Contents
History of sour cherries
Cherry is a fruit flowering tree, belongs to the genus of plums in the pink family. The first mentions of cherries were already 2000 years ago. They began to cultivate the plant in the territories where China and the Caucasus are now located.
In fact, botanically speaking, cherries are related to stone fruit. But traditionally it is called a berry.
Cherry came to Our Country from Byzantium in the XNUMXth century, and by the XNUMXth century Dolgoruky laid the first cherry orchards. The word “cherry” refers to the common Slavic derivatives of the German “weichsel” and the Latin “viscum”. The original meaning of these words is “tree with sticky sap”. So the cherry was called for its resin, which often stands out on the surface of the tree.
In English, cherries and cherries are called one word – “cherry”. To understand what they are talking about, they have to add a prefix, describing the taste of the fruit: sour for cherries, sweet for cherries.
There are museums and monuments dedicated to cherries in different countries. In Our Country, a museum is known in the village of Bolshiye Bakaldy. It was opened because it was here that a huge volume of cherries used to be grown and processed.
In the plant, not only fruits are valued, but also decorative qualities. The mutation led to the appearance of sakura, the famous cherry tree in Japan. In the spring, cherry blossoms turn cities into an amazing sight that attracts tourists from all over the world. In Japan, thoughtful admiration of flowers even has a separate name – “o-hanami”.
The composition and calorie content of cherries
| Caloric value on 100 g | 52 kcal |
| Proteins | 0,8 g |
| Fats | 0,2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 10,6 g |
The benefits of cherries
Cherries are famous for having a wide range of vitamins and minerals, although they do not hold the record for the content of any particular substance.
Especially a lot of vitamins A and C in these berries. 100 grams of cherries will provide about 20% of the daily requirement for vitamin A and 17% for vitamin C. A large amount of flavanoids provide better absorption of vitamin C, and therefore benefits for our immunity, skin, hair and joints.
A lot of cherry and B vitamins, as well as various minerals: potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron.
A variety of organic acids give the sour taste to the berry. Tryptophan, folic, malic, salicylic, succinic, citric and other acids stimulate digestion and the production of gastric juice. They also inhibit the growth of harmful putrefactive bacteria. Pectins in the composition of cherries envelop the intestines and accelerate peristalsis.
The red color of cherries comes from anthocyanins, which are antioxidants. They have a protective effect, helping cells survive stress due to oxidative processes. A number of studies confirm the benefits of cherries for athletes due to the high concentration of anthocyanins, which also have an anti-inflammatory effect. Athletes whose diet contains cherries recover faster and can train longer.
The influence of cherries and cherry juice on the heart and blood vessels is known. Vitamin PP together with ascorbic acid has a positive effect on blood vessels, increasing their permeability. And the coumarins in the composition of the berry are involved in the regulation of the coagulation process, preventing the formation of blood clots and thinning the blood.
Harm cherry
Due to the abundance of acids in its composition, cherries are very irritating to the gastric mucosa and can cause heartburn. Therefore, it is not recommended to eat it on an empty stomach, it is better at the end of a meal.
For the same reason, it is worth rinsing the mouth after eating cherries, as the acid destroys tooth enamel.
– Due to the high acidity of the product, cherries can harm people with high stomach acidity, exacerbation of peptic ulcer, gastritis. It is worth carefully including this berry in the diet for people with allergic reactions during exacerbations, advises nutritionist Yulia Pigareva.
The use of cherries in medicine
In medicine, cherry fruits are practically not used. Cherry gum is used – the same sticky resin. In pharmacology, it is added to various preparations as an emulsifier, as well as for other purposes.
Due to its strong aroma, cherries can be added to potions and lozenges as a natural flavor. In the form of a dietary supplement, you can find the stalks of cherries. They are used as a natural diuretic, mildly acting on the body.
