Everything about blueberries: use in medicine, cooking and cosmetology

Chernets, Chernyaga, Raven Berry - as soon as they do not call blueberries! This small and beloved berry has many useful properties and is used in many areas of life. Many of her destinations, many do not even know. You should know about all the benefits of this wonderful berry, so that everyone can appreciate it and fully enjoy it.

Blueberry, or blueberry - a small shrub from the family Heather. The name of the plant in Latin sounds like Vaccinium myrtillus: from vacca - “cow”, as its leaves go to feed the cattle, and from myrtus - myrtle, because of its similarity to this plant.

Blueberry bush reaches a height of only 50cm. The branches depart from the trunk at an acute angle. The leaves on them are arranged alternately, and on one bush there may be several types: oval, finely serrated, pointed. The gutter leaves accumulate rainwater. According to them, it flows to the stem and flows to the root.

Shrub blossoms in May. Its flowers are white with a greenish or pinkish tinge. They are tilted slightly to the ground to protect the pollen from moisture.

Bilberry fruits are bluish-black in color and covered with a bluish wax coating. Berry is very beautiful, and even live looks like in the picture. It is a bit flattened from top to bottom. This is a distinctive feature by which blueberries are differentiated from wolfberry. Under the thinnest peel is purple flesh with seeds, the number of which can reach up to 40 pieces. It tastes like a sweet berry with a slight acidity, very juicy and has an astringent aftertaste.

Bilberry is a universal berry and is used everywhere. Due to its wide chemical composition and complex of vitamins, it is an indispensable aid for maintaining health. It is actively used in medicine and cosmetology, in cooking and landscape design.

Florists prefer the grassy part of the shrub more: its thin stems with small leaves harmoniously fit into the floral arrangements, giving them a feeling of forest freshness and depth. In the past, blueberries made fabrics for fabrics, because it is an excellent dye, which gives the product a purple and purple color.

Blueberry is a wild berry that prefers coniferous and mixed forests, as well as tundra and taiga. Its typical areas of growth are North America and temperate zones of Eurasia. In Russia, it can be found in the Urals, the Caucasus and Siberia.

The main condition for the active growth of this shrub - high humidity and shade. You will not find it in the open area under the scorching sun. Very often thickets of blueberries can be found in the marshes.

Blueberry bush can live for about 40 years. But he gives fruit only for 5 year of his life. They are actively eaten by birds that scatter the seeds of the plant. Thus, the growing area of ​​blueberries increases. Sometimes there are thickets of tens of kilometers.

Blueberry flowers are pollinated by bees. This is used by beekeepers, who at the time of flowering shrubs expose the streets on the forest edges of its growth. Bees collect nectar and produce honey from it, which has a reddish tint. This product has a pleasant taste and is valued for its beneficial properties. Of course, the main part of the harvest comes from wild-growing species, since it is rather difficult to grow blueberries in artificial conditions.

Bilberry is a fruit that contains a minimum of calories: about 40-60 kcal per 100 grams of product. Therefore, it is often used for weight loss.

85% berry consists of water. It also contains carbohydrates - 7.6%, proteins - 1.1%, fats - 0.6%, ash - 0.2%. The remaining percentage is the mass of useful components for which the berry is valued.

Blueberry contains a large number of various macro-and micronutrients: potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, as well as zinc, selenium, copper and sodium. Especially a lot of manganese in it. And the iron in the composition of blueberries is absorbed better than from other foods. The berry contains vitamins of almost all groups: A, E, K, B 1-6 and 9, C and P.

Bilberry is also rich in organic acids: there is amber, citric, malic, quinine. They actively fight viruses and help resist stress.

The purple color of blueberries is given by anthocyanins. These are powerful antioxidants. They contain about 14. One of the most useful of them is mirtillin, which supports vision, and glucokinin, which reduces blood sugar levels. Anthocyanins are more found in mature fruits. Other flavonoids include catechins and leucoanthocyanins, which predominate in immature berries.

Anthocyanins, leucoanthocyanins and catechins are referred to as polyphenolic compounds that reduce the fat content and promote weight loss.

