When to pick which berries? Fruit and berry ripening schedule in the Moscow region

Cranberry is a wild berry, which in the old days almost entire villages went to collect. And even today in the fall, in remote swampy places, you can often meet enthusiasts carrying entire backpacks of sour “zharavika”. Such zeal is justified. Cranberries have a complex of substances beneficial to the body and are used not only in cooking, but also in folk medicine. Therefore, the cost of a jar of berries on the market reaches 1000 rubles. Details about where and how cranberries grow and what the ripening time are are in this material.

This plant of the Ericaceae family can be found throughout Northern Hemisphere. Cranberries belong to the genus Vaccinium and are closely related to blueberries, blueberries and lingonberries.

There are four types of wild cranberries:

Ordinary

Evergreen subshrub growing in northern and temperate latitudes Eurasian continent. The shoots are creeping, long (up to 80 cm), thin, woody, brown in color. Flowering shoots are raised, leaves are ovate, 5-10 mm long, petiolate, with an alternate arrangement. The color of the leaf blades on top is dark green, on the bottom – bluish, with a waxy coating. It blooms in May-June with reddish-pink drooping flowers. Ripens by September. Fruit diameter – up to 16 mm.

Small-fruited

Another Eurasian species, a Pleistocene relic. The shoots are creeping, thread-like, about 30 cm long. The leaves are small, 3-6 mm, leathery, dark green on top. Down side sheet plate gray The flowers are small, pink. Fruits with a diameter of 5-8 mm, ripen from late July to August. The species is listed in the Red Books of many regions of Russia (Voronezh, Lipetsk, Ryazan, etc.).

Large-fruited

Widely distributed in Canada and the USA, where the northern border of its growth lies along the 51st parallel. The leaves of the subshrub are oblong, turn burgundy in the fall, and regain their green color in the spring. The fruits are large – up to 25 mm in diameter, carried on long shoots to a height of up to 30 cm. Starts to sing in mid-September. Cultivated large-fruited varieties are developed from American wild cranberries.

Vaccinium redfruit

Has two subspecies. The first is common in North America in the Southern Appalachian region. The second one is in East Asia(China, Japan, Korea). Deciduous shrub, grows in partial shade of mountain forests. The berries ripen in late August - mid-September.

The Latin name for cranberries, Oxycoccus, means “sour ball.” It also has many popular names: stonefly, zharavika, zharavitsa, swamp grapes, bear berry, etc. In some places, cranberries are called “craneberries.” Most likely, this word reflects the similarity of the plant’s flowers with the head of a crane.

The fruits of all types of cranberries are valued for their high content of vitamin C and anthocyanins. This is an indispensable natural remedy against inflammatory genitourinary diseases.. Many scientists believe that cranberries should be included in the list of foods required for cancer prevention.

The beneficial properties of cranberries are known not only to people. It has long been noticed that cranberry meadows are visited with pleasure by bears, foxes and wolves, trying to maintain strength during the long winter or spring.

How and where do cranberries grow?

The Delaware Indians had a legend according to which cranberries grow in the battlefields of ancient giants - where their blood was shed. This makes some sense. Cranberries are a berry of peat, tundra and sphagnum bogs, and their age ranges from 12 thousand to 400 million years.

In Russia, cranberries grow in damp coniferous forests, swampy lowlands, and old peat bogs.. It is widespread in the European part of the country, in Karelia, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and Siberia. The northern border of its range lies in the Arctic Circle (forest-tundra zones). From the south, the cranberry growing area is limited by the 62nd parallel and coincides with the boundaries of the swamps.

For normal development, cranberries require a lot of light and clean water. It grows poorly in environmentally unfavorable places, so cranberry “Palestines” cannot be found near large cities. TO mineral composition This berry is not demanding on soil. The roots of the shrub form a symbiosis with soil fungi, which help the plant “get food.” Cranberries choose soils that are more acidic, easily tolerating a pH of up to 2.5.

Cranberry bushes are capable of forming mats, spreading over moss and intertwining shoots. There can be quite a long distance from one cranberry “palestine” to another. Sometimes you have to walk several kilometers through springy moss and sticky mud.

When does the berry begin to ripen and the harvest time in Russia?

