Schisandra (berry): how to use and useful properties. Schisandra berries - home first aid kit in one plant

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Schisandra appreciated by many gardeners for its beautiful appearance, but not everyone knows healing properties this plant, which has long been used by our ancestors to treat many diseases and restore strength after serious illness. Today, even traditional medicine has recognized the value of this medicinal plant, which helps to increase immunity without harm to health and improve the health of the body as a whole. The types and medicinal properties of the plant, its effect on the body, the rules of admission and contraindications will be discussed further.

Description of the plant

Lemongrass is a woody liana, the leaves and stems of which have a pleasant lemon scent. This plant grows mainly on the territory South-East Asia and in the Far Eastern coniferous-deciduous forests.

Schisandra is often called the "fruit of the five tastes." So, the skin has a sour taste, the pulp is sweet, the seeds are bitter-astringent, the berries are salty. Having bitten through the lemongrass berry, you first feel the acid, then the resinous aroma and bitterness, then the sweet taste, which turns into salty and insipid.

Lemongrass is second only to ginseng in its tonic properties.

In total, there are from 14 to 25 species of lemongrass. Scientists still cannot agree on the number of varieties of this plant. But in medicinal purposes only two are used - Chinese lemongrass (or Far Eastern) and Crimean (Crimean iron), and the first type is used in the overwhelming majority of cases, and the second is not a woody liana. Let's take a closer look at these two types of plants.

Crimean lemongrass (Crimean iron)

Lemongrass Crimean is an endemic to the Crimea, that is, a plant that grows exclusively on the territory of Crimea (hence its name), and in a rather small area. The Crimean iron grows on well-warmed sunny rocky steppe slopes, as well as on limestone outcrops and pastures.

The oblong leaves of the plant reach 2.8 cm in length, and have a pleasant lemon scent, which is why they are used as a tea substitute. Zheleznitsa blooms in summer.
For medicinal purposes, stems, leaves, flowers, as well as inflorescences of lemongrass are used, which contain the following chemicals:

• vitamin C;
• essential oils;
• iridoids;
• flavonoids;
• fatty oil;
• various organic acids.

Properties:

• tonic;
• immunomodulatory;
• fortifying;
• antiemetic;
• diuretic;
• anti-febrile;
• wound healing.

Action of Crimean lemongrass:

• strengthening the immune system;
• increased potency;
• stimulation of the central nervous system;
• normalization of blood pressure.

Preparations from the gland are indicated for the following pathologies:

• anemia;
• prostration;
• increased sleepiness;
• skin diseases;
• upper respiratory tract diseases;
• some diseases digestive tract and liver.

The following infusion will help to cope with nausea and vomiting: 3 tbsp. iron herbs are poured with boiling water and left to infuse for one hour. The infusion is drunk half a glass three times a day.

Contraindications:
1. High blood pressure.
2. Nervous agitation.

Chinese Schisandra (Far Eastern)

Schisandra chinensis (hereinafter lemongrass) is a perennial woody liana, the stem of which can reach 15 m in length and up to 2.5 m in diameter. The bark of the stem of a young plant is yellowish, while the old one is dark brown. The stem of the plant is wrinkled, and the rhizome is cordlike (it has numerous adventitious roots).

Where does lemongrass grow?
Lemongrass grows on the territory Of the Far East, on the river coasts of the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, on Sakhalin Island and in the Amur Region (its southwestern part).

Bark
Lemongrass bark infusion is an excellent vitamin and antiscorbutic agent.

Root
The roots and rhizomes of lemongrass are rich not only in essential oils, but also in vitamins, therefore they are shown as a tonic and tonic.

Stem
The stems of the plant are used as a stimulating and tonic agent, as they contain many biologically active substances.

Branches
Preparations from lemongrass branches reduce blood pressure, eliminate drowsiness and increase the intensity of breathing.

Application

Taking lemongrass preparations is indicated for the treatment of the following pathologies:

• non-healing wounds;
• anemia;
• fungal diseases;
• diseases of the stomach, kidneys and liver;
• respiratory diseases;
• headache;
• depressive conditions and mental disorders;
• scurvy;
• hypotension;
• general tiredness;
• increased sleepiness;
• bronchitis and bronchial asthma;
• dysentery;
• sexual weakness;
• baldness;
• dermatoses;
• lichen planus;
• allergic dermatoses;
• trophic ulcers;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• infertility;
• impotence;
• epilepsy.

How to brew lemongrass?

Dried lemongrass leaves, bark or young shoots are used for brewing tea. 15 g of raw materials should be poured with one liter of boiling water, after which, without stirring, insist the product for 5 minutes.

In addition, lemongrass leaves are added to regular tea, which is not recommended for brewing in a thermos (this will help maintain a pleasant lemon scent). Regular intake of this tea will strengthen the immune system, increasing the body's resistance to colds.

How to use?

Lemongrass preparations are taken on an empty stomach, or four hours after a meal.

Important! The first effect of lemongrass on the body will appear after 40 minutes, and will last for 4 - 6 hours. But it should be noted that lemongrass preparations do not act on the body instantly: for example, the effect grows gradually (it can take from two to ten weeks), but the positive dynamics will definitely be felt.

Ways of using lemongrass preparations

Decoction

Shown at stomach diseases and disorders of the central nervous system, as well as a stimulator of cardiac activity. In addition, the broth normalizes blood pressure, stimulates generic activity, increases resistance to oxygen starvation, and also reduces the concentration of sugar in the blood.

10 g of dry and chopped berries are poured with a glass of boiling water, and set for 15 minutes on water bath... The cooled broth is carefully filtered through cheesecloth and taken 25 - 35 drops twice a day, on an empty stomach.

Infusion

As a tonic, stimulating, restorative and fortified agent, an infusion of lemongrass is taken, for the preparation of which 10 g of crushed raw materials are poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for six hours. The infusion should be taken one dessert spoon twice a day - in the morning on an empty stomach and in the afternoon.

Tincture of lemongrass fruits and seeds

Tincture of fruits and seeds of a plant is prescribed for:

• severe physical exhaustion;
• mental fatigue;
• increased sleepiness;
• lethargy;
• decreased performance.

It is recommended to use a pharmacy tincture of lemongrass 20-30 drops half an hour before meals, no more than three times a day. For the treatment of the conditions listed above, it is necessary to undergo a course designed for 20 - 25 days.
Important! With excessive psycho-emotional, as well physical activity it is allowed to increase the dose to 35 - 40 drops at a time.

Lemongrass tea

Tea invigorates, strengthens the immune system, prevents the development colds... To make tea, a tablespoon of the fruit is placed in an enamel bowl, 200 ml of water is poured in and boiled for 10 minutes, after which the tea is infused for a day, filtered and drunk throughout the day (you can add sugar to taste).

Extract

Extract action:

• increasing resistance to stress;
• stabilization of cell membranes;
• reduction of oxidative destruction of cells;
• reducing inflammation;
• decreased blood sugar;
• lowering pressure, stimulating smooth muscles, lowering blood pressure.

Pharmacy extract of lemongrass, prepared with 70% alcohol, is taken 2 - 3 times a day, 25 - 30 drops.

Syrup

The syrup is used in the treatment of hypotension, drowsiness, impotence, as well as infectious diseases v chronic form and intoxications.

Pharmacy syrup is added to taste in any drinks, although it can be taken as an independent product, a tablespoon three times a day, during meals. The course is one month.

You can make the syrup at home. To do this, juice is squeezed out of well-washed lemongrass berries through 2 layers of gauze, and poured into an enamel pan, into which sugar is added (for 1 liter of lemongrass juice - 1.5 kg of sugar). The resulting mass is heated until the sugar is completely dissolved, after which it is poured into boiled bottles. The syrup is stored in a dark and cool place.

Juice

Shown for elimination climacteric syndrome, to increase potency, remove nervous tension and irritability. In addition, lemongrass juice is rubbed into the head for baldness.

To prepare the juice, freshly picked lemongrass berries are washed and squeezed, after which the juice is poured into glass jars and pasteurized for 15 minutes. Tins are sealed and stored in a dark place. Juice is added to tea (1 tsp per glass of tea) to increase vitality and performance.

Schisandra Seed Oil

Schisandra oil is rightfully considered an excellent adaptogenic, tonic and anti-inflammatory agent that increases tone, enhances potency and normalizes digestion processes. In addition, lemongrass seed oil speeds up the wound healing process.

