Canned Cornelian Cherry Drink (Kompot)
Cozy get-togethers over a cup of something wholesome — guaranteed! Have you never put up cornelian cherry kompot for winter? It's not too late — right now is peak season for this tart, tangy little berry. The cherries are what give the kompot its one-of-a-kind flavor and that ruby color. And they pack the drink with a cocktail of vitamins to help keep your immune system strong through the winter. Cornelian cherry kompot is a pleasure not just in the cold months, when it brings back the warmth of summer — it's also fantastic for quenching your thirst on a hot day.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
The berries are the heart of this, so let's start with them. If they came with stems, pull the stems off and sort through, looking above all for any rotten ones.
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Step 2:
Once the stems and debris are gone, rinse the berries. There are several ways to do this — whatever's easiest for you. You can use a colander. I poured water into a basin of berries a couple of times: the first time, unseen bits floated up, and the second time the water poured off clean.
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Step 3:
Prep the jars and lids — sterilize them however you like and let them dry if you can.
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Step 4:
Meanwhile, put water on to boil. Once the jars and lids are ready, carefully divide the prepared berries among them.
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Step 5:
I had three jars — one 1.5-quart (1.5 L) and two 1-quart (0.9 L). I put 200 g of berries in the first and 100 g in each of the other two.
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Step 6:
As soon as the water boils, pour it over the berries. Cover with the lids and let them stand until the water cools (mine cooled after 20 minutes).
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Step 7:
Pour the water back into a pot and add half the sugar. Let it dissolve.
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Step 8:
Bring the sugar water back to a boil and pour it over the berries a second time. Cover and wait for it to cool again.
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Step 9:
Do it one more time, adding the rest of the sugar.
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Step 10:
Drain it one last time, bring it back to a boil, and pour it over the berries up to the neck of the jar. Seal the jars and turn them upside down. You can wrap them in a warm blanket, which I did — they sat overnight and by morning had turned a gorgeous, vivid color.
- A few more tips. Don't worry if the kompot is nearly colorless when you seal it — soon you'll watch it deepen into that bright ruby color. The color and intensity depend on how many berries you put in each jar, and you can play with the amounts of both sugar and berries. For variety, pack the cornelian cherries alongside other fruits and berries. You can also seal the kompot other ways — for example, by pouring over a boiling syrup, or by processing filled jars in a water bath. Use ripe but not overripe fruit, since overripe berries quickly fall apart once the boiling water hits them. There's no need to pit the cornelian cherries — it's a fiddly job. As for shelf life, this winter preserve keeps for no more than a year, so seal up only as much as you'll be able to enjoy.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Granulated sugar - 398 kcal/100g
- Sugar - 398 kcal/100g
- Cornelian cherries - 44 kcal/100g
- Water - 0 kcal/100g
