Content
Thorn is a wild shrub that many gardeners use as a hedge. But few people know that its berries contain many beneficial components for human health. The drupe fruits of this plant have a tart, sour taste, so they are not suitable for everyone for fresh consumption. But if you wish, you can prepare healthy juice from thorns, which in winter can replenish the lack of vitamins in the body.
The juice retains most of the beneficial components of natural raw materials
The benefits and harms of thorn juice
The drink based on shrub berries has a rich chemical composition. It contains organic and fatty acids, a complex of vitamins and mineral components, tannins, coumarins, flavonoids, pectin, essential oils and sugars.
Due to the high content of important components, sloe juice is useful in the following cases:
- improves the functioning of the digestive system;
- normalizes sleep;
- increases the elasticity of blood vessels;
- reduces pain during menstruation;
- promotes rapid recovery after illness;
- increases immunity;
- has a mild diuretic effect, removes sand from the kidneys;
- reduces nausea, promotes the elimination of toxins in case of poisoning;
- has a beneficial effect on the nervous system;
- increases visual acuity, prevents the development of glaucoma;
- improves metabolic processes in the body;
- promotes the flow of bile.
Blackthorn juice can be harmful to health in some cases. The product should not be used by people with a predisposition to allergies. If characteristic signs appear, you should stop drinking the drink.
Other contraindications:
- increased stomach acidity;
- gastritis;
- ulcer;
- pregnancy;
- hypotension;
- dehydration;
- lactation.
You need to drink thorn juice in doses, no more than 100 ml per day
Selection and preparation of ingredients
The fruits of this shrub are similar in appearance to plums, but are small in size. The berries on the blackthorn ripen in late July - mid-August and acquire a dark purple color with a bluish coating on the surface. But for juice, the fruits must be collected after the first frost, since at low temperatures their taste improves.
Natural raw materials must first be sorted out and all specimens with signs of spoilage and rot removed. Then the berries must be washed and left in a colander to drain the water. After this, you should remove the seeds from the fruit. Therefore, it is important to remove berries from the branches only after the first frost, when they soften slightly, which greatly simplifies this procedure.
You should also prepare jars for storing sloe juice in winter in advance.They need to be thoroughly washed and sterilized for 10 minutes, which will prevent premature spoilage of the drink during storage.
How to make sloe juice
There are two ways to make a healthy drink from the berries of the bush. Each of them has certain cooking features that need to be taken into account. Only if all stages of the technological process are followed, the drink retains most of the beneficial components of natural berries.
Sloe juice in a juicer for the winter
Using a juicer can greatly simplify the cooking process. The drink is obtained by evaporating natural raw materials. This process is simple, but it needs to be constantly monitored.
Required:
- sloe berries - 2.5 kg;
- water - 2.5 l;
- sugar - 0.5 kg.
Cooking process:
- Pour water into the bottom of the juicer.
- Separately, place the berries in a container, add sugar, and mix.
- Place a juice collector in the juicer.
- Place the prepared berries with sugar in the upper part of the device with holes.
- Close the lid and put on fire.
- Cook for 30-40 minutes, during this time keep the juice drain hose closed.
- After this, drain the drink and return it to the upper bowl of the juicer to boil again.
- When the juice begins to accumulate again, substitute a sterilized jar.
- After filling it, roll up the lid.
Winter sloe preparation cooked in a juicer turns out rich and thick
Sloe juice through a juicer for the winter
Using this recipe, you can prepare healthy juice for the winter in 1 hour. Therefore, most housewives prefer it.
Required:
- berries - 2.5 kg;
- sugar - 0.5 kg.
Algorithm of actions:
- Pour boiling water over the pitted fruits for 3 minutes.
- Drain the water and pass the softened pulp through an electric juicer.
- Pour the liquid into an enamel pan.
- Add sugar and mix.
- Boil.
- Pour into jars.
- Separately, add water to a wide saucepan.
- Cover its bottom with cotton cloth in two or three layers.
- Place jars of juice in a saucepan and cover them with lids.
- Sterilize for 25 minutes.
- Roll up the lids.
The sweetness of the juice can be adjusted to your own taste.
How to store thorn juice
You can store the workpiece in winter at a temperature of +2-15 degrees and a humidity of about 70-75%. Therefore, it is recommended to keep cans of the drink in the basement, on the balcony or terrace. It is important that the juice is not exposed to direct sunlight, as this leads to loss of beneficial properties and premature spoilage of the product. The shelf life of the drink is 12 months.
Conclusion
Sloe juice is a healthy preparation that will be a real find in winter when there is snow outside the window. After all, this drink is able to maintain immunity at a high level and reduces the body’s susceptibility to pathogens. However, in order not to involuntarily cause harm to health, it must be consumed in doses, taking into account existing contraindications.