In addition to the above components, the fruits of bilberry also contain tannins, chlorogenic acid, sugar, pectins and phenoxyacids. Dietary fiber, which in this berry about 3%, getting into the intestine, form a gel-like mass. It normalizes peristalsis and improves digestion.

Shrub leaves also contain their share of nutrients. These include essential oils, vitamins, phytohormones and tannins.

Blueberry beads ripen by mid-summer. But there is a belief that the official starting date for picking blueberries is July 22, the day of Pankratia and Cyril. On this day, everyone, young and old, was supposed to eat plenty of this berry. In general, the fruits are stored on the branches until the beginning of autumn. Therefore, the period from mid-summer to autumn is the time to pick blueberries.

Bilberry is harvested away from dusty highways. This is the only way you can be sure that you will get a product that is rich in useful components, and not a tangle of exhaust gases.

Picking blueberries is not an easy task. The berries are very small, grow low, so you have to constantly bend down to get them. Because of this, many use special containers with cloves. This, of course, significantly speeds up the process, but its quality suffers: the berries are crushed and crumpled, the shoots are injured. Therefore, the ideal option for removing berries - manual.

For blueberries in the forest is better to come early in the morning or late afternoon in dry clear weather. Collect the berries in woven or plastic containers, do not use glass or metal. The containers should be small so that the berries do not crush each other with their weight. Also, to reduce the likelihood of damage, try not to pour the product from one container to another. If still crushed berries are present, and this happens always, let them recycle for jam or compote.

Bilberry, which is most enriched in nutrients, grows on young shoots. Their optimum age is 10-15 years. The older the plant, the more branches it has.

After collecting the berries should not wash. They should be sorted out, removing garbage and substandard material. The leaves of the plant are harvested in late spring, before it begins to bear fruit. Peel off or cut with scissors leaves of medium size, whole and green.Then they are dried in a well-ventilated place, where there is no direct sunlight. You can also use fruit dryers at 40 °.

Only leaves that have not changed color are suitable. They are collected and stored in bags of natural fabrics, so that they could get air. Periodically look in them to make sure that the product is not spoiled.

Of course, I want to extend the pleasure and feast on berries all year round. To prepare blueberries for the winter, they use the following methods:

1. Drying Berries are carefully sorted, washed and allowed to dry, spreading on a towel in 1 layer. After that, directly drying in the oven at a low temperature or in a fruit dryer is carried out. You can use the open method, spreading blueberries in a draft, but where there is no scorching sun. After a couple of days the product will be ready. Dried berries are stored in a glass jar, paper bag, or cloth bag. Before use, it is soaked.
2. Freezing. Prepared as when drying fruits lay out in a single layer on a pallet. Send in the freezer for 24 hours. After freezing, fold the berries into a container with a tight lid. Put back in the freezer.

In industrial conditions for this type of storage using the shock method. At the same time, the berry freezes at a very low temperature, but quickly. After that, the remaining liquid is removed by vacuum. These fruits contain 2 times more vitamin C, dietary fiber and flavonoids than raw ones. In fresh blueberry, these substances are destroyed on the 3rd day of storage. Using these methods, you will save the berry safe and sound and you can enjoy its taste at any time.

Blueberries are a wild berry. But thanks to modern technologies, its cultural cultivation is also developing. Many cultivate bilberry in their garden. But this is not an easy task and requires some preparation.

The ideal time for planting shrubs is October-early November. It is better to use seedlings 3-4 years of age. A month before their disembarkation, it is necessary to create appropriate soil conditions.

Choose for planting the shadow part of the garden, but with the access of light. Well fit the space between the trees and near the water. Prepare a pit with a size of 1.5 x 1.5 m and a depth of 60 cm. Add peat and sulfur to it. This will increase the acidity of the soil layer. To soften the soil a little, sow the sand. It will also improve the condition of the earth community of oak and conifer needles.

A month later, when all the added components settle in the ground, you can plant a shrub. It is better if its roots are covered with a native earthy clod. Roots we straighten and we wet the earth on them with water. We place in a pit, we fall asleep and we well tamp. Abundantly watered. To preserve moisture and not allow it to evaporate quickly, we put sawdust, leaves or peat under the bush.

