They must first be placed in a plastic bag, however, they must not be washed (otherwise rapid rotting will begin). The temperature should be set to 0 degrees. If you lower it to minus two, the shelf life will double (that is, it will be a maximum of 3 months).
Berries can be stored fresh or frozen
Freezing is also an excellent storage option. First, you should cut off the branches, clear the berries of debris and wash them. Then dry on a tray or tray, stirring from time to time. The presence of moisture is unacceptable. After the currants on this tray are frozen, they can be poured into plastic containers or plastic bags and stored.
Recipe 2: Blackcurrant juice with lemon
A variant of amazing currant juice with a very pronounced aroma of lemon zest. Orange can be used similarly, but lemon and black currant are more harmonious.
Ingredients
• 1 lemon;
• 1.54 liters of boiling water;
• 0.3 kg of currant berries;
• 0.12 kg sugar.
Preparation
1. Remove the zest from the lemon and place it in a saucepan. Cut the citrus in half and squeeze out the juice.
2. Mash the berries, drain the jays, and transfer the cake to the lemon.
3. Fill the contents of the saucepan with boiling water and boil for three minutes. Let it cool and strain.
4. Add sugar to the broth, then pour in lemon juice, followed by currant juice. If the berries are sour, you can make a drink with the juice of half a lemon or not add it at all. In any version, the main aroma comes from the zest.
5. Stir the prepared fruit drink and taste it. If necessary, add more sugar.
Beneficial features
“Currant”, this is what the ancient Russians called black currant, which translates as a strong smell. Flowers, fruits, leaves, buds and even its branches are fragrant. This plant owes its aroma to the large number of essential oils it contains. They, in turn, explain most of its medicinal properties.
In folk medicine, the following healing properties of currants are most often used:
- antibacterial
- immunomodulatory
- anti-inflammatory
- antioxidant
- diuretic
- blood purifying
- tonic
- restorative.
The berries also contain a lot of vitamin C. By the way, it is responsible for the sour taste that the fruits of this plant have. To satisfy a person’s daily need for this element, it is enough to eat a handful of berries. And everyone knows how important it is for the body. Blackcurrant fruits also contain folic acid, which helps remove toxins from the body, potassium, which relieves swelling, iron, necessary for hematopoiesis, as well as many other substances necessary for humans.
When heated, some vitamins are invariably destroyed. Because of this, compotes, jellies, and preserves practically do not contain them. Fruit juice is prepared, as a rule, with minimal temperature treatment, so it is the most valuable drink in terms of health benefits.
Recipe 3: Frozen currant juice (without cooking)
The recipe for making fruit drink from frozen currants can be similar to options from fresh berries. But you can prepare the drink without cooking. After thawing, the berries release juice and aroma better.
Ingredients
• 0.2 kg of berries;
• 1 liter of water;
• 4 spoons of sugar.
Preparation
1. Wash frozen berries well with cold water. This must be done before complete thawing, so as not to drain the released juice later.
2. Strain the water well and let the currants thaw.
3. Take the pestle and knead it well, then rub it through a sieve.
4. Add purified water to the resulting slurry, followed by granulated sugar. Stir thoroughly and the drink is ready!
Who invented fruit juice?
Many people believe that fruit drink is an original Russian, Slavic drink that was made back in the Middle Ages from wild berries. This opinion was formed due to the fact that the first mentions of fruit drink as a drink are found in the main book on “proper housekeeping” - “Domostroye” (XVI century). In fact, fruit drink was in use even earlier, only the name sounded a little different: “mursa,” which translated from Byzantine means “berry water with honey.” Byzantium is the real birthplace of fruit drink, and the Slavs slightly changed the name of this drink to something more familiar to the local language. Over time, the principle of preparation has undergone slight changes, but the essence remains: a sweetened berry infusion to quench thirst - this is a modern fruit drink.
Recipe 5: Blackcurrant juice with mint
A variant of summer blackcurrant juice with a pleasant refreshing taste. For preparation you will need any mint or lemon balm. The quantity can be increased or decreased according to your taste preferences.
Ingredients
• 1 sprig of mint about 20 grams;
• 1 liter of water;
• 200 grams of currants;
• 100 grams of sugar.
Preparation
1. Sort through the currants, remove spoiled berries and twigs, and wash.
2. Knead in any way, filter.
3. Place the pulp and the washed mint sprig into a saucepan and cook the compote. Two minutes after boiling is enough.
4. Cool and filter.
5. Season with sugar and previously prepared juice.
How to cook compote from fresh berries?
This healthy and tasty drink is prepared in the fall, when blackcurrants ripen. But thanks to a special method of preparation and preservation, it is preserved for the whole year.
To make such a compote, you need:
- Prepare fresh blackcurrants (rinse, sort the berries, remove excess moisture from them using paper towels).
- Sprinkle the raw material with sugar (take 0.5 kg of sugar for 1 kg of berries), leave until the juice begins to stand out.
- Place the product in a saucepan and add 2 liters of water.
- Cook on the stove at maximum power until boiling.
- When bubbles appear in the water, reduce the heat to low.
- Cook for another 15–20 minutes.
- Pour the hot drink into jars and seal with lids.
Important! Containers for storing compote must first be sterilized. Otherwise, bacteria will multiply in the product. This leads to souring, fermentation of the compote, and sometimes to the explosion of the jar.
Store the drink in a dark and cool place: in a cellar or refrigerator.
