When talking about rowan, many people immediately imagine red clusters of berries. But today we will talk about chokeberry, which is similar to the usual one only in name and relation to the Rosaceae family. Chokeberry belongs to the genus Aronia. This is a shrub no higher than three meters in height. North America is considered the birthplace of chokeberry. It was first noticed by I.V. Michurin. He brought the plant to Gorno-Altaisk, where the currently popular garden crop was bred at the Altai fruit and berry station.
Composition of chokeberry
Medicinal raw materials are fresh fruits, which are harvested in early autumn. The fruits are collected in wooden boxes or baskets. They can be kept fresh for three days; the fruits are dried at a temperature not exceeding 60°C. Chokeberry leaves also have beneficial properties.
Aronia fruit contains:
- fructose and glucose (up to 10%),
- vitamin P (about 2000 mg%),
- carotene,
- vitamin C (about 100 mg%),
- anthocyanin pigments (up to 6.4%),
- vitamin PP,
- vitamins E and B,
- microelements - fluorine, boron, iodine compounds, manganese, copper, molybdenum, iron,
- tannins and pectin substances,
- amygdalin glycoside.
Harvesting and storing rowan
To pick berries, choose a sunny and dry day; it is best to do this in the morning.
Harvesting begins in September, when the berries have already acquired their bright red color. At this time, they are collected in order to dry them, because they are not yet fully ripe and taste very bitter. They are removed from the branches in clusters and placed in large boxes or crates, and then hung in a cool place. After some time, it will be possible to make tea from them.
Ripe berries are harvested in November, after the first frost. By this time, they cease to be bitter, have a sweetish taste and are easily separated from the branches. However, ripe berries do not last long, so they are either frozen or made into jam.
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Chokeberry, or chokeberry, is also harvested in the fall. The process of harvesting it will be no different from collecting and storing ordinary mountain ash.
Beneficial properties of chokeberry
Experts believe that chokeberry is beneficial for the immune system. It can strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of colds. Eating chokeberry prevents cells from developing into dangerous tumors. Berries improve heart function.
Due to its rich composition, chokeberry cleanses the body from the inside, protecting it from radiation. Those who are constantly exposed to UV exposure need to introduce chokeberry into their diet on an ongoing basis.
Chokeberry improves the digestion process and helps fight ailments in the gastrointestinal tract. The fruits help thicken the blood, saturate the body with iron, and fight bleeding. Chokeberry has a wound-healing and rejuvenating effect, affects the condition of the skin, and cleanses the skin.
The beneficial effects of chokeberry on the psyche, nervous system, and brain help cope with stress, improve attention and memory, and stabilize emotions. Products with chokeberry are recommended for apathy, insomnia, and mental stress.
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Chokeberry can be called a universal berry, because it can be used frozen, dried and fresh. The berry is used to prepare juices and fruit drinks; sweet dishes, jam, wine, and liqueurs are prepared from it. A tasty and nutritious tea is prepared from the fruits and leaves, and compote is brewed. An alcohol tincture is useful; you can prepare it yourself.
How to Make Fermented Leaf Tea
Preparing a drink from leaves, especially if they are leaves of fruit trees or shrubs, is a delicate science. To obtain a more intense aroma, regular drying may not be enough. Fermentation is a more complex process of preparing the leaves, which, however, ensures a bright taste. How to prepare fermented raw materials?
1. Collect plant leaves. Please note that before starting the preparation, the raw materials should not be washed under any circumstances, which means that the leaves for your future tea must be clean initially. Dirty or damaged leaf blades should not be torn off.
2. Place the collected leaves in a dry and well-ventilated place away from direct sunlight, for example in the attic, on a cotton or linen cloth.
3. After 12 hours, check the raw materials for “crispness”. If, when squeezing the leaf blade, you do not hear the crunch of the central vein, then the leaves are ready for the next stage; if not, leave them to dry for a few more hours.
4. Roll the slightly wilted leaves into tubes and roll them between your palms, then place them in a thick layer in a glass or enamel bowl under pressure and cover with a damp cloth. As soon as the raw material begins to emit a strong aroma under pressure, begin the drying process.
5. Place the fermented leaves on a baking sheet and place in the oven, preheated to 100°C, gradually reducing the temperature to 50°C.
6. When the bulk of the leaves become brittle, take the baking sheet to a dry and ventilated room (also away from sunlight) and leave for some more time.
7. Place the raw materials in linen bags and store in a dark and dry place.
The raw materials prepared in this way can be used as regular crumbly tea leaves or placed in special paper bags.
The use of chokeberry for various ailments
A beneficial effect on the human body has been proven for the following diseases:
- Atherosclerosis, anemia, poor blood clotting.
- Hypertension in the initial stages.
- Vitamin deficiency, reduced immunity, protracted illnesses.
- Digestive disorders.
- Diabetes.
- Pathologies of the biliary tract and liver.
- Diarrhea, food poisoning.
- Eye diseases.
- Thyroid diseases.
