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If a summer resident managed to plant Chinese lemongrass on his property, it’s worth finding recipes for preparing it for the winter in advance. The wise people of China have long used all the components of the plant for medicinal purposes. People appreciate the fruits, leaves, and root system and actively use them to restore vital energy.
How to prepare Chinese lemongrass for the winter
They learned to grow Chinese lemongrass in our latitudes, since alternative medicine is relevant and in demand in the new century. People strive to eat and maintain the body's energy reserves with natural, natural remedies that have powerful properties to strengthen the body's barrier functions and cure many diseases.
There are different methods for preparing medicinal plants.
Drying Schisandra chinensis
The berries are harvested in August or early September. In order not to damage the integrity of the fruits and to prevent them from releasing juice, scissors are used for ease of harvesting.To preserve the harvest, the collected berries are hung in clusters until the moisture has completely evaporated. Dried Chinese lemongrass reaches the required state if you first spread it with its stalks on wooden boards or a special mesh.
Usually the entire drying period takes a week, after which the berries are brought to the desired stage in a dryer at 50 degrees - 6 hours.
Chinese lemongrass, ready to be stored for the winter in dried form, is a black, wrinkled berry. At this stage, all the stalks are picked. Only the fruits are valuable.
Leaves and branches, young shoots are cut off after harvesting the berries. It is important to have time to prepare raw materials before the leaves begin to fall. All plant fragments are cut with scissors and laid out on pallets in a dry, well-ventilated area.
With the addition of dry particles of the plant, a delicious tea with citrus notes is prepared, according to a home recipe. Housewives collect a wide variety of herbal mixes to brew healthy drinks in the winter to protect loved ones from colds.
Freezing
To preserve the appearance and structure of the crop as much as possible, it is recommended to freeze it in bulk on dishes. When the layer freezes, it is poured into a bag or special boxes. Thus, all vitamins and minerals are preserved in full. The collection can remain in the freezer until the next harvest.
Canning
Preparations from Schisandra chinensis for the winter, the recipes of which are surprising in their variety, are a convenient way to preserve the berries for a long time.There are many options for canning. Since the berries are not consumed in their raw state, medicinal fruits in the form of homemade twists taste more pleasant and are well preserved for a long time.
Recipes from Schisandra chinensis for the winter
Recipes are constantly being added, as the demand for the elixir of vigor grows every year. The hostess adds her own personal touch and makes the dish unique. Classic harvesting methods include different methods.
Recipe for Chinese lemongrass jam for the winter
To prepare a dessert with beneficial properties according to the recipe, you will need:
- berry picking - 0.5 kg;
- granulated sugar - 0.750 kg;
- water - 200 ml.
In order for the jam to be successful, the fruits must be ripe, but not overripe.
Algorithm of actions:
- Berries are selected of good quality, and all excess is eliminated.
- The product is rinsed twice in cool water.
- The workpiece is poured into a wide basin coated with enamel.
- Add sugar and set aside for a day.
- Add water to the lemongrass berries that have released their juice and place on moderate heat.
- Boil the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Simmer for another 5 minutes.
- After the jam has cooled, it should be boiled again.
- Place in sterile containers.
- The twists are stored without access to light in a cool place.
In this way, the finished jam can be stored for a year.
Useful qualities of jam:
- includes malic and citric acid;
- rich in vitamins B, C, E;
- rich in magnesium, calcium, phosphorus;
- is an antioxidant;
- has a tonic effect.
During the cooking process, a small amount of nutrients is lost. You should consume lemongrass products with caution, listening to your body’s reactions.
Schisandra chinensis with sugar for the winter
Everyone has tried cranberries in sugar at least once. Chinese lemongrass, prepared for the winter in sugar, differs only in its citrus flavor, easy to prepare at home.
To prepare the recipe you will need:
- fruit yield - 0.5 kg;
- granulated sugar - 1 kg.
Algorithm of actions:
- The berries are carefully prepared, sorted, stalks, leaves, and spoiled fruits are removed.
- Rinse several times in cool, running water.
- Dry by spreading loosely on a waffle towel.
