An unpretentious and at the same time such a healthy vegetable, pumpkin, has earned the honorary title of king of the vegetable garden. And this is explained not only by the ease of its cultivation, but also by its versatility and rich vitamin composition.

In terms of its taste, pumpkin goes well with most vegetables, so the range of its use in culinary recipes is quite wide: from first courses to dessert. At the same time, it can be boiled, fried, baked, made jam, etc. However, pumpkin juice, which contains all the useful components, is considered the healthiest option for consuming pumpkin. At the same time, preparing pumpkin juice at home is not at all difficult.

Pumpkin fresh

1 Option

Pass the peeled and chopped pumpkin through a juicer, add a spoon and honey to the prepared fresh juice. You can also make a vitamin cocktail by taking 250 g of pumpkin pulp, 1 large red apple and 100 g of peeled carrots. Pass everything through a juicer and, adding lemon juice and honey, consume within half an hour - it is during this period that all useful substances are preserved in maximum quantities.

Option 2

This is grandma's old way of making juice out of pumpkin. Simply grate the pumpkin pulp and, if desired, other vegetables and fruits on a fine grater, and squeeze the juice through several layers of gauze. This method is good when introducing the first complementary foods to babies, when a minimum amount of juice is needed.

for the winter

The easiest way, of course, is to make it in a juicer, but if you don’t have one, then this is not a reason to deny yourself the pleasure of drinking this drink in winter and spring. You just have to work a little harder, nothing is impossible.

There are several other ways to prepare pumpkin juice at home:

1. From the pumpkin pulp, peeled and cut into medium pieces, use a juicer to obtain juice, which we place in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then add sugar at the rate of 100 g per 1 liter of juice obtained and a third of a teaspoon of citric acid for the same volume. Boil for another 5 minutes and pour into prepared sterile jars, which we seal and turn over and cover with something warm. Cooled jars can be lowered into the cellar or stored in the pantry.

2. 1 kg of pumpkin pulp should be grated using a grater and poured with boiling sugar syrup made from 2 liters of water and a glass of sugar. All this is boiled for 15 minutes and cooled. Then rub the boiled pulp through a very fine sieve and, adding fresh juice from 1 lemon, boil again for 15 minutes, after which the prepared juice is poured into sterile jars and rolled up. But this is the most labor-intensive method that allows you to prepare pumpkin juice at home.

Pumpkin juice is very good for preventing colds and infectious diseases and increasing immunity. It is enough to just drink half a glass of this fresh juice a day for children and a glass for adults to avoid many ailments, especially since pumpkin juice is not so difficult to prepare at home, especially if you have kitchen appliances.

Vegetable juices, thanks to the abundance of vitamins, deservedly occupy a place of honor on the Russian table. No worse than vegetables, they can enrich the diet with microelements and protect against a number of diseases, especially in the winter-spring period, when our immunity needs additional support. Pumpkin juice also contains a huge amount of minerals and vitamins. Three hundred grams of freshly squeezed product satisfies the body’s daily need for magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins A, B, E, C.

Pumpkin juice - general principles and methods of preparation

Few people know that the homeland of pumpkin is distant Mexico, from where it came to North America, and then spread throughout the countries of Eurasia. Local aborigines enjoyed eating the nourishing pulp, and used the seeds and juice for medicinal purposes. They knew very well what healing power these pumpkin ingredients contained. To this day, the “orange giant” rightfully bears the title of the best home healer.

Pumpkin juice is a drink for immunity. It concentrates many beneficial substances that play a decisive role in maintaining the body's defenses. In addition, pumpkin juice is rich in rare vitamin K, which is responsible for blood clotting. However, the most important benefit of the healing drink is its effect on the gastrointestinal tract, thanks to fiber and pectin. As you know, dietary fiber is not absorbed in the intestines and is excreted unchanged, cleansing the intestinal walls of decay products and accumulated toxins.

The principle of preparing freshly squeezed pumpkin juice is very simple. In order to obtain a healthy product at home, you need to get a juicer - a simple device will allow you to separate the juice from the pulp in a matter of minutes. The juice should be squeezed at maximum speed. There is another option for preparing pumpkin juice, but it is more troublesome: the pulp is grated and squeezed out using clean gauze, rolled up in several layers.

