Knowing how to preserve dogwood for the winter, you can provide for yourself and your entire family useful vitamins and microelements. Ancient people ate mainly fresh berries, so, based on their own observations, they could determine how the consumption of each type of product affected their well-being. They used dogwood as a medicinal remedy. Not only berries were used for these purposes, but also roots, bark, and leaves.
The value and benefits of dogwood
The uniqueness of dogwood is the high content of vitamin C in the pulp of the berry. There are about 50-150 mg per 100 g of product. Therefore, these fruits are in no way inferior to lemons or rose hips in terms of the presence of vitamin C. The berries also contain antioxidants and carotene.
The fruits of the plant bring many beneficial substances to the human body:
- salts of potassium, calcium, magnesium;
- pectin;
- essential oils;
- nitrogenous substances;
- organic acids (including rare succinic acid);
- great amount vitamin C.
Knowing how to properly prepare this berry for winter period, you can preserve dogwood with the whole complex of vitamins. Which will come in handy for the body during a period when there are no other sources of vitamin supplementation.
The medicinal properties of berries are manifested in such positive action on functions in the human body:
- increases hemoglobin;
- normalizes digestion, is a stimulant for the production of gastric secretion;
- strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
- improves appetite;
- improves general blood circulation;
- normalizes blood pressure;
- has a choleretic effect.
100 grams contain about 15% sugar.
Like many other berries, dogwood is a low-calorie product. There are only 40 kcal in 100 g. Only half of the calories are present in the broth. Also fresh and dried fruits used to prepare various alcoholic beverages. Often wines, tinctures, and liqueurs are prepared from them.
Freezing dogwood
Using this method all the benefits of the berry are preserved. Before freezing, all fruits should be carefully sorted, selecting damaged and rotten ones. Afterwards, wash with cool water and be sure to dry completely.
Only ripe fruits should be frozen.
As soon as the dogwood has dried well, you can freeze the ready-to-eat product. It would be more advisable to place the fruits on a pallet or other flat shapes in one layer, having previously laid parchment or cling film. After a while, when the berries are completely frozen, you can transfer them to a convenient container for compact storage in the freezer. These can be bags or boxes that are hermetically sealed to prevent foreign odors and substances from getting inside.
Drying dogwood
In this form, adults, and especially children, will enjoy the delicacy. When the season of fresh berries and fruits is behind us, dried aromatic fruits will certainly come in handy. They preserve the taste and smell of fresh dogwood, making them richer and sweeter. This occurs due to lack of fluid.
Before preparing dried dogwood, you need to thoroughly wash 1 kilogram of berries and remove the seeds from them. Then add 100 g of sugar. In this form they should stand for a day. During this time, juice will be released, which must be drained. Afterwards, the berries are poured with hot syrup. Its temperature should be about 80° C. The syrup is cooked from equal amounts of water and sugar or from previously drained juice.
Allow the prepared liquid to stand together with the berries for five minutes. At the end of the time, the dogwood should be thrown into a colander. As soon as the syrup has drained, the fruits can be dried in the oven on baking sheets twice for 20 minutes. With a break for the berries to cool completely. Permissible temperature is 65-70°C.
Making marshmallows
For this method, it is better to choose overripe berries. After removing the seeds, puree 0.5 kg of fruit. Afterwards, grind through a fine sieve, removing any hard remaining peel. For 15-20 minutes, evaporate excess moisture over very low heat. Be sure to stir all the time to avoid burning. The cooled mass should be placed on greased parchment. vegetable oil, 0.5 cm thick. This layer will dry to the desired consistency in the oven in 2-3 hours at a temperature of 150°C using a special blowing mode.
IN finished form Dogwood marshmallow is similar in consistency to chewing candy. It can be cut into portioned cubes and sprinkled with a little starch to reduce stickiness. Or roll it into tubes and then form portions. This delicacy is often served with meat. If desired, add nut-honey paste inside before rolling. Makes an excellent confectionery treat.
Drying dogwood
This method is a less expensive preservation option if the process occurs with the help of sun and air. All that remains is to periodically turn over the thin layer of berries, which should be placed in the shade. Good ventilation is required. And after 5 days it will be possible to remove the fruits to a place of permanent storage.
Dried dogwood fruits do not cause allergic reactions.
