Where do blueberries grow?
Blueberries are a miracle berry that has not only excellent taste, but incredible abilities to defeat various diseases. Scientists have found that blueberries have rejuvenating properties, prevent loss of visual acuity, impaired coordination of movement, memory loss, etc. Where does this miracle berry grow?
Description of blueberries
Blueberry is a small perennial shrub whose height reaches from 15 to 30 centimeters. The stems are erect, have many branches, smooth, the rhizome is long, creeping. Blueberry leaves are light green and oval in shape. Their length varies from 10 to 30 mm. This shrub blooms in late May-early June, but the berries ripen only in July-August.
Where do blueberries grow?
Blueberries grow in coniferous forests (spruce and pine), but you can also see them in mixed forests. Mountain slopes, as well as swampy lowlands, are favorite places for blueberries to grow. This plant is found throughout almost the entire territory of the European part of Russia, East Asia, and North America.
Blueberry picking and storage
Berry picking begins in July, and only in dry weather. After picking, the berries are poured onto specially prepared baking sheets, dried in a warm, well-ventilated room, and then dried in an oven. Dried berries are perfect not only for preparing various delicacies in the form of jelly, compotes, etc., but also for treatment.
Blueberries make excellent jam, as well as jellies, jams, etc.
Blueberries can also be stored frozen; when frozen, they lose only a small part of their beneficial properties. To do this, you need to lightly dry the blueberries, then package them in bags or special containers, close them tightly and put them in the freezer, the temperature of which is not lower than minus eight degrees.
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Method two
Many people wonder how to preserve vitamins in blueberries to the maximum. To ensure that beneficial substances do not leave the berry, it is necessary to preserve its structure.
In this case, the crop must be frozen. Wash the blueberries and sort them thoroughly. Throw away all the existing leaves and twigs; you should only be left with whole, beautiful berries. Place them on a towel and let dry thoroughly. After this, you need to place the blueberries on a flat surface. This can be an ordinary dish with a flat bottom.
Place the container with berries in the freezer for three hours. Usually during this time the crop has time to freeze, but if you are in doubt, you can increase the time. It is necessary that the berries are completely frozen. How to preserve blueberries for the winter? Next, pour the resulting mixture into a freezer bag. Harvests packaged using this method can be stored for a very long time without losing their beneficial properties.
Blueberries: Healthy Ingredients
Antioxidants anthocyanins - affect low-quality tumors without giving reasons for formation, that is, they represent good prevention.
Blueberries also contain: carbohydrates, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, organic acids, iron, copper and other minerals, pantothenic acid, which promotes better metabolism, vitamins: A, C, B1, B6, vitamin PP.
Moreover, it contains pectins, which cleanse your intestines of toxins and metal salts.
Beneficial properties of blueberries
Blueberries are an excellent antiseptic and antibiotic. The berries and a decoction of the leaves are used to treat coughs or throats.
Stomach diseases and colitis are treated with blueberry juice and decoction, fresh and dry berries. Constipation is treated with fresh berries, and diarrhea with dried ones. Blueberries contain substances that have disinfecting effects, the intestinal microflora is improved, and putrefactive processes inside the intestines are prevented.
Blueberries have an anti-inflammatory effect and are used for diseases of rheumatism, gall bladder, and liver.
In ancient times, healers recommended blueberries to regulate the menstrual cycle. Today, blueberry-based preparations fight bladder and kidney diseases.
For complications caused by diabetes, blueberries help lower blood sugar and stabilize the functioning of organs and glands.
Blueberries are used in cosmetic preparations intended to moisturize the skin and also have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Blueberries remove toxins (free radicals), which are directly related to the process of aging and destruction of the whole organism.
Blueberries are used not only for diseases, but also for prevention. The use of drugs containing blueberries, as well as the berries themselves, leads to increased immunity, prevents the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system, and improves the functioning of all organs.
Blueberries also have dietary value: several dozen calories, and you are already enriched with a huge amount of vitamins and minerals. When losing weight, pay attention to blueberries: they contain everything the body needs: carbohydrates, proteins, fiber but few calories.