Freshly squeezed pumpkin juice has a pleasant sweetish taste, but due to its specific shades, unfortunately, not everyone likes it. In this case, it is recommended to mix it with other types of juice - vegetable, fruit or berry. For example, you can add carrot juice or a few drops of lemon juice or sugar. As a result, the taste is softer and “richer”. You can also stock up on pumpkin juice for future use, for the winter, if it is not possible to store fresh vegetables at home.

Pumpkin juice - product preparation

To make the juice brighter, richer and sweeter, you should select young fruits weighing up to 5-7 kg with bright orange pulp. This pumpkin contains more carotene and natural fructose. Peel the vegetable, remove seeds, cut into pieces and squeeze out the juice using a juicer. If other vegetables or fruits are involved in the process of preparing pumpkin juice, we treat them in the same way. It is advisable not to store the freshly squeezed product for too long, but to drink it immediately.

Pumpkin juice - the best recipes

Recipe 1: Classic pumpkin juice with cranberries

Cranberry, pumpkin and honey together make an amazing combination. Instead of cranberries, you can add any berry-vegetable-fruit juices, and also use one pumpkin. Why did we choose cranberries for the combination? Yes, because it is a real record holder for the content of minerals and vitamins.

Ingredients:

- two kg of cranberries
- two kg of pumpkin
- honey or sugar to taste

Cooking method:

Peel the pumpkin, cut into pieces, squeeze the juice out of them (using a juicer). We also squeeze juice out of cranberries. Mix, add honey or sugar to taste. It should be noted that the juice should be squeezed immediately before use. There is nothing complicated about this manipulation.

Pumpkin juice for the winter

Recipe 2: Winter pumpkin juice with lemon

Its preparation does not require too much effort, but the result is delicious pumpkin juice for the winter, which is also healthy, will always be at hand and will be able to provide the family with all the necessary substances during the winter cold, especially during the difficult period of epidemics. This pumpkin juice can be stored for a long time both in the refrigerator and in sterilized jars.

Ingredients:

- one kilogram of pumpkin (pulp)
— 250 gr. Sahara
- about 2 liters of water
- one lemon

Cooking method:

Grate the pumpkin pulp, prepared according to all the rules, and pour in sugar syrup (boiling). Stir and cook over very low heat for twelve to fifteen minutes. Then remove the pan and cool its contents. Then grind the pumpkin using a sieve or blender and return it to the pan. Immediately add freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bring the juice to a boil and simmer for ten minutes, stirring. Upon completion of cooking, pour it into sterilized jars and seal.

When making pumpkin juice with lemon juice, it is very important to choose the optimal container. An enamel pan without chips is best suited for these purposes. It is not allowed to cook acidic dishes in aluminum cookware, since aluminum, in contact with an acidic environment under the influence of high temperature, turns into heavy toxic compounds that enter your body with the product.

Recipe 3: Winter pumpkin juice with orange

The method of making juice is similar to the 2nd recipe, but has several differences. Firstly, we will triple the amount of citrus fruits, and secondly, we will add a little citric acid to the juice.

Ingredients:

- one pumpkin (medium)
- 200 gr. Sahara
— 10-15 gr. citric acid
- three oranges
- water

Cooking method:

Fill the pumpkin cut into pieces with water so that it reaches the level of the pieces. Cook after boiling for only three to five minutes. Let cool, rub the pumpkin through a sieve and return to the pan. Add acid and sugar. Squeeze the juice out of the oranges and send them there. Bring the juice to a boil and immediately turn off. Then pour it into jars.

Recipe 4: Winter pumpkin juice with apples

Which apples do you prefer? Preferably, of course, green ones, since they are healthier than other varieties. If this is not possible, choose any, the main thing is that they are not overripe.

Ingredients:

- one kilogram of pumpkin
— 250 gr. sugar (a little less if possible)
- one kilogram of apples
- lemon zest (of one lemon)

Cooking method:

Using a juicer, extract juice from apples and pumpkins. Mix them together in a bowl or saucepan, add lemon zest and sugar. Bring the pumpkin-apple juice to 90 C and keep it at this temperature for about five minutes (no more). Next, let it simmer on the stove off and pour it into jars while still hot. Roll up if desired.

