Dried dogwood: beneficial properties and contraindications

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Red dogwood berries attract not only people, but also birds and animals. The healing properties of the fruits persist for a very long time, so everyone feasts on the berries as soon as they ripen.

In general, collecting fruits is a long process. On the bush, the fruits ripen unevenly, both fully ripe and green are preserved, so you will have to pick one berry at a time or do as is customary in places where there are a lot of dogwoods: lay a tarp under the bush, shake the branches well and the ripe berries will fall off on their own.

What are the benefits of dried dogwood?

The rich and varied composition of nutrients in dried berries makes them almost indispensable in the diet . The high content of vitamin C (more than in lemon) in the autumn-winter period helps to strengthen the immune system, relieve symptoms and speed up the recovery process for acute respiratory infections.

Did you know? If crushed dry dogwood is kept in 40° alcohol and then honey is added, you can get an analgesic ointment.

When used systematically, dogwood can strengthen the walls of blood vessels, thereby eliminating the appearance of athero- and cardiosclerosis. It binds and removes most toxins in the human body during poisoning. Dried fruits help digest “heavy” foods and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The use of such a product improves overall well-being in diabetes mellitus.

• Dried berries also have the following beneficial properties:
• eliminate heartburn;
• improve the body's metabolic processes;
• are a natural diuretic;
• enhance the function of sweating;
• reduce dizziness and tinnitus;
• reduce pain in the joints and lower back.

Possible harm to the body

Excessive consumption of dried dogwood can lead to vitamin C hypovitaminosis. Other vitamins are easily excreted by the body through urea, and vitamin C settles and accumulates. This condition manifests itself in the form of dizziness, nausea, bitterness in the mouth, and possible rashes.

Dogwood should not be included in the diet of children under 6 years of age, as it has a strong effect on the nervous system and makes children too active and excited. The same applies to people suffering from insomnia and anxiety syndrome.

Contraindications for eating dried dogwood and in other possible forms are intestinal ulcers, allergies, stomach acid imbalance.

• with increased stomach acidity;
• for chronic constipation;
• with individual intolerance.

Benefits for women

Dogwood is an antispasmodic and helps women well with pain during menstruation. In addition, it helps to reduce specific secretions in the luteal phase of the cycle. This must be done carefully, after consulting with a gynecologist in advance.

Also find out if you can eat plums while breastfeeding.

Also, the dried fruits of the plant will bring great benefits to the fair sex in solving problems with sexual attraction to men, as they are a good aphrodisiac and significantly increase libido.

During pregnancy, berries not only provide the body with the necessary amount of biologically significant elements, but also minimize the manifestations of toxicosis.

How to dry dogwood

Slightly unripe berries are best suited for drying (achieving the characteristic weight and color of the fruit, but without loss of hardness). It is better to collect it not in sunny or humid weather in order to avoid a large loss of essential oils. It is better to pick berries with the stalk, while preserving valuable juices. It is necessary to select undamaged fruits, but do not wash them.

For the natural drying process, only a dry, shaded place with open access to air is suitable.

It is strictly forbidden to use printed products in the process - dogwood can absorb the toxins released by it. Clean paper or a baking sheet works best. The harvest should be laid out in one layer and turned over as the fruits dry. The drying time is 3–7 days depending on the level of air humidity.

If you don't have time, you can use the oven.

The fruits are laid out on a baking sheet and placed in an oven preheated to +65°C for 30 minutes. After the temperature is raised to +75°C, the fruits are mixed and, evenly distributed around the perimeter, the berries are dried until the skin darkens and wrinkles. Such a product can be stored for 3–5 years in a naturally ventilated, cool place with humidity less than 50% and without direct sunlight.

Calorie content and vitamin composition

The usefulness of a product can primarily be determined by its nutritional value, the content of vitamins, micro- and macroelements. With a calorie content of 209 kcal (per 100 g), dried dogwood contains 4.6 g of protein, 46.3 g of carbohydrates and 0 g of fat. This is very important when following a diet. It is dominated by substances such as fiber, glucose, organic acids, ash and tannins.

Also, 100 g of product contains:

• beta-carotene - 0.002 mg;
• vitamin B1, thiamine - 0.047 mg;
• vitamin B2, riboflavin - 0.024 mg;
• vitamin B5, pantothenic acid - 0.21 mg;
• vitamin B6, pyridoxine - 0.036 mg;
• vitamin B9, folate - 50 mcg;
• vitamin C, ascorbic acid - 25 mg;
• vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol, TE - 0.15 mg;
• vitamin K, phylloquinone - 7.9 mcg;
• vitamin PP, NE - 0.166 mg;
• potassium, K - 363 mg;
• calcium, Ca - 58 mg;
• silicon, Si - 4 mg;
• magnesium, Mg - 26 mg;
• sodium, Na - 32 mg;
• phosphorus, Ph - 34 mg;
• aluminum, Al - 221 μg;
• boron, B - 59.6 μg;
• iron, Fe - 4.1 mg;
• iodine, I - 1.2 μg;
• molybdenum, Mo - 15 μg;
• nickel, Ni - 7.6 μg;
• rubidium, Rb - 82 μg.

