Salty or sweet preparations for the winter - it's not only an opportunity to diversify the diet during the cold season, but also a way to extend the summer. Opening the winter jars of jam, pickles, jams and marinades, you can feel the aroma and taste of summer fruits and vegetables. Of course, the preform is not so useful as fresh fruit, but some vitamins and other nutrients stored therein.

Ancient traditions

The climate in the middle lane is not allowing you to enjoy fresh fruit all year round, so the ways to keep fruits and vegetables for the winter began to look for people in ancient times. First, dried fruits or vyalili in the sun, then were invented various ways of preservation. To this day, almost every family there are treasured recipes of blanks, which are transmitted from generation to generation.

To some, these traditions seem hopelessly outdated. In fact, it is worth spending time on pickling cucumbers or cooking jam when in any supermarket shelves are bursting with a variety of fruit and vegetable canned food? But those who make the seaming yourself, know that the taste of domestic preparations according to old recipes is not any comparison with the industry pickles and jams, which are prepared, they say, "without a soul."

In domestic preparations have some serious advantages over ready-made canned. Firstly, the preform such different original taste. Secondly, they are very economical, because the season fruits and vegetables are cheap, and those who have their own vegetable garden, do not pay for the fruit of a penny. Third, domestic billet allow to diversify the diet of winter without compromising the budget. Fourth, with preparing zakatok hostess can always be sure that it uses only the highest quality ingredients. Weaknesses in domestic blanks also have: for the preparation of canned food requires time and storage - place. However, these problems are easily solved.

Conventionally, all home-made can be divided into salty and sweet. Salt harvesting served as a snack or used as components of soups and hot dishes. It is a variety of pickles, sauerkraut and pickles, sauces and salads. Sweet blanks are the basis for dessert dishes (or act as an independent dessert), and are also used as a filling in cakes and pastries. These are different compotes, jams, jams, syrups and marmalades. Each method of harvesting the fruit in winter has its advantages and disadvantages.

Freezing

The easiest way to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables for the future - freeze them. When freezing all useful properties of products, practically all of the vitamins and minerals. Thawed vegetables and fruit are almost indistinguishable from the fresh taste and aroma. The disadvantage of this method to preserve the vitamins in the winter, only one - a rare freezer accommodate the entire crop.

Prepare fruits, berries, vegetables and herbs to freeze very easy: it is enough to wash them, dry them and cut if necessary. Then, the decomposed product remains on the paper in the freezer compartment, which is intended for freezing. When fruits or vegetables to freeze them in bags shift.

Pickling

Salt - a great preservative which preserves the product for a long time. However, the taste of the products after pickling varies considerably, but many even like it. Pickles and tomatoes - a very popular winter snack Low calorie snacks And it is not surprising that these recipes there are many blanks. It is important that the pickles in your diet, you can not include everything: kidney diseases, hypertension, and some diseases of the stomach salty foods are contraindicated.

Preparation of pickles does not require special skills. The prepared vegetables are filled with brine or - at least - are poured salt. After some time (depending on the prescription period can range from three days to several weeks) can be obtained appetizing blank with a spicy taste. It is important to use the salt only normal, non-iodized salt, preferably coarse. Otherwise significantly deteriorated appearance, taste and texture of the workpiece.

Marinating and pickled

Vegetables and fruits can be kept well in an acidic environment. For marinating used acetic acid solution with the addition of salt and sugar. It is important to follow the recipe: the composition of the marinade depends on the taste of the workpiece.

Marinades hardly a wholesome food, but a healthy person, they will not hurt. But the pickled vegetables are very helpful. When fermented thanks to the activity of lactic acid bacteria produce lactic acid, destructive effect on microorganisms. Most often in such a way prepared cabbage. Sauerkraut contains a lot of vitamin Vitamins for everyone   C (much more than fresh cabbage) and very helpful.

Cooking in sugar

All harvesting sweet one thing - the main preservative is sugar. So, so prepared food intended primarily for use as toppings for desserts and confectionery. Vitamins such preforms little, but fun - the sea.

Sweet blanks there are many - is compotes and jams, jams and marmalades, syrups and candied fruits. Names and tastes a lot, and one way of cooking: cooking in sugar syrup. To make the compote syrup liquid for preserves and jams - more dense. Jam boil usually from whole or cut into large pieces of fruit, crushed fruit for jams and marmalades in further added pectin.

If sweet preform made according to the rules, they can be stored for several years. So-called "raw jam", that is just frayed with sugar berries or fruits should be stored only in the refrigerator. Some add in a small amount of harvesting sweet aroma of alcohol, which not only complements the flavor of jam or compote, but also increases the shelf life of the workpiece.

Maria Bykov