Stewed zucchini for the winter: the main recipe, and how to get unexpected fruit and berry tastes

Perhaps many with prejudice will relate to such blanks. However, zucchini compote is one of the most popular vitamin drinks among residents of sunny Bulgaria. Combining zucchini with additional components (oranges, quince, cherry plum, pineapple, lemon, sea buckthorn), they get an amazing mix of aromas and tastes. Having first tried squash compote, it is quite difficult to determine what it is made from. In addition, spices are often added to the drink, so that the taste comes out even more piquant and extraordinary.

Preparation rules

In order for the canning process to be considered successful, closed cans did not explode, and in winter their contents pleased their taste, you need to know a few secrets. They are the same for both vegetable and fruit spins. Nine tips will help preserve the results of their own work, not to be disappointed in homework.

1. Choose zucchini. Traditionally, for compote we take elastic, ripened fruits, without spoiled areas and damage (even dents are undesirable). The taste and color of the future compote will depend on the quality of the main ingredient. We do not clean young zucchini from the peel.
2. We check the quality of additional ingredients. Fruits and berries selected for preservation must be sorted out, removing rotten or obviously overripe from the total mass. Any of the auxiliary components should be dense, without signs of damage to the skin. I carefully wash the sorted raw materials under running water.
3. Check banks. Glass containers require checking for integrity and the presence of cracks on the neck. We knock on the glass with an ordinary pencil: the whole jar “sounds” loudly, and insignificant errors and imperceptible cracks will produce a dull, “trembling” sound.
4. Choose covers. For preservation, we take ordinary varnished tin lids, inside lined with a rubber ring to seal the cans. They are universal (suitable for sweet, sour and salty spins), besides the cheapest. We do not use lacquered tin lids: after some time, the canned compote will acquire a metallic aftertaste.
5. We use twist offs. Such twists have an undeniable advantage over ordinary ones: they are reusable, do not require a sealing key, and do not have a rubber gasket, the state of which limits the shelf life of preservation. True, twist-off lids require threaded jars.
6. Sterilize. Prepared jars with lids without fail, not only mine, but also sterilized. We do this in any of three ways: in the oven, heated to 160 ° C, steam on the stove or in the microwave. The latter option is not suitable for sterilizing three-liter jars. The heat treatment time depends on the volume of the can, an average of five to ten minutes.
7. Do not digest. If the recipe involves cooking zucchini, we don’t overdo the vegetables in hot water, otherwise they will lose their elasticity, a pleasant crunch, or even turn into a pulp or puree mass.
8. Use double fill. If, according to the recipe, the cans are poured with boiling syrup, we protect them from the bombing with the so-called double pouring. We cover the jar filled with syrup with a sterilized lid and leave it on the table for a maximum of half an hour. Then we drain the liquid, boil again and refill it in a glass container, only then we twist it with a rolling key. To drain hot syrup from a can, we use a special nylon cover with holes.
9. Improving the taste. Compote can turn out to be too acidic (for example, due to an excess of lemon juice, cherry plum) or excessively sweet (a lot of sugar). In both cases, the drink is diluted with boiled water. Moreover, this will be appropriate both before the spin, and immediately after opening the can - before drinking.

Zucchini compote for the winter: traditional version

Feature. Perhaps, few people have heard about Bulgarian pickled compotes, which include the basic recipe for canned homemade drink from zucchini. In fact, it is a sweet marinade with a clove flavor. It is important not to overdo it with aromatic spice, otherwise it will “clog” the whole taste. The norm of products is designed for two liters of water. With increasing portioning, the amount of all components is proportionally recalculated.

Ingredients for Compote:

• zucchini - one or two (depending on size);
• water - 2 l;
• sugar - two glasses;
• 6% vinegar - half a teaspoon;
• cloves - two to three sticks.

Cooking technology

1. Carefully washed zucchini, cut lengthwise, remove the pulp with seeds.
2. Next, cut the vegetable into strips, and then slices resembling pineapple.
3. Place the zucchini in a pan, fill it with water, bring to a boil.
4. Let's dissolve sugar and, stirring constantly, continue cooking for another five minutes.
5. To zucchini, which during the cooking process will become transparent, add cloves.
6. In a saucepan removed from the fire, pour the vinegar, mix.
7. In the prepared sterilized jars with a slotted spoon, put the zucchini, immediately fill them with hot syrup, roll up the sterilized lids.
8. We will put hot spins upside down, wrap up. The next day, the banks will be deposited in the basement or pantry.

Variants of the drink with special flavors

Over the years, the basic recipe has successfully “grown” with various additives, and has been improved experimentally. Not too burdensome compote preparation process allowed to harmoniously combine zucchini with any fruit.

With pineapple

Feature. The most popular flavor of canned squash drink is pineapple. The standard recipes for zucchini compote in combination with lemon or yellow cherry plum imitate this exotic fruit very accurately. Those who like more sugary drinks can increase the dose of granulated sugar to two and a half to three glasses.