This form of the drug is indicated for those whose professional activity associated with hypothermia, overheating, oxygen starvation and ionizing radiation.

Pharmacy lemongrass oil is sold in the form of capsules, which should be taken 2 - 3 pieces a day, after meals.

Schisandra pills

This is one of the most convenient forms lemongrass preparations.

Tablets, the main component of which are lemongrass fruits, have the following effect:

• prevention of the development of heart disease;
• strengthening of blood vessels;
• increasing the body's defenses;
• slowing down the aging process.

Schizandra tablets are shown as a general tonic and mild tonic, as well as an additional source of flavonoids.

Dosage: 1 tablet twice - three times a day, for a month.

Powder

To prepare the powder, lemongrass seeds are ground with a coffee grinder. Powder is taken 0.5 - 1 g three times a day, before eating, with hyperacid gastritis.

Contraindications and side effectsIt must be remembered that lemongrass is a powerful stimulant, so it can be used only as directed by a doctor and in compliance with the indicated dosage. Otherwise, the following side effects may occur:

• increased secretion of the stomach;
• allergy;
• insomnia (to avoid insomnia, it is not recommended to take lemongrass preparations after six o'clock in the evening);
• increased blood pressure.

When the listed side effects it is necessary to stop taking plant medications.

Important! The use of lemongrass is carried out after a medical examination, and under the supervision of a doctor!

Recipes

Recipes with Chinese lemongrass (far eastern)

Berry tincture
Has adaptogenic, tonic, tonic and choleretic effect.

One part of the carefully chopped lemongrass fruit is poured with five parts of 95% alcohol (in other words, the tincture is prepared at a rate of 1: 5), after which the container with the tincture closes well. The product is infused for 7 - 10 days in a dark place (mandatory when room temperature). It must be shaken periodically. After the specified period, the tincture is filtered (the remainder is wrung out and added to the resulting filtrate). The tool is infused for another 4 - 5 days, and is filtered again. The resulting product must be transparent. Tincture is taken in 30 - 40 drops, no more than three times a day, for 25 days.

Tincture tonic
To relieve fatigue and increase efficiency, you can prepare the following tincture: the fruits are poured with 70 percent alcohol in a ratio of 1: 3, and infused for three days. A tincture of 25 - 30 drops is taken. Such a remedy will not only give vigor, but also increase immunity.

Tincture for hyperopia
To prepare the tincture, you will need 5 tablespoons. lemongrass fruits and half a liter of pure alcohol. The fruits must be well crushed and poured with alcohol, and then put in a dark place for 12 days (just not in the refrigerator). Shake at least once a day. After 12 days, the tincture is filtered, and the fruits are squeezed out. The remedy is taken in 20 drops, diluted with water, twice a day.

Recipes with Crimean lemongrass

Leaves and flowers of lemongrass can be used as a surrogate for tea, since the plant gives tea an excellent lemon scent. In addition, this tea stimulates the functions of the cerebral cortex, energizes, strengthens the immune system.

Infusion for nausea and vomiting
3 tbsp dry plants are crushed and poured with boiling water, leaving to infuse for an hour. An infusion is taken half a glass, twice a day.

Infusion for bronchitis and pneumonia
1 tsp plant flowers are poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for half an hour. The agent is taken half a glass, no more than four times a day.

This infusion can be used as a poultice to speed up wound healing. In addition, such poultices have anticancer and antibacterial properties.

Lemongrass baths
3 tbsp dry plants are poured with two liters of water and boiled for five minutes. The cooled and strained broth is poured into a cool bath (the temperature should be about 30 degrees). A fifteen-minute stay in such a bath will not only invigorate, but also help relieve skin irritation.

Interesting facts about schisandra chinensis - video

Before use, you must consult a specialist.

For a long time, the berries of this plant have been taken to increase the tone and general protection of the body from beriberi. Both fresh and processed, the fruits of the Chinese liana are good for humans. And except for lemongrass jam positive influence for our health it is also simply very tasty.

Although the taste cannot be conveyed by a photograph, but what a view!

Jam recipes

There are several jam recipes, but, in fact, they are not very different from each other. We will try to give the most popular methods, judging by the reviews of housewives from the Internet.

Attention! The collected lemongrass berries must be processed within 24 hours!

Simple recipe

This method of making Far Eastern lemongrass jam is the most popular, for cooking we need:

• berries l imonika -1 kilogram;
• sugar -1.5 kilograms;
• water - 100 milliliters.

The product is brewed in this way:

Some housewives drain the syrup and seal it separately from the berries.

Advice! Due to the high chemical activity, it is not recommended to use copper or aluminum dishes for cooking lemongrass jam - only enamel or glass will do.

As the saying goes: "To your health"!

With apple juice

In this recipe, apple juice is used instead of water, and the berries are used in pureed form. With this method of cooking in lemongrass jam, the beneficial properties are preserved better.

1. The berries are placed in a colander or sieve and softened in steam.
2. The softened berries are rubbed and mashed into an enamel basin.
3. Sugar and apple juice are added. One kilogram berry puree add one and a half kilograms of sugar and one hundred grams of apple juice.
4. Boil the resulting mixture until thickened.
5. After that, the jam is laid out in prepared jars.

If it is supposed to be laid for winter storage, then it is sterilized and sealed, if for quick use, it is covered with parchment or nylon lids.

Other blanks

For those who doubt whether it is possible to cook jam from schisandra berries, here are the methods of preparation, during the preparation of which the minimum amount of vitamins and other useful substances is lost.

Compote

Berries from the compote prepared in this way can be used to decorate cakes, bake pies with them.

1. To prepare the syrup, 400 grams of sugar are dissolved in a liter of water.
2. Thoroughly washed berries are laid out in jars and poured with prepared syrup.
3. Half-liter jars are pasteurized at 80 degrees for 10 minutes.

Juice, wine and tincture

Juice is prepared from the berries that were harvested the day before yesterday and softened enough.

1. Juice is extracted from the washed berries using a juicer. In doing so, you should try not to crush the seeds.
2. The juice is mixed with sugar in a ratio of one to two.
3. After the sugar grains are completely dissolved, the juice is poured into bottles and removed to a dry cellar.

From the leftover juice from the juice, you can make wine. To do this, the remnants of the pulp are separated from the seeds and poured with water. After a couple of days, the wort is drained and diluted with water with added sugar. After that, the wine is fermented under a water seal. The fermented wine is drained from the residue and bottled.

But that's not all. There are still seeds left, which are cleaned of pulp residues. Then they are crushed and poured with alcohol. After half a month, an excellent bitter tincture with many useful substances is obtained.

Advice! Alcohol tincture use lemongrass grains in small doses and in consultation with your doctor!

See also video about making lemongrass jam:

For medicinal purposes, bark, berries and seeds are used. Chinese lemongrass... Schizandra berries are used in the perfumery industry, they are used to make drinks and add to confectionery... And what other recipes for making lemongrass are there?

It has long been used by the Chinese because of its numerous useful properties: ability to slow down the aging process, increase energy and as a sexual tonic.

With its significant antioxidant capacity and anti-inflammatory activity, it helps maintain healthy cells throughout the body. His protective function higher than that of other medicinal plants.

The Chinese schizandra berry exhibits significant adaptogenic activity. It is a powerful general tonic that reduces fatigue and improves physical performance and endurance. The berry counteracts stress by reducing stress hormone levels.

Lemongrass gives excellent benefit improving performance, fatigue resistance and recovery capabilities.

The main medicinal properties lemongrass are as follows:

• improving concentration and attention
• increased physical and mental performance
• increased visual acuity and hearing
• reduction of eye strain
• assistance in recovery and after severe prolonged stress or illness
• helps the body to resist environmental and emotional stress
• used in integrated programs for the treatment of gastrointestinal, infectious diseases and some mental conditions.

The main components of lemongrass: vitamins C, E, B6, provitamin A, minerals, trace elements, rare flavonoids, essential oils and lignans.

Below are the values nutritional value contained in 100 g of Chinese lemongrass berries:

• Calories: 306 kcal
• Protein: 11.25 g
• Carbohydrates: 29.78 g
• Fiber: 27.7g
• Sugar: 11.10 g
• Fat: 11.98 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.56g
• Sodium:<0,010 г

In East Asia, Chinese schizandra and ginseng roots are the most common medicinal plants. Schizandra and Goji fruits are considered nutritious food, a real super food. They have strong antioxidant properties and improve coordination and ability to work.