There are several more ways to dry dogwood using either oven. At first, the temperature is set at 50°C, and then increases to 70°C. Drying occurs much faster, but there are financial costs.
Usually, ripe, but not soft fruits are chosen for this method. You need to wash them first. You can disinfect it by adding a little to the water. table vinegar or a pinch of soda. If desired, remove the seeds or dry them whole.
Dried dogwood will be of great benefit to immune system. This is very important in the cold season, when colds attack and you need to support your body. The phytoncides present in the berries have an antiviral and antibacterial effect.
Eating such berries helps in the fight against weight loss. This is possible due to the ability of dogwood to accelerate metabolic processes in the human body.
Drying dogwood in a dryer - video
And berries, what could be healthier? They contain many vitamins and other beneficial substances that have a beneficial effect on the body. Many people think so and eat a lot of dried fruits and dried berries. But sometimes this can lead to serious consequences. Not all foods can be consumed in large quantities, especially for people with chronic diseases. Dried dogwood, beneficial features and the contraindications of which we will consider in this article, is also useful in moderation.
What kind of plant is this
Dogwood belongs to the family of the same name, which has about 50 species. In nature, it occurs as a shrub with several trunks. It grows wild mainly in the Crimea, Transcarpathia, the Caucasus and Moldova. Cultivated plants that are grown in personal plots are formed at their discretion in the form of a bush or tree.
Dogwood blossoms begin in late March - early April. This occurs during a period when the air temperature warms up to 5-11 degrees. Dogwood has small yellow flowers that are collected in an inflorescence. Then fruits of oblong shape and small size are formed on the bushes. They have shades from light red to almost black. Juicy sweet and sour pulp covers an elongated inedible bone. The fruits are used to make jams, preserves, compotes, jellies, fruit drinks, and syrups. They are consumed raw, processed and dried.
Dried dogwood
Scientists have proven that 100 grams of dogwood contain about 85 grams of water, a lot of monosaccharides and disaccharides (about 9 grams), 0.9 grams of protein, 1.6 grams of fiber. In addition, the berries are rich in citric, succinic, tartaric, gallic acid, vitamin C, micro- and macroelements. Dried dogwood, the beneficial properties and contraindications of which everyone should know, retains all its positive qualities in maximum quantities.
This is explained by the fact that the berries do not undergo heat treatment. Their sour taste becomes sweeter and softer. This is why it is recommended to harvest dogwood. The beneficial properties of dried and fresh berries are almost identical. Therefore, stock up on vitamins for future use. Dried dogwood can be recommended even to children as an alternative to candies and sweets. There will be much more benefits from it.
The benefits of dried dogwood
The presence of a large amount of vitamins makes this berry irreplaceable in cold times, when the body lacks nutrients and the cold season begins. Dried dogwood, the beneficial properties and contraindications of which we will discuss in this article, has an immunostimulating, restorative and tonic effect. It contains a large number of vitamin C, which is especially important during the cold season. According to these characteristics, he even surpassed rowan and lemon. Eating dogwood berries helps improve digestion, improve appetite, eliminate metabolic disorders and heartburn. Phytoncides, which are present in the berries, have an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect.
That is why consuming dogwood in any form helps fight developing infections. Pectins help remove toxins and heavy metals from the body. They play the role of antioxidants. Berries regulate fat metabolism and are effective in combating overweight. Dried dogwood, whose beneficial properties and indications are very diverse, is used for anemia and some diseases of cardio-vascular system.
Dried dogwood for diabetes
Particularly noteworthy is the benefit that comes from consuming dogwood in diabetes mellitus. It has the ability to normalize blood sugar levels. Berries may well compensate for the lack of sweets, the consumption of which diabetics are forced to limit themselves to. They will also replace artificial sweeteners, which are not always beneficial for the body.
Many doctors recommend partially compensating for the lack of sweets with dogwood, and not completely switching to artificial additives. It should be noted that any dogwood is useful for people suffering from this disease. Beneficial properties of fresh and dried fruits very similar. They contain fructose, glucose, acids, tannins and dyes, flavonoids and essential oils, which reduce the amount of glucose in the blood and enhance the functions of the pancreas. That's why this berry is included in the list medicines for diabetics.
