When to plant garlic in the Urals in the fall. When to plant garlic before winter: timing and scheme, varieties for winter planting. Rules for removing bulbs from the ground

Sunberry is a berry that was bred in 1905 by American breeder Luther Burbank. It is often called the Canadian blueberry, however, in fact, it is a type of nightshade, that is, a plant rather close to tomatoes and potatoes. It is noteworthy that it turned out the new kind by crossing two little-known and completely inedible (though not poisonous) herbaceous nightshades. But the “sunny berries” themselves (as their name is translated) are so tasty and sweet that they make jam, not vegetable salads.

Berry Features

Until now, this plant is little known in Eurasia, although it has already been proven that in our climate these berries are quite capable of growing and producing a good harvest. African nightshade genes have given the sunberry a high yield and a fairly large berry size. In color and shape, these fruits resemble blueberries or blackcurrant, and in size sometimes reach the dimensions of a cherry.

Sunberry berries contain many useful substances:

• vitamin C;
• carotene;
• iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc and copper;
• manganese and silver;
• fructose and galactose.

These substances improve blood circulation, increase immunity, normalize the functioning of the pituitary gland and the level of hemoglobin in the blood. Also, a small amount of sunberry can improve the intestinal microflora. Sunberry jam or berry tincture copes well with colds and is used to increase the elasticity of blood vessels in cardiovascular diseases. Rubbing fresh berries into a pulp can also treat burns and other types of skin lesions.

Selection and preparation of fruits

Sunberry - annual plant, so you need to plant it using the same technologies as one-year-old strawberries: just plant it in the garden and weed it regularly to get a decent harvest. Droughts and frosts down to -10°C are easily tolerated by the plant. Sunberry bushes can reach 1.5 meters in height and, under favorable conditions, up to 5 kg of berries can be harvested from each of them. So it is not in vain that sunberry is gaining more and more popularity among gardeners: this berry is very beneficial for harvesting for the winter.

But in raw form, it is not worth eating in large quantities. Tannins, which give a characteristic astringent taste, are found in large quantities in sunberries. The well-known chokeberry, a large amount of which in its raw form can provoke constipation and other ailments, but at the same time it makes excellent wines and tinctures. Sunberry has the same properties, so the wine made from these berries is a good alternative for those who do not like jam.

Another advantage of the sunberry is that it is very easy to pick berries from the bush, it does not have needles that would make this process difficult, and the clusters hang very compactly. However, when assembling, you still need to be careful: accidentally crushed berries are not so scary, but juice will flow out of them ahead of time and, most likely, they will have to be thrown away.

After harvesting, clean the berries from foliage and green legs. Pick out any damaged, unripe, or suspect berries from the bucket. Since the skin of sunberries is denser than many other berries, it is recommended to pierce it before boiling it. However, with a large harvest, this is not very convenient to do, so it makes sense to use a meat grinder, so the berries will cook much faster. After that, they can be used for their intended purpose. Small seeds in berries do not require removal.

How to make jam?

The scope for using sunberries in cooking is huge. If you want to make preparations for the winter, then you can make jam, compote or juice. You can use cooking recipes when only sunberry is cooked. To do this, just add sugar in proportions of 1: 1.

But if you want something original, then sunberry can be combined with a number of different ingredients. It can be ground or grated ginger (2 tablespoons per 1 kg of berries), orange, lemon or apples.

with orange

For oranges, lemons and apples, you will definitely need a meat grinder or blender. Take a few oranges, peel and seeds inside (this can be done by gutting the fruit) and cut into as small pieces as possible. Then pass the oranges along with the sunberry through a meat grinder or grind them in a blender. Add sugar to the resulting slurry, pour water (in proportions of 2 liters per 1 kg), mix and simmer for 15-30 minutes, depending on what consistency of jam you want to end up with. After that, spread the jam in sterilized jars and roll up. At the same time, be sure to check the tightness of the jars, otherwise the jam will quickly deteriorate.

