Note to housewives: popular recipes for dishes and drinks made from viburnum

Viburnum's beneficial properties and contraindications

The plant is considered unique due to its natural components. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, and viburnum infusions are helpful in treating ailments such as:

• bronchial asthma;
• eczema;
• stress and depression;
• bleeding;
• gastrointestinal tract disorder.

The plant's fruits are an excellent antioxidant, removing waste, toxins, and dangerous radionuclides from the body. They normalize the circulatory system and improve immunity.

Viburnum fruits contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus fruits.

However, the plant does have certain drawbacks. The berries are contraindicated for those suffering from:

• increased lymph coagulability;
• urolithiasis;
• hypotension;
• excessive acidity of the stomach.

For the same reasons, pregnant women should not eat viburnum berries.

Video: "Recipe for a Natural Viburnum Drink"

This video will show you how to make a delicious drink from viburnum berries.

Berry picking period

To ensure the harvest retains its nutritional value, the fruit must be harvested correctly and then stored properly. The berries ripen by the first frost, losing their bitterness and becoming wonderfully sweet.

The rules are as follows:

1. Harvesting should be done in dry weather. The clusters are separated with sharp scissors, supporting the bunch with your hand to prevent the berries from falling off.
2. The harvest is placed in wooden boxes, always stacked in one layer.

There are different methods for storing fruits:

1. Fresh. The bunches are often hung on strings in the cellar.
2. Frozen. Place bunches or sorted, clean berries in a tray, cover, and place in the refrigerator's vegetable drawer. They can be stored there for up to 6 months. Dishes made with frozen berries taste better.
3. Dried. Store for years. The bunches are rinsed, laid out on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and baked in the oven for a couple of hours at 60°C. The dried berries are stored in bags.

At the dacha, the berries are dried directly in the air, hanging the bunches in the shade.

Popular viburnum recipes

Preparations begin immediately after harvesting. There are many recipes for preparing it.

Juice

It's the most commonly made juice. It's recommended to drink it, add it to other drinks, or use it as an ingredient in making marmalade or pastila.

Let's look at a simple recipe that will require:

• 2 kg of fruit;
• half a liter of water;
• 200 g of sugar or honey – 4 tablespoons for each liter of juice.

Cooking method:

1. Wash and sort the viburnum berries (frozen berries can be used instead of fresh). Place them in a saucepan, add water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. The berry pulp is wrapped in several layers of gauze and squeezed thoroughly.
3. The collected broth is strained, sugar is added and it is cooked over low heat for another 15 minutes.
4. Hot juice is poured into sterile jars and sealed with lids.

Store in a cool place.

Compote

Drink in moderation, as the drink can damage tooth enamel.

For cooking you will need:

• 800 g fresh fruits;
• 2 liters of water;
• 60 g sugar;
• 2 apples or quinces.

Method of preparation:

1. The cleaned and washed viburnum is placed in a saucepan, and sliced ​​apples or quince are added.
2. Pour boiling water over it and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add sugar and wait until it dissolves completely.

When it cools down, you can drink it.

Viburnum syrup

It's suitable for making desserts and as a cold remedy. Viburnum and sugar are used in equal quantities.

The berries are cleaned, washed, and then crushed using any method. The crushed pulp is pressed through a sieve, sugar is added, and the mixture is stirred until the crystals dissolve. The mixture is then filled into containers.

It is advisable to store in the refrigerator or freezer in plastic containers.

Berry juice

This dish contains more vitamins than compote. You will need:

• 800 g fresh fruits;
• 1 liter of water;
• 350 g sugar.

The cooking method is as follows:

1. The washed and dried berries are mashed in a blender or potato masher. The mixture is collected in a saucepan.
2. Add water and bring to a boil.
3. Add sugar and stir.
4. Strain through cheesecloth.

If desired, add orange or lemon juice and spices to the fruit drink.

Healthy tea

Helps fight colds. Can be made from any berries.

They do it like this:

• 2 tablespoons of fruit are mashed in a ladle;
• add 300 ml of water, heat without bringing to a boil;
• leave to infuse for 30 minutes;
• add honey or sugar.

Best consumed with lemon and mint.

Decoction with honey

It has medicinal properties, and even children enjoy drinking it. To prepare, you will need:

• Pour 1 glass of fruit with a liter of boiling water;
• cook for 10 minutes;
• drain, let cool;
• add 3 tablespoons of honey.

Viburnum infusion

You will need:

• 1-2 cups of berries (depending on the desired concentration);
• 1 glass of boiling water.

The cooking recipe is as follows.

1. The berries are ground in a mortar, gradually adding boiling water.
2. Leave to infuse for 4 hours.

The prepared infusion is drunk throughout the day before or after meals.

Kvass

The recipe is simple and takes a while to prepare, though it doesn't require much effort. For kvass, you'll need:

• 1 kg of viburnum;
• 2 kg of sugar;
• 10 liters of water;
• 30 g yeast.

The preparation is carried out in stages:

1. Pour water into a saucepan, add malt, viburnum and yeast.
2. Simmer on low heat for 10 hours.
3. Let it cool, transfer the brew to a warm place for 10 hours to ferment.

Kissel

If desired, you can make a more nutritious jelly instead of compote. For 3 cups of fruit, use:

• 4 liters of water;
• 2 pcs. yellow quince;
• 1.5 cups of sugar;
• 3 tablespoons of starch.

The cooking process is as follows:

1. The berries are washed, the quince is seeded, and sliced ​​thinly. The starch is mixed with water beforehand.
2. Pour water into a saucepan, stir in sugar, mix the ingredients, and cook for 4 minutes.
3. Reduce heat, add starch, stirring thoroughly. Cook for another 2 minutes.

