• What can be cooked from squid: quick and tasty

    Elderberry black and red are perennial shrubs with small, fragrant yellowish flowers. They bloom from May to June, forming small dark purple and red berries. Most often, plants can be found in parks, forests, they grow along river banks. Many people grow them as additional decorations on their property.

    Elderberry medicinal properties and contraindications

    The plant is of great value and has many medicinal properties. So, for the purpose of healing, recipes are used where inflorescences, berries, leaves, bark, even roots are used.

    Only now, before starting treatment, you should familiarize yourself with the beneficial properties and contraindications of berries.

    Healing properties

    The beneficial properties of elderberry (black, red) have been known for a long time. For example, flowers with fruits have pronounced diaphoretic, diuretic, astringent, disinfecting effects. Designed for the preparation of various infusions, which are good for colds. In case of liver problems, they are drunk for a good discharge of bile.

    Also berry infusions are taken to eliminate edema with diseased kidneys (diuretic). Kissel is recommended to drink when you suffer from constipation. If there is an inflammation of the throat or oral cavity, you can rinse, put externally compresses.

    The aforementioned folk remedies are used in the treatment of rheumatism, gout, and inflammation of the joints. They effectively relieve inflammation with furunculosis, skin lesions caused by diaper rash, after burns, and relieve hemorrhoids.

    Contraindications

    This plant, in addition to its medicinal properties, is characterized by low toxicity. Therefore, before using it, you should definitely consult with a specialist, find out what contraindications there are specifically for your situation, in order to protect your body.

    Black elderberry contraindications:

    the presence of ulcerative colitis or any abnormalities in the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
    pregnant women, during lactation;
    people with impaired function of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus (diabetes insipidus);
    children under 12 years old.

    Elderberry species

    At the moment, scientists have discovered many useful types of elderberry, but the most common ones can be called: black, red, herbaceous.

    • For red (ordinary), a sharp, heavy aroma is inherent, it is it that scares off obsessive flies and their other brethren. Therefore, it can often be observed near the toilet, compost heaps. In addition, the red species fights well against the invasion of mice; rodents do not tolerate it.
    • Herbaceous - wild shrub. Roots, inflorescences and fruits have medicinal properties. So, berry decoction is recommended for neuralgia (relieving pain), as a laxative. Leafy roots have the ability to quickly heal abrasions and other skin lesions.
    • Black is the most common in the Crimea, the Caucasus, the southern territories of Russia. Unlike red, you can buy it at any pharmacy.

    Black elderberry and red elderberry include a rich set of medicinal properties and contraindications, so we remind you once again about the need for prior consultation with a specialist!

    Black

    Herbal medicine with the help of folk recipes has been helping to successfully fight cancer for many years, as evidenced by the reviews of those who healed. Treatment with herbal extracts is effective and not as harmful when compared to chemotherapy.

    Black elderberry medicinal properties for cancer:

    Poisonous substances present in the composition of infusions, decoctions, are not able to provoke powerful side reactions. Along with cyanides (hydrocyanic acid salts), the plant contains a large amount of vitamins, natural stimulants that help to alleviate the human condition during intoxication.

    Funds based on this product have a targeted destructive effect on cancer formation, while not affecting healthy tissues.
    The poisonous components of the plant have toxicity of 1-2 class, while as antineoplastic drugs - 6 class.

    Red

    Elderberry is still poorly studied. It contains useful tannins, glucose, fructose, rutin glycoside, flavonoids, vitamins, essential oil, fatty oil, organic acids, triterpenoids.

    Leaves and unripe red berries include sambunigrin (a poisonous glycoside), which can break down into hydrocyanic acid, benzaldehyde.

    In medical institutions, the use of red is not practiced. Its medicinal properties have found application only in traditional medicine, which is also familiar with some of its contraindications.

    The plant has been successfully used in the treatment of many diseases:

    • bronchial asthma;
    • colds;
    • bronchitis;
    • migraines;
    • osteochondrosis;
    • psoriasis;
    • ulcer;
    • ascites;
    • menopause.

