How to store lingonberries at home: basic methods

Lingonberry canning recipes

In the process of conservation, the berries are heat treated and pasteurized, and the containers are sterilized and hermetically sealed. Thanks to this, the fruits can be stored at room temperature for several years.

For preserving, you can make fruit drink from lingonberries, make jam or make jam. If desired, the berries can be left intact and preserved in their natural form.

Lingonberry jam is an almost homogeneous mass obtained from berries twisted with sugar.

For canning, it is very important to properly prepare the container. Glass jars and lids must first be washed well and then sterilized

This can be done in several ways: in a pot of water by boiling, steaming, in the oven and even in the microwave.

Small jars are easiest to sterilize in a saucepan. They must be carefully made to the bottom and filled to the top with water. Metal covers can be laid out nearby. On medium heat, the water must be brought to a boil, then the fire can be reduced a little and the container can be sterilized for 10-30 minutes, depending on its volume. Liter cans are sterilized for 10 minutes, and three-liter cans, respectively, for 30.

Jars can also be steam sterilized. To do this, put a special support with recesses for cans or a grate on a large pot of water. Banks are installed with their neck down and, after boiling water, they are also left to sterilize for 10-30 minutes.

This sterilization significantly reduces the risk of bulging cans.

In the oven, you can sterilize many jars of different sizes at one time. To do this, they need to be washed and moist to put in the oven on a baking sheet or wire rack with the neck down. The oven should be turned on only after all containers have been drawn up and heated to 150 ° C. The jars are sterilized in this way for about half an hour. Metal lids can also be oven sterilized, but only if they do not have rubber inserts.

Regardless of the sterilization method, the jars get very hot during the process, so they should only be taken with a towel or a special glove.

Preparing lingonberries before starting the process

The method of urinating came to us from antiquity, our ancestors in this way prepared food for the winter, because they did not have freezers and cans for seaming. Nowadays, many different methods of preserving food have been invented, but they did not refuse to urinate lingonberries. In this way, it is preserved much better.

In order for the product to be preserved as expected, a preliminary preparatory process must be carried out. Its subtleties are as follows:

Each berry is inspected for rot and bruising, spoiled ones are removed in a separate container, they will not take part in urinating.
Ripe, but firm fruits are selected.
Washing thoroughly is a prerequisite.
Water from the berries is allowed to drain, if desired, you can dry it.

Dishes are also important, the quality of the final product directly depends on it. In no case should you use aluminum containers - oxidation of the metal will lead to the formation of toxic substances

The product immediately goes from useful to harmful. The most acceptable options are wooden barrels or glass jars. Food grade plastic will keep urinating well throughout the year.

The containers are thoroughly washed with soda, rinsed. It is advisable to sterilize glass jars before starting work

The best recipes for making soaked lingonberries at home

Strict adherence to proportions and a conscientious preparatory process will help preserve the gift of a forest with many benefits for a long time.To get the best quality lingonberries, time-tested recipes are used for harvesting.

A simple recipe for the winter

Cooking according to this recipe is simple, just put everything in a prepared jar and pour boiled water. It is enough to take a kilo of prepared berries, a pound of sugar, a teaspoon of salt and about 3 liters of water.

The forest gift is placed in a container for urinating, the filling is prepared separately. The water is boiled with sugar and salt. Cool the marinade. The laid berries are poured with prepared water with sugar and salt, put oppression, covered with gauze. After 20 days, the berry is ready.

In a cold way

The berries soaked in this method are easy to store, and it is not difficult to cook them. Correct calculation of ingredients will help the product last longer.

As a result, we get a drink with a natural taste, and the berry will be as fresh. For every one and a half kilos of berries, 4.5 liters of water are required.

The working process is carried out as follows:

Berries are placed in the prepared container by a third.
Pour water to the top.
Close with a lid with holes and put in a dark place for a week.

After 7 days, the sample is removed. You can use it as you like, but do not forget to add the selected amount of liquid to the berries.

