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Blackthorn color that he heals. Turn - composition, beneficial properties and harm. Delicious and fragrant jam

Evgeny Sedov

When hands grow from the right place, life is more fun :)

Content

Among the variety of shrubs, not all have useful properties, and their fruits can be used in medicine or cooking. One of these unpretentious garden decorations is blackthorn. This thorny branched shrub begins to bloom in early spring, and bears fruit by mid-summer. From the bark and leaves of the blackthorn, folk healers prepare healthy tinctures, and from the fruits of the hostess they cook jam for the winter, bake delicious pies or casseroles, and sculpt dumplings.

What is a blackthorn

Prunus spinosa (the Latin name for the blackthorn) is a thorny shrub from the Rosaceae family, a dicotyledonous class. The blackthorn is a distant relative of the plum. Although both plants are similar to each other only in the structure of the fruits and their color, this was enough for the shrub to have a different name - prickly plum. Wild Prunus spinosa is found in the northern latitudes of Russia, Europe, and Asia. The roots of thorn trees serve as a strong slope reinforcement, they are able to prevent soil erosion, so the plant is often planted on the banks of rivers or ravines.

Attitudes towards the turn changed all the time. Previously, it was classified as a divine plant, believing that it has the ability to ward off evil spirits. Today, people have begun to look at it pragmatically. Gardeners use blackthorn seedlings to create decorative hedges. Berries, leaves, bark, rhizome have found their application in medicine, medicines are prepared from them. In England, gin is infused on blackthorn berries and a dessert liqueur is prepared. The durable wood of the shrub is used in the manufacture of small turnings and walking sticks.

Biological description

Blackthorn is considered a low shrub - its length is 1.5-4.5 meters. It is very rare to find a stunted tree no higher than 8 meters. Without pruning, the thorn bush with the help of root offspring grows strongly, forming dense thorny thickets. In an adult blackthorn, the branches grow horizontally, ending in sharp thorns. If the shrub was planted relatively recently, its branches will be lowered down.

The leaves of the blackthorn are elliptical in shape. Young foliage is bright green in color, becomes leathery over time, changes color to dark green, acquires a matte sheen, a jagged pattern appears on the edge. Between the leaves are sharp spines. Small flowers open in pairs before the foliage appears. A beautiful shrub begins its flowering in early April-May. Five-leaf buds cover all branches. The biological formula of a bisexual flower is K(5)C5A20G1.

The shrub begins to bear fruit 2-3 years after planting in the soil. The fruits are one-drupe, round in shape, do not exceed 10-15 mm in diameter. The peel of the berries is dark blue with a wax coating, the flesh remains green. Oval-shaped bones contain toxins that are dangerous to the human body. The kernels are separated from the pulp very poorly.

Plum berries ripen in late August - early September, and stay on the branches of the bush all winter. In autumn, the fruits are sour, have a very tart taste. With the advent of the first frost, the taste of the berries becomes softer. From one adult blackthorn bush, amateur gardeners collect about 15 kg of fruits, which are distinguished by good transportability and are stored for a long time.

growing environment

Blackthorn plum loves fertile calcareous soil, so it is almost impossible to find blackthorn growth on rocky, clay or peaty terrain. The wild plant prefers to settle mainly in open glades, ravines, forest edges. Small trees and thorny shrubs grow in the European part of Russia, in Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Western Siberia and Europe, the Mediterranean, Crimea. Ornamental blackthorn species are cultivated on the Scandinavian Peninsula, Tunisia and Finland.

Chemical composition

The thorn bush contains a large number of different useful substances, and some of them are extremely rare in nature. Juicy, aromatic wild berries are considered an excellent source of carbohydrates, pectin, organic acids - oleic, linoleic, palmitic, eleostearic. Scientists have found coumarin, mineral salts, unsaturated fatty acids, tannin, catechin, and flavonoids in the composition of the fruit. The wax coating of the skin is rich in essential oils.

Blackthorn fruits are useful due to the presence of amino acids, vitamins of groups B, C, E, PP, minerals - iron, calcium, potassium, copper, magnesium, cobalt, molybdenum, steroids, beta-carotene, sodium, phosphorus. The roots contain dyes and organic oils, while the leaves contain anthocyanins, alpha tocopherol and ascorbic acid. Dark blue forest berries are considered a dietary product - there are only 54 kcal per 100 grams of blackthorn. The nutritional value of fruits is distributed as follows:

• proteins are 1.5 g;
• carbohydrates - 9.4 g;
• mass fraction of fats - 0.3 g;
• fiber contains up to 2 g;
• vitamin A - 233 mcg;
• thiamine - 0.04 mg;
• nicotinic acid - 0.3 mg;
• ascorbic acid - 17 mg;
• riboflavin - 0.05 mg;
• tocopherol - 0.5 mg.

What is useful turn for the body

Due to the high content of minerals, oils, macro and microelements, vitamins, blackthorn has a lot of useful properties. It is used to cleanse the body, increase immunity, to get rid of viruses and bacteria, in the treatment of many diseases of the heart, liver, kidneys, and stomach. For medicinal purposes, all parts of the plant are used - fruits, leaves, roots, bark, buds. Berries can be eaten fresh, frozen or dried. Leaves with bark are first dried in the fresh air, and then crushed.

You can use the oven to speed up the drying process. For the safety of all useful substances, it is necessary to observe only one condition - to maintain the air temperature in the oven at 45 degrees. Harvested raw materials are stored in canvas bags or closed glass containers. The bark and roots will retain their beneficial properties for three years, and the leaves, inflorescences and fruits must be used up within a year.

Medicinal properties

The benefits of blackthorn have been known for a very long time. The long-term practice of using the shrub for medicinal purposes, as well as numerous scientific studies, have made it possible to include plant components in the composition of official medicines. Fresh blackthorn fruits increase the excretion of potassium and sodium ions. Medicines with the addition of prickly plums have different effects on the human body:

• anti-inflammatory;
• antiseptic;
• laxative;
• expectorant;
• antispasmodic;
• astringent;
• diuretic.

What diseases does it treat

When used correctly, blackthorn can alleviate the patient's condition and influence the healing process for the better. Medicines from the blackthorn and its components are separately used to treat various diseases. It is well known that:

• Turn is able to help with diseases of the liver, kidneys, stomach, beriberi.
• The fruits of the plant have laxative and diuretic properties, due to which the berries can remove toxins, toxins, poisons from the body, normalize the microflora and intestinal motility.
• Berries and blackthorn leaves are actively used for weight loss. It is known that this plant helps to normalize metabolic processes, prevents the deposition of subcutaneous fat.
• Very fragrant, but slightly tart juice is effective in the treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, helminthiasis, dysentery, colitis, food poisoning.
• Blackthorn is indicated for respiratory viral or infectious diseases of the bronchi and throat. It reduces body temperature, helps to remove sputum, accelerates the recovery of children with laryngitis and tonsillitis.
• To get rid of bad breath and cure gum inflammation, you need to chew 3-4 prickly plum berries daily.
• Preparations with blackthorn help with prostate adenoma. Medicines regulate metabolic processes in skin cells, reduce capillary permeability.
• Rutin-rich inflorescences purify the blood. Homeopaths use this ability of the shrub in the treatment of furunculosis, purulent rashes on the skin, and acne.
• Blackthorn tea improves the state of the nervous system, helps to cope with nervous tension. The drink is often prescribed for insomnia, irritability, dizziness.
• A decoction of the leaves accelerates the medical treatment of cystitis, nephritis, and urolithiasis.
• Fresh thorns are very useful for the cores. They help normalize the work of the heart, prevent the formation of cholesterol plaques, strengthen blood vessels, reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, hypertension.
• Taking a decoction of the roots of the thorn bush helps women get rid of pain during menstruation.
• Fresh berries contain vitamin A, so doctors advise including them in the diet of people suffering from myopia, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.