- The prepared product is poured into dry, sterilized containers.
- If the preparation is made in a jar with a volume of 0.5 liters, then 180 g of berries are poured.
- The remaining space is filled with sugar.
- Cover hermetically with lids and leave for a couple of hours.
- Put away in the cold.
You can store such a preparation for up to a year, and if necessary, more.
Benefits of berries in sugar:
- Vitamin C provides antioxidant properties;
- vitamin E is a source of youth, beauty, has regenerating properties;
- B vitamins - valuable for various organs and systems;
- magnesium, iron, phosphorus, calcium - improve digestive function, tone, invigorate;
- contains folic, malic, citric acid.
The preparation is a ready-made dessert, an additive to tea, or a filling for baking. Delicious fruit drinks are prepared based on the berries.
Flavored jam
The technology for making jam requires that harvesting Schisandra chinensis for the winter be seedless. The seeds of the fruit add bitterness to desserts, which should be avoided.
To prepare the recipe you will need:
- harvest - 0.5 kg;
- granulated sugar - 0.750 kg.
Algorithm of actions:
- Berries are prepared for preservation in a standard manner.
- Place in a wide container and heat in boiling water for up to 5 minutes.
- Rub through a sieve.
- Add sugar.
- Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly.
When hot, the jam is poured into heated, sterilized jars and tightly closed with lids.
Lemongrass juice
Berry juice can be easily stored. To prepare the drink according to the recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- fresh Chinese lemongrass berries - 0.5 kg;
- granulated sugar - 0.5 kg.
You can take any number of components, provided the proportion is 1:1.
Algorithm of actions:
- The berries are sorted, stalks, leaves and spoiled fruits are removed.
- The prepared product is rinsed twice in cool water.
- The workpiece is poured into an enamel bowl and combined with granulated sugar.
- After three days, all the released juice is drained and filtered.
- The concentrate is poured into a sterile container.
The finished product is stored in the refrigerator.
The juice of the Chinese fruit is sour. Its structure includes many acids, mineral salts and vitamins.
Properties of juice and its value for the body:
- a storehouse of vitamins;
- useful for hypotensive patients;
- normalizes blood sugar;
- restores visual function;
- tones, invigorates.
Compote
Compotes are not seasonal drinks. In summer they quench thirst, and from autumn to spring they are a source of vitamins and other useful substances.
To prepare the recipe you will need:
- ripe berries of Chinese lemongrass - 0.5 kg;
- granulated sugar - 0.650 kg;
- water - 0.6 l.
Algorithm of actions:
- The fruits are prepared in the standard way and washed.
- The clean product is placed in an enamel pan.
- Pour in hot sugar syrup.
- Leave for a couple of hours.
- Place the pan over moderate heat and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for 5 minutes.
- The compote is poured into sterile containers.
In order for the product to last longer, the jars with the contents are placed in the cold.
Compote is the most successful form of preserving Chinese lemongrass. It is tasty and healthy. Colds disappear faster, the body restores immunity after illness. The recipe should be in every housewife's notebook.
Terms and conditions of storage
Most often, Schisandra chinensis berries are stored in dried form. Properly dried fruits are poured into paper bags and placed in a dark, dry place. Store for no more than two years. Juice from the berries, mixed with granulated sugar, is stored in dark glass, in closed containers, in a cool place for up to three years. At the same time, observing the proportions of the recipe, mold does not form and the taste does not deteriorate.
By combining the fruits with granulated sugar, you can store them for a long time in a cold place, and in the freezer, provided that they are not thawed, storage is possible until the next fruit harvest.
Conclusion
You can profitably feast on it by picking Chinese lemongrass in the fall; a recipe for preparing delicious berries for the winter will help smooth out the sourness. The plant is a vine with clusters of sour berries with a sharp lemony taste and aroma. It is impossible to consume the alluring, healthy fruits in the required quantities directly from the branch. Craftsmen prepare compotes, infusions, and wine from the fruits.From the harvest of a useful plant, preparations are made for every taste, preserving the properties of the plant to return vitality to the body.
