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Since ancient times, people have used the gifts of nature for their own purposes. The use of dried bird cherry was no exception to the rule. Due to its nutritional composition, this plant has been used not only in medicine and cosmetology, but also in cooking. Moreover, they use not only fresh fruits, but also dry bird cherry berries. In cooking, there are many different recipes for dried bird cherry dishes.
The benefits and harms of dried bird cherry
Bird cherry trees grow in South America, Central Europe and in the western part of the Russian Federation. Now gardeners have more than 20 edible varieties of this plant, but picking berries is very difficult because of the height of the trees, sometimes they reach the height of a five-story building. And bird cherry bears fruit only once every 2 years.
Many lovers know that the benefits of dried bird cherry are higher than fresh berries. Moreover, the most valuable and expensive is dried red bird cherry.
The use of dried bird cherry in cooking is due to its low calorie content, only 101 kcal per 100 g of product. At the same time, there is no fat in it, and for 100 g of berries, only 6.4 g of proteins, and 16.8 g of carbohydrates.
All properties of dried bird cherry are due to its composition:
- vitamins (A, B, C, E, PP);
- trace elements (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, selenium, iodine, copper, chromium, molybdenum, cobalt, nickel, sodium, phosphorus, boron, aluminum, silicon);
- organic acids (malic, citric);
- beta carotene and rutin;
- essential oils;
- tannins;
- flavonoids;
- phytonicides, glycosides.
Most of all, the concentration of these substances is in dried bird cherry berries.
It is not surprising that it is more profitable to use dried bird cherry, the benefits from it are colossal:
- Thanks to this berry, metabolic processes throughout the human body are normalized. Bird cherry helps cleanse the liver and stomach from toxins, stabilizes the level of cholesterol in human blood.
- Many experts use preparations from bird cherry to eliminate harmful pathogens and internal parasites that cause purulent infections and chronic diseases of the digestive system.
- Thanks to the bird cherry, the muscle tone of the whole organism is restored.
- The composition of the blood and the work of the human vascular system improves.
- It is because of the composition of dried bird cherry that its use leads to the strengthening of immunity, restoration of the nervous system in various stressful situations and mild disorders.
- The work of the genitourinary system improves. In men, potency increases.
- You also need to use bird cherry during the period of colds. It lowers the temperature well, and also has an analgesic effect.
Despite such advantages, this berry has a number of contraindications:
- It should not be eaten by people with individual intolerance to the components. This can lead to dire consequences.
- Chronic constipation is also a contraindication to the use of bird cherry as a medicine.
- With diabetes mellitus, bird cherry cannot be consumed due to the high concentration of carbohydrates in the product.
- Nursing mothers should not eat bird cherry, as it can change the composition of the milk, making it worse.
What does dried bird cherry help with?
Dried bird cherry, like fresh berries, is used in the treatment of various diseases of the body systems:
- nervous;
- musculoskeletal;
- immune;
- circulatory;
- digestive;
- reproductive;
- uric;
- sexual.
There are many different folk recipes for using this unique berry.
How to brew dried bird cherry for diarrhea
Diarrhea is a common occurrence in both children and adults. For its treatment, as a rule, decoctions and infusions are used.
For children
Rinse thoroughly dried parts of bird cherry, grind them and dissolve in water in a ratio of 1:12. Put to warm in a water bath for 20 minutes, and then leave for another half hour. Then strain several times through cheesecloth into a separate container. Keep refrigerated.
Consume 0.1 l 3 times a day.
For adults
There are several variations. They are made in the same way as a decoction for children according to the same scheme.
- From the fruits. Ratio 1:10, cook for 20 minutes, leave for half an hour, drain. Apply 0.12 liters 3 times a day. The maximum treatment period should be 2 days.
- From the bark. Ratio 1:10, cook for 30 minutes, leave for 40 minutes, drain. Apply 0.1 l 3 times a day. The maximum course of treatment is 3 days.
In addition, eating a large number of dried berries will help with diarrhea. Children can have a maximum of 30 pieces, and an adult more.
What can be prepared from dried bird cherry
Bird cherry has also found application in cooking. A variety of compositions are made from it.
Tincture
Ingredients:
- vodka - 1 bottle;
- dried berries - 0.12 kg;
- sugar - 80 g.
Cooking technique:
- Leave half of the vodka in the bottle. Pour in the remaining components.
- Close the lid and mix thoroughly.
- Remove to a dark place for 10 days.
It turns out a soft tincture without astringent properties. It can be used not only as an original alcoholic drink, but also as a liquid to strengthen the immune system.
Syrup
Ingredients:
- berries - 1 kg;
- sugar - 1 kg;
- water - 1 kg.
Cooking technique:
- To boil water. Pour the berries and let the bird cherry soften.