Cranberries can be harvested in summer, autumn and spring. Most often they begin to collect it in the fall - in September-October, before frost. However distinctive feature cranberry fruit - the ability to overwinter on the plant. Frost does not damage the berries, but only accumulates sugar. This is why many people prefer to pick cranberries not in the fall, but in the spring.

The chemical composition as a percentage per 100 g of fruit is as follows:

The ratio of these elements varies depending on the growing conditions and the time of berry picking.

Summer harvest cranberries are firm, white or not fully colored. Over time, it ripens, but retains a lot of acid and does not gain the required amount of sugar. This berry is neither tasty nor juicy. Ripened cranberries have less nutrients, more bitterness, and are poorly stored.

When picking, pay attention to the color of the fruit. Experienced pickers prefer to take cranberries that have acquired a dark purple hue. It is believed that in such a berry the concentration of biologically active substances is maximum.

Spring cranberries that have overwintered under the snow are much sweeter than autumn ones, but there is almost no vitamin C left in them. Autumn harvest berries contain more pectin, which matters if the fruits are intended for processing or confectionery use. Microorganisms responsible for fermentation processes remain active on the skin of autumn cranberries. Therefore, this berry is better suited for winemaking.

Due to the reduced percentage of acid, snowy spring cranberries are stored worse. The transportability of autumn-picked berries is also better.

The spring harvest is limited by the state of the swamp itself. In autumn there is less water, which means the risk of getting stuck or falling through is much lower.

How are cranberries harvested?

During industrial cultivation, cranberry harvesting is often mechanized. Plantations are established in special peat pits-clusters. When the harvest time comes, water is supplied to the clusters through pipes, and the plantation is flooded to a depth of about half a meter.

Cranberry fruits are light, so they float to the surface. Then a tracked harvester equipped with combs at the front and rear is released onto the plantation. The machine picks the berries, which can only be collected with nets.

And here manual cranberry picking is hard physical work . After walking for many hours through a swamp with mosquitoes and horseflies, the picker has to squat for a long time, pushing apart the tangles of shoots and picking off the berries one by one. Therefore, many try to facilitate the process with the help of special devices.

Nowadays you can find many models of fruit harvesters for berries on sale. Some craftsmen make their own scoop combs, which allow them to quickly “comb” cranberry meadows. However legislation in many regions Russian Federation imposes restrictions on this collection method. The fact is that “ches” can seriously injure plants, tearing off leaves and shoots. Therefore, when going for cranberries, you need to familiarize yourself with local collection rules.

Harvesting cranberries using hand harvesters in protected areas is strictly prohibited!

Conclusion

In mid-September, the Tver region annually hosts a holiday - the cranberry festival, timed to coincide with the beginning of the harvesting season for this berry. In Arkhangelsk, a similar event is held a little later - in early October. At the same time, cranberries are celebrated in the Western Hemisphere - in Canada, where on berry plantations they are allowed to take photographs in the “cranberry sea”, prepared for harvest.

Wild cranberries are a berry of exceptional value, but not everyone can harvest them in the swamp.. And then a good way out is to independently cultivate this plant on your own site. A considerable number of large-fruited cultivars have been created through selection. With some effort and creating plants the necessary conditions, in just three to four years you can get your own cranberry “Palestine”.

Berry picking begins in June, when the earliest berries ripen. The berry season lasts six months and ends late autumn. To know the berry picking period, you need to have a berry calendar with a description of the berries, photos of wild and garden gifts. From the berry calendar you will learn when wild strawberries and lingonberries ripen in the forest, when to pick raspberries and currants in the garden, how Victoria differs from strawberries, the calendar indicates the ripening times of cranberries and blueberries, how to correctly pick cherries and gooseberries, when to pick wild strawberries.

Berries are grown in gardens, on summer cottages, lovers wildlife love to collect wild gifts in the forest. From correct collection berries depend on the safety of the fruit and the quality of freshly picked berries. Properly carried out harvesting will not cause harm to the plant; caring human hands during careful harvesting will allow the berry bushes to quickly recover and bear fruit year after year, delighting with a bountiful harvest that is beneficial for human body ripe and fragrant berries.

Wild and fresh garden berries play a role in human nutrition important role. Berries are natural source vitamins, juicy, aromatic, brightly colored fruits have a positive effect on mood, treat depression, have a beneficial effect on mental thinking, increase immunity and performance due to the presence of a whole complex of vitamins, microelements and useful organic acids that make up the berries.