Ingredients for Compote:

• zucchini - one large or two medium sized;
• water - 2 l;
• lemon - one;
• granulated sugar - two glasses;
• cloves - a few sticks.

Cooking technology

1. If necessary, remove the peel from the vegetable, clean the seeds, cut it into a cube.
2. Zucchini spread in a pan, fill the container with water and boil.
3. Next in line is sugar. Pour it to the zucchini, stir, cook the compote on moderate heat for another five minutes.
4. After changing the color of the liquid to a more transparent, add spice.
5. Squeeze the juice of one lemon, also sent to the compote. The amount of acid can be adjusted to your taste.
6. We put zucchini in a sterilized container, pour in hot syrup, and twist the can with a seaming machine.
7. Turn the lid down, wrap it until it cools.
8. We carry out storage in a cool place.

With cherry plum or plum

Feature. To create a vitamin drink in which zucchini will acquire the taste of pineapple, it will take no more than 30-40 minutes. Due to the beneficial properties of the main components, compote will become a real healing mixture for problems of the gastrointestinal tract. The impressive potassium content in zucchini and cherry plum will make it a healing drink that strengthens the heart muscle. For preservation, it is better to use yellow fruits: the compote with red plums will turn out unclear. True, this will not affect the taste.

Ingredients for Compote:

• zucchini - a pair of pieces;
• cherry plum - one glass;
• water - 2 l;
• sugar - two glasses;
• lemon zest - a teaspoon.

Cooking technology

1. Zucchini without peels and seeds, cut into pieces (not too thin). Young fruits do not need to be peeled.
2. Wash the plum, the bones can not be removed.
3. Fill the sterilized jar with zucchini.
4. We pour out a large handful of cherry plum (about so much fits in a glass). Such a quantity of fruits will be enough, otherwise the compote will be sour.
5. Add the lemon zest.
6. The contents of the jar pour cool boiling water. Weathered 20 minutes.
7. Salt the cooled water back into the pan.
8. Boil a second time with the addition of sugar.
9. Pour the boiled syrup into a jar with zucchini and plum, roll up.
10. Turn over, heat the blanket.
11. A day later, we transfer to a cool room for storage until winter.

"Sun" in the bank

Feature. Stewed zucchini with orange for the winter is a “sip” of good mood, a combination of sunny color, fresh aroma and pleasant citrus sour taste.

Compote Ingredients:

• zucchini - two small fruits;
• sugar - two glasses;
• an orange is one;
• lemon - one;
• water - 2 l.

Cooking technology

1. We cut the peel from the zucchini, take out the seeds, chop the vegetable into cubes.
2. Scalp an orange with boiling water, peel and white partitions.
3. Divide the citrus into slices, cut each into pieces. We remove the seeds.
4. Separately, rub the zest of lemon and orange.
5. In a sterilized container, spread the zucchini slices.
6. Next we send pieces of orange, a teaspoon of the zest of each citrus.
7. Pour the aromatic contents of the cans with boiling water.
8. Cover with lids, leave until the liquid stains yellowish (maximum half an hour).
9. We pour the liquid into the pan, dilute the sugar in it, stir well.
10. Boil again.
11. Squeeze a lemon, pour in each jar a teaspoon of juice.
12. Fill with hot syrup, twist the cans, turn over and wrap.
13. We take out for storage.

Vitamin mix with sea buckthorn

Feature. In order to prepare compote from zucchini and sea buckthorn for the winter, you will have to wait for September: it was at this time that orange berries were collected, which had a lot of useful substances in their composition. They are considered an effective tool for the prevention of colds, heart diseases and respiratory organs. With zucchini at this time, too, there will be no problems, because they bear fruit before the first autumn frosts.

Compote Ingredients:

• zucchini (or zucchini) - two medium-sized fruits;
• sea ​​buckthorn - a glass of berries;
• water - 2 l;
• sugar - two glasses;
• mint or lemon balm is a small branch.

Cooking technology

1. We will save the vegetables from the upper shell, seeds. Grind into cubes.
2. For two minutes, zucchini will be blanched in slightly boiling water, put in a colander to drain the liquid.
3. Add zucchini to a sterilized jar.
4. Pure pure sea buckthorn berries on top with several mint leaves.
5. Squash-sea buckthorn mass pour boiling water.
6. After ten minutes with salt, boil again with sugar.
7. Pour the jar of boiling syrup and roll.
8. We wrap the compote for self-sterilization, leave it under the covers until it cools.
9. The next morning, we will transfer the preservation to the shelves of the pantry or to the basement.

With cherry

Feature. Having prepared a fragrant compote from zucchini and cherries, you will get a fairly concentrated drink of rich scarlet color. Zucchini in the recipe is cut in the same circles, then with the help of a glass or a special shape, the inside (pulp) of the vegetable is cut out. The result is a neat ring that visually resembles pineapple.

Ingredients for Compote:

• zucchini - two small, dense fruits;
• cherry - 300 g (about two glasses);
• water - 2 l;
• sugar - a glass and a half.

