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I think each of us at least once in their lives tasted churchkhela - traditional sausage-shaped candy originating from Georgia.
It is made of nuts and thickened grape juice with flour.
I never thought that this sweetness can be cooked at home.
It turns out you can!
I checked the information in several cookbooks and on the Internet.
I concluded: it is necessary to cook it!
So today we will cook churchkhela.
For this recipe we take grapes.
We call it "Kalachik".
I do not know its botanical name. This grape grows in our area.
Grapes are very widespread.
Also take walnuts. You can use almonds, hazelnuts.
And flour.
We need to squeeze the juice from grapes.
This can be made by hand.
You can use the juicer.
I'm going to make by hand.
I washed it well.
Now squeeze the juice by hand.
Slightly press through a sieve.
It's interesting: seeds of this grapes are in pulp like in capsule.
It is not easy to press it through a sieve.
Pour juice into pot.
Pour juice into a cup separately
to mix it with flour.
I got so much pomace.
I do not know how Celentano worked by his feet, but the grapes burns the skin on my hands.
It is advisable to use gloves if you squeeze the juice by hand.
Heat juice slowly.
Now take walnuts.
If you have already noticed: I made strings of walnuts.
I left some walnuts for an example.
I'll show you how to make it.
We need: needle, thread, walnuts and scissors.
We need to roll thread in 4 times.
A thin thread will tear.
Take a long piece of thread.
I have scissors but tear off thread with teeth.
Connect two ends together and pass through the needle's eye.
Churchkhelas length should be about 30 cm, so take the longer thread.
The thread is rolled in 4 times.
Connect 2 threads and 2 threads together.
Big knot on the end of the threads.
The thread is ready.
Take shelled walnuts.
There are big and small pieces.
We need small size pieces.
Cut large walnut in half.
Divide into quarters.
Now into eight pieces.
Gradually, they are strung onto threads.
Like a garlands with walnuts.
This job will be pleasant to kids.
My son helped me to make these garlands.
Knot at the end of the garlands.
It is necessary for hanging churchkhela.
Loop is ready.
It's too long.
Approximately like this.
Juice began to boil. Reduce the heat to a minimum.
Boil juice to make it more concentrated and sweet.
Churchkhela is covered with condensed grape juice.
Add the flour to thicken it.
If you just put all the flour into boiling juice - there will form small lumps of flour.
We need a uniform mixture, such as jelly.
To do this, stir the flour with the juice. We should get mixture, like a thick cream.
Sprinkle the flour into a bowl.
Gradually dilute flour in grape juice, which we previously left in the cup.
Pour a small amount of juice and knead the batter.
Gradually make batter more thinner.
Consistency of batter is similar to sour cream.
Without lumps.
Pour remains of grape juice.
We made a liquid mixture.
It is easier to mix this mixture with juice.
Juice boiled for 30 minutes.
It's enough for this quantity.
Place pot on a small burner.
Now mix flour with juice.
We should cook a thick jelly.
After boiling, cook jelly for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Jelly is ready. Turn off the heat.
Leave it to cool.
When it cools, it thickens even more.
Jelly has cooled down, became warm.
Prepare a place to hang churchkhela.
It must be suspension grid or hooks, as I have.
Place parchment paper down.
A little bit is not enough - place the foil.
Take the thread with walnuts.
The strings are dipped in the mixture until completely covered.
Gently get it.
This process is repeated several times, usually 2-3 times.
I saw a video where a girl is cooking a very thick jelly.
I understand, that it's enough to dip churchkhela into such jelly 1 time.
For this we need to do more concentrated juice.
But I think that we will succeed too.
Passed 2 hours. I dipped churchkhela in mixture for a second time.
It is evident by the volume, what 4 churchkhelas covered with second layer.
Two left.
By the way, when the jelly is completely cooled, it becomes more dense.
Hold on to the loop.
Completely dip the thread.
I first thought that I cooked a lot of jelly.
Now I see that this is just right.
Give it to drain a little.
All unnecessary drains on paper.
Our churchkhela has the desired thickness.
Churchkhelas strings are then left to dry for 5?10 days.
We will taste after 5 days.
I was drying churchkhela 6 days.
Remove from hook. It is completely dry.
At the touch it became like a rubber.
Bendable.
Saturated color. Dark purple, closer to brown.
Try to taste.
I broke off a piece.
We see a dark purple color.
Will taste.
The taste of natural grape.
I think, I never ate a real churchkhela.
It probably was the juice, diluted with water and thickened with flour.
We cooked churchkhela with rich grape taste.
Delicious!
Cook with pleasure and enjoy!
TASTY DIALOGUE WITH ELENA BAZHENOVA