Recipe 5: Pumpkin juice for the winter with carrots and dried apricots

We suggest trying another option for making pumpkin juice, to which we add a little carrot juice, as well as healthy dried apricots.

Ingredients: (for three kilograms of pumpkin)

- four carrots
— 500 gr. dried apricots
– 1.2 kg sugar
- three liters of water
- 15 gr. citric acid

Cooking method:

Cut the pumpkin, peeled carrots and dried apricots into pieces. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and fill with water. From the moment of boiling, cook for about two hours. After that, cool the solid contents of the pan and do not throw away the broth. Beat the pieces of pumpkin, carrots and dried apricots in a blender, transfer them to an empty pan, adding a glass of broth. Now add sugar and acid, bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is completely dissociated.

Pumpkin juice - contraindications

Pumpkin juice should be consumed especially carefully by people suffering from low stomach acidity and irritable bowel syndrome. In case of severe disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, pumpkin and its components should be completely excluded from the diet until all functions of the gastrointestinal tract are restored. In addition, a number of people develop an allergic reaction to carotene or individual intolerance to some components contained in pumpkin.

Pumpkin juice is a healthy drink for maintaining good health. It enriches the body with vitamins, treats some diseases and helps keep the figure in great shape. And if you prepare it for the winter, combining it with apples, carrots, oranges and other fruits, problems with low immunity will not be a problem. This article will talk about how to make pumpkin juice yourself and what beneficial properties it has for people of any age.

Necessary equipment and utensils

Making pumpkin juice at home is not difficult. First you need to decide how you can get it. The first, fastest one is using a juicer. The second is when the product is cooked in a juicer. The third, more labor-intensive method, in which the pumpkin is grated and then the juice is squeezed through several layers of gauze. Another, fourth cooking option is boiling pumpkin cut into pieces in water and then grinding it in a blender. Any of the listed methods for obtaining pumpkin nectar is good in its own way, so everyone can choose an acceptable option for themselves.

We will take a closer look at the fourth method of producing pumpkin drink, which was mentioned above. So, to prepare it we will need:

• Juicer.
• Blender.
• Table-knife.
• Pan (at least 8 liters).
• Sterilized jars.
• Seaming machine and lids.

Required Ingredients

Here is a list of products from which we will prepare our juice:

• Pumpkin pulp - 3 kilograms;
• Granulated sugar - 500 grams;
• Water - 2 liters;
• Citric acid - 10 gram sachet (2 tsp).

Features of product selection

Regardless of the method of obtaining the drink, you first need to choose the right vegetable itself. There are three varieties of table pumpkin suitable for human consumption: hard-barked, large-fruited and nutmeg. Which one to choose is up to you.

- the most common type. This variety ripens faster than others. As the name suggests, the bark of this fruit is hard and dense. The inside of the pumpkin is fibrous, with a delicate aroma, the pulp is sugary, with many soft yellow seeds. Such a fruit is difficult to peel.
- biggest pumpkin Five-kilogram representatives of this species are a common occurrence. The taste of this fruit is sweet and delicate. It has a soft skin, so it is easy to clean.

- ripens later than others, its fruits are bright orange, not very large, with a soft crust. This type of pumpkin is one of the most delicious.

Did you know? The nutmeg variety has the highest sugar and carotene content, large-fruited pumpkin is high-yielding, and fruits with a hard crust can be stored the longest.

If you have to buy pumpkin at the market to prepare nectar, you need to consider several important points:

• Choose firm, fairly ripe fruits that have evenly colored skin.
• A quality vegetable should not have its tail cut off, it should break off on its own. If the tail is cut off, it means that you have an unripe fruit.
• It is better not to take pumpkin that has already been cut into slices. It is not known in what sanitary conditions the fruits were stored before slicing, and they were not necessarily washed beforehand. Also, the cut vegetable could be rotten.
• If you do buy chopped vegetables, then taste the seeds. They must be ripe and large, which means that the fruit is ripe and has absorbed all the beneficial properties.

