Dried fruit bowl: a simple recipe for a healthy drink. Uzvar - a recipe for a drink made from dried fruits

Uzvar is a pleasant and very healthy drink, which is brewed from both fresh and dried berries and fruits, and sometimes honey is added to it. The taste of the uzvar is much more intense than that of a simple compote. You can drink it hot, you can warm, but in summer, perhaps, it is better chilled. Uzvar is not just a drink, it is a symbol of a good life. Dried fruits and fruits in it are a symbol of fertility, and sugar and honey are symbols of a good and sweet life.

You can take different dried fruits for uzvar, but pears and apples are a must. Plums, prunes, dried apricots and raisins are also suitable. But you can take fresh, dried and frozen berries: blueberries, cherries, raspberries, hawthorn berries ...

As a rule, dried fruits are first soaked in warm water before cooking, waiting until they swell. When cooking uzvar, the sequence of laying dried fruits in hot water is very important. It is she who determines how to properly cook dried fruit uzvar.

First, pears are put into the water, then after 4-5 minutes - apples, after 4-5 minutes - dried prunes, raisins and cherries. It is advisable to follow this rule for laying dried fruits, since they all have different cooking times until cooked.

In order to properly cook a dried fruit bowl, you must take clean, filtered water. At the same time, for every 400 grams of dried fruits, 2 liters of water are needed.

Sugar and honey are better to put in a ready-made uzvar. This is due to the fact that when honey is heated above 40 C, it loses its medicinal properties and even becomes harmful.

It just so happened, but uzvar is always boiled very sweet, but this is a matter of taste for every housewife.

For a piquancy of taste, cloves and cinnamon are often put in the uzvar, as well as citrus zest: orange and lemon. You can also add orange and lemon juice to the uzvar to give it extra sweetness or sourness.

Before preparing an uzvar from dried fruits, they should be washed well with warm water in order to remove twigs and dust adhering to them during drying.

A dried fruit bowl is usually brought to a boil and then left to infuse for 12 hours, but sometimes the fruit is boiled over low heat. Experienced housewives say that the more time it is infused, the tastier it is.

Uzvars have a healing effect and have an anti-inflammatory effect on the human body, due to the fact that vitamins are stored in dried berries and fruits for a long time. That is why the drink with them contains iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, rich in vitamins A, B and C.

It successfully regulates the functioning of the intestines, stomach, and has a positive effect on blood vessels.

About the benefits and I recently talked about. But she did not say how to cook uzvar. But it's not hard to fix...

In order to properly prepare an uzvar of dried fruits, follow the following sequence of actions.

1. Pour dried fruits for 10 minutes with cool, and then for 5 minutes with warm water. Rinse well.

2. Pour 2 liters of water into a saucepan, put 300 grams of dried pears into it and cook for 20 minutes over low heat.

3. Add 100 grams of raisins to the water, and 200 grams of prunes and apples each. Cook over low heat for another 15 minutes.

4. Bring the water to a boil, remove the pan from the heat. When the water is almost cool, add 200 g of honey. Don't worry - it will dissolve. To be sure, stir the water with a spoon ... Cover the pan with a lid for 3 - 12 hours.

Uzvar - a traditional Christmas drink

Uzvar is a traditional Christmas dish, like kutya. This drink has a special meaning for people who revere Orthodox traditions.

History and traditions associated with uzvar

The name of the drink "uzvar" originates from the words "cook" and "brew". The ancient Slavs called various herbal drinks, fruit compotes, berry decoctions and jelly uzvar. The dish also has other popular names: compote, var, yushka, kulaga, jelly.

Uzvar is always present on the table at Christmas, on the Old New Year and at Epiphany. The drink is served on Christmas Eve on January 6, and the next day on the 7th. According to tradition, the uzvar and kutya were placed together in a holy corner near the icons. Spikelets of wheat or straw were laid under them, which the head of the family brought into the house on Christmas Eve.

How our ancestors prepared uzvar

Previously, kulagu was prepared somewhat differently. In addition to the obligatory ingredients - water and dried fruits, they used sugar beets and medicinal herbs. They added valerian, hawthorn, nettle, lemon balm, chicory, plantain. This uzvar contained many amino acids, vitamins and microelements.

The symbolic meaning of the drink

Kulaga is a rich dried fruit compote. Dried fruits and berries have been harvested since autumn to enjoy a tasty and healthy drink all winter.

Uzvar carries the same symbolic meaning as kutya - eternal life and rebirth. Birth and repose, farewell to the old year and the meeting of the new, the dream of nature in winter and its spring resurrection - this expresses the perception of time by our ancestors. Eternal life and the absence of an end as such - the possibility of an endless cyclical beginning and spring rebirth together with nature.

Uzvar preparation rules

Dried fruit compote can be prepared not only for religious holidays. Throughout the autumn and winter, this warm drink will be very useful and will help to cope with beriberi.