In order for the sunberries and related ingredients to retain their beneficial properties as much as possible, do not bring the jam to a strong boil. You can also not fill it with granulated sugar, but prepare sugar syrup in advance. To do this, it is enough to dissolve the sugar in in large numbers water. And the easiest way to do this is with a small saucepan set on fire: the heat will dissolve the sugar faster.

You can even take the water prepared for jam, dissolve sugar in it on fire, and add berries and fruits to the resulting syrup. You can also add a little citric acid there, it will improve the process of preserving the product. You need to add it in an amount of no more than 2 grams per 1 kg of berries and do this during the boiling process immediately before laying out in jars.

With lemon

If you decide to make jam with lemon, then you can also take mint in addition. Its leaves go well with lemons in any dish and give a spicy taste. To do this, you can buy already ground mint in the seasoning department or find it among herbal teas. But fresh mint will be especially good, its leaves can be finely chopped with a knife or passed through a blender along with the rest of the ingredients. And if mint does not suit you, you can replace it with lemon balm leaves. Melissa does not have a pronounced menthol taste, it is more like a lemon and complements it well, increasing the concentration of anti-cold substances in the dish.

Lemons themselves are better to take no more than 1-2 pieces, since, unlike oranges, these fruits are quite sour, and also give a large amount of citric acid. It is a preservative, so this jam can stand even longer than jam without lemons. But you will have to add a little more sugar if the sour taste does not suit you. Don't forget to remove the lemon pits so they don't end up in the jam jar. But it is quite possible to leave the peel, in a lemon it is not very thick and easily softens during the cooking process. But the amount of nutrients, including vitamin C, in the peel is noticeably higher than in the soft parts of the lemon.

Another option is to combine lemon and orange in sunberry jam. To do this, it is enough to take 1 lemon and a couple of oranges, you can not have a very sweet variety: if they are not very tasty to eat fresh, then here they will come in handy.

with apples

Combining sunberries and apples, you will need one and a half times more sugar and fruits of medium size at the rate of 6 pieces per 1 kg of berries. The Antonovka variety, popular among gardeners, is best suited for such a jam. Its green, sour fruits are ideal for canning.

In this case, you will have to expend more effort. Apples need to be washed, peeled and the inside with seeds. Then finely chop them. Alternatively, you can grate the apples, it will be faster, and the fruits will give a lot of juice, which will dissolve the sugar.

After that, cover the apples with sugar and add the sunberries there. Stir and leave for 4-6 hours. Then fill the semi-finished product with water and put on a slow fire. Cook this mixture for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After this time, remove the container of jam from the heat and let it brew for at least 12 hours. Then boil it again for 15 minutes and spread it over prepared jars.

How to cook beautiful and delicious jam from sunberry berries, see the next video.

Sunberry is a very popular culture among some summer residents. It is mainly grown for useful qualities, because this berry tastes, to put it mildly, so-so. Of course, its usefulness is greatly exaggerated, as I wrote about in my review of this berry on Otzovik. But the harvest must be processed somehow. And if you still believe in the life-giving qualities of this culture, I offer you a variant of raw sunberry jam with apples.

My apples, cut into quarters and remove the core. You can also peel the peel, but I did not. In general, you need to cut apples so that it is convenient to chop them.

My sunberry, dry it so that the water is glass.

Put raw sunberry jam into sterilized jars, pack tightly so that there are no air gaps, and close with sterile lids. Ready jam should be stored in the refrigerator. When you use, you need to climb into the jar only with a clean spoon. If, for example, you put a spoonful of jam into the water, stirred it, then it is better not to use this spoon in the jar, otherwise the jam will start to deteriorate. In general, it is better to close sunberries in small jars so that you can eat a jar at a time.

Among Russian consumers, a hitherto unknown berry culture, sunberry, is rapidly gaining popularity. Recipes for preparing various preparations, for example, jams and jams, from outlandish fruits are of interest to everyone who managed to get hold of a bush of this plant and get a harvest from it. Interest in sunberry is explained not only by its pleasant taste, but also a wide range useful properties.

General information about sunberry

Sunberries are native to South America. Translated from English title plants sounds like "sun berry". The hybrid form of black nightshade appeared in our country relatively recently. Quite often it is called "blueberry forte" or "Canadian berry" because of its wide distribution in Canada.