Sugarless

The filling in this recipe turns out to be very tasty, you can top it up with daily use, as you use it up. It is worth remembering that after 2-3 months the berries and liquid will no longer be suitable for consumption. A jar with a capacity of 3 liters is prepared for soaking, about a liter of prepared berries are placed there. In a saucepan, boil and cool to room temperature 2.5 liters of water, pour into a jar with lingonberries. The jar is closed with parchment or a nylon lid with holes. They are placed in a darkened place. Additionally, it is advisable to cover the lid with gauze, this will prevent the entry of small insects.

With salt

Very little sugar is used to prepare urination - the main taste will be given by salt and selected spices. Clove is the most commonly used. A kilo of berries will need a liter of water, 30 grams of salt, sugar on the tip of a knife, and a clove bud. The berries are placed in a container for soaking, the syrup is boiled from the rest of the ingredients, cooled and the berries are poured. Under a nylon lid, they are stored in a room with a temperature of up to 10 degrees for 10 days, then taken out to a cooler room.

With honey

In this way, it will be possible to prepare the berry, as in ancient times - there was no sugar then. Instead, honey was used as a sweetener. For a kilo of a product from the forest, take no more than 100 grams of honey, salt - on the tip of a knife, if desired - cinnamon and cloves.

Prepared jars are filled with berries on the shoulders. Water is measured, boiled and cooled liquid is poured into jars, and then poured into a common vessel. The remaining ingredients are added there and heated in a water bath. The berries are poured with cooled syrup and placed in a cool place without light.

With sugar

How to soak lingonberries with sugar so that it is not cloying, but also feels sweet? We use the following recipe:

A kilo of berries are laid out in jars, 5 centimeters without filling up to the top.
Syrup is prepared from a liter of water, 250 grams of sugar, 2 grams of salt.
Jars are poured with chilled brew.
Cover with gauze in several layers.

Storage can be carried out at room temperature, but not more than a couple of months.

Without cooking

Urination is carried out in the standard way, but it is not necessary to boil the syrup, it is enough just to dissolve the sugar in water. A glass of sugar is taken per liter of liquid, the banks are filled with berries completely, filled with syrup, covered with a lid or gauze in several layers.

Lingonberry juice with sugar

Get juice from the berries before cooking. This can be done manually, through a juicer or juicer. A simple way is to chop the berries in a blender, squeeze through a cloth bag. Another way is described in the recipe for lingonberry juice with sugar.

What ingredients to take:

lingonberry juice - 1.2 l;
sugar - 600 g

Cooking progress:

Pour lingonberry berries in a saucepan with water. You will need about a glass of water. Push until the berries burst. Bring to a boil.
Let it brew for 2-3 hours. Place on an iron sieve and cheesecloth. All liquid should drain.
Add sugar to the liquid.
Boil for 10 minutes.
Pour into sterilized jars.
Sterilize in a saucepan of still boiling water for 25 minutes (500 ml jars). For liter cans, the time increases to 35 minutes, for 3-liter cans - up to 45 minutes.
Cap tightly.

About the benefits of lingonberry

Lingonberry is a small perennial evergreen shrub of the heather family. The shrub has a branched stem with shiny leathery elongated leaves. The height of the shoots varies from 15 to 40 cm. The plant blooms with white small flowers. The first berries ripen in the middle of summer, around July, the second harvest is harvested in September. The berries are small in size, bright red in color and have a tart, sour-bitter taste.

It is not for nothing that the lingonberry was called a healer for all diseases, its unique chemical composition determined a wide range of its most valuable medicinal properties. It is a source of many essential vitamins, micro and macro elements.

It has been proven that the fruits exhibit an inhibitory effect against several types of malignant tumors, in particular, leukemia, colon cancer, cervical cancer.

Chemical composition

The benefit of the berry lies in the content of carbohydrates, organic and inorganic acids, carotene, tannins, biologically active substances that help to eliminate many problems associated with the work of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, cardiovascular and nervous system.

