Calorie content of dried barberry. What are the important components included in its composition. How is it useful and whether it has contraindications. Use of the product in cooking. Well, as you can see, it is not for nothing that barberry has been used in folk medicine for many years, it has a beneficial effect on almost all systems, organs and tissues. Many even call it the closest relative of the sensational goji berries, but this is not a completely correct comparison, the fruits of the crops are really similar in appearance, but in general they are completely different plants.
One way or another, the use of dried barberry for weight loss can bring no less beneficial effect than goji berries in the fight against extra pounds. As we said above, it actively cleanses the body of toxins, which often become one of the reasons for weight gain. However, eating only sweet and sour berries and not taking other measures to lose weight, that is, without playing sports and a reasonable diet, you are unlikely to get a stunning result.
For maximum effect in the fight against excess weight, you need to use the product in the form of various teas and infusions. Eating the fruits in their pure form and using them as a spice is not worth it, since in this form they stimulate the appetite.
Contraindications and harm of dried barberry
However, despite such an impressive list of useful properties, berries are not a uniquely recommended product for everyone. There is a fine line between the benefits and harms of dried barberry. It contains a large amount of biologically active substances, which are useful even for a healthy body only in healthy doses.
Thus, if you do not have any diseases and health problems, you can eat healthy fruits, but you should not abuse them. In the same case, if there are health problems, you must first consult with your doctor.
In a special risk group are people suffering from diarrhea (berries have a mild laxative effect), severe diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. Also, special care should be taken for allergy sufferers, pregnant women, lactating women and children under 12 years of age.
How to properly dry barberry
As we said at the beginning of the article, the product retains most of the nutrients if the drying process is performed correctly. What are the nuances that need to be taken into account:
- The berries must be picked after they are fully ripe. We mentioned that unripe fruits contain too much of the dangerous substance berberine in large quantities. And, despite the fact that during drying, some of it, of course, will evaporate, it is better not to risk it and use ripe berries. It is important to understand here that the ripening season varies depending on the region of growth. The range extends from late summer to the first frost.
- It is important to sort the collected berries carefully, leaving only high-quality fruits, and soak them in water for several hours, and then rinse under running water.
- When the fruits are dry, they need to be laid out on a baking sheet and placed in an oven preheated to a temperature of 40 degrees. Have the berries started shrinking? Time to add the temperature by 10-20 degrees. The readiness of the barberry is determined as follows: you need to take a handful of berries and close it slightly in your hand, they should not stick together and should not stick to your hand.
Dried barberry can be stored either in a glass jar or in a plastic bottle.
Dried Barberry Recipes
As we have already found out, berries can be brewed in the form of infusions, but their culinary possibilities are actually much wider. Where is the dried barberry added? It is used as a seasoning for various dishes, the most popular of which is pilaf. Also, fruits can serve not only as an additive to dishes, but also as their basis - compotes, jams, jellies, etc. are made from berries.
Well, let's move from words to deeds and consider a few recipes with dried barberry:
- Uzbek pilaf with chicken … Butcher the chicken (one whole carcass), rub the slices with salt, pepper and suneli hops (take all seasonings to taste). Pour rice (600 grams) with hot water (1 liter). Put a cauldron or a large saucepan with a thick bottom on the fire, heat sunflower oil (150 ml) in a container, it should be hot. Cut the onion (3 pieces) into half rings and put in the heated oil, followed by the chicken pieces. Fry for 10-15 minutes over medium heat, do not cover the pan with a lid. Add tomato paste or your favorite sauce (1 teaspoon) - spicy is better, mix thoroughly. Cut carrots (800 grams) into strips, add to the meat along with red and black pepper, cilantro, barberry (again, take to taste). Close the lid, simmer for 20 minutes. Rinse the rice, add to vegetables with meat, pour in water (3 cups), salt. Close the lid and simmer for another 10-15 minutes over low heat until the water evaporates.
- Spicy kebab … Cut the onion into rings (2 pieces), fill it with vinegar (70 ml), leave to marinate. Coarsely chop the onion (1 more), parsley (5 stalks), chili (1), put in a blender and chop. If the machine does not take dry mass, add a little water. Grind barberry (1-2 teaspoons) in a mortar along with dried tomatoes (1 tablespoon). Combine minced lamb (700 grams) with blender paste, chopped tomatoes and barberry. Add spices: cumin (on the tip of a knife), paprika (1/2 teaspoon), dried basil (1-2 teaspoons), black pepper and salt to taste. Beat off the minced meat - it should be compacted, then it will sit firmly on the skewers. Put the "dough" in the refrigerator for half an hour. Preheat oven to 200 degrees, shape kebabs, skewer, place on a baking sheet and grill for 10 minutes on each side. Serve with warmed satsebele sauce, pickled onions, herbs and pita bread.
- Gourmet chocolate … Grind unsalted pistachios (50 grams), cashews (100 grams), roasted seeds (50 grams), mix with pink peppercorns (2 teaspoons). Melt the bitter chocolate (400 grams) in a water bath, try not to heat it more than 50 degrees. Remove from heat, cool slightly and add prepared nuts and seeds, as well as barberry (4 tablespoons) and dried cherries (50 grams). Pour the chocolate into a mold (regular plastic containers can be used, but the chocolate layer should be thin, like in standard plates) and refrigerate for 8 hours.
- Quick barberry and lemon jam … Remove seeds from berries if desired, chop in a blender. Cut the tails off the lemon and also send them to the blender along with the peel. Combine the sugar mixture and place in the jars. The proportions per kilogram of berries are 1.5 kilograms of sugar and 2 lemons.
- A simple recipe for dried barberry compote … Put the berries in jars, boil the syrup from water and sugar, pour the fruits over them and roll them up. Proportions: for 1 kg of barberry - 1, 2 sugar and 2 liters of water.
As you can see, barberry is really widely used in cooking. If you like spices with sourness and not sugary sweet desserts, you will love this product and it will take its rightful place in your kitchen.
Interesting facts about barberry
In cooking, not only the berries of the plant are used, but also its leaves. They are mainly used for preparing first courses and are an excellent alternative to cabbage or sorrel.
German scientists have found out an interesting property of culture: it turns out that a shrub can independently identify berries infected with a particular disease and discard them in order to prevent infection of neighboring ones.
In the Middle Ages, the bark of the plant was used to dye tissues and skin in yellow shades. This feature, again, is explained by berberine, it is this component that is capable of giving a bright lemon color. Nevertheless, in healthy doses, it bears repeating, berberine is very useful, and today many pharmacological preparations of a wide spectrum are made on its basis.
In ancient times, barberry was mainly used to treat diseases of the liver and gallbladder, as well as intestinal disorders. In Egypt, the fruit was mixed with dill seeds and used as a powerful antipyretic. Records of the healing properties of the plant were present on clay tablets made by the healers of Mesopotamia in 650 BC.
In New Zealand and some states of the United States, barberry is prohibited from cultivation, as this crop is rapidly growing, evicting others.
Despite the fact that on the Internet you can find folk recipes using plant roots, we would advise you to treat them as carefully as possible. The fact is that a much larger amount of potentially dangerous berberine is concentrated in the root system than in berries. Watch a video about dried barberry:
Dried barberry is a healthy and tasty berry. Unfortunately, despite the fact that this culture grows well in our climate, we rarely use sweet and sour fruits in the kitchen. And it's a pity, because they not only make the taste of dishes more original and richer, but also help to improve health. It is especially important to eat barberry during the period of colds in order to survive the flu epidemic without getting sick or having been ill in a very mild form. However, no matter how useful this product is, in case of health problems, be sure to consult with your doctor before using it.
