The modern pharmaceutical industry produces many drugs designed to quickly treat a wide variety of diseases. However, few know that for the most part these drugs do not cure ailments, they only remove their obvious symptoms or tidy up one organ or system, gradually disabling others. Most often, the liver and kidneys, as well as the heart, suffer from such treatment. Unfortunately, over time, modern man is increasingly moving away from nature. The miraculous medicinal prescriptions of our grandmothers are forgotten. Of course, it’s much easier to go to the pharmacy and get a pack of pills. But still, knowing at least a few recipes based on completely affordable products will not hurt.
Rosehip Benefits
Who did not hear about the benefits that the body brings to the brewed rosehip berries? Bright and juicy scarlet berries ripen every autumn on the bushes, bending their branches with their weight, almost to the ground. But what is curious, in addition to the red, familiar to everyone, there is also a black rose hip. It is less popular and widespread, but its external beauty is not inferior to its bright brother. The healing properties of these two species are identical. Their only difference lies in the color of the berries. Of course, black rose hips are not often found: its berries have a relatively exotic appearance and are somewhat similar to shiny, oily ripened olives.
Useful minerals of rosehip
Both black and red rose hips contain a lot of vitamins: groups B, P, as well as vitamin K, which is responsible for good blood coagulation. In addition, the fruits have natural sugar, carotene, organic acids, pectin and just a record amount of vitamin C: its rosehip with black fruits contains as much as 72%. Thus, even blackcurrant and citrus fruits fade in front of such a unique storehouse of useful ingredients. But it must be borne in mind that such a high percentage corresponds only to slightly unripe fruits. Overripe or, even worse, frozen berries lose a huge amount of vitamins and, accordingly, all their beneficial properties with them. However, a green, completely unripe black rosehip will be just as empty. Thus, it makes no sense to pick green berries until the moment the fruits fully ripen. It is also inappropriate to wait until they become completely soft, or to freeze them for storage.
Not single berries
The seeds and flower petals of this plant may also be beneficial. For example, grains contained in the pulp of fruits also contain ascorbic acid and carotene, which is useful for vision. Petals also include essential oil, similar in quality to rose. After all, black rose hip is a relative of the rose and the ancestor of many of its modern varieties.
When is the crop harvested?
Estimated harvest time is mid-late autumn. In order to preserve all the qualities of fruits in the best possible way, rosehip berries should be collected before the onset of cooling. The reason for this need is the sensitivity of berries to frost: even the slightest hypothermia is fraught with a complete loss of healing qualities. In order not to prick your hands with sharp and tenacious needles sticking out of the branches, you can put on tight gloves that would nevertheless not interfere with picking berries, and you can proceed. You need not to be lazy and as soon as possible to collect black rose hips. Useful properties obtained from it will fully pay for the expended time and energy.
How to harvest the berries correctly?
To be in time on time (not too early, but not too late) to collect the dog rose is only half the battle. An equally important point is proper storage. Black rose, the benefits of which have been known since ancient times, with inappropriate storage, loses its healing properties.
Berries must be dried immediately after collection. To do this, use an oven or dryer, where the dogrose is dried at a temperature of about 90 degrees. In the process, you must make sure that the fruits are not burnt, otherwise all the work will be worthless. After making sure that the berries are ready, they are left for a short time to cool, and then pour into a dry container with a lid or a dense cloth bag. Subject to the above recommendations, they can be stored for approximately 2 years. Black rosehip does not lose its beneficial properties .
What does a dog rose look like?
Outwardly, it is a decorative shrub that looks like a rose. Its height can vary from a meter to five. There are also very small bushes. Rosehip leaves are oblong, their petiole is short. Flowers in diameter are about 5 mm, their color can be pale pink or, on the contrary, bright raspberry. The flowering period occurs at the end of spring - mid-summer, and the berries ripen by September, sometimes later. Thus, thanks to its bright decorations (flowers in spring and summer, berries in autumn and winter), black rose hips remain attractive throughout the year.
Features of growing plants
Fortunately, dogrose of any kind is very unpretentious to the conditions of its life. If the bush has managed to take root on any plot of land, it will grow there for a long time. The ideal soil for wild rose is oily clay or loam. But the prospect of growing on sandy soil will not become a problem for him, you just need to feed him a small amount of organic fertilizers. Severe frost or exhausting drought will also not be a problem for a strong and persistent plant.
Decorative varieties are quite capable of blooming the whole summer with short interruptions. Rosehip grows well and quickly enough, which is an excellent quality, if the plans include a hedge. The main thing is to watch its stems. Infrequently, only once every 4 years, old, dried parts need to be cleaned so that they do not draw the strength and nutrition that the young and juicy stems could get. Otherwise, instead of lush hedges, you can get emaciated, dried wattle.
Recipes
- Rosehip infusion. You should know that when boiling, the main volume of vitamin C is destroyed, and therefore it is undesirable to do this. Of course, this significantly reduces time costs, but such a drink will not bring any benefit. Therefore, it is better to grind dry fruits or crush in a mortar and, pouring boiling water, cover tightly with a lid. Proportions - for 2 tablespoons of berries 2.5 cups of water. After a few hours, the infusion can be passed through a sieve and taken.
- Infusion in a thermos. In the evening, you need to put whole fruits in a thermos, pour hot water in the same proportions as in the previous recipe. In the morning, the infusion is filtered. By the way, a thermos is convenient to take with you to work.
- Infusion of petals. Dry flower petals are taken in the amount of a couple of spoons and pour 1.5 cups of boiling water. The strained infusion is rubbed on the face and neck.
Contraindications
Despite the abundance of useful qualities of black rose hips, there are a number of contraindications when regular use of it as a medicine is undesirable. For example, you can not drink a rosehip decoction for those who have a high acidity of the stomach, because as a result of such treatment, its indicator may increase.
High acidity of the drink can also provoke the destruction of tooth enamel, therefore, after drinking a cup of broth, it is recommended to rinse the oral cavity with clean water. In addition, it contributes to thickening of the blood and bloating (you can neutralize this effect by combining the use of rose hips with herbs and parsley). And, of course, you definitely should not be treated with black dog rose for those who are allergic to this plant.
Thus, the dog rose is an incredibly practical and useful plant on the site. It is unpretentious and requires minimal care, but all year round it pleases with its elegant look and tasty, and most importantly - useful, fruits. You only need to use it wisely, without getting carried away, so as not to turn the treatment into an aggravation of the disease.