Dried barberry: taste, useful properties, use in cooking

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Barberry is a shrub plant, a huge concentration of nutrients in which allows you to use it not only in cooking, but also in cosmetology and even medicine. The end of November is the best time to collect and dry he althy berries for the winter.

Harvest time

Barberry looks like a completely unremarkable bush in the garden. However, incredible riches lie behind its nondescriptness - this plant is just a storehouse of useful substances.

Everyone knows these oblong red berries used in tinctures, compotes, decoctions, sauces and seasonings, but few people realize that in addition to the fruits in the barberry bush, young leaves, roots and bark are incredibly useful - they are harvested in early spring, when the plant is just beginning to turn green.

But the time for barberry berries is late autumn, they are usually harvested after the first frost, at the end of November, unripe fruits are poisonous and dangerous to he alth.

Winter preparations

From one adult bush you can collect 12-15 kilograms of berries. Since this fruit is consumed freshquite rarely, all kinds of preparations are made from it, which diversify the menu and support immunity in winter.

From fresh fruits you can make and preserve jellies, jams and marmalades. Barberry berries can be candied in jars and stored in the refrigerator with a closed lid. From such preparations in the cold season it is easy to prepare fruit drinks and compotes.

Drying and storage

The easiest and most versatile way to preserve the beneficial properties of these berries for the whole winter is to cook dried barberries. The collected berries are thoroughly washed and dried with paper towels. Since it is already cold outside by the time the berries ripen, they are dried in the oven in two stages. By the way, dried barberry, the photo of which is presented above, has a beneficial effect on blood vessels and the heart.

First, clean berries are laid out in one layer on a baking sheet and left in the oven at a temperature of 40-45 degrees for 6-7 hours. After that, the temperature is increased to 60 and dried for about 5 more hours until the fruits stick together when squeezed in the palm of your hand.

Modern dryers for fruits and vegetables allow you to cook dried barberry berries in a much shorter time - 4-5 hours.

The workpiece should be stored in plastic bottles or linen bags in a dry, dark place. Berries retain their beneficial properties and taste for 2-3 years.

He alth in a bottle

What is useful dried barberry? Since ancient times, it has gained fame as a "tasty medicine." Barberry berries are extremelyrich in organic acids - citric, malic, ascorbic and tartaric. They also contain beta-carotene, vitamins K, E, C, A, the alkaloid berberine.

All this makes dried barberry an excellent anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and immunomodulatory agent. In addition, an extract from its berries is used to normalize blood pressure in hypertensive patients, treat diseases of the genital area in women, as a choleretic agent in people suffering from diseases of the liver and gallbladder.

Useful properties of dried barberry have been recognized not only by ancient physicians, but also by modern physicians. In Germany, for example, barberry tincture is recommended for patients with diabetes mellitus, in China, fruit extract is used for inflammatory eye diseases, and in the USA as an additional therapy for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Universal seasoning

The specific sweet and sour taste of berries is quite difficult to confuse with something else. Thanks to this unique combination, dried barberry is a versatile seasoning. It is great for marinades, harmoniously complements the taste of rice, gives an incredible aroma to barbecue.

In what quantities and where do experienced housewives add dried barberry? Without it, a real Uzbek pilaf is unthinkable, one teaspoon of dried berries is enough to give it a spicy touch. Berries should not be pre-soaked - they should be added just before the meat is sautéed.

Dried berries can simply be ground into a powder and used in small quantities as needed.

Uzbek plov

The most common dish where dried barberry is added is, of course, pilaf. Sweet and sour berries give it a special flavor, piquancy and spice.

Ingredients:

• rice - 500 grams;
• lamb - 500 g;
• carrots - 500 g;
• vegetable oil - 100 ml;
• onions - 2 heads;
• garlic - 1 clove;
• dried barberry - 1 tbsp. l.;
• zira - 1 tbsp. l.;
• coriander seeds - 1 tsp;
• s alt to taste.

Cooking:

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
2. Meat cut into cubes, carrots into strips, 1 onion into half rings. Peel the garlic from the top shell, but do not divide into cloves
3. Ignite the vegetable oil in a cauldron and fry the remaining whole onion in it. Get her out.
4. Put carrots, onions and meat into oil, add s alt, cumin and coriander, fry until golden brown.
5. Place the washed rice on top and fill it with water so that it covers the cereal to a height of 2 centimeters. Bring to a boil and reduce.
6. After 15 minutes, stick the heads of garlic into the pilaf, add the barberries, reduce the heat to a minimum, cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Grilled meat

The second most popular dish with dried barberry is marinade for barbecue and grill - it is quite versatile and suitable for chicken, lamb, and pork.

Ingredients:

• onion - 2 heads;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• tomato paste - 2 tbsp.spoons;
• tomato - 1 pc.;
• barberry - 1 tsp;
• ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp;
• s alt to taste.

Pass the tomato and garlic through the press, cut the onion into half rings. Mix all the ingredients and add 1 kilogram of any meat. Marinate 8-10 hours under pressure in a cool place.

Chicken with apples and barberry

This dish is suitable both for the festive table and as an everyday dish. Chicken with apples and dried barberry is cooked quickly, but it turns out delicious. It remains to add rice as a side dish - and a delicious lunch is ready.