How to use lemongrass chinensis?

Schisandra fruit can be taken raw, dry, as a tea preparation, or processed into extracts and syrup. Schisandrin and other medicinal substances are also found in the leaves, seeds, and bark of Chinese magnolia vine.

Schizandra leaves are edible and have beneficial properties. The dried leaves can be used to make a tea that tastes like green tea with lemon.

You can add the berries of the plant to homemade muesli or homemade energy bars, Budwig cream, pudding, and ice cream. In Korea, schizandra berries are part of the preparation of a traditional tea called "Omija cha".

To make tea with lemongrass berries, you can use 6 - 8 tsp. whole berries or in the form of a powder, pour 1 liter of boiling water and leave to infuse for 20 minutes. For each cup (about 200 ml) add 1-2 tsp. honey. For food, it is recommended to consume 2 tsp. schizandra berries per day.

Schizandra berries can be canned or dried. They make delicious jam, canned food and juices. Lemongrass juice can be added to wine or tea.

We will try to give you some ideas on how to incorporate this excellent quality and affordable product into the meals you eat every day. We will offer recipes for the preparation of Chinese magnolia vine that have no contraindications.

Here are some popular health tips:

• To improve work efficiency: add 20 drops of lemongrass medicinal tincture to tea or warm water. You can sweeten the tea with honey. Drink in the morning on an empty stomach.
• To restore vision: make the following infusion of lemongrass in water: 60 gr. stir berries in 1 glass of boiling water. Let it brew for 2 weeks. Take 1 tbsp. in 30 minutes before meals 2 months.
• For diabetes treatment: prepare lemongrass infusion in a thermos: 50 gr. pour boiling water over the berries. Insist 8 tsp and take 2 tbsp. up to 4 times a day for a two to three week course. Repeat the course in a month.

The delicious and healthy fruit of Schisandra has also been recognized in gastronomy. The beneficial schizandra berries are used in the preparation of sweets, fruit jellies, marmalades, soft drinks and liqueurs.

Dry leaves and ripe berries are used. Tea is made with leaves, and dried berries are used in medicines and in herbal liqueurs, wines and soft drinks.

Aromatic tea is made from the leaves and bark of lemongrass. We will introduce you to some interesting recipes from Chinese schisandra, which berries are among the three healthiest fruits on the planet.

Do you want to know the recipes for making Chinese lemongrass? Then we read below.

To prepare the compote, put the berries without stalks in jars, fill them by 2/3 and cover with boiling syrup or boiled water. Prepare the syrup from water and sugar (1: 1). Then pasteurize the jars with compote (t = 80 0 C): 10 minutes - 0.5 l, 15 minutes - 1 liter and close. Add to tea in winter.

Lemongrass kissel.

Pour the starch solution into the boiling fruit drink from schizandra (dilute the starch in cold water), stirring, and remove from heat at the beginning of the boil.

Berry tea recipes.

You can make wonderful tea and coffee from lemongrass berries. You can make your own tea creations.

The benefits of lemongrass berry tea are as follows:

• improves kidney and liver function
• improves blood circulation
• increases resistance to disease and stress
• helps the skin to be beautiful

Here is the classic tea preparation:

for each cup of tea, take about 3 grams. dried schizandra berries (about 30 pcs.), then roughly grind, pour boiling water on them and leave for 10-20 minutes. Strain the tea through a sieve and eat the berries. So nothing is lost from healthy ingredients. There are also recipes that recommend letting the tea brew for 12 hours.

You can prepare the tea cold. Even if you just put schizandra berries in cold water for a few hours, you will get a surprisingly aromatic tea with a powerful color.

You can make super goji berry tea. Stir lemongrass berries to taste with goji berries, pour hot water and leave for 20 minutes. Super tea ready!

In hot summers, schizandra berry works well as an ingredient in cold soft drinks due to its sour and slightly bitter taste.

Here is a recipe for lemongrass iced tea: bring 1 liter of water to a boil, add a handful of dried lemongrass berries and leave for 10 minutes, then strain through a sieve. Let the tea cool, add 100 ml of freshly squeezed orange juice and some lime juice, some brown sugar (if desired) and stir well. Decorate tea cups with sugar and orange slices, add tea and serve with ice cubes.

You can make lemongrass berry tea according to this recipe: 8 gr. Place chopped schizandra berries in 1 liter of water, boil for 15 minutes. and strain. Drink lemongrass tea throughout the day.

This is a no alcohol recipe! This is a fantastic drink that will amaze your party guests. Enjoy!

Composition

main cast:

• 1/2 cup dried schizandra berries
• 2 cups of water
• 200 g strawberries
• 3 pp. honey
• 1 glass of sparkling water, chilled
• mint leaves (optional), garnish

for sugar syrup:

• 1/2 glass of water
• 1/2 cup sugar

How to make lemongrass punch?

Soak dried berries in water overnight. Strain in the morning and discard the berries. Chop the strawberries with a mixer or fork and combine with honey. Mix lemongrass infusion with a mixture of strawberries and honey and add sparkling water. Add sugar syrup to your liking. Stir well. Serve in a chilled glass, garnished with mint leaves (optional).

Schizandra berries are still sour. Therefore, sugar for jam needs to be taken somewhere about one and a half kilograms per kilogram of pure berries. Be sure to separate the berries from the stalk and put them in a colander for washing. Sprinkle the washed berries with granulated sugar so that they give a lot of juice. To prevent sugar from burning, add 100 ml of water.

Now you can turn on the gas and cook for 30 minutes. over low heat, stirring slowly and not boiling. After 30 min. add the cooking fire and bring to a boil. As soon as the jam has boiled, we reduce the gas and constantly remove the foam along with the grains.

Cook for 30 minutes. after boiling. Our jam is ready. If you plan to store it in the refrigerator, then this is enough time for cooking. Lemongrass jam has a very pleasant color and taste.

You can make jam according to this recipe: peel and cut 1 kg of pears, add 500 gr. washed schizandra berries and 1 kg of sugar. Simmer the jam over low heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Poured into disposable jars and pasteurized. Add lemongrass jam to tea or use as an addition to cakes, pancakes or bread.

Lemongrass berry jelly.

Ingredients

• 750 gr. lemongrass (you can mix them with cherries, currants or blueberries)
• 500 ml of water
• vanillin (to taste)
• 4 pp. potato starch
• 4 pp. Sahara

How to make lemongrass berry jelly?

The berries are washed and placed in a bowl. Then add sugar and vanillin. Fill everything with water and cook the jelly over low heat. The cooking time is about 2 minutes.

The potato starch is mixed with a little water and added to the boiling berries. After about 1 min. berry jelly will appear. Serve lemongrass berry jelly alone or with whipped cream or sweet sauces. It can also be used to complement pudding or yoghurt.

Water tincture with lemongrass.

To make an aqueous tincture of schizandra, you need 20 grams. Pour dry berries with 1 glass of boiling water, bring to a boil, but do not boil, remove from the heat, strain and leave to infuse for 5-6 hours.

Drink half an hour before taking food. It is recommended to drink for loss of energy and depression. Keep the tincture in a dark container.

Alcohol tincture with lemongrass.

Healers recommend drinking schizandra alcoholic tincture to persons who have the following problems:

• drowsiness
• lethargy
• feeling tired
• loss of strength
• stressful or depressive conditions

Alcohol tincture of schizandra can be made like this: 30 gr. Pour berries dried and crushed in a coffee grinder into a dark bottle and add 500 ml of vodka there, place in a dark volume for 14 days. Then strain, wait 2 days and strain again. Take 1 tsp. 2 weeks, 2 times a day (on an empty stomach). In case of excessive fatigue, increase the intake to 45 drops.

Recipes cooking schisandra chinensis.Lemongrass wine.

Option number 1

Filter the juice from lemongrass berries, add sugar and drinking alcohol (400 grams of sugar and 150 ml of alcohol per 1 liter of juice). Then mix the mixture, pour into bottles and seal. Shake the liquid in bottles for 2 weeks a day several times, and then stand for 3-5 weeks.

Option number 2

Pour berries and sugar into a bottle and leave in a warm place for 1 week. Exhaust gases according to your method. After a week of fermentation, the wine can be drained from the top of the bottle and consumed. When only berries remain at the bottom of the bottle, you can pour boiled water over them, add sugar and the fermentation process will resume again. And the seeds that remain after the wine is absorbed can be used for infusion.

Recipes cooking schisandra chinensis.Lemongrass liqueur.

Option number 1

Composition

• lemongrass fruit
• 70% alcohol (for example, 0.5 L of 40% vodka and 0.5 L of 96% alcohol)
• sugar

Liqueur preparation

For liqueur, only ripe, red schizandra berries should be taken. Fill the berries with alcohol, without adding 0.5-1 cm to the top of the fruit. A closed glass container should be left for 4-6 weeks. Shake frequently, preferably 2-3 times a day.

Then strain the alcohol into another jug, and the berries are evenly sprinkled with sugar (about 1 kg of sugar per 1 kg of berries). The jar of alcohol and the container of berries mixed with sugar should stand for about 2 months and the contents should be stirred frequently during this time.

After two months, the berry syrup is poured. After cleaning using a filter tube or paper filter, both liquids are mixed together to taste.

The liqueur turns out to be especially tasty and not too sweet when berry syrup and the first poured alcohol are mixed in a ratio of 3: 7. The berries are heavily saturated with alcohol. They can be added to sweet baked goods or sweet foods.

Option number 2

Composition

• 1 cup ripe lemongrass
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 glass of alcohol
• 1 cup spring water

Liqueur preparation

Stir the sugar in water, bring to a boil and set aside to cool the syrup. Pour the prepared syrup over the berries, then add alcohol. Close the glass jar and leave to infuse for 4-6 weeks. Don't forget to shake.

Another interesting alternative is to add the following products to schizandra berries and alcohol: 1 liter of milk, vanilla essence or powder (to taste), 3 cloves of anise and a few lemongrass leaves. The leaves give a characteristic herbal-lemon scent.

This liqueur can be drunk daily in small amounts. However, you should think about moderation and the therapeutic purpose of the drink!

Lemongrass lemonade.

You can enjoy the positive effects of lemon by consuming lemonade like this. This is a real elixir of health!

Composition

• 2 cups diluted lemon juice (water and juice from half a lemon)
• 1 tsp schizandra berry powder
• 1 tsp maple syrup

Making lemonade

Combine all ingredients in a 1 liter glass bottle or jar and shake vigorously until lemonade is obtained.

Buckwheat with lemongrass.

You can replace traditional breakfast cereals with buckwheat and lemongrass.

Composition

• 500 gr. buckwheat
• 2-3 s.l. coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
• 1/2 tsp schizandra berry powder
• 1 s.l. raw cocoa powder
• agave syrup (to taste)

Preparation

Soak buckwheat overnight. Strain and rinse well the next morning. Let it dry well at 42 ° C until crispy. Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil, add cocoa powder, vanilla powder, lemongrass powder, and agave syrup.

Mix all the ingredients well, pour them into silicone molds and refrigerate for 4 hours. This recipe is perfect for your complete breakfast!

Recipes cooking schisandra chinensis.Apple drink with lemongrass.

In autumn and winter, we love to drink a hot drink! You can replace a cup of coffee with an apple drink with lemongrass. It's healthier and the perfect drink to enjoy while sitting on your favorite couch. Lemongrass works against the cold when you cover yourself with a blanket and put on wool socks!

For this drink you need water along with 40 gr. dried schizandra berries and 160 gr. bring honey to a boil and put out the fire. Within 10 minutes required to prepare the drink, cut 600 gr. apples into slices and extract the juice with a juicer. Toss the extract with apple juice and enjoy a regenerating break.

Did you like our recipes for making Chinese magnolia vine?

Recipes for making Chinese schisandra (video).

Conclusion

Chinese Schisandra has been part of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia since the first century BC and is a lifelong medicine. Fully ripe fruits, dried in the sun, are used exclusively in medicine.

Take schizandra medications with caution, strictly following the directions, as you may experience side effects: headache, insomnia, heart palpitations, irritability.

It is recommended to take about 2 tsp. lemongrass berries per day. It is not a medicine, but a food with excellent properties. Therefore, it is recommended that you integrate it into your diet on a daily basis to help your body respond in the best possible way.

Schizandra berries awaken vital energy and, importantly, have a beneficial effect on the sexual sphere, acting as an elixir of youth.

Although schizandra chinensis has an activated function, there are no uncomfortable side effects. This small berry is sometimes used to treat depression, relieve irritability and forgetfulness.

You will learn to incorporate lemongrass into your regular meals to enjoy properties that will bring great benefits to your health and well-being.

If in doubt, see an experienced herbalist or doctor for assistance.

Use our recipes for Chinese lemongrass and don't get sick!

In order to enjoy the fruits themselves grown all year round and benefit from them, gardeners harvest part of the crop after harvesting. The article will discuss the Chinese lemongrass and ways to preserve its beneficial berries for the winter.

What is a plant and what are the benefits of its fruits

Chinese magnolia vine is a perennial woody liana that can reach a height of 15 m. In nature, the plant can be found in China, Japan, and Sakhalin.

In autumn, along the entire length of the liana, the fruits begin to ripen, collected in a small brush. These are round red berries, endowed with a sour taste and a strong lemon scent. In the photo, the vines in the autumn period, the fruits always stand out in bright spots against the background of green foliage. It is thanks to their beneficial properties that the plant has become widespread in amateur gardens.

The fruits contain approximately 20% organic acids, many mineral salts, trace elements and vitamins. The use of such a set has a positive effect on the nervous activity of a person, which tones up the entire body.

Due to their very sour taste, berries are rarely eaten fresh. Most often they are dried, or a brew is made from them. Various kinds of preparation of lemongrass retains most of the useful properties of berries and can be used as a preventive and medicinal agent. The berries are picked after they are fully ripe. In terms of time, this falls on September-October. The brushes are removed very carefully with a sharp knife. If the vine is severely damaged, it will not bear fruit next season.

Attention! Harvesting in galvanized buckets is by no means possible. When interacting with lemongrass juice, the metal begins to oxidize.

Dried and frozen fruits

Drying berries can be called the most useful storage method. Such harvesting of lemongrass practically does not cause changes in the substances that make up the sour fruits. The process takes place in 2 stages. At the same time, drying in the fresh air and in the oven is combined.

Advice. In order for this method of harvesting to be successful, you do not need to tear the berries from the stalks. It is better to dry lemongrass with whole brushes.

The drying method looks like this:

1. The berries removed from the vine are laid out on a baking sheet covered with a clean cloth or paper. In this case, be sure to ensure that the clusters do not touch each other.
2. Arrange a baking sheet outdoors under a canopy or, even better, in a well-ventilated attic.
3. After the lemongrass has dried up a little, the berries can be separated from the stalks.
4. Having spread out the red fruits in a thin layer, the baking sheet is sent to the oven for 7 hours. The temperature all this time should be maintained within 45-55 ° C and no more.

This is done for several days. Lemongrass, dried according to the rules, has a dark red color. At the same time, the berries are uniformly wrinkled, they do not stick together. If there is an opportunity and desire to freeze the berries, then they should also be picked with brushes. The skin must be intact.

Advice. In order for the preparation of lemongrass to be successful by freezing, it must be kept in the refrigerator for several hours before immersion in the freezer.

Prepared berries are freely laid out on plates, baking sheets and placed in the freezer. After a day, lemongrass is taken out, laid out in special containers or bags and arranged for long-term storage.

Jam, preserves and marmalade

Lemongrass is not only very useful. Mixed with sugar, this is a rather tasty dessert, so some housewives are happy to make jam, preserves and marmalade from it. The first preparation of lemongrass has the following recipe:

• berries - 1 kg;
• sugar - 1 kg.

The red fruits are rubbed, thus separating the pulp from the skin and seeds. Sugar is poured into the finished puree and the mixture is boiled until thickened. They put jam in jars, seal and send for storage.

Jam is prepared in much the same way, but in this recipe, whole berries are used and sugar is added in a 1: 1.5 ratio. Lemongrass for such a harvest should be dense, slightly unripe. Step by step the recipe is performed as follows:

1. Without breaking the stalks, lemongrass is well washed.
2. Separate the berries and mix them with sugar. Leave it overnight.
3. To make the future jam a little thinner and the container with it can be put on fire, add a little water or apple juice to the lemongrass.
4. The container with the brew is placed on the fire and boiled for 5-7 minutes in 2 passes, after which it is poured into jars.

Such preparation of lemongrass as jam differs not only in excellent taste. It can be used as an excellent cold remedy.

