Saft - Fruit-syrup

In early autumn, berries are converted into fruit
syrup which will be happily consumed by the kids
during the long and dark winter, reminding them of
(weatherwise) happier days.
Ingredients:
· 1 kg (2 lbs) of berries, e.g. black
or red currants, cherries,
raspberries, strawberries, etc.
· 300 - 600 ml (1 - 2 cups) of water
· 300 - 600 ml (1 - 2 cups) of
granulated sugar
· 5 g of sodium benzoate to
preserve the "saft"
Proceed as follows:
1. Clean the berries. The pit can stay in
cherries; black and red currants can remain
as racemes.
2. Weight the berries and determine the water
quantity. Black and red currants require the
largest water quantity, strawberries,
cherries, and raspberries require less water.
3. Boil the berries in the water under cover for
10 minutes. Squeeze them now and then
with, e.g. a wooden spoon in order to make
certain they are crushed.
4. Now comes the tricky part: You have to
strain the "saft", using a straining-cloth. Do
not apply pressure, but let gravity do the
trick. This part of the preparation might
take up to an hour.
5. Measure the quantity of "saft", bring it to
the boil and add the sugar. If required,
carefully skim off any scum.
6. Add the sodium benzoate if desired (first
dissolve it in a small quantity of saft, then
add the solution to the rest of the "saft").
7. Fill the "saft" into hot, clean bottles and
seal the bottles immediately (e.g. using
cork). Before serving, mix the fruit-syrup
with water to desired strength.