🟡 Preview — not yet kitchen-tested. Recipe version 1.1 (15 Oct 2026) · Draft formulation — uncooked · Kitchen tester: not yet assigned · Video: technique demonstration (different recipe)
🍐 Узвар · uzvar (also spelled uzvar or vzvar)
A warm, gently sweet drink made by simmering and steeping dried fruit. Uzvar is served at the Ukrainian Christmas Eve supper and enjoyed year-round. It is traditionally made from dried apples, pears and prunes, often smoked, and sometimes sweetened with honey. Families make it in many ways.
Kitchen Monk adaptation of Ukrainian uzvar. 🔄 What we changed: no honey or sugar; the sweetness comes only from the fruit. It still contains natural fruit sugars, so we call it “no sweetener added,” not sugar-free.
🍽️ Makes about 5–6 cups (the fruit absorbs some water; exact yield to be measured in testing) · ⏱️ Prep 5 min · Simmer 15 min · Steep 1 hour · Total about 1¼ hours
🍳 Equipment: pot of at least 2.5 litres with a lid, strainer, pitcher or jar
🧺 Ingredients
- 100 g dried apples (about 2 loosely packed cups of rings)
- 100 g dried pears (smoked dried pears give the traditional flavour, if you can find them)
- 50 g prunes (about 6–8)
- 1.5 litres (about 6⅓ cups) water
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
🏷️ Choose dried fruit with no added sugar or oil; some brands add both. Sulphites are common in dried fruit, so check the label if that matters to you.
👩🍳 Steps
- Rinse the dried fruit in a bowl of warm water and drain.
- Put the fruit, water and cinnamon stick (if using) in the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until the fruit is plump and soft.
- Turn off the heat, cover and let it steep for 1 hour. The liquid should turn amber and taste clearly of fruit.
- Strain into a pitcher. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.
💡 Troubleshooting: too weak? Steep longer, or use a little less water next time. Too strong? Add water to your glass.
🍽️ Serving ideas: enjoy the soft cooked fruit with millet or buckwheat porridge, or with date-sweetened kutia.
⚠️ Allergens: none of the major allergens; dried fruit may contain sulphites.
🔁 Substitutions: none tested yet. Other unsweetened dried fruits (cherries, apricots) appear in family versions; we haven’t tested them.
🧊 Storing: refrigerate the strained drink in a covered jar and drink within 3 days. Keep the cooked fruit covered in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
🎥 Technique demonstration
This video by НАШІ БЕСАГИ – їжа та рецепти shows simmering and steeping uzvar from dried apples, pears and prunes. It is a different recipe: the cook uses a larger amount of water and adds a spoonful of honey at serving. Leave out the honey and follow the amounts on this page. The creator has not reviewed or endorsed this adaptation.
🎬 Want the videos to keep playing? The continuous player plays all eight Ukrainian technique videos in a row on Flourishing Nursing, our companion site. Tap Play once for sound.
🛒 Shopping checklist
- ☐ Dried apples, no sugar added: 100 g (about 3½ oz)
- ☐ Dried pears, no sugar added: 100 g (about 3½ oz)
- ☐ Prunes, no sugar added: 50 g (about 2 oz)
- ☐ Cinnamon stick (optional; check your pantry)
🖨️ To print: use your browser’s Print command (on a phone, tap Share or ⋮, then Print).
📚 Cultural context: Ukraine.ua and The Kyiv Independent. These sources did not create or review this formulation. 🌱 Kitchen Monk Standard: no added salt, oil or refined sugar. Part of The Ukrainian Flourishing Table™ · kitchenmonk.org · Corrections welcome: rfjeep@gmail.com · Last reviewed 15 Oct 2026.