It perfectly strengthens and improves immunity, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial properties. The nutritional value of the fruit is presented:

proteins - 0.7 g;
fats - 0.5 g;
carbohydrates - 9.6 g.

At the same time, the calorie content of the product is extremely low, there are only 43 kcal per 100 g of berries.

Lingonberry vitamin and mineral complex includes:

vitamin A. Improves the regeneration of the skin, normalizes metabolic processes, prevents skin aging;
vitamin C. Strengthens the body, increases its resistance to various negative external factors, takes part in oxidative processes;
vitamin E. Enhances the flow of oxygen into cells, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, normalizes cholesterol levels, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases;
group of B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, thiamine). They take an active part in protein synthesis, normalize the work of the nervous, cardiovascular system, are responsible for the production of energy;
iron. Prevents the development of anemia, strengthens the immune system, allows you to quickly recuperate, gives energy;
phosphorus. It activates brain activity, takes part in metabolic processes, helps the assimilation of many minerals;
calcium. Strengthens bone tissue and blood vessels, promotes the correct formation of the skeleton, normalizes the work of the muscular system;
magnesium. Normalizes intestinal motility and the functioning of the nervous system, relieves fatigue and stress, fights depression and insomnia, strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
manganese. Ensures the proper development of body cells, helps to absorb copper, iron and thiamine, activates important enzymatic reactions.

In addition, the berry contains organic acids - malic, citric, tartaric, lactic, salicylic, succinic, as well as sugar, instant oils and tannins.

Beneficial features

Due to their natural composition, berries have a beneficial effect on many body systems. One of the main characteristics of the fruit is its ability to protect against recurrent urinary tract infections.

The infusion of berries has a diuretic, antiseptic and astringent effect, helps to fight against pathogens of bacterial infections, to prevent the development of cystitis, urolithiasis, pyelonephritis.

Lingonberry is considered effective for eliminating pain and inflammation in rheumatism, arthritis, arthrosis, gout. It is an effective tool for raising immunity, reducing the risk of colds.

Regular use of berries improves the condition of the oral cavity, prevents bleeding of the gums, strengthens the hair and the nail plate. Lingonberry juice is indicated for intestinal problems, various diseases of the digestive organs.

The fruits of the plant are used to improve vision. They accelerate metabolism, have a rejuvenating effect, and prevent premature aging.

Features of the preparation of soaked lingonberries

It is harvested for future use in different ways, but, as practice has shown, it is soaked that it remains much better and longer

For this, it is important to carry out the process correctly.

Urination has the following features:

A large number of berries for preservation in this way are placed in large containers made of plastic or wood.
Before placing the lingonberries in the container, the berries are carefully selected.
If leaves come across during the preparation process, do not throw them away. Having shifted the lingonberries with them, we get an additional portion of vitamins and minerals in the marinade.
Antonov apples will give a pleasant aroma to the forest gift. They, cut into large cubes, are placed on top.
Soaked lingonberries without sugar and spices will stand for a long time. The fruits contain benzoic acid, which is responsible for the safety, but the filling must be changed periodically. Without sugar, it can become moldy or sour.

Important! Lingonberry is very useful in any form. Regular use will improve metabolic processes, strengthen the heart and blood vessels, in winter it will be an excellent immunomodulatory agent

How to quickly sort out lingonberries

When harvesting lingonberries, a lot of branches, leaves and small debris get into it. You can use various devices for cleaning the fruit, which will significantly reduce the time and effort required to prepare the berries for storage. There are many different ways that you can save a lot of time. The first stage is always the same: the fruits must be scattered on the cloth and dried.

Rinsing with water

Pour the berries with cold water and leave for a quarter of an hour. When stirring the fruits with your hands, all foreign inclusions will rise to the surface, they can be easily removed with a slotted spoon or a regular spoon. The fluid must be changed several times. When it stops becoming cloudy, and the debris no longer floats, the lingonberry is ready. Dry thoroughly on a cloth or paper towel before further use.