Contraindications
Is it possible to cause harm to the body by consuming dogwood? Useful properties and contraindications must be known when using products natural origin. Unfortunately, dogwood also has several features that make it impossible for some categories of people to consume it. For example, a large amount of berries can aggravate stomach ulcers. Because of high content acids it is not recommended for people with high acidity of gastric juice. The fixing effect that dogwood has will have Negative consequences for people who suffer from constipation.
Berries have a tonic effect. Therefore, those who have increased excitability should not consume them in large quantities. Otherwise, there is a risk of emotional overexcitation and insomnia. These are the only negative aspects of the fruit. Dried dogwood (useful properties healing berries known for a very long time) is very useful in the absence of contraindications.
Dosage forms of dogwood
The fruits, leaves, bark and roots of the plant are used as raw materials for the preparation of medicine. Raw materials are harvested from spring to autumn. It is best to collect the roots in the spring or fall, the bark in the spring, and the leaves in the summer months. The berries are picked as they ripen. This is August or September. It is better if the fruits ripen fully on the branches, then they will accumulate a maximum of useful substances.
To harvest berries, a special dryer is required. The raw materials must be thoroughly dried. Dried dogwood, the beneficial properties and contraindications of which must be carefully studied before use, can be stored for three years. But given the properties of this product, it will not last long. These delicious berries Children and adults really like it.
How to dry dogwood
To prepare tinctures and decoctions in the cold season, you need dried dogwood. Its beneficial properties and contraindications must be studied before use. For drying use only best berries, without damage. If there is no special dryer, then you can prepare dogwood in another way. We cover the baking sheets with paper and scatter the fruits on them. Place the dogwood on a shelf with good air circulation. It must be turned over every six hours to ensure even drying. After full readiness(in two weeks) dried berries transferred to paper bags and linen bags. If a dryer is used, then the mode chosen is the same as for apples.
Dogwood calorie content
Those who monitor their weight and adhere to strict diets are, of course, concerned about the calorie content of this product. It should be noted that these indicators for dogwood are more than favorable. People who are overweight can eat the fruit without fear of gaining extra pounds. Calories in this product minimal amount. Per 100 grams of fresh berries there are only 44 kcal, 1 gram of protein, 10.5 grams of carbohydrates and a complete absence of fat.
In dried dogwood these figures are slightly higher. So, 100 grams of this product contains 209 kcal, 46.26 grams of carbohydrates and 4.6 grams of proteins. Dried dogwood does not contain fat. Judging by these data, you can eat large quantities of fruits without worrying about your weight. But you should always remember about contraindications, so as not to harm the body.
Several recipes
How to use dogwood? The beneficial properties and contraindications, benefits and harms of this product, discussed in this article, must be taken into account when choosing this delicacy. But since the berries are medicinal, use them for cooking various dishes. This is, first of all, useful infusion. To prepare it, you need to take 10 grams of dried berries and pour a glass of boiling water over them. Then let them sit for 30 minutes. After this, strain the broth and use it as needed. This drink is especially useful for diabetes, since this method of preparation preserves the maximum amount nutrients. Take it instead of tea, 250 milliliters in between meals. To prepare the decoction, add 200 milliliters of water to a tablespoon of berries and boil. After this, let the broth brew for 2 hours, and consume 50-100 milliliters three times a day before meals. It should be noted that the longer it lasts heat treatment, the less beneficial properties the prepared drink retains. Tincture of dogwood fruits and leaves is good for stomach upsets. To do this, take two tablespoons of berries and leaves of the plant and boil for 10 minutes in 250 milliliters of water. Then 9 hours and take 100 milliliters 3 times a day. The contraindications that dried dogwood berries have are very minor. If you take into account all the features of this product, you can safely saturate your body with healthy vitamins all year round.
Or raspberries, if you managed to “get” a kilogram or two of berries, do not miss your chance to prepare them for the winter. Among other preparations - jam and compote - dried dogwood is especially useful. It practically does not lose its beneficial properties, of which there is more than enough in this small berry. The process of drying dogwood is simple, but quite long, although a minimum of active participation in the process is required. Today we will tell you how to cook dried dogwood.
Ingredients:
- fresh dogwood– 500 g;
- granulated sugar – 250 g;
- purified (filtered) water – 250 ml.
