Hawthorn is a common plant that is most often used by summer residents and owners of private houses as a hedge. However, it can also be found in the forest or park, that is, in the wild. Therefore, if the need arises to stock up on hawthorns for the winter, you can cope with this task without much difficulty.
The benefits of hawthorn
Adding hawthorn to your diet is a good and easy way to improve your health, because by consuming it, you supply the body with a considerable amount of vitamins and biologically active nutrients.
Hawthorn is considered to be the most beneficial for the heart and blood vessels. Through it, they fight heart failure and chest pain. Also, the fruits of the plant help to normalize the level of blood pressure and cholesterol, thus preventing the appearance of atherosclerotic plaques.
Another value of hawthorn is that it makes a significant contribution to joint health. This is due to the fact that it has the ability to retain a fibrillar protein in the body - collagen, which makes up the lion's share of connective tissue. In other words, hawthorn makes joint movements easy.
The reception of this berry is positively reflected in the work of the digestive tract, since it helps to improve the digestive processes; increased metabolism; elimination of constipation, excessive gas formation, spasms and intestinal infections. In addition, due to its antiparasitic properties, hawthorn eliminates tapeworms and tapeworms.
Common hawthorn is a natural diuretic, therefore it is very useful for the kidneys and bladder. Due to the fact that it stimulates their activity and helps to remove salts, it is used to treat diseases of the urinary system.
It is also important to note that hawthorn is used to maintain the normal functioning of the central nervous system and improve the state of the immune system.
Preparing hawthorn for drying
- To dry a hawthorn for the winter, you first need to harvest it correctly. The optimal collection period is considered to be from the end of August to the end of September.
- Collecting berries from a plant should be done very carefully. It is necessary to pick the berries one by one, being careful not to damage the foliage.
- The collected berries should be placed in a basket without tamping. Plastic bags are not suitable for this due to the fact that the raw materials folded in them will quickly rub off and become unusable.
- Immediately before drying, you need to carefully sort out the fruits, that is, weed out the debris, peel off the shields and discard the low-quality and underripe berries.
- After you finish sorting out the hawthorn, rinse it either under running water, or first soak it in warm water for a while, and then rinse it under the tap.
- After washing, the hawthorn berries must be dried. To do this, place them in a dry place until they dry completely. This procedure can take several hours.
How to dry hawthorn in an electric dryer
Drying hawthorn in an electric dryer takes 5 to 8 hours. First of all, you should place the berries on the tray in an even layer. Then the hawthorn tray is set at a medium level to avoid underdrying or overdrying the berries. The first 2 hours the hawthorn is dried at a temperature of 60 degrees, after which it is reduced to 40-50 degrees. When no more than 2 hours remain until the expected readiness, the original temperature regime is returned.
How to dry hawthorn in the oven
In order to dry the hawthorn in the oven, you will need a clean, dry baking sheet on which the fruits should be evenly distributed. A baking sheet with berries is placed in an oven preheated to 60 degrees to a medium level. Please note that during the entire drying period, keep the oven door slightly ajar. This is required to evaporate the moisture contained in the berries.
How to dry hawthorns outdoors
Drying hawthorns outdoors is a classic option. Place the berries on trays that have been lined with paper and set them in the shade. If necessary, the berries can be covered with gauze. Drying in this case can take more than one day, so do not forget to cover the trays with new paper every day and bring the berries into the room at night so that the dew does not destroy all efforts.
How to determine the readiness of a berry
To understand whether the hawthorn has dried enough, you should pay attention to the appearance of the berry - it should deform and change its color. There is another simple way to check the readiness of dried fruits - squeeze a few berries in your fist. If the hawthorn is ready, it will not stick together and sap. This trick will help you test berries that have been dried using any of the above methods.
How to brew hawthorn
Decoctions are prepared from dried hawthorn. In this case, the product is brewed in the following proportions: a glass of boiling water is added to 1 tablespoon of raw materials. Then the mixture is put on a slow fire and simmer until its volume is reduced by 2 times. The resulting broth is used for arrhythmia and angina pectoris, 1 teaspoon before meals 3 times a day.
In the treatment of hypertension, the preparation of hawthorn infusion is as follows: 1 tablespoon of berries is poured with boiling water, then they are insisted for 2 hours in a warm place. The prepared infusion is consumed before meals 3 times a day, 1 tablespoon.
In case of stress, use an infusion of hawthorn, aged for about 2 hours at room temperature. The medicinal infusion is drunk in 2 tablespoons before meals.
How and how much dry hawthorn is stored
The shelf life of dried hawthorn fruits is 24 months, but on condition that they are placed in cloth bags, glass containers or cardboard boxes covered with cloth on top.
