Currant is a perennial shrub of the gooseberry family. Of all the variety of species, black, red and white currants are most widely used for cultivation. The plant, rich in vitamins, is used not only as a tasty ingredient in cooking, but also as a medicine.
Properties of black currant
The fruits of black currant contain vitamins B, P, pectin and essential oils, as well as a large amount of ascorbic acid, which is retained even when the berries are frozen and preserved. Currant increases the body's resistance and improves appetite, helps to recover from long-term illnesses, has diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic properties.
Currant leaves, containing the same active substances as berries, are used in the fight against rheumatism, gout, gastritis, diseases of the bladder and kidneys.
Currant berries are actively used fresh and processed: compotes and preserves prepared for the winter will provide vitamin support during periods of epidemics. Medicinal teas, decoctions are made from the leaves, dried and added to medicinal collections. On an industrial scale, currants are used for the manufacture of multivitamin preparations.
Black currant with sugar
One of the simplest ways to prepare this natural vitamin is currants with sugar. To do this, you will need:
- 1 kilogram of black currant berries;
- 1.5 kilograms of sugar.
Sort the currants, rinse and dry. Pour into a clean enamel bowl, add a little sugar. Grind the berries into a homogeneous mass with a wooden crush. You can use a blender or meat grinder, but then some of the vitamin C will be lost. Then add the remaining sugar and mix well. Arrange in glass jars and place in a cellar or refrigerator.
Properties of red currants
Red currant berries contain less vitamin C than black berries. However, it also has a number of beneficial properties: it lowers blood pressure, removes excess salts from the body, prevents puffiness, and acts as a choleretic agent. Morse made from currant fruit quenches thirst well and is able to suppress the gag reflex. Currant juice normalizes the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, has a tonic and antipyretic effect. Red currant leaves are used in the treatment of cystitis.
It is better to eat red currants immediately after harvesting, as they are not stored for long. For long-term storage of berries, various preservation methods are used. If you want to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients, it is better to freeze the currants, while the berries are removed from the bush along with the twigs.
