Blueberries – Vaccinium Myrttillus L.
Description of blueberries:
Vaccinium Myrttillus L.
Read the article:
Occurrence
Medicinal properties and uses
Blueberry recipes
Active ingredients
Cultivation
8 reasons why you should eat it every day
Hanging Plants – Ericaceae
The blueberry is a low shrub, growing on average 30 cm to 60 cm tall. The stems are erect or rising from the ground, densely branched so that the blueberry bushes cover the ground densely. The branches are angular, sharp-edged, glabrous, with a brownish-grey underside and a green upper side. Leaves are green only in summer, falling off in autumn; short-stalked, alternate, ovate, glabrous, with finely toothed margins. Upper blade dark, back is light green.
Flowers on short peduncles, solitary; at most two in number in axils; pale green, fading to fish-red. Fruit is a berry, squeezed into a globular shape, dark blue when ripe, almost black and covered with white ash. The juice is a beautiful crimson red. The blueberries bloom in May-June and ripen in July-August.
The blueberry bush is not only a great fruit plant, but also an attractive addition to the landscape, offering scarlet-red autumn foliage and creamy white, bell-shaped spring flowers. What’s more, blueberries are one of nature’s superfoods, packed with essential nutrients, minerals, antioxidants, fibre and vitamins. Blueberries can be planted in spring or late autumn in all but the coldest regions. There are about four hundred and fifty species in the genus, and references to its use date back to the 1st century (against diarrhoea).
Occurrence:
The blueberry grows throughout the country in the snowy landscapes of mountain and snow-bottom forests, where it is found in regular masses.
Cranberry medicinal properties and uses:
The berries of blueberries are eaten both raw and steamed, and are also cooked as a stew. When dried, blueberries are known in medicine as fructus myrtilli and bacca myrtilli. Blueberries are used to treat diarrhoea because they contain tannic acid. It has a sour-sweet taste, slightly astringent and astringent. More recently (1906), the leaves have been used in medicine(folia myrtilli), but only the berries are currently a commercial article. The juice of the berry mixed with water is a pleasant refreshment in all kinds of feverish conditions.
Its tea is a diaphoretic, diuretic, treats enteritis, and is excellent for kidney and bladder complaints. It is also used as an ingredient in anti-diabetic tea mixtures. In the form of jam, syrup, wine (cranberry wine has a tonic effect) or tea, it is a home remedy for enteritis. It can also reduce small and large intestinal rheumatism with its decoction, jam and wine infusion. It can cleanse the intestinal wall, thereby inhibiting the fermentation of intestinal contents, with the effect of reducing the tendency to bloating, increasing intestinal motility and propelling the wind.
Its leaves have been considered one of the best home remedies for urinary tract disorders, kidney and gallstones and stones. However, according to some reports, it must be taken on a long-term basis for its beneficial effects to be felt. In animal studies, cranberry extract has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects in rats, to reduce blood glucose levels in mice and to inhibit capillary bleeding in rabbits. And a related species has shown antiviral activity in test tube experiments in virus cultures. The decoction of its leaves is useful for inflammation of the gums, to soothe and disinfect bleeding gums, and to nourish and strengthen the gums. It is also recommended to gargle and consume the decoction of its leaves or berries in cases of pharyngitis.
Helps the eyes and vision
The anthocyanins in the berries increase the resistance of small blood vessels and reduce their permeability, prevent blood clots and protect collagen tissue against superoxide ions. It promotes the regeneration of the retinal pigment in the eye and its adaptation to darkness, but also helps to improve vision in twilight (rhodopsin, a chromoprotein with light-sensing function in the retina, helps to regenerate).
It is used successfully by pilots and motor racing drivers (in factory formulation) to treat and improve their visual disturbances to this day. This effect is enhanced by the dyes in the berries, which aid sharp vision, and should be consumed to prevent blindness, increased eye strain and fatigue, and night driving. (May also improve the vision of nearsighted people)
During World War II, pilots in the British Royal Air Force who ate a blueberry jam sandwich before night missions reported that it improved their vision.
The jam became popular among sailors for its high vitamin C content and its anti-nausea properties, and those who ate the berries did not develop scurvy.
It protects the stomach lining, the leaves lower blood sugar levels, and affect the intestinal inflammatory condition. Most of these are confirmed by clinical studies.