Application in traditional medicine

The beneficial properties of the turn have been known since time immemorial. Today, this plant is actively used in homeopathic practice. Thus, an aqueous infusion of shrub inflorescences is used as a sedative and laxative. The bark, twigs and roots have diaphoretic and anti-febrile properties. Decoctions are made from young leaves to improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system and increase immunity.

blackthorn berries

Juice from fresh blackthorn fruits is used to treat liver diseases - cirrhosis, hepatitis, jaundice. The berries of the shrub are able to stop vomiting, relieve nausea, and calm the nerves. Externally, the juice is used in the preparation of antibacterial compresses, which are used to accelerate the healing process of wounds, purulent inflammation of the skin. Blackthorn fruits have a lot of other useful properties:

• normalize the intestinal microflora, relieve bloating and flatulence;
• strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
• reduce blood pressure;
• resist the accumulation of bad cholesterol in the body;
• improve the functioning of the liver, kidneys;
• reduce the pain of menstruation;
• help to strengthen the immune system;
• prevent the development of periodontal disease, stomatitis, strengthen the gums;
• help get rid of insomnia.

Fresh thorns help relieve skin inflammation and get rid of old calluses. To do this, grind the berries into gruel using a sieve. Apply the resulting mass to the sore spot, fix with a bandage or adhesive tape. The result of such procedures will be noticeable in 2-4 days. Doctors advise drinking blackthorn juice to patients with beriberi. Prepare a drink according to the following recipe:

1. The sorted and washed fruits of the sloe must be poured with boiling water so that the liquid completely covers them.
2. Cover the container with a lid and put it in a dark place.
3. After two days, drain the juice, filtering through cheesecloth.
4. Add sugar to the resulting liquid at the rate of 500 g per 1 liter of juice.
5. Cook the mixture over low heat with constant stirring for 15-20 minutes.
6. Pour the finished drink into jars, cool and put in the refrigerator.
7. To increase immunity, improve appetite, in the treatment of beriberi, you need to take 1 tbsp. l. medication in the morning before breakfast.

The use of plant bark

Shrub roots and bark are harvested in the fall, after the fruits have ripened. So that the plant does not die in winter, the bark is removed from the cut branches, and then dried and crushed. The finished raw material retains medicinal properties for up to three years. Blackthorn bark contains large concentrations of tannins and dyes. This part of the shrub has a diaphoretic and anti-inflammatory effect, is used in medicine for diarrhea, fever. In a diluted form, a decoction of blackthorn is used by women for douching with inflammation of the vaginal mucosa.

If the bark has been removed from the top of the bush, it is used to treat erysipelas of the skin. Alcohol tincture will help with inflammation of the prostate gland and is used to treat gout. For its preparation:

1. Burn the dried bark of the blackthorn, and mix the resulting ash with clove and cinnamon powder in the ratio of 30-10-20.
2. Pour the dry mixture with 2 tablespoons of red wine mixed with 150 ml of warm water.
3. Let the drink brew for 20-30 minutes, then strain.
4. Take medicine for 2 tbsp. l. three times a day before meals. The course of treatment is six months.

The following decoction will help alleviate the patient's condition with a cold and increase the protective functions of the body:

1. Pour two tablespoons of dried and crushed bark with a glass of boiling water.
2. Heat the mixture in a water bath for 10 min.
3. Drain and strain through a fine mesh sieve.
4. Take the medicine 50 g, 2-3 times a day before meals.
5. The average course of treatment is 5-7 days.

Decoction of thorn leaves

When the color of the bush begins to fall off, it is time to collect the foliage. It, like the bark, is first dried and then crushed. The leaves have diuretic, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects. Medicinal decoctions or teas are prepared from this part of the plant, which have the following properties:

• remove slags, poisons and toxins from the body;
• purify the blood;
• relieve purulent inflammation and recurrent infectious skin ailments caused by streptococcus bacteria;
• contribute to the restoration of metabolism;
• cleanse the liver.

There are many traditional medicine recipes using dried leaves. Tea will help to minimize the unpleasant symptoms that occur with diseases of the urinary system. For its preparation it is necessary:

1. Brew 2 tsp. dry leaves in a glass of boiling water.
2. It is necessary to take such a decoction for 30 days, 2 glasses a day.
3. After a month of treatment, doctors recommend taking a break for two weeks, after which you can resume taking the drug.

Decoction of the leaves wipe the skin, with the help of cotton sponges make lotions to get rid of calluses. A medicinal drink will speed up the treatment of cystitis, relieve swelling, and eliminate most of the symptoms of kidney disease. You can prepare a universal drink like this:

1. Two tablespoons of chopped leaves are poured into a glass of water.
2. The liquid is brought to a boil and boiled over low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Then the broth is cooled, filtered.
4. Lotions from the decoction are made at night, for 3-4 days.
5. For cystitis, edema, kidney disease, the medicine is taken orally in ½ part of a glass three times a day.

Infusion of thorn flowers

Blackthorn inflorescences are known for their antipyretic and diaphoretic properties. Of these, tinctures are prepared with or without the addition of alcohol. Such drinks are indicated for high blood pressure, various inflammatory processes of the oral and throat mucosa, nervous disorders, liver diseases, and constipation. Alcohol-free infusion must be prepared as follows:

1. Pour 40 grams of dried flowers with 1 cup of boiling water.
2. Cover the container with a lid, let the mixture brew for 20-30 minutes.
3. Strain the liquid. For constipation, take 150 ml three times a day.
4. If you have problems with the kidneys, liver, drink ¼ cup 4 times a day before meals.
5. The course of treatment is 1.5-2 months.

From the flowers of a wild thorn bush, they make a liqueur - healthy and tasty. Alcohol tincture is used for intestinal disorders as an astringent and tonic. For cooking:

1. Wash fresh blackthorn fruits well. Throw out rotten, broken and spoiled berries.
2. Pour the prepared raw materials with sugar so that it completely covers the berries.
3. Place the glass container in a warm place.
4. As the juice ferments, drain the liquid into a clean bottle.
5. Close the container tightly and remove to infuse in a dark place for 4 months.
6. Take a liqueur of 2 tbsp. l. before meals for 2-3 days.

The use of blackthorn plum in cooking

Fresh blackthorn fruits can hardly be called a delicacy. They, like persimmon or mountain ash, strongly knit in the mouth, but their palatability increases significantly after the onset of the first frost. Berries can be prepared for future use by picking them fresh and putting them in the freezer of the refrigerator or cooking compote, jam, delicious jam. In Bulgaria, porridge is prepared from edible fruits. In the CIS, they make dumplings from blackthorn, prepare homemade marmalade, and casseroles.

