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Barberry is a well-known medicinal plant that has been successfully used in folk medicine since time immemorial. In what month to collect barberry berries, how to properly harvest and store, where to use and how to prepare it is described in the material below.
When barberry is harvested in central Russia
All parts of the shrub have healing properties, but most often its fruits are harvested. The berries contain such useful elements as:
- wine acid;
- lemon acid;
- Apple acid;
- vitamins C, A, K, E;
- anthocyanins;
- pectins.
The highest concentration of these substances is observed during the period of full ripening of fruits, namely in the middle or at the end of autumn. This time is ideal for picking barberry berries. In central Russia, barberry can be harvested immediately after the first frost, lowering the temperature to negative values helps to reduce the bitterness and characteristic sourness in the pulp.
Ripe berries are bright red or crimson in color, they are oval in shape, no more than 1 cm long. Inside there are several seeds, about 5 mm in size.
It is not recommended to delay the time of harvesting barberry. Overripe berries lose their elasticity, become soft and watery, which complicates their transportation, storage and complicates the harvesting process. It is easier to collect in good weather without precipitation.
Barberry collection rules
Barberry is a highly branched and thorny shrub, this feature makes picking berries very difficult. In order not to hurt yourself on sharp thorns, you should pick the fruits in clothes with long sleeves and gloves.
In some countries, such as Iran, where the cultivation of barberry is one of the thriving branches of agriculture, berries are often harvested from freshly cut branches. This method makes it possible to rejuvenate the bush and use the bark and leaves as medicinal raw materials.
After harvesting, the barberry should be sorted out, rinsed under running cold water, placing a thin layer in a colander. You do not need to stir the berries with your hands or a spoon, as this can damage the thin skin.
You can collect barberry not only on your personal plot, but also in the forest. The plant is frost-hardy and can easily withstand the harsh Russian climate. Most often, barberry is found in the forest-steppe of the North Caucasus region, as well as in the Primorsky Territory. It is possible to pick berries from wild bushes only away from highways, large industrial enterprises and other objects with a difficult ecological situation.
Fruit application
The range of application of barberry berries is more than wide. The plant is used in medicine, cosmetology, and cooking. Thanks to the enzymes that make up the berries, barberry juice has long been used for dyeing fabrics and skin.
For medicinal purposes, the berries of this shrub are harvested and used to:
- raise your appetite;
- improve heart function;
- strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
- normalize hormones;
- stabilize the thyroid gland;
- relieve the feverish state.
Barberry has a hemostatic effect, is used as an adjuvant in the treatment of diseases of the liver and urogenital area. As a prevention of cardiovascular diseases and to strengthen the immune system, many experts advise to regularly consume barberry tea. The recipe is quite simple:
- Ch. L. dried fruits of barberry are poured with st. boiling water.
- The tea is infused for 10 minutes.
- Add granulated sugar or honey to taste.
- Drink warm 30 minutes after eating.
Barberry berries are harvested on an industrial scale and for cosmetology. Products based on it are especially useful for aging and fading skin, since they have a good tightening effect and improve elasticity. But it is not at all necessary to use purchased creams and masks, they can be prepared at home. For example, according to this recipe:
- 3-4 tbsp. l. oatmeal porridge is steamed in hot milk and the mixture is allowed to cool.
- 200 g of dry barberry berries are ground and combined with oatmeal gruel.
- Add a chicken egg and 1 tsp to the mixture. honey.
- The mask is applied to cleansed skin and after 20 minutes washed off with warm water.
There are an incredible number of recipes using fresh fruits that are harvested just before cooking. Berries are good in savory sauces for meat and fish dishes, they are used to prepare:
- jams;
- syrups;
- jelly;
- marmalade;
- jam.
As well as liqueurs and other alcoholic beverages.
In its pure form, barberry is rarely consumed because of the tart and sour taste of the berries. But as a seasoning, it is irreplaceable. In Asian cuisine, barberry berries are harvested, dried, ground into powder and added to dishes such as hasib, sayhat, various soups and broths. No recipe for real pilaf is complete without this ingredient.
Berries are often harvested for the preparation of sweet dishes: compotes, marshmallows, candied fruits. Barberry marmalade has an interesting exquisite taste, which can be used as an independent dish and added to baked goods:
- 800 g of washed ripe apples are cut into small pieces and combined with 200 g of barberry berries.
- The mixture is poured into 100 ml of water, brought to a boil over low heat and cooked for 15 minutes.
- Next, grind with a blender to a homogeneous gruel, add 400 g of granulated sugar and cook for another 40 minutes.
- The mixture is cooled, and then heated again and boiled until the marmalade acquires the desired thickness.
- The mass is poured into molds, allowed to cool and placed in the refrigerator.
This sweetness will be especially enjoyed by children. The calorie content of the product is 162 kcal per 100 g.
Like any other product, barberry has a number of contraindications. Long-term medicinal use can cause constipation. It is not recommended for thrombophlebitis, increased acidity of the stomach, in a pre-infarction state.
Terms and conditions of storage
To keep the barberry fresh, it is enough to put the fruits in a glass container, sprinkle with granulated sugar and refrigerate. In this form, the crop will not lose its useful properties and will be suitable for consumption until winter.
The most common way of harvesting barberry is drying. To do this, use the following methods.
Outdoor drying:
- Ripe, but not overripe fruits are picked, carefully sorted out and washed.
- The washed berries are evenly spread on clean napkins or cotton towels to allow excess moisture to be absorbed.
- Dried in this way, the fruits are distributed on baking sheets or trays and covered with gauze or a fine mesh to prevent the access of insects and birds.
- Containers with berries are placed in a warm, well-ventilated room, but not in the sun, because under the influence of sunlight, vitamins and many other useful compounds are destroyed in the product.
- For even drying, the fruits are regularly mixed.
- The readiness of the barberry is determined by the absence of a sticky layer on the shell of the berries.
Drying in the oven:
- The berries, dried from moisture, are laid out in 1 layer on a baking sheet and placed in the oven, preheated to 40-50 ° C.
- When the juice ceases to stand out, the temperature is raised to 60 ° C and kept in the oven until fully cooked, as a rule, no more than 2.5 hours.
In a fruit dryer. The method is almost identical to the previous one:
- The berries are kept at 50 ° C for 3 hours, after which the temperature is increased by 10 ° C and brought to full readiness.
- Well-dried berries do not emit juice and have a characteristic gloss.
The harvested berries are poured into glass or plastic jars and tightly closed with a lid.A properly dried barberry can be stored for up to 3 years. In breathable containers, for example, in paper boxes or bags, it does not deteriorate even longer.
Conclusion
Knowing in which month to collect barberry berries, applying the rules of collection, harvesting and storage conditions, you can provide yourself and the whole family with a useful product for several years in advance. The undeniable medicinal properties and exquisite culinary qualities of barberry have made it a welcome guest in any kitchen.
