All about Blueberry
Updated: 13 hours ago
The blueberry is distributed throughout Central and Northern Europe; towards the south and in the mountainous areas of the Pyrenees, the Apennines, the Alps, the Balkan Mountains, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Armenia, Mongolia, Northern Asia, and North America. It is widely distributed on the Balkan Peninsula, except in Greece. It is popularly known as blueberry or black blueberry. It is an excellent honey plant; in some years, it can be a strong bee pasture when a highly valued honey with medicinal properties is obtained. It grows in coniferous and mixed coniferous-deciduous forests. Extends above 2,000 m above sea level. There is a popular belief that blueberry juice invigorates, improves the blood count, strengthens immunity, and accelerates the recovery of the sick.
People use it to make sweets, marmalade, juices, syrups, wine, brandy, and liqueurs; in all these forms, this fruit is extremely medicinal! The fruit has a pleasant taste, and its acids have a favorable effect on the work of the digestive organs. One of the most favorite juices of all generations is made from it, which is obtained by pressing fresh. The taste, smell, color, nutritional composition, and healing properties of blueberries have been recognized and used in folk medicine since ancient times. Poultices were used in the treatment of hemorrhoids, gout, and burns. Today, it is widely used in cooking; fresh fruit is used to make very tasty cakes, ice creams, creams, drinks, and so on. Blueberry tea has exceptional healing properties and can be prepared from leaves, fruits, and roots. The fruit is a spherical berry, the size of a pea, blue-black, covered with a bluish-gray coating, with many seeds, juicy, edible, and sour. Blooms from May to June, bears fruit from July to October.
For medicinal purposes, the leaves and ripe fruits are used, which are collected from July to September in good and dry weather after the dew. The berries are placed by hand in baskets woven from wicker, taking care not to injure them, and on the same day they are spread out in a thin layer and dried in the sun or in a dryer. Dry berries are shriveled, 3 to 5 mm in diameter, with a short stalk, odorless, sour-sweet, and slightly astringent taste. The leaves are harvested from May to July; they are taken only when fully developed. The branches are cut off, dried in the shade in a draft, and then the leaves are crushed. The dried plant material is packed in jute bags and stored away from light and moisture.
Blueberry fruit
Contains approximately 7% catechin tannins, including phlobatannin and anthocyanin heterosides, as well as organic acids such as citric, malic, and succinic acids, along with sugars and pectins. It is a rich source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, E, K, B, B1, B2, B3, B6, pantothenic acid, iron, potassium, copper, manganese, folic acid, zinc, selenium, and sodium. This composition makes blueberries one of the most potent natural antioxidants, known for slowing the aging process of the entire body. They are used to treat diarrhea, intestinal catarrh, and various inflammatory conditions of the mucous membranes. Currently, there are ready-made preparations for diabetics that include an extract of this plant. The leaves have a diuretic effect and are also used in the treatment of diabetes. Tea made from the leaves can relieve coughs and aid in the expulsion of mucus from the respiratory system.
An extract from the ripe fruits is used to produce eye drops. In all its forms—whether pressed, dried, fresh, as tea, or poultice—blueberries possess exceptional medicinal properties. As a result, blueberries are now cultivated in gardens and orchards, and blueberry wine and brandy are produced as health elixirs.
Blueberry Juice
Ingredients:
3 kg of ripe and fresh blueberries
2 kg of sugar
3 liters of water
3–4 lemons
2. Recipe Blueberry Juice
Ingredients:
3 kg of blueberries
1.5 kg of sugar
1.5 liters of water
Preparation:
Begin by washing the blueberries thoroughly. Place them in a pot and use a pestle and mortar to mash them thoroughly, extracting as much juice as possible, then add water. Set the pot on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, allow it to cook for approximately 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture cool overnight. The following day, strain the liquid through cheesecloth, gently draining it, and incorporate sugar. Return the pot to the stove and, once the liquid reaches a boil, continue cooking for an additional 20–25 minutes.
Maintain a moderately low heat during cooking. Once removed from the heat, add lemon juice while the mixture is still hot. Pour the juice into groups of sterilized glass bottles, seal them tightly, and wrap the bottles in a blanket. Allow them to stand for a day to ensure the juice cools thoroughly.
Nutritional composition of blueberry
Blueberry is one of the largest natural antioxidants and contains a large amount of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. As a fruit rich in antioxidants, blueberry slows down the aging of the whole body. Various medical studies have shown that blueberry is an exceptional fighter against free radicals in the body, so it is also prescribed for antitumor effects. Certainly, the amount and number of different vitamins and minerals in which it abounds have classified the blueberry as one of the most medicinal fruit species.
When it comes to vitamins and minerals in blueberries, we can find the following per 100 grams of fresh fruit:
Vitamin C: 9.7 mg
Vitamin A: 54 IU
Vitamin E: 0.6 mg
Vitamin K: 19.3mcg
Vitamin B6: 0.1 mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 0.42 mg;
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): 0.4 mg;
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.4 mg;
Panthenic acid: 0.12 mg
Iron: 0.3 mg
Potassium: 77.0 mg
Copper: 0.1 mg
Manganese: 0.3 mg
Folic acid: 14 µg
Carbohydrates: 23 g
Fibers: 1 g
Zinc: 0.16 mg
Selenium: 0.1 mcg
Sodium: 0.1 mg
When it comes to nutritional properties and calories, blueberries have a very low caloric value and are therefore recommended for people who are on a diet. Especially people with diabetes, because it has been scientifically proven that blueberries lower elevated blood sugar. In 100 grams of fresh blueberries, we can find:
Fats: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 g
Salt: 1 mg
Carbohydrates: 23 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sugars: 10 g
Proteins: 1 g
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