How to prepare Chinese lemongrass for the winter?

Chinese lemongrass is grown not only in the Middle Kingdom. The benefits of plants known worldwide. Each part of the bush can be used for healing the body.In this article we will talk about the properties of the Far Eastern berries, tell you how to keep it, and offer several recipes for preparing blanks for the winter.

The Chinese lemongrass is a liana up to 18 meters high. It is grown not only in China, but also in Japan, and also in Russia on Sakhalin. The ripening of fruits occurs in autumn, they are collected in small brushes and look like red currants. Bright red round balls have a very sour taste and lemon flavor. That is why the plant is called in this way. On one bunch can be located from 5 to 15 balls.

The pronounced sour taste does not allow many people to take berries in a fresh state. As a rule, they are dried or sent for storage in the freezer. You can make a variety of jam or compote at home with lemongrass. If you prepare the Chinese lemongrass correctly, you can save most of the vitamins and use the mixture to prevent or treat some ailments. Gather the fruits in the beginning or middle of autumn, immediately after ripening.

The berries of Far Eastern Schisandra are rich in various acids: malic, citric and tartaric, while they contain very small amounts of sugar. The fruits are saturated with vitamins A, B, C, P and PP, as well as with minerals: potassium, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, nickel and cobalt. All parts of the vine are rich in essential oil, which can be used for cosmetic purposes.

Lemongrass Chinese value in the countries of the East, because it not only contributes to the toning of the body, but also relieves fatigue. Fruits contain silver, titanium, boron. Not only berries are useful, but also leaves, seeds, bark, rhizomes of a plant — everything can be used for medical purposes. For example, the leaves contain significantly more vitamin C.

The use of such a plant in food fills the body with vitamins, has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and improves blood circulation. Berries are shown to pregnant women as a source of a large amount of minerals. You can use them and diabetics, but only after consulting a doctor.

The only category for which the Far Eastern berries are prohibited is for people with stomach problems, since the increased acidity of the plant may contribute to even more irritation of the tissues of this organ.

The most useful method of storing fruit is drying, as it has the least effect on the beneficial properties of the berries. Process the fruit in two steps, during which the combination of drying on the street and in the oven.

It is recommended to maintain the integrity of the brushes and do not tear the balls from the stem. First you need to cover the baking sheet with baking paper and spread the bunches on it at a short distance from each other. Capacity spread on fresh air, it is important that the sun does not touch the magnolia. When the fruit is slightly dried up, you can separate them from the brush and spread out over the entire surface of the pan. Then it goes to an oven heated to 55 degrees Celsius for one hour.

Creepers can be frozen. In this case, they should also be collected in clusters, so as not to damage the skin. Before sending the brushes in the freezer, they should be held for four hours in the refrigerator, then laid out on plates and sent to the freezer. After twenty-four hours, you can get them, put them in bags and send them back to the freezer for long-term storage.

The shoots and leaves of the plant can also be prepared for the winter.They make a delicious lemon-flavored tea. When the fruits are collected, you can start collecting leaves. It is important to have time to do this before they fall themselves. They are crushed with scissors and dried in a warm room, evenly distributed over the baking sheet. When they are ready, they can be put into a bag and brewed. Lemongrass goes well with other herbs and teas, giving them a more sour taste and pleasant aroma.

There are lots of ways to make Chinese lemongrass for the winter. It is not only healthy, but also very tasty, and in combination with honey or sugar, it makes an excellent dessert. Many housewives make jam, compote and more from it.

It is quite simple to make jam from Far Eastern berries. It takes only two components:

• 1 kg of Chinese lemongrass;
• 1 kg of granulated sugar.

Berry should grind, separating the flesh from the skin and seeds. Put the rubbed mass into a pan with a thick bottom and cover the sugar. The contents are cooked on medium heat until a thick consistency is obtained, after which the jam is poured into sterilized jars and sealed.

The method of making jam is similar to the previous one, only in this case whole fruits and other proportions of ingredients will be needed.

