Content
Red currant pastila is a traditional Russian dish. To prepare this dessert, use whipped applesauce and pulp of berries, including red currants. Blackcurrant recipes are popular.
Making marshmallow is simple, and additional ingredients for the dish are available in every home: these are eggs and sugar or honey. You don't need to purchase anything exotic for making a dessert.
Useful properties of red currant marshmallow
Red currant contains a large amount of useful macro- and microelements, acids and vitamins, which are stored almost without loss in homemade pastilles. This is what determines a fairly wide range of useful properties of the finished product:
- red currant delicacy helps to normalize the digestive tract;
- regular moderate consumption of currant pastila serves as the prevention of many diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- currants strengthens the immune system, helps the body recover from illness;
- the dessert is useful during outbreaks of viral and colds, as it has bactericidal and disinfectant properties;
- the delicacy effectively removes toxins and toxins from the body;
- honey often used in the composition of marshmallows normalizes metabolism.
Red currant marshmallow recipes
Homemade red currant dessert is a soft, but at the same time quite elastic fabric of sweet and sour taste with a rich fruity aroma. It is prepared by "spreading" the puree of berries on a flat surface, which is the basis for the name of the dish. Then the pastille is dried so that it acquires a viscous consistency.
From red currants, a product of a rich dark red color is obtained, sometimes with a tinge of purple. For the preparation of marshmallows, both large and small berries are used. The main thing is that the currants are from a variety with a thin skin and are fully ripe. Overripe currants make the marshmallow too sweet, but it is also better not to use unripe currants. The general tone speaks of the degree of maturity - the berries should have an even color without blotches of a greenish tint. This is a sign of immaturity or illness.
In the dryer
It is most convenient to prepare red currant marshmallow using a special dryer.
Ingredients:
- 250 g sugar;
- 300 g red currants;
- 50 g icing sugar;
- 1-2 tbsp. l. potato or corn starch.
Recipe:
- Granulated sugar is poured into a container with washed and dried berries. All this is mixed and left to settle for 30 minutes to form juice.
- The resulting mass is transferred to a saucepan and put on low heat. From time to time, the berry mass is stirred. When the mixture boils, keep on the stove for another 5-8 minutes, then remove from heat.
- When it cools down, it is transferred to a blender and a smooth puree is made.
- After that, you need to put 1-2 sheets of parchment on the dryer tray. On top of it, the berry mass is carefully laid out, evenly distributing it with a spatula over the entire surface.
- Dry for 4-6 hours at a temperature of 60 ° C. The dried cloth is taken out of the dryer and placed on a mixture of powder and starch.At this point, the dish can be considered ready.
In the oven
In the oven, red currant marshmallow is prepared according to the following scheme:
- 1 kg of red currants are thoroughly washed and dried.
- Then the raw materials are brought to the state of a liquid puree using a blender or meat grinder.
- After that, the resulting mass is rubbed through a sieve to give it uniformity.
- The next step is to add 500 g of sugar to the red currant. Stir until sugar dissolves.
- Then the sugar and berry mixture is put on medium heat and kept on the stove until it boils. After that, the fire is removed to a minimum and the base for the marshmallow is boiled for another 5 minutes.
- The cooled mass is slightly whipped, then distributed on a baking sheet, having previously covered with parchment.
- It is kept at a temperature of 60 ° C for 8-10 hours.
What else can you add to currant marshmallow
Homemade currant marshmallow in its pure form, without adding other products, has a rich sweet and sour taste. Sometimes the emphasis is shifted towards acidity, so small children do not always like the treat. On the other hand, dessert can always be sweetened.
There are different ways to do this.
- Banana is added to the raw materials for the treats in a 1: 1 ratio. It will add softness, tenderness and sweetness to the dish.
- One of the most common sweeteners for marshmallows is granulated sugar, but of all the additives, it is the least beneficial. In addition, if you overdo it with sugar, the treat can become too tough and brittle.
- Instead of sugar, honey is often used. This product gives the dish a rich honey flavor. Not all types of honey can be used, as some of them prevent the pastille from hardening. In particular, it is undesirable to mix acacia honey with berries. Rapeseed honey is best suited, which is added to the base at the rate of 500 g per 1 kg of berries.
- A mixture of berries and applesauce adds uniformity to the dish. If desired, it can be replaced with grape pulp.
Calorie content
On average, the calorie content of a dessert per 100 g is 327 kcal. This figure may vary slightly depending on which food additives are present in the finished dish: honey, nuts, orange juice, or others.
Pastila is far from being a dietary product, but it is healthier than chocolate and other sweets.
Terms and conditions of storage
Pastila does not tolerate high humidity. You can check if it is damp by pressing. A properly stored product is resilient and does not crack. If the material is sticky and loose, then the treat has deteriorated.
After cooking, the sweet and sour cloth is cut into small plates, which are folded together and stored in a glass container. It is very convenient to store currant marshmallow in the form of small rolls, which are wrapped in cling film. If you do not insulate each tube, they can stick together. Then the rolls are also placed in a glass container or sealed plastic container.
When stored properly, the shelf life is 8-12 months.
Conclusion
Red currant pastila is a tasty and healthy dish. In addition, it can be used both as a standalone dessert and as a sweet additive for brewing tea. Plates of sweet and sour linen go well with baked goods, so sometimes they make a layer of them in homemade pies and rolls. Also, pieces of red currant marshmallow are added to the composition of various tinctures and compotes.
Additionally, you can learn how to make currant marshmallow from the video:
