At the mention of wild strawberries straight from childhood, a wonderful aroma and unique taste of wild berries, known and loved by everyone without exception, pops up in my memory. Even in ancient times, the people used both food and health purposes for tasty fruits, leaves, flowers, and even the roots of this plant.
Description
Strawberry forest (Latin Fragaria) is a herbaceous perennial whose name comes from the old Russian "strawberry", that is, "leaning to the ground." The Latin name comes from "fragaris", which translates as "fragrant."
The classification of the plant is as follows:
- Division - Flowering.
- Class - Dicotyledonous.
- Order - Rosaceae.
- Family - Pink.
- Subfamily - Rosanovye.
- Genus - Strawberry.
Wild strawberry (the photo shows this well) has oval-shaped triple leaves on long petioles. The color they have is dark green above and whitish gray below. The size of the sheet plates may vary depending on the species and variety.
When describing forest strawberries, it should be noted that up to 20 cm the plant grows in height and has rooted creeping shoots. Flowering occurs from May to June, which depends on the region of growth and weather conditions. The flowers of the plant are bisexual, pollinated by insects. They are painted white, form an inflorescence (multi-flowered shield), have a simple shape and a faint pleasant smell.
The photo of wild strawberries shows that the flowers are located on long peduncles extending from the root neck with a rosette. They have white or yellowish petals, as well as many stamens and pistils.
Wild berry strawberries ripen about three weeks after flowering has been completed. Fruits are false berries, which are an overgrown juicy receptacle with several brown seeds on the surface, have a red color, a sweet taste and a unique strawberry aroma.
Composition
With official medicine, wild strawberries are recognized as a multivitamin with many useful properties. The composition of fruits and leaves is different, so it is more convenient to consider it separately.
In the composition of the fruits you can find:
- organic acids: malic, ascorbic, quinic, citric, salicylic;
- minerals, including iron, calcium, manganese, copper, potassium, cobalt, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium;
- pectin;
- alimentary fiber;
- fruit sugars such as fructose and glucose.
The composition of the leaves included:
- tannin organic matter;
- carotene;
- flavonoids;
- alkaloids;
- vitamins;
- minerals: potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium;
- glycoside fragmentarin;
- vitamin C;
- essential oils;
- polysaccharides;
- ash.
Interestingly, even in the root of wild strawberries, a useful substance was discovered called tannin. Along with this, iron was also found there. It is also found in the seeds of the plant. Tannins and alkaloids can also be found in the root of strawberries. The amount of potassium in fruits exceeds its content in plants rich in this substance, such as currants, apples, raspberries and grapes.
Beneficial features
It is not surprising that wild strawberries rich in their chemical composition are also distinguished by many useful properties. Especially valuable among them is the ability of this plant to quickly increase human immunity.
But the beneficial properties of wild strawberries are not limited to this. With the help of this wonderful plant, you can regulate the digestion processes in the body, accelerate metabolism, increase appetite, and enhance the regeneration of skin cells.
The healing properties of wild strawberries are as follows:
- prevention of atherosclerosis;
- improving the absorption of iron by the body, which is used in the treatment of anemia;
- normalization of blood pressure;
- removal of toxins;
- the ability to excrete bladder stones;
- elimination of skin rashes;
- use for diseases of the oral cavity;
- ability to stop blood;
- decrease in body temperature due to diaphoretic properties;
- increased tone of the uterus.
The properties of wild strawberries are used to improve the quality of the heart. The chemical composition of the berries helps to remove unwanted cholesterol from the cells.
With an ulcer of both the stomach and the duodenum, it is useful to eat a glass of strawberries per day. A decoction of the leaves will contribute to the treatment of gastritis and intestinal colic, normalizes the acid-base balance.
A decoction from the stem and roots of strawberries has diuretic properties, which is used to normalize water-salt metabolism, remove excess uric acid and improve metabolic processes.
It is believed that the use of fresh berries with milk will bring more benefits for the overall strengthening of the body tone for colds and viral diseases and for the prevention of these diseases.
Collection and Harvesting
In order for the wild strawberry to bring more benefits, it must be correctly harvested and prepared. A certain time of the season is suitable for collecting leaves, fruits and root, when the concentration of nutrients in them is optimal. And when harvesting, such methods are used in which the plant is subjected to gentle processing methods to maintain useful properties in it.
Collection and harvesting of leaves
The properties of the leaves of wild strawberries will not lose their usefulness if harvesting and collection are carried out correctly. For this, the time is selected during the flowering period of the plant, which occurs in May or early June. At this point, the concentration of nutrients in the leaves is maximum. Together with the leaves, you can harvest flowers with peduncles and plant stems, which also have a lot of useful substances.
After the leaves, flowers and stems are collected, they are laid out in a thin layer in a room with good air circulation, in a dark and dry place. Dried, turning over if necessary, until the grass becomes brittle. Store no more than two years in the dark and dry.
But you can also harvest by the fermentation method, in which the leaves are dried in the shade and crushed with your hands or a knife, after which they are slightly crumpled. Then the raw materials are placed in a container and covered with a damp, clean cloth, leaving it to roam for 8 hours. The rag should always be wet. After that, the leaves are laid out in a thin layer and dried.
Collection and harvesting of fruits
Experts recommend picking ripe strawberries in dry weather with bright sunshine or in the morning when the dew is dry, or in the evening before the dew. It is better to collect and transport directly with the stalks to reduce spoilage of berries. It is better to separate from the stalks already at home, immediately before harvesting.
You can dry them directly in the sun, scattering a thin layer, periodically turning over. You can use the oven for these purposes at a temperature of 40-50 ° C, or use an electric dryer.
Ready-made, well-dried fruits easily crumble and do not stick to each other. The workpiece is stored in a glass dish for no more than 2 years.
In addition to drying, the fruits of wild strawberries can be harvested by freezing, cooking jam and twisting with sugar.
Harvesting and harvesting the root
Strawberry roots are harvested either during the flowering period of the plant, or already in the fall. To do this, they are dug up, then thoroughly washed and cut. Then it is dried in a room that is well ventilated, away from sunlight.
It is better to store dried roots in paper or fabric bags. The storage area should be dry and dark.
Medicinal recipes
There are many recipes for the healing of various ailments from the components of wild strawberries. For example, fresh berries help with poor digestion, to increase appetite, with anemia and vitamin deficiency. They remove salts and toxins from the body, and also improve liver function and strengthen immunity.
Fresh berry puree applied to the affected part of the skin will help cure eczema. After application, cover with a bandage and fix with a bandage. These dressings are done during the week every day until the damaged skin dries. Other rashes, lichen and wounds are treated in the same way.
Strawberry broth
Leaf and berry mixture in equal proportions of 2 tablespoons to brew half a liter of boiling water. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Accepted to improve blood composition and increase immunity in half a glass 3 times a day.
Infusion of fruits and leaves
In case of liver disease, two tablespoons of the dried fruit are brewed with two glasses of boiling water and insisted for about three hours. It is taken orally four times a day, 100 ml half an hour before the next meal.
An infusion of strawberry fruits is used to strengthen the body as a bactericidal and diuretic. It can be prepared as follows: 1 tablespoon of dried fruit is brewed with boiling water 200 ml and insisted for an hour. Then they must be filtered and consumed inside with 100 ml of infusion 4 times a day.
If 4 tablespoons of freshly picked berries are poured with 400 ml of cold boiled water and insisted for about 1 hour, then this cold infusion can be used to rinse a sore throat up to several times a day, having previously filtered.
And if the cooked infusion of 2 tbsp. chopped leaves and 2 cups of boiled water, infused for 2 hours and strained, take 1 tablespoon several times a day, greatly alleviate the symptoms of bronchial asthma. The same infusion will help with uterine bleeding. In this case, you need to take 100 ml of the drink immediately before meals. The same infusion will help with bleeding gums, if you rinse after any meal and before a night's sleep.
Herbal tea
If you brew dried leaves, like tea, then you can get rid of insomnia, neurosis and vitamin deficiency. Tea can also help lower cholesterol. This is due to the silicon in the composition, which is able to clean the vessels of plaques.
Strawberry juice
Fresh fruit juice is prepared using a juicer or squeezing crushed berries through cheesecloth. It helps a lot from gallstones. Here you need to take up to 8 tablespoons of juice before meals, preferably 3 times a day.
Application in cosmetology
Since ancient times, strawberries have been used to get rid of freckles. To do this, they wiped the face with the prepared alcohol infusion on the berries.
A mask of fresh mashed fruits reduces pores, brightens the skin of the face, helps in the treatment of acne and removes age spots.
To stimulate collagen production, strawberry extract is added to creams and ointments, which helps to reduce facial wrinkles and nourishes the skin.
Phytoncides contained in strawberries are capable of killing harmful bacteria, which is used to cure gum diseases and cleanse the oral cavity.
Fresh berry tincture will serve as a natural lotion. To prepare 1 glass of strawberries, pour 300 ml of vodka and for 1 month they insist, periodically shaking the vessel. After this, the tincture must be filtered. Store better in a cool place. Before you start using, it must be diluted in 1: 1 proportions with boiled purified water.
A decoction of strawberries will help slow down baldness. To take 2 tablespoons of dried berries, you need to brew and take 25 ml 3 times throughout the day.
A decoction or infusion from the roots of the plant will relieve sweating of the legs. Foot baths at bedtime will contribute to this.
Contraindications
Along with medicinal properties, wild strawberries also have contraindications. First of all, before use for medicinal purposes, it is necessary to consult with your doctor in order to prevent negative consequences, which may include:
- Individual intolerance of plant components, leading to allergic reactions of varying severity (strawberries are a strong allergen).
- Very carefully to the use of wild strawberries should be treated for young children and pregnant women. Careless use of strawberries can lead to uterine hypertonicity and premature birth.
- In diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, use with extreme caution, since a high content of organic acids can irritate the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract and trigger exacerbations.
- When taking strawberries in conjunction with drugs for hypertension, you can cause excessive stress on the kidneys.
When eating strawberries, contraindications must be taken into account. Otherwise, you can seriously harm your health. The recommended intake of wild strawberries per day is up to 0.5 kg, if there are no contraindications.
Eating wild strawberries for food or for medicinal purposes, the most important thing is not to overdo it. If you comply with the measure, then this plant will bring great benefits to health and will please with excellent taste.