Components:

• 1 kg of lemongrass;
• 1.5 kg of granulated sugar;
• 100 ml of water.

It is recommended to take slightly immature berries so that they do not fall apart during cooking. Brush thoroughly, rinse the berries from the stalk and mix with sugar, leaving for twelve hours. Then add water or apple juice to the mass. Put the pot on the stove and bring the contents to a boil, then allow the mixture to cool and boil again, then distribute it into glass containers.

This dessert will appeal to kids. On cold winter evenings, lemongrass marmalade will be a great addition to tea.

Components:

• 1 liter of lemongrass juice;
• 3 cups sugar;
• 3 tbsp. l pectin.

Slightly heat the juice over medium heat and add pectin, leaving it to swell for half an hour. In a separate saucepan, boil the syrup from 150 ml of juice and granulated sugar. When it boils, the pectin mass is poured inward and the contents are boiled down to a thick consistency. Then the brew is distributed in containers and sent to storage. Before being used as food, it is cut with a knife into small cubes. If children do not like to take anti-cold remedies, marmalade from schisandra will be an excellent substitute for them.

Lemongrass in sugar will be an excellent delicacy for lovers of sweet-sour taste.

Components:

• 1 kg of lemongrass;
• 2 kg of granulated sugar.

Wash berries and dry thoroughly, then mix with sugar and decompose the resulting mass into jars. Some ground ginger can be added to the mix. It will give the treat a little spice. The finished delicacy is stored in the refrigerator.

There are two ways to harvest the juice from the vine.

1. The berries are put in two layers of gauze and squeezed properly, after which the juice is bottled and sent to storage in the pantry or on the balcony. Fresh juice can be stored for several years in a clogged state. Open a bottle should be emptied as quickly as possible so that the contents are not moldy. Store open juice only in the refrigerator.
2. The fruits are laid in a large glass bowl and covered with a layer of granulated sugar. After four days, the berries will release all the juice they contain, which you only need to pour into cans and roll up carefully. Sour drink rarely drink fresh, as a rule, it is used as an additive in food or put in tea.

Lemongrass goes well with other fruits in a sweet drink.

Components:

• 3-4 apples;
• 200 g of lemongrass;
• 1 l of water;
• 300 g of honey;
• 40 ml apple cider vinegar.

Pour honey or granulated sugar into water, bring the solution to a boil and add apple vinegar.Boil down the contents of the pan for about three minutes on low heat. Meanwhile, put clean apples and Far Eastern berries into sterilized jars, then pour them with hot syrup. Banks roll up and wrap in a towel so that they cool down slowly and better preserved. After a couple of days you can enjoy a delicious compote.

You can make a delicious syrup from berry juice, which will become the base for other drinks.

Components:

• 1 liter of juice;
• 1.5 kg of granulated sugar.

Pour the juice into a saucepan with a thick bottom, add sugar and put it on medium heat. Gradually heat, stirring the contents with a wooden spatula. Once the sweetener is dissolved, the syrup can be poured into jars or bottles. Store rolled containers in the pantry. Open - in the fridge.

With ready syrup, fruit juice is prepared very quickly.

Components:

• 1 l of syrup;
• 10 liters of water.

Boil water and cool, then dilute the syrup and pour the resulting composition into bottles. Soak for one day, then enjoy a delicious drink.

From the Chinese lemongrass turns delicious wine with a pleasant aroma.

Components:

• 1 kg of Far Eastern berries;
• 1 kg of granulated sugar;
• 4 raisins berries;
• 6 berries of raspberry, red currant or rowan.

Lemongrass filled with sugar and leave for three days to fruit juice released. Over time, pour the liquid into a three-liter bottle and add inside the raisins and berries. Next comes the fermentation of the drink. To do this, they put a medical glove on the bottle and pierce one finger with a needle, gas will come out of this hole. The finished wine must be filtered and poured into liter containers.

On the beneficial properties of Chinese Schizandra, see the following video.