Preparation of grated blueberries with sugar for the winter:
Rinse fresh blueberries with cool water and leave in a colander to drain. Then place it on a towel that absorbs water well and examine the berries. Remove the bruised ones; they can be ground with sugar and eaten within 2-3 days. Such berries are not suitable for harvesting; they can cause fermentation, and all the harvested blueberries will be lost. Leave the berries on the towel for 10 minutes to allow excess moisture to evaporate.
Cover the berries with sugar and leave on the table for two hours so that the blueberries release their juice. Use either glass, porcelain, or stainless steel dishes. Plastic and aluminum will not work.
Using a blender, puree the blueberries and sugar.
Now you can start packaging. If you plan to store blueberries pureed with sugar outside of the refrigerator, then you will need glass jars and tin lids. They need to be washed well with soda and detergent and sterilized. Place a cloth at the bottom of the pan, place the jars upside down and pour in cold water until it reaches approximately the middle of the jar. It is better to take small jars, maximum 0.5 liters. Wait for the water to boil and set aside for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the sterilized jars and lids, do not get burned, and dry them. Place the blueberries, grated with sugar, into jars so that the berry mass fills the jars along the threads. Sprinkle the top with sugar and roll up. Store in a pantry where the temperature is 10 to 15 degrees. Blueberries ground with sugar can be stored under these conditions for 9 months. You can also cover the blueberries under nylon lids. Also put the berry mass into jars, sprinkle with sugar and close. Store in the refrigerator for 3 months. You can extend the shelf life of blueberry puree to up to a year. Place the blueberries in plastic containers, close tightly and place in the freezer. Store at minus 18. These blueberries can be used as a filling for pies or pies, or simply enjoyed as a dessert.
Thawed blueberry puree will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator, as will opened glass jars. Please note that when preparing blueberries, no water should get into the container. The dishes must be dry and clean.
Blueberries can also be prepared in the form of jam.
Blueberries and Daily Consumption Value
I decided to eat the required daily amount of blueberries as a preventive measure, since I spend a lot of time at the computer.
Anthocyanins are pigments with which the therapeutic effect of blueberries is primarily associated. According to the recommended levels of consumption of food and biologically active substances (MP 2.3.1.1915-04), the level of anthocyanin consumption is 50-150 mg per day. But you shouldn’t think that the more anthocyanins or blueberries you consume, the better the effect will be. Studies have shown that increasing the dose of anthocyanin intake from 50 mg to 150 mg does not increase the effect. There is no point in chasing high doses. It is enough to reach 50 mg.
Copy-paste: test.org.ua/tests/health-cosmetics/262 (Follow the link you can also read about testing medicinal blueberry preparations for vision)
Ripe blueberry fruits contain the most anthocyanins: up to 985 mg%.
We consider... 1 mg% = 10 mg/kg. 10 mg/kg * 985 = 9,850 mg of anthocyanins in 1 kg of blueberries.
It turns out that 15.228 g of blueberries contain 150 mg of anthocyanins - the maximum daily requirement. This applies to eye prevention. Do not forget that blueberries have many other beneficial properties; it is recommended to consume even a cup of blueberries per day (200 g) to maintain general health.
A teaspoon contains 5 g of blueberries, a tablespoon contains 15 g of blueberries. In total, it is enough to consume from 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of blueberries per day. Over the course of a year, it is recommended to consume blueberries for 10 months (for example, consume 5 weeks and take a break for one week). It turns out that you need from 1.5 to 4.5 kg of blueberries per person per year. Blueberries should be bought unbroken, whole, ripe.
I created a “Blueberry Calculator” that will help you calculate how many blueberries you need in order for it to last for the specified number of people, days, and will even tell you how much it will cost: elims.org.ua/chernichnyj-kalkulyator
How to store blueberries frozen
To preserve blueberries for a long time, a suitable method is freezing:
- Prepare shallow dishes - a tray, a baking sheet, a baking dish, a cutting board. You can use a metal container, but be sure to put parchment paper on the bottom. The dishes must be dry and clean.