In our country, this plant is considered an annual blueberry, but sunberry differs from it quite large sizes(1.5 m in height) and larger berries.

Gardeners love this crop for its unpretentiousness and high yield. From the reviews of the owners it follows that about 5-7 kilograms of berries can be collected from one sunberry bush. In addition, the plant is not afraid of heat and drought, and is also able to withstand mild cold snaps.

Useful properties of berries

Sunberry fruits are very useful, which is why they are often used in folk medicine. The juice of these berries is famous for its healing properties and is able to moisturize dry skin, cure irritations and burns.

Sunberry is rich in carotene, which is able to cleanse the body of all kinds of toxins, and also contains a considerable amount of vitamin C. It is very important for immunity and the functioning of the endocrine and nervous systems.

In addition, Canadian blueberries contain:

More and more summer residents and gardeners are thinking about growing this plant. First of all, they are attracted by simple care. In addition, the berry has a number of useful properties:

1. Serves as a prevention of cancer, colds and viral diseases.
2. Has a positive effect on the liver and digestive system, helps to get rid of discomfort after eating heavy meals.
3. Helps to cope with some chronic diseases.
4. Strengthens cardiovascular system and also increases its elasticity.
5. Helps relieve headaches and migraines.
6. Slows down the aging of the whole organism.
7. Improves urination and eliminates swelling of organs in kidney diseases.
8. Improves skin condition, helps to get rid of acne.

Contraindications for use

In addition to useful properties, the berry has contraindications. It is not recommended for motorists (it can cause drowsiness), allergy sufferers (may cause individual intolerance due to the high content of antioxidants), pregnant women (may lead to uterine contractions).

In order not to harm yourself and loved ones, adhere to the following rules:

1. Eating the leaves of the plant can cause poisoning in pets.
2. Berries have a mild laxative effect, but in large quantities they can lead to indigestion.
3. Sunberry should not be combined with dairy products.

Also, the berry is not recommended to be consumed in its pure form due to the high content of tannins. Some people like to eat fruits directly from the bush at the time of harvest, but this cannot be done. They are best used in processed form, for example, as part of jam or compote.

Recipes for dishes and preparations

There are many original and delicious meals, which can be prepared from sunberries. Jam is especially popular, it can be supplemented with other fruits, such as citrus fruits.

Lemon jam

You can make sunberry jam with lemon, the recipe of which will win you over with its simplicity and a small amount of required products. The finished delicacy, with its consistency, is more like jam and will appeal to lovers of pancakes and fritters, which can be dipped in a berry dessert.

You will need:

• fresh sunberry fruits - 1.5 kilograms;
• granulated sugar - 1-1.5 kilograms (focus on your taste, someone likes it sweeter, someone likes sourness);
• lemon - 4 pieces;
• mint leaves - a few pieces.

Clear the berries of debris, remove the stalks and wash. Then carefully sort them out: throw out all the crumpled, rotten, and most importantly, unripe fruits (they can lead to poisoning).

Now you can start cooking:

If you like whole berries, you can make lemonade jam in a different way. You will need:

• berries - 1.5 kilograms;
• lemons - 3 pieces (medium size);
• granulated sugar - 1.2-1.5 kg;
• drinking water - 300 ml.

The method of preparing this delicacy is quite unusual: first, sugar syrup is boiled, and then berries are placed in it. At first glance, it may seem complicated, but it is not at all.

1. Rinse the fruits well and sort. Sprinkle onto a kitchen towel and leave to dry.
2. While the berries are drying, prepare the syrup. To do this, pour granulated sugar into a basin or pan, add 300 ml of water. Dissolve over low heat to a liquid state, bring to a boil and cook until the syrup becomes light brown and begins to drain from a spoon in a viscous stream. During cooking, do not forget to constantly stir the syrup, otherwise it will burn.
3. Pierce each berry with a thin sharp needle and put in boiling sugar syrup.
4. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook for about 5-6 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, cover the pan tightly with a lid and leave the jam alone for 6-7 hours.
6. Using a grater or a special knife, remove the zest from the lemons and add it to the pan with the berries and syrup.
7. Bring the jam to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, cover again and leave overnight to infuse.
8. The next morning, squeeze the juice from the lemons, pour it into the jam and cook over low heat for 10 minutes after boiling.
9. Pour the hot treat into jars and close the lids.

