Cherry jelly
Origin of the recipe
The fruit and berry kissel we're accustomed to as a sweet dessert only began to be prepared in the 19th century, when inexpensive potato starch became available in Russia. To prepare this kind of kissel, simply dilute the starch with water and pour it into boiling fruit syrup. This dish, much less labor-intensive, quickly became fashionable in wealthy households, and then spread throughout the country, gradually replacing traditional Russian kissels. Modern kissels are made with fresh, frozen, or dried fruits and berries, including rosehip infusion; berry juice or syrup; jam; honey; coffee; milk; or cream. Besides sugar, spices are added to kissels: vanillin (French style), orange zest, cloves, and cinnamon (a popular German variation).
What do you need for cooking?
Ingredients
-
Water
-
Sugar
-
Cherry
-
Starch
Kitchen utensils
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Pot
- Sieve
- Cup
Step-by-step recipe
Step 1:
Boil 750 ml of water, add sugar and berries.
Step 2:
Dilute the starch with the remaining 100 ml of cold water.
Step 3:
Quickly pour the diluted starch into boiling water in a thin stream, stirring constantly.
Step 4:
Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat.
Step 5:
The jelly is ready! Serve slightly cooled or completely cold.
Cooking tips
The thickness of the jelly is regulated by the amount of starch (the more there is, the thicker the jelly).
The recipe calls for potato starch, the most common. If you're using cornstarch, keep in mind that it's weaker and requires twice the amount of potato starch. Also, potato starch shouldn't be boiled, while cornstarch needs to be boiled for three to four minutes to thicken.
You can use any other berries instead of cherries, but remember that the amount of sugar should vary depending on the acidity of the berries. Furthermore, the amount of sugar depends on the amount of starch—the thicker you want the jelly, the more sugar you need.
If you have berries with seeds (currants, raspberries), after boiling, strain the jelly base and pour the starch suspension into the strained broth.
An interesting addition to the sour berry base is raisins, thoroughly rinsed in hot water. They are boiled in the strained base for about 5 minutes, after which a starch suspension is added. This version can be made without sugar, varying the sweetness by adding the amount of raisins.
As the jelly cools, it usually forms a thick film. If you don't want this to form, sprinkle the surface of the jelly with powdered sugar immediately after cooking.
