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Honeysuckle is a small-sized shrub that happens to be both wild and garden. Often it can be seen as a hedge, but its fruits are most valued – quite juicy with an unusual sweet and sour taste. Many interpret the name of this plant as a combination of two words – life and youth, attribute incredible properties to honeysuckle, considering it a panacea for many diseases.
It is not surprising that from such juicy and healthy fruits they make preparations for the winter. Honeysuckle jam, jam, compotes – all this and much more is prepared on the basis of such a valuable plant. And these rejuvenating berries have become popular due to their unique composition.
The benefits and harm of rejuvenating berries
The chemical composition of such a product is a mixture of valuable vitamins and minerals. It contains vitamins of group B, vitamin A. Vitamin C and P prevail. Their content is in many ways superior to their famous counterparts. For example, ascorbic acid in this plant contains much more than in kiwi or blackcurrant, and the content of vitamin P exceeds even such a popular product as dogrose. But it is these substances that are responsible for the strength of blood vessels. And their lack is often affected by aching joints and a decrease in immunity.
In addition, honeysuckle contains monosaccharides and tannins, organic acids and pectins, as well as useful phenolic compounds.
In the mineral complex, selenium stands out – a source of youth and beauty. It contributes to the rejuvenation of the body and actively prevents early aging.
Not only berries of a plant, but also leaves possess useful and curative properties. They have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, disinfect wonderfully and heal minor wounds and fissures. Good help decoctions of honeysuckle leaves with angina, as well as inflammation of the gums.
Apply them in cosmetology: they wonderfully heals the hair, helps to get rid of dandruff, improve the condition of problem and oily skin. In addition, honeysuckle is part of anti-aging creams, due to its antioxidant properties and cell-restorative ability.
From honeysuckle, you can make tea and jam, which also have healing properties. Moreover, unlike other berries and fruits, during heat treatment its useful qualities are absolutely not lost.
For tea, dried honeysuckle is usually used. It is an effective tool in the fight against depressive states, helps to get rid of constipation and is indispensable during colds. Such a drink is akin to an antibiotic – it has the same powerful anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, tea from dried fruits, especially freshly brewed, improves kidney function, helps normalize metabolic processes and digestion, and effectively reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the blood.
Jam same of these berries has a powerful antipyretic effect and diaphoretic effect, so this product just needs to have at home during colds and viral diseases. Also, honeysuckle jam is very effective for headaches and is often used for problems with digestion and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Usually from eating honeysuckle is not dangerous, and does not entail serious negative consequences for the body. However, one should not abuse the fruits of this plant, especially if there are some chronic diseases in the history.
It is important to remember that honeysuckle, like any other berry, can cause allergic reactions. In addition, her overeating causes frequent urination, dyspeptic disorders, pain and cramps in the abdomen. Therefore, it is necessary to comply with the measure of its consumption. As you know, any medicine in large doses turns into poison.
The use of honeysuckle in traditional medicine
The benefits of honeysuckle is huge, so it is still used in recipes of traditional medicine and has a high therapeutic effect on the body:
- improves blood counts and improves hemoglobin;
- actively eliminates inflammatory processes, improves immunity;
- normalizes blood pressure;
- effective in bronchitis, tuberculosis and asthma, as it has expectorant properties;
- cleanses the body, ridding it of harmful toxins, slags and salts of heavy metals;
- used in oncological practice, as it has an antitumor effect;
- effective in diseases of the cardiovascular system, improves the functioning of the heart muscle;
- effectively promotes the healing of soft tissues, has regenerating properties;
- significantly speeds up the process of recovery from colds and viral diseases.
Honeysuckle Jam
To make a tasty and healthy jam from honeysuckle should know a few secrets. For example, this product does not necessarily roll up, you can simply pour it into dry and clean cans and close the plastic covers. However, after washing the jars, it is necessary to pour in boiling water or scald with hot steam to avoid microbes in them.
For jam, dried and overripe berries are suitable. Therefore, before cooking, they must be sorted out and separated substandard species. When washing it is necessary to take into account the fact that the fruits of honeysuckle are very delicate, so it is important not to damage them. After bathing, they must be laid out on a towel to dry, and only then proceed to cooking.
Recipe jam from honeysuckle five minutes
Five-minute honeysuckle jam got its name due to the minimum time spent on its preparation. Also, the maximum possible amount of useful and healing substances remains. To prepare such a product will require:
- honeysuckle fruit – 1 kilogram;
- sugar – 1,5 kilograms.
Berries are placed in a ceramic pan and crushed with a wooden mortar, gradually adding sugar. In the process, the mass must be stirred with a spoon. After we put it on a weak fire and slowly heat it until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir at the same time do not stop.
Then you need to pour the mixture into pre-sterilized jars and roll up. Turn them upside down and leave until cool. It is best to keep the jam in a cool dark place. The basement is considered ideal for storage.
Honeysuckle jam in the crock-pot
As you know, modern housewives are busy enough, so they prefer the minimum amount of time and effort to prepare food. They need a recipe for making jam in a slow cooker. This will require the same ingredients and in the same quantity as in the previous recipe.
So, honeysuckle berries to sort, separate the bad, rinse and dry. Then pour them with sugar and leave for about eight hours at room temperature to separate the juice. It is advisable to periodically mix the mass.
Then we place it in the slow cooker on the “Quenching” mode for one hour. After this time, the finished jam poured into sterilized jars and cork.
To summarize
Honeysuckle jam is a useful and rather tasty product, an indispensable tool in the autumn-winter period, when cold weather and epidemics rage outside. In addition, it has a wonderful rejuvenating effect and acts not only on the skin, but also on the whole body. However, you should not get involved in the use of such a product, because besides the fact that it is rather caloric, in some cases it causes allergic reactions and other negative consequences when overeating.