Description of blackthorn, chemical composition and caloric content of fruits. Useful properties of sour plum and restrictions on use. Recipes for dishes with thorns. Mentions of the thorny plant in myths and legends of different peoples. The use of thorns during menstruation improves well-being, helps to cope with the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome - dizziness, nausea, temporary emotional instability.
The most pronounced and beneficial effect of thorns has on the male body - it increases local immunity and prevents the development of prostate adenoma.
Harm and contraindications to the use of thorns
When sour plums are consumed, allergic reactions of an individual nature can develop. Fruit intolerance is quite common.
Contraindications to the use of thorns are as follows:
- Increased acidity of the stomach and all diseases associated with this condition - gastritis, peptic ulcer, erosive damage to the mucous membrane of the esophagus and digestive tract;
- Chronic diarrhea
- Chronic hypotension with nausea and dizziness;
- Increased blood clotting with acute manifestations - thrombophlebitis and varicose veins.
A handful of thorns will not cause any harm to the tooth enamel, but if you eat these berries at least in an amount equal to half a glass, your teeth will turn blue, and you will be able to get rid of the stain only after 4-5 days, even if you clean them repeatedly. You can only prevent the appearance of an aesthetic defect if you rinse your mouth with lemon water immediately after consuming sour plums.
Blackthorn compote, cooked together with the stone, should not be given to children and the elderly after long-term storage. In this case, the cyanogenic glycoside accumulates, and intoxication may develop. The body of strong healthy people usually copes with intoxication on its own, and children, the elderly and patients with diseases of the digestive tract may need medical help - washing the stomach and intestines, taking sorbents, and administering detoxification drugs.
Nutritionists advise avoiding thorn diets, despite their effectiveness. The recommended intake of berries is 200 g per week. It is advisable to break this amount into 2-3 servings.
Recipes for dishes with thorns
Only firm fruits with smooth skin, without spots or cracks, which indicate the beginning of decay, are suitable for eating and homemade preparations. Such fruits are sweeter, but have a negative effect on the body - they can provoke vomiting, nausea, and prolonged diarrhea.
Recipes with thorns:
- Ternovka … To make homemade liqueur, sugar and berries are taken in equal amounts - 1 to 1. The thorns are washed, laid out on a flat tray - preferably plastic, covered with cling film, rolled several times with a rolling pin to crush the berries. Spread the thorns in layers in a container for further infusion, alternating with sugar. If a bottle with a narrow neck is chosen as the dish, then the fruits and sugar are poured together, and then mixed with vigorous shaking. A rubber glove is put on the neck of the bottle, a small hole is pierced in it, the "structure" is placed in heat - to the radiator or to the sun. After 5 days, the fermented juice is drained, the seeds are removed from the fruits, they are put back in a warm place - now the neck is wrapped with gauze. Shake it 2 times a day - in the morning and in the evening. After 20-22 days, filter the filling several times through cheesecloth folded in 3-5 layers. Each time the gauze is taken clean. The filling can already be cooled and drunk, and it is recommended to fill the cake with vodka and let it ripen for 4 months - the tincture is also called blackthorn.
- Pickled turn … To prepare 500-600 g of berries with seeds, you need to prepare seasonings: a teaspoon of mustard seeds, 3-4 peas of allspice, a teaspoon of ordinary vinegar, a third of a teaspoon of salt, 3 sticks of cloves and 5 g of cinnamon powder, a tablespoon of sugar. All seasonings are placed on the bottom of the cans, dividing equally, and the thorn is spread on top. The marinade is cooked by adding sugar, salt and vinegar to 300 ml of water. The jars are poured with marinade, sterilized for 7-10 minutes, the lids are rolled up. It should cool down under the covers. Marinated sloe is combined with meat, fish, and is used as a snack for alcohol.
- Jam … The proportions of berries and sugar are 1 to 1. The berries are placed in a container, poured with water, put the pan on the fire and boiled for 2-3 minutes, then rubbed through a sieve. The bones with pulp are boiled again, rubbed again. Sugar is added to the blackthorn puree and boiled for about 20 minutes until cooked. The seeds can be pulled out in advance or after boiling, then it will be easier to cook the jam - you can simply mix the pulp with sugar and grind in a blender.