Did you know? The older the pumpkin, the higher the nutritional value of its seeds.

Step-by-step process for preparing pumpkin juice at home for the winter

The process for preparing pumpkin juice is as follows:

Important! Canned juices can be stored not only in a cool place, but also at room temperature. The only caveat is that they should not be exposed to sunlight, otherwise the oxidation process will begin and the beneficial properties will be lost.

How to clarify juice and is it necessary?

The pumpkin drink is not transparent due to the particles suspended in it, for this reason not everyone likes its taste.

A way to make juice clearer

To get a clear drink, you need to filter it through gauze folded in several layers, let it settle in a cool place, and then pour the settled liquid without sediment into another container. But is it really necessary to do this?

Is there any benefit from lightening?

According to nutritionists, it is unclarified juices, in which the pulp is preserved in the form of suspended particles, that are especially useful for maintaining health. Such drinks contain fiber and pectins, which have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the stomach and intestines, and also reduce cholesterol levels.

Beneficial properties of pumpkin juice

Medical experts advise drinking juice for both adults and children, even infants. It has the following positive effects on organs and systems:

• It contains many amino acids, vitamins and minerals.
• Increases the body's defenses.
• Promotes cleansing of fats, toxins and impurities.
• Normalizes cholesterol levels.
• Removes radionuclides.
• Helps fight cancer.
• A product with the addition of honey helps fight insomnia.
• Increases vitality and performance.
• Removes stones from the kidneys and bladder.
• Improves the functioning of the circulatory system and heart.

For adults

Now let’s learn more about the benefits of a pumpkin drink for an adult if consumed regularly:

Important! How much juice you can drink daily is up to everyone to decide for themselves. It must be remembered that the maximum volume required for a healthy adult is 2 glasses per day. The body will not be able to fully absorb more.

For children

Pediatricians and nutritionists recommend introducing pumpkin into the diet of babies at a very early age (from 5-6 months) as an additional nutrition, starting with 5 ml (1 teaspoon). It should be given carefully, observing the child’s skin reactions, as individual intolerance to pumpkin products may occur. Older children, from 3 years old, can drink on average 200-300 ml of pumpkin product per day.

With the regular presence of pumpkin drink in the children's menu, the following positive effects on the children's body are observed:

• The stool is regulated, as a result of which the gastrointestinal system works well.
• If there is no intolerance to pumpkin products, then this juice can even eliminate existing allergies to other products.
• A rich set of trace elements, minerals and vitamins protects the child’s body from the effects of free radicals and promotes good growth and development.

What can you add to regular pumpkin juice?

Although pumpkin drink is healthy, due to its specific taste and smell, not everyone likes it. The problem can be solved by mixing it in arbitrary proportions with other nectars that are no less life-giving.

Did you know? pumpkin flowersSamecan be eaten. In Italy, the most common recipe for preparing them is stuffed flowers with mozzarella and tomatoes.

Apple, orange, carrot, cranberry juices, as well as dried apricot compote go well with pumpkin nectar. Below are short recipes for making cocktails in your home kitchen:

Apple

To make the pumpkin apple drink, you must first prepare the pumpkin according to the recipe above. At the end of cooking, we cook the apples. You can take fruits of any favorite variety, but green ones are best, they are usually more juicy. Then you need to remove the cores and stalks from them. Squeeze the juice through a juicer, add sugar, lemon zest and boil. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared hot pumpkin product and let them simmer together for 3 minutes, no more. Pour into prepared jars and roll up.

To prepare this mix you will need (for 3-4 liters of prepared pumpkin juice):

• 3 kg of apples, peeled and cored;
• 550 g sugar (less can be done if you need pronounced sourness);
• Zest of 2 lemons, grated.

Carrot

In itself, it is a very healthy vegetable, so it will be an excellent addition for preparing mixed nectars, especially since, thanks to carotene, it has an orange-yellow color similar to pumpkin. The carrot-pumpkin mixture can be prepared in the same way as the previous method. To do this you need to take (per 4 liters of finished pumpkin product):

• 4 pieces of carrots;
• 1-2 cups sugar (to taste);
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar;
• 2-3 clove inflorescences (optional).

