Sea Buckthorn Crushed with Sugar for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you crush sea buckthorn with sugar for winter? Gather the ingredients. Sea buckthorn usually ripens in September, which is when it's time to make this preserve. Choose berries that are fully ripe but firm; crushed or spoiled ones can cause fermentation. Use a 1:1 ratio of sugar. You can add a little more — then the preserve will keep even better — but don't use less, or it will go bad.

2. Step 2:

   

   Sort the sea buckthorn well, picking out bad berries and removing debris and twigs. Put the berries in a large bowl and cover them with cold, clean water. Wash them thoroughly with your hands — they can be very dirty. Drain the water, then rinse the sea buckthorn this way two more times. Tip the berries into a colander or sieve and let the water drain off completely.

3. Step 3:

   

   Spread regular or paper towels out on the counter. Scatter the berries over them, trying to keep them in a single layer. Leave the sea buckthorn like this for 10 minutes to draw off any remaining liquid, then blot the tops. A preserve made from dry berries keeps much better.

4. Step 4:

   

   Transfer the dry sea buckthorn to a large bowl. Add the sugar in the right proportion and stir the berries together with it.

5. Step 5:

   

   Blend the sea buckthorn with an immersion blender to a purée — all the berries should be broken down. If you don't have a blender, run it through a meat grinder or mash it with a potato masher. You'll get a fairly runny mass — that's how it should be, since sea buckthorn has a lot of juice. Leave it at room temperature for a couple of hours, then refrigerate it for 8 hours so the sugar dissolves. Stir the mixture now and then.

6. Step 6:

   

   Prepare your jars. It's best to use small ones, so each gets eaten quickly once opened. Sterilize the jars by whatever method you prefer — see the link at the end of the recipe for how to do it. Boil the lids. Spoon the crushed sea buckthorn into the prepared dry jars and seal them. Store them in a cold place. In winter, use the sea buckthorn to make fruit drinks and teas, or add it to other dishes. Enjoy!