Wide mesh cleaning

Set a device with a mesh, for example a wide sieve, at an angle so that the berries can easily roll off. The cells should be large enough for the debris to fall freely, but not too large for the size of an average berry. At the bottom, you need to put a film on which the already peeled berry will fall, so you can significantly reduce the mechanical negative impact. The fruits should not be poured out too quickly, so that the total mass rolls down slowly, and all the debris has time to fall.

Vacuum cleaning

Dry fruits are poured into a wide sieve in small portions, so they can move freely during the cleaning process. Direct the air flow through the cells, the berries will roll, thus, it will be possible to sift out the lighter in weight garbage, however, if the berry has been lying for some time after collection, an additional bulkhead is needed. It is better to set the vacuum cleaner to medium power, so as not to spoil the fruit.

Cleaning by sieving in the wind

Pour the berries in a strong wind from one container to another at a height of 1.5 meters.This method is used in an open area in the field, on the river bank. Repeat pouring from 3 to 5 times. A soft cloth such as felt or knitwear can be placed in the container underneath to avoid impacts when falling from a height.

Cleaning on a rough surface

The gutter, made of textured material, is installed at an angle and covered with a thick towel, for example, a so-called waffle towel. The berries will roll down the towel, and large debris in the form of leaves and twigs will remain on the fabric. To make such a simple device, you can use wood, mesh, thick cardboard.

Lingonberry preparations for the winter with sugar

Before you do something with lingonberries, you need to firmly decide what exactly you want to get: jam, jam, confiture or something else. The jelly version is one of the most delicious and beautiful in terms of culinary aesthetics.

Lingonberry jam

Ingredients:

lingonberry - 1.3 kg;
granulated sugar - 0.9 kg;
water - 0.25 l.

Preparation

Sort the berries carefully, pick out all the trash.
Rinse the lingonberries several times with a colander. Allow water to drain completely. Dry the berries (this way the confiture will be longer and better stored).
Transfer the berries to a deep, voluminous saucepan. Pour in water. Boil over moderate heat until the lingonberry becomes soft.
Purée the lingonberries with a blender. You can use a meat grinder or grind the berries through a fine sieve.
Combine the grated berry with granulated sugar.
Place the saucepan on the stove again. Cook the lingonberry jam until the volume is reduced by ¼.
Remove from heat, cool slightly. Pack in pre-prepared glass, well-washed, sterilized and dry jars. Roll up. Put away in a cold place.
The best places to store jelly: refrigerator, cellar, basement.

Grated lingonberry with sugar

To cook lingonberries, mashed with sugar, you must:

1 kg of washed and dried ripe berries;
1 kg of sugar.

How to cook:

Heat plenty of water to a boil and blanch ripe lingonberries for 5 minutes. For simplicity, you can blanch the berries in a colander.
Quickly rub the hot berries through a sieve, put the mashed potatoes in a saucepan or jam bowl, mix with sugar and heat until all the sugar is dissolved

It is important to stir with a wooden or silicone spoon so that the sugar does not remain on the bottom of the pot. If the presence of peels and seeds in the finished lingonberry with sugar does not bother you, you can grind the hot berries in mashed potatoes with a mixer.
Fill sterilized hot dry jars with lingonberries with sugar.
Put the jars in the bath, sterilize for half an hour, roll up, turn over, do not turn over until they cool completely.

Czech lingonberry with sugar

To cook cranberries with sugar in Czech for the winter, you need:

1 kg of ripe lingonberries;
0.5 kg of sugar.

How to cook:

Sort the berries, wash, pour over with drinking water, pour into a saucepan, mash a little, pour 2-3 tablespoons of water and put on a low heat under a lid.
When the berries begin to give juice, add sugar in portions and boil, stirring, until the volume decreases.
When the volume of berries with sugar ceases to decrease, boil for another 10 minutes. Remove foam.
Spread the berries with a slotted spoon under prepared jars, dry and hot.
Boil the syrup remaining in the saucepan, pour into the jars.
Cork the jars immediately, turn over and cover with a blanket for slow cooling.