Prepare carrot juice, mix with pumpkin juice and boil. Pour into sterile containers and roll up.

Important!To improve your health, you need to drink 0.5 glasses of pumpkin juice every morning half an hour before meals. For better absorption of carotene, you can add another teaspoon of sour cream, cream or vegetable oil (especially important for pumpkin-carrot mixture).

Orange

Another ingredient included in a pumpkin drink can be orange juice. Oranges have a red-orange color, a lot of useful substances and a citrus aroma. To prepare a wonderful, bright drink, you will need (for 4 liters of pumpkin juice):

• 4 things. peeled oranges;
• 5 tablespoons of sugar.
• A small pinch of citric acid.
• You can add vanilla at the tip of the knife.
• Squeeze the juice from the oranges through a juicer, stir with sugar, vanilla and citric acid. Mix two ready-made juices, boil, pour into jars, and roll up.

To prepare a version of the drink with dried apricots, you must first cook a compote from these dried fruits. The compote recipe is simple and doesn’t take much time:
Rinse 300 grams of dried apricots thoroughly under running water, cut into pieces with a knife and place in a container prepared for cooking compote;

Wash the pumpkin, cut off the skin, remove the seeds, and grate the pulp. Place the chopped vegetable mass in a saucepan, add a glass of water, cover with a lid and continue simmering until completely softened. Press out the mass. You will end up with a cloudy liquid without any pulp. Grind the cake through a sieve. Mix the liquid with the puree. For 7 cups of liquid you will need 3 cups of puree. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir for a couple of minutes, pour into containers, and seal.

Pumpkin juice for the winter: recipes

Option one.

Pass the pumpkin pulp through a meat grinder. Place the crushed pulp in a juicer and let it boil for about 40 minutes after it boils. Pour the hot juice into prepared containers or bottles, pasteurize for 15 minutes at a temperature of 85 degrees.

Option two.

Grind the prepared pulp, heat to 90 degrees, leave for literally 5 minutes, and then pour into jars, cover with treated lids and set to sterilize for 15 minutes. After successful sterilization, quickly seal them with lids and refrigerate. Store in a dark place.

Pumpkin juice for the winter at home.

Chop the pumpkin into slices or rub and squeeze out the juice. For this purpose, it is very convenient to use a juicer. Add 100 ml of honey to 1 liter of the resulting liquid. Warm everything together to 80 degrees, and then pour into treated containers and pasteurize in a water bath. Pumpkin juice for the winter through a juicer ready!

How to make juice from pumpkin for the winter.

1 kilogram poke. Prepare the pulp according to all the rules. Grate it, dilute it with sugar syrup, mix it, cook over fairly low heat for about a quarter of an hour. Remove the saucepan and cool the contents. Grind the pumpkin using a sieve and return to the saucepan. Add the juice squeezed from one lemon. Bring to a boil, simmer for approximately 10 minutes. As soon as the cooking is completed, pour the drink into steamed jars and roll up.

Try preparing and.

Winter pumpkin juice with orange.

Chop a medium peeled pumpkin into pieces, dilute with water so that it reaches the surface of the vegetable slices. Once boiling begins, cook for 3 minutes. Cool, grind the pumpkin through a sieve, and return to the pan. Add 195 g of sugar and 10 g of citric acid. Squeeze out the liquid part from three oranges and send them here. Bring the liquid to a boil and immediately turn it off, pour into jars.

Juice from pumpkin and carrots for the winter.

Chop the pumpkin pulp, 4 peeled carrots and 490 g of dried apricots. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and fill with water. After the start of boiling, about two hours. Cool the contents of the pan, leave the broth. Beat the pumpkin pieces, slices of dried apricots and carrots in a blender, pour into an empty saucepan, and pour in a glass of broth. Add here 15 g of lemon and 1.25 kg of sugar. Further heat treatment is the same as in the recipes described above.

Try these recipes too.

