Barberry - prickly plant with bright red fruits that gardeners love for his handsome appearance and vast mineral properties. In medicine, the most commonly used the leaves and bark of barberry, and fruits also benefit. It grows in the forest steppe and mountain areas.
Beneficial features
The berries of barberry large amount of pectin has a positive effect on the intestines. The substance activates the digestive system, removes toxins and cholesterol from the body. Berries help to improve appetite, have a tonic effect and helps with colds and other diseases of the respiratory system.
barberry berries contain a large amount of minerals: sodium, magnesium, nickel, barium, iron, copper. As part of the berry is fiber, beneficial organisms acids (malic, citric) and vitamin C. It is necessary for an organism: thanks to this vitamin, reduces the risk of getting the flu or SARS. Exchange the body processes are normalized, the immune system is strengthened.
Where and when to collect barberry?
Berry plants are collected in the fall, when they are completely ripe and accumulate all the necessary vitamins in them. Barberry can be found on the fringes, lawns, slopes. To collect must learn to distinguish between ripe fruit from unripe. If the berries are too soft, so they ripe if the green - then it's time they had not yet arrived. It is necessary to collect the elastic berries that are bright red or purple color.
On the palate, tart berries, viscous and acidic, so just do not use them. After collection, clean the barberry, place the berries in a colander and drain off any excess water. If you dry fruits, dry until the skin is not wrinkled. This is done in special dryers (at a temperature no greater than 50 degrees), or in the street, in a shady place.
Jam of barberry
Take 1 kg of berries of barberry plants, 5, Art. sugar and 2 tbsp. clean boiled water. Berries soaked in cool water for about 5-6 hours, then strain. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Wait for the future of the jam starts to boil and add sugar. Stir and bring to a boil again. After 2 minutes of cooking, remove the jam from heat and put to cool for a few hours or overnight. Bring to the boil again (2 minutes), leave to cool for 2-3 hours. Again put on the fire and wait until the jam boil. Pour into clean jars and close the lid. Jam is ready!