Berry tea recipe

• Time: 1 hour.
• Servings: 1 person.
• Calorie content of the dish: 25 kcal.
• Purpose: for breakfast, lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: low.

Blackthorn berry tea is an excellent tonic and general tonic. Before preparing the drink, the fruits must be carefully sorted and washed. If you have been picking berries yourself, you can simply rinse them in cold water. It is better to soak purchased blackthorn berries for a while, changing the water several times. The finished drink differs from ordinary tea in an attractive dark blue color, pleasant berry aroma and sweet and sour taste. Even if you like sweeter drinks, do not put sugar in your tea - it is better to replace it with honey or jam.

Ingredients:

• frozen or fresh blackthorn berries - 1 tbsp. l.;
• boiling water - 1 tbsp.;
• honey - 1 tsp

Cooking method:

1. If the berries were in the freezer, take them out in advance and defrost. Sort fresh fruits and rinse well.
2. Pour the prepared raw materials with a glass of hot water, cover with a lid.
3. Leave the tea to infuse for 1 hour, then strain the liquid through several layers of gauze.
4. Before taking the liquid, warm it up a little in a steam bath.

Thorny kvass

• Time: 2 days.
• Servings: 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 78 kcal.
• Purpose: drink.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: easy.

You can quench your thirst in the summer with benefits for the body with berry kvass from blackthorn. To make the drink tasty, it is advisable to use only freshly picked fruits. As for bread kvass, before adding yeast, they must first be diluted in a small amount of warm water or strained fruit broth, let them “start working”. The finished drink can be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 3-5 days.

Ingredients:

• blackthorn - 1 kg;
• honey - 2 tbsp.;
• yeast - 30 g;
• water - 7 l.

Cooking method:

1. Freshly picked blackthorn fruits, sort, rinse. Leave in a warm place for 24 hours.
2. After a day, crush the fruits with a wooden pusher, transfer to a saucepan.
3. Fill the raw material with boiling water, put the container on the fire. Boil 40 minutes.
4. When the broth cools down a bit, strain.
5. Add yeast and honey to the liquid. Leave to ferment for 12-14 hours.
6. After the lapse of time, pour the blackthorn kvass into clean plastic bottles, put in the refrigerator.

Blackthorn jam

• Time: 8 hours.
• Servings: 2 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 248 kcal.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: medium.

Turne jam can be added to pies, pies, bagels. Its sweet-tart flavor goes well with sweet tea. In order for the jam to be stored longer, it is necessary to lay it out in sterilized jars, and pre-lubricate the lids with olive oil. It should be remembered that the bones of the turn contain a toxin - a glycoside, so all canned berries must be eaten within a year. Otherwise, toxic substances from the seeds will gradually pass into the finished jam.

Ingredients:

• blackthorn berries - 1 kg;
• sugar - 2 kg.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse fresh fruits, dry. Prick each berry with a toothpick or pierce with a skewer.
2. Pour the raw materials with sugar, leave to infuse for 3-4 hours.
3. After the blackthorn berries release their juice, move the container to the stove.
4. Let the jam come to a boil and then reduce the heat to low.
5. Boil the workpiece, stirring regularly, for 20-30 minutes.
6. Let the jam cool completely for 3-4 hours.
7. So boil the workpiece 3-4 times. If foam appears, carefully remove it with a slotted spoon.
8. Arrange the resulting jam in jars, roll up the lids.
9. Store in a cellar or refrigerator for up to 12 months.

Contraindications and side effects

The healing properties of the blackthorn are undeniable, but this shrub will not be useful for everyone. Teas and decoctions with the addition of this plant are not given to children under the age of 5 due to an increased risk of an allergic reaction. With caution use folk remedies based on blackthorn with a tendency to diarrhea. The berries of the plant should not be categorically eaten in the presence of such diseases or conditions of the body as:

• gastritis with high acidity;
• gastric ulcer in the acute stage;
• pregnancy;
• hypotension;
• individual intolerance to the product;
• body dehydration.

There are no side effects as such. At the same time, people prone to allergies can react sharply to the pollen of a plant during flowering. Berries and blackthorn juice can stain tooth enamel bluish, and it will take several days to remove it. When using alcohol tinctures on an empty stomach, nausea, dizziness may occur. Sweet jams, preserves, syrups and marmalade can contribute to weight gain. Due to the high content of toxins in the stones, blackthorn drinks must be strained before drinking.

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), also called prickly plum, or blackthorn, or thorn, is a thorny, not very large shrub that is a representative of the Plum genus of the subfamily Plum family Pink. The name of this plant comes from the Proto-Slavic language and is translated as "thorn". In nature, blackthorn can be found in regions with a temperate climate. It often forms very dense thickets, but prefers to grow in cutting areas and along forest edges, in steppes and forest-steppes. The turn is found at an altitude of 1200 to 1600 meters above sea level in the Caucasus and Crimea. Also, this plant can be found in North Africa, Asia Minor, Ukraine, Western Europe, the Mediterranean, Western Siberia, and also in the European part of Russia. Man learned about the existence of the turn a very long time ago, it was known during the existence of Rome and Ancient Greece. The thorns of such a bush in Christianity are considered a symbol of the suffering of Jesus Christ. The thorn bush, enveloped in fire, was also mentioned in the Holy Scripture: “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire from the midst of the thorn bush. And he saw that the bush of thorns was burning with fire, but the bush did not burn out ... and God called to him from the midst of the bush and made him the leader of his people.

The turn may be a shrub or a low tree. The height of the shrub can reach up to 3.5–4.5 meters, while the tree grows up to only 8 meters. Due to the abundant basal growth, such a shrub can grow quite actively in breadth, while impenetrable and very thorny dense thickets are formed. The tap root is buried 100 centimeters into the ground, while the root system is branched, it grows strongly and can protrude quite far beyond the crown projection. On the surface of the branches there are a large number of spines. Elliptical obovate sheet plates reach 50 mm in length and have a serrated edge. Before the foliage opens on the shrub in April or May, numerous single small five-petal white flowers bloom. The fruit is outwardly very similar to a plum, this rounded one-drupe has a tart-sour taste, it reaches about 1.2 cm in diameter. The fruit is colored dark blue, and on its surface there is a waxy coating of a bluish color.

Fruiting begins at two or three years of age. Tern is an excellent honey plant, and it is also resistant to drought and frost. Even a person who is new to gardening can plant and grow such a shrub. The turn is used to create a hedge, in order to strengthen the sliding slopes, and also as a rootstock for plum and apricot. To decorate your garden plot, you should choose decorative varieties of such a plant, namely: terry, red-leaved and purple thorns.

Planting a turn in open ground

What time to plant

The turn is planted in open ground at the beginning of the spring period. However, the preparation of the pit for planting should be done in the autumn, because during the winter it should have time to settle and settle. Clay, saline, dry, as well as sandy soil is suitable for planting such a shrub. He is not afraid of abundant melt water in the spring. But planting it in excessively moist or heavy soil is not recommended, because in such a site there is a high probability of frostbite of the shrub. A sunny site with neutral, moist soil rich in nutrients is best suited for planting thorns.

