Although black elderberry is not widely spread among gardeners, however, it is among the legendary plants sung in folklore. In the UK, even operates a club of wine lovers from black elderberry and it consists of rich and famous people. In Russia, these berries were valued as a filling for pies, of which jam and compote were cooked, and with their help gave a special flavor to soups.
- chemical composition
- Useful properties
- Indications
- Recipes
- Jam
- Compress
- Face Lotion
- Honey
- infusion of bark
- Infusion of berries
- Broth
- powder
- Juice
- Tea
- extract
- Contraindications
- Harvesting and storage
Chemical composition
The beneficial effect of black elderberry on the human body is due to its useful properties and special chemical composition. While more than half of the fruits of this plant consist of water, they contain vitamins A, B and E, as well as iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, sodium, selenium, phosphorus, zinc.
In addition to vitamins and minerals, elderly is famous for its rich composition of organic acids, fiber, amino acids, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In addition, the composition includes natural fructose and glucose.
Useful properties
- The blackberry has amazing healing properties that help with cancer. Virtually all parts of this plant have a pronounced antitumor effect, so elderberry is often used in the treatment of various types of cancer.
- Inflorescence of elderberry is used for inhalations in the treatment of the respiratory tract.
- It is used to prepare steamer trays to improve the skin condition.
- Fine compresses for joints can be obtained from fruits, bark and leaves of black elderberry.
- Tea from dried fruit has a positive effect on the general condition of the nervous system and helps to relieve stressful conditions, normalize sleep and increase concentration.
- Quite often when harvesting fruits on an industrial scale, a special pad of dried black elderberry flowers is used to improve storage conditions, this is due to their antiseptic properties.
- Elderberry flowers with unique muscat taste are popular among confectioners and serve as natural flavors for baking confectionery and for the production of aromatic liqueurs. A pleasant shade of drinks and gives fruit juice.
- Ebony black flowers are actively used in perfumery, being an important component of many flavors.
Indications for use
Thanks to the unique chemical composition, black elderine can serve as a medicament for a wide range of indications:
- A decoction of elderberry flowers can remove the edema and relieve the patient's condition with a dry and moist cough. But for this, the inflorescences are dried in special conditions so that they do not lose useful properties.
- In case of irritation and injury, elder flowers are suitable for making compresses that are applied to damaged skin areas.
- Most problems with the skin condition can be solved by elder tincture.
- For sore throats for treating colds, respiratory infections, respiratory diseases, a tincture of elder flowers is used.
- In the treatment of rheumatism, fresh berries, juice, stems and roots of the bush have an excellent effect.
- Broths of elderberry have an excellent diuretic effect and help with constipation.
- Tinctures of black elderberry are often used as an aid in the treatment of tuberculosis.
- Compote and tea made of elderberry fruits perfectly tones, promotes immunity, and improves metabolism.
- Means from black elderberry, are recommended for the treatment of oncological diseases.
Recipes of
to the table of contents ^Jam
Elderberry jam perfectly copes with various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. To prepare it you will need one kilogram of granulated sugar and elderberries, as well as citric acid powder.
Berries for the night should be covered with half the volume of sugar, in the morning drain the juice and, combining it with the remaining sugar, boil to the consistency of thick syrup. Then you can add citric acid and berries, mix and bring to a boil. Keep the elderberry jam best in the fridge.
to contents ^Compress
Such compresses can cure acne and boils. Three large spoons of elderberry leaves boil in milk, cool and apply to the damaged areas of the skin.
to table of contents ^Face Lotion
Handful of inflorescences pour 400-500 ml of boiling water, insist on a day. Then the finished lotion can be wiped face, the skin will be more taut and elastic.
to the table of contents ^Honey
To prepare useful honey from elderberry, it is necessary to separate the flowers from pedicels, place them in a liter jar, very compactly ramming. After that, the flowers should be transferred to an enamel pot and add a liter of water. The resulting mass boil on low heat for 15-20 minutes. After that, you can turn off the heat and leave the mass for 20 minutes, and then strain it through a sieve or gauze.