    Folk decoctions of red elderberry flowers have laxative, expectorant, diaphoretic, diuretic, antipyretic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory effects.

    The use of black elderberry in traditional medicine

    As for the black elderberry berries and their medicinal properties, they are recognized by official medicine, while in folk recipes the whole plant is used as a whole (bark, leaves, inflorescences).

    Syrup

    A syrup from fruits, which begin to be harvested from the beginning of August, is prepared by pouring berries with sugar in layers. After a couple of months, the liquid is drained and then stored in a cool, dark place.

    This useful syrup cleanses the blood very well, is indispensable for those who suffer from frequent sore throats, it increases immunity, restores vision. It is also used as an auxiliary alternative treatment for certain blood diseases, mastopathy, nodular goiter, it is recommended for use after irradiation, it normalizes the level of hemoglobin.

    However, despite the description of many medicinal properties, black elderberry syrup has contraindications - diabetes mellitus. In this case, it is better to prepare infusions from the fruits by steaming them with boiling water.

    Jam

    Jam from the berries of the plant is a very tasty, aromatic dish, and it also has great health benefits. It is easy to prepare. This recipe is suitable for various fillings for rolls, pies or just tea.

    Medicinal properties of black elderberry:

    • increased tone;
    • cleaning of blood vessels and blood;
    • help in the functioning of the pancreas;
    • improvement of the condition with varicose veins;
    • excellent antipyretic agent;
    • elixir of longevity.

    Wine

    There is a simple recipe to make a delicious, as well as healing black elderberry wine. Juice is squeezed out of ripe fruits, placed in a glass bottle. 200 ml of honey is poured into 1.5 liters of juice. It is hermetically closed with a stopper, where a hole for the hose is cut. One end of the hose is pushed into the bottle, and the other into a container of water. During fermentation, the juice is placed in a dark place, at the end of the process it is bottled, and stored for another two months away from light and heat.

    Drink about 50 ml of wine before eating.

    Elderberry black planting and care

    Planting and caring for black elderberry is practically no different from planting and caring for any other representative of medicinal plants. The shrub loves sunny places. It is recommended to plant it in spring or autumn. From soils, it prefers moist loam, fertile, podzolic.

    In the spring, a standard preventive pruning is carried out on the plant, it is advisable to treat it with drugs for pests and diseases. The first watering is in progress. The second spraying is done after flowering.

    Throughout the summer, it is very important to maintain optimal moisture in the trunks, mulch them, and remove overgrowth in time.

    After harvesting the fruits, fertilizers are applied under the bush and the last watering is carried out. To avoid sunburn in winter, the branches are whitewashed with lime. Warming of near-trunk circles with dry grass with leaves will help from frost.

    Black elderberry jam has always been considered an exquisite and unusual dish during winter tea drinking. Black elderberry is rarely found in dachas and in gardens, this low shrub (about 3 m) often grows on the edges of forests and in forest plantations. This is a tasty and aromatic berry that can be used to create various desserts. You should know: only black elderberry is suitable for use in cooking, as other varieties (with red or yellow berries) have poisonous properties. Berry picking takes place at the end of summer - beginning of autumn.
    If you managed to collect some berries, then you are in luck. Elderberry in recipes goes well with apples, pears, quince and plum. You can create various winter blanks from it. Syrups, compotes, jam, preserves and confiture - this is the minimum list of dishes that can be created with ripe berries.
    In our jam recipe, the calculation is per 1 kg of berries. The blank can be used as a savory addition or as a separate dish. Elderberry jam has a sweet, slightly astringent taste and a delicate, weightless aroma. The sweet syrup can be used to create drinks, and the dark fruit can be used in pie fillings and served with tea on a slice of white bread.

    Taste Info Jam and jam

    Ingredients

    • black elderberry (ripe berries) - 1 kg;
    • citric acid - on the tip of a knife (pinch) it is 1-2 g;
    • sugar - 800 g

    Cooking time: 12 hours Difficulty: Easy

    How to make healthy black elderberry jam

    First, prepare the berries: rinse them under running cold water, separate the fruits from the twigs. Spread the berries on a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. Pour the dried berries into a deep bowl.


