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Barberry is a well-known medicinal plant, successfully used in folk medicine since time immemorial. In what month to collect barberry berries, how to properly harvest and store, where to use and how to prepare are described in the material below.
When is barberry harvested in central Russia?
All parts of the bush have healing properties, but its fruits are most often collected. The berries contain such useful elements as:
- wine acid;
- lemon acid;
- Apple acid;
- vitamins C, A, K, E;
- anthocyanins;
- pectins.
The highest concentration of these substances is observed during the period of full ripening of fruits, namely in mid or late autumn. This time is ideal for picking barberries. In central Russia, barberries can be harvested immediately after the first frost; lowering the temperature to negative values helps reduce the bitterness and characteristic sourness in the pulp.
Ripe berries have a bright red or crimson color, they are oval in shape, no more than 1 cm long. Inside there are several seeds, about 5 mm in size.
It is not recommended to delay the collection of barberries.Overripe berries lose their elasticity, become soft and watery, which complicates their transportation, storage and complicates the harvesting process. It is easier to collect in good weather without precipitation.
Rules for collecting barberry
Barberry is a highly branched and thorny shrub; this feature makes picking berries very difficult. To avoid injury from sharp thorns, you should wear long sleeves and gloves when picking fruits.
In some countries, such as Iran, where barberry cultivation is one of the thriving agricultural sectors, the berries are often collected from freshly cut branches. This method makes it possible to rejuvenate the bush and use the bark and leaves as medicinal raw materials.
After harvesting, the barberries should be sorted out, rinsed under running cold water, and placed in a colander in a thin layer. There is no need to mix the berries with your hands or a spoon, as this can damage the thin skin.
You can collect barberry not only on your personal plot, but also in the forest. The plant is frost-resistant and can easily withstand the harsh Russian climate. Barberry is most often found in the forest-steppe of the North Caucasus region, as well as in the Primorsky Territory. You can collect berries from wild bushes only away from roads, large industrial enterprises and other objects with difficult environmental conditions.
Application of fruits
The range of uses of barberry berries is more than wide. The plant is used in medicine, cosmetology, and cooking. Thanks to the enzymes contained in the berries, barberry juice has long been used to dye fabrics and leather.
For medicinal purposes, the berries of this shrub are collected and used to:
- increase appetite;
- improve heart function;
- strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
- normalize hormonal levels;
- stabilize the functioning of the thyroid gland;
- relieve fever.
Barberry has a hemostatic effect and is used as an aid in the treatment of liver and genitourinary diseases. To prevent cardiovascular diseases and strengthen the immune system, many experts advise regularly drinking barberry tea. The recipe is quite simple:
- Ch.l. dried barberry fruits are poured into a tbsp. boiling water.
- The tea is infused for 10 minutes.
- Add granulated sugar or honey to taste.
- Drink warm 30 minutes after eating.
Barberry berries are collected on an industrial scale and for cosmetology. Products based on it are especially useful for aging and aging skin, as they have a good tightening effect and improve elasticity. But it is not at all necessary to use store-bought creams and masks; they can be prepared at home. For example, according to this recipe:
- 3-4 tbsp. l. Hercules porridge is steamed in hot milk and the mixture is allowed to cool.
- 200 g of dry barberry berries are ground and combined with oatmeal gruel.
- Add a chicken egg and 1 tsp to the mixture. honey
- The mask is applied to cleansed skin and washed off with warm water after 20 minutes.
There are an incredible number of recipes using fresh fruits, which are collected immediately before cooking. The berries are good in spicy sauces for meat and fish dishes; they are used to prepare:
- jams;
- syrups;
- jelly;
- marmalade;
- jam.
As well as liqueurs and other alcoholic drinks.
Barberry is rarely consumed in its pure form due to the tart and sour taste of the berries. But it is irreplaceable as a seasoning.In Asian cuisine, barberry berries are collected, dried, ground into powder and added to dishes such as hasib, sayhat, various soups and broths. Not a single recipe for real pilaf is complete without this ingredient.
The berries are often collected to prepare sweet dishes: compotes, marshmallows, candied fruits. Barberry marmalade has an interesting, refined taste, which can be consumed as an independent dish and added to baked goods:
- 800 g of washed ripe apples are cut into small pieces and combined with 200 g of barberries.
- The mixture is poured into 100 ml of water, brought to a boil over low heat and cooked for 15 minutes.
- Next, grind with a blender to a homogeneous paste, add 400 g of granulated sugar and cook for another 40 minutes.
- The mixture is cooled, and then heated again and boiled until the marmalade reaches the desired thickness.
- The mixture is poured into molds, allowed to cool and placed in the refrigerator.
Children will especially enjoy this sweetness. The calorie content of the product is 162 kcal per 100 g.
Like any other product, barberry has a number of contraindications. Long-term use for medicinal purposes may cause constipation. It is not recommended for thrombophlebitis, increased stomach acidity, or in a pre-infarction state.
Terms and conditions of storage
To keep barberries fresh, just place the fruits in a glass container, sprinkle with granulated sugar and put in the refrigerator. In this form, the crop will not lose its beneficial properties and will be suitable for consumption until winter.
The most common method of harvesting barberry is drying. The following methods are used for this.
Outdoor drying:
- Ripe, but not overripe fruits are collected, carefully sorted and washed.
- The washed berries are evenly laid out on clean napkins or cotton towels to allow excess moisture to be absorbed.
- The fruits, dried in this way, are distributed onto baking sheets or trays and covered with gauze or fine mesh to prevent access to insects and birds.
- Containers with berries are placed in a warm, well-ventilated room, but not in the sun, since exposure to sunlight destroys vitamins and many other useful compounds in the product.
- To ensure uniform drying, the fruits are stirred regularly.
- The readiness of barberry is determined by the absence of a sticky layer on the shell of the berries.
Oven drying:
- The berries, dried from moisture, are laid out in 1 layer on a baking sheet and placed in the oven, preheated to 40-50°C.
- When the juice stops secreting, the temperature is raised to 60°C and kept in the oven until fully cooked, usually no more than 2.5 hours.
In a fruit dryer. The method is almost identical to the previous one:
- The berries are kept at 50°C for 3 hours, after which the temperature is increased by 10°C and brought to full readiness.
- Well-dried berries do not release juice and have a characteristic gloss.
The harvested berries are poured into glass or plastic jars and tightly closed with a lid. Properly dried barberry can be stored for 3 years. In breathable containers, for example, in paper boxes or bags, it does not deteriorate even longer.
Conclusion
Knowing in what month to collect barberry berries, applying the rules of collection, preparation and storage conditions, you can provide yourself and the whole family with a useful product for several years to come.The undeniable medicinal properties and exquisite culinary qualities of barberry have made it a welcome guest in any kitchen.