The next step is the addition of sugar, which is needed in the amount of three kilograms. It will result in a thick mass, which must be doused for about three hours on a slow fire, stirring occasionally and taking off the foam that forms. Grinded on a meat grinder or in a blender, put half of the lemon in honey and boil for about 20 minutes. Chilled honey should be poured into a container and sealed.
to contents ^Infusion from the bark
To remove excess fluid from the body will help infusion, prepared from the bark of the bush, which is used to relieve edema caused by kidney or heart disease. In addition, the infusion of bark and leaves of black elderberry has a rather pronounced laxative effect. It is also useful for skin diseases. In case of sleep disorders, a bath with the addition of infusions from the roots of black elderberry will help.
In a glass of boiling water, brew a teaspoon of finely chopped bark and leave to infuse for 10 hours. Take infusion of half a glass 5 times a day.
to contents ^Berry infusion
This remedy is good for people with low blood pressure. Lit by boiling water pour a bunch of berries and insist for about half an hour. Cooled infusion can be taken in small portions throughout the day.
to contents ^Decoction
A tablespoon of flowers should be poured into a glass of water and held in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. Then decoction to filter, cool and it is ready for use. If it is necessary to prepare a bath with a useful decoction, you can increase the concentration of flowers, and pour the filtered broth into hot water. The remaining wet gruel can be wrapped in gauze and, if necessary, applied to the damaged areas of the skin.
to contents ^Powder
Powder from dry bark or roots can be used instead of powder for treatment of burns, ulcers and wounds.
to contents ^Juice
Elderberry juice has excellent bactericidal properties and is able to retain its qualities for a long time. The main thing is to keep it in a darkened cool place.
Recipe 1.
It takes 1 kilogram of berries and sugar. After thoroughly washing the berries in cold water, you should pass them through a juicer or special press. After that, you can add sugar and bring the resulting mass to a boil. Finished juice poured into jars and pasteurized at a temperature of 90 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Recipe 2.
Kilogram of berries pour boiling water for 6 minutes, after which the berries can be thrown into a colander, dried and rubed through it a little, thus squeezing out the juice. After that add 500 grams of sugar, boil the resulting mass and pour over the jars.
Tea
A tablespoon of dried elderberry blossoms should be poured into 200 ml of water, boiled and insist until it cools. Cool the decoction. Drink like tea three times a day for 20 minutes before eating. It is an excellent diuretic, and also a good aid for arthritis, constipation, hemorrhoids. Before drinking tea from elderberry, it is advisable to consult with your doctor.
to contents ^Extract
Extract from berries of black elderberry is able to help in the treatment of oncological diseases. To cook it, you need to lay the ripe berries in layers with a thickness of a centimeter, alternating them with granulated sugar, into a glass container. About 3-4 weeks the extract should be infused, then it must be filtered and placed in the refrigerator. You can take it after meals three times a day.
to table of contents ^Contraindications to
With the invaluable benefit of black elderberry, it is worth remembering that this shrub is quite toxic, and the older the plant, the higher its toxicity can be. That's why you should take into account the age of the bush, from which you plan to take flowers or leaves.
The plants with the age of no more than two years are considered to be the safest.
The main contraindication to the use of any medicines based on black elderberry is, first of all, an allergy to the substances contained in the plant, as well as individual intolerance.
Procurement and storage of
It is best to collect fully opened elderberry flowers in the midst of flowering shrub, bark and leaves in the last weeks of summer, and roots in autumn. Plant components retain more useful properties if dried naturally.
The best option is to purchase raw black elderberry in the pharmacy chain, where you can be sure of compliance with the drugs state standards.
If it is a question of buying fresh berries, then, first of all, it is necessary to pay attention to their appearance - berries should not have traces of damage, plaque or decay, be dense and not crushed.
Store fresh fruits in the open, and dried flowers and berries in a sealed container to prevent foreign odors and moisture from being absorbed.