Barberry: when to pick berries

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 apply and how to cook is described in the material below.

When the barberry is harvested in central Our Country

All parts of the shrub have healing properties, but its fruits are most often harvested. The composition of the berries contains 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 Our Country, barberry can be harvested immediately after the first frost, lowering the temperature to negative values ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbhelps to reduce 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 collection of 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.

Rules of the assembly of barbarians

Barberry is a highly branched and thorny shrub, this feature makes picking berries very difficult. In order not to injure yourself on sharp thorns, you should pick the fruits in long-sleeved clothing and gloves.

In some countries, such as Iran, where the cultivation of barberry is one of the flourishing branches of agriculture, the 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 mix the berries with your hands or a spoon, as this can damage the thin skin.

You can collect barberries not only in the garden, but also in the forest. The plant is frost-resistant and easily withstands the harsh climate. Most often, barberry is found in the forest-steppe of the North Caucasus region, as well as in the Primorsky Territory. You can pick berries from wild bushes only far from highways, large industrial enterprises and other objects with a difficult environmental situation.

Fruit application

The range of application of barberry berries is more than wide. The plant is used in medicine, cosmetology, cooking. Thanks to the enzymes that make up the berries, barberry juice has long been used to dye fabrics and skin.

For medicinal purposes, the berries of this shrub are harvested and used in order to:

• increase appetite;
• improve heart function;
• strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
• normalize hormonal levels;
• stabilize the thyroid gland;
• remove fever.

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 regularly drinking barberry tea. The recipe is quite simple:

1. Ch. l. dried fruits of barberry pour Art. boiling water.
2. Tea is infused for 10 minutes.
3. Add sugar or honey to taste.
4. 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 withering 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:

1. 3-4 st. l. Hercules porridge is steamed in hot milk and the mixture is allowed to cool.
2. 200 g of dry barberry berries are ground and combined with oatmeal gruel.
3. A chicken egg and 1 tsp are added to the mixture. honey.
4. The mask is applied to cleansed skin and washed off with warm water after 20 minutes.

There are an incredible number of recipes using fresh fruits that are harvested just before cooking. Berries are good as part of spicy sauces for meat and fish dishes, they are used to prepare:

• jams;
• syrups;
• jelly;
• marmalade;
• jam.

As well as liqueurs and other alcoholic drinks.

In its pure form, barberry is rarely used because of the tart and sour taste of the berries. But as a seasoning, it is indispensable. In Asian cuisine, barberry berries are harvested, dried, ground into powder and added to dishes such as khaseeb, saehat, various soups and broths. No real pilaf recipe is complete without this ingredient.

Often berries are harvested for the preparation of sweet dishes: compotes, marshmallows, candied fruits. Barberry marmalade has an interesting exquisite taste, which can be consumed as an independent dish and added to pastries:

1. 800 g of washed ripe apples are cut into small pieces and combined with 200 g of barberry berries.
2. The mixture is poured into 100 ml of water, brought to a boil over low heat and boiled for 15 minutes.
3. Next, grind with a blender to a homogeneous gruel, add 400 g of granulated sugar and cook for another 40 minutes.
4. The mixture is cooled, and then heated again and boiled until the marmalade acquires the desired density.
5. The mass is poured into molds, allowed to cool and put in the refrigerator.

Such sweetness will especially appeal to 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 use for medicinal purposes 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 sugar and refrigerate. In this form, the crop will not lose its beneficial 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:

1. Ripe, but not overripe fruits are harvested, carefully sorted and washed.
2. Washed berries are evenly laid out on clean napkins or cotton towels to allow excess moisture to be absorbed.
3. Dried in this way, the fruits are distributed on baking sheets or pallets and covered with gauze or fine mesh to prevent access by insects and birds.
4. 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.
5. For uniform drying, the fruits are regularly mixed.
6. The readiness of the barberry is determined by the absence of a sticky layer on the shell of the berries.

Drying in the oven:

1. The berries dried from moisture are laid out in 1 layer on a baking sheet and put in the oven, preheated to 40-50 ° C.
2. 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 the fruit dryer. The method is almost identical to the previous one:

1. The berries are kept at 50°C for 3 hours, after which the temperature is increased by 10°C and brought to full readiness.
2. Well-dried berries do not secrete juice and have a characteristic gloss.

Harvested berries are poured into glass or plastic jars and tightly closed with a lid. Properly dried barberry can be stored for 3 years. In a breathable container, for example, in paper boxes or bags, it does not deteriorate even longer.

Conclusion

Knowing in which month to pick barberry berries, applying the rules for collecting, harvesting and storage conditions, you can provide yourself and the whole family with a useful product for several years to come. The undeniable medicinal properties and exquisite culinary qualities of barberry have made it a welcome guest in any kitchen.