- Arrange the sorted fruits in one layer. Between them you should leave a distance of at least a millimeter: each berry must be frozen individually. This will help in the future to prevent them from sticking together and turning into one frozen lump.
- Place the bowl with blueberries in the freezer. It will take two to three hours for the fruits to freeze.
- Place the blueberries in a sealable bag.
- Place the berries back into the freezer.
How to Preserve Blueberries
Fresh berries need to be eaten, eaten and eaten again. And if you can’t eat anymore and want to stock up, then you need to stock up. There are many ways to prepare and preserve berries.
Drying blueberries and consuming them in powder form is not entirely correct; it is believed that traditional drying leads to the loss of up to 80% of anthocyanins. To reduce losses, drying is carried out at low temperatures and completely avoiding exposure to sunlight. It is best to store blueberries frozen (blueberry season begins in June and lasts about 2 months), then the least beneficial properties are lost. Based on the fact that freezing blueberries can lead to some loss of their beneficial properties, it is best to purchase them based on the maximum daily allowance, that is, 4.5 kg.
We store blueberries in bottles - ripe, freshly picked blueberries need to be carefully sorted from leaves, needles, and other debris. Wash the bottles first and bake them thoroughly (2 hours) in the oven. Pour the blueberries into the prepared chilled container, shaking gently (this will ensure the berries fit tightly). Then seal the bottles and fill them with sealing wax. We store our treasure in a cool, dry place.
We freeze blueberries - sort through the blueberries, select large, ripe berries. Wash and dry. Pour onto a cardboard tray with sides 2-2.5 cm high, and put the tray in the freezer. Sort the frozen berries into plastic bags, seal them and put them in the freezer for storage.
Drying blueberries - if you want to dry blueberries, then the berries should be picked in warm and sunny weather. Immediately after picking, no matter how lazy you are, you need to sort out the berries. Remove damaged and crushed, as well as “extra parts” - leaves, stalks, etc. The selected berries must be rinsed (through a colander) and then dried (through a sieve). The berries are ready for drying. Blueberries can be dried in the sun, or in various dryers. If you choose the second path, then remember that artificial drying begins at a temperature of 40-50 ° C, when the berries have dried, we increase the temperature to 60-70. During drying, the baking tray with berries should be shaken periodically. Shaking is needed to mix the berries and thereby ensure even drying. Dried berries are stored in a dry place. Shelf life – 2 years.
Evaporating blueberries is a good economical way. We take glass jars and pour blueberries (pre-sorted) into them. We place the jars in a saucepan with water, the saucepan on the stove (it turns out to be a water bath). When the berries begin to settle, add more. We do this until the berries stop settling. Then we roll up the cans and store them along with other supplies.
Blueberry juice - sort the berries, wash them; crush with a wooden pestle. Transfer the resulting pulp under a press. After the first pressing, the pulp remaining in the bag needs to be loosened, add 1-2 tbsp. spoons of hot water and squeeze again. It is important to extract the coloring matter from the berries as completely as possible. The acidity of natural blueberry juice is low, so it is diluted and slightly sugared. The calculation is as follows: 60-80 g of granulated sugar per liter of juice. Next, the juice should be heated to 80 °C, poured into containers, pasteurized at 85 °C and rolled up.
Blueberries in their own juice (with sugar) - sort the berries, wash and dry. Scatter the finished berries into jars, add a little sugar and shake well. Close the jars and sterilize. Jars with a volume of 0.7-0.9 l are sterilized for 25 minutes (at a temperature of 90 ° C), jars with a volume of 0.5 l - 20 minutes, at the same temperature. Upon completion of sterilization, the jars must be cooled immediately.
Blueberries in their own juice - sort the blueberries, wash and dry. Place in sterilized hot jars and fill with blueberry juice. The juice should be heated to a temperature of 65-70 ° C, cover the jars with lids and pasteurize: half-liter jars - 10 minutes (temperature 90 ° C), liter jars - 20 minutes (same temperature). Store in a cool place.
Blueberry syrup - we will need: 3 kg of blueberries. Sort the berries, rinse with cold water, put in a saucepan, add water and boil well. Squeeze out the juice, mix it with sugar (1.5 kg) and boil for 5 minutes, periodically skimming off the foam. Pour the hot syrup into heated bottles. Seal the bottles hermetically and, wrap them in a blanket, allow them to cool.
