Harvesting currants: how to do it right, and what are the ways to store berries? Preparing for the winter. Application for various diseases
How to collect currants? What conditions are necessary for the storage of currants?
When transporting currant berries over long distances, the fruits must be removed at the stage of technical maturity, but slightly colored. Ripening and full coloring of berries occurs during transportation. But the transportation of currants should not take more than one week. If the berries are intended for immediate consumption or immediate sale, then they can be removed at the stage of consumer maturity, when the berries acquire a color characteristic of this grade .
❧ Golden currant in recent times became very popular among gardeners. Its berries are used not only traditionally - they eat, make jam, make juice and wine, but also grow golden currant bushes in decorative purposes. But be careful! You can not brew tea from the sprigs of golden currant! The buds and young leaves are very poisonous because they contain hydrocyanic acid compounds.
The ripening of currant berries largely depends on the air temperature during the flowering period. If flowering occurs quickly, then almost all the berries in the brush will ripen at the same time. If the flowering stretches for a long period, then the berries in the brush will ripen unevenly. In addition, the berries on evenly lit racemes ripen more amicably than on bushes where the fruits are unevenly lit. For the most part, it depends on the age of the shrub. How younger bush, the fewer branches on it, therefore, the lighting is better and more uniform. On old bushes of the same variety, the ripening of berries will be more late.
Currants should be collected in shredded baskets with a capacity of 2-3 liters, or open trays with a capacity of up to 6 kg should be used for collection. When picking currant berries by hand, it is advisable to use plywood stands. If the berries are supposed to be sold or transported for further processing, then it is best to use boxes or baskets with a larger capacity (up to 12 kg).
Red and white currant It is customary to collect together with brushes. This is due to the fact that all the berries of these species ripen at the same time, in addition, the skin of red and white currants is very thin, and when the berries are separated from the brush, the skin is damaged, which leads to loss of juice and damage to the pulp of the berries.
Otherwise, the ripening of berries and the degree of their attachment in black and golden currants occur. In almost all varieties of black currant, the berries do not ripen at the same time and are prone to shedding. In this regard, there is a need to harvest blackcurrants in two steps.
It is necessary to collect currant berries in dry weather, removing the berries with brushes. Collect fruits that have reached consumer maturity. If it is planned to store berries, then it is necessary to lay the fruits for storage on the day of collection. All rotten and diseased fruits must first be removed. Then the currants are dried and laid out in plastic bags measuring 21 x 25 or 38 x 21 cm, with a capacity of 0.5 and 1-1.5 kg, respectively. The edges of the bags are welded and placed in the freezer. In the place of storage of currants, the temperature should be maintained from -1 ° C to 0 ° C and relative humidity 85-95%.
(Ribes nigrum L.)
Black currant, a shrub of the gooseberry family (Grossulariaceae), up to 2 m high. Young branches are light green, shortly pubescent, dotted with dotted odorous glands. Old branches are bare, brown. The leaves are palmately lobed, coarsely serrated along the edges, downy along the veins, with darkish glands. The flowers are small, bisexual, collected 5-10 in drooping racemes, the receptacle is bell-shaped. The fruit is a spherical black, naked berry, with a specific fragrant smell. Seeds are small, black. Black currant blooms in May - June, fruits ripen in July - August. Life expectancy is 15-20 years, but the period economic use lasts 8-10 years. Propagated vegetatively - by dividing bushes, rooting branches, layering and seeds. Distributed in the European part of the CIS, in the Urals, in Siberia and Central Asia. Blackcurrant grows in damp forests, among shrubs, along the banks of rivers and other bodies of water, on moist soils.
The plant was bred in Russia in monastery gardens as early as the 11th century. Information about its medicinal properties is found in medical books and herbalists of the XV-XVI centuries. In 1701, during the census, it was registered in many gardens in Russia.