You should pick ripe berries; you should focus on the approximate time frame. To determine when to pick berries, you should focus on external signs berries indicating ripeness - color, aroma, taste - and also adhere to the time of the onset of the mass harvest period relative to the area where you live.

Remember! Picking too early is fraught with loss of taste; picking too late leads to a decrease in berry yield, so try to pick berries in a timely manner!

How to pick berries

When harvesting at home, in the forest closest to home, there are simple rules picking berries: following simple instructions, you will be able to preserve the natural quality and beneficial properties of berries picked for consumption, storage for future use, and transportation.

To avoid harm to yourself and your family members, it is forbidden to pick berries near highways, large industrial enterprises. If you eat crops harvested near a contaminated area, there is a risk of heavy metal poisoning.

When picking berries, it is prohibited to use devices such as scoops and scrapers that harm the plants. Damage to berry bushes by mechanical devices destroys the plants and reduces the yield of berry gardens.

Picked berries, unlike fruits, do not ripen after picking, so it is recommended to pick only ripe ones.

The best time to pick berries is in the morning and evening; Harvesting, as a rule, is carried out every other day, but in dry, hot weather, the fruits are picked daily.

Berries are collected from berry bushes and fruit-bearing trees from the bottom up, starting from the lowest branches and gradually rising to the top.

The berries are picked with tassels (, white and). The second method of harvesting is with a stalk (, Victoria, sometimes raspberry).

For delicate varieties of berries, buckets and baskets are used for collecting small size to keep the berries intact and not bruised.

The collected berries should be put in a cool place, covered with grass from direct contact sun rays. Fruits left under the sun quickly begin to lose their beneficial properties and marketable appearance.

When transporting and carrying, you cannot transfer freshly picked berries from one container to another to avoid damage to the crop. During transportation, be sure to cover the container from the sun.

Picking garden berries: rules

Honeysuckle is the first fruit crop to bear fruit in early summer. In terms of popularity, the fruits, raspberries, occupy an honorable place among cultivated and wild fruit crops.

When do strawberries ripen? The wild berry – strawberry – ripens in June. When picking strawberries in the forest: the answer is simple - all summer, strawberry picking occurs in June-July-August.

Colds are treated with reserves in winter; the fruits of the plant act as a natural antipyretic for sore throats and during a flu epidemic. People try to eat raspberries in summer fresh, prepare for the winter for treatment in the cold season.

When to pick raspberries? Raspberries are harvested in mid-summer, starting in mid-July, in August, some varieties bear fruit as early as September. The difficulty in picking raspberries lies in the fact that the fruits do not ripen at the same time.

What's the best way to collect? A berry picked for immediate consumption must be ripe; If the harvest is to be transported and stored, raspberries should be chosen that are slightly unripe with the stalk.

Collected from mid-July following; to protect the ripe crop from birds, trees and berry bushes covered with a protective net.

It ripens in July-August, the berries are picked in whole bunches, and the currants are picked from the bunch before consumption or during processing for harvesting for the winter.

What is the difference between strawberry and Victoria, what is the difference between two similar appearance fruits? is considered a European berry, strawberries are most often grown in Europe, Victoria grows exclusively in Russia. But strawberries and victoria are berries of the same breed, belonging to the strawberry genus. Victoria has fruits larger than; start of collection for middle zone In Russia, Victoria, strawberries fall in the month of June, depending on the variety, it lasts throughout July and the strawberry harvest ends in August and September.

The basic rule for picking berries is to collect them efficiently, without leaving fruits affected by rot or scab on the plants, helping the plant to get rid of diseases that reduce the yield of fruit crops.

Forest berry harvesting calendar: timing of berry ripening in the forest

They love wild fruits for their aroma, sweet taste, and characteristic aroma inherent in forest gifts. The berries collected in the forest are valued for the biologically active substances contained in the fruit pulp. Buying wild berries at the market is easier than crawling through the forest in search of red, blue, and burgundy bright berries in order to pick at least one basket.

Do-it-yourself berries cannot be compared with those bought in a store in terms of taste, characteristic forest aroma, inherent in the gifts of nature. Summer is the time to collect and benefit from natural gifts that have healing powers, containing a storehouse of vitamins and useful substances for human life.

