In this article "Black currant, useful properties" for us, the whole essence of black currant and its useful properties will be revealed. Currant I associate with the village, with my grandmother and grandfather, with sunny summer days. My grandfather is a notable gardener, and in his garden there are about twenty bushes of currant - and black, and red, and small and large.
Currant is a branchy shrub, up to two meters in height, and in each bush there are up to 16-25 shoots. Young shoots are fluffy, by the end of summer they acquire a brown color. Flowers are collected in a hanging brush. The fruit is a globular multi-seeded berry, besides it is very sweet and tasty. Fruits are black, fragrant. In the brush to 7-9 berries. Blooms in May, ripens in July.
Currants grow in moist wetlands, along the edges of marshes, in moist meadows, along the banks of rivers and lakes. It occurs in almost all regions of Bashkortostan. The need for currant fruit is very high, as it has been cultivated, and the currant has very much taken root in our life. The homeland of the currant is considered to be Central Europe and Asia.
If you decide to plant a currant, then it is better to do it in the autumn, at the end of September, at the beginning of October. After planting, you must thoroughly water the plant and promulchate it with humus. Each branch is cut so that 2-3 kidneys remain above the surface of the soil.
As for the chemical composition of the currant, the currant contains ascorbic acid, vitamins P, B 1, B 2 , carotene, essential oils, sugars, pectin substances. Leaves also contain a lot of ascorbic acid, carotene, essential oils. In fruits, the content of vitamins P reaches 5mg%, and ascorbic acid up to 400mg%, and a very high content of vitamin C. It is believed that the content of C 2 acts as an antipnevmoyin factor, that is, it acts on the inflammation of the lungs. Essential oils have a dehydrating effect, so tea with currant leaves, it is useful to drink in summer heat. Leaves have an auxiliary effect for rheumatism, with attacks of pain. Here is a recipe for tea from currant leaves: 1-2 teaspoons of leaves pour ΒΌ liter of cold water, slowly heat to a boil and immediately filter. 2-3 cups a day to drink with swelling, with cystitis and rheumatism. The compote from the currant helps with coughing and wheezing, is taken as a preventive remedy for catarrhal diseases. The fruit of the currant relieves diarrhea, from fermentative depression. With inflammation of the oral cavity, currant juice is advised to rinse your mouth. You can crush fresh berries on the face and on the decollete for 15-20 minutes to improve the complexion and nourishment of the skin.
In everyday life, not only berries are widely used, but also leaves. To give a pleasant aroma and to stimulate the general condition, it is customary to brew currant leaves together with tea. The leaves are usually harvested in June, and you need to collect leaf plates that are not affected by fungi, and without any defects. Then the leaves dry in the air. Fruits should be collected only fully ripe. Of fruits, it is very good to make compotes and sterilize, as well as jelly and jam are produced from currant fruits.
Currant widely used in folk medicine. Also, currant juice is used from gastrointestinal diseases. Currant has the properties to prevent cancer diseases, diabetes and heart related diseases. Just the currant prevents the weakening of mental abilities in the elderly and preserves sight. Currant leaves are used to treat kidneys, liver and respiratory tract. Black currant relieves sore throats and increases immunity. Currant juice is useful in anemia, hypertension, gum bleeding, stomach ulcer, gastritis and ulcers. With anemia, currant leaves drink like tea one glass two three times a day. Baths from broth of currant leaves are used for various rashes and skin diseases. Just the currant juice strengthens the nails, for this you need to rub the currant into the nails.
With pain in the intestines and stomach, vomiting, constipation, hemorrhoids drink infusion of black currant fruit. To do this, you need to brew twenty grams of dry raw materials and insist for 15 minutes in 1 glass of boiling water, then strain one glass 4-5 times a day.
Since my grandfather has a whole black currant garden, we make juices and compotes, jams, and jams, and even freeze in the freezer in fresh form, and in winter we make currant from the currant. Here are a few recipes on how to properly use currants. In order to make a jam you need to take 1 kg of currant berries, one and a half kilos of sugar and four glasses of water. Currant in the boiling water for five minutes. Water, where blanched berries, strain and use for the preparation of syrup. In the boiling syrup, lower the berries. Jam to cook in 3-4 receptions for 5-7 minutes from the moment of boiling. Standing time between cooking is 6-8 hours.
Well, to freeze the berries you need to thoroughly wash and separate from the brushes, dry and freeze, if desired, sprinkle with sugar. Or you can freeze the mashed potatoes, passing through a meat grinder. Freezing berries is even more useful, as during boiling most vitamins evaporate, or are destroyed.
In order to make a currant jam, you need to take two glasses of currant, two glasses of blueberries, 2 tablespoons of gelatin, 1/2 teaspoon of butter, 1/4 cup of sugar. The berries need to be kneaded slightly, wipe through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Then put in a large frying pan, add gelatin and butter. Heat the mixture with moderate heat until it boils. Pour sugar, and stirring berry puree constantly, boil for about 1 minute. Then you need to allow to cool the mashed potatoes at room temperature and put for several hours in the refrigerator.
Well, in the end, I add that the harmful properties of the currant are not identified, unless you have an allergy to it, and if you do not overeat unripe berries, this is from my child's experience I add.