Gooseberry Kissel
Gooseberries are often overlooked, but they're a wonderfully healthy berry. Any variety works for this kissel — a thick, drinkable fruit beverage — and the type you choose sets the tone: dark gooseberries make it tarter, while ripe green ones make it sweeter. Either way, it's a delicious, vitamin-packed drink.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
Gather your ingredients. To make gooseberry kissel you'll need: water, gooseberries (green, red, or a mix of varieties), starch, and sugar.
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Step 2:
Sort the gooseberries, pinch off the stem ends, and rinse them thoroughly.
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Step 3:
Put the berries in a saucepan and add 1.4 liters of the water.
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Step 4:
Set the pan on the stove and bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes.
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Step 5:
Strain the cooked liquid through a sieve.
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Step 6:
Press the cooked gooseberries through the sieve into the strained liquid. Discard the pulp left behind.
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Step 7:
Stir in the sugar. Cook over medium heat for 1–2 minutes.
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Step 8:
Stir the starch into the remaining cup of water until smooth. Potato starch is the usual choice for kissel, but cornstarch works too — just keep in mind that cornstarch thickens less, so you'll need about one and a half times as much.
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Step 9:
Stirring constantly, pour the dissolved starch into the hot liquid in a thin stream to keep lumps from forming. Keep stirring as you bring the kissel to a boil. Cook for about 30 seconds, then take it off the heat.
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Step 10:
Pour the kissel into glasses and serve. Enjoy!
- Just a handful of gooseberries a day goes a long way toward keeping vitamin deficiencies at bay. They're rich in nutrients that help guard against colds and infections, support the immune system, and improve muscle tone. Their mix of vitamins and trace minerals aids recovery after illness, surgery, or intense physical and mental work, while magnesium, iron, and other elements support healthy blood. The high vitamin C content strengthens the body's defenses and boosts resistance to bacteria and viruses, and the B vitamins help stimulate metabolism, support the nervous system, improve sleep, and ease anxiety.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Granulated sugar - 398 kcal/100g
- Sugar - 398 kcal/100g
- Gooseberry - 43 kcal/100g
- Water - 0 kcal/100g
- Potato starch - 300 kcal/100g