Landing features

The depth and diameter of the landing pit should be about 0.6 m. In order to prevent uncontrolled growth of the turn, the steep edges of the pit should be overlaid with sheets of unnecessary iron or slate. 7 days before planting the turn in open ground, the bottom of the planting pit should be covered with a layer of egg shells, which is recommended to be collected all winter. From above, it must be covered with a soil mixture consisting of the earth taken out when digging a hole, which must be combined with 0.5 kg of superphosphate, with 1–2 buckets of compost or humus and with 60 grams of potash fertilizer. If the acidity of the soil is high, then this can be corrected by adding fluffy lime to it. If a hedge is created from the thorn, then a distance of one and a half meters must be observed between the seedlings. When landing several thorns, a distance of 2–3 meters should be maintained between them.

Two-year-old seedlings purchased in advance must be prepared before planting. To do this, their root system must be immersed in a solution of sodium humate (3-4 large spoons are taken for half a bucket of water). In the center of the bottom of the pit, a wooden stake should be installed, reaching a height of one and a half meters. Then it is necessary to pour the nutrient mixture into the hole in such a way that a mound forms around the peg. Then, a seedling must be installed on the resulting hill, after the roots are carefully straightened, the pit must be filled with a nutrient mixture combined with fertilizers, while it only needs to be slightly compacted. The root neck of a planted seedling should rise 30–40 mm above the ground. The trunk circle around should be fenced with an earthen rim, the height of which should be about 10 centimeters. Then 20 to 30 liters of water are poured into it. To reduce the number of waterings after all the liquid is absorbed into the soil, its surface must be covered with a layer of mulch (humus). The garter to the peg of the planted plant is made at the very end.

After the thorn seedling is planted in open ground, all its stems must be shortened. In the spring, before the buds swell, adult plants need to arrange sanitary and formative pruning. The basic care of the thorn is not much different from the care of other shrubs grown in the garden. It needs to be watered in time, loosen the surface of the near-stem circle, feed, weed, remove basal shoots and carry out sanitary and formative pruning. It is also necessary to collect ripened fruits in a timely manner and properly prepare the shrub for wintering.

A seedling planted in open ground should be watered at first once every 7 days, then watering is reduced to 2 times a month. After the seedling starts to grow, and leaf plates open on it, they begin to water it quite rarely. If it rains regularly in the summer, then it is unnecessary to water the shrub, because it is highly resistant to drought. However, if the dry period lasts too long, then 20 to 30 liters of water should be poured under the bush, which should not be cold.

Fertilizer

In order for the fruiting of the turn to be distinguished by its abundance and regularity, it must be fed in a timely manner. To do this, every year organic matter (1 bucket of humus per 1 bush) or a solution of complex mineral fertilizer is introduced into the soil of the near-stem circle. With age, the need for shrub fertilizer increases.

cutting the turn

Pruning of this crop is carried out in the spring before the sap flow begins, as a rule, this time falls on March. For sanitary purposes, it is necessary to cut out all injured, dried, diseased or frost-damaged stems and branches.

Blackthorn is characterized by a tendency to thicken the crown, so it requires systematic thinning. He will also need forming pruning, for this, young bushes need to leave 4 or 5 fruit-bearing branches, while the rest should be cut at the root. Most often, gardeners form a crown of thorns in the form of a bowl. To do this, in the first year of growth, seedlings planted in a permanent place must be shortened to 0.3–0.5 meters. In the second year of growth, all but the most powerful stems should be cut, and they should be arranged in a circle.

In autumn, the shrub is pruned only if necessary. As a rule, at this time, the turn needs only sanitary pruning, while cutting out injured or diseased branches. This procedure is carried out after all the leaves have flown from the shrub.

Thorn breeding

Blackthorn can be propagated in a generative (seed) way and vegetatively: root suckers and cuttings. It will not be possible to quickly propagate this culture in a generative way. If you need to get material for planting as quickly as possible, then vegetative methods should be chosen for this.

In the first autumn weeks, the seed must be removed from the fruit and cleaned of the remnants of the pulp. Then the bone is planted in open ground. Sowing can be done in the spring, however, in this case, the bones will need to be pre-stratified, for this they are placed on the refrigerator shelf for the whole winter. Some gardeners recommend immersing the seeds in honey syrup for 12 hours before sowing, seedlings from such seeds will seem much faster. After that, they are sown, deepening into the soil by only 60-70 mm. The surface of the plot with crops must be covered. Immediately after the seedlings appear on the surface, the shelter must be removed. After the shoots are 2 years old, they need to be transplanted to a permanent place.

Propagation of thorns by cuttings

At least 5 absolutely healthy buds should be present on the cuttings. In the spring, cuttings should be planted for rooting in a container filled with fertile soil. The container should be transferred to a greenhouse or covered with a cap on top, which must be transparent. During the summer period, they will need to provide regular watering and fertilizing with a nutrient solution. By the onset of the autumn period, the cuttings will become full-fledged seedlings, in which the root system will be very well developed.

How to propagate by root shoots

Make a very careful separation of the root offspring from the parent bush. Then they will need to be planted in pre-made planting holes, while the distance between them should be about 100–200 cm. They need exactly the same care as the seedlings.

Blackthorn has a fairly high resistance to diseases and pests. In very rare cases, this shrub becomes ill with gray rot (monilis). This fungal disease is caused by the fungus monilia, it can penetrate through the pistil of the flower. The disease primarily affects very young stems of the shrub. After some time, the foliage and stalks of the blackthorn change their color to dark brown. The disease in the bush always spreads from top to bottom. Instead of fallen leaves, a new, green one appears, but at the end of the summer period, onam turns yellow and flies around, there is a significant decrease in fruiting. All those fruits that have survived crack, and rot forms on them. To get rid of gray rot, it will be necessary to spray the affected bush with a solution of a fungicidal preparation. At the very beginning of the spring period, the turn must be treated with Horus solution (this preparation is the only one that can be used at sub-zero temperatures). When it becomes warm outside, it will be possible to use Gamair, Bordeaux liquid, Abiga-Peak, Rovral or copper sulfate for processing. Before proceeding with the preparation of the solution, you must carefully read the instructions and follow it.

The greatest danger of pests for such a plant is aphid. It is a sucking insect that feeds on plant cell sap. Aphids suck it out of young shoots and foliage, which causes their deformation and yellowing. This insect can greatly harm the turn, as it is extremely prolific. And aphid is the main carrier of viral diseases, which today are incurable. In order to get rid of such a pest, the bush must be sprayed with a solution of an acaricidal preparation (for example, Aktara, Antitlin, Aktellik, etc.). To achieve a lasting result, several treatments are required.