Unlike compote, which is brewed, uzvar is brewed like tea. That is, fruits are steamed in boiling water and insisted, but not boiled. Thus, the drink turns out to be more saturated, and retains more of the beneficial substances contained in dried fruits.

Basics of cooking uzvar

The classic recipe for making uzvar for Christmas involves the use of a standard set of dried fruits: apple, pear, dried apricots and prunes. For a sweeter taste, cherries or dried grapes are added, and rose hips are added for health benefits and a unique aroma.

There are no strict restrictions on cooking time, as well as rules on technique:

• All components are dosed according to individual taste preferences;
• For 1 liter of liquid, it is recommended to use about 300 g of dry fruits and berries;
• The ingredients are boiled over low heat until fully cooked;
• It is recommended to get apples and pears out of the bowl a little earlier, as they quickly boil soft;
• After brewing, the drink must be insisted for 2-3 hours.

The drink will turn out even tastier if you add honey, various berries, lemon juice and seasonings to it. The recipe for an uzvar with orange peel, spices and yogurt will surprise you with an unusual taste and aroma.

Preparing ingredients and utensils

Dried fruits and berries must be washed well in running water before cooking. They can be soaked in hot water for a few minutes and then rinsed again in cold water.

For a richer taste of the drink, you can soak dried fruits throughout the night before cooking. If the amount of fruits and berries is not of particular importance, then the spices must be carefully weighed. The same applies to lemon - it should be strictly dosed so as not to spoil the drink.

It is recommended to cook uzvar in an enamel pan. The finished drink is filtered through a colander, and served in any dish. Kulagu can also be cooked in a slow cooker using the "quenching" mode. The recipe for uzvar-kisel with cinnamon and cloves is prepared with the addition of starch. Such a drink is served chilled at the Christmas table.

The benefits of the knot for the body

Our ancestors also knew about the benefits and healing power of dried fruits. Thanks to cooking without digestion, they retain their qualities and make the drink incredibly beneficial for the body.

• Contains vitamins: A, B, and C; and trace elements: calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium;
• Dried apricots saturate the body with carotene, helps in the fight against excess weight;
• Prunes are able to improve the work of the digestive tract, helps to cope with stress;
• Pears facilitate the work of the intestines due to insoluble fiber;
• Dried grapes have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and lungs.

Outcome

Uzvar has long been a traditional drink served at the table on Christmas and holy holidays. There are many recipes for its preparation, but there are no strict restrictions and rules. The main goal is to preserve the benefits of dried fruits, and create a unique taste of the dish.

Compote is a dessert soft drink made from fresh, dried, canned or frozen fruits, berries, vegetables boiled in sugar syrup.

A pleasant aroma of compote is given by citrus peels, but they must be removed from the compote after cooking. In a compote of frozen fruits and berries, you should add a little fresh fruit, citric acid. The drink will become more aromatic, thanks to a pinch of spices: zest, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, but it is important not to overdo it with them. For nutritional value and density, cereals can be put in compote: rice, semolina, pearl barley.

Honey can be added to compote, replacing sugar with it. Honey should be put at the very end of cooking, so as not to subject it to strong heat treatment - so the honey does not lose its beneficial properties. If you add a little salt to the compote - at the end of the knife - the sweetness of the drink will increase, as the salt reveals the sweetness of fruits and berries.

By the way, the word "compote" itself has roots in French. French chefs were the first to start cooking compotes and it is still a common dessert in France. Now in stores called compote, fruit puree is often sold. In Rus', until the 18th century, they also brewed a drink from fruits and berries - pears, apples, prunes, plums, raisins, but it was called uzvar or zvar. It was served on Christmas Eve. The name "compote" came into the Russian language in the 18th century from the French language (means "compose, fold") and stuck.

In the film "Operation" Y "and other adventures of Shurik" there is a scene with compote, which later became widely known. During a lunch break at a construction site, the hero of Alexei Smirnov, the rowdy Fedya, seeing that he was not given the third dish - compote, exclaimed: "And the compote?" When they gave him compote, and the policeman watching him left, Fedya poured vodka into the compote, inserted a straw, making an alcoholic cocktail out of the drink.

Good afternoon to all fans of "healthy and tasty"!
When I just started my immersion in the world of natural cosmetics and medicines, I did not even suspect that decoction is not the only way to process plant materials. It turns out that there may be an explosion, or, in another way, an uzvar! And it differs from the decoction not only in the way it is prepared, but also in its properties, taste and medicinal properties.

From the article you will learn:

What is a knot?

Uzvar- a traditional Ukrainian drink, which was prepared on Christmas Eve. It was also prepared for other festive events, for example, the birth of a child.

