Uzvar For Christmas: Cooking Options

Are you going to cook a decoction for Christmas? There are various ways to prepare this ritual drink.

Are you going to cook a decoction for Christmas? There are various ways to prepare this ritual drink.

Uzvar is a traditional drink for the festive table on Christmas Eve. Uzvar and kutyu have long been dedicated to the birth of Jesus Christ.

The homeland of this drink is called Western Ukraine, from where the recipe spread among other Christians. Since ancient times, uzvar on the table was considered a symbol of fertility, "sweet life" and wealth.

The basis of the recipe is dried fruit. Unlike the usual compote, the ingredients do not need to be boiled for a long time, it is enough to bring them to a boil - "brew". The preparation process explains the name of this unique drink.

In ancient times, the concoction was prepared from pears, apples and raisins, which were previously cleaned of seeds and tails and dried in an oven. Honey was often added to the drink. Today, there are many different recipes for this drink. For example, prunes, dried apricots, dried hawthorn, fresh berries, such as cranberries, blueberries can be added to the main ingredients. But if it consists of only 2-3 components, it will also be tasty.

Due to the composition and recipe of preparation, uzvar is not only a tasty, but also a healthy drink. This natural product enriches the body with vitamins, has a beneficial effect on blood vessels, helps to normalize the work of the intestines, promotes the removal of toxins and heavy metal salts, and energizes.

Today, markets and supermarkets have a wide range of ingredients for making Christmas stew. Choose cooking options based on your preferences, adding your favorite dried fruits and berries to the basic components.

Ancient recipe for concoction

For its preparation, you will need dried apples (100 g), dried pears (100 g), prunes (100 g), raisins (50 g), 2 liters of water, honey and sugar to taste.

Dry fruits are washed 2-3 times with warm water. Pears are poured with hot water, covered with a lid, put on low heat. After 10 minutes, you need to add apples, after another 10 minutes - prunes, and after 5 minutes - raisins. When all the dried fruits become soft, the drink should be brought to a boil, removed from the heat. To preserve the beneficial properties of honey, it should be added to the concoction when the drink has cooled to about 40 degrees. If you want to add sugar to the drink, then add it shortly before boiling.

The finished drink should be infused in a cold place, it is preferable to leave it for 12 hours.

Brewed with dried apricots and dried cherries

To prepare this version of the concoction, you need to take 100 g each of dried apples, pears, prunes, dried apricots, raisins, dried cherries and sugar.

Dry fruits should be thoroughly washed with warm water. Pour 2-3 liters of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add all the dried fruits to the water. When the water boils, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Add sugar to the drink 5 minutes before it is ready.

Let the decoction infuse for about 12 hours.

Apple-honey concoction

In this version of the concoction, only one type of dried fruit is used - dried apples (200g). You will also need 4 tbsp. spoons of honey, 1.5 liters of water. Since this drink does not need to be boiled, it contains a maximum of vitamins and trace elements.

Place the washed apples in a saucepan and pour boiling water over them. We cover the pan with a lid and leave the drink to infuse for several hours. Then strain the concoction through a fine sieve or cheesecloth, add honey and stir until it dissolves.

Uzvar jelly

The ingredients for this unusual drink are 500 g of dried fruit of your choice, 3 tbsp. spoons of sugar, 2 tbsp. l. spoons of starch, 1 liter of water.

Wash dried fruits and pour cold water. Add the sugar and cook over very low heat until the dried fruits are soft. Starch should be diluted with water, poured into a hot drink, brought to a boil and cooled.

If the dried fruits that you have for preparing the concoction are too dry and hard, it is better to soak them in water beforehand. Depending on how dried the ingredients are, they can be left in the water for 20 minutes or longer.

The options for making Christmas stew depend on your family's preferences and the availability of ingredients. Try adding dried rose hips, currants, strawberries, blueberries, etc. to the drink. You can improve the taste of the concoction with the help of cinnamon, cloves, lemon or orange peel.