Important! Microelements in the berries have a positive effect on the human body affected by a cold. They have a bactericidal effect and relieve nasal congestion.

How to distinguish from a fake

To distinguish berries from cherry tomatoes of the Kizil variety, you need to know what they should look like and how they differ when dried or dried. After all, it is in this version of the preparation that unscrupulous sellers often replace the original product with a Chinese counterfeit. Of course, there is nothing dangerous about this, except for the high sugar content in such tomatoes and the lack of an abundance of active substances.

Dogwood has an elongated, pear-shaped shape and a dark red color. The taste is sweet, astringent, with a slight sourness. Tomatoes have an oblong oval shape and a brighter color. Their taste is sickly sweet, with a slight aftertaste of tomatoes. The main distinguishing feature of real berries from fake ones is the seed. Dogwood has one large oval seed, while tomato has many small ones.

Dogwood for children

An excellent source of vitamin C, carotene, pectins, glucose, fructose, bioflavonoids and mineral salts. All these substances are essential components of nutrition that ensure normal growth and development of the child.

Use of dried dogwood:

• The simplest thing that can be made from these miracle berries is dried fruit compote;
• The fruits are used to make jellies, syrups, marshmallows, and jam;
• Roasted seeds are often used instead of coffee beans;
• For skin diseases, apply compresses;
• The healing berries of dogwood are used to create culinary masterpieces and to prevent many diseases.

Do you want to strengthen your immune system and get rid of diseases? Feel free to include dogwood in your diet, unless of course you have the contraindications listed above, it will become an indispensable assistant.

All about dogwood:

How to dry dogwood

Dried dogwood is not only a healthy product, but also a sweet treat. Before drying dogwood, you need to wash a kilogram of fresh berries and remove the seeds. Sprinkle the fruits with 100 g of sugar and leave them alone for a day. After the time has passed, the extracted juice is drained. The pulp is poured for 5 minutes with hot sweet syrup, which is prepared from water and sugar. Afterwards, the liquid should be drained, and the fruits should be dried in the oven at a temperature of 65°C, twice for 20 minutes with a break until completely cooled.

This preparation retains the taste and aroma of fresh berries and is softer than dried ones.

100 g of this product contains:

• calories - 216 kcal;
• proteins - 3 g;
• fats - 0 g;
• carbohydrates - 54.4 g.

The chemical composition of dried dogwood is practically no different from dried dogwood. It also includes a number of acids, metals, vitamins B, C, E and K, but in smaller quantities.

• Consumption of berries in this form:
• normalizes the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood and normalizes blood pressure;
• improves appetite;
• accelerates fat metabolism and promotes weight loss;
• has an antibacterial effect.

Useful properties of berries

Fresh bark and a decoction of crushed seeds taken from dogwood fruits and lightly fried are used to treat abscesses.

Almost all preparations made from dogwood are useful for diabetes. They relieve sugar overload.

It is also known that in ancient times the Krymchaks made vitamin-healing lavash from dogwood. A mass of pureed berries was poured into flat molds, dried in the sun and in ovens, and then rolled tightly into a roll.

Fans of mountain hikes know that the traveler does not need supplies of food and drink during the ripening of dogwood berries; they will satisfy both hunger and thirst. Birds, small mouse-like rodents, hares, wild boars and roe deer, and even fish love to feast on dogwood. In addition to fruits, humans have long used durable, heavy dogwood wood.

It was used to make buttons, parts of watch mechanisms, teeth of mill wheels, shuttles of looms, and gun cleaning rods. And arrows and spears made from dogwood wood did not wear out.

And the dogwood tree appeared, as the ancient legend tells, from the spear with which the founder of Rome, Romulus, first outlined the boundaries of the future Eternal City, and then forcefully thrust the spear into the ground, and it blossomed into a dogwood tree.

Obviously, this is why the Greeks and Romans made sword hilts, arrows and spears mainly from dogwood wood, and the dogwood itself was called a tree “with friendly weapons.” By the way, the famous Odysseus also had a dogwood spear shaft.

Of course, when fresh, this berry is most beneficial for health. But winter dogwood preparations also retain a sufficient amount of valuable substances and a certain part of the vitamins that the body needs so much during the 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.

If you use an Isidri dryer, then drying berries will not be a tedious job, but an exciting process. Any amount of dogwood will be qualitatively dried, which will make it possible to preserve a large amount of vitamins for the winter.

Store the finished product in linen bags, for example, you can sew them yourself from linen or cotton. Place in a dry, dark place. If desired, you can store dried fruits in cardboard or wooden containers.

Dried dogwood is used to make compotes, jelly, jelly, and simply eaten like candy. If the taste is very sour, you can mix the dried berries with honey or sprinkle with powdered sugar. For diet lovers, dogwood is the most suitable dessert.

Contraindications

In addition to its healing properties, dogwood also has a number of contraindications. Before taking berries, you should consult a doctor. Indeed, with the latent course of one of the above diseases, you can get more harm from using it than good.

• It is not recommended for use by people with the following health problems:
• gastritis, ulcer, hyperacidity;
• disruption of the nervous system;
• systematic constipation;
• chronic kidney diseases.

Harm and contraindications

Like any other plant products, eating dogwood is harmful in some cases:

• with increased stomach acidity;
• for chronic constipation;
• with individual intolerance.

People with an unstable nervous system are prohibited from consuming dogwood and products containing it at night. In other cases, it can only cause harm if the fruits were grown in an environmentally unfavorable environment.

Winter is a period of colds and infections. In addition to the cold weather, people’s relatively meager diet also poses a danger during this period, because in winter there are few natural vitamins available. Dried fruits come in very handy during the cold season, because they retain all the richness of fresh fruits. Dried dogwood is rightfully considered one of the most famous and healthiest dried fruits.

This fruit with a pronounced taste and aroma will support the immune system and help fight colds, and its sunny amber color will cheer you up on gray winter days. And the best thing is that you can dry dogwood fruits yourself at home for the winter, and it won’t require much effort.

Recipes for dried and dried dogwood

Recipes using dogwood berries are relevant all year round. Due to their unique properties, the berries are used not only for making preserves, jam and jellies, but also serve as a component for compotes, tinctures and alcoholic drinks.

Important! Children under the age of 1 year are not recommended to eat more than 2 dogwood berries, and schoolchildren in the absence of a negative reaction

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more than 200 g.
Dogwood is often used as a seasoning or simply as a delicacy with a pleasant sourness. Dishes with this component can not only strengthen the overall health of the body, but also replenish the lack of vitamins.

Decoction

A decoction of berries is used mainly to strengthen the immune system during seasonal respiratory diseases. To prepare it you will need:

• dried dogwood: 4 tbsp. l.;
• water: 0.5 l.

Did you know? Dogwood seeds are also very useful.
Powder made from them easily replaces morning coffee and will help get rid of intestinal upset. Step-by-step cooking instructions:

1. Dry berries are thoroughly washed with water.
2. Place the water on the fire and bring to a boil.
3. After adding the berries, you need to cook them for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the drink from the heat, leave for 2 hours and then filter.

Infusion

Alcoholic dogwood tincture will help remove heavy metals and salts from the body and improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system. It includes:

• dried dogwood: 0.5 kg;
• vodka: 1 l;
• sugar: 150 g.

Also check out the pear dogwood.

Step-by-step cooking instructions:

1. The berries are washed under running water and placed on the bottom of a glass or enamel container.
2. The fruits are poured with alcohol and infused for a month in a dark place.
3. After time, the drink is filtered and sugar is added to it and stirred until dissolved.
4. The liquid is poured into a bottle and left for another week.

Video: dogwood tincture

Candied dogwood

Candied berries are sweeter and more pleasant to taste. They can easily replace any factory-made delicacy and will undoubtedly appeal not only to adults, but also to children.

To prepare candied fruits you will need:

• dogwood: 1 kg;
• sugar: 1 kg;
• water: 0.5 l.

You may be interested in learning about the methods of dogwood propagation.
Step-by-step cooking instructions:

1. The berries are seeded and covered with sugar in a 1:1 ratio. Leave for 24 hours.
2. After 24 hours, the released juice must be drained. It can be consumed as a drink.
3. The berries are poured with syrup (prepared at the rate of 500 g of sugar and 0.5 liters of water per 1 kg of dogwood) and infused for 10 minutes. Afterwards, they must be separated from the liquid and placed on a baking sheet to dry.

Dried dogwood will serve as a wonderful treat, because these berries not only look appetizing, but also taste good. When purchasing them, it is important not to confuse the original and the fake. Real dogwood contains a lot of substances beneficial to the human body and is able to restore the natural balance of vitamins.

Drying fruits

Drying is the most optimal way to harvest dogwood, which does not require a lot of time or money.

For harvesting, it is better to choose fully ripe, healthy fruits that are bright red in color, but not soft or overripe.

They can be wild or cultivated.

After sorting the berries, rinse them under running cold water. Sometimes table vinegar or soda is added to the water for disinfection. Then the stalks are removed.

Washed berries with seeds are laid out in a place where humidity is minimal, on thick paper or fabric. Also, before arranging, you can blanch the berries in boiling water for 2-5 minutes.

Dogwood should be dried outdoors, avoiding exposure to direct sunlight and moisture.

You must remember to stir it periodically to ensure even drying. After 3–5 days, when the berries have dried, they are removed for storage.

The second method is in the oven

Whole dogwood fruits are dried in an oven or a special dryer. Initially, it is necessary to keep them at a temperature of 50–60 ° C, and then increase it to 70–75 ° C.

This method takes less time than the first.

Lavash is made from dogwood. The berries are washed and the pulp is rubbed to remove the seeds. The pulp, crushed into a pulp, is laid out for drying in a continuous thin layer, preferably on a wooden tray or board.

Displayed outdoors in a well-ventilated place. After drying, long strips of pulp are formed - pita bread.

Before drying, you can add a little salt to the crushed pulp to protect the pita bread from rotting. Lavash is used as a seasoning.

To make dried dogwood sticky and sweet, the berries previously prepared for drying are immersed for 6–8 hours in hot sugar syrup and allowed to cool.

Then they are discarded in a colander and again poured with heated syrup; after 5–6, the berries and syrup are brought to a boil. Again, the berries are placed in a colander and laid out on paper to dry.

It is optimal to store dried dogwood in a dark and dry place, packing it in linen bags or cardboard boxes.

Dried dogwood retains all the beneficial properties of fresh berries. Dogwood is rich in vitamin C, the content of which is higher than currants and almost equal to rose hips.

Dried berries contain pectin and tannins, so they are used to remove oxalates, toxins and heavy metals from the body.

The berry seeds contain a large amount of vegetable oils and tannins. Therefore, they have an antibacterial, wound-healing, anti-inflammatory effect and are used in the treatment of diarrhea.

Dogwood improves appetite and metabolism, increases metabolism, normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, which contributes to the loss of excess weight. It can relieve discomfort caused by spicy, sour or fatty foods.

Dogwood fruits increase hemoglobin levels, which is why they are often used for diseases of the blood, circulatory system and diabetes. It normalizes blood pressure and also makes the walls of blood vessels stronger and more elastic.

Dried berries added to tea, due to vitamin C, which improves immunity, and the anti-inflammatory properties of dogwood, are prescribed for colds and reduce body temperature.

Dried fruits help restore potency and solve problems with frequent urination, excessive sweating and others.

• before bedtime, as well as for people with an easily excitable psyche;
• people suffering from high stomach acidity and constipation;
• pregnant women;
• in large quantities to young children and older people.

We must not forget that everything is good in moderation, so eating excessive amounts of berries can lead to undesirable consequences.

It can be used in cooking, for the prevention and treatment of various ailments. Thus, easily digestible fruits can be added to dried fruit compote, sauces and as a seasoning for some meat and fish dishes.

In addition, syrups, jellies and pastilles are made from dried dogwood.

The pulp of the berries is used in cosmetology, for masks for oily facial skin.

Decoctions and tinctures of berries are used to treat colds: sore throat, flu, and also for anemia.

Roasted dogwood seeds are often used instead of coffee beans due to the antioxidants they contain. The seeds are also used to treat hemorrhoids (15 dried fruits daily).

A tincture of dried dogwood berries can be used to make compresses for skin diseases such as dermatitis, eczema and others.

Dried dogwood is very healthy and can be eaten like regular dried fruits.

The healing berries of dogwood are used to create culinary masterpieces and to prevent many diseases.

It is best to prepare dogwood by drying, this will help it not to lose its beneficial properties and does not require significant financial costs.

It has a strong tonic effect, is an anti-inflammatory and strengthening agent that increases hemoglobin, improves memory and strengthens the human immune system, therefore it is indispensable in the autumn-spring period, as well as for vitamin deficiency, as it contains useful substances in large quantities.

The pleasant astringent taste of dogwood conquered many, and since then, summer residents began to actively grow it on their plots. Dogwood is very rich in ascorbic acid and various beneficial microelements, due to which it has found its use in folk medicine.

This marvelous berry has not been spared by cooking - the extraordinary taste and aroma of dogwood simply could not go unnoticed! How can we preserve dogwood so that it pleases us with its valuable properties for as long as possible?