Water the blueberries regularly. The soil should always be slightly wet. In the hot period, it is sprayed or put containers with water near it. To maintain the acidity of the soil, the plant can be watered with the addition of citric acid (1 tsp. To 1 bucket of water). And do not forget to feed your pupil in early spring or late autumn.

Blueberries are not only tasty and healthy berries. Blueberry bushes look very impressive in the composition of the Alpine compositions.Shrubs have a long rhizome, from which many shoots depart. In this way, blueberries can inhabit large areas.

Enrich your land with this plant, because it will be a great decoration for your local area.

Due to its rich composition, blueberries have an incredible effect on the human body. It is difficult to overestimate the benefits that these little beads carry. They have a beneficial effect on all organs and systems, cleanse and tone up our body. No wonder our grandmothers nicknamed blueberries as a “rejuvenating” berry. In addition, this wild beauty is successfully used in order to lose weight.

Bilberry belongs to those shrubs, in which the whole ground part is suitable for consumption - for food, as a healing tool and for beauty recipes.

The most valuable component of the shrub is a berry. She retains her abilities in any form: fresh, dried, frozen and boiled. Bilberry fruits have a lot of useful properties:

• Maintain visual acuity. Of course, it does not cure blindness, but for prophylactic purposes, as well as for retinal diseases, it can be used as an addition to the main treatment.
• Strengthens the vascular walls and improves blood circulation.
• Interferes with formation of blood clots.
• Blueberry anthocyanins are excellent antioxidants. They remove toxins from the body, inhibit the development of cancer cells, increase vitality and contribute to the rejuvenation of the body.
• Stimulates metabolism.
• It improves the work of the intestines.

• Manganese accelerates the tightening of wounds, improves brain function, strengthens the skeletal system. Vitamin C and iron, which are also contained in blueberries, are necessary for its absorption.
• Strengthens the immune system and acts as an antiseptic.
• Removes fats from the body, regulates carbohydrate and salt metabolism.
• Removes inflammation, accelerates regeneration processes.
• It balances the nervous system.
• Restores the skin, eliminates the lack of vitamins and minerals, stops putrefaction and fermentation.

Blueberry leaves can be used in several variations. They are brewed in the form of tea, they are made from broths and infusions. For external use use compresses. In this case, fit both fresh and dried leaves.

Blueberry leaf has a pronounced diuretic effect. Therefore, it is recommended to drink tea with its addition to those who suffer from high blood pressure. But you should not get too carried away, as the development of dehydration or a sharp drop in blood pressure is possible. Use blueberry tea for diseases of the urinary system: cystitis, infectious processes.

If you brew tea from the leaves of blueberries and mix it in half with green tea, you get a great way to lose weight. This drink reduces appetite and reduces the need for sweets.

Blueberry leaf drinks tone up muscles well, relieving fatigue and tension in them. They compensate for the lack of vitamins, have a calming effect, help restore bowel function.

In the form of an enema, deciduous bilberry extracts are administered for hemorrhoids. At the same time, they exhibit an anti-inflammatory effect. They also relieve inflammation on the skin if they are used as compresses. In case of inflammatory processes in the oral cavity, rinsing with infusions of blueberry leaves is carried out.

Leafy infusions help relieve intoxication in case of poisoning. They stimulate the work of immunity and strengthen the body as a whole. Leaf infusions fight headaches, lower blood sugar levels.

Most forget that, along with blueberry leaves, it can be used for healing purposes and its shoots. They, like the leaves, contain many beneficial ingredients.

Gather shoots together with the fruits of the plant. After collecting, they are dried, not freeing from the leaves, and crushed.

As already mentioned, blueberries support the work of all body systems. It should specifically delineate the action for each of them.

Medicinal properties of blueberries are so effective that it is introduced into the composition of drugs. One of the most famous is the "Blueberry Forte". It contains bilberry extract. This tool helps to improve the vision and condition of the whole organism.

Blueberry shoots include in ready-made herbal mixtures for diabetics.

Bilberry fruitfully affects the state of the male reproductive system. It increases the production and motility of sperm. Thanks to it the reproductive function increases. Berry increases potency and returns sexual activity.