- Tkemali from thorns … The easiest recipe. 1 kg of washed sloe berries are placed in a saucepan, poured with a glass of cold water, and brought to a boil. As soon as the water boils, cilantro and mint in bunches are dipped into it. After 15 minutes, the tufts are removed, and the sauce is left to simmer for another 15 minutes under the lid. After this time, the fire is turned off and the contents of the pan are allowed to cool without opening the lids. The cooled berries are rubbed through a sieve, put on fire, add salt - a teaspoon, pepper - chili pod, sugar - 2 tablespoons. While the sauce is simmering, chop 4 cloves of garlic, a bunch of cilantro and mint and cook with these additions until the sauce thickens by half. You can add more salt and sugar to taste. If you plan to make a workpiece, the cooking time is increased by 10 minutes. Banks are sterilized, tkemali is poured hot.
- Dumplings with thorns … The dough is kneaded with kefir, adding eggs, salt and sugar. When it becomes dense, but soft, it is allowed to stand for 15 minutes. The dough is rolled out into a layer, the circles are cut out using a glass or a special device, several pitted berries and a little sugar are placed in each circle. The edges of the dough are held together to form a dumpling. Dumplings are cooked in a double boiler for about 5-6 minutes.
- Flip pie … Pits are removed from the thorns, the dough is kneaded from 1.5 cups of flour and 0.5 cups of sugar, 2 eggs. When kneading, add a little salt and cinnamon. The pan is heated, a small piece of butter is melted, a glass of sugar is poured in and the thorns are laid out. As soon as the sugar has turned into syrup with the thorn juice, the berries are laid out in an even layer and the dough is spread on top with a spoon. The pan is placed in an oven preheated to a temperature of 180 ° C, baked for 20 minutes. They take the frying pan out of the oven, make an incision along its edge to make it easier to get the cake. The pan is put on fire, the caramel is allowed to melt, and then the pie is turned over onto a dish.
For the preparation of desserts, only fruits of maximum ripeness are suitable; for sauces, you can pick berries with greenery. The flowers of the plant are also used for food purposes - tea made from them is unusually tasty and aromatic.
Interesting facts about the turn
In the myths and legends of the peoples of the Caucasus, in which the thorn is mentioned, it was endowed with vitality. Indeed, abandoned gardens, vacant lots, clearing after a forest fire quickly grow over with this plant. But in Ancient Judea, the thorn was considered a symbol of desolation.
With the help of amulets made of strong thorn wood, the inhabitants of the Carpathians protected themselves from barefoot shoes - this is the name of the witch who drinks blood from people and domestic animals at night. If the cow's milk "spoiled", then it was filtered through a sieve woven from the branches of thorns. Thorn wreaths were attached over the door of a house or over a barn where animals were kept.
Blackthorn wine was necessarily used in funeral rituals, it was sprinkled with wounds and abrasions, like “dead water”, so that it would heal faster. Blackthorn wine does not possess regenerative properties, but a decoction of blackthorn leaves stimulates collagen synthesis. Spanish sorcerers used thorns to pierce wax dolls. The living thorn hedge was considered the best defense against otherworldly forces.
Jesus Christ wore a crown of thorns. Since that time, references to the crown of thorns have been perceived as tales of suffering endured.
In the legends of England, the thicket of thorns is the habitat of the fairies. This is Gankoner, an elf practicing seduction. Gankoner can be male and female. The elf lures his victim by sitting on a branch of thorns. The enchanted traveler, oblivious to the pain inflicted by the thorns, strives for his beloved. After being seduced, Gankoner disappears, and the unfortunate lover cannot get out of the thorns and dies bleeding to death. They still say - "through thorns to the stars", without remembering why this saying appeared.
There are legends about the fertility of thorns, they even put down a proverb: a thorn bush is never empty.
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