We suggest you study the berry calendar. With the help of the calendar, it will be easy for you to plan a trip to the forest, so as not to miss the period of ripening of forest berries. When to collect berries, collection by month:

June – strawberries ripen in the forest;

July is the time when you can pick wild strawberries, blueberries, stoneberries, cloudberries, and princeberries;

August - strawberries, blueberries, stoneberries, blueberries, crowberries, blackberries, and princeberries are collected;

September - cranberries, redberries, blueberries, blueberries, rowan are collected;

October is the time when cranberries, lingonberries, etc. are harvested.

When to pick lingonberries and how lingonberries are beneficial for human health

The lingonberry harvest begins in August-September. Lingonberries are delicious and healthy berry, the beneficial properties of lingonberries have been known since ancient times. The lingonberry harvest season begins in August, but the bitterness characteristic of sour fruits disappears when lingonberries are harvested after frost - in October.

Lingonberry is a valuable gift of nature; its healing power is due to its rich composition of vitamins, minerals, sugars, and organic acids. After harvesting, lingonberries are transported without damaging the harvest and are stored fresh for more than a month.

Lingonberry berry juice has medicinal properties, it is taken for hypertension; medicinal diuretic infusions, antimicrobial, antiviral, are prepared from the juice.

The beneficial properties of lingonberries have a preventive and therapeutic effect on the human body, therefore, if it is possible to collect lingonberries, we collect baskets in the forest.

Note!

When to pick blueberries and the benefits of blueberries for human health

Famous beneficial properties, its composition is unique, so many people want to know when to pick blueberries. Blueberries are harvested in July, August, September. Along with the complex of vitamins that make up blueberries, the berry has a healing effect on humans.

Eating fresh blueberries, berry juice, fruit juice, and jam has a beneficial effect on various human organs. Fruit crop improves vision, is a natural antioxidant, heals the heart, slows down aging.

Eating blueberries every day helps strengthen blood vessels and reduce bad cholesterol in the blood.

When to pick cranberries and the benefits of cranberries for human health

Cranberry is a healing berry, it contains vitamins, minerals, and acids. When does cranberry, one of the healthiest berries, ripen? Cranberries ripen in August. When to pick cranberries? The answer is simple, cranberries are collected from August and throughout the fall, until the winter cold, the season for collecting cranberries in the forest lasts.

The beneficial properties of cranberries are constantly being studied; cranberries are a folk healer, given to man by nature. The high content of vitamin C in cranberries allows the use of sour berries in treatment colds, viral infections.

Cranberry, which has a unique composition, is included in a huge number of traditional medicine recipes; with its help, traditional healers successfully treat varicose veins in patients, cleanse the blood, cranberry cleanses blood vessels from cholesterol plaques, and has a healing effect on the body as a whole.

When to pick wild strawberries and what benefits strawberries have for human health

Lesnaya ripens in June and July; strawberries are harvested until mid-to-late August, depending on the region in which the berries grow. Wild strawberries are tasty and healthy. The beneficial properties of strawberries include a high content of folic acid, iron, vitamin E, and calcium.

The benefits of strawberries are contained in the fruits, leaves, fiber, pectin, sugars, microelements, essential oils, and a rich vitamin complex.

The wild strawberry is considered the most valuable. It normalizes digestion, metabolism, increases appetite, restores strength after severe physical activity, has choleretic and diuretic properties.

When to pick wild strawberries - when the picking season comes, it’s better not to put off going to the forest. When the slightest opportunity arises, you can pick strawberries after mass ripening. Strawberries are ideal for preparing for the winter; they make fragrant jam from it, make compotes, dry the berries and leaves for brewing tea, freeze them, and eat them fresh.

Nature has arranged it so that berries can be picked in the forest from June until late autumn. Wild berries are much healthier and tastier than garden berries, but they are more difficult to collect and require hard work and knowledge of the forest. Once you bring home the bounty of nature, you will become a fan of forest harvesting. We present to your attention several useful tips, which will certainly come in handy when going to the forest.

Collection time is an important condition. Where does which berry grow?

Strawberries

Many types of berries grow in our forests, each of which has its own ripening time. The forest season begins with the picking of strawberries, which grow along the edges and along forest clearings and roads. Depending on the weather, strawberries are harvested from the beginning of June to the first days of July. Then the berries move away, fall off and the strawberry leaf turns yellow. Most big harvest lasts about two weeks, then goes away.