Pickled blueberries - in addition to blueberries, we will need 100 ml of 5% table vinegar and 350 g of sugar. Vinegar and sugar are mixed and boiled for 5 minutes in an enamel bowl. Then add 1 kg of berries to the pan. Cook everything over low heat for 15 minutes. The resulting broth is drained, boiled for 10 minutes, and the berries are dipped into it again. After this, add cinnamon and cloves, place in sterilized jars, and cover with lids. The cooled jars are wrapped up.
Copy-paste about ways to store blueberries: https://odiete.ru/content/view/206/3/1/61/
Delicious recipes for crushed blueberries with sugar
To make the delicacy as tasty as possible, only the best recipes are used.
Classic blank option
Fresh blueberries, when candied, have a rich, rich flavor and rich aroma.
Cooking berries in our own juice
To make this raw jam, you will need:
- fruits – 2.5 kilograms;
- sugar – 1 kilogram.
See also
10 best recipes for cooking apples in syrup for the winter
Read
In a blender
Making this jam is not at all difficult; use a regular kitchen blender. Required ingredients:
- fruits – 900 grams;
- sugar – 900 grams.
Honey Nut Blueberries with Sugar
This very appetizing, healthy and satisfying delicacy is prepared from ground berries with the addition of chopped walnuts.
Berry recipe with gooseberries
Adding gooseberries will add bright notes to the taste of the preparation. To do this, it is processed using a mechanical or electric meat grinder.
Afterwards, the jars of jam will need to be closed with lids.
How to puree frozen blueberries
Raw, frozen blueberries are poured into a colander, washed with warm water and dried on a towel. Then you need to rub it through a sieve.
Grated with lemon
Twisted blueberries, mashed with the addition of lemon pulp, will help avoid winter colds.
Strawberry pureed
Candied and pureed with strawberries, it becomes a beautiful and delicious treat.
Recipe with frying in 5 minutes
To do this, the fruits are fried frozen in a frying pan for 5 minutes, and then processed.
Cooking method through a meat grinder
Rolled blueberries covered with sugar are prepared using a regular meat grinder. The twisted berry retains all its beneficial properties and vitamins.
Freezing berries. How to freeze berries to preserve vitamins. Methods for freezing berries
So, we have a simple refrigerator or a refrigerator with a super freeze function, or a freezer. Feel free to freeze berries: Raspberries, Strawberries, Currants, Cherries, Cherries, Apricots, Blueberries, Honeysuckle, Cranberries, Sea Buckthorn.
Preparing to freeze berries
First, sort out your storage containers. How convenient it is for you to store - in small or large portions, in bags or other containers. Estimate the size of your freezers and decide how many berries you will need in winter and why. For example, you can purchase special bags in which you can cook berries in winter or defrost them in the microwave. Or bags with clips, with special clamps - you can buy them in the supermarket.
Wash the berries thoroughly, remove all debris and stalks, and remove the pits from the apricots. Then we dry the products and put them in special freezer bags, simple plastic bags or plastic containers - as you wish. We choose the weight and size of the package ourselves, but it is better if one serving of frozen berries does not exceed 600-700 g of berries. Practice has shown that this is the most optimal weight for berries when frozen.
How to freeze berries in the refrigerator
In a regular refrigerator, we freeze it like this: spread the berries in a thin layer along the bottom of the freezer so that they freeze faster, and then transfer them to any storage container. With this method of freezing, the berries will not stick to each other and will be “like alive.” In a refrigerator with a super-freezing mode, turn it on about 5 hours in advance, then also spread it out in a thin layer, freeze the berries and put them into containers or bags (there should be no more than 600-700g of berries in them), and only then put them in the freezer for storage.
A small note: the super freezing mode will be needed if you plan to freeze more than 2 kg of berries. Otherwise, you can freeze at minus 18 degrees. With a freezer, which maintains a very low temperature, everything is much simpler: we store the berries in small portions in bags or plastic containers and forget about them until winter.