Required Products:

2 oranges
- water - a couple of liters
- ? Art. granulated sugar
- kilogram of pumpkin pulp

Preparation:

Wash the vegetable, cut off the peel, grate. Make syrup from sugar and water. Throw in the grated pumpkin pulp, transfer to the stove, and bring to a boil. After the vegetable mixture boils, reduce the heat, simmer for five minutes over medium heat, and let cool. Separate the liquid part from the oranges and combine with the pumpkin mixture. Beat with a blender.

Consider and.

Benefits of pumpkin juice.

Pumpkin is especially popular. This is due to the fact that it contains a large amount of useful substances, which are especially necessary during the winter cold. Just a glass of drink will fill the body's need for vitamins A and E. By treating yourself to a delicious pumpkin delicacy, you will strengthen your immune system and improve intestinal function. The recipe is quite simple:

Prepare the pumpkin fruits, cut into cubes and blend until pureed. Add additional ingredients - granulated sugar, apples, cranberries, oranges, citric acid, etc. Stir, pour into treated bottles or jars, and seal after pasteurization.

Pumpkin juice for the winter juicer.

Pass small pumpkin slices through a juicer. To taste, add sugar, bee honey, a little orange juice or other desired ingredients into the drink. Don't throw away the pumpkin pulp! This is an excellent filling for cakes and pie. You can also use the vegetable mass as a face mask. To preserve it for the winter, the drink must be pasteurized and then poured into prepared containers.

Manual cooking method.

Chop the pumpkin pulp into small cubes and place the raw materials into a large saucepan. Pour water over the pulp until it is covered with liquid. Cook the vegetables until softened. In a similar way, you can prepare the raw materials in the oven. This will make the drink even tastier and more aromatic. Grind the steamed pulp using a sieve and dilute. Dilute with boiling water if necessary, add granulated sugar and lemon, heat again for 10 minutes. This will avoid the risk of spoilage during storage. For bottling, use sterilized containers.

Recipe with citric acid.

Cook over very low heat, making sure that the vegetable cubes do not stick to the walls of the dish. As soon as the pumpkin boils, carefully skim off the foam and continue cooking for another half hour. After this, leave the pulp to steam under the lid. While still warm, rub the mixture through a sieve. Return the liquid mass to the stove, stir, add 1.5 kg of sugar, 35 g of citric acid, heat to 90 degrees. Boil the mass for 10 minutes, and then package it and add crystalline fructose or honey. If desired, citric acid can be replaced with several oranges or lemons. A very useful combination is obtained by adding apples. The combination is simply incredible!

Recipe with lemon.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin – 1 kg
- granulated sugar – 1 kilogram
- water – one and a half liters
- lemon – 2 pieces

Cooking steps:

Grind the peeled pumpkin to a paste or chop into small slices and place in an enamel bowl or pan. Sprinkle granulated sugar on top, leave for half an hour, stir to begin the process of juice release. Add water, stir to allow the sugar to dissolve, and return to the heat. Cook the vegetables for about ten minutes, remove from heat and cool. Grind the mixture through a sieve, pour in lemon juice. After adding it, boil the total mass and prepare it in the usual way for the winter.

The recipe with lemon may be different.

Boil two liters of water, add 0.25 kg of sugar. This way you have prepared the syrup. Add grated pumpkin pulp to the boiling syrup. Reduce heat to low and let the liquid simmer for 15 minutes. Puree the resulting mass or rub through a sieve, pour in the juice from one lemon, and return to the heat. Lemon can be replaced with orange. Instead of one lemon, take 3 oranges and another pinch of citric acid.

Some housewives like to prepare pumpkin juice with the addition of cranberries. In their opinion, such a drink is simply super-healthy. To prepare, you will need the same amount of juice from both cranberries and pumpkin. You need to add honey or sugar to the total mass. There are no clear proportions here; you need to focus on your own taste. Boil the total mass and pour into treated bottles.

Despite the fact that pumpkin drink is very healthy, it must be consumed with caution. Not everyone can benefit from it. For example, in case of stomach or intestinal ulcers, acute forms of diabetes mellitus, cholecystitis, or increased stomach acidity, this drink is not recommended to be consumed in large quantities. If you suffer from urolithiasis, then it is better to exclude the drink from your diet altogether. You should not experiment if you suffer from diarrhea. Pumpkin drinks cleanse the body well, so diarrhea may only get worse when consumed.