Blueberry

Blueberries ripen from the beginning of July; they are next in order, but they can be harvested even in September. Blueberries, the largest on low two-year-old bushes, lie in moss and are the last to ripen. Largest quantity The berries are harvested in July; you should not start picking when the berries are not yet full and have a bland taste. Blueberries grow in clearings, in thickets of forests, along swamps; blueberries usually form entire thickets, like plantations.

For blueberries in early August, they grow along the swamps and in the swamps themselves, bushes the size of short currants. Blueberries are easier to pick, you don’t have to bend over as often, the picking process is faster, and the berries are larger compared to blueberries. Blueberries do not fall from the bush, they hang for a long time, sometimes when picking cranberries in the fall you can come across unpicked blueberries that turn blue and do not let you pass by. Poured to size small grapes, autumn blueberries become sweet and fall off when picked.

Lingonberries ripen next; you should not pick them before the end of August. Lingonberries must ripen on the bush, since the mixed pink and red berries rot and spoil. Lingonberries are harvested until October, at which time the berries become dark, sweet and richest. Harvesting lingonberries is easy; they grow in tassels, like grapes, and the bucket fills up quickly. It’s difficult to sort through it; it takes the same amount of time as collecting it.

Queen of wild berries - . In the areas where it grows, announcements are made to the administration when the collection season can open. Cranberries are considered northern bread, which feeds many. Picking should begin no earlier than mid-September, since unripe berries deteriorate and rot. It is easiest to collect cranberries in the swamp, since the weather is not hot, there are no mosquitoes and midges, the count is not in glasses, but in buckets. Cranberries are also harvested in the spring, in April, when the snow melts. It is called vershnik, an incredibly sweet and tasty berry from under the snow, a real medicine for children and sick, weakened people in winter.

We buy wild berries

Never buy wild berries at the beginning of the season; you can buy a glass to treat yourself or your children. If the seller assures you that the berries are ripe and the pink ones will arrive in a couple of days, then do not believe him. The difference between berries that are ripe and full on the bush and those that are collected ahead of schedule or at the beginning of the season significant. It's like tomatoes picked green and ripened to perfection on the bush.

For harvesting and winter freezing, take late berries, now you know the time when they can be collected. This is especially true for lingonberries, which dishonest pickers begin selling in mid-August, when the berries are completely unripe. Buying cranberries in winter period, don’t go after a beautiful and plump berry; quite often these are cranberries soaked in water and then frozen.

It is best to go out into the forest with a group; no one will leave empty-handed and will receive an amazing boost of health.

The berry picking season is very long. The earliest species ripen by the end of spring, the later ones by mid-autumn. I love berries, so I enjoy growing them in the garden and picking them in the forest. In order not to injure the plant, follow a number of rules for picking berries, which I will tell you about.

When to pick berries

Regarding the timing of berry picking, there are concepts: botanical and consumer ripeness of berries. The first occurs when the berry stops growing, the beneficial substances in it have reached their maximum. This crop is suitable for long storage and processing. The second is characterized by the berries achieving the color, taste and aroma characteristic of the species. Such fruits are only suitable for consumption immediately after picking. The time difference between stages of maturity ranges from several days (almost all species garden berries) up to two months (viburnum). Pick ripe berries; picking them too early leads to loss of taste; picking them too late threatens rotting fruits and reduced yield.

How to pick berries

When harvesting berries, remember a number of rules:

Never pick berries near highways, factories or landfills. Eating such a crop risks poisoning.
Best time for picking berries - the morning of a dry day.
Start picking berries from trees and bushes from the lower branches, gradually moving upward.
The more tender the berry pulp, the smaller the container for collection. Then the berry will remain intact.
Most berries are picked with the stalk (strawberries, cherries) or whole clusters (currants).
For transportation, collect the berries immediately in the container in which you will transport them. Transferring from one container to another provokes damage to the crop.
The frequency of harvesting berries depends on the type of plant. Currants are harvested at one time; strawberry or raspberry bushes are approached once every two days.

Garden berry picking

The most difficult picking is picking raspberries. This is due to the fact that the berries on this shrub ripen at different times.