The main thing in freezing berries is the speed of the operation. This is what helps keep all the vitamins and beneficial minerals intact. You shouldn’t experiment and fill the entire freezer with bags of berries at once - after defrosting, you may be disappointed that the berries are poorly preserved. Slow freezing can lead to rupture of the tissues of the berries, so the end result may not be at all what was planned.
Some Helpful Tips for Freezing Berries
- All products tend to absorb foreign odors, so it is better to store the berries tightly packed.
- For freezing, it is better to take slightly unripe berries that will not bruise during storage. However, this does not apply to strawberries.
- Some use plastic cups, foil or boxes for semi-finished products as storage containers.
- It is better to place the berries so that there is as little air as possible inside the dish.
- Do not put berries to freeze in already used bags. They may retain the smell of the products stored in them or may have microcracks, which will lead to their depressurization.
- It is better to defrost the berries gradually, in the lower compartment of the refrigerator.
Methods for freezing berries
There are some features of preparing berries: they can be frozen simply, in sugar or in sugar syrup. As an example, a recipe for strawberries frozen in sugar: sort, peel and wash, let the water drain. Cut strawberries that are too large in half. Place the berries in boxes or disposable plates in one layer, cover them with sugar to about one-fourth the mass of the berries and put them in the refrigerator for several hours (until all the sugar is absorbed). Then we close the box and put it in the freezer.
Freezing in sugar syrup looks even simpler: prepare sugar syrup, cool, pour the berries into a container, pour syrup so that they are completely covered with liquid. Let the berries soak in the syrup for several hours, then put them in the freezer. In this way it is better to prepare “sour” berries, which are not very well eaten when thawed.
And finally, one trick for those who like to save money and space in the refrigerator. Place the berries in a disposable bag, then in a plastic container and freeze. Carefully remove the bag from the container - you have such a cute berry cube. These cubes can completely fill your freezer without buying extra containers. Profitable and convenient.
Copy-paste about freezing berries: https://inmoment.ru/beauty/health-body/frozen-berries.html
elims.org.ua
Hello! I come to you with a request for milk mushroom) Could you share? ) >>
12.04.2016 18:28:43
Any product with GMOs can be made useful for the body. You need to place it in the Stepashkin harmonizer zone for a split second and its internal energy charge will change from -60 to +60, i.e. food will turn from dead to living. This has been verified in research. corr. RAMTN Zakharchenko V.V. Zones created by the harmonizer from cm to km. >>
11.04.2016 17:44:19
Grind the shell into dust on the tip of a knife, then add lemon juice to a spoon, wait for the reaction to pass and consume. >>
07.04.2016 20:10:2007.04.2016 11:18:46
There are instructions in the package - I drank according to them. It describes in detail how to treat and make the solution. >>
How to preserve fresh blueberries for a long time?
The tips described above apply to berries in small quantities. If you have a lot of berries and you want to keep them mostly fresh, you can do this as follows:
- As in the first case, first, sort out the blueberries and get rid of spoiled berries, and also remove the stalk (it can cause the berries to burn during storage);
- Prepare a vinegar solution in a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Processing in vinegar will protect blueberries from mold;
- Transfer the berries to a sieve or colander, and then place in the vinegar solution for 20-30 seconds;
- Then rinse the blueberries under cold water to remove any traces of vinegar;
- Dry the berries outdoors or spread them out on paper towels;
- Once the berries are completely dry, transfer them to a container with the valve open and place them in the refrigerator on the middle shelf.
If these conditions are met and spoiled berries are identified in a timely manner, blueberries can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month .
How to store frozen blueberries
If you want to preserve blueberries for several months, you should freeze them.
- First, prepare a small, always dry, container. A baking sheet, cutting board or tray will do;
- sort the berries and arrange them in one layer, evenly but not tightly. There should be a small distance between them so that the berries are frozen one at a time;
- Place the container with the blueberries in the freezer. It should freeze within 3-4 hours.
- pour the fruits into a bag, preferably a vacuum bag, close it tightly and put it in the freezer.
Under these conditions, blueberries can be stored for 12 months .