But gradually, from a ritual and solemn drink, it passed into the category of a commonly loved soft drink, and it began to be prepared everywhere, and not only in Ukraine.

This is a drink made from fruit or berry raw materials, by pouring boiling water and then infusing. Uzvar is not boiled or boiled, but insisted.

And this minimal heat treatment explains the fact that many vitamins and nutrients are preserved in the uzvar. In summer, it is good for its ability to quench thirst well and give strength, and in winter - with a high concentration of vitamin C, a well-known fighter against colds.

What is useful knot for the body?

Of course, a lot depends on what fruit or berries the infusion was made from, but in general we can say that uzvar:

• Helps improve bowel function
• Provides vitamins and minerals to the body
• Invigorates and copes well with a hangover
• Removes toxins and free radicals from the body
• Helps strengthen immunity
• Delivers glucose to the body - an element indispensable for brain activity
• Increases hemoglobin
• Tones and rids the body of bad cholesterol

Having prepared an uzvar from one or another raw material, one can achieve the cherished goal.

What can you make a knot from?

Dried fruits

Dried fruits for uzvar, both separately and a mixture for compotes:

• Prunes (helps well with congestion in the intestines - constipation, difficult stools)
• Dried apricots (a valuable drink for people with a weakened cardiovascular system, as it contains a lot of potassium)
• Dried fruit mix

Berries

• Rose hip
• hawthorn
• dried cherries
• Plums and more

But in any case, the obligatory ingredient of the uzvar will be dried apples and pears - according to the traditional recipe.

How to cook uzvar: cooking recipes

To date, on the Internet you can find many recipes for a drink - you just have to choose the one you like! I also chose a couple of recipes for myself, and have already tried it, so I can say with confidence: cook and drink to your health, very tasty!

Knot of dried fruits recipe

We will need:

• 100 grams of dried apples, pears, prunes, wild rose,
• some lemon juice and honey.

Uzvar preparation:

1. Dried fruits must be washed thoroughly (you can even soak a little in water if they seem too dirty or hard to you).
2. We put everything in a large enameled pan (or a multicooker bowl if you prefer to cook in it). The main thing is not to take aluminum dishes - the value of a drink prepared in such dishes will be much less.
3. Fill with water - clean and cold. Pour water over the eye - the amount depends on how strong the drink you want to get. Rich and thick? Then, for the amount of dried fruits that we took, we need only one and a half to two liters of water.
4. If you want to get a transparent and light-tasting compote, pour two to three liters of water. But you don’t need too much, otherwise you will get something tasteless and watery.
5. Bring to a boil over low heat and immediately remove from heat! Before boiling, add honey and stir.
6. Now the uzvar needs to be infused: leave the pot with the drink on the table, close it with a lid and forget for a few hours. The drink will have time to infuse and cool.
7. Strain the chilled drink through a sieve, discard the dried fruit pulp: it has already given up all its useful substances and is no longer interesting to us.

Uzvar is better to drink chilled, so its taste and aroma are fully revealed, but if you prefer warm drinks, then heat the mug with compote in a water bath - do not heat the drink on the stove again.

Store the finished drink in the refrigerator, in a glass container with a lid. But no more than 3-4 days.

Knot with spices

And according to this recipe, you get an excellent rich drink with a tart taste reminiscent of mulled wine. Therefore, if for some reason you do not like traditional mulled wine, I offer you an alternative!

Products for cooking:

• A glass of a mixture of dried fruits or dried berries (you can take any products you like, but I will allow myself a small recommendation - dried cherries, apples, prunes or dried apricots go well with spices).
• 2 cm fresh ginger root
• 2 star anise
• 2-3 pieces of carnation flowers
• A little allspice
• 2-3 tablespoons liquid honey

Cooking:

1. We wash the mixture of dried fruits, pour water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. We take it off the fire.
2. While our infusion is “resting”, let's take care of the spices: peel and cut the ginger, put it in a saucepan. Add cloves, star anise and pepper to it. Pour in quite a bit of water - no more than a couple of tablespoons.
3. Bring to a boil over low heat.
4. We filter the spicy broth. Dissolve honey in it.
5. We return to our saucepan with a ready-made infusion of dried fruits. We filter. And pour our spicy solution into an almost ready drink!
6. A few more hours for steeping and cooling - and you can enjoy the incredibly rich, multifaceted taste of the original drink.

Does such a wonderful and useful product have contraindications?

Rather, not contraindications, but restrictions on use. A couple of glasses won't hurt anyone, but it's worth limiting the amount of drink you drink if:

• You have diabetes (due to the sweetness of the drink)
• You are breastfeeding (in early infancy, it is generally better not to experiment with the mother’s diet, so you should use uzvar if you have already tried it before and no negative reactions of the body have been noticed).

For everyone else, I advise you to quickly master these simple recipes and pamper your family and guests with a delicious and healthy compote!