When to pick raspberries? From mid-July to the end of August, every day or every other day. Garden Raspberry pruning for beginners

The best way to pick raspberries depends on your further actions with the berry. If raspberries go straight to the table or for processing, pick ripe berries that are easily separated from the fruit. If transportation and storage are required, pick the raspberries together with the stalk and slightly unripe ones.

Collect currant berries with brushes, remove them from the brush immediately before consumption or processing. Gooseberries are collected together with the stalk. For transportation, pick off slightly unripe fruits. Cherries are harvested from mid-July. Be sure to cover the tree with netting to protect the berries from birds.

All types of berries are characterized by one more harvesting rule: when harvesting an edible crop, pick off rotten and spoiled berries. Leaving them on the plant increases the risk of disease, rot and reduced yield.

Collection of wild berries

Nowadays, any wild berry can be purchased on the market. But no purchased berry can compare in taste and aroma to one picked with one’s own hands in the forest. In addition, wild berries are a source of useful and important microelements and vitamins for the body; they form the basis of a huge amount folk recipes treatment of diseases. Pay attention to the berry calendar. It will help you navigate the timing of flowering and ripening of wild berries.

Summer is the time to get plenty of vitamins. Berries play an irreplaceable role in this process. Grow berries on your plot, pick them in the nearest forest, and don’t let summer go to waste!

- wild strawberry. It has excellent taste and makes excellent jam. Strawberries grow in abundance on the edges of birch, mixed and coniferous forests, in glades and slopes, preferring fairly dry soddy-podzolic soil. It is also found in the forest between trees, but much less often, because it loves light. It does not tolerate excessive moisture at all, so it does not grow in swamps.

The ripening time of wild strawberries depends on the specific climatic conditions one area or another. In most of the European territory of Russia, it can be collected from the first ten days of June; collection usually lasts two to three weeks.

Cranberries, on the contrary, thrive in swamps, which is why they are collected there. This dark red sour berry has a lot of advantages: it contains many vitamins (especially vitamin C), other useful substances, its decoctions have a general strengthening and antipyretic effect. The famous cranberry juice is very tasty. Cranberries are harvested in mid to early October.

Lingonberry is a smaller, dense burgundy-red berry, often with a white side. This is a very healthy berry. A decoction of lingonberry leaves helps well with kidney diseases, the berries have a beneficial effect on rheumatism and tuberculosis. Pickled lingonberries are an excellent side dish for meat, poultry, and fish. Thanks to the high concentration of a natural preservative - benzoic acid - this berry does not spoil for a long time. It is collected from the second half to the beginning of September in coniferous forests and peat bogs.

Blueberries are also extremely useful. It is eaten fresh, ground with sugar, and jam and jelly are made from it. It has a beneficial effect on vision, eliminates gastrointestinal disorders and oral diseases. Blueberries grow in coniferous forests, in peat bogs, and sometimes on mountain slopes; they are harvested in July-August.

Of course, we must not forget about wild raspberries. Although its berries are smaller than those of the garden berry, they are also tasty and aromatic. Raspberries have an antipyretic effect and normalize metabolism. In many regions of Siberia, raspberry forests are extensive and very dense. Therefore, local residents, while picking berries, talk loudly and from time to time knock on metal objects: both so as not to lose each other, and to scare away the bear, who also really likes to eat this fragrant berry. The harvest time for wild raspberries falls at the end of July - beginning of August.

To say that blueberries are healthy means to say nothing. This is a real storehouse of minerals and vitamins; it is successfully used not only in cooking, but also in medicine. Blueberries will help with stomach upsets and improve vision. If you have ever picked by hand in your life, you probably know what hard work it is, but this berry is worth it. And if you are going to the forest for the first time to pick berries, read the tips and recommendations.

The berry contains 30% sugar, 7% is malic, succinic, citric, quinic, oxalic and lactic acids, also B, A, C and keratin.

Blueberry leaves are no less useful than berries. In addition, the leaves contain essential oil, as well as ursulic, olenic, quinic, resin acids. So the entire plant is used for treatment.

Blueberries themselves and preparations from this plant are used for acute eczema, in the kidneys. Fresh berries are recommended for use for pain.

Elderly people and those who lead a sedentary lifestyle (cashiers, office workers, banks) benefit from drinking a decoction of dry berries of the plant, which affects the digestive processes.

