Cherry plum (tkemali, vishnesliva) - fruits of the same name tree from the genus Plum. Grow it in the countries of Asia, Europe, in the Caucasus. The fruits of the cherry plum are round, elongated, flattened, yellow, red, purple, black. They contain a large amount of substances useful to humans, thanks to which plum is used for the manufacture of folk remedies, in cosmetology. They have high taste qualities, which is why they are widely used in cooking: fresh, dried, frozen and processed. Like most products, with regular consumption of cherry plum can bring both benefit and harm.
Did you know? The motherland of cherry plum (lat. Prunus divaricata) is considered Transcaucasia and Western Asia. There she was cultivated more than 2 thousand years ago.
Cherry-plum: calories, vitamins and minerals
Cherry plum is rich in vitamins and minerals, it consists of:
- sugar (10%),
- citric and malic acid (1.5-4%),
- pectin (0.3-1.5%),
- vitamin C (22%),
- provitamin A (11%),
- calcium (3%),
- iron (11%),
- magnesium (5%),
- phosphorus (3%).
Did you know? The color of cherry plum depends on its composition. So, yellow fruits are characterized by a high content of sugar and citric acid. Dark purple and black cherry plum have a high pectin content.
The nutritional value of cherry plum at the rate of 100 g looks like this:
- fats - 0.1 g;
- proteins - 0.2 g;
- carbohydrates - 7.9 g
What is useful plum
Due to this rich content of vitamins and minerals, cherry plums are advised to be used for treatment and prevention. avitaminosis, colds, cough. It is desirable to include it in the daily diet of children, elderly people, women expecting a child, nursing mothers, in order to fill the missing vitamin reserve.
Cherry plum can stimulate the bowels, so it is recommended for constipation. The content of pectin and fiber allows you to remove harmful radionuclide substances from the human body. A high level of potassium in the composition of cherry plum indicates that it should be used by people who have heart problems. Regularly eating it can strengthen the heart muscle, prevent arrhythmia. Due to the low content of sugars, it is advisable to eat Vishnesliva with a metabolic disorder, people suffering from obesity, diabetes.
It is also known about the soothing and relaxing properties of the fruit. They have a positive effect on the state of the central nervous system. Able to normalize blood pressure.
Also, due to the high content of vitamins C and A, the plums have beneficial antioxidant properties. Vitamins are involved in slowing the aging process.
Important! In official medicine, plum is not used.Tasty cherry-plum juice perfectly quenches thirst, is useful because of antitussive and diaphoretic properties, improves the functioning of the digestive system. Cherry compotes and decoctions have a beneficial effect on appetite and digestion.
In addition to fruit pulp, cherry plum and pit flowers also have beneficial properties. Means prepared from flowers, used in diseases of the kidneys and liver, sexual disorders in men. The oil extracted from the seed, is part of the perfume products, medical soap. The shell is used in the manufacture of activated carbon.
In this way, cherry plum has such properties:
- immunomodulatory;
- tonic;
- sudorific;
- laxative;
- antitussive;
- tonic;
- antioxidant.
How to use cherry plum in folk medicine
Here are some popular recipes with the use of cherry plum for various health problems.
For the prevention of beriberi, flu and ARVI. 100 g of dried fruit pour 200 g of cooled boiled water and drink, the fruit is eaten.
With problems with the prostate and erection. 100 g of flowers pour 300 g of cooled boiled water, leave for 24 hours. Strain the infusion.
During the work on the polluted productions. Once a week, eat 100 g of fresh or 50 g of dried fruit.
Cough. It is necessary to drink tea with the addition of cherry plum. Or, three times a day before meals, drink 60-70 ml of cherry plum.
It is prepared by pouring a tablespoon of dried cherry plum with a glass of boiling water and insisting in a thermos for five hours.
Constipation. Before meals, three times a day take cherry plum. For its preparation will need 4 tbsp. spoons of dry fruit, they are poured 0.5 liters of boiling water, boiled for 5 minutes. Insist 4-8 hours.
The use of cherry plum in cosmetology
Orycha is an excellent tool that can slow down the aging of the skin, remove irritation, help with all sorts of rashes, so it has found application in cosmetology. From it prepare infusions for washing, rinsing hair, masks, added to the cream.
People with oily skin are advised to wash with cherry plum. It is prepared from 50 g of fruit (crushed), which is poured 100 g of warm boiled water and allowed to infuse throughout the night. In the morning, the infusion is filtered and consumed as intended.
For rashes, you can wipe the problem area with the plum of the plum.
From crushed stones prepare a rejuvenating face mask. They are mixed with pulp and applied to the face, neck and décolleté for 20 minutes. Then wash off with warm water.
To strengthen the hair follicles and give them shine and silkiness they use cherry plum prepared from 100 g of fruit (crushed) infused in 0.5 l of warm water for 12 hours. They rinse hair, pre-filtering.
The use of cherry plum in cooking: how to prepare for the winter
Cherry plums are juicy, have a sweet-sour taste, they are widely used in cooking, where they are used fresh and processed.
Of them prepare jam, jams, jam, jelly, marshmallow, marmalade. Used for the preparation of beverages: juices, compotes, jelly, wine. Cherry plum is the main ingredient in Tkemali sauce, popular in Caucasian countries. In the same place from this plum do tasty pita which is appreciated because of nutritious and dietary properties. And also prepare soups, for example, Azerbaijani bozbash, for the preparation of which take dried cherry plum, or kharcho. Plum is used in salads, in the filling for baking.
Citric acid is extracted from fruits. From cherry plum juice make an essence for making lemonade.
It is best to eat cherry plum fresh. Keep it in the refrigerator and consume for five days. If there are many fruits, and there is no possibility to eat them all, you can freeze the cherry plum or dry it. When freezing, it retains all its beneficial properties. Dried fruit is an excellent means to increase the body's immune forces in the winter.
Here are some recipes that can be made from cherry plum, so that it is present on your table throughout the winter.
Cherry jam. Prepare syrup: dissolve three tablespoons of sugar in 200 ml of water, bring to a boil, add 1 kg of fruit. Cook three minutes. Fruits extract. Pour sugar into syrup, bring to a boil, add fruit. Cook for five minutes. Then let it brew for several hours. Cook the jam two more times for five minutes. 
Vitamin supplement of cherry plum for the winter. Prepared from yellow fruit. We extract pits from fruits and make mashed potatoes (using a sieve, colander, blender). Add honey to taste. Mix well and unfold in small containers. Put in the freezer. Store no more than two months. Use as an alternative to jam, jam.
Cherry plum in syrup. A half-liter jar will need 1/3 cup of sugar; fruits and water, how many will enter. Put the cherry plum into the jars, add sugar and boiling water. Cover with lids, leave in this state for 10 minutes. Then drain the water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Then pour the syrup into banks and roll it up. We wrap and wait until the contents of the cans cool. Apricots can also be added to this recipe.
Tkemali sauce. From 3 kg of fruit to make mashed potatoes. To do this, they must first be stoned, boiled briefly in a small amount of water, and then rub through a sieve, a colander or use a blender. Mass boil for 30 minutes on low heat. Add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of salt and boil for another 10 minutes. Then add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of hops-suneli, half a clove of chopped garlic, 100-150 g of greens with unripe cilantro seeds. Sauce boil for 5 minutes. Then roll up the banks. 
Did you know? Sauce "Tkemali", as well as cherry plum fruits help the body better absorb fatty foods and meat.
Contraindications and possible harm
Despite the benefits of cherry plum, which was considered in its description, it can also bring harm. So, if you eat it too much, it can provoke poisoning, which will manifest itself in the form of nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea and heartburn.
Also, excessive consumption of it leads to an increase in blood sugar levels, aggravation of gastrointestinal diseases such as gastritis, ulcers, and increased acidity. Therefore, cherry plum can be harmful to people with a history of such diagnoses. They need to use this fruit with caution.
Important! It is necessary to ensure that the bones of the cherry plum do not fall inside, since they contain dangerous for man prussic acid.
It is impossible to give plum to children under 10 months. Later, it is better to feed them puree of yellow fruit, because the red can provoke allergic reactions. It is necessary to introduce cherry platter dishes into the menu starting from half a teaspoon, gradually increasing the amount. Before the child reaches the age of 12, plum, especially dried, should be introduced into the menu in small quantities.
Consumption of cherry plum in reasonable amounts as a whole has a positive effect on the human body and can help with a number of diseases. And also contributes to the fact that he could withstand respiratory infections and adverse environmental conditions.