Surely you have read all our recipes. If this is your first time cooking, try preparing regular pumpkin juice with pulp. You try its taste and understand whether you like it or not. Be sure to treat your kids to this drink. If everyone is satisfied, you can proceed to cooking options with cranberries, lemon, orange, apples and carrots. It is not necessary to put the juice in jars. You can store it in bottles in a regular refrigerator. However, in this case, the drink can be stored for a minimum amount of time. There are also advantages to this method of preparation - it allows you to preserve more vitamins.

Do you want to preserve the taste of the tenderness of the last rays of the passing autumn? Prepare healthy and tasty pumpkin juice for the winter. And then on cold winter evenings the rich aroma of this yellow drink will remind you of warm summer. What are the features of this “sun in a glass”? Let's look at its beneficial properties, as well as several recipes on how to make pumpkin juice at home.

Vitamin rainbow

The drink has a rich orange color palette. And the vitamin composition is just as rich and “bright” in composition. What are the benefits of pumpkin juice? It contains microelements such as potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, calcium, cobalt. In addition, the concentration of sucrose and pectin substances is high. Vitamins include C, beta-carotene, B1, B2, B6. Due to its high fiber content, pumpkin juice has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, tending to slightly increase bile secretion. The drink is also recommended for people with heart and vascular diseases, especially with frequent swelling and problems with the kidneys and liver. The duration of the course of treatment and the required doses for administration are selected individually in each case. But, in general, there are no specific contraindications, unless there is an individual intolerance to the product. Therefore, juice in normal volumes (on average 1 glass per day) can be drunk at any age. Let's look at several recipes for preparing the drink - from regular (one-ingredient) to assorted.

How to prepare pumpkin juice for the winter: rules for selecting ingredients. Classic version

Regardless of the composition of the drink and the preparation method, the finished result will largely depend on the quality of the raw materials. Thus, certain varieties of root vegetables are preferable to use for baking in the oven, others are especially tasty when cooked as part of porridges, and still others are especially suitable for making homemade pumpkin juice. Whether the raw materials have the required taste quality can be checked immediately before starting work. Peel part of the fruit from the peel and internal fibers with seeds. Using the middle part of the pulp, cut a small, thin slice of pumpkin from the total mass and taste it on your tongue. If sugar saturation is clearly present, and the piece looks juicy in appearance, you can safely use this raw material to prepare a drink. When growing pumpkin on your own plot, you should not immediately send the raw materials from the garden to a jar. As a rule, after harvesting, root vegetables are allowed to lie down for a while, as if to “ripen,” in a cool room with low humidity. After about 5-7 days, you can begin processing into juice.

Main stages of raw material preparation and processing

1. Cut the fruit lengthwise or crosswise into 4-6 pieces. It is most convenient to work with oblong pieces in the form of slices.
2. Using a tablespoon, remove the inner pulp and seeds from each part (by the way, they can also be used, for example, dried and fried) and rub through a metal sieve.
3. Then peel the tough skin and surrounding area from the pumpkin. Depending on the variety, it is necessary to cut from 1 to 3-4 cm of the greenish dense layer.
4. Rinse the pieces prepared in this way quickly under running cold water and let them drain, placing them in a colander or on a plastic wire rack.
5. Next, preparing pumpkin juice from the pulp should be done in one of the following ways:

Grinding in a juicer;

Manual mechanical processing on a grater.

Each of these options has its own technological features, which are described below.

Options for grinding raw materials and obtaining pumpkin juice

There is an opinion that when preparing you should try to minimize the time of contact of the pulp with the metal elements of the devices, since this can destroy vitamins. But modern coatings on both electric juicers or blenders, and graters (as well as other kitchen utensils) are completely harmless. Therefore, you can safely use any of the methods:

When processing raw materials manually, grind the prepared pieces (1 kg) using a meat grinder or grater and pour in sugar syrup (250 g of sand per 1-1.5 liters of water). Bring the mixture to a boil, and then, after cooling, rub through a sieve and strain.