Cooking technology

1. From carefully washed zucchini, remove the peel, cut into rings.
2. We wash the cherries, leave them to dry on a paper towel.
3. Boil water.
4. Pour zucchini rings and cherry berries into boiled water in a sterilized jar. Leave for 20 minutes.
5. Using a special lid with holes, pour the colored liquid into the pan.
6. Add granulated sugar, boil the syrup for about five minutes.
7. Pour the ingredients in the jar with boiling sweet water, close with a seaming key.
8. Banks in an inverted position leave under the covers until the next day.
9. We take out ready-made preservation for storage.

With apricots

Feature. Cooking compote from zucchini with apricots is also not difficult. Traditional cooking scheme: elastic apricots are selected, which, together with the zucchini slices, are preserved by the double filling method.

Compote Ingredients:

• medium-sized zucchini - one;
• apricots - eight to ten pieces;
• water - 2 l;
• granulated sugar - two glasses;
• citric acid - one teaspoon.

Cooking technology

1. Peel the zucchini, cut into small slices.
2. From washed and dried apricots, remove the seeds.
3. We put sliced ​​vegetables and apricot halves in a pre-sterilized container.
4. Fill the composition with boiling water, hold for about 20 minutes.
5. Pour the liquid into the pan. Dilute the sugar rate in it, bring to a boil.
6. With boiled syrup, fill the jar, cork.
7. We turn up the packaging upside down.
8. After a day, we will take out the preservation for storage.

With apples

Feature. The drink with the addition of apples attracts with its simplicity, usefulness, and reliability of home-made work. Such a compote will quench your thirst. For canning, choose sweet varieties of apples (White filling, Grushovka, Mantet, Melba). Of all the recipes, zucchini-apple "decoction" can be safely given to young children, since it does not cause allergic reactions.

Ingredients for Compote:

• zucchini (medium) - one;
• apples - 0.5 kg;
• water - 2 l;
• sugar - half a glass (to taste, you can increase the dosage to full);
• vanilla sugar - a teaspoon;
• raspberry, currant leaves.

Cooking technology

1. Zucchini peel, seeds and pulp. Cut into cubes.
2. Remove the peel from the apples, remove the core, cut into large slices (small pieces will instantly boil, and the compote will turn out with pulp).
3. Put the prepared ingredients in a stainless steel pan.
4. Pour zucchini-apple mixture with water and sugar, boil, add vanillin and some leaves of berry bushes.
5. On low heat, boil the compote for 15-20 minutes.
6. Hot fill in sterilized jars, after shifting them to zucchini and apples.
7. We will roll, we will warm.
8. The next day we take out for further storage.

Combinations for Assorted Berries

Prefabricated squash compote is an assortment of a variety of berries that are available to you. Since zucchini delights with its harvest all year round, various variations of the drink can be prepared with seasonal garden gifts. Compote with black, white and red currants is tasty and beautiful. If you are limited in time, you can throw berries in a jar directly on the branches.

In addition to the well-known recipe with sea buckthorn, gourmets will appreciate the taste and undoubted benefit of zucchini compote with dogrose, cornel, hawthorn, irga, grapes, honeysuckle or barberry. Try the most unexpected combinations. Throw in a jar a handful of gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, mulberries, cranberries, in winter, observe households. Savoring the drink, they will scoop up berries with a spoon, guessing the "culprits" of taste. If the fruit is not acidic enough and not quite suitable for the role of preservative, be sure to add fresh lemon juice or a lemonade to each can.

The budget and simplest options for compote include the use of appropriate flavorings and food additives. For example, those who prefer pineapple, lemon, or orange can use a can of stewed compote to use a pack of appropriate dry juice (such as “UPI” or “Zuko” from the 90s). True, the naturalness and benefits of such drinks are a subject for discussion.

Without a doubt, the whole family will appreciate the recipe for zucchini compote for the winter. It perfectly quenches thirst, goes well with pastries. By the way, boiled zucchini, if there is no desire to eat it, can be mashed, used for baking homemade muffin. It is important to pay attention to the storage life of the compote. If you use fruits with seeds as additives, it is better to store such conservation no more than a year. Seedless compote will stand two to three times longer.

Reviews: "A pear or something?"

This year my zucchini (zucchini) was apparently not visible, and the huge ones will grow out - they are tasty anyway, even with a peel, and I distributed them, and what I just did not do with them, but this recipe is just a find for me. I have three children and stewed fruit quickly leave in the winter, and here the children with pleasure drank compote from the "pineapple", and no one understood anything. Added - and plum and cherry (frozen), funky. so for the winter I closed enough pineapple compotes.
Svetazina, http://www.povarenok.ru/recipes/show/78185/

I tried it, 4 jars came out, when I rolled it up I didn’t even have time to try ((I decided to try it, I opened the jar, poured it, I tried a pear or something ??)))) Very tasty, fast and economical)))
anya3 08, http://www.povarenok.ru/recipes/show/78185/

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