The decoction also helps with inflammation of the gums and oral mucosa. Very effective remedy prevention of the threat of periodontal disease.

Berries should be collected during the ripening period, leaves - during the flowering period; collection should be done only in dry weather.

Blueberries are a miracle berry that not only has excellent taste qualities, but with incredible abilities to defeat various diseases. Scientists have found that blueberries have rejuvenating properties, prevent loss of visual acuity, impaired coordination of movement, memory loss, etc. Where does this miracle berry grow?

Description of blueberries

Blueberries are small perennial shrub, whose height reaches from 15 to 30 centimeters. The stems are erect, have many branches, smooth, the rhizome is long, creeping. Blueberry leaves are light green and have oval shape. Their length varies from 10 to 30 mm. This shrub blooms in late May-early June, but the berries ripen only in July-August.

Blueberries grow in coniferous forests (spruce and pine), but you can also see them in mixed forests. Mountain slopes, as well as wetlands - favorite places blueberry growth. Occurs this plant almost throughout the entire territory of the European part of Russia, East Asia, and North America.

Blueberry picking and storage

Berry picking begins in July, and only in dry weather. After picking, the berries are poured onto specially prepared baking sheets, dried in a warm, well-ventilated room, and then dried in an oven. Dried berries are perfect not only for preparing various delicacies in the form of jelly, compotes, etc., but also for treatment.

Blueberries make excellent jam, as well as jellies, jams, etc.

Blueberries can also be stored frozen; when frozen, they lose only a small part of their beneficial properties. To do this, you need to lightly dry the blueberries, then package them in bags or special containers, close them tightly and put them in freezer, the temperature in which is not lower than minus eight degrees.

Blueberries have unique beneficial properties; their main wealth is antioxidants. When people hear the mention of this berry, they immediately remember its ability to restore vision. However, in folk medicine it is used to treat and prevent a number of diseases.

Blueberries are a source of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and carbohydrates. In addition, it contains minerals, organic acids, iron, copper and sodium. It contains vitamins B1 and B6, C, PP and pantothenic acid. The pectins in its composition can cleanse the intestines of decomposition products, toxins and heavy metal salts.

Antioxidants in blueberries bind free electrons and affect the body on cellular level and prevent the formation of low-quality tumors. Blueberry antioxidants are also called anthocyanins. Therefore, blueberries are an excellent remedy for the prevention of cancer.

Regular consumption of blueberries helps prevent the development of heart disease. It strengthens blood vessels, warns infectious diseases, improves memory, helps maintain normal weight and can be used as an anti-aging agent. Blueberries also strengthen the blood vessels in the back wall of the eyes, thereby improving the ability to see in the dark and restoring vision.

Sick diabetes mellitus you need to take a decoction of blueberry leaves and eat a large portion of fresh berries. For the winter, the berries can be frozen and the leaves can be dried to continue the blueberry treatment. This therapy helps lower blood sugar levels and stimulate the pancreas. In some cases, after taking the blueberry complex, the need for insulin disappears.

To keep blueberries well, grind them with sugar in a 1:1 ratio and store in tightly closed containers in the freezer.

Blueberries can be used for genitourinary diseases. Blueberries delay the aging process of the human body and prevent the development of prostate tumors at the cellular level.

Blueberries are very low in calories, but they are a real storehouse of vitamins and minerals. In addition, the berry contains a large amount of fiber. Frozen blueberries can be stored in the freezer for a long time; when frozen, they do not lose their beneficial qualities and have the same properties as fresh berries. Dried blueberries are almost as healthy as fresh ones.

It is better to limit the consumption of dried berries in case of malfunctions of the biliary tract and diseases of the pancreas.

Blueberry infusion or juice can be used to rinse the mouth and throat for stomatitis, sore throat and catarrh of the upper respiratory tract. The juice can be taken orally several times a day, 1/3 cup. It is most often used as a diuretic. It is used in the presence of sand in the kidneys and for the treatment of bedwetting.

Blueberries contain phytoncides, which are effective in treating the pathogens of diphtheria, staphylococcus, dysentery bacillus and even typhoid fever.

An infusion of blueberry leaves can be used to treat wounds until they heal. To prepare the composition you need to pour 1 tsp. leaves with 1 cup boiling water and leave for 30 minutes on a hot stove. After this, the composition must be filtered.