The most popular are the following varieties and hybrids of blackthorn:

1. Sweet fruit TSCA. The fruits are sweet-sour, almost intolerant.
2. KROSS №1. The height of the plant is about 250 centimeters. On the surface of purple fruits is a dense coating of wax. The sweet-sour pulp is slightly tart in taste. The fruits weigh about 6-7 grams.
3. KROSS №2. Purple fruits of a rounded shape weigh about 8 grams. Their taste is sweet-sour, slightly tart.
4. yellow-fruited. This is a hybrid of the second generation between blackthorn and cherry plum. The fruits have a pleasant taste and yellow color.
5. Apricot. This is a hybrid between apricot and blackthorn. The color of the fruits is pale lilac-pink, their taste is quite pleasant with apricot notes.
6. Fragrant-1 and Fragrant-2. This is a hybrid of the American-Chinese Toka plum and blackthorn. The height of such a tree is about four meters. The fruits of purple color have a flat-round shape, they weigh from 8 to 10 grams. The yellow flesh has a sweet-sour taste, while astringency is completely absent. The pulp has the finest smell of apricot and strawberry. The stone is small, very well separated from the pulp.
7. Shropshire. The variety was created by English breeders. The fruits are honey-sweet, intolerant.
8. Cherry Plum (Cherry). The height of the bush reaches about 300 centimeters. The crown of medium density has a rounded shape. On the surface of dark purple fruits there is a wax coating, they weigh about 5-6 grams and have a rounded shape. Green dense flesh has a sour and tart taste.
9. cherry plum. Such a tree reaches a height of 300 cm. Large rounded fruits of purple color on the surface have a dense wax coating. These fruits weigh about 8.5 grams. Green dense pulp of sweet and sour taste, slightly tart.
10. Prunes. This is a hybrid between blackthorn and cherry plum. The color of the fruit can be of various yellow-blue-red shades.
11. Garden №2. The height of such a shrub is about two meters. Spherical fruits can have an almost black or dark blue color. On the surface there is a bluish coating. The pulp has an excellent taste.

Turn properties: harm and benefit

Turns have incredibly useful fruits, as they contain sugars (fructose and glucose), malic acid, pectin, carbohydrates, steroids, fiber, triterpenoids, vitamins C and E, coumarins, nitrogen-containing compounds, tannins, flavonoids, higher alcohols, mineral salts , fatty acids linoleic, palmitic, stearic, oleic and eleostearic. Both fresh and processed fruits have an astringent effect, so they are used for disorders of the stomach and intestines, for example: dysentery, candidiasis, ulcerative colitis, food poisoning and toxic infection. In infectious diseases, blackthorn wine is used as a healing drink.

Blackthorn fruits are used during the treatment of neuralgia, metabolic disorders, liver and kidney diseases, beriberi, and they also have an antipyretic and diaphoretic effect. The flowers and fruits of such a plant are used for edema, nephrolithiasis, cystitis, gastritis, boils and pustular skin diseases. Flowers have a mild laxative effect, they are used to treat skin diseases that depend on the metabolism in the body. Also, these flowers will help regulate intestinal motility and contraction of the renal ducts, as they are diaphoretic, hypotensive and diuretic. A decoction of flowers is used for shortness of breath, furunculosis, hypertension, constipation and nausea.

Preparations made on the basis of the turn have a fixing, diuretic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect, they also help to reduce vascular permeability and relax the smooth muscles of internal organs.

Contraindications

Blackthorn fruits contain a sufficiently large amount of acid, which can harm people suffering from gastritis, ulcers, or high acidity of the stomach. Since they have a very intense color, this can cause an allergic reaction. Inside the bones is the strongest poison, in this regard, try not to swallow them. Also, the turn is contraindicated for people with individual intolerance. If you eat a lot of blackthorn fruits at a time, then this can harm the body of even a relatively healthy person.

Someone once saw in ancient times that thorn bushes do not burn in fire. "Magic!" our ancestors said then. But after many centuries, the researchers objected to them: “No! Essential oils!". It turned out that under the influence of high temperature, essential oils appear on the stems of the plant, which create a “magical” protection from the flame. That is why thorny firewood burns very slowly and smokes very little.

At different times, the attitude towards the thorn changed from deification to a curse, people either believed in the power of the thorn to protect from evil spirits, or they themselves called it the embodiment of evil. Today, the attitude towards blackthorn is more restrained. Many countries love wines and jams from it, and researchers continue to study its role for our body, not without success, and say that all parts of the shrub can be useful for humans: from roots to tart fruits.

Biological characteristic

Blackthorn (blackthorn, prickly plum) is a thorny shrub from the Rosaceae family, common in different regions of Europe, in western Asia and even in northern Africa. In the wild, it usually grows on the outskirts of forests, in meadows, peat bogs, mountain slopes, where it can reach 4-8 meters in height.

In April, even before the appearance of green foliage, thorny thorn branches adorn delicate white flowers. Then small rounded berries appear on the shrub, which ripen by October. Ripe blackthorn fruits resemble small ones: outside they are the same dark blue, and inside are pale green and juicy. The turn is a wild relative of the cultivated plum. Hence the other name of the culture - prickly plum, and the similarity of fruits.

Chemical composition and nutritional characteristics

The fruits of the thorn bush, like other forest berries, contain a very large amount of useful substances. Some of them are unique and are found exclusively in dark-colored wild berries.

Juicy sour sloes are a rich source of carbohydrates, nitrogenous substances, coumarins, catechins, mineral salts, essential oils, and even. In these forest berries, scientists have found palmitic, stearic and eleostearic fatty acids. Thorny fruits are useful due to the presence of vitamins (including A, C, E,) and minerals in them. The pulp and skin contain a lot of fiber, as well as beneficial flavonoids and steroids. These berries belong to a low-calorie food, since 100 g of fresh blackthorn contains a little more than 50 kcal.

Nutritional value per 100 g of fresh fruit

	54 kcal
	1.5 g
	9.4 g
	0.3 g
	2 g
	233 mcg
	0.04 mg
	0.05 mg
	0.3 mg
	17 mg
	0.5 mg
	14 mg
	239 mg
	17 mg
	25 mg
	1.9 mg
	32 mg

Why different parts of the turn are useful

The beneficial properties of blackthorn have been known since ancient times. Blackthorn flowers and fruits have been used in folk medicine for many centuries. And as modern research confirms, not in vain. These parts of the plant have astringent, antioxidant, diaphoretic, antipyretic, laxative and diuretic properties. They can improve the functioning of the stomach and remove toxins from the body. Blackthorn flowers, leaves and bark contain substances that help to eliminate toxins from the body. The rutin-rich flowers are considered beneficial for blood purification. Herbalists use this ability of the plant to treat furunculosis, erysipelas, rashes and pustules on the skin.

The benefits of blackthorn flowers are felt by people with impaired kidney function, with stones in the urinary system. A decoction of flowers and leaves is good to take to remove excess fluid from the body, treat spasms in the bladder and stomach. Herbalists recommend tea from blackthorn leaves for nephritis, cystitis, urolithiasis, and compresses using infusions of blackthorn greens accelerate wound healing. You can cure corns or soothe inflammation on the skin using an ancient recipe: make gruel from berries and attach it to a sore spot. The result of such procedures will be noticeable in 2-3 days.

Preparations based on thorn flowers can be useful for the treatment of the respiratory system. Blackthorn flowers are known for their expectorant properties, making them useful for colds and coughs. In addition, they perfectly reduce body temperature during fever, strengthen the immune system. Medicinal infusion of blackthorn herbalists prepare from 40 g of flowers and a glass of boiling water. The remedy is insisted for at least 40 minutes and taken three times a day, 150 ml each. At elevated temperatures, it is also useful to use tea from young blackthorn branches. Traditional healers use this remedy as often as teas from the more popular one. In folk medicine, an aqueous infusion of thorn flowers is also used as a means to improve appetite, restore metabolism and cleanse the liver, and a decoction of thorn branches helps fight nausea.

