At any time of the year drinks are present in the diet. Someone prefers purchased juices in bags, someone drinks only sparkling water, and there are those, especially those who have small children at home, who cook homemade compotes and jelly. There are many recipes for drinks that can be consumed cold or hot. There are single-component, and there are multi-component, where they usually put several types of fruits or berries.
What is jelly?
Kisel many remember even from the kindergarten menu. To taste, this drink does not differ from compote from the same ingredients, but by its consistency it is thick and viscous. Most often make berry jelly. They can be prepared not only as a drink, but also can be eaten as food. Such jelly is not cooked on starch, but on oats or wheat. The drink itself is very tasty, if done correctly. Housewives cook jelly from rhubarb. The recipe is very simple, and the preparation of such a drink does not take much time.
Rhubarb is a burdock you can eat
Not everyone knows what rhubarb is. However, you can cook very tasty jelly from it. Now there are more than 20 species of this plant. Stalks are taken for food, less often - leaves. Stalks are the basis for compotes, jelly, jelly and jams. They can also be added to salads and soups.
The simplicity of recipes for jelly from rhubarb makes it possible to cook it even for housewives who do not want to spend a lot of time on kitchen matters. The unobtrusive taste of rhubarb gives free rein to the cook's imagination. You can cook jelly only from the stems, or you can add berries.
The benefits and harms of rhubarb
There are many recipes for rhubarb on the Web, the benefits and harms of which are not known to everyone. Like any other green plant, rhubarb has a lot of positive qualities. Drink from it has a restorative effect, and some varieties are even antipyretic. The composition contains vitamins, acids and minerals that make the plant especially useful in early spring. These components help against winter vitamin deficiency.
Cooking jelly from rhubarb will benefit people suffering from diseases of the stomach and intestines. Use it as a choleretic agent. Even in medicine, parts of the plant are used to produce some drugs for the treatment of psoriasis, improve appetite. In small quantities, rhubarb is used to normalize the digestive tract, in large quantities as a laxative.
But there are contraindications to the use of rhubarb. It is undesirable to use it in large quantities for people with rheumatism, gout, pregnant women, and when there are problems with the gall bladder. Patients suffering from urolithiasis should not eat dishes that include this plant. Next, we will consider rhubarb recipes. The benefits and harms of such dishes must be weighed before a desire to drink jelly appears.
Rhubarb jelly
The jelly recipe from rhubarb does not contain complex products. All the necessary ingredients can be found in every kitchen. How to cook rhubarb jelly and where to start? The first step is to rinse the stems and cut them into cubes, stir the starch in cold water, prepare the right amount of sugar and put the water to boil.
For the simplest recipe, you need 0.5 kg of rhubarb stalks, 2 tablespoons of starch, sugar to taste and 1 liter of water. When the water boils, you need to pour the chopped cubes of rhubarb and cook for about 10 minutes over low heat. Then strain the resulting compote and get the stems. Pour the starch solution into the liquid and add sugar. Continually stirring so that no lumps form, cook another 5 minutes after boiling.
Jelly recipes from rhubarb can be varied if apples or berries are added to the plant. Kissel in this case will gain a richer taste. And the color will depend on the added berries. Children like jelly with strawberries very much. The drink is filled with the aroma of the berry and has a sourness of rhubarb. Cooking jelly does not change, only at the stage of cooking the stems, you need to add strawberries.
Another option may be a thicker jelly when boiled stems are not thrown away, but rubbed into mashed potatoes. Then it is again mixed with a decoction. But the mashed potatoes should be grated, otherwise the jelly will be unpleasant to drink. Depending on the density of the product, it can be served as a drink if it is liquid, and as a dessert if it is made thicker. Thick jelly looks very interesting in glasses if you put whipped cream on top. Such a dish can even be served at the festive table.
Rhubarb Dishes
Despite the fact that most people use rhubarb for cooking compotes and jelly, it is quite suitable for making salads and pies. Rhubarb stalks make a good filling for pies. To do this, mix the pieces of the stem with sugar and semolina. For 700 g of rhubarb, you need 2 tablespoons of semolina and 100 g of sugar. Mix the mixture, grind it in mashed potatoes, and then add to the pies. If there are no contraindications, rhubarb can be used in soups and desserts. Treat your household and guests with vitamin rhubarb jelly.