- Change the water several times.
- Separate seeds from berries.
- Rub the remaining amount thoroughly with sugar.
- Put the mixture in a saucepan and cook until the mixture is completely thickened.
- Sterilize the jars and put the mixture there. Roll up the lids.
This syrup can be used as a stand-alone food product or as an additive or filling for other dishes.
Shangi
Ingredients:
- flour - 0.5 kg;
- salt - 4 g;
- dry yeast - 4 g;
- sugar - 208 g;
- warm milk - 300 ml;
- butter - 4 g;
- egg - 1 pc.;
- berries - 1 kg.
Cooking technique:
- To prepare the dough: sift the flour and mix it with salt, yeast, milk and 8 g of sugar. Knead the dough.
- Melt the butter and add to the dough. Shape it, wrap it in plastic and put it in the refrigerator. The dough is ready if it has increased its volume by 3 times.
- Boil the berries in water for a few minutes to soften them. Grind with sugar. Put on low heat and cook for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and drain off excess liquid.
- Get the dough out. Roll out the mugs and put the filling on them. Close up like whitewash. Leave on for 7 minutes.
- Beat the egg, grease all the shangi with it.
- Lay parchment on a baking sheet and place the shangs at a distance from each other. Put to bake in an oven preheated to 220 degrees and leave for 40 minutes.
Siberian cake
Ingredients:
- berries - 100 g;
- milk - 0.2 l;
- egg - 4 pcs.;
- butter - 20 g;
- flour - 125 g;
- sour cream - 400 g;
- sugar - 0.1 kg;
- lemon juice - 8 ml;
- chocolate - 1 bar.
Cooking technique:
- Boil milk. Pour softened and chopped berries into it, boil for three hours. Strain the liquid.
- Separate the whites from the yolks.
- Beat the yolks with 1/3 of the sugar. Add to bird cherry.
- Beat the whites with the remaining sugar.
- Add to bird cherry. To stir thoroughly.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the dough (except sour cream and chocolate). Mix.
- Put the dough in a greased dish and bake the biscuit in a preheated oven to 180 degrees for half an hour.
Divide the dough in half. Grease thoroughly with sour cream and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
How to dry bird cherry for the winter
Before talking about how to dry bird cherry, you need to know how to collect it correctly. Different parts of this unique plant are harvested at different times.
Berries are best taken in July-August. Moreover, the collection is carried out in dry, warm and clear weather. The best period of the day is morning. Bird cherry is cut off in bunches. Before the drying process, you should not wash the berry. Drying should be carried out 5 hours after picking the bird cherry.
The flowers of this plant must be harvested in May. The branches are harvested only at the time of flowering.
Shoots and bark must be harvested in April before flowering. Moreover, the leaves must be cut off with scissors, pruning shears, but the bark - with a knife.
Drying bird cherry in the sun
This is the cheapest method of drying a plant.
The berries are laid out on clean trays and placed in a bright place under the scorching sun. You should not cover newspapers under them, since the paint on such paper is toxic. Also, for convenience, you can use grids, a sieve and other equipment.
At night, the berries should be brought indoors to prevent morning moisture from getting on them.
The other parts are dried in the same way. The time period for this process is approximately 2 weeks.
Bird cherry dried in the attic
The attic is used for drying in the event that the weather conditions are unfavorable (a lot of moisture). The drying period is slightly longer than the previous one.
Flowers should be dried in the dark, and the pallets should be covered with gauze to protect them from pests.
Leaves must be dried in the dark without moisture. You need to turn the blanks several times a day.
The bark can be dried in the attic without much preparation. Drying period is approximately 2.5 weeks.
How to dry bird cherry in the oven
The total drying time is 4 to 16 hours.
Spread the berries evenly on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. The first 3 hours should be dried at a low temperature (40 degrees), the rest several hours at a higher temperature (60 degrees). The door must be ajar! The contents must be mixed regularly.
Leaves and bark can be dried in the same way, only at the same temperature of 40 degrees.
How to dry bird cherry in an electric dryer
This method differs from the previous one only in the drying time. It will almost halve. The drying scheme is the same as in the previous method.
After drying, the fruits must be separated from the branches and brushes.
How to properly store dry bird cherry
Different parts of this plant have their own shelf life:
- Berries retain their beneficial properties for 1.5 years.
- The fruits and flowers can be used for up to 2 years.
- Bark in a suitable form can be consumed for no more than 1 year.
You need to store dried berries in canvas bags in a dark, cool room.
Conclusion
The use of dried bird cherry is relevant at all times. The plant in this form has found its place in medicine, cosmetology and cooking. However, in order to preserve the maximum useful properties, it is necessary to correctly and on time to collect, harvest the berries, and also create all the necessary conditions for its storage.