    Then add the recommended amount of granulated sugar to the bowl.


    Now it's time to add citric acid. It can be replaced with a few (no more than 3) teaspoons of lime or lemon juice, then the berries get a piquant aftertaste, which many people really like. Remember, the more acid you put in, the more sugar you need.


    Then carefully mix the jam components with a spoon so as not to damage the structure of the berries.

    Our berries need time to juice up. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and leave the jam for 8 hours in a dark place at room temperature. It is possible in the kitchen, just put it so that it does not interfere (so as not to turn it over). During this time, the sugar will dissolve and the elderberry will "let the juice". The juice should be clearly visible in the bowl.


    It's time to make the jam. Cook the fruits for 40-45 minutes, over low heat, stir frequently (after 7-10 minutes). Now pour the resulting mass into a dry glass container and seal it tightly. We use a useful blank from black elderberry throughout all winter months.

    Helpful hints:

    • The readiness of the jam can be judged by how it flows from the match (toothpick). If the droplet is thick, the jam is ready. If it is liquid and flows quickly, not yet.
    • If the jam will be eaten as a separate dessert, then it should be thicker, but in order to add juice to drinks, jelly, and other dishes, it is better to make it thinner. Then the berries will be juicier.
    • When boiled over high heat, the berries will fall apart, the jam will have a more uniform consistency. On low heat - the berries will retain their shape.

    About the benefits of elderberry:

    In folk medicine, the plant is well-deservedly respected for its medicinal properties. Indeed, it contains many biologically active substances (up to 49 mg / 1 g), there is carotene and ascorbic acid, and tannins are present. She possesses:

    • anti-inflammatory properties, is a good antiseptic and is recommended for colds and sore throats;
    • mild laxative effect. Kissel from berries is recommended for constipation;
    • diaphoretic, it is used in diets for weight loss;
    • traditional medicine claims that elderberry can prevent cancer.

    The presence of a large amount of active substances requires the use of elderberry delicacies in moderation (remember about laxative and diuretic properties), and it is not at all recommended to eat this berry during pregnancy, ulcerative colitis, diabetes insipidus, Crohn's disease (in this case, elderberry will be harmful) ...

    Black elderberry is considered to be a unique berry. The tree is unpretentious in cultivation, more often it grows in the wild. The fruits are rich in beneficial enzymes that provide tremendous benefits to the human body. Also, jam is made from elderberry flowers, a delicacy based on them is able to fight many ailments. Consider the common recipes for treating black berries.

    The benefits of black elderberry

    • normalizes the work of the pancreas;
    • removes cholesterol;
    • cleans the blood;
    • increases the activity of hormonal glands;
    • improves the tone of the whole body;
    • has a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect;
    • fights diabetes, varicose veins, ulcers, hepatitis;
    • reduces fever for colds;
    • removes bile in case of liver disease;
    • has a diuretic and laxative effect;
    • fights the early stages of cancer.

    Simple Black Elderberry Jam

    • black elderberry - 3 kg.
    • granulated sugar - 2.9 kg.
    1. Gather ripe berries, sort them in the usual way, get rid of the stalks and spoiled elements. Put the elderberry in a colander, rinse with running water. Wait for the liquid to drain, send the berries to cheesecloth.
    2. Once the fruits are dry, transfer them to a container with a thick bottom. Spread the berries in layers, alternate with sugar. Cover the pot with any cloth, wait 2-3 hours. In the allotted time, the product will let the juice out.
    3. Next, move the container with the components to the stove, light a slow fire. Start the cooking process, do not forget to constantly stir the ingredients. The manipulation time after boiling will be about 25-35 minutes.
    4. Check the treat for readiness, the berries should soften. After that, take the sterilized jars and pour the elderberry treat into them. Roll up the containers with clean lids. Store the jam in a dry, dark place.

