Polish Strawberry Kissel

Strawberry sauce in glass jug
annick vanderschelden photography / Getty Images
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Refrigerate: 3 hrs
Total: 3 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Kissels are simple desserts popular among Eastern Europeans. Poles call them kisiel (KEE-shel), Russians call them kisel, Lithuanians say kisielius, and Ukrainians refer to them as kysil. This kissel recipe is made using fresh hulled strawberries for the fruit.

These easy desserts are usually made with sweetened fruit puree thickened that has been with some type of starch, typically potato starch, cornstarch, or potato flour. Rote Gruetze is a similar fruit pureed dessert that is enjoyed in Germany and Scandinavian countries.

Kissels can be served hot or cold and are usually topped with cream or a custard sauce. This dessert is also popular to serve as a drink—which is accomplished by using less of the thickening agent.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/2 cup sugar, or more to taste based on the sweetness of the fruit

  • 3 tablespoons potato starch, not potato flour, or 4 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 1/2 cup cold water

  • 1 pound strawberries, hulled, washed, and crushed

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a large saucepan, bring to boil the 1 cup water and sugar. Remove from heat.

  3. Dissolve potato starch in 1/2 cup cold water and stir into the sugar-water mixture. Return to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

  4. Add strawberries and mix well.

  5. Portion into individual dessert bowls or 1 large bowl that has been rinsed with cold water. Place in the refrigerator until firm, about 3 hours.

  6. Serve with cream, half-and-half, milk, or whipped cream.

Tips

  • Kissel is a good sauce to serve over breakfast foods such as pancakes, waffles, and French toast.
  • Potato flour should not be used in this recipe. Use only potato starch or cornstarch for thickening the pureed fruit.



Recipe Variations

  • If fresh strawberries aren't available, you can use frozen ones.
  • Reduce the amount of sugar if you don't want it to be as sweet, or if the fruit that is being used is already very sweet.
  • Kissel is also good with other types of fruits. Try using raspberries, blueberries, red currants, or cherries. Mix some of your favorite berries together to make a mixed berry dessert.
  • Other common non-fruit flavors with which Kissel is made include coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and almond.

How to Store

  • Leftover Kissel can be kept, covered tightly with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for two to three days. You can serve it cold, or put it on the counter to come to room temperature before serving.
  • This dessert does not freeze well.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
110 Calories
0g Fat
27g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 110
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 7mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 45mg 223%
Calcium 18mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 176mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)