Harvesting lingonberries without sugar

This recipe is for those who do not consume sugar. Here it is replaced by honey, which gives a new flavor. The lingonberry-honey duet sounds unexpectedly tasty.

Ingredients:

lingonberry - 1.5 kg;
honey - 1.5 kg.

Preparation

Sort out the lingonberries. Rinse thoroughly under running water. Discard in a colander. Allow water to drain as much as possible. Scatter the berries on a linen cloth and dry completely on it.
Transfer the dried lingonberries into a deep container. Purée with a blender.Pour in the honey rate indicated in the recipe. Beat again with a blender.
Mix the prepared honey and berry mass well with a wooden or silicone spoon. Set aside for 2 hours until the honey is completely dissolved in berry juice.
After 2 hours, fill the sterilized containers with the finished mass. Seal tightly with lids. Move to a cold place out of direct sunlight.

Soaked lingonberry

Culinary experts have come up with a huge number of ways of how to soak lingonberries for drinking. All of them allow you to get a tasty and vitamin-rich product.

In its own juice

The berry harvested in this way is able to stand without problems until the next season. Its pleasant feature is that with every month of storage, it only becomes better and tastier.

This method of storing lingonberries for the winter is the most reliable tested by many generations of lovers of this berry. In the cold season, you can cook from it not only compotes, fruit drinks, but also sauces.

The cooking process is simple and consists of the following steps:

The berries are carefully sorted and washed.
Three-liter jars are filled to the brim with fruits.
Water is poured into a separate saucepan and brought to a boil.
Sugar or honey is added to it. If desired, at this stage, you can add cloves, cinnamon or any other spice.
The syrup is prepared until all its ingredients are completely dissolved.
Then it is cooled down and poured into jars of berries.
The containers are covered with gauze and placed in a dark place at room temperature for two days.
After that, the jars are closed with nylon lids and placed in a refrigerator or cellar.

Classic version

This recipe uses a minimum amount of sugar, which allows you to get a finished product with a slight acidity. If desired, you can add any fruits to the dish, for example, apples. To prepare soaked lingonberries according to the classic recipe, you need: 1 kg of fresh berries, 150 g of sugar, one apple (optional), 2 g of salt, 1 liter of water.

Recipe:

The lingonberries are sorted and washed.
Water is poured into a saucepan and granulated sugar and salt are added.
The syrup is brought to a boil and cooled to room temperature.
The berries are laid out in jars. If you use other fruits, they are added as well.
The vessels are filled with syrup and closed with lids with small holes.
The product is stored for three weeks at room conditions, and then removed to the cellar or refrigerator.

Soaked with salt

This recipe involves the use of a large amount of salt, which gives the finished product a specific taste. To prepare one kilogram of berries, you need: a liter of water, 20 g of salt, granulated sugar, cloves.

Cooking option:

Banks are pre-washed and then sterilized.
The selected and washed berries are evenly laid in them.
Cloves, salt, sugar are added to the water and put on the stove.
After boiling, the mixture is cooked for several minutes.
Salted syrup is poured into jars of lingonberries.
The containers are tightly closed with lids and placed in a cool place with a temperature of about ten degrees.
After a week, the product is ready for use or for long-term storage.

With flower honey

Honey is an excellent natural and very useful sugar substitute. It can be added to almost all dishes. Soaked lingonberry was no exception. In the process of work, the following products are used: 100 g of flower honey, 1 kg of lingonberry fruits, water, salt, cloves, cinnamon sticks.

Preparation method:

Washed and sterilized containers are filled to the top with lingonberries.
All used spices are put into the jars.
The jars are filled with cooled boiled water.
After two minutes, the liquid is drained into a separate bowl.
Honey and salt are added to it.
The mixture is heated until the ingredients are completely dissolved.
Berries are poured with the prepared syrup.
Banks are closed and sent to a cool and dark place at the same time.