    Black elderberry flower jam

    • black elderberry (flowers) - 450 gr.
    • granulated sugar - 530 gr.
    • filtered water - 550 ml.
    1. Use a saucepan of the right size, combine sugar sand and purified water in it. Send the container to low heat, stir the components regularly. Simmer until smooth.
    2. At the same time, start processing elderberry flowers. Separate the petals from the stalks, you need to get rid of the latter. Place the prepared product in a clean container, stir in the prepared sweet mass.
    3. Cover the basin with the product with a gauze cloth, leave the treat to infuse for 12-14 hours. Set the refractory container on a slow fire the next day. Simmer the treat after boiling for about a quarter of an hour.
    4. During the manipulation, do not forget to mix the composition regularly. Turn off the burner, pass the flower jam through a fine sieve. The purified mixture must be re-boiled for a third of an hour. Next, roll up the jam in the usual way.

    Black Elderberry Pectin Jam

    • pectin (powder) - 45 gr.
    • elderberry berries - 980 gr.
    • citric acid - 6 gr.
    • sugar - 1.1 kg.
    1. Prepare the elderberry for cooking treats, after drying, separate exactly half of the fruits. Send the berries to a meat grinder. Combine the resulting gruel with whole fruits in a thick-walled saucepan.
    2. Put the container on fire, set the minimum power. Stir the ingredients, wait until boiling. After that, the berries need to be boiled for 5 minutes. Next, add half of the sugar mixed with pectin to the container.
    3. Stir the ingredients thoroughly with a wooden spatula. Continue the boiling process. As soon as the mixture becomes thick, add the rest of the sand and citric acid. Stir the treat again.
    4. Simmer the mass for 8 minutes. After that, spread the jam over dry glass jars. Roll up the capron, insulate the containers with a blanket, after cooling down, move to a cool back room.

    Elderberry and Walnut Blossom Jam

    • elderberry (flowers) - 800 gr.
    • liquid honey - 300 gr.
    • walnuts (crushed) - 700 gr.
    • sugar - 1.2 kg.
    • filtered water - 265 ml.
    1. Collect elderberry flowers at their peak. No need to wash. Separate the petals from the sepals, transfer to a sieve. Shake the food to scatter the pollen. Move the petals to a bowl, pour boiling water over it.
    2. After 7-9 minutes, discard the flowers on a fine sieve, wait for the water to drain. You do not need to squeeze the product. In parallel, combine purified water, granulated sugar and honey in a separate saucepan. Stir the ingredients until smooth.
    3. When the first bubbles appear, add the flowers to the boiling mixture. Boil the ingredients over low heat for 15-17 minutes. Let the mixture cool completely at room temperature. The manipulation must be repeated 4 times. Roll up.

    • lemon - 2 pcs.
    • purified water - 780 ml.
    • elderberry - 980 kg.
    • granulated sugar - 1.6 kg.
    1. Pour the prepared elderberry with boiling water and leave for 2 minutes. Squeeze citrus fruits in parallel. In a separate saucepan, cook the sugar syrup using the classic technology. Add lemon juice to the sweet mass.
    2. Send blanched elderberry to the total mass. Stir the ingredients thoroughly, place over low heat. Boil the composition to the desired consistency. After that, the treats are distributed among the banks and rolled up.

    Elderberry and gooseberry jam

    • sugar - 1.3 kg.
    • black elderberry - 1.1 kg.
    • ripe gooseberries - 330 gr.
    1. After the preparatory measures, the elderberries need to be moved to a saucepan. Simmer the fruits for about 6 minutes.
    2. Further, the product is recommended to be passed through a food processor. Do the same with gooseberries, only you do not need to cook it.
    3. Combine the berry masses in a refractory container, add sugar, stir thoroughly. Place the pot on the burner and start the boiling process over low heat. Use a thick mass of treats. Roll up in the classic way.

    Elderberry and apple jam

    • red apples - 600 gr.
    • vanillin - 4 gr.
    • elderberry - 1150 gr.
    • lemon - 1 pc.
    • sugar - 680 gr.
    1. Wash the apples and get rid of any excess, chop the pulp into cubes. Combine the fruit with the prepared elderberry. Stir in granulated sugar. Leave the components to extract juice (about 3 hours).
    2. In parallel, pour boiling water over the citrus, chop into small pieces along with the zest. After the expiration of the time, combine the components in a refractory container. Install it on the stove, wait for it to boil, turn the burner down to a minimum.
    3. Boil the treat to an acceptable consistency, add vanillin at the end of the manipulation. Mix the ingredients again. Distribute the hot composition into dry jars, close with metal lids.

    Elderberry jam is easy. Follow simple instructions, vary the number of components. You can also add a variety of berries and fruits based on your personal preference. The elderberry treat is used as a filling for pies and similar baked goods. Stock up on a healthy treat for the winter and boost your family's immune system.

    Video: elderflower syrup

    Black elderberry is a medicinal plant from the honeysuckle family, the fruits of which are sweetish-sour in taste, juicy, with 2-4 seeds, which ripen in September. In Latin, its name sounds like this - "sambukus". This is due to the musical instrument sambuca, which is made from the wood of this small tree.

    The shrub grows in deciduous and coniferous forests, grows quite large up to 7 meters, it has branched stems, ash-brown bark. Leaves are pinnate, form several oblong leaves. Small yellowish-white flowers.

    By the way, the bushes are planted as an ornamental plant along roads, in settlements and on wastelands. It is well accepted, if not controlled, sometimes it forms large thickets.

    There are three types of elderberry: black, red, and grassy. In the red elderberry, the flowers are collected in an ovoid raceme and do not fall after flowering. The herbaceous one has three main axes, connected in a thyroid raceme. The shrub with black berries has five major axes and the same raceme as the herbaceous one.

    And the flowering time also varies. The very first blooms in May - it is red, in June - black, in July - grassy.

    The first two do not contain medicinal properties. The latter plant is so useful that everything is used for medicinal purposes - inflorescences, fruits, bark, leaves, roots. But it is quite poisonous, except for the flowers, shell, pulp of berries, not counting the seeds inside.

    Therefore, you need to know how to properly collect and harvest these fruits. How do you do it?

    1. Inflorescences. When the flowers have completely blossomed, they are harvested. To then prepare decoctions from them, you need to dry the inflorescences. We lay it out on paper in one layer, dry it in the fresh air in the shade or tie it into bundles, and hang it in a ventilated room. Then we grind the flowers in our hands, sift them through a large sieve, discard the rest, that is, the pedicels. The resulting powder should be stored in paper boxes or bags for about three years;
    2. Bark. It must be carefully plucked during the period when the juice moves through the bush;
    3. Leaves. They are harvested during flowering. Raw materials are also dried, like inflorescences. It turns out very tasty and "honey" from them. A liter jar is filled to the very top with some flowers without stalks, filled with sugar syrup (1: 1, water: sugar). After a day, boil for about 30 minutes, filter and cool;
    4. Berries. Cut when ripe. The fruits are cut along with the branches, tied in bunches, hung to dry so that direct sunlight falls. You can, of course, use an oven for this purpose.

    In addition to drying, there are many more ways to prepare them: boil elderberry jam, jam, compote, syrup, tea, liqueur, make jelly, squeeze juice, grind with sugar and store fresh in the refrigerator. However, it should not be consumed fresh.

    Elderberry jam - medicinal properties

    The sweetest treat for tea is jam. It can also be used as a filling in pies, pies, or as an additional ingredient in various desserts. We will describe its preparation in more detail below.

    Black berry contains ascorbic acid, carotene, tannins and many other useful elements. The composition includes medicinal properties that have a positive effect on our body, namely:

    • increases the tone of the body, contributing to longevity;
    • cleans the blood from harmful substances, cholesterol;
    • stimulates hormonal glands;
    • has anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, bactericidal, astringent effect;
    • improves the functioning of the pancreas;
    • helps to fight diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hepatitis, stomach and intestinal ulcers, varicose veins;
    • has diaphoretic, antipyretic properties during a rise in temperature with a cold;
    • acts as a choleretic agent for liver disease, a laxative for constipation, a diuretic for swelling, kidney disease;
    • treats various tumors, mastopathy, early stages of cancer.

    Black elderberry jam is very healthy. It needs to be prepared and consumed not only for the prevention or treatment of the disease, but also just to please yourself with something sweet, unusual.