Serve cold or warm.

Viburnum liqueur

In addition to sweets and dishes, the plant is also used to make an alcoholic drink. Preparation requires:

• half a kilo of berries and sugar;
• 500 ml of alcohol or moonshine;
• water.

Method of preparation.

1. The fruit is washed and used to fill the bottles about a third full. The remaining volume is filled with sugar.
2. The bottles are placed in a warm, dry place for 2 weeks.
3. Shake the contents, then add alcohol. Make sure the liquid level is a couple of centimeters above the fruit.
4. The bottles are again placed in a warm, dry place for the next 2 weeks.

The finished tincture should be diluted with water by 25%. To create a liqueur, limit the amount to 10–15%.

Jam for the winter

If the harvest was bountiful, it's useful to make sweet jam from the berries. For the classic method, first prepare a sugar syrup. For every kilogram of berries, you'll need 900 grams of sugar dissolved in a glass of water.

It is prepared in several stages:

1. The viburnum is poured with sugar syrup, brought to a boil and cooked for 30 minutes, skimming off the foam from time to time.
2. Leave the raw materials to cool until the morning.
3. In the morning, the brew is repeated, bringing the mixture to the required thickness.
4. Pour into jars and roll up.

The no-cook recipe allows you to prepare a healthier product (during heat treatment, some vitamins and nutrients are lost).

The portions of viburnum berries and sugar are also equal. The berries are mashed to a puree, sugar is added, and stirred until it is completely dissolved. The mixture is left overnight. In the morning, the pulp is poured into sterilized jars.

Keep refrigerated.

Berries mashed with sugar

This method preserves the beneficial properties of the crop. The recipe is simple and requires no heat treatment. 1.4 kg of sugar is required per kilogram of berries.

The dish is prepared like this:

1. Clean and dried fruits are peeled and scalded.
2. Squeeze the juice through several layers of gauze.
3. Add sugar and stir.
4. Place the grounds into sterilized jars and close tightly with lids (nylon or threaded).

Store the product in the refrigerator. Serve with tea or dilute in cold water to make a sweet drink.

Fragrant jelly

This treat is a favorite among adults and children. It's made with equal parts viburnum and sugar. Gelatin is not needed, as the berries contain pectin.

1. The fruits are peeled, poured with boiling water and left for 20 minutes to remove the bitterness.
2. Drain the water, collect the berries in cheesecloth and carefully squeeze out the juice.
3. Add sugar, dissolve, then place in the refrigerator until thickened.

Marmalade

This dish is a delight to treat children, especially if they're sick – the beneficial properties of the plant will come in handy. You'll need:

• half a kilo of fruit;
• half a kilo of apples;
• 1 kg of sugar.

The recipe is as follows:

1. The berries are washed and dried slightly.
2. The apples are baked. The apple pulp is removed and blended.
3. Mix the whipped mixture with the fruits and add sugar.
4. Place the mixture on low heat and cook until thickened.
5. Pour into jars or molds and seal.

The marmalade can be eaten as soon as it has cooled.

Paste

You will need peeled berries, sugar and lemon juice (citric acid).

1. The fruits are pressed in a juicer, transferred to a saucepan and cooked until a thick puree is formed.
2. Add sugar, juice or acid, stir and cook until it thickens further.
3. The thick mixture is poured onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (preferably into molds) and left to cool.

The finished pastila should come out of the mold easily, remaining dense and viscous.

Dried viburnum

To quickly dry washed and dried berries, place them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 120°C. Once the berries have darkened, collect them and pack them in newspaper bags.

Another option is to lay the berries on regular newspaper and leave them to dry indoors, somewhere on a cabinet, covered with gauze to protect them from dust and mosquitoes. The berries will dry out in a few days.

Sauce for meat

Viburnum sauce goes well with meat dishes. You will need:

• half a kilo of fruit;
• 200 g sugar;
• 10 g citric acid;
• to taste pepper (red and black), cloves, coriander and other spices.

Prepare the dish according to the following scheme:

1. The berries are kept in boiling water for several minutes to remove the bitter taste.
2. Rub through a sieve, collect in a saucepan, and cook for a quarter of an hour.
3. Add sugar and spices, stir until dissolved.

For long-term storage, the hot sauce is poured into jars and sealed with lids.

Hot sauce

This dish will appeal to lovers of exotic food. Viburnum sauce is made from:

• 200 g berries;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• carnations;
• a pinch of coriander;
• peppercorns;
• 2 tablespoons of sugar;
• 2 pinches of salt;
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar.

The washed berries are pressed through a sieve to separate the juice. The pulp can be discarded or used in other recipes.

Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until smooth. Place in a saucepan and simmer over low heat. Pour into jars.

Viburnum vinegar

You will need:

• half a kilo of berries;
• 200 g sugar;
• 2 liters of water.

Grind the viburnum into a paste and collect it in a three-liter bottle. Add water and sugar. Leave in a dry, dark place for two months.

When the mixture becomes clear, the vinegar is ready.

Baking with viburnum

Housewives prepare all sorts of delicious dishes using viburnum as a filling.

1. Pie and pies. For the filling, you'll need 300 g of peeled berries. Mix them with 100 g of honey, add water, and bake in the oven for about 3 hours. You can also add sliced ​​apples and pears.
2. Cabbage salad. It's recommended to garnish the prepared cabbage salad with oranges (peeled and diced) and viburnum berries. Dress with oil and toss.

If you have at least one viburnum bush growing in your dacha, be sure to test your culinary skills by preparing something of your choice. The end result will be a delicious and healthy dish that the whole family will enjoy.