Amosov Paste. A Mix of Honey, Nuts, Dried Apricots, Raisins, Lemon, and Prunes

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make Amosov paste - a vitamin mix of honey, walnuts, dried apricots, raisins, lemon, and prunes? Gather the ingredients for the mix. Choose pitted dried fruit, since we'll be grinding it - the pits aren't needed at all. It's better to use unshelled walnuts and shell them yourself. If you've bought ready-shelled ones, toast them briefly in a skillet to improve the flavor and kill off any germs. The honey should be runny.

2. Step 2:

   

   Rinse the dried fruit under running water. Then pour boiling water over it for a minute. This sanitizes it further.

3. Step 3:

   

   Tip the dried fruit into a colander and let the liquid drain.

4. Step 4:

   

   Spread out paper towels and lay the dried fruit on them. The paper absorbs the leftover liquid, which can otherwise cause the mix to spoil prematurely.

5. Step 5:

   

   Wash the lemon thoroughly under running water, ideally with baking soda and a brush. It may have a thin layer of wax - fruit is coated with it to keep it from spoiling. You can also scald the lemon with boiling water.

6. Step 6:

   

   Cut the lemon into small pieces.

7. Step 7:

   

   Grind all the ingredients any way that's convenient. You can use a blender or run them through a meat grinder. I used a food processor. Before putting the nuts in the blender, sort through them so you don't get any hard shell partitions that could break a tooth. Grind the mix into a thick paste. Don't make it too uniform - it tastes better with the occasional bit of nut and dried fruit.

8. Step 8:

   

   If your honey has crystallized, like mine, melt it a little. It's best to do this in a water bath. Set the container of honey in a saucepan of water and heat it over low heat. The hot water gradually melts the honey without reaching the high temperature at which it loses its beneficial properties.

9. Step 9:

   

   Add the honey to the ground fruit.

10. Step 10:

    

    Stir the mix.

11. Step 11:

    

    Spoon the mix into clean glass jars. It's best to store it in the fridge. Don't make a lot at once - it's better to make a small batch, eat it, and make the next one.