Ingredients:

• chicken thighs - 1 kg;
• leek - 1 pc.;
• apples - 2 pcs.;
• barberry - 2 tsp;
• balsamic sauce - 1 tsp;
• honey–1 tsp;
• water - 50 ml;
• s alt - to taste;
• sunflower oil for frying.

Fry the thighs in oil until golden brown over high heat. Cut the leek into thin half rings. Add apples, barberries, honey, water, s alt and onions to the pan and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat with the lid closed. Then open the lid and let the moisture boil off. Add balsamic sauce and serve.

Sauce for vegetables and meat

Barberry berries - dried or fresh - make an excellent Abkhazian sauce for meat or vegetables. It is somewhat reminiscent of tkemal, but more spicy.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg fresh or 400 grams dried barberry;
• water - 2glass;
• adjika - 3 tbsp. l.;
• mint - 1 bunch.

Pour dried berries with hot water for 1 hour, when they soften, it is necessary to drain the remaining water. Just rinse fresh with running water. Put the barberry in an enamel bowl, pour water and add finely chopped mint, boil for 15 minutes, puree, add adjika.

Vitamin candy for colds

Who doesn't know the famous barberries? These red candies have captured the hearts of many people. Only now there is practically nothing left in them - dyes and flavors. At home, you can cook a wonderful analogue of these sweets, which will combine not only their recognizable taste, but also the benefits of dried barberry.

To prepare approximately 300 grams of sweets you will need:

• 1 cup fresh or 1/2 cup dried barberry;
• 2 cups of sugar;
• 1 glass of water.

Rinse the berries thoroughly, add water, bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Strain the resulting broth through cheesecloth. Pour granulated sugar into a saucepan, pour barberry broth, put on medium heat. Wait for the sugar to dissolve completely, add heat and bring to a boil. Boil the resulting mass in half. Pour into molds and cool completely. He althy lollipops are ready!

Buns with dried barberry

Dry berries can be used to make incredibly tasty and he althy buns.

For cooking you will need:

• dried barberry - 100 g;
• dry yeast - 15 g;
• sugar - 5 tbsp. spoons in the dough plus 200 grams for the filling;
• milk - 400 ml;
• flour - 700 g;
• vegetable oil - 100 ml;
• sour cream - 200 g.

Cooking:

1. Pour boiling water over dried berries and leave for 20-30 minutes.
2. Mix yeast, 5 tbsp. spoons of sugar, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of flour, pour 100 ml of milk and put in a warm place for 15-20 minutes. This is our future pair. Milk should be used warm.
3. When the dough comes up, mix it with the remaining milk, flour, butter and sour cream and knead the dough. At first it will be very sticky to the hands, but the kneading should be continued until a sufficient amount of gluten is developed and the dough becomes pliable and elastic.
4. Remove the resulting dough into a saucepan, brush with vegetable oil on top, cover with a towel and put in a warm place for 40 minutes.
5. When it fits, you need to knead it and repeat the procedure.
6. Roll out the finished dough into a thin layer, grease with vegetable oil, sprinkle with barberry berries, roll up and cut into snail buns.
7. Let the buns rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.
8. Bake at 180 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
9. Finished products can be coated with confectionery glaze.

Barberry drink

To prepare a he althy choleretic and diuretic drink, you will need:

• 50 grams of dried barberry;
• 60 grams of sugar;
• a few dropsvanilla essence or vanillin;
• 1 liter of water.

Pour boiling water over the berries and let it brew for an hour. Add sugar and vanilla. Pour into a bottle with berries and leave in the refrigerator overnight. Take 100 ml daily.

Patients suffering from cholelithiasis or nephrolithiasis should consult a doctor before taking.

Immune Support Blend

In the autumn-winter period, adults and children often suffer from flu and colds. To maintain immunity, you can prepare a vitamin mixture from dried fruits, nuts, honey, lemon and dried barberry (photo can be seen in the article). Such a mixture may look unattractive, but it contains a huge amount of vitamins, especially it has a lot of vitamin C, which helps to resist the disease in the cold season.

For 500 grams of a mixture of dried fruits (prunes, dried apricots, raisins, figs), you need to take 200 grams of nuts, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 lemon and half a glass of dried berries. Everything, including lemon and zest, twist through a meat grinder, add honey and mix thoroughly. Take 2 teaspoons daily, morning and evening.

Beauty at home

The use of dried barberry is possible not only in cooking. Since ancient times, barberry berries have been used to freshen the skin of the face, reduce wrinkles, moisturize and improve hair.

One glass of dried berries should be poured with 1 liter of water, brought to a boil and let it brew for 5-6 hours. The resulting decoction is used to rinse the hair. It can also be frozen by pouring into ice cube trays. Every morning, wipe the face and neck with an ice cube. Such a product perfectly moisturizes and tones, and with daily use, it significantly improves skin elasticity and reduces the number of wrinkles.

Scrub mask

The extract and extract from the berries and young leaves of barberry has long been used by cosmetologists and cosmetic companies around the world to make masks, scrubs, soaps, creams, gels and lotions.

The properties of dried barberry allow you to make a useful scrub mask from it, using which 2 times a week, you can achieve a significant improvement in skin condition.

To prepare the mask, pour 1 cup of dried berries with boiling water and leave for 1 hour. Drain, puree the berries and mix with 1 tbsp. olive or baby oil. Apply with circular, massaging movements on the skin of the face and neck. Leave for 3-5 minutes. Flush.