- Skin problems, eczema, dermatitis.
- Radiation sickness.
- Chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Chokeberry tea and juice have a beneficial effect on the condition of women who are expecting a child.
Application of the berry
This type of berry is used not only to eliminate diseases, but also for prevention. You need to know how to brew chokeberry correctly to get maximum effect. In this case, it will help eliminate a large number of pathologies or prevent their formation.
Additionally, the composition is used to treat the following diseases:
- hypertension;
- diabetes;
- impaired renal function;
- diathesis;
- consequences of radiation sickness;
- rheumatism;
- measles;
- allergies and individual intolerances;
- typhus;
- scarlet fever.
With the help of juice it is possible to eliminate bleeding of varying severity. It has also proven effective in treating gastritis and eliminating the effects of burns. The composition contains a large amount of vitamin P, which is necessary for the prevention of atherosclerosis.
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Chokeberry is prescribed in cases of thyroid disease and diabetes mellitus. Efficacy has also been noted in the treatment of allergies and scarlet fever. The juice can be wiped over the skin to eliminate the consequences of burns. It is also used in cosmetology to preserve youthful and beautiful skin. Additionally, honey and rose hips are added to the composition.
Contraindications for chokeberry
Black rowan berries contain a lot of vitamins; if consumed excessively, they may become oversaturated with vitamins C and PP. Chokeberry helps lower blood pressure, so it should not be taken by hypotensive patients.
A large amount of chokeberry, consumed regularly, can lead to blood clots, because it thickens the blood. The astringent properties of the berries can cause constipation. When chokeberry fruits are consumed by patients with kidney disease, dehydration may occur due to the diuretic effect. It should be remembered that black rowan does not allow calcium to be absorbed. You may be allergic to berries.
Contraindications
You should also remember not only the benefits, but also the dangers of rowan tea.
It is not recommended to use it if:
- You have increased stomach acidity, stomach or intestinal ulcers. The fact is that berries contain a high content of organic acids, which can aggravate the situation. This is especially true for the berries and leaves of the chokeberry variety.
- Berries lower blood pressure, so it is better to refrain from eating them if you suffer from hypertension.
- It is better not to consume berries for people with increased blood clotting and a high risk of blood clots.
- Do not eat berries if you suffer from heart failure or have had a stroke.
Making chokeberry tea
Leaves and fruits are used to prepare delicious tea from mountain ash - chokeberry. You can use fresh and dried raw materials. It’s better to prepare everything yourself by collecting berries and leaves from the garden plot.
To prepare a vitamin drink, you need to take 2-3 tbsp. l. dried fruits, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. Infuse the tea drink for at least 7 minutes. You can brew tea only from leaves, only from fruits, or mix leaves and fruits.
The fruits of chokeberry are ideally combined with the leaves of other garden plants. You can add berries and leaves of currants, cherries, and raspberries.
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Recipes
Black rowan tea recipe
To prepare a decoction, you need to take 100 ml of fresh berries. Dilute with half a liter of water. Next, put it on the stove and bring to a boil, add 3 tsp. black tea, one cinnamon stick, 3-5 teaspoons of sugar. Bring to a boil. Let it sit for a few minutes and enjoy a wonderful drink.
Currant and rowan tea
To make its decoction we will need: put 100 g of currant and rowan fruits in a kettle with boiling water. Cover the lid tightly and let the broth brew. The infusion should be consumed together with black tea 2 times a day. It is effective in treating colds.
Chokeberry (chokeberry) - benefits, harm, application
Today we will talk about the berry - chokeberry (chokeberry), an amazing berry that prolongs life and improves the quality of this life. It just so happens that people don’t really like this berry; of course, its taste cannot be compared with raspberries or strawberries, but the composition of this berry is amazing in its usefulness.
Chokeberry can be cooked deliciously while preserving its beneficial substances, but this will be discussed in the next article. Now let's talk about the beneficial properties and contraindications of rowan. Pay your attention to this healthy berry, include it in your diet, you will gain more health and improve your performance.
How to cook for the winter
Now it’s worth talking about what can be done with chokeberry for the winter. These berries are very dense and are not damaged during transportation. Aronia berries can be dried at home: they are scattered in a thin layer in a ventilated area where direct rays of the sun do not reach. You can also dry them in the oven, with the door half open, at 60°C. Dried berries are stored in a glass jar, tightly closed with a lid, in a cool, dark place - for example, in a closed cabinet.
Chokeberry berries can be frozen for the winter: they retain their beneficial properties and rich vitamin and mineral composition. In winter, you can make compotes from these berries, use them as a filling for pies, or simply eat them fresh. If you freeze berries at temperatures below minus 15°C, then the natural sugar in them does not have time to turn into starch. At zero temperatures, rowan can also be stored for a long time.
Thawed chokeberry fruits cannot be re-frozen - in this case, most of their medicinal properties for the body will actually be lost.
Chokeberry and dishes made from it are very useful not only for adults, but also for children.