It is recommended for venous circulatory insufficiency and lymphatic circulatory insufficiency. In venous diseases, it is mainly used to strengthen capillaries, as a general connective tissue tonic, and as a general vascular tonic. It is also effective in the treatment of hemorrhoids (bath) and gynaecological problems, both externally and internally. Immune-boosting, antiseptic, haemostimulant, haemostatic, also relieves fever and cough. No toxic side effects have been observed with long-term consumption, but it may promote the formation of kidney stones in large quantities, and it is not recommended to take large doses of its leaf extract for long periods of time!
Externally, it improves skin tone and relieves inflammation, and is recommended for all forms of psoriasis. The Roman patrician women added cranberry leaf to their bath water to promote tanning, but it was also used to wash the skin of the face to remove acne and for enlarged pores.
Its use in food:
It can be eaten raw as a puree or jam to accompany game meats (laxative effect), but is most commonly found in juice or syrup, or perhaps as a garnish for ice cream. It can be a delicious ingredient in yoghurt, pancakes, cakes and cookies. Its juice provides the body with important nutrients. Captain Ulysses S. Grant considered cranberry sauce an important part of Thanksgiving. Pilgrims may have first eaten cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving Day in 1621, but it was not until after the Civil War that cranberry sauce became a national tradition.
It is fermented to make low-alcohol cranberry wine and distilled to make brandy. It is called Heidelbeerwasser in the Vosges and Steinbeerwasser in Alsace-Lorraine. The Austrians added tarragon root and made liqueur from it. The Native Americans (Delaware tribe) considered blueberries to be a frog repellent and used them to dye their bodies and clothes.
Blueberry recipes:
Cranberry jam:
Cranberries are picked, weighed, washed, sieved, and cooked in an enameled saucepan, stirring constantly, until thick. add 60 dkg of sugar to 1 kg of blueberries. Add a sufficient amount of sugar to the thick blueberries and continue cooking for 10 minutes after boiling. When hot, pour into jars and when cold, seal with cellophane.
Cranberry jelly:
The ripe cranberries are washed, cleaned, put through a sieve and then put into jars. for 1 kg of blueberries, make a syrup with 4 dl of water, 60 dkg of sugar and the juice of half a lemon. Pour the boiled sugar syrup over the blueberries in the jars. Seal the jars and steam for 15 minutes after boiling or dry.
Cranberry salad:
pick 60 dkg of cranberries, wash and boil in a little water with 10 dkg of sugar. When it is cold, add 0,5 dl white wine, add sugar again and serve with 1,5 dl cream.
Cranberry liqueur:
a mixture of 10 dkg of cranberries, 1-1 dkg of cloves and orange peel, 2 dkg of cinnamon with 1 litre of alcohol (90%) is steeped for 2 weeks. Afterwards, the drained and filtered liquid is mixed with 2 litres of thick sugar syrup and bottled.
Cranberry wine:
About 1 kg of crushed cranberries are put into a jar filled with a solution of 1 kg of sugar and 2 litres of water. The jar is sealed with a stopper with a fermentation tube and left to boil for about 15 days. When it has completely settled, it is drained into smaller jars and strained well.
Herbal tea against enteritis, intestinal spasms and intestinal infections:
a mixture of 5-5 grams of bloodroot, oak bark, calamus root, thyme, walnut leaves, cranberry leaf, cranberry, chamomile flower is boiled in 0.5 litres of water for 1-2 minutes, then kept under a lid for 5-10 minutes. Strain and drink several times a day.
Recipe for diarrhoea:
Drink 2-3 cups of tea made from the dried berries daily, pour 1-2 teaspoons of berries in 1 cup of cold water and boil slowly for 10 minutes and strain.
Active ingredient:
Tannic acid, malic acid, citric acid (1-1.7%), ferulic acid, caffeic acid, a compound and dye called ericolin, catechotannins, iridoids, proanthocyanins, myrtillin (anthocyanin) the latter is a collective name because it is a mixture of glycosides of delphinidin with various sugars that are highly soluble in water. Its leafy drug(Myrtilli herba) contains arbutin, tannins, glycosides, flavones, tannins, quinolysidine, alkaloids, small amounts of chromium and manganese. And the drug of its fruit(Myrtilli fructus or bacca) contains fruit acids, sugar, pectin, tannin, anthocyanin glycoside, vitamins A, B and C.