Storing dried blueberries
Dried blueberries can be stored for quite a long time. To maximize its shelf life, follow a few simple rules:
- It is better to pick berries in warm and clear weather;
- It is not worth collecting early in the morning; wait until the dew evaporates under the influence of sunlight;
- disassemble the berries, get rid of wrinkled and damaged ones, remove twigs, stalks and leaves;
- rinse the fruits thoroughly under cold water;
- Leave the berries on a paper towel to drain all the water.
Once the water has completely drained, you can start drying the berries. They can be dried in an electric dryer, oven or air.
In air, the berry will dry within 7-10 days. When drying this way, do not leave blueberries in the open sun, this will allow them to retain maximum benefits.
When drying in the oven, start with a temperature of 40 degrees, and then gradually increase it. When drying this way, periodically shake and stir the berries so that the berries dry evenly.
Dried blueberries are best stored in paper or textile bags in a cool place. Dried berries are suitable for consumption for two years .
Shelf life of blueberries in the refrigerator
In the refrigerator, it is best to store berries on the bottom or middle shelf, since the optimal temperature is maintained there.
Unwashed berries can be stored in the refrigerator in containers for 7-10 days . Berries that have been cleared of debris and treated with an aqueous solution of vinegar can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month .
Shelf life of blueberries in the freezer
If you plan to store blueberries in the freezer, then freezing should be done in 2 stages:
- Place the berries in a shallow container and put them in the freezer for 4-5 hours;
- then remove the berries and place them in an airtight container.
The shelf life of blueberries in the freezer is 12 months.
Blueberry
In Rus', blueberries were called “rejuvenating berries.” It was believed that it rejuvenates the body. Our ancestors knew the healing power of blueberries. Blueberries are the most popular folk medicinal plant, especially its berries, both dried and fresh, as well as covered with sugar. Many beneficial substances have been found in blueberry berries and leaves.
French folk medicine, and now classical medicine, uses blueberries to treat and prevent tumors in human internal organs.
Blueberry is a low (15-40 cm) highly branched shrub with a long creeping rhizome and sharply ribbed green branches. The leaves are on short petioles, alternate, light green, ovate with a finely serrated edge; the leaves are weak above and have a sharply protruding network of veins below.
The flowers are solitary (rarely 2), on drooping pedicels, emerging from the leaf axils at the base of young branches. The corolla is greenish or pinkish, in the form of a bell or jug, 10 stamens.
The fruit is a black-blue spherical berry, slightly flattened at the top, with a small annular rim formed by the remaining calyx. In the center of the cup there is the remainder of the column or a small depression at the site of its attachment. The pulp of the berry is juicy, reddish-purple, with numerous small seeds, stains lips and teeth. The taste is pleasant, sour, astringent.
It blooms in May - early June, ripens in July - August.
Blueberries are widespread in the European part of Russia, Siberia, and the Caucasus. It grows in pine forests, blueberry spruce forests, spruce-broad-leaved forests, tundras and forest-tundras, and sphagnum bogs. It is relevant to introduce blueberries into the culture and set up special plantations for its cultivation.
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Collection and drying
Leaves and, of course, blueberries are used for medicinal purposes. The leaves are not official raw materials and are not purchased by pharmacies. Ripe berries without stalks are collected manually or using special devices (combs with flexible teeth). Collection is carried out only after the dew has dried. Hand-picked fruits are much cleaner and do not contain large amounts of leaves and other parts of the blueberry plant. Berries that are overripe, diseased or damaged by pests should not be collected.
Fruits are dried in attics, under sheds, providing good ventilation, but it is more advisable to dry them in dryers, stoves or ovens: the first 3-4 hours are kept at a temperature no higher than 40°C, then increasing it to 55-60°C, at which and dry the raw materials.
Blueberry leaves are collected during flowering. Carefully cut off non-flowering leafy shoots with scissors, dry them in a dark, well-ventilated room, and then separate the leaves from the stems. You can collect individual leaves. When harvesting shoots, the leaves are not separated from the stems.
The smell of medicinal raw materials from the berries is weak, pleasant, the taste is sour-sweet, slightly astringent (with astringency).