You need to store such jam in a cool and dark place. You can also add various herbs to it, such as rosemary, mint or thyme. They diversify the taste of the dish and make it more spicy.

With ginger for colds

Berry delicacy with ginger is an excellent remedy for the treatment and prevention of colds. Such jam can be eaten with pastries, smeared on sandwiches or simply put in tea.

To prepare this dessert you will need:

• Canadian blueberries - 1 kilogram;
• sugar - 1.5 kilograms;
• ginger - 50 g;
• water - about 1 liter.

The berry has a very thick skin, which can remain intact even after a long boil. Therefore, do not forget to pierce all the berries before you start cooking jam.

When all the fruits have been sorted and washed:

1. Place black nightshade in a pot of boiling water and boil for 5-7 minutes.
2. Then pour the liquid into another pan, add 1.5 kg of granulated sugar to it and boil the syrup.
3. Pierce each berry with a needle or a thin toothpick and pour into boiling sugar syrup.
4. Boil for 5 minutes, and then remove from the stove and let it brew for 4 hours.
5. Grate the ginger on a fine grater, add to the berries and syrup.
6. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes over low heat.
7. In the finished treat, most fruits will have a burst peel.
8. Pour the dessert into sterilized containers and leave warm for a while.

Before use, open the jar and leave for several days in the refrigerator. So you can get rid of excess bitterness.

This option will especially appeal to lovers of whole berries, as they will retain their shape, and will not boil down to the skins.

Nightshade in marinade

In order to be able to enjoy these fruits in winter or to make a pie filling out of them, it is recommended to marinate them in a sweet “brine”, for this take:

• water - 1 liter;
• sugar - 420−450 g;
• cloves - 4-6 pieces;
• black pepper - 5-7 peas;
• vinegar 9% - 5-6 tablespoons.

The berries are washed well and boiled in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes. Then they are scattered in sterilized jars and poured with hot marinade. To cook it:

1. Bring water to a boil, add sugar, black pepper and cloves to it.
2. After 15 minutes, pour in the vinegar and boil for another 5 minutes.

Jars with pickled berries are rolled up, wrapped and turned over.

Wine and liquor

There are many ways to use sunberries: recipes include not only desserts, but also alcoholic drinks - wine and liquor.

To make liqueur, take:

• berries - 2 kilograms;
• granulated sugar - 2-3 kilograms;
• vodka.

Pierce the berries with a needle, mix with sugar and cook until it dissolves and the mass thickens. Cool it down and strain thoroughly. Dilute the resulting syrup with vodka (its volume should match the volume of the berry syrup) and stir well.

Pour the liquor into bottles and store in a dark, dry place, such as a pantry or cellar.

The wine is prepared according to this recipe:

1. Select overripe berries, you will need about 3-3.5 kilograms.
2. Grind the berries with a blender and mix with three kilograms of sugar.
3. Place the resulting mass in a 10-liter bottle and fill with warm water to the neck.
4. Do not cover the container with a lid; instead, put a clean rubber glove over the neck.
5. Put the bottle in a dark place.
6. After a month, the wine will be ready, strain it and pour into separate containers.

Such a drink does not cause addiction to alcohol; yeast is not needed for its preparation. Canadian blueberry wine has healing properties, one glass before a meal will improve well-being and cheer you up.

Canadian berry juice

You can also make wonderful juice from sunberries. Children especially love it.

1. Place the required number of berries in a saucepan and add a little water to them.
2. Place the saucepan over low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Squeeze the juice from the sunberries and dilute it with water to the desired concentration.
4. Sweeten the finished drink with honey in the proportion of 5 parts of juice to 1 part of honey.

The juice from black nightshade berries is very beneficial for health. You need to store it in the refrigerator. One teaspoon of this drink can make up for the lack of vitamins in the body.