Drinks from different parts of blackthorn are incredibly beneficial for the nervous system. They are good to drink for people suffering from insomnia, nervousness, people prone to depression, as well as with a noticeable decline in vitality. For the treatment of female diseases, traditional healers often used a decoction of the bark of a thorn bush. For the treatment of inflammation in the organs of the female reproductive system, vaginitis or candidiasis, traditional medicine advises drinking a decoction of the bark, and also using it for douching. With the help of a decoction of thorn roots, women once got rid of pain during menstruation, and also reduced the manifestation of PMS. But for men's health, berries that prevent the development of adenoma are more useful.

Ripe blackthorn berries also have an incredibly wide range of useful properties. Like other parts of the plant, they have been used in folk medicine for fevers, abdominal pain, and to purify the blood. Although our ancestors did not know that blackthorn berries contain a huge amount of tannins that have an astringent effect, they knew for sure: to get rid of diarrhea, you need to eat a few tart berries. And even hepatitis folk healers are advised to treat the juice of sloe fruits.

To improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system, it will also be useful to consume at least a few berries a day. These fruits, rich in useful substances, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, and also regulate the rhythm of heart contractions. In addition, they have the ability to lower and maintain healthy levels of blood pressure. Blackthorn berries are useful for people with rheumatism and gout. These juicy fruits improve digestion, treat constipation and diarrhea, relieve bloating and dispersion.

German researchers have confirmed that blackthorn helps treat inflammation in the throat and mouth. Scientists say that gargling with juice from fresh berries or an infusion of the leaves of the plant will help cure inflammation of the tonsils. And with laryngitis and tonsillitis in children, it is useful to drink syrup from thorn flowers (2 handfuls of flowers pour 450 g and pour 4.5 liters of boiling water). To get rid of bad breath, and at the same time cure inflammation of the gums, it is enough to chew a few fresh berries daily. But at the same time, one must be prepared for side effects from such treatment - for some time the teeth will turn blue.

And not so long ago, researchers have proven that blackthorn berries can help fight obesity. In the fruits and other parts of this plant, scientists have found a substance that improves metabolic processes and prevents excessive accumulation of adipose tissue.

Side effects and precautions

It is better not to use sour thorn berries for gastritis with high acidity of the stomach and ulcers. In some cases, rich berries can cause allergies. Well, do not forget that ripe fruits contain a high concentration of natural dyes. The blue pigment from blackthorn berries is easily absorbed into the tooth enamel and is completely washed off only after a few days.

If you do not follow the rules, a decoction of these wild berries can also be harmful. After brewing, a drink from blackthorn berries must be filtered, removing berries and seeds. It is the bones that are potentially dangerous to humans. They contain amygdalin - the same substance that is in and. With prolonged contact with amygdalin, it enters into chemical reactions and turns into a dangerous poison. Therefore, an improperly prepared decoction of blackthorn berries can cause severe poisoning.

How to harvest

In different situations, different parts of the shrub can be useful to humans. But in order to get the maximum benefit from flowers, fruits, greenery or plant bark, you need to know what and when to harvest.

The flowers, often used in traditional medicine recipes, are harvested by experienced herbalists when they are just beginning to open. It is important to collect flowers with fresh petals, without the slightest sign of wilting, then they contain the most useful components. This part of the blackthorn is usually dried in a place protected from direct sun, and then stored in the dark in a hermetically sealed container.

As soon as the turn has finished flowering, it's time to harvest its leaves. As a rule, this time falls on the middle of summer. The thorn greens are dried according to the same principle as the flowers. Store away from moisture.

Branches for tea and medicinal decoctions are most useful to collect in late spring or early summer. The branches are collected in small bunches and dried in a suspended form. Useful properties of this part of the plant retains throughout the year.

It is customary to harvest the bark long before the shrub begins to bloom - in early spring. The collected raw materials are first dried in the open air for a week, then dried in the oven. You can store thorn bark for about 3 years.

Fruits can be harvested at different times. Some prefer to pick sour berries immediately after ripening - in September or October. Others prefer the taste of blackthorn berries, which they acquire after the first frost. In both cases, dried fruits are equally useful and retain their medicinal properties until next year.

In late autumn, when the shrub sheds its leaves, you can take up a shovel and harvest the roots of the blackthorn.

Use in cooking

Delicious jams, syrups, compotes, jelly, alcoholic drinks are obtained from the blue berries of the blackthorn, and herbal tea is brewed from dried fruits and leaves. Ripe sloe fruits are used to produce sloe gin, which is commonly used as a digestif in many countries. Some people prefer to sprinkle fresh sloe flowers with sugar, and add the resulting syrup to drinks and pastries as a natural flavoring. The uniqueness of thorn berries is that even after heat treatment they do not lose their beneficial properties. According to many gourmets, the most delicious berries become only after the first frost, when they freeze a little and get a sweetish aftertaste.

Blackthorn berries go well with different food groups. They can be mixed with other berries and fruits, added to salads of non-starchy vegetables or herbs. Sour sloes enhance the taste of hard cheeses, lean meats, cereals and grains.

Dishes from blackthorn berries are very popular in the countries of Old Europe and Asia. Blue tart fruits are often added to pastries, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The British have remained true to tradition for many centuries and have made gin from the turn, while the Italians and the French have. True, the Italians use ripe berries for the drink, and the French use the young buds of the plant.

Tern for beauty

The pulp of ripe blackthorn berries contains a large amount of useful ingredients. Blackthorn extract, rich in tannins and vitamin C, helps maintain skin elasticity, while blackthorn oil effectively prevents the appearance of stretch marks. Berry gruel masks treat acne, acne, pustules and inflammation on the skin well.

Turn is one of the traditional plants of Britain and Ireland. Even today, the inhabitants of these countries, as well as their distant ancestors, believe in the magical abilities of the thorn bush. They believe in the power of blackthorn and the descendants of the ancient Slavs. True, it is no longer magical, but healing. Moreover, scientific studies confirm the healing properties of this plant.

Blackthorn is not so easy to collect - the whole plant is densely covered with tenacious thorns. But the medicinal value encourages traditional healers and representatives of official medicine to harvest the raw material of the turn no matter what, because the harm of the turn lies only in its “thornness”.

General characteristics of the plant

Blackthorn is a sprawling thorny shrub with plum-colored drupes, which is why one of the popular names for the plant is prickly plum.

Botanical description

The root shoot plant can grow as a tall tree, up to 6 m tall, or as a bush. The thorn bush has a main trunk and a strongly branched volumetric crown, reaches a height of 3 m.