Dried blueberries are stored in boxes lined with paper, and leaves are stored in bags.
Content
Step-by-step recipe for making blueberry jam with sugar without cooking
Blueberry | 1 kg |
Sugar | 1-1.2 kg |
So, the jars and berries are washed and dried, all that remains is to prepare the jam.
The recipe is as follows:
- We take blueberries and sugar in a ratio of 1:1.2. The amount of sugar can be reduced, but you should not take less than 1 kg of sugar per 1 kg of blueberries;
- In a saucepan, layer blueberries and sugar;
- Leave the pan for 8-10 hours at room temperature, shaking it occasionally. During this time, the berries will be saturated with sugar and produce juice;
- Distribute the jam into pre-prepared jars.
Chemical composition
The fruits contain sugars (5.3-7.4% of raw material), organic acids (0.90-1.28%), pectins (0.14-0.69%), tannins (up to 12% of absolute dry matter). Among sugars, the leading places belong to glucose, fructose and sucrose, organic acids - citric, malic, succinic, oxalic, lactic. Carotene (0.75-1.6 mg/100 g), vitamin C (5-6 mg/100 g), thiamine (0.045 mg/100 g), and riboflavin (0.08 mg) were also found in berries. Among fruit and berry plants, blueberries stand out for their very high content of nicotinic acid (2.1 mg/100 g). The berries are rich in flavonoids (460-600 mg/100 g), represented mainly by quercitrin, isoquercitrin, rutin, hyperin and astragalin. The fruits contain the coloring substance mirtilline, which is a mixture of delphinidin and malvidin monomethyl esters. The latest research (V.V. Mzhavanadze and others) has shown that the coloring substances of blueberries are represented by glycosides, galactosides and arabinosides of delphinidin, petunidin, cyanidin, malvidin and peonidin. Among the phenolic acids, caffeic, quinic and chlorogenic acids are distinguished. The presence of iridoid glycosides monotropeoside and asperuloside has also been established. The fruits are rich in manganese and iron compounds. There is also evidence of the detection of the cyclic hexahydric alcohol inositol and anthracene derivatives in berries.
The leaves contain tannins of the pyrocatechol series (up to 20% on an absolutely dry basis), flavonoids quercetin, isoquercitrin, quercitrin, quercetin-3-arabinoside, a mixture of which is called neomyrtillin, triterpene acids (ursolic and oleanoic) and saponins, phenolic acids (quinic, chlorogenic ), arbutin glycoside, hydroquinone, vitamin C, carotenoids, ceryl alcohol, essential oil. The seeds are rich in drying fatty oil (up to 31%) and protein substances (up to 18%).
Content
Action and application
Blueberries have long been used as a medicine. Due to the high content of tannins, the berries have an astringent and antidiarrheal effect. Fresh berries regulate the functioning of the digestive system: during diarrhea, their astringent properties appear, and during constipation caused by intestinal atony, they have a laxative effect, promoting bowel movements. Berries are useful for catarrh of the stomach (especially with low acidity) and intestines.
Blueberries are the richest source of so-called anthocyanidins, which are the most powerful of all natural antioxidants. Blueberry extract has proven its ability to increase the amount of dopamine in the body. This compound regulates important processes in the brain. Dopamine promotes the production of growth hormone (somatotropin), which is responsible for the renewal and rejuvenation of cells throughout the body.
Under the influence of blueberries, there is also an improvement in the permeability of cell membranes and a decrease in the level of inflammatory processes. The transmission of nerve impulses from nerve cells to other cells of the body improves.
In folk medicine, blueberries mixed with strawberries are also used in the treatment of urolithiasis.
The leaves and fruits contain substances that have an insulin-like effect and therefore have a beneficial effect on diabetes mellitus, lowering blood sugar levels. Thick decoctions of fresh berries and juice are used in folk medicine also in the treatment of eczema, skin rashes, purulent wounds, burns and hemorrhoids, and for rinsing with stomatitis and sore throats.