Bilberry is recommended to use for prostatitis. Take 1 tbsp. l bilberry and blackberry berries, pour 500 ml of boiling water over them. Then boil for 20 minutes over low heat. Application: 1 tbsp. l 3-4 times a day. This broth will help to remove discomfort during urination.

Women love this berry for its rejuvenating effect. It contributes to the rapid renewal of skin cells, gives it elasticity and freshness.

During the menstrual period, blueberries will help their antispasmodic effect and reduce pain. During menopause, it reduces the intensity of hot flashes.

One of the most pleasant advantages of this wild berry for women is, of course, the slimming effect that has already been mentioned earlier.

For pregnant blueberries is an indispensable source of vitamins. It is very convenient that blueberry fruits contain almost all types of nutrients, so the expectant mother does not need to stuff herself with medication.

Blueberries are introduced into the diet of a child from 6 months together with supplements. It can be juices or fruit puree. Do not be afraid to give berries to children at such a young age, because they are considered hypoallergenic product.

The child will benefit enormously from her: immunity will increase, sleep will be normalized. Blueberry fruits will help to organize the work of the intestines of the baby, who, at the age of 1 year, is especially worried about him.

Looking at blueberries, you understand how beautiful and unusual the berries look. It will give any dessert a savory and sophisticated look, if you decorate it with a couple of carelessly thrown fresh berries. But this is the simplest application of blueberry.

Another simplest recipe is to brew tea from its leaves or, again, berries, and enjoy the wonderful aroma and taste. It is very simple to make: add leaves to your main brew and pour boiling water over it. And you can brew blueberries separately.

Now we present the recipes that will help prepare the berry for the winter and at the same time preserve all the healing substances:

• Blueberry in its own juice. Pure berry scatter on banks. Then they are installed in a saucepan, pre-bedded on her bottom towel. Fill the water to the top third of the cans. After boiling water make the minimum fire. In the process, the berries are allowed to juice, their number decreases, therefore it is necessary to periodically pour them. We continue cooking until the juice has accumulated on the surface of the berries. After that, roll up the banks.
• Syrup. Boil the berries until the juice appears. Then decant it and add sugar 2 times less than the mass of berries. Boil the resulting solution for five minutes. Then pour the mass into warm banks, tightly cover with covers and wrap a blanket.
• The juice. Grind the fruit, put under the press. In the resulting juice put sugar (1 liter 80 g), heat to 80 degrees. Roll up

And now the most delicious recipes. Because of the technology of their preparation, they lose a small part of their nutrients. But on the other hand, they make it possible to preserve the berry for a long time and use it in the off-season for it:

• Marmalade. Berries to simmer on low heat in a container with the lid closed. After the juice has been covered, grind through a sieve. In the resulting puree add sugar. Boil until the mass separates from the walls. Then spread out the mixture on a baking tray with parchment. Briefly send to the oven at low temperature. Take out and sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut into slices. On 1 kg of berries use 600 g of sugar.
• Jelly. To 800 ml of blueberry juice, add 200 ml of apple juice. Heat a little and mix with 0.5 kg of sugar. Boil a lot, boil to a state of jelly. Spread out on the banks. Pasteurize.

Blueberries are used to make jams, preserves, mashed potatoes, jam. Subsequently, they can be added to baked goods and even dumplings. Each housewife has his own recipe for these dishes.

Compotes and other blueberry drinks perfectly tone and quench thirst. Do not forget about blueberry sauces, which are great for meat dishes. The sweet-sour taste of blueberries will in no way spoil the taste of roasted meat. On the one hand, it will create a contrast, and on the other, it will harmoniously unite with it. In general, blueberry dishes are very tasty and healthy.

During the collection of blueberries, eating a glass of fresh berries, you fill the lack of many necessary components for the proper functioning of your body, adjust the work of many organs. For those who suffer from a certain disease, treatment should be carried out all year round. Here infusions and decoctions from the berries and the green part of the plant come to the rescue:

• With diarrhea: 4 tbsp. l dried berries pour 400 ml of water. Boil on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Take in the form of heat 1⁄2 cups 3 times a day.
• When gastritis: 100 g of dried berries pour 200 ml of cool water. Insist the night. The next day, drink in small portions.
• For washing of wound surfaces, for eczema and dermatitis, burns: 20 g of dried leaves pour a glass of boiling water, insist half an hour, filter. Wash the wound infusion obtained 4 times a day. With a similar solution, only in a warm form, rinse the mouth cavity 3 times a day for stomatitis, gingivitis, periodontal disease and to eliminate unpleasant odors.

• With joint pain: 1 tbsp. l dry berries pour 400 ml boiling water, then slightly evaporated. Drink in the form of heat 50 ml 4 times a day.
• With hypertension: 1 tbsp. l crushed dried leaves pour 200 ml of boiling water. A little sweat over low heat. Take 3 times a day before meals.
• With a cold: berries pour a small amount of water, then on a minimum heat of 20 minutes.Add 1 glass of red dry wine, then on the fire for 15 minutes. Strain. Take 1 tbsp. l 3 times a day.
• Lotions for hemorrhoids: 2 tbsp. l dried berries pour 500 ml boiling water, cook for 15 minutes. Cool and strain. Apply on the painful area 2-3 times a day.

For diseases of the genitourinary system, it is recommended to use fresh or frozen berries of at least 500 g per day. During the period of exacerbation, use a decoction of dried leaves or tea. Drink these drinks as often as possible and more.

For the treatment of anemia, fresh blueberry juice is very useful. Adding 1 лож2 cups 1 spoon of honey, drink this “nectar” before meals 3 times a day.

For cosmetic purposes, blueberries are also used quite often. Due to the fact that it is an excellent antiseptic, and also has anti-inflammatory properties, a decoction of its leaves is used for skin diseases. He will perfectly cope with ulcers, acne, furunculosis. Will remove pigment spots, swelling and circles under the eyes. Suitable for problem teenage skin.

The solution can be used for washing or in the form of a lotion. Having frozen broth with small cubes, wipe a face with them. This way you will also achieve a tonic effect. To prepare the product, you can use both dry and fresh leaves.

In addition, blueberry decoctions have a powerful antioxidant effect, that is, they cleanse the skin from toxins and toxins. They perfectly restore the skin cells. Promoting the production of collagen, increase its elasticity and elasticity. Blueberry cleanses the pores, regulates the skin's imbalance and restores lipid metabolism, protects the skin from UV rays.

Taking a bath with blueberry leaves, you strengthen not only the skin of the face, but also the whole body, improve its color. Also, the plant has a tightening and rejuvenating effect.

In addition to decoctions, masks from bilberry leaves are used in cosmetology. To do this, they are crushed with a blender, mixed with 1 spoon of sour cream (or kefir). The mask is ready. Apply it on a pre-cleansed face, wash off after 15-20 minutes with warm water.

Berry masks paint the face in a dark color. Therefore, it is better to apply them at night. To prepare such a mask, take 3-4 tbsp. l fresh blueberries and knead well. Add 5 drops of blueberry seed oil and 1⁄2 tsp. honey Mix well. Clean your face and wipe it with green tea. Then apply a mask. After 20 minutes, rinse with cool water with lemon.

Probably not in the world of such a product, which would not have certain limitations in its application. So is blueberry: despite its many useful qualities, it also has some limiting circumstances in its use.

• Blueberry berries are definitely contraindicated for people suffering from oxalaturia. With this disease in the urine increases the level of calcium salts and oxalic acid. Eating blueberries, which are rich in such elements, you can harm health by aggravating the course of the disease.
• For some, the blueberry product can become a malignant allergen, although the berry itself is hypoallergenic. Do not abuse eating blueberries if you come across it for the first time. If you notice symptoms that indicate the development of allergies, you will have to give up this delicacy.
• Use it with caution if you have a tendency to constipation, as well as for diseases of the pancreas. It is also recommended to exclude from the diet blueberries for gastritis in the acute stage. With it, you can only use infusions of leaves and young herbs.
• Minor minus the use of berries - staining of hands, face, teeth in a nice purple color. But it is temporary.Therefore, do not deny yourself the pleasure to eat blueberries for such a minor reason.

No wonder blueberries are called the black queen of the forest, and this is a fact. This is an amazing berry in its composition and appearance. As its nature gives the opportunity to enjoy the amazing taste and at the same time strengthen their health.

See how to make blueberry jam in the next video.