• Roots. The plant is fixed in the soil by a powerful root system with fleshy rhizomes and lateral roots, providing the turn with a sufficient amount of moisture.
• stems. Stem wood is particularly durable. The main trunk is covered with brown or dark brown bark. It is upright and highly branched. On the surface of the trunk and branches of the turn there are many prickly thorns. One-year-old young shoots often depart from the rhizomes of the thorn, which are localized around the trunk and form a kind of thicket. Their surface is velvety to the touch due to dense pubescence. The shoots end with a thorn.
• Leaves. They are regularly replaced by young ones as the plant matures. Wedge-shaped at the base, they have a pointed apex. The shape of the leaf plate is obovate or elliptical. Each leaf sits on a branch on a petiole of medium length. The edge of the sheet plate resembles sharp saw teeth. A characteristic feature is the blooming of leaves as the flowers fade.
• flowers. They have a very delicate, white-pink color. They exude a delicate, pleasant aroma that attracts bees well, which makes the turn an excellent honey plant. Flowering begins early - in April, can continue until mid-May. Blackthorn thickets bloom en masse, attracting insects. The flowers are located on the branches so densely that it seems as if the entire bush is covered with a white tablecloth.
• Fruit. They are attached to the branches of the turn with the help of medium-length stalks. The fruit is a drupe, characterized by juicy pulp, strongly associated with the seed. The flesh of the green fruit is distinguished by a sweet-sour taste and astringency, which disappears soon after the first frost. The fruit itself is small, its diameter can reach 1.5 cm. The fruits are dark blue in color and are densely covered with a waxy bluish coating.

Interestingly, the mature fruits are attached to the branches so tightly that they can hold on until the next spring. From an adult bush, you can collect up to 4 kg of fruit.

Growth area

Thickets of thorns consist of small bushes. When the plant develops singly, it forms a voluminous tall bush. Often, blackthorn can be found on the side of the road, on the sunny forest edge or in a wasteland. Thickets are formed in ravines and on slopes, as well as in gullies. The thorn develops especially well on soil rich in calcareous salts.

The territory of the turn is the European continent, Asia Minor, and also North Africa. Often found in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan. On the territory of Russia, it actively grows in the European part, as well as in the North of Siberia.

Procurement of raw materials

The saturation of the plant with useful substances makes it possible for the therapeutic purpose of all its parts. The turn for the winter is harvested in stages.

• Bark preparation. It starts in early spring - in March. The bark is cut in slices from the main trunk and adult branches. The area of ​​cuts should be small to quickly tighten the damage. You can not damage the wood with a knife, so as not to destroy the plant. The bark of the blackthorn is laid out under the sun in the open air or dried with a dryer, at a temperature of about 60 ° C.
• Flowers preparation. It starts from mid-April - the period of budding or the beginning of flowering. Inflorescences are carefully cut or plucked, laid out under diffused sunlight on a fabric or paper pallet. Dry by regularly turning the raw material.
• Leaf preparation. It begins after the plant has completely bloomed, when all the flowers have already wilted, and the leaves have blossomed well. It is advisable to collect the largest leaves, dry them under a canopy in the open air or in a dryer.
• Preparation of young shoots. They are harvested in the middle, end of June, since it is then that the highest concentration of nutrients is concentrated in the shoots. Young shoots are tied into panicles, hung out under diffused sunlight or in a shaded place, in the open air. You can spread the raw material in a thin layer on a pallet or dry it in an oven or dryer.
• Fruit preparation. It begins in September, when still greenish fruits contain a large amount of tannins. Harvesting of the turn continues until mid-October. It is at this time that berries that taste good are harvested, ideal for making desserts and jams, as well as medicines with a wide spectrum of action. A certain part of the tannins is preserved in the fruits even after frosts.
• Root preparation. Begins in late autumn. Harvesting is desirable to be carried out among artificial or naturally growing thickets, since it is there that the restoration of the number of plant individuals occurs quickly. They dig up the roots, wash them with running cold water, dry them in the sun and dry them in an oven or electric oven.

To obtain fresh fruits in winter, you can freeze the turn. To do this, the berries are sorted, washed with clean water, dried from moisture. After that, the fruits are laid out on a wide pallet in one layer, put it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Berries are poured into a bag or plastic container.

Frozen fruits are stored for no more than six months. Dried fruits, leaves, inflorescences, shoots are stored for a year in a well-ventilated dark place, packed in paper or cloth bags. The bark and roots can be stored for up to three years.

What is the value of berries ...

All parts of the blackthorn are rich in tannins, which have a number of therapeutic properties.

• Astringent action. It is manifested by the ability of tannins of blackthorn fruits to form albuminates with proteins of the skin and mucous membranes - special proteins of a dense structure. A film of albuminates protects the damaged areas of the epithelium from mechanical and chemical irritation.
• Healing action. Under the action of tannins, irritation of damaged areas is reduced, which accelerates the rate of epithelization.
• Antimicrobial action. The tannins of the blackthorn fruits have bacteriostatic and fungistatic properties, that is, they eliminate bacterial and fungal infections and prevent their development in the area of ​​skin damage.
• Antiexudative action. Turn reduces the production of exudate in the area of ​​damage, dries weeping wounds and ulcers.
• Anti-inflammatory action. It consists in the ability of the turn to reduce the production of prostaglandins and leukotrienes - the main inflammatory mediators that provoke hyperemia and swelling of inflamed tissues.

In addition to tannins, blackthorn fruits contain a lot of other useful components.

Blackthorn leaves, in addition to tannins, contain bitterness, flavonoids, and phytoncides. This gives them health benefits:

• anti-inflammatory;
• antibacterial;
• antioxidant;
• antiplatelet;
• vozoprotective;
• cardiostimulating;
• secretory.

The chemical composition of blackthorn flowers has not been thoroughly studied. It is known that the amygdalin glycoside contained in it is in low concentrations, and therefore has therapeutic properties:

• diuretic;
• laxative;
• diaphoretic;
• expectorant;
• antispasmodic;
• antibacterial.

The bark and roots of the blackthorn are saturated with tannins, and therefore are actively used as an antidiarrheal agent.

The glycoside amygdalin is found in high concentration in the sloe pit. It must not be swallowed due to the toxicity of said substance. Amygdalin breaks down in the body with the formation of poison - hydrocyanic acid.

Benefits of the turn

The flowers and leaves of the blackthorn are actively used in folk medicine as a diuretic for various intoxications and swelling of a cardiac or renal nature. The beneficial effect of blackthorn leaves on blood vessels allows you to fight capillary fragility, varicose veins. Indications for the use of blackthorn in vascular pathologies expand to vasculitis, due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

The diaphoretic properties of the blackthorn fruits are useful in febrile conditions, and antibacterial properties in inflammatory and infectious diseases of the skin. In addition, it is known about the ability of preparations from thorn flowers to eliminate nausea.

Improving metabolism when using thorns makes it possible to alleviate the patient's condition with gout, since the plant is able to remove salt deposits from the body. The hypoglycemic effect of berries makes it possible to use them in diabetes mellitus.

Medicinal preparations of the root and bark are used for diarrhea, as a fixing agent, as well as for colitis of various origins, to restore and optimize bowel function.

Impact on the body

The rich chemical composition of the fruits determines their widespread use for medicinal purposes.

Turn is also endowed with anti-allergic properties, due to its detoxifying properties. Interestingly, most of the therapeutic effects of blackthorn are not accompanied by side effects. It is for this reason that sloe contraindications include only individual hypersensitivity reactions. But the use of the turn during breastfeeding and pregnancy must be agreed with the doctor.