    But you do not need to abuse, since the seeds of the fruit contain hydrocyanic acid, which can cause vomiting and nausea.

    Black Elderberry Jam Recipes

    Recipe one


    Simple elderberry jam:

    • a kilogram of berries;
    • kilogram of sugar.

    We separate the berries from the twigs, wash them, put them in a colander so that the liquid is glass. We put them in a large bowl, in which you usually cook jam, add sugar, mix. We leave for an hour. The berries let the juice go, set to cook on a small fire, after boiling. After half an hour we try, if they are soft, pour and roll up.

    Second recipe

    Black Elderberry Jelly Jam:

    • a kilogram of peeled fruits;
    • the first portion of 550 grams of sugar;
    • 5 grams of citric acid;
    • 40 grams of pectin powder (sachet) or 500 grams of pectin seasoning;
    • the second portion is 700 grams of sugar.

    Method one with pectin powder. We cut off the fruits from the pedicels, rinse with running water, twist half through a meat grinder, transfer to a large saucepan, add the second to them, cook for five or seven minutes. Then pour 550 grams of sugar mixed with powder, stir constantly, continue to cook.

    When the fruits become soft, the jam begins to thicken, little by little add the remaining sugar. Cook until it becomes jelly, add acid dissolved in a spoonful of water. We mix.

    We quickly spread it over the heated jars, seal it, set it upside down, cover it with a cloth. We hide the cold product in the cellar.

    Method two with pectin seasoning. We cook according to the first method, only pour the pectin seasoning after the first portion of sugar, when it dissolves. Then the rest, we cook and fill the jars.

    Third recipe

    Elderberry Lemon Jam:

    • 2 kilograms of berries;
    • 3 kilograms of sugar;
    • 3 lemon;
    • 1.5 liters of water.

    Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Cooking sugar and water syrup. Wash the berries, immerse them in boiling water for three minutes, drain the water. Pour syrup, lemon juice into a saucepan with berries, cook until tender. We pack the ready-made delicacy with lemon from berries in sterilized jars.

    Fourth recipe

    Dense Elderberry Gooseberry Jam:

    • a kilogram of fruit;
    • 300 grams of gooseberries;
    • 1.2 kilograms of granulated sugar.

    Cook washed berries without twigs for seven minutes. Then we wipe them through a sieve. Wash gooseberries, twist them through a meat grinder. Combine the ingredients, add sugar, cook until thick over low heat.

    Fifth recipe


    Spicy black elderberry jam with lemon, apples and spices:

    • a kilogram of berries without twigs;
    • a pound of apples;
    • 2 lemons;
    • 0.4 kilograms of sugar;
    • 2 cinnamon sticks;
    • 2 tablespoons of pectin;
    • vanilla to taste.

    Cook clean berries for 20 minutes until soft, grind them through sated seeds. Boil the lemons, grind with a blender. Rub the apples on a grater, put them to the berry puree along with lemon mass, cinnamon and vanilla.

    Pour in some water. Cook for half an hour, then add sugar and pectin, stir. As soon as it has melted, we put the dessert in heated jars that stand in hot water. After a few minutes, take out, seal, wrap up.

    Elderberry jam, cooked according to this recipe, turns out to be not only tasty, but also useful, especially for colds and stomach diseases. It is easy to prepare and will be a great treat for cold winter days.

    Ingredients

    To make elderberry jam you will need:

    1 kg of sugar;

    1 kg of black elderberry berries;
    1 tsp citric acid;
    1/3 cup water.

    Cooking steps

    We pick ripe berries from the branches. We discard damaged and unripe berries.

    Put ripe elderberries in a saucepan.

    Sprinkle the berries with sugar, add water and citric acid.

    Put the saucepan on the fire, bringing it to a boil, reduce the heat to the minimum and boil the mass (cook for at least 30 minutes). Remove the foam from time to time. The longer we cook, the thicker the jam will be.

    We lay out the elderberry jam in sterilized jars, roll up the lids, wrap it until it cools completely. Try it, it turns out very tasty!

    Bon Appetit!