Kissel is a common dessert in Russia, Poland, Scandinavian countries, and, of course, Belarus! This recipe is made by cooking pureed fruit with sugar and then using cornstarch to thicken it into a thick, sweet substance. It is usually topped with whipped cream and eaten with a spoon, but it can also be served as a drink!
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Recipe Origins
Kissel is a staple in so many countries across Eastern Europe that it’s hard to know for sure where it originated. The name itself comes from the Slavic word for “sour”.
The original recipe for Kissel looks nothing like what you’ll see in this article. In fact, the very first kissel recipes were made with oats, peas, or lentils and instead resembled a leavened porridge. It was not sweet at all.
The Story of Kissel
I once read a story about the origins of Kissel (back when it was still made of grains). In the ancient story, the city of Belgorod Kievsky (also written Bilhorod) was under siege in the year 997 by the Pechenegs.
The people of Belgorod were starving and they were going to surrender to the Pechenegs so that they could receive food.
They discussed this decision at a town hall meeting, and the entire city was in agreement… except for one old man. That old man went to the town elders and demanded that they wait three days before agreeing to surrender, and to follow his orders in the meantime.
The only man ordered the elders to collect two barrels. One was to be filled with oat kissels (at this point still signifying a grain porridge) and the other was to be filled with mead (a fermented honey drink).
The barrels were then buried in the ground, and fake wells were built over the tops of them.
The citizens went to collect the Pechenegs, and brought them to the wells. The people of the town were surrounding the wells, eating the kissel and drinking the mead from the contents of the barrel. They even offered some to the Pechenegs.
The Pechenegs were fooled and thought that the Belgorods had figured out how to extract food from the Earth. They began to believe no matter how long they laid hold on the town, their siege would be unsuccessful. They thought that Belgorod would never run out of food and surrender!!
A few days later, the siege was lifted and the city of Belgorod was freed. All thanks to Kissel! (Link to source here).
Why Make this Recipe
- “Travel” to Belarus: If you’ve ever wanted to experience Belarus (or Poland or Russia), then this is a great recipe to try! Make this dessert and transport yourself to another country.
- Fruity: If you like fruity dessert instead of chocolate, this is a great option.
- Versatile: Kissel can be served hot or cold, thick or thin, by itself or with other foods. There is so much you can do with this dessert!
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Strawberries: Washed, with the tops cut off and quartered.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar.
- Lemon Juice: I use fresh-squeezed lemon juice if possible. If not, pre-packaged lemon juice will work in a pinch.
- Corn Starch: You can also substitute potato starch or arrowroot powder. You may need to add more of these substitutions in order to achieve the same final consistency.
Tools
- Medium-Sized Pot
- Food Processor: A blender would also work.
- Fine Sieve: If you do not have a fine sieve, you can also line a normal colander with cheesecloth and pour the kissel through.
- Small Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- 2 Serving Glasses: I use cups that hold about ½ cup of liquid. Glass ice cream cups are a cute option.
How to Make this Recipe
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Step 1: Cook the Strawberries
Add the cleaned strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice into a medium-sized pot. Stir to combine.
Turn the heat to medium-high and cook the strawberries for about 5-8 minutes, until the strawberries begin to sweat and the fruit juice comes to a boil.
Step 2: Puree the Strawberries
Remove the pot from the heat and add the strawberries & berry juices into a food processor or blender. Blend until the strawberries are smooth.
Run the strawberries through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Then, put the strained liquid back into the pot over medium heat.
Step 3: Thicken the Puree
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water together and mix until they are fully combined and the cornstarch is dissolved.
Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pureed strawberries and stir until the mixture thickens and sticks to your spoon.
Step 4: Cool & Finishing Touches
Pour the liquid into two cups and place them in the fridge to harden.
Once cooled and thickened, top each cup with whipped cream and enjoy!
Adaptations of this Recipe
Kissel is popular in many countries, and each family has their own favorite way of making it.
Some versions of kissel puree the fruit right away, before cooking it down with sugar. Other versions do not puree all the fruit, instead leaving some pieces of strawberry whole in the final dish. Either of these options work if you’d prefer to try them.
