The Latin name for hawthorn crataegus goes back to the Greek κραθαιος, which means strong. This name was due to the ability of a shrub vyzhivatt in the toughest conditions. This is a valuable medicinal plant: the leaves and flowering shoots boryshnika contains substances that have a sedative effect on the heart, so of them are doing a variety of liqueurs.
Hawthorn – genus of deciduous, semi-evergreen rarely high shrubs or small trees up to 4 m tall subfamily apple, rose family, Rosaceae order. The flowers have a white and pink in corymbose inflorescences. There are many seeds of hawthorn fruit, hard rind and a small amount of edible flesh. Hawthorn feels great in temperate zones of North America and Eurasia. For example,
Berry plants – soft, sour-sweet, but not have a rich flavor.
At therapeutic value hawthorn almost as rose. This is a real storehouse of vitamins C and biologically active substances. In some types of hawthorn carotene is not less than carrots. It is known that during the Great Patriotic War, soldiers were given an extract of hawthorn for the prevention of heart disease. Its fruits contain a lot of fructose and complex active substances: krategin bitter substance, tannin, krategusovuyu acid, tannin and citric acid, oleanolic.
In the old days in Russia, hawthorn was used mainly as a fixing agent in dysentery. In the XIX century it became popular to use the tea from the flowers and leaves of hawthorn, which is believed to purify the blood. And since the XX century folk medicine strongly recommends fruits and flowers of hawthorn as a cure for diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Hawthorn also prepared alcohol tincture, which is used to 1 teaspoon to lower blood pressure.
The types and grades
Ripen in August-September, bright red berries of some species of hawthorn are edible, including Spanish (aka Pontic and azarol).
In Russia there are about 50 local species of hawthorn, about 100 species have been imported from other countries, including China and the Caucasus.
How to cook
The berries are prepared kvass compote (with the addition of apples), tea (from dried hawthorn mixed with rosehip), wine, jam, jam, jelly, jams, candy, rub them with sugar.
Hawthorn does not occupy an important place in the national cuisine, except perhaps China. There Hawthorn preparing a very popular candy, candy, jellies and juices.
In other countries, these berries are known more for its medicinal qualities than taste. Nevertheless, from the dried and milled flour made of hawthorn fruit, from which the baked sweet bread. Also dried fruit are for the manufacture of a surrogate coffee.
Hawthorn can cook or brew apple compote with addition of dried fruit tea obtain useful, especially if you add the hips. There are several recipes for wine from hawthorn.
Fresh berries cooked jams and marmalades. Jams to improve the taste better to do mixed, for example, with currants and sea buckthorn. Marmalade of hawthorn can then be used for making sauces, especially venison.
Hawthorn – beautiful honey plant. Hawthorn honey has a pleasant bitterness and did not candy.
When eating hawthorn berries should be remembered that in large quantities, they can cause mild poisoning.
Season
Hawthorn blossoms in May – June. By September, the flowers are transformed into a bright orange or red “apples”.
All year round in supermarkets and markets you can buy dried hawthorn berries and a pharmacy – leaves.