For automated processing, pour the resulting juice into a separate container, and mix the pulp with syrup using the proportions indicated above and boil a little. Then combine the two masses (after straining) together and carry out further thermal preservation. If desired, you can add the juice of one lemon to the pumpkin juice. Other spices are also welcome - cinnamon, vanillin, herbs. This is how freshly squeezed pumpkin juice is prepared, completely ready for consumption after pre-processing. The recipe for the winter will differ in the need to heat treat the drink. The main features of the two options are described below.

Is sterilization required? Secrets of heat treatment

Before sealing jars when preserving raw materials, it must be heated. Therefore, any homemade pumpkin recipe includes a heat treatment step. It is preferable to sterilize jars filled with the prepared drink. To do this, cover the containers with lids and place them in a tall saucepan, placing them on a cloth-lined bottom. Then pour cold water into the space between the jars so that its level is “up to your shoulders.” Place the dishes on low heat and bring to a boil. For liter containers it will take 5-7 minutes, 1.5 liters - 10 minutes, 3 liters - 20 minutes. Then remove the jars and roll up the lids. For the second option of heat treatment of juice, boil the liquid for 10-15 minutes. and immediately pour hot into containers and seal. Turn the jars over, placing them upside down on a soft surface, and wrap them until they cool completely. Store in a cool place. Shake well before use.

First assorted recipe: orange “rainbow” with orange

Pumpkin juice (recipe for the winter) can be prepared by mixing with other fruit ingredients. The resulting drinks will sparkle with new flavor “colors” and be enriched with additional beneficial substances. In the classic recipe, you can replace lemon juice with orange juice. When preparing, adhere to the following proportions:

1-1.5 kg of pumpkin pulp;

200-250 g sugar. sand;

2-3 juicy oranges.

Fill the pumpkin, chopped into small pieces or using a grater, with so much water that the mass is just covered with liquid. After boiling with sugar for 5-7 minutes, cool the mass, wipe and mix with squeezed orange juice. Pour the juice into jars, sterilize and seal with lids.

The second option for preparing a multi-ingredient drink: with dried apricots and carrots

A rather original taste is obtained when mixed simultaneously with fruit and vegetable raw materials. Prepare the following ingredients:

Pumpkin weighing 2.8-3 kg;

3-4 medium carrots;

1.2-1.5 kg of sugar;

500 g dried apricots;

1 tbsp. l. citric acid;

9 liters of cold water.

To obtain this juice, first process the pumpkin by cutting off the skin and removing the seeds. Then chop the pulp, peeled carrots and dried apricots into cubes. Fill the mixture with water (3 l) and put on fire. After boiling, cook for 1.5-2 hours. Then cool a little and grind with a blender. Add 6 liters of water, sugar and citric acid to a fairly thick mass. Cook the juice for about another hour. Pour the hot drink into sterile jars and seal.

Third assorted recipe: homemade pumpkin juice with apple pulp

Let's consider another, quite popular cooking option. The orange drink with apple pulp is especially tasty. This homemade pumpkin recipe will be as follows:

1. Using a juicer, process the prepared raw materials. To do this, take pumpkin and apple pieces of equal weight (1 kg each), peeled and peeled.
2. Add sugar (about 1 glass) and a little lemon zest to the resulting juice to taste. The proportions of these ingredients will depend on taste. So, if the apples are quite sour, you will need to slightly increase the amount of sugar.
3. Heat the semi-finished product over low heat for 5-10 minutes, and then, after pouring it into jars, further sterilize it. Cork and wrap.

How to prepare a vitamin honey-spicy drink?

How to prepare pumpkin juice for the winter with a twist? Try adding additional palate-refreshing ingredients such as honey, cinnamon and cloves. For 1 liter of juice, use 100 g of sugar, 0.5 tsp. spices and 1 full table. l. "bee" mixture. After boiling, pour into sterile jars and heat further by placing the containers in a pan of water. It is advisable to pour such juice into small containers in order to avoid long-term heat treatment, which negatively affects the preservation of the beneficial qualities of the honey component in the drink. Seal and store in a cool place once cooled.

Diversify your range of winter preparations with new dishes! A healthy and tasty pumpkin drink will surely please your loved ones, adding warmth and rainbow light to your everyday winter menu!