In Poland and Russia it is common to add less thickening agent (cornstarch in our case) and leave the kissel in a more liquid state. In this case, it is drunk like a dessert fruit soup.
Other Fruits to Try
If you want to add more fruit variety, feel free to experiment! Kissel is popular across many countries, with each country having a favorite fruit to add. Try any of these options:
- Cranberry Kissel
- Cherry
- Red Currant
- Rhubarb
- Raspberry
- Gooseberry
- Bilberries (popular in Finland, just like in this Finnish Bilberry Custard Pie)
- Prunes
- Apricots
- Even milk and vanilla is a popular flavor combo (though the method of cooking it is a little different)
Expert Tips
- If need be, you can make this recipe using frozen strawberries. Simply add the frozen strawberries to the pot with the sugar and allow them to thaw and cook down at the same time.
- Lemon zest is a great way to get a more lemon-y flavor from this recipe. Cinnamon would also be a delicious, if not traditional, addition.
Recipe FAQs
Kissel will keep well for at least a week in the fridge if sealed in an airtight container. Be sure to cool completely before storing and putting it in the refrigerator!
If you want a thicker kissel, I wouldn’t recommend using liquid sugar alternatives as they will make your kissel very soupy and you might need quite a bit of thickening agent to get the right consistency.
If you’re planning to make your kissel as a drink anyways, you can give these liquid alternatives a try.
You can enjoy your Kisselin a variety of manners, but my favorite is to add less thickener and ten spoon it over ice cream with some fresh strawberries. The kisselforms a sweet, syrupy strawberry sauce that is just a match made in heaven for some vanilla (or oooooohhhhhh even some chocolate!!!) ice cream.
The more traditional route to take is to spoon the Kissel into serving glasses and top them with cream. You can then eat it with a spoon.
If you choose to thicken your Kissel slightly less, you can also drink it either by itself or mixed with a splash of soda water!
You can also serve it as a side the same way you would serve jam. It would be great as a replacement for plum preserves in this Kaiserschmarrn Recipe.
Did you like this recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- Borscht Soup from Belarus
- Potato Pancakes (Draniki) from Belarus
- Strawberry Tiramisu Recipe
- Strawberry Bread Recipe
- What to serve with Potato Pancakes
Strawberry Kissel Recipe
Equipment
- Medium-Sized Pot
- Food Processor
- Fine Sieve
- Small Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- 2 Serving Glasses
Ingredients
- 1 lb strawberries, tops cut off & quartered
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ lemon, juice from lemon
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Add the cleaned pound of strawberries, ½ cup of granulated sugar, and lemon juice of half a lemon into a medium-sized pot. Stir to combine.
- Turn the heat to medium-high and cook the strawberries for about 5-8 minutes, until the strawberries begin to sweat and the liquid comes to a boil.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the strawberries & liquid into a food processor or blender. Blend until the strawberries are smooth.
- Run the strawberries through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Then, put the strained liquid back into the pot over medium heat.
- In a small bowl, combine the ¼ cup cornstarch and ½ cup water together and mix until they are fully combined and the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pureed strawberries and stir until the mixture thickens and sticks to your spoon.
- Pour the liquid into two cups and place them in the fridge to harden.
- Once cooled and thickened, top each cup with whipped cream and enjoy!
Notes
- Strawberries: Washed, with the tops cut off and quartered.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar.
- Lemon Juice: I use fresh-squeezed lemon juice if possible. If not, pre-packaged lemon juice will work in a pinch.
- Corn Starch: You can also substitute potato starch or arrowroot powder. You may need to add more of these substitutions in order to achieve the same final consistency.
- If need be, you can make this recipe using frozen strawberries. Simply add the frozen strawberries to the pot with the sugar and allow them to thaw and cook down at the same time.
- Lemon zest is a great way to get a more lemon-y flavor from this recipe. Cinnamon would also be a delicious, if not traditional, addition.
Nutrition
Camille Cryar says
Alternatively, you can buy an ice cream maker with an in-built freezer. These cool your ingredients as they’re being mixed, but are much more expensive.