Recipe 9: Blackcurrant juice for children and nursing mothers
Currant juice is great for baby food and can also be consumed by nursing mothers. This berry rarely causes an allergic reaction. It is very important not to add any additives, spices, or honey.
Ingredients
• 2 cups of berries;
• 4 spoons of sugar;
• 1.8 liters of water.
Preparation
1. Grind the berries with your hands or a pestle, drain the juice.
2. Pour boiling water over the waste and cover it, you can wrap it in something. Let it brew for an hour. During this time, the juice should be put in the refrigerator.
3. Strain the infusion, add sugar, stir until dissolved.
4. Remove the previously prepared juice from the refrigerator and combine.
5. We offer the finished fruit drink to the child in small portions, starting with a teaspoon. We are monitoring the reaction. A nursing mother should also not lean on the drink from the first day. If currants and sugar have been present in the diet for a long time, then we drink the drink boldly and are not afraid of the consequences.
Which cookware to choose?
To prepare the drink, it is recommended to choose a ceramic, enamel pan or cookware with a non-stick coating. Metal aluminum containers cannot be used. In such dishes, the product oxidizes, especially when exposed to high temperatures. This negatively affects the beneficial properties and taste of the finished drink. The volume of the pan depends on the amount of ingredients. Usually small containers are used.
It is better to use glass containers to store fruit juice. These are jars, decanters, and other similar containers. And yet, it is better not to store the finished fruit drink, but to consume it immediately after preparation (when it has cooled down). This is necessary so that more of the beneficial substances contained in the drink enter the body.
Currant juice - useful tips and tricks
• Fruit juice can be served with ice cubes. It will be more interesting and tastier if they are not prepared from water. The same fruit drink will serve as a base. In each cube you can put a mint leaf, a little zest, a few whole berries. This interesting ice will look impressive in any soft drink and can be used for alcoholic cocktails.
• You can fill fruit drinks not only with ordinary water, but also with mineral water. The result is sparkling water with vitamins and a summer taste.
• Any fruit drink will turn out more aromatic and tastier if you prepare it from ripe, juicy currants. If they are unripe, then it is better to increase the amount of basic raw materials.
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What's the benefit?
It is known that during heat treatment all the beneficial substances contained in the berries are destroyed. But the peculiarity of preparing currant juice is that the temperature effect is minimal, so it is possible to preserve all the vitamins and minerals.
This means that this drink has a huge number of positive properties for the human body:
- strengthening the immune system;
- fight against viruses and infections;
- saturating the body with vitamins and preventing vitamin deficiency;
- acceleration of metabolic processes, cleansing of toxins and waste;
- lowering blood pressure and preventing hypertension;
- improving the functioning of the digestive system, helping in the treatment of gastritis with low acidity of gastric juice;
- normalization of the functions of the cardiovascular system, improvement of blood composition, fight against anemia;
- accelerating regeneration processes, tissue renewal at the cellular level, combating signs of aging;
- improving the quality of skin, hair, nails.
Attention! This is not a complete list of the beneficial properties of a properly prepared drink.
It is actively used during menopause, during pregnancy (if there are no allergies), as well as for the prevention of oncological pathologies.
Collection and preliminary preparation
Like any other berry, currants are harvested when they are fully ripe. In fully ripened fruits, the twig is slightly dried out and easily breaks off the bush. Usually the berries are removed along with it to ensure better transportation. The delicate skin of red currants is easily deformed, so you should not delay processing the berries after picking.
First of all, the fruits are freed from the stalks and transferred to a wide sieve. Pour cool tap water into a large container and immerse the grid with berries in it. The water is changed, and the manipulation of rinsing the berries is carried out a couple more times. To allow the berries to dry a little, let them stand in a colander for 20 minutes.
If you plan to freeze the currants, then the fruits should be dried more thoroughly. To do this, they are scattered in a small layer on a waffle or paper towel to get rid of excess moisture. Read more about ways to freeze red currants here.
How to cook in a slow cooker?
To prepare a drink in a slow cooker, you will need the following products:
- black and red currants - 1 glass each;
- water – 2 l;
- sugar – 1.5 cups.
The prepared berries are well kneaded to a pulp; for this it is convenient to use a blender or potato masher. Then they are placed in a multicooker bowl and covered with sugar. It is recommended to let the berries sit for a while and then fill them with water. Select the “Brew” mode on the device and prepare the drink for 30-40 minutes. After this, it is strained through a sieve or cheesecloth and served.
Important! The shelf life of fruit juice prepared in this way does not exceed 3 days. If it sits longer, then all useful qualities are lost.
Currant juice contains a large amount of organic substances that have a healing effect. That is why it is recommended to use it to prevent infections. It is also useful during pregnancy. Since it saturates the expectant mother’s body with vitamins, and the sourish taste of the drink reduces the manifestations of toxicosis. Morse is allowed even for small children over 2 years of age. But provided that the child does not have a tendency to have an allergic reaction.
How to make it in a blender?
Using a blender, you can greatly simplify the preparation of the drink. To do this, you will need to take 1 cup of berries, rinse and sort them. Then put them in a blender bowl and puree them. It is mixed with sugar (1 glass), poured with hot water (1-1.5 l). If the drink is intended to be consumed immediately, then you can do without cooking. In this case, the fruit drink is simply left to steep for 15-20 minutes and filtered.
Important! If the drink needs to be stored, it is better to boil it a little over low heat. Then strain, pour into a jar and seal tightly.
In this case, the product will last much longer.