Spicy preparation

It is easy to guess from the name that a large amount of aromatic spices are used in the recipe. With the right combination, they will not only add piquancy to the finished product, but also give a special spicy aroma. To make this delicacy, you need: lingonberries, water, cloves, allspice-peas, cinnamon stick, salt, granulated sugar.

Such a blank is made as follows:

The required amount of clean water is poured into an enamel pot.
All the spices are added to it.
The syrup is brought to a boil over low heat.
After that, it is cooled and infused for two hours.
The sorted berries are placed in clean and disinfected jars.
Ready syrup is poured to the berries.
The containers are hermetically rolled up and stored in a refrigerator or cellar.

Features of storage of workpieces

It is recommended to store blanks from soaked red berries in a cool and dark place - refrigerator, basement or cellar. If the jars with berries were closed with ordinary plastic lids or a layer of gauze, then you need to make sure that the lingonberries are always covered with liquid, adding clean water to the jar as needed.

Important! Lingonberry berries can be stored well throughout the winter due to the presence of benzoic acid in their composition. This substance prevents the growth of bacteria and keeps the freshness of the fruit for a long time. It is recommended to store the berry blank in a glass container, because

because on contact with metal utensils, the oxidation process occurs. When using cans with metal lids, soaked lingonberries can be kept at room temperature, away from heat sources. If the workpiece was placed in a jar with a conventional plastic lid, then it is kept at a temperature of no more than + 5 ° C in a place protected from sunlight.

It is recommended to store the berry blank in a glass container, since upon contact with metal dishes, the oxidation process occurs. When using cans with metal lids, soaked lingonberries can be kept at room temperature, away from heat sources. If the workpiece was placed in a jar with an ordinary plastic lid, then it is kept at a temperature of no more than + 5 ° C in a place protected from sunlight.

It is not difficult to soak lingonberries on your own for the winter - you just need to choose high-quality ingredients and follow the technology of preparing the treats. And with the help of the recipes listed in the article, you can experiment with the taste of the finished dish, choosing the one that you like the most.

How to properly fill berries with water

There are several different ways to soak lingonberries. Fruits can be poured with cold water, sugar or honey syrup, and diluted lingonberry juice. This is done according to several traditional recipes.

Lingonberry soaked in cold water recipe

To store berries, you need to prepare a special container. These can be glass jars or plastic containers. They need to be washed well or sterilized and dried. After that, the sorted berries must be laid out in containers so that they occupy from a third to half of their volume. Ideally, the amount of water should be twice the amount of fruit.

After filling with water, all the berries will float under the lid.

The water for pouring should be boiled and cooled in advance. Pour the fruits with chilled water, the temperature of which should be below room temperature. The water level in the container should be a few fingers below the top.

Do not pour boiling water over the berries.

Store soaked lingonberries in a cool, dark place. The optimum temperature is + 3-5 ° C. In villages, such preparations are kept in cellars, and in urban conditions, berries can be placed in a refrigerator or on a balcony, if the temperature is correct there.

Sugar or honey syrup recipe

Lingonberries can be poured over sugar or honey syrup to add a sweet flavor to the berries. To prepare it, you need to take 500 grams of sugar or half a liter of liquid honey and 2.5-3 liters of water. Water must be put on fire, add honey or sugar to it, boil and place well so that the added components dissolve.

When stored, the berries will be saturated with a sweet liquid and can be used as a dessert.

After the syrup has cooled, they need to pour the berries. This is done in the same way as when using pure water.

During storage, some of the sugar may settle to the bottom.

Lingonberry juice recipe

In the process of washing and picking berries, a part of the crumpled fruits always remains. You can squeeze juice out of them and use it to pour other berries. Usually, a small amount of juice is mixed with water and boiled a little. If desired, into the water you can add sugar to make it taste good. The resulting syrup can then be drunk or used to make compotes.