Long-term intake of fresh berries is also indicated for rheumatism, gout and other metabolic diseases. Long-term consumption of blueberries helps improve visual acuity, so fresh and canned berries are recommended as a preventive measure for those categories of workers whose professions involve visual strain (transport drivers, watchmakers, engravers, draftsmen, teachers, etc.)
Blueberries are good for relieving eye fatigue when reading, working with computers, or driving in the dark. It enhances the effect of other methods of treating eye diseases (drops, eye gymnastics, the use of synthetic drugs), helps to increase the natural protection of eye tissue from destructive changes in the retina and lens.
Today blueberries are one of the most popular remedies for improving vision. This property of blueberries is due to the presence of antioxidants from the group of bioflavonoids. They help improve night vision by normalizing the condition of cell membranes. Blueberry flavonoids make retinal capillaries stronger and stimulate the regeneration of rhodopsin, the eye pigment that perceives light in low light conditions.
Due to the high content of flavonoids and phenolic acids, fresh, dried and canned berries are useful for atherosclerosis, hypertension and other pathological conditions associated with reduced strength of the walls of blood vessels.
Systematic use of berries in the diet reduces putrefactive and fermentation processes in the intestines, has an anti-inflammatory effect, improves the condition of patients suffering from gastritis, enteritis, colitis, gastric and duodenal ulcers.
Infusion
For internal use, infusions of dried blueberries are recommended to be prepared by hot infusion and cold method: pour 2-3 tablespoons of berries into a glass of cold boiled water and leave for at least 8 hours, take 1/3-1/2 cup several times a day.
For tonsillitis, stomatitis, and catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, infusions of berries prepared hot are useful: 1-2 teaspoons of dried berries are poured into 1 glass of boiling water, left for no more than 15 minutes, and then filtered. Take 1/3 cup orally 3-4 times a day or use as a rinse.
Infusions of the leaves are also taken for cystitis, urethritis and atony of the bladder, urolithiasis, stomach colic (gastralgia), cholelithiasis, and chronic enterocolitis.
For hemorrhoids, enemas are made from an infusion of blueberry leaves, and for leucorrhoea, it is used for douching.
Blueberry leaves are included in preparations prescribed for diabetes and urate stones, and the fruits are used for flatulence.
Decoction
Thick decoctions of berries and juice are used in compresses and lotions to treat weeping eczema, burns, purulent ulcers, etc. Decoctions are prepared as follows: 100 g of berries are poured into 0.5 liters of water, heated to a boil and boiled until the volume of the decoction will not decrease by half. Compresses with blueberry broth or freshly squeezed juice are changed 3-4 times during the day.
For diabetes
Patients with diabetes should take 1/2-1 glass of infusion, prepared from 1 tablespoon of crushed dry leaves and 1 glass of boiling water, 3 times a day. Leave until cooled. Infusions of blueberry leaves are effective mainly for mild forms of the disease.
For inflammation in the mouth and pharynx
To prepare a decoction, pour 100 g of berries into 0.5 liters of water and boil over low heat until the amount of liquid is almost halved.
Napar
For hemorrhoidal bleeding, enemas are made from a mixture of blueberry leaves (60 g per 1 liter of boiling water).
For skin inflammation
Thickly boiled (cook for a short time) fresh blueberries are applied in a thick layer to the areas of the body affected by eczema, covered with gauze and tied. Such covers are changed daily, and the dried gauze is soaked in warm, clean whey from sour milk. The same decoction and the same method are used to lubricate skin rashes, pimples, necrotic ulcers and burned or scalded areas.
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Blueberries can be used to make a drink, jam, syrup, jelly and even wine if desired. Most recipes call for added sugar.
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Blueberry drink
Fill the jars about 1/3 full with washed berries. Boil the syrup at the rate of 300 g of sugar per 1 liter of water. Pour it over the berries, cover with a lid and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain the syrup, let it boil again and immediately pour into jars. Roll up.
Blueberry jam “Pyatiminutka”
Pour berries and sugar into the pan in a 1:1 ratio. Bring to a boil over medium heat, skim off the foam. Boil for 5 minutes, pour into jars and seal. Such jam can be stored even without a refrigerator, in a basement or cellar.