Therapeutic use

Recipes for the use of thorns are varied. Below are the most common ones.

Infusion

Peculiarities. It is taken orally for the treatment of chronic diseases of the liver, kidneys, ureter. With the help of infusion, you can significantly speed up the metabolism. Cleansing the body allows you to get rid of skin diseases of an infectious and allergic nature. The infusion is used to wash wounds, eliminate rashes, and also for the face as a remedy for acne.

Preparation and application

• Two tablespoons of a mixture of flowers and leaves are poured into a glass of slightly cooled boiled water.
• The remedy is insisted all night (about eight hours).
• In the morning, filter, drink inside a quarter cup, three times a day.

Decoction

Peculiarities. With the help of such a decoction, you can reduce fever, remove symptoms of fever and speed up recovery from colds and viral diseases.

Preparation and application

1. Dried rhizomes (5 g), pour a glass of boiling water, put in a slowly boiling water bath.
2. The remedy is simmered for half an hour.
3. Remove from the bath, cool for three hours, then filter.
4. Take orally a quarter cup, three times a day.

Fruit remedy

Peculiarities. A decoction of the fruit is taken orally for various inflammatory diseases, regardless of their location (rheumatism, gout, cystitis, pancreatitis, colitis, bronchitis).

Preparation and application

1. A couple of tablespoons of dried fruits are poured with half a liter of boiling water.
2. The fruits are simmered over low heat for 10 minutes.
3. After removing from the fire, the product is filtered. Take half a glass, four times a day, before meals.

Tincture

Peculiarities. It is necessary to make a tincture from the blackthorn, taking into account the fact that before preparing it, the fruits are rinsed with water without washing off the wax coating.

Preparation and application

1. A kilogram of ripe, washed fruits, free of stones, is placed in a glass jar, 300 g of sugar are poured.
2. The neck of the jar is closed with gauze. The vessel is placed for three days in a warm and sunny place.
3. Vodka or diluted alcohol is poured into the fermented mixture, mixed thoroughly.
4. The jar is closed with a lid. Infuse the mixture for two weeks at room temperature.
5. Shake the jar daily for the first week.
6. After the expiration of the infusion period, the resulting drink is filtered through several layers of gauze.
7. Use inside 30 ml, three times a day.

Often, the fruits of the blackthorn are introduced into the preparations for weight loss, correction of pressure, and relieving inflammation.

Role in cooking

Blackthorn fruits are actively used for cooking first and second courses, desserts and sauces. The famous tkemali sauce includes sweet and sour pulp of these fruits. Bulgarians add fruits to porridge to give them a special flavor. Jam and blackthorn jam, as well as jelly and compotes with its addition, have a special taste.

The taste of the fruit was appreciated by lovers of hand-made booze. Prickly plum is used to flavor vodka, moonshine is made from overripe berries. The blackthorn-based wine has an interesting color and a sweet and sour, slightly astringent taste. The preparation of liqueurs from sloes at home has also gained popularity.

Livka

Peculiarities. It takes a long time to prepare, but the result is a very tasty and healthy low-alcohol drink.

Cooking

1. 4 kg of fresh, ripe sloes are pitted, placed in a container, 3 kg of sugar are added, 200 ml of water are added.
2. The mixture is placed in a warm, sunny place for fermentation. The neck of the container is tied with gauze.
3. After active fermentation begins, the container is transferred to a warm place, a rubber glove is put on the neck, piercing one finger.
4. Infusion in a warm place is carried out until the moment when the glove is completely blown away.
5. The drink is filtered in storage containers, lowered for a month in the basement, for aging.

Useful properties of the turn are relevant in everyday life. Artificial planting of thorns is often carried out to strengthen the soil near ravines, the banks of a reservoir. A powerful root system prevents soil displacement and landslides. Often the thorn is grown as a hedge to protect garden plots. With proper care of the plant, you can form a crown or shrubs, wrapping this quality for the benefit of the household.

According to breeders' feedback, the turn is perfect for the role of a stock in the selection of new types of apricot, peach and other garden plants. Wood and bark are used for tanning leather. By boiling the fruits in alkali, a red dye is obtained. Popular in the furniture industry, because its reddish-brown wood lends itself well to polishing.

The healing properties of thorns have been known for a long time. Thanks to modern research, modern official medicine does not refute them either. In ancient times, the plant was endowed with magical properties, and the places where the seeds of the thorn sprouted were considered sacred.

Blackthorn fruits contain 5.5-8.8% sugars (glucose and fructose), malic acid, fiber, pectin, carbohydrates, steroids, triterpenoids, nitrogen-containing compounds, vitamins, carotene, coumarins, tannins, catechins, flavonoids, higher alcohols , prunazine glycoside, mineral salts, as well as fatty oils: linoleic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, and eleostearic.

Blackthorn fruits (fresh, processed into jelly, compote, marmalade and tinctures, in the form of a decoction or extract) have an astringent effect and are recommended for use in disorders of the stomach and intestines (ulcerative colitis, dysentery, food poisoning and candidiasis. A medicinal drink for intestinal infectious diseases blackthorn wine is also considered.

The astringent pleasant fruits of the blackthorn are used as an astringent, antiseptic, diuretic and fixative. They can also be used to increase appetite. Blackthorn flowers are used as a diuretic, laxative, diaphoretic. They can stop vomiting and nausea, improve metabolism, and calm the nervous system. The young leaves of the blackthorn are brewed as a tea. They also have good diuretic and laxative properties, and also heal wounds. The bark and roots are used as an antipyretic.

The fruits are used for nonspecific colitis, dysentery, food poisoning and toxic infections.

Blackthorn is used to treat the stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys. Helps with various neuralgia, metabolic disorders, beriberi.

It can also be used as a diaphoretic and antipyretic agent.

Blackthorn preparations have astringent, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, laxative, expectorant and antibacterial action. They relax the smooth muscles of the internal organs and reduce vascular permeability.

Both fruits and flowers improve metabolism and are indicated for gastritis, spasmodic colitis, cystitis, edema, nephrolithiasis. They help with rheumatism, boils, pustular skin diseases.

Blackthorn flowers have a positive effect on the metabolism in the body, and, therefore, treat those skin diseases that depend on the violation of this metabolism, regulate intestinal motility and contractions of the hepatic ducts, and have a mild laxative effect.

Fresh juice helps with jaundice. Preparations from thorn flowers act, unlike fruits, as a laxative for constipation, including in children. These drugs regulate intestinal motility, act as a diuretic, diaphoretic and hypotensive agent.

Blackthorn fruit juice has antibacterial activity against giardia and other protozoa, so it is recommended to take it for gastrointestinal disorders and giardiasis. The juice is also effective in the form of lotions and compresses for skin diseases.

Decoctions of thorn flowers are used for inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat and esophagus.

Blackthorn leaf tea is a mild laxative; increases diuresis. It is drunk with chronic constipation, cystitis, prostate adenoma. Blackthorn leaf tea is useful for people who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Blackthorn leaves are an excellent diuretic and laxative for chronic constipation. Infusion of leaves is recommended for rinsing with inflammation of the oral cavity. A decoction of the leaves is used for skin diseases, chronic constipation, nephritis, cystitis. A decoction of the leaves in vinