Chokeberry is not as popular as other berries. And her tart and bitter taste is to blame for this. If it is collected, it is most often for medicinal purposes.
- Rowan is a good vitamin remedy. It contains vitamins: P, K, tocopherol, rutin, riboflavin. And vitamin C in the fruit is more than in lemon or orange. Therefore, the black flea is effective for colds, in the form of diaphoretic.
- Rowan is rich in iron. And this trace element in it is three times more than in apples.
- It also contains essential oils, tannins, iodine, malic, tartaric, sorbic, succinic acids.
- Thanks to pectins, it inhibits flatulence in the intestines.
- The Black Nerve is a prophylactic against scurvy.
- Rowan fruits are used as a diuretic, laxative, choleretic and hemostatic agent.
- Rowan is an excellent complement to compote, fruit dough, fruit tea. It is added as a powder to the confectionery.
A Black Nerve is harvested for future use - frozen, preserved, dried.
In order for the berry to reveal its healing properties and taste, it is necessary to pick it off from a tree or shrub in time.
The fact is that mountain ash has ripened in August - September. But at this time her berries, or rather, her “apples”, bitter. Therefore, they are collected in late autumn, preferably after the first frost. Then the fruits of mountain ash get a pleasant acidity with a slight bitterness.
Berries are removed from the bush in clusters, cutting off with a knife or shears. Dried rowan in the attic, in the oven, in the oven or in the dryer. The fruits are dried both in clusters and in bulk. Most often, mountain ash is dried in clusters if it is harvested for a short time, for example, until the new year.
How to dry rowan in clusters
Clusters of rowan browsing for the presence of spoiled berries. Rowan, which are going to dry in the panels, do not wash.
Then the grapes are thrown over a rope, fishing line or wire, and dried in such a suspended state. The room in which the clusters are stored should be well ventilated and cool.
In this form, the berries remain fresh for a long time, and then dry. They are used as needed.
If the mountain ash is to be preserved until the new harvest, then it is dried otherwise.
How to dry rowan berries in bulk
Berries are sorted, removed spoiled, dried, rotten, nodded birds.
Then remove the stalk, leaves and other debris.
Berries are washed in cold running water and dried well, laid out on a towel or left in the screens.
After that, they are shifted to trays covered with parchment, and placed in a slightly heated oven. Initially, the temperature should not exceed 40 ° C. In order to avoid steaming of berries, the oven must be aired. During this time, the berries are dried up.
Then the temperature is slightly increased (up to about 60 ° C) and the drying is continued, periodically stirring the berries.
Drying time depends on the juiciness of the berries and on the capabilities of the drying apparatus.
If there is an electric dryer, then it produces higher quality raw materials, since in this case the drying process takes place according to a predetermined program. It is impossible to dry the fruits of mountain ash at a high temperature, otherwise they will blacken outside, and remain damp inside. And in the end get rancid.
Readiness of raw materials can be checked by clenching the berries in a fist Dried berries should not give off moisture, soil hands, but they should not even crumble to dust. The color almost does not change.
Another way to dry berries in bulk
Rowan berries are separated from the twigs, remove the stalks, leaves and other debris.
Sorted, removing spoiled.
Prepared berries put in a colander and immersed in a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes.
Spread the berries on a towel and dried from moisture.
Then the berries are placed on a baking sheet, covered with parchment, and sent to the oven or oven. Dry at a temperature of 60--70 ° C with constant air circulation. Berries need to be mixed frequently. This method is also suitable for dryers.
Dried rowan is well cooled in air, and then packaged in paper bags. In this form, rowan can be stored for a year.
How to make powder from dried rowan berries
Well dried berries can be ground in a meat grinder or in a blender.
If you need to make a powder from mountain ash, harvested in clusters, then the berries are recommended to browned in an oven heated to 150 ° C and then cooled.
Ground berries of mountain ash are stored in a glass or plastic container with a screw cap.
Dried rowan is stored in a dry, cool, dark place until next year.
