Nutriciologist told how to make sweet okroshka on non-alcoholic cider

“Okroshka can be called one of the main summer dishes. Most people prepare it from the same ingredients, but with different dressings. Some add kefir, others add kvass. For those who want to try a new flavor, there is one unusual variant”.

Everyone is accustomed that okroshka is a cold soup, but this dish can also be in the form of a dessert. A new trend is cooking with fruit on non-alcoholic cider. Such a variant can be found more and more often on restaurant menus. Some hostesses themselves try an unusual recipe. Let’s understand what this drink is and whether the okroshka on it is useful.

What is included in the composition of non-alcoholic cider?

Cider is a fermentation product made from apples, less often from pears. As a rule, this drink is made from the simplest ingredients:

• apple juice;
• apples;
• orange;
• sugar;
• carbonated water;
• cinnamon;
• cloves.

Spices are added to taste (cinnamon, cloves). You can prepare the drink without them. Also, the amount of sugar is adjusted at will. Cider turns out rich, moderately carbonated and refreshing.

It has a lot of vitamin B2, C, E and PP. Also in its composition there are such trace elements as potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and sodium. In 100 ml – 117 kcal.

The benefits of non-alcoholic cider

The ingredients included in the drink have useful properties for the human body. However, this applies only to independently prepared product. In store versions, flavor enhancers, dyes and preservatives can be added.

Apples contain B vitamins, vitamin C and potassium. They ensure the proper functioning of the central nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Oranges are rich in vitamin C, calcium, potassium, which strengthens the immune system and helps improve the elasticity of blood vessels. Also potassium helps maintain muscle mass, improves memory and brain function, reduces blood pressure.

The composition of the drink contains a large number of antioxidants. They fight free radicals, thereby preventing premature aging of cells. It also reduces the risk of thrombosis, atherosclerosis, cataracts and joint diseases.

There are pectins and polyphenols in cider. The first substances allow you to remove toxins, heavy metal salts and even radioactive elements from the body, and the second – stop inflammatory processes in the body.

If you add cinnamon to the cider, it will help reduce the rate of glucose entering the body, which has a positive effect on cholesterol levels.

If you use cloves, the drink also has anti-inflammatory effects.

Contraindications

With all the above-mentioned beneficial effects, cider can have a negative effect on the body. The reason for this is the sugar in the composition. It increases the caloric content of the drink and does not carry nutritional properties.

Therefore, it should be used with special caution by people with diabetes and overweight. In addition, the drink contains ingredients that can provoke allergies.

Recipe for okroshka on non-alcoholic cider

It is important to note that cider is best consumed only with fruits. Its sweet taste is not suitable for the okroshka of traditional ingredients. Therefore, the recipe will be very different from the usual.

Ingredients:

• Peach;
• pear;
• strawberry;
• blueberries;
• mint;
• non-alcoholic cider.

Preparation:

1. Wash all fruits and berries thoroughly.
2. Cut the fruit into small cubes and combine in a deep bowl.
3. In a container add large blueberries.
4. Pour the resulting mixture with non-alcoholic cider.
5. Wash the mint and decorate the dish with the leaves.

Such a okroshka contains a lot of vitamins and fiber. Due to the large number of fruits and berries, it is well refreshing. Its additional advantage is that it can be replaced with dessert, and preparation takes very little time.

What is the difference between cider and kvass?

These drinks are produced by fermentation and the work of yeast. When making kvass, dry baker’s yeast or pressed live baker’s yeast is used. For cider, it is from the sugar found in apples. Therefore, it is less suitable for making traditional okroshka.

Many people compare cider to beer. In fact, its production is more similar to the technology of making wine. That is, juice is squeezed from apples or pears with the help of a special press. In the resulting liquid, yeast is added and left to form the fermentation process.

Slow fermentation (about three months) allows you to preserve more flavors and vitamins. Finally, the drink is subjected to clarification and filtration. The last stage is carbonation. Some producers achieve this effect by adding carbon dioxide.