American scientists conducted experiments that confirmed the ability of cherry juice to improve sleep quality and relieve stress. Taking two glasses of juice shortly before bed increased sleep time to an hour and a half. Proanthocyanidins in cherries slowed down the breakdown of tryptophan, which is involved in the synthesis of the sleep hormone melatonin. True, the process was launched only with the constant intake of a certain large dose of juice, which is not very useful for the stomach.
The acids in cherries help to increase the natural acidity of gastric juice, if it is lowered. Therefore, cherries are recommended for those who suffer from low acidity.
The use of cherries in cooking
Cherry is a fairly versatile berry. It can be used in any recipe with berries and fruits.
Cherry is very fragrant and has a pleasant sourness, so it is suitable not only for sweet recipes, but also for meat dishes.
Quick cherry and almond strudel
It takes a lot of effort and time to prepare a traditional strudel, but the recipe can be greatly accelerated. Use pita bread, and this will avoid the tedious fuss with the dough. Starch can be replaced with a few tablespoons of ground crackers
| Lavash thin | 1 large sheet |
| Cherry | 300 g |
| Sugar | about 60 g, to taste |
| Starch | 1 teaspoon with a slide |
| Egg | 1 piece. |
| Milk | 1 Art. a spoon |
| Vanilla sugar | 10 g |
Wash the cherries, tear off the stems and remove the pits. Cover the berries with sugar. After the cherry starts up the juice, it must be drained into a separate container – it is not used in this recipe. Pour the berry without juice with starch and mix.
Beat the egg with vanilla sugar and a spoonful of milk. Brush one side of the pita bread with the mixture. Put the cherries with starch on the dry side of the pita bread, smooth and roll up a tight roll. Lay it seam side down. Top the roll with the rest of the egg mixture and bake in a preheated oven to 180 degrees. It will take about 20-25 minutes to bake.
Before serving, sprinkle the strudel with powdered sugar and let it cool slightly. Cut into portions and serve with a scoop of ice cream.
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Cherry dumplings
One of the most famous cherry recipes. To simplify modeling, you can use special “molds” for modeling dumplings. Dumplings can be made in reserve and frozen
| Flour | 3 glasses |
| Cold water | 2/3 cup |
| Egg | 1 piece. |
| Cherry | 2 glasses |
| Sugar | about 1/4 cup |
| Salt | to taste |
Beat the egg with a pinch of salt, mix with water. Next, pour all the flour on the table in a slide, make a hole in the center and pour in the egg mixture. Mix with flour, gradually collecting it from the edges to the center. Wrap the finished dough in a bag and leave to lie down at room temperature for half an hour. After getting it, knead it again and put it back in the bag for 15 minutes.
Wash the cherries, remove the pits and cover the berries with sugar. The berry will release juice, it needs to be drained.
Divide the dough into several pieces, roll each one separately so that it does not have time to dry out and crack. Wrap the dough that is not rolled out now in a bag.
Roll out a piece of dough into a thin layer of about 2 mm. Cut circles with a glass, put a few cherries in the center. Fold the circle in half, pinch the edges and set aside the finished dumpling on a floured surface.
Such a number of dumplings should be cooked in 2-3 liters of water. Bring it to a boil, put the dumplings one at a time and stir occasionally so that they do not stick together. After the dumplings rise to the surface, cook over low heat for another 4 minutes.
After the water boils again and the dumplings float, reduce the heat and cook for 3-4 minutes. Serve with sour cream.
How to choose and store cherries
When choosing, it is important to pay attention to the elasticity and integrity of the skin. If the tails are torn off, the cherry quickly begins to give juice and deteriorate.
But the color is not so important – it all depends on the variety. Not all varieties after ripening become dark, almost black, some retain a bright red color. To verify the ripeness of the berry, you can feel it. It should be quite soft, but not burst under the fingers.
Cherries, like most berries, do not last long. Ripe ones can keep in the refrigerator for about five days, unripe ones for more than a week. Frozen cherries keep well, as well as dried in a dehydrator or a minimally heated oven. When dried, a maximum of vitamins is preserved, this is one of the best ways to store cherries. In frozen form, in jams and preserves, a large part of the nutrients are still destroyed.