1. Fresh berries Sort the dogwood carefully. Remove rotten and deformed berries. Also throw out the ones that are too green. Wash well and place in a colander to drain all the water. If you have large quantity berries, increase the amount of sugar and water in direct proportion. 
2. Cut each berry and carefully remove the seeds. This is almost impossible to do with unripe berries. So don't ignore the first step of the recipe. 
3. Cover the dogwood granulated sugar. Leave at room temperature for 24-36 hours. Be sure to cover the bowl of dogwood with cheesecloth or a kitchen towel to keep insects out. 
4. After about a day, juice will form in the bowl with the dogwood. It needs to be drained. Dogwood juice can be brought to a boil and consumed immediately. Or you can boil it for 5-7 minutes and prepare it for the winter by pouring it into sterilized jars and sealing it. But this one option will do, only if you are drying a large amount of dogwood. 
5. Prepare sugar syrup. To do this, mix sugar and refined cold water. Place on medium heat. Stirring, bring to a boil. Then wait for the syrup to boil down by about a third. Pour syrup over berries. Leave the dogwood in this state for 5-10 minutes. 
6. Then strain the berries from the syrup. Spread in a single layer on a baking dish or baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 70 degrees. Dry the dogwood in the oven for 20 minutes. Then take it out and cool. And put it in the oven again for the same time at the same temperature. If your oven does not work on these low temperatures, then you can dry dogwood at 80-90 degrees. But in this case, reduce the cooking time to 15 minutes. And you will also need to do 2 approaches. 
Store dogwood in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Berries can be used for filling baked goods and preparing desserts, cereals and other categories of dishes.
Happy preparations!
Find out also how to cook
Dogwood berries are a storehouse of vitamins and various valuable substances. But they are not only very healthy, but also simply delicious. Having feasted on them in abundance fresh, I would like to make some preparations from dogwood for the winter, so that even in the cold season there is something to please myself and my family. There are many options for how to prepare this berry for winter storage, and most of them are simple and quite affordable to prepare at home.
What are the benefits of dogwood?
Of course, when fresh, this berry is most beneficial for health. But in winter preparations from is also saved sufficient quantity valuable substances and a certain part of the vitamins that are so necessary for the body in cold season.
Regular consumption of the fruits of this plant strengthens the immune system, and in addition:
- helps cope with colds and viral diseases;
- improves digestion, prevents diarrhea, has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract;
- increases hemoglobin and reduces sugar levels;
- has a bile- and diuretic effect.
The list of beneficial properties of dogwood is not limited to this list. It is useful for hypertension and some blood diseases, and also has a general tonic effect on the body and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of many of its systems.
How to prepare dogwood for winter storage
Dogwood preparations for winter storage can be very diverse. Here everyone acts depending on their capabilities, taste and personal preferences. These berries can be frozen. In this form, the fruits are perfectly stored without losing most of their useful qualities. Juice and wine are made from them.
Dried or dried berries are good in taste and convenient for further use. But, probably, the most popular sweet preparations are compotes, marmalade, jam, marshmallows, and especially dogwood jam, which will be very helpful in the cold season as a prevention of respiratory and various viral diseases. There is nothing complicated in its preparation. There are quite a lot variety of recipes, illustrated with photographs for clarity, which helps to quickly navigate the features of this process.
Dogwood jam
To prepare tasty and healthy treats You only need three ingredients - dogwood berries, granulated sugar and water. Amount of sugar and liquid in various recipes may be different. In this way, the final product can be made thick or thin, more or less sweet. In the dogwood seed itself there are also useful material, therefore, when preparing jam, many leave it without removing it from the fruit.
So, to prepare delicious dogwood jam with seeds you will need 0.6 kg of berries, 0.7 kg of sugar and 200 ml of water.
Preparation:
- The dogwood berries need to be sorted, the green stalks removed, and then washed well.
- Pour granulated sugar into a pan of suitable size (preferably with a thick bottom), pour water, put on fire, stirring the contents. After boiling, cook the syrup for 5 minutes.
- Place the dogwood into the prepared syrup, remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool for about 12 hours.
- The next day, put this container on the fire again and wait until it boils. Then boil the berries in the syrup over low heat, skimming off the foam and making sure to stir the jam so that it doesn’t burn. Cook for about half an hour until the fruits are soft.
- Pour hot jam into prepared jars, roll up the lids and wrap in something warm until it cools completely.
But jam with seeds, even though they contain useful substances, is not loved by everyone. If desired, they can be quickly and easily removed from the berries.
Advice. To make the seeds easier to separate from the fruit, the dogwood can be kept in a water bath for some time.
Dried dogwood fruits
Recipe dried dogwood not as complicated as some housewives think. Berries prepared for the winter using this method are well stored. They taste good and are elegant in appearance. Whole and undamaged fruits need to be sorted, washed, and pitted. Then cover them with granulated sugar and keep them in this state for about a day.
After this time, the sugar syrup that has formed must be drained, and the berries themselves must be placed on a baking sheet and placed in the oven. Keep them at a temperature of about 80-90 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove and leave until cool. Then repeat this procedure 2 more times.
Dried dogwood
Drying fruits
Properly dried berries perfectly retain their beneficial properties. Dogwood blanks in this form are stored for a long time without loss appearance and qualities. And this method can be called the simplest and most accessible. You can dry fruits in different ways:
- outdoors - spread the dogwood in a layer on paper in a dry place on fresh air so that Sun rays did not fall on the fruits. If the weather is suitable, the berries will dry out in a few days and all that remains is to collect them;
- in the oven - this method is faster. The prepared dogwood must be placed on a baking sheet and placed in the oven, setting the temperature to about 50-60 degrees, which can then be raised to 75. The drying process in the oven must be constantly monitored so that the berries do not burn;
- using a special dryer - spread the dogwood on the sections of this device, set the appropriate mode and leave until ready.
To make certain blanks from dogwood, you do not need much experience and special conditions. You just need to choose the most preferable method at your discretion and do not forget about monitoring the process. For the first time you can already use ready-made recipe, better with step by step photos to immediately understand what and how to do. And in the future you can experiment a little, adding something of your own to them.
Dogwood fruits are incredibly healthy and even medicinal. Their chemical composition very rich, especially high in ascorbic acid, even more than in lemon.
And if fresh, beautiful, bright red berries have a sour taste, then dried fruits are sweet, with a slight sourness.
Contains vitamin A, P, pectin, a huge amount of microelements necessary for health. Including iron, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, calcium and others.
In medicine, dogwood is used as a vitamin, tonic, and for the treatment of colds, sore throat, cardiovascular system, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and gastrointestinal disorders. The pectin content helps cleanse the intestines of toxins. The fruits are recommended for use by children and pregnant women. Dogwood is very useful for overweight and diabetes. The calorie content of dried fruits is only 44 kcal.
Fresh fruits gradually lose their beneficial properties, but in dried form they are completely preserved for a year, in concentrated form. Therefore, it is recommended to dry dogwood.
This way you will get a very good, natural, vitamin-mineral complex that protects against many dangerous diseases. During the season of colds and vitamin deficiency, dried dogwood will also come to the rescue. You can use it to prepare compotes, infusions, and eat delicious dried fruits. Dogwood is also pickled, frozen, made into compotes, jelly, and added to sauces.
How to dry dogwood
Drying dogwood fruits is not difficult at all.
If you do this outdoors, the most important thing is to avoid direct sunlight. Dogwood can also be dried on a balcony, attic or in a well-ventilated room.
Overripe berries are not suitable for drying. You can take only ripe fruits or slightly unripe ones. They will reach the drying process and will have the same chemical composition as berries ripened on the branch.
If the berries are contaminated, they must be washed and sorted out of debris.
Place whole, undamaged berries in one layer on thick canvas or paper.
At first, the fruits will wilt, so it is better to start drying them outdoors, in the shade. The berries should be stirred from time to time.
At night or at high humidity Dogwood must be brought indoors, otherwise mold may appear.
Drying lasts 4-5 days. The berries are then packed in dark, paper bag or fabric bags and stored in a dry place.
If you have a special dryer, the process will go faster. You can dry fruits in the oven if there is a low temperature function. First, the fruits are dried at a temperature not exceeding 20°C, then dried at 50°C.
When buying dried dogwood, keep in mind that all imported dried fruits are processed chemicals. Dogwood dried with one's own hands does not have such shortcomings and does not raise any doubts.
Prepare dogwood in a way convenient for you, and you will get a tasty and useful product without special costs. Be healthy!
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