Blackthorn - shrub, which has long been known in many countries around the world. Some people associate it with Jesus Christ (it was from this plant that his wreath was made), but most often the turn is famous for its beneficial properties, which make it possible to use it as a medicinal raw material. This raises questions about how to dry the turn and what can be cooked from it.
Caloric and chemical composition of thorns
Before proceeding to discuss the beneficial properties of berries, leaves or flowers of thorns, it is worth talking about its caloric content and chemical composition. Per 100 grams of product accounts for only 54 Kcal, so it can be called low-calorie. The turn also contains 1.5 g of proteins, 0.3 g of fat and 9.4 g of carbohydrates (per 100 g).
Fruits of thorns contain glucose, fructose, fiber, malic acid, pectin, tannins, vitamins A (RE), E, C, and B2. Among the microelements included is iron, which is 10.6% per 100 grams of product. It is also worth remembering about macro elements: potassium (9.6% of the required daily allowance), calcium (3.2%), magnesium (4.3%). The berries of the plant are also characterized by the content of phosphorus, iron and sodium, which also has a positive effect on the healing properties of thorns.
A large amount of vitamins C and E is found in the leaves of the shrub, where they are harmoniously combined with phenol carboxylic acids, anthocyanins and flavonoids.
Did you know? In many beliefs and legends, the turn is a symbol of the sufferings, trials and difficulties that fall on a person’s fate. However, having overcome them, he becomes the owner of many benefits. Given the beneficial properties of the shrub, this is partly true.
Useful and healing properties of thorns
As you can see, blackthorn fruits contain a lot of valuable and healthy substances: sugars, organic acids, fiber, etc. Due to this, they have diuretic (diuretic), astringent, diaphoretic and antiseptic action. This means that such berries are excellent for normalizing the digestive system (useful for digestive disorders, diarrhea), relieve nausea, stop vomiting, and kill germs and bacteria.
In addition to fruits, bush leaves are often used, of which herbalists brew teas (act as a home diuretic, laxative and healing agent), infusions (dressings moistened in them are applied as compresses to wounds, which significantly reduces the healing time). Together with the berries, the leaves of this miraculous plant are excellent for the role of an adjunct in diseases of the urogenital system: cystitis, nephritis, urolithiasis. You can use the fruit of thorns and to increase the appetite. Simply put, knowing the appropriate recipes, you can safely use to treat any part of the plant.
The use of thorns for medicinal purposes
Useful properties of berries, leaves, flowers and even thorns rhizomes found widely used in alternative medicine. So, the turn perfectly copes with edema, dysentery, candidiasis, vaginitis, nonspecific colitis and general intoxication of the body. When food poisoning, the use of blackthorn berries allows you to quickly cleanse the body of toxins and improve the functioning of the digestive tract. A decoction made from thorns is an excellent aid in the treatment of gout, and also helps to excrete urea salts from the body.
Antioxidants and flavonoids, which are part of the berries, reduce capillary permeability and improve blood circulation, contributing to blood clotting. Knowing the usefulness of the turn, and wanting to check its useful properties on their own experience, the following recipes for making teas, decoctions or infusions will be useful.
Important! The seeds of the fruit of the plant contain a toxic glycoside, amygdalin, which cleaves hydrocyanic acid, so you should get rid of them immediately.
Tea from flowers and thorns leaves
Tea from flowers and thorns leaves used in cystitis, chronic constipation and prostate adenoma. In addition, it has a pleasant taste and aroma, thanks to which this drink can be drunk daily as a general tonic.
It is easy to prepare such a tea: the dried leaves and thorns are mixed, and then two full teaspoons of raw materials (with top) are poured ¼ l of water, after which the resulting composition should be slowly brought to a boil and drain. Tea is consumed daily, but not more than two cups per day.
Juice of thorns
Not only dried sloes are useful, but also juice from fresh berries. In particular, it helps to get rid of jaundice, and also acts as an antibacterial agent, having a negative effect on Giardia and other protozoa. It is also effective for skin diseases, in the treatment of which appropriate compresses will help.
To prepare the juice, the flesh of the fruits of the shrub is separated from the stone, heated to 60-70 ° C and kneaded into mush. The juice squeezed out of it can be consumed immediately or rolled up in jars.
Infusion of thorns flowers
Prepared from flowers blackthorn infusion It has a positive effect on metabolism, and also normalizes the liver. In fact, it is prepared in the same way as tea: 40 g of dried flowers are poured with a glass of boiling water and left to infuse for 40 minutes, then filter and drink 150 ml three times a day. This recipe is also suitable in cases where you need to get an effective laxative from the flowers of the bush. In addition, if there are problems with the liver, kidneys, bladder and for colds, the following infusion will be helpful: 40 g of thorns flowers are poured with a glass of warm boiled water and filtered after 10 hours. It is necessary to accept means before food four times a day on glasses.
Infusion of thorns leaves
Prepare the infusion using the leaves of thorns, very simple: for one glass of hot water there is one tablespoon of the crushed leaves of the plant, after which the resulting composition must be boiled over medium heat for 15 minutes. After the liquid has cooled, it is filtered and squeezed. Ready infusion take on ½ of a glass (and a full glass can be) three times a day before meals. This tool has good diuretic properties, so it is recommended to use it for edema, diseases of the kidneys and organs of the urogenital system.
Thorn leaves are also often used to heal wounds and ulcers, in the treatment of which fresh parts of the shrub are simply applied to sore spots, and dried steamed in boiling water and compresses are made of them.
Blackthorn Tincture
To prepare the tincture of thorns are suitable and its berries. The pre-harvested fruits of the shrub (it is advisable not to wash them, but simply select the good and intact ones) are poured into a jar and filled with vodka, and so that the berries are covered 5 cm above their level. For infusion requires constant monitoring, and as vodka is absorbed, it must be topped up. After three months, the liquid is drained, and sugar is added to the berries (for 10 kg of fruit, 1.5 kg of sugar will be needed). After that, the fruit must be kept for another month (until the syrup is formed), and then filtered and mixed with the liquid that was separated at the very beginning. Within six months you will feel just the incredible aroma of the tincture.
Berry Broth
An incredibly useful and tonic remedy is decoction of thorns, for the preparation of which you will need to pour 1 tablespoon of fresh or dried raw materials with a glass of boiling water, leaving it to infuse for 1 hour. Take liquid on an empty stomach (in the morning) for 4 days. A decoction of blackthorn berries can be used to increase appetite, as well as a diuretic, astringent and antiseptic.
Broth from bark and roots
The roots and the bark of the turn, as well as the rest of the shrub, have a number of healing properties. Therefore, it is not surprising that in traditional medicine different decoctions of them are often used. Harvest roots in the fall, for which these parts are first dug and left briefly in the sun. At the second stage, the raw material prepared in this way should be placed in a special dryer or in a conventional oven for further drying (as a result, the roots should easily break without changing their color much).
There are several cooking methods. decoction of the bark and roots of thorns. When using the first option, there are 20 parts of water per one part of dried roots and bark. The resulting mixture is brought to a boil and left to stew in a water bath for 20 minutes. The finished product is cooled and taken 1-2 tablespoons 4-5 times a day. This decoction is perfect for the role of antipyretic and sudorific.
For the second method, 5 g of crushed root or bark is brewed in 200 ml of boiling water, then placed in a water bath and boiled for 30 minutes, and then allowed to infuse for another hour. Ready cooled and filtered broth should be taken three times a day and 1/3 cup (after meals).
If desired, you can cook the broth only from the bark. To do this, 1 teaspoon of powdered powdered raw material is poured with a glass of boiling water and simmering for 15 minutes. The finished product can be used instead of tea. To douche one glass of broth must be diluted with boiled water in a ratio of 1: 1.
Broth from thorns can be used for diarrhea and respiratory diseases, and it also improves the general condition of the patient with malaria.
Broth young shoots and branches
Another good diaphoretic is decoction of finely notched, pre-dried twigs (by its action such a remedy is not inferior to raspberries and has an antipyretic effect). To prepare such a decoction, 1 teaspoon of raw materials is poured with a glass of boiling water and left to simmer for 15 minutes. It is necessary to use means in a warm look, but there are no requirements to a dosage.
Methods of harvesting and storage of raw materials from thorns
Whatever you decide to make from thorns or berries, in any case, they must be pre-selected and washed. If you yourself collected the fruit, you can simply rinse them, while the purchased berries are washed more thoroughly, changing the water several times.
Harvesting flowers perform during their budding, and leaves - immediately after flowering. Young shoots are subject to collection and harvesting in May or June. At this time, they can be well dried in fresh air, in the wind or in the shade, as well as placed in a ventilated room. The bark can be removed from the tree before it blooms, and the roots are best to dig in the fall. In the future, a little wallow them in the sun, you can finally dry in the ovens.
The thorns can be harvested as they mature, but it is better after the first frost. They are well suited for making compotes (can be rolled up in cans for the winter), wines, tinctures, syrups, marmalades and even pickles. Any products will have an attractive color, pleasant smell and original sweet-sour taste.
To preserve the fruit, you can use and freeze, but in this case we should not forget that before packing the berries from them you need to remove the bones.
Did you know? The thorns can be dried in a kapron stocking, but after that they will not stand for a long time, therefore, in order to prolong the shelf life, it is better to spread them on straw.The shelf life of flowers, leaves and thorns must not exceed 1 year while the bark and roots can be stored for more than three years.
Blackthorn berries in cooking
Not all housewives know that thorns are excellent raw materials for the preparation of various drinks, jelly, jam, juice and even cereal. And what a delicious blackthorn jam, you just have to cook it correctly. In this case, the fruits of the shrub are first washed and folded in an enamel bowl, covered with sugar on top. Then they are poured with water, using as much liquid as necessary to completely dissolve the sugar. It is necessary to boil the jam over low heat until it is fully cooked, often removing the foam and shaking the bowl. When the jam is fully prepared, the berries are picked and laid out in prepared jars, and the syrup is allowed to cook for about an hour. After the end of the specified time you need to pour the fruit with syrup and close them. To improve the taste and flavor of the blank you can add a couple of drops of rose oil to it.
Even more unusual recipe can be called turnip porridge, although some housewives consider it a completely ordinary dish. In fact, it relates more to the Bulgarian cuisine, although it is often found here. To cook it, slightly extinguish the thorn berries in a small amount of water, and then wipe them through a sieve. The resulting slurry is pasteurized in glass jars at a temperature of + 95 ° C for 30 minutes and rolled. This preparation in combination with orange juice can be used for casseroles, puddings, marmalade, etc.
If you wish, you can even cook steamed dumplings with thorns, for which you will need standard ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, eggs and a little soda), kefir and thorns.
Important! For each dumpling there are about 5-6 berries. If you try to put more fruits inside, then the dough will tear when cooking.
Contraindications and harm from thorns
The turn is a wonderful plant, and its benefits to the body can not be overestimated, but in some cases we have to talk about the harm caused by the fruits. but all contraindications are associated with individual intolerance to the components of the thorns, but the advantages of this shrub are much more, so do not immediately abandon it.