Collection and drying of raw materials. For medicinal purposes, fruits, leaves and buds of black currant are used. The fruits are harvested without stalks as they ripen, dried in the shade, ovens at a temperature of 50-65 ° C. Drying is considered complete if the berries do not stick together into a lump and easily crumble. Fruit shelf life is 2 years. The smell is weak, specific, the taste is sour.
Leaves are harvested only in June - July, plucking them from the middle part of the shoot and leaving the upper ones so as not to damage the next year's fruiting, and the lower ones, which are coarser and often damaged by diseases and pests. Air dry in the shade. After drying, the leaves should retain their original color and aroma. The shelf life of the leaves is 1 year.
Kidneys are harvested in winter and in early spring. Cut the branches, tie them into bundles, then upholster or cut off the buds. Store frozen or in alcohol. Sometimes dried at a temperature
not higher than 15-20 °С. The shelf life of the kidneys is 1 year.
Chemical composition. Currant berries contain up to 4000 mg% ascorbic acid, up to 17% sugar, organic acids (tartaric, succinic, citric, malic, nicotinic), pectin (up to 0.82%), tannins (up to 0.62%), vitamins (B1, B6, E, P, K), glycosides, essential oil(0.01%). Anthocyanin malvin was found in fresh blackcurrant juice. The leaves contain up to 387 mg% of ascorbic acid, essential oil, vitamin P, phytoncides, carotene.
Pharmacological properties. The main therapeutic effect of black currant is due to the presence of a high content of ascorbic acid, vitamin B1, flavonoids and anthocyanin substances in the fruits, which have a P-vitamin effect. Blackcurrant berries lower blood pressure, improve the state of the cardiovascular system, and increase appetite. They have a vitamin, diuretic, tonic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic effect, enhance the functions of the stomach, intestines and liver. The leaves have a diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic effect, stimulate the functions of the adrenal cortex, promote the excretion of purine substances, uric acid.
Application in medicine.
Roots. AT Tibetan medicine decoction - for rheumatism. In Siberia - astringent.
Roots, branches, bark of branches, buds, leaves, fruits (fresh, juice). Decoction, infusion, tincture, extract - diuretic (for diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract), diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory (for respiratory infections, bronchitis, whooping cough).
Branches - infusion, fruits and juice - for headaches.
Bark of branches, leaves, fruits. Tincture - multivitamin, antiscorbutic; with gout. Decoction externally and internally - with rheumatism, ascites.
Branches, buds, leaves. Decoction, tincture - externally (baths, lotions) for scrofula, dermatitis, exudative diathesis, venereal and eye diseases.
Buds, leaves. Broth - hemostatic.
Buds, fruits. Tincture is a mild laxative.
Leaves. In Tibetan medicine, infusion, decoction - for tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands. Wine tincture - tonic for heart disease. Tea - for general malaise, colds, kidney and bladder stones, cystitis, rheumatism, skin diseases. Infusion mixed with tricolor violet leaves - for tuberculosis in children and for colds.
Leaves, fruits. Decoction, infusion, juice - for gastrointestinal diseases, diarrhea, hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Fruit. Fresh, juice and drink - in case of metabolic disorders, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, gastritis with low acidity, anemia, hypertension, liver diseases. Decoction (fresh fruit) - for diarrhea, as well as a diuretic and diaphoretic; decoction (dry fruits) - for anemia, hypertension, rheumatism, cough. The fruits are part of the vitamin fees.
Dosage forms, method of administration and doses.
* Infusion of black currant fruits: 25 g of raw materials are poured into 200 ml of boiling water, infused for 2 hours, then filtered and sugar is added to taste. Take 1/2 cup 2-3 times a day.
* A decoction of fresh black currant fruits: 20 g of raw materials are boiled in 200 ml of water for 10 minutes, insisted for 1 hour, then filtered. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.
* A decoction of dried black currant fruits: 2 tablespoons of raw materials are poured into 200 ml hot water, boil for 10 minutes on low heat, insist 1 hour, then filter. Take 1/4 cup 4 times a day.
* Black currant juice: squeezed from the fruit. Take 1/4 cup with a tablespoon of honey, diluted in a glass of water, 3 times a day.
* Drink from blackcurrant fruits: 600 g of raw materials are rubbed through a sieve, add 5 tablespoons of honey and mix thoroughly. Taken in small portions, adding a piece food ice or some sparkling water.
* Infusion of blackcurrant leaves: 20 g of raw material is poured into 300 ml of boiling water, infused for 4 hours, then filtered. Take 1/2 cup 4-6 times a day.
* Tea from dried leaves of black currant: 1 teaspoon of raw materials is poured into 200 ml of boiling water, then filtered. Take several glasses during the day as tea.
Contraindications and possible side effects : hypersensitivity to the plant. It is not recommended to take it for gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum with hyperacidity gastric juice.
Application in other areas. Branches with leaves and fruits in the form of infusion are used in veterinary medicine as a diaphoretic, diuretic, antirheumatic, vitamin. Suitable for flavoring kvass. Infusion of kidneys on 50% alcohol - in the food and alcoholic beverage industry, for the preparation of essences. Leaves are a substitute for tea. They are used for pickles and pickles. The fruits are eaten fresh and dried; for jam, marmalade, marshmallow, stalemate, fillings for sweets and pies, jelly, jelly, syrup, compote, marinade, fruit drink. Excellent honey plant, yields up to 100 kg/ha of honey. Decorative, there are forms with indented and variegated leaves. Cultivated. In Belarus, about 40% of the entire berry area is allocated for blackcurrant.
Elements of agricultural technology of cultivation. Blackcurrant prefers fertile, loamy and cohesive sandy soils with a medium reaction close to neutral (pH 6.5-6.8). It grows and bears fruit better in well-lit and wind-protected areas. With strong shading, the yield is sharply reduced. The easiest and most common way to propagate blackcurrant is with lignified cuttings (18-20 cm long). They are harvested in the second half of September or early spring, before the buds begin to swell. Planted in pre-prepared moist soil, leaving two upper buds on the surface. best term harvesting and planting green cuttings - July. They are planted in greenhouses, greenhouses or on beds under a film shelter. When propagated by layering in the spring, they bend down to the ground and sprinkle the 2-3-year-old shoots closest to the soil. By autumn, some of these shoots form roots. Secateurs cut off the rooted cuttings from the mother bush and planted on permanent place. 1-2-year-old seedlings are best planted at the end of September - the first half of October, in rows, in pits 40-50 cm wide and deep, at a distance of 0.7-1 m from each other and 2-3 m between rows. The aerial part of the seedlings is deepened by about 8-10 cm, and then shortened after planting, leaving 3-5 normally developed buds on the surface. Seedlings begin to bear fruit in 1-2 years.
- one of the most popular berries in cooking. Black sour berries are used to make desserts, jams, medicinal drinks and canned compotes.
Landing site and soil preparation
Best of all, blackcurrant grows in open, sunny places, and easily tolerates partial shading. Do not plant currants in cold, open places or "frost holes". Any well-drained, moisture-retaining soil will do. Blackcurrant grows best in well-drained soil. Before planting, add more rotted manure or more garden compost to the soil.
- Of all berry bushes blackcurrant is perhaps the most popular. It is valued for its winter hardiness, early maturity and productivity. And in terms of the content of vitamin C in berries, it surpasses strawberries, lemons, apples, pears and grapes, second only to rose hips and ...
- The first description of this plant dates back to the Middle Ages, and the first drawing of a currant (however, like a gooseberry) is given in the book of L. Fuchs, published in 1542 in Basel. At the same time, the stormy stage of the cultivation of currants began. Primarily...
- Currant seedlings, having one or two shoots, in the spring I dig in and not directly into the ground, but wrapping each in a film. In pieces old film I first pour river gray sand with a layer of 2-3 cm and old aged humus, ...
- At autumn planting cuttings, for example, currants, they take root much better than with spring. However, one circumstance interferes - under the influence of cold in the spring, the cuttings stick out of the soil. And so that they do not dry out, they must be immediately ...
- Pruning berry bushes, as well as pruning apple and pear trees, should not be started until there is a clear goal. Without taking into account the biological requirements of currants, gooseberries, raspberries to environmental conditions and without knowing the characteristics of their growth ...
- A few years ago, I purchased five cuttings of blackcurrant varieties Belorusskaya Sladkaya, Velikan, Karelskaya in one of the Belarusian nurseries. In the spring, he planted cuttings on his site in the usual way. They are well rooted and already the next ...
CHAPTER V. COLLECTION AND STORAGE OF CURRANT
Before enjoying the great taste of currants, get enough nutrients and to correct his shattered health with its help, something else should be done. Well, washing your hands is a matter of course, we're not talking about that. The conversation is about how to find these shrubs with currants, collect berries (and maybe leaves) from them and save the delicacy.
Where the currant grows, we think everyone knows. Here, as they say, there are no problems. This culture can be found in almost any garden plot. And if you, out of forgetfulness, have not planted such a bush on your land, then turn your eyes to your neighbor. There you will find currants for sure. But no matter how you salivate at the sight of ripe and juicy berries, you still shouldn’t climb through the fence without asking. This is not good. It's even worse that there is another way out. One or two buckets wild currant you can always dial. You just need to know the places.
But only one type of currant grows in the wild - black. Red is found in nature only as a culture grown artificially. And if you did not take care of its landing at one time, then, dear readers, bite your elbows. Much has been lost. The only way out- score.
Wild currant bushes grow throughout middle lane Russian Federation. There are many even in Western Siberia. Currant loves moisture very much, so it is easiest to meet it in damp places, where there is a lot of water necessary for nutrition. These are the outskirts of swamps, floodplains, wet forests and meadows. Therefore, arm yourself with buckets - and into the thickets. But still, take care of the future and plant a few currant bushes in your garden.
So, where the currant grows, we found out. Now we need to know when. It is clear that if you decide to pick currants somewhere in January, then even if you have traveled all the forests, swamps and floodplains on skis, you are unlikely to find at least one berry. Not a season. And the leaves are not in season either. So when should they be collected?
The time for collecting currant leaves is May and June. It is then that they are most enriched with nutrients. Here it should be noted that in traditional medicine only blackcurrant leaves are used. The red one uses only berries, so you can, of course, collect leaves from these bushes, but no practical application you won't find them.
The berry appears on the shrub a little later, in the last two summer months - July and August. At this time, it is necessary to collect it, with a well-aimed look of a professional, noticing the most ripe ones on the bushes.
The best time to collect not only currants, but also all other medicinal plants is the day of the new moon. It just so happens that the Sun and the Moon have a huge impact on our planet. And thanks to this influence, the gravitational force of the earth during the new moon noticeably decreases.
On the days of the new moon, plants, including currants, are filled with nutrients most strongly. And the peak here is at noon, at twelve o'clock. It is this moment for picking currants that is optimal. But these are subtleties. And so, the main thing is not to miscalculate with the month.
When collecting red and black currants, be careful - try not to damage the bush itself.
There is another place for picking currants, previously mentioned - a store. Here you do not have to wander through the thickets - again, not far from home. So if someone is too lazy to grow currants on summer cottages or hunt in the forests for wild, then this place should be suitable.
This is where the information on the collection ends, no other, more or less important, features were observed in the process. Therefore, let's move on.
It is worth it, the long-awaited berry, in a bucket. I don’t feel like eating anymore - they ate when they collected it from the bush. Save it for a month or two or three. But how? Now you will know about it. But everything is in order. Let's start with the leaves. They were collected earlier, in May-June, and you will encounter their storage earlier.
The storage of blackcurrant leaves is carried out very in a simple way. To do this, you need to perform only one small process - drying. It is thanks to him that blackcurrant leaves will gain new life, the duration of which will depend only on you. And yet, we note that if you do not have time to keep within two years when using the leaves of this plant, then they will lose their healing properties and you can safely replenish your collection in the herbarium with them.
If your place of residence city apartment, and not a house in the village, then the conditions for drying are, of course, limited. It will no longer be so easy to lay out the leaves on the veranda in the sun and wait when it comes to the desired result. But you can use the loggia or balcony. If the drying of the leaves will take place in an open space, then try to do everything possible so that the wind does not blow your leaves somewhere into unknown distances. Otherwise, all your work will go down the drain.
However, not everyone has balconies and loggias. But it's okay. Lay out the leaves for drying inside the apartment (for example, on the windowsill, having previously spread a newspaper). Well, or in another place more convenient for you. It is very important that it be a dry place. Increased content moisture in the air will cause rotting. In addition, the place should be warm and bright. Otherwise, the drying process may take a very long time.
Spread the leaves on the newspaper in one layer. This is necessary so that the leaves do not obscure each other and do not prevent the evaporation of moisture. Otherwise, the upper layers will close the way to the light and warmth of the lower ones, for which this will be tantamount to being kept in a dark and cold closet.
If the conditions for drying are met, then you will have to wait about a week. The leaves will become brittle and we can already say with confidence that you have achieved your goal - they have dried up. Put in a bag and store.
You can do the same with berries. In a warm, dry and bright place, lay out on a newspaper and wait. Do not forget that it is impossible to impose one berry on another, otherwise they will rot. Tightening with drying is also not recommended. It is advisable to start directly on the day of collection.
A berry laid out on a newspaper will decrease in size over time. When it begins to strongly resemble raisins in its appearance (it becomes hard), then know that it has dried up.
Dried leaves and fruits cannot be compared, of course, with fresh nutrients in saturation. And the berry, of course, will lose all its taste qualities. But the beneficial properties of fruits and leaves remain very strong. And the main thing is that these properties are preserved, and practically without changes, for a sufficiently long period.
Currants, by the way, have one important difference from other berries. Due to its composition, vitamin C contained in it does not disappear in the first days of storage, unlike most other plants, but continues to be in the currant for a long time.
Another way is freezing. It is used mainly for storing berries, since it is impractical to keep fresh leaves in the refrigerator. It's best to dry them out.
The refrigerator is the most acceptable place to store frozen currants. Or rather, not in the refrigerator itself, but in its freezer. This is the only place in the apartment where the temperature is negative.
Wash the berries thoroughly before putting them in the freezer.
Frozen currants, and after a month, and after a year, the taste will remain almost the same as fresh. It will lose something when frozen, there will be less nutrients in it than in a dried one, but what can be compared with fresh currants with tea, when it is December outside, there are snowdrifts all around, and a blizzard howls outside?
If you have stored frozen currants before winter, then you can move them somewhere outside, to the same balcony, for example. The freezer is no longer required, nature will do everything for it.
Let's take the refrigerator. But only freezer we no longer need it. The berry can also be stored at a positive, though not high, temperature. And it is not at all necessary for her to completely freeze for this. The deadlines will, of course, be greatly shortened.
Another way to the refrigerator is not related. It is usually used before making jam. To do this, currants are covered with a thick layer of sugar on top. Only for a long time it is impossible to leave such currants, otherwise it will begin to ferment and gradually turn into wine.
The collection and storage of leaves and berries of red and black currant is a very important, paramount matter, which is the beginning of the diverse use of this plant by man. This is the very first step on the way to jam, marshmallow, teas and infusions from currant leaves.
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"Not so much. Currants can be consumed:
- in fresh. Usually everyone eats up from the bush and quickly lose interest in "living vitamins". Still, you can’t eat much even the sweetest blackcurrant “alive”. And red is completely sour;
- in a "quickly prepared" form: compotes, pies, smoothies, mousses, creams - everything that is enough for your imagination;
- frozen. In winter, from thawed berries - a sweet deal!
- in canned form. This is where it makes sense to strain your imagination so that the blanks are different.
How to collect currants?
Whatever you plan to do with the harvest, the main thing is to store currants correctly. For "immediate use" you can collect anytime and anywhere, even in the rain. But stored, for example, in the refrigerator for longer will be berries picked in dry, clear weather after the dew has come down. Collected after the rain are stored worse. It is better to collect with brushes, carefully so as not to damage or wrinkle. Use for collecting small buckets, boxes or sieves, with a capacity of 2-4 kilograms. And it is desirable that the width be greater than the height: in this case, the berries will definitely not crumple under their own weight.
How to keep currant berries in the refrigerator longer?
Blackcurrants can be stored fresh in the refrigerator for about two weeks, with virtually no loss of useful qualities. Red and white - at a temperature of about 1 ° C and high - about two months. If you want to "keep" the berries in the refrigerator longer, it is better to pick them slightly unripe: they will "reach" in the refrigerator. It is not necessary to wash the berries before putting them in the refrigerator. If a harvested berries, nevertheless, turned out to be slightly wet, for several hours, scattering on the table thin layer. Containers intended for storage in the refrigerator should allow the berries to breathe.
How to freeze and defrost currant berries?
In the freezer, both red and black currants are stored without losing useful properties up to three months. Further, the currant taste is preserved, but vitamins and other usefulness are destroyed. It is most convenient to put berries in the freezer in portioned packages "for one compote". Compote is hardly the best that can be prepared in winter. Currant berries make sense to lay them out in bags already chilled, having kept them in the refrigerator for several hours before that. Optimum temperature for storage in the freezer - 2 ° C.
The second secret is correct defrosting berries. Currant retains its taste and vitamins well with gradual defrosting. Therefore, at first it is better to keep it in the refrigerator for several hours at a temperature of 4-6 ° C, and only when it has practically thawed, bring it to room temperature.
Little canning tricks
There are many recipes for currant blanks: puree, jelly, jam, marshmallow, currants in their own juice, juice, syrup, pickled currants, dried currants. Almost everyone has tried and tested recipes own experience. Therefore, here we will not list them, but recall a few useful points.
- As a rule, you want to process the berries in one way, because it's easier. But how much currant "five-minute" can your family eat? If a lot, then everything is in order. And if you have to throw away "half-eaten cans", then it's better to make preparations in small batches, changing the recipe so that they are different.
- It is better to roll up small half-liter jars - so that it "leaves" in one or two times. But this point, again, depends mainly on family tastes and preferences.
- It is recommended to close jars with canned blackcurrants with glass or varnished tin lids, since currants and especially syrup acquire an "inky color" when in contact with metal.
- If the recipe involves the use of crushed or crushed berries, it is enough to clean them from the twigs with leaves and wash them first. If the berries are supposed to be preserved "as a whole", it is better not to be lazy and spend time sorting them by size: large, medium and small. This will not only improve appearance"final product", but will also contribute to the uniformity of the preparation of berries.
- To be soft and full sugar syrup, and not wrinkled, they are blanched for 2-3 minutes in boiling water (the time is counted from the moment of immersion in boiling water). After blanching, let the water drain.
- The water remaining after blanching can be used to further prepare the syrup.
- no need to blanch.
- separately from black, white and red currants, or from a mixture of white or red currants with black.
- To speed up the preparation of jam, currant berries can first be boiled a little for softness in water, or simply increase the blanching time from 2-3 to 5-7 minutes. Jam (from any berries, not just currants) is cooked for no more than 20-30 minutes from the moment of boiling. Longer cooking worsens its quality: the color changes, and the aroma weakens. You can find out about the readiness of jam by a drop placed on a plate: it should thicken quickly and strongly.
- Red currant jelly, or half red and white jelly, can be cooked in or raspberries.