Intake:
If blueberries are to be picked for medicinal purposes, they should be picked when fully ripe. If you want to pick blueberries for consumers who want to buy blueberries when they are fully ripe. In the High Tatras, the blueberries are picked with special combs, which is a more laborious process than picking the berries one by one. From the berries picked, the leaves and stem parts mixed in with them, as well as the unripe berries, must be sorted out and dried in thin layers in the sun or in a fruit press.
Growing blueberries
The most common method of propagation is green propagation
In early July, cut the hardening but still green shoots into 12 cm pieces, removing the leaves from the lower 8 cm, leaving the upper two. Plant in small pots, plastic cups, peat, then keep under a curtain of mist for about 6 weeks for rooting, then grow in larger pots or crates for a year, then plant outdoors. Small shrubs are always planted singly in the autumn or early spring, 0.5 to 1.2 m apart, but up to 2.4 m apart.
Choosing a planting site
Choose a sunny, sheltered spot. While blueberries tolerate shade, they will produce better in sunshine, but should not be exposed to harsh winds. Don’t plant too close to trees, as trees not only block sunlight but also draw moisture from the soil. If you plant more bushes, it’s best to do so in patches rather than scattered around the garden, this will enhance berry production and quality. Blueberries are a sparse-rooted plant. It therefore requires soil that retains moisture but drains well and does not remain wet. Blueberries thrive in acidic soils with a pH ideally between 4.0 and 5.0. If the soil is not acidic enough, blueberries will not grow well. The soil can be acidified by mixing a small amount of granulated sulphur into the soil a few months before planting, or peat moss or pine bark are also good additives to help acidify the soil.
Planting the cranberry bush
Be careful not to plant them too deep. The root ball should be just below the surface. Dig a hole about twice as wide and twice as deep as the roots of the plant. Place the bush in the hole and bury it firmly in the soil. You can start fertilising one month after planting – if fertilising is absolutely necessary, fertilising should not be done in the first year.
Even if you don’t have a garden, you don’t have to give up fresh blueberries, as you can grow them on your balcony. In fact, container-grown blueberries are easier to protect from birds, more disease resistant, easy to harvest and easy to move if necessary. In addition, if you live in an area without acidic soil, growing blueberries in containers allows you to “adjust” the pH of the soil specifically for the plant.
Cranberry bush care
To keep the blueberry root system moist, which is essential, after planting, place a layer of sawdust, pine shavings or mulch around the bush, but leave gaps around the trunk of the bush for proper air circulation. Blueberries need 4-5 cm of water per week. It’s a favourite treat for hungry birds, so I recommend protecting your blueberry bushes ahead of time by putting bird netting on the plant. A year after planting, you can encourage growth with fertiliser at flowering in the spring, and then increase the rate slightly each year after that. After planting, the first year or two after planting is not ideal for the bush to bear fruit. Pinch back the flowers that are forming on the plants, so that the ‘energy’ can be concentrated on growth and bush formation. Yellow leaves indicate a lack of soil acidity.
How to prune blueberry bushes?
Very little pruning is needed, but it should be done in early spring while the plants are still dormant. During the first two years the bush structure is being established, so specific cuts should be made to encourage growth and fruit buds. Spring pruning is then a matter of removing dead canes and cleaning up any problems. Each bush takes only five minutes to prune.
Blueberries are usually ready for picking between June and August. Don’t rush to pick berries as soon as they turn blue. Wait a few days, when they are “ready” they will fall easily into your hands. When you’re full of blueberries, it’s time to put them away for the winter. The best way to do this is to freeze them, research has discovered that this process does not harm the nutrients in the berries.
8 reasons to eat blueberries
1. It has a memory-enhancing effect.
2. It reduces the development of heart disease by regulating and relaxing the arterial elasticity of the arterial wall and also improves blood flow.
3. It stimulates nerve cell growth and facilitates better communication between nerve cell processes, which slows down the aging process.
4. It protects the retina from unwanted sunlight and oxygen damage.
5. Protects cells from toxic heavy metal damage.
6. The antioxidant in blueberries protects the digestive system by fighting free radicals, some of which can cause cancer. It is the main antidote for colon cancer.
7. Blueberries contain various antioxidants that protect nerve cells against oxygen damage.
8. It helps regulate blood sugar levels in the body.
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