Lemongrass marmalade is a wonderful delicacy that will be perfect for tea on long cold evenings. To prepare it, you need to take:

• lemongrass juice - 1 l;
• sugar - 2-3 tbsp;
• pectin - 3 tablespoons

Prepare it like this:

1. Pectin is poured into slightly warmed juice and left to swell for 30 minutes.
2. In another container, sugar syrup and 150 ml of juice are boiled.
3. The pectin mixture is poured into hot syrup and everything is boiled until thick.
4. While hot, the mixture is poured into cans or, if use is planned as soon as possible, into low trays.
5. In the future, the marmalade is simply cut into pieces with a knife.

Harvesting such valuable fruits as lemongrass is not particularly difficult. But in winter, a useful product can raise the tone and help the body cope with a cold.

Chinese lemongrass grows not only in China, but the Chinese told about its healing properties, and it is they who need to be thanked for this wonderful plant from a hundred diseases. In lemongrass, almost all parts of the plant are healing and useful, and not only berries, but also leaves with young shoots can be harvested for the winter.

Drying lemongrass berries

Lemongrass berries are harvested in late summer - early September. Arm yourself with scissors and cut off the whole bunch without breaking the berries. Place the bunches of lemongrass in a wicker basket and try to avoid contact between the berries and metal objects. Oxides of lemongrass juice and metal can cause unpleasant and not at all useful compounds.

Schizandra berries are very tender and instantly flow out with juice if you press them down a little, so they are dried like this, along with the stalk.

If the harvest is not rich, you can hang the bunches in the kitchen, on wire hooks, until they are completely dry.

If there are a lot of berries, then they are dried by spreading them out in one layer on wooden boards or special nets for 5-7 days.

After the berries are tucked up, they should be dried in the oven or in an electric dryer. In an electric dryer it will take about 6 hours at a temperature of +50 degrees.

Finished berries acquire a dark, almost black color and a somewhat wrinkled structure.

If the stalks bother you, then now you can safely remove them without damaging the berry itself.

It is better to store dry lemongrass berries in a wooden or cardboard box so that they do not become moldy.

Drying leaves and shoots of lemongrass

Leaves and young shoots of Chinese magnolia vine are also harvested to make delicious lemon-scented tea in winter. Leaves are harvested immediately after picking the berries, and before the fall of leaves.

Leaves and vines are crushed with scissors and dried, sprinkled in a not thick layer on a tray for drying in a dry and warm room.

Lemongrass leaves and twigs can be brewed as a standalone drink, added to purchased tea, or combined with other herbs. And since lemongrass is a medicinal plant, first consult your doctor about its use.

How to harvest lemongrass berries for the winter, watch the video:

Harvesting lemongrass

Bright red lemongrass berries have a pronounced sour taste and delicate aroma. Our today's article is devoted to the procurement of this valuable natural raw material.

In our region, in natural conditions, Chinese magnolia vine is found, which came to us, as the name suggests, from China. This liana prefers to settle in mixed coniferous-deciduous forests. Domesticated lemongrass pleases with a good harvest - each plant gives about 7 kg of berries. Bright fruits are an excellent energy drink (a handful of dried berries is enough to feel cheerful all day - hunters have used this property for many centuries).

Schizandra berries are harvested in September-October (when fully ripe). The brushes are cut with a sharp knife so as not to damage the mother plants (after being "injured" the vines can stop bearing fruit). The crop is put in enamel dishes or wicker baskets, but not in galvanized buckets (acidic juice oxidizes the surface). The berries are removed from the brushes and processed within a day.

Dried lemongrass

Lemongrass berries are washed, laid out on a canvas and allowed to dry completely from moisture. Then they are transferred to iron sieves or baking sheets and dried in the oven (oven, dryer) at a temperature of 55-60? C, taking a break for 3-4 days after several hours of drying.

Frozen lemongrass

Prepared lemongrass berries are frozen on plates in bulk, and then poured into plastic or cardboard boxes (optionally, into plastic bags). Store the product in the freezer.

Lemongrass jam

Pure lemongrass berries are steamed and then ground through a fine sieve. The resulting puree is placed in an enamel basin, sugar is added (1: 1) and cooked with constant stirring until thick. The finished jam is laid out in sterilized jars and sealed (as an option, the neck of the jar is closed with parchment paper and tied with twine).

Lemongrass jam

The jam is cooked in almost the same way, but apple juice is introduced into the composition (100 ml per 1 kg of puree) and the amount of sugar is halved (1.5 kg of sugar is required for each kilogram of berries). The rest of the cooking technology remains the same.

Lemongrass compote

• Schisandra
• Sugar - 400 g
• Water - 1 l

Lemongrass berries are separated from the brush, washed thoroughly, placed in sterilized jars and poured with hot syrup. Half-liter jars with compote are heated at 80 ° C for 10 minutes or sterilized in boiling water for exactly 3 minutes.

Lemongrass juice

The harvest is kept for a couple of days, waiting for the berries to soften. After that, they are washed and squeezed out with the help of a manual juicer (it is better not to crush the seeds, since they have a resinous taste). The juice is mixed with sugar in a 1: 2 ratio, waiting for the sweet grains to completely dissolve, poured into dark glass bottles and hermetically sealed. Store the finished product in the cold.

Lemongrass wine


Wine is made from the extracts left after the preparation of the juice (along the way, seeds are extracted from the crushed fruits). Squeezes are poured with cold water and allowed to stand for 2-3 days. The wort is drained, diluted with water and sugar is added (to taste). The wine is allowed to ferment, closing with a water seal, and then drained from the sediment.

Lemongrass seed tincture

The seeds remaining after making the wine are washed from the remnants of the pulp, crushed and poured with alcohol. After a couple of weeks, the product is ready for use (it is drunk in small doses, no more than 30 drops).

Lemongrass syrup

Lemongrass berries are washed, poured into a glass jar and ground with sugar in a 1: 1 ratio. After 7-10 days, the settled syrup is drained, filtered, poured into sterilized bottles and sent to a cold place for storage.

Lemongrass marmalade

• Schisandra juice - 1 l
• Pectin - 3 tablespoons
• Sugar - 2-3 tbsp.

Pectin is diluted in heated juice and allowed to stand for about half an hour. Syrup is boiled separately using the specified amount of sugar and 150 ml of juice. The pectin mixture is poured into the hot syrup, brought to a boil and cooked with constant stirring until thick. The finished marmalade is transferred to sterilized jars and closed.

Harvesting and growing lemongrass may seem like a troublesome process, but this is not entirely true. Liana, climbing on a support, takes up a minimum of space, but at the same time provides maximum benefit, decorating the garden and donating valuable medicinal raw materials.

DIY 16

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How to prepare Ivan tea

How to prepare Ivan tea

Fireweed (ivan-tea), collection and preparation.

It will not be a surprise to anyone that more tea sold in stores can hardly be called such. But delicious tea, once exported in huge quantities abroad, is easy to prepare with your own hands, without spending a penny on it. And believe me, there will be much more benefit from it.

Ivan tea, useful properties

As you may have guessed, I mean ivan tea, the beneficial properties of which have been known for a long time. Before proceeding to the description, I want to say that I have been harvesting willow tea in the following ways for about 5 years. I do not presume to judge how useful Ivan tea is for men, as many say, but the fact that it contains an incredible amount of various vitamins and microelements, and in terms of vitamin C content, is significantly superior to lemon, says a lot. Add the strongest antioxidant properties here and get a real health elixir.
And by adding lemongrass berries to Ivan tea, we get a natural energy drink that will help relieve fatigue and drowsiness while driving.

Collection of Ivan-tea

When to collect Ivan tea

It is worth recalling that it is necessary to collect any herb (willow tea, chicory, St. John's wort, oregano, etc.) away from the city and highways. Fireweed (ivan tea) blooms from June to August.

fireweed (ivan tea)

You can collect it throughout the entire period. Fireweed inflorescences are an excellent honey plant, so it is better to leave them to bees. In addition, together with them, mature seeds with fluff inside can get into tea, and this is very unpleasant.

If you really want to decorate tea with flowers and add additional aromatic notes, you need to collect them at the beginning of the flowering of Ivan tea. Flowers are dried separately without fermentation.

With your left hand, hold the stem just below the inflorescence. Clamp the right stem in the palm of your hand and draw from top to bottom.

how to pick Ivan tea correctly

All the leaves of willow tea are in the palm of your hand.

How to collect Ivan tea correctly

We put them in a bag. Collect as many leaves as you can process. If it so happens that you have not calculated your capabilities and do not have time to process the leaves, put them in a bag in the refrigerator, otherwise they may dry out.

Leaves should not be washed, but it happens that aphids settle on them. In this case, pour the leaves into a container of water (more convenient in the bath), rinse well and remove with a colander.

Withering

Spread a clean cloth in the shade and lay the leaves on it.

Withering lasts several hours. If the sheet was washed, then the time increases. In order for the leaves not to dry out, it is necessary to stir them up periodically. After they became lethargic,

we continue the process of preparing Ivan tea. There are two ways to do this. The tea prepared in the first way looks like large-leaf tea (on the right), in the second - on granular tea (on the left).

Freezing (freezing) ivan tea

Another way to prepare the sheet for curling is to freeze it.
The collected willow-tea leaf is placed in the freezer for a day or more. Then, as needed, it is taken out, defrosted and curled up. There is an opinion that in the old days, the collected leaves of willow tea were lowered for storage in a cellar on ice. And only after a while, they gradually processed it.

But the method has both advantages and disadvantages.

First, about the merits. Freezing - defrosting willow tea allows you to skip the withering process. After this procedure, the willow-tea leaf curls very well and has a uniform dark color. The sheet is removed from the freezer in small batches, as a result of which processing can be extended for a very long time.

Now about the disadvantages. Passing the temperature barrier with an interval from -1 ° to -5 ° C and vice versa, during freezing and thawing, ice crystals destroy cell membranes and fibers, and the juice flows out. In addition, the separation of water from protein leads to a change in its structure (denaturation). The simplest example of protein denaturation can be observed during the preparation of scrambled eggs. When the transparent and sticky protein turns milky white and brittle. But that's not all - during defrosting, most of the vitamin C is irretrievably oxidized.

Ivan-tea, preparation (method number 1)

The first method is the most time consuming. Many people recommend rolling the leaves between their palms. This method requires significant effort. It is much more convenient to curl on a glass cutting board with a ribbed surface. Take a few leaves and fold them into "sausages".

The action is similar to rolling out dough with a rolling pin.

ivan tea preparation

This is necessary in order to destroy the fiber of the leaves and start the fermentation process. After rolling, the leaves take on a dark green color.

At this stage, various herbs can be added to the leaves (St. John's wort, matryoshka, linden blossom, basil, etc.).

Fermentation of Ivan tea

We put the "sausages" in a stainless steel saucepan (preferably in an enamel one),

cover with a damp cloth or towel on top

and leave to ferment in a warm place (not in the oven!).

You can ferment ivan tea in disposable plastic bags. To do this, we put several "sausages" in a bag, wrap it up, and then put the resulting briquettes in a large plastic bag.

The fermentation process can take from 3 hours or more (depending on the temperature). With proper fermentation, the herbaceous aroma changes to a pleasant fruity aroma.

How to dry ivan tea

We cut the "sausages" into slices.

Spread the baking paper on a baking sheet and pour the sliced ​​willow tea.

How to dry ivan tea

The best results are obtained when drying herbs in a Russian oven or on a sauna stove. If this is not possible, then put the baking sheet in the oven and set the temperature to 90 degrees.

Be sure to control the drying and stir the tea periodically. The finished tea looks like any other black large leaf tea. The color depends on the correct fermentation and drying temperature. Keep in mind that the tea leaves should not crumble. If you are afraid to dry your tea, then it is better to dry it at a low temperature.

If there is free space in the oven, then in order to save electricity or gas, the preparation of willow tea can be combined with the preparation of chicory. It is advisable to place a baking sheet with the roots of the latter in the hottest place of the oven.

Ivan-tea, preparation (method number 2)

(Before choosing this method, I advise you to read the article on antivitamins)
The second method is much simpler than the first, since the most difficult stages are mechanized. After the leaf has wilted, we pass it through a meat grinder with large cells. (See amendments)

We put the resulting "minced meat" in disposable plastic bags (see amendments)

and put it in a warm place for fermentation. The rest of the steps are identical.

I tried this method quite recently. I wanted to facilitate the process of fiber destruction without the use of a meat grinder and to exclude the interaction of raw materials with metal .. It took less than an hour of free time to make a device for rolling tea leaves. It is based on the principle of action of a roller for rolling tea. Here's what happened in the end.


Even after a minute of curling, the brewed tea has a rather tart taste and pleasant color. In addition, after drying in the oven, only one day passed.

And one more plus of this variant of preparing Ivan-tea - the leaves do not need to be cut (as is the case with "sausages").

To "adjust" the pressure on the willow-tea leaf and roll it more tightly, as on an industrial roller, it is better to use two cups of different sizes. That is, first a large cup, then a small one.


Fireweed - ivan-tea, how to brew

Someone says that properly prepared and brewed Ivan tea tastes like Indian tea - I would not say that. It has its own specific taste. I tried several options for brewing Ivan-tea, but settled on one:

I put one tablespoon of tea without top for 250 ml. water. After 10 minutes, pour into cups and brew again. Ivan tea, prepared in the second way (using a meat grinder) and similar to granulated, has a richer color and taste when brewed.

For long-term storage, ready-made Ivan tea should be packaged in sterilized glass jars.

Planting, care, pruning, preparation of Chinese lemongrass

Choosing the right place for planting is of great importance, since not only the yield of lemongrass, but also the decorative design of the garden, largely depends on this. The place should be open to the sun, but protected from cold and drying winds. It is good to place lemongrass on the south side of the buildings, but it is possible on the east or west side (so that the sun shines on the plants for half a day). The best soil is loose, humus-rich, drained, with a reaction close to neutral. Therefore, the area intended for planting lemongrass must be thoroughly prepared and deeply cultivated. Heavy, dense, clayey soil must be sealed with sand and organic fertilizers, peaty and sandy - with clay and organic fertilizers, sour - lime. Areas with high groundwater levels must be raised or lemongrass must be planted on ramparts or other elevations.

How to prepare a footprint. One plant can be planted in a pit, but it is not recommended to place lemongrass alone. It is better to plant several plants in a trench 50 cm wide and no more than 60 cm deep. In the middle of it, at a distance of 1.5 m from each other, it is necessary to drive in metal stakes to fasten the trellis. Drainage material (crushed stone, gravel, slag, broken brick, construction waste) should be laid on the bottom with a layer of 30 cm and slightly compacted, then fertilized soil. The latter should be prepared in advance: add (per 1m2) to the excavated cultivated layer: rotted manure (60-70kg), sand (three to four buckets), lime (500g,) phosphorus (150g), nitrogen (40-50g) etc.). The soil with fertilizers must be thoroughly mixed and compacted in a trench. At each planting place (after 1m), you need to pour a cone-shaped tubercle from fertile soil and slightly compact it.

How to properly plant lemongrass. When planting, the strongest shoot of the seedling should be cut into three buds, from which the plant will form, weak shoots should be cut into a ring, the roots should be shortened by 20-25cm. The root system of seedlings must be treated with a clay mash, adding mullein (1 liter per bucket) to it. When planting, the seedling must be placed on a cone-shaped tubercle, spread the roots in all directions and sprinkle with soil. The latter is slightly compacted, watered abundantly and mulched.

It is best to plant lemongrass in a permanent location. If the seedlings are purchased in the fall, then it is necessary to plant at this time. Prykopka for the winter worsens the survival rate during spring planting.

Lemongrass care. In the first two years, the root system develops intensively. It is fibrous and is located at a depth of 8-10 cm. Therefore, it is deeply undesirable to loosen the soil, and mineral and organic fertilizers must be applied superficially in the form of mulch. In the third year, rather good growth shoots are formed, which must be directed upward and temporarily tied with twine. They curl themselves around the support. The soil should be weeded and the mulch should be loosened to a depth of 2-3 cm.

Mineral fertilizers, starting from the third year of planting, must be applied in the form of three additional dressings during the growing season. In the spring, before bud break, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium should be added (40g a.i. per 1m2), after the end of flowering during the period of active growth of the ovary - nitrogen (20g), potassium and phosphorus (15g each), after harvesting in September - phosphorus and potassium (30 grams of water per 1m2). Fertilizers must be covered in mulch with a rake and watered abundantly.

The form of growing lemongrass affects not only the yield, but also the completeness of the brushes. Of the two forms - bushy and vertical (on a trellis) - the latter is better. At the same time, the vines are well lit, and the conditions for pollination of flowers by insects are also improved. As a result, the length of the brush, the number of fruits and their mass increase. The average weight of one brush is 3.5 g, on a tapestry - 9.8 g. In addition, with vertical culture, the lifespan of the plant increases, vines develop better, it becomes easier to form a crown, and more female flowers are formed.

Supports for lemongrass can be used the same as for actinidia.

Does lemongrass grow without support, but it will bear fruit later and worse. To speed up the entry into the season of fruiting, the vine must be raised on a support as early as possible.

Vegetatively propagated lemongrass plants enter fruiting in three to four years, grown from seeds in five to six years.

Pruning lemongrass. With good care during the fruiting period, the vines branch out intensively, due to which the crown thickens and the yield decreases. At the same time, a large number of root suckers are formed. Therefore, it is necessary to cut and shape the vines. To reduce thickening in the crown in late autumn (after leaf fall), dry, weak and excess shoots should be cut out. It is possible to shorten the too long increment of a given year. With a large thickening on the trellis, young growing shoots should be shortened in the summer (usually by 10-12 buds), and also annually cut out all root suckers, replace old vines with young ones. Cutting old vines does not depend on age, but on the bareness and remoteness of their crowns from the ground.

Decorativeness of lemongrass. It is a fast-growing liana with graceful and juicy green foliage, white, pleasantly smelling beautiful flowers in spring and bright red fruits in autumn. In summer, it creates a pleasant shade and coolness near arches, trellises, pergolas, gazebos, trellises, etc. Deserves widespread adoption in garden plots.

How to collect lemongrass fruit. Harvesting is necessary when full ripeness is reached (for the middle lane - in September-October). Brushes should be plucked or cut off at the base. It is unacceptable to put the fruits in metal dishes, since harmful compounds are formed in the juice during oxidation. With good care on fertile soil, 4 kg of fruits can be obtained from one plant, but most often - about 0.7-1 kg.

How to dry fruits. Slightly dried fruits must be sorted out, removed impurities and stalks, spread in a thin layer and dried in the oven at a temperature not exceeding 60-70 ° C (otherwise they turn black). Dried fruits should be firm, large-wrinkled, irregular in shape, dark red or almost black, have a spicy, bitter-sour, slightly irritating taste and slightly aromatic odor. Drying whole juicy fruits at room temperature is ineffective, as they become moldy.

How to dry leaves and young shoots. The optimal time for harvesting leaves and young shoots is early August. They should be crushed with pruning shears into pieces up to 2-3 cm, spread out in a thin layer and dried in the shade with natural ventilation, stirring regularly. Store in paper bags.

Mostly Schisandra fruits are used for drying. Lemongrass juice can be used to make kvass, syrups, jelly, preserves, marmalade, etc. The processed products acquire a good color and have the aroma and taste of fresh lemon.

Diseases and pests of lemongrass. They exist in natural conditions. On lemongrass grown in the middle lane, they have not yet been seen.

Photos, cultivation and methods of harvesting lemon mint

Melissa, among other varieties of mint, stands out for its citrus notes in the scent and belongs to the labiate family. In Europe, where the plant has long been cultivated as a spicy and flavoring culture, lemon balm is called lemon mint. This name has taken root in Russia as well.

The lemon mint plant, as in the photo, reaches a height of 30–100 cm and consists of powerful erect pubescent stems, on which are heart-shaped or oval leaves with noticeable rounded teeth at the edges.

It is in the leaves and the upper parts of the shoots that most of the aromatic and beneficial substances are contained, and the pale pink or almost white lemon balm flowers attract a lot of bees every summer.

As a wonderful spice and honey plant, lemon mint is highly valued by gardeners and gardeners. Lemon balm herb is used in many recipes for traditional medicine, and chefs are happy to add fragrant foliage to marinades, vegetable and fish dishes. Melissa enhances the taste and aroma of baked poultry, sweet pastries and cheeses. Fragrant greens are indispensable in refreshing and medicinal tea mixtures, cocktails.

On summer days, plants are generously supplied with spicy herbs, but what to do with the onset of cold weather? How to prepare mint for the winter for tea? There are different ways to preserve the beneficial properties of lemon balm for the entire cold period of the year, but first of all, it is important to correctly collect lemon mint.

How to prepare mint for tea for the winter?

Cutting fresh herbs is carried out in clear, cool weather, when there is no dew or traces of rain on the plants. The best time to harvest is in the morning and evening hours, when the scorching rays of the sun will not cause the leaves and tops of the stems to fade and lose such a valuable aroma. The greatest concentration of essential oils, vitamins and other substances important for the body in lemon balm greens accumulates at the time of flowering, therefore, at this time, the greens are cut to prepare mint for winter tea.

As soon as the upper juicy parts of the shoots are collected, the plant materials are washed, and the lemon mint greens, as in the photo, are carefully dried with paper or linen napkins. You can find recommendations where plant raw materials are advised not to wash, but to blanch before drying:

• On the one hand, this will help preserve the initially green color of the leaves, which will have a positive effect on the appearance of dishes and drinks with lemon balm.
• On the other hand, if you delay, lemon mint leaves quickly become soft, lose their firmness and when dried or frozen, they completely lose their shape.

It is rational to blanch lemon mint if it is decided to make syrup, aromatic sugar from it for the winter, or freeze it in the form of portioned cubes, since even with short-term heating, the release of juice increases.

Drying lemon mint at home

When preparing mint for tea for the winter, small bundles are formed from the shoots, which are hung away from heating appliances and direct rays. With a constant flow of air and a dry atmosphere, the grass dries up within a few days.

During drying, it is better to protect the plants from the attack of insects and dust by covering the bundles with gauze. If the grass is dried with the help of modern electric dryers, the most gentle modes are used, and, as in the photo, lemon mint is laid out on pallets in an even thin layer and from time to time it is turned.

The dried leaves and the tops of the stems are crushed and placed in tightly closed glass jars, where the lemon balm is to be stored all winter.

Can mint be frozen for the winter?

Melissa, like other varieties of mint, can be prepared for the winter by freezing whole shoots and individual leaves.

For this, the washed and dried bundles are packed in foil, cling film or resealable tight bags and placed in small portions for storage in a freezer. You can freeze mint for the winter in the form of very convenient ice cubes, which for several months will be useful for flavoring tea, sauces, and obtaining medicinal broths.

When frozen, lemon balm completely retains its taste and smell, but the leaves completely lose their shape. Therefore, for the manufacture of such cubes, you can take both greens and juicy stems, having previously chopped them in a blender.

Harvesting lemon mint for a sweet tooth

On the basis of lemon mint, as in the photo, you can make very fragrant sugar, which will surely please not only a lover of sweet tea, but also housewives who pamper their loved ones with fragrant pastries and homemade pastries. For such an unusual seasoning, take fresh lemon balm and grind it, while mixing it with sugar. For 200 grams of plant materials, take 200 grams of regular sugar. If desired, lemon zest, thyme herb or other varieties of mint are added to the composition.

How else can you prepare mint for tea for the winter? Lemon balm syrup will be no less joy for those with a sweet tooth.

100 grams of clean dry or blanched greens will require 100 grams of water and 200 grams of sugar, half of which is poured into crushed lemon mint and left for 8-12 hours for the grass to give juice. When the sugar is practically dissolved, pour the lemon mint over the sugar syrup and bring the mixture to a boil. The container with the syrup removed from the fire is cooled, the finished product is filtered and poured into sterilized jars or bottles with well-ground lids.

You can store mint syrup in the refrigerator, and use it to add to tea, pastry, cereals and fruit salads.

There are a lot of ways of harvesting lemon mint for the winter for tea and other dishes today. For example, aromatic oils and sauces are made on the basis of aromatic herbs. But you can take advantage of the unpretentiousness of the plant and try to grow a lemon mint bush in a pot at home.

How to grow mint at home?

The easiest way is to separate a part of an adult lemon mint bush in your own garden in the fall, as in the photo, and transfer it, along with a lump of earth, to a spacious pot, where a drainage layer has been previously equipped. To fill the pot, you can take both loose garden soil and ready-made soil for seedlings or green crops.

Melissa does not like acidic soils, therefore, if necessary, dolomite flour is added to the soil.

If it is impossible to get an already rooted plant, do not despair. Melissa gives roots in a few days, if the lower leaves are removed from cuttings 15 - 20 cm long and the stems are immersed in water with a few drops of a growth stimulant. After about a week, young plants with their own root system are planted in the ground. From this moment at home, in a pot, mint can grow for more than one year, delighting family members with fresh greens. Subsequently, the plant requires moderate watering, spraying when the air is dry and its temperature is high.

The most laborious and time consuming way is to grow mint at home from seeds.

The best time for sowing is spring, but since it is desirable to get fresh greens in winter, you will have to plant the seeds in the ground at the end of summer or in autumn, when the length of daylight decreases every day. In this case, the lightest place on the windowsill is chosen for lemon balm, and it is even better to equip the houses for the mint in the pot with additional lighting.

In a container with soil mixture, shallow grooves are made at a distance of 5–7 cm, the soil is moistened and dry seeds are sown. As necessary, the soil is moistened, and the seedlings should wait about a week. If the sprouts have sprouted too densely, they are thinned out or dived. In order for the lemon mint to form a healthy strong bush, the brightest place on the window or balcony is chosen for lemon balm.

Watering is carried out up to 3 times a week. In order to prevent flowering and weakening of the plant, when the shoots of house mint in a pot reach a height of 15–20 cm, the tops of the stems are shortened. Such a measure will lead to the appearance of lateral branches and an increase in the amount of foliage.

When cut tops for drying or freezing, home-grown lemon mint yields up to three full harvests over the winter.

But more often, such a home plant supplies the family with fragrant foliage every day for tea, medicinal cold remedies and other popular lemon mint remedies.

Lemon Mint Video

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How to prepare and use herb Schisandra chinensis

Schisandra chinensis herb, its fruits, leaves, vine have been used in oriental medicine for a long time. Since the middle of the last century, the medicinal properties of this amazing plant have been widely used in the medical practice of many countries. The most effective drugs are juice, alcohol tincture, extract and syrup from fruits and seeds. Tea with lemongrass leaves, as well as honey with plant berries, also have good vitamin and tonic properties.

Schizandra chinensis (schizandra) is a perennial plant, which is a liana entwining neighboring trees, a feature of which is the refreshing scent of lemon emanating from crushed leaves and shoots. The plant is not only useful, but also decorative, so many plant it in their summer cottages.

Schisandra is beneficial for its tonic and adaptogenic properties, as well as its ability to stimulate the internal forces of the body to fight many diseases.

For daily use, a tonic tea is suitable, and for a more serious effect, you can use juice, tincture or syrup, for external use lemongrass essential oil is suitable.



Since ancient times, the fruits, leaves and vine of Schisandra chinensis have been used in medicine.

How to properly prepare raw materials

In order to maximize the benefits of lemongrass treatment, it is necessary to be able to properly harvest medicinal raw materials. The plant can be found in the Far Eastern forests, but many successfully cultivate it in their plots. Schizandra fruits begin to ripen at the end of August, but it is better to harvest when they are fully ripe, which lasts from September until the first frost. Ripe berries have a juicy pulp and a bitter-sour taste. About 3 kg of fruit can be harvested from one adult plant.

When harvesting, the fruits of lemongrass are cut with brushes and folded into any non-metallic dish. Within 24 hours after picking, the berries must be processed. For several days, the fruits wither under a canopy, then the pedicels can be separated from them and sorted out. Drying can be done in the oven, the temperature should not exceed 60 degrees. Properly dried raw materials are stored for no more than two years, used as an additive in tea, for the preparation of infusions and decoctions.

From freshly picked fruits, you can get juice, which is used for medicinal purposes, as well as as a food acid. For cooking, the berries are washed and squeezed. The resulting juice is sterilized in jars for 10-15 minutes, after which the container is hermetically sealed. Then you can make a syrup on its basis. You can make sweet juice, for which 400 g of sugar is taken for 2 glasses of juice. Then proceed as in the first case.

If the juice is squeezed out using a press, then seeds can be obtained from the remaining mass. The crushed berries are moistened and left to ferment. At the end of the process, the mixture is washed under running water and the seeds are separated. Initial drying is carried out at temperatures up to 40 degrees, and after drying - up to 70 degrees.

Lemongrass leaves, like shoots, are harvested in early August - at this time, they accumulate the optimal amount of nutrients. Leaves are dried in the usual way, in shaded places, spread out in a thin layer. For harvesting shoots, it is better to take unproductive, but not old vines, which should be cut and chopped with pruners into small pieces. Drying is carried out in a ventilated area or under a canopy. The root is harvested extremely rarely.

Therapeutic action

Lemongrass fruits can be eaten fresh, added to tea, made into juice, jam, syrup, as well as infusions and tinctures. All parts of the plant, harvested for future use, have the ability to:

• relieve fatigue;
• to increase physical endurance and mental activity;
• normalize blood pressure with hypotension;
• eliminate oxygen starvation;
• promote wound healing;
• improve immunity.

In eastern medical teachings, lemongrass is used for anemia, impotence, asthenia, depression, as well as for colds and gastrointestinal diseases.

Tea based on lemongrass leaves has an unusual pleasant aroma, helps to strengthen the immune system, invigorates, and helps with colds. To prepare 10-15 g of dry leaves, pour boiling water (1 l) and leave for several minutes. Leaves can be added to regular tea, but not in a thermos to avoid loss of aroma.

The so-called "cold tea" can be prepared using dried fruits, which are boiled in the amount of a tablespoon for 10 minutes in a glass of water. After boiling, the mixture is infused for 1 day and drunk during the day.

Another way you can make a healthy tea is to place the lemongrass vine in a kettle (not electric), which will boil the water for brewing. Thus, at the heating stage, the water is enriched with useful elements and it can be brewed with any black or green tea.

Schisandra syrup helps in the treatment of various ailments, such as hypotension, drowsiness, potency disorders, as well as intoxications and protracted course of chronic diseases. Pharmacy syrup can be added to any desserts and drinks, tea, or taken as an independent product for 1 month, with meals, three times a day.

The syrup can be prepared by yourself, after squeezing the juice of fresh berries. In order to prepare this product, take 1 liter of lemongrass juice and 1.5 kg of sugar. The mixed mass is heated to complete dissolution of sugar, and then poured into sterile jars.

Lemongrass syrup can be prepared differently. First you need to cook ordinary sugar syrup (1 kg of sugar, 2 glasses of water), and then mix the juice with it in a 1: 2 ratio. Then you should wait for cooling and pour into glass containers. Store the finished product in the refrigerator. This lemongrass syrup can be added to any herbal and regular tea for a delicious, aromatic and healthy drink.



Schisandra chinensis relieves fatigue, normalizes blood pressure, improves immunity

Pharmacy forms

Schisandra extract is easy to find in the pharmacy chain, it is sold in tablets, and is, without a doubt, a useful drug that:

• increases the body's resistance to stress;
• helps to stabilize and strengthen cell membranes;
• stimulates the internal forces of the body;
• lowers blood sugar;
• stimulates smooth muscles;
• shows adaptogenic properties;
• satisfies the body's need for flavonoids.

The extract of the fruit and bark of lemongrass can be prepared at home using alcohol, it will have a healing effect, but in fact it will be a tincture.

Schisandra oil is fundamentally of two types - essential and cold-pressed. Both of these products have been used successfully to treat various diseases. Lemongrass essential oil is used in aromatherapy as a tonic, externally in the composition of massage mixtures improves lymphatic drainage, is used to prevent varicose veins.

Schizandra seed oil is used internally, therefore it is available in capsules. This form of release is often used by athletes and people whose activities are associated with overload, radiation, overheating and other harmful working conditions. When taking this drug, the following is observed:

• an increase in the background indicators of the content of adrenaline;
• increased endurance and performance;
• strengthening of immunity even in conditions of strong physical exertion, which often cause immunodeficiency in athletes;
• a decrease in the inhibitory and an increase in the activating effect of the regulatory processes of the central nervous system in the cerebral cortex.

In addition, lemongrass in the form of oil is useful as an adaptogen, which significantly increases the body's ability to withstand adverse external influences. In addition, such a drug is used for sexual disorders, after prolonged illness, with hypotension.

Knowing how lemongrass is useful and how to use it correctly, you can significantly speed up recovery in many diseases. It should be remembered that there are contraindications to the use of the plant, and you can take the drugs after consulting a doctor.



Tincture based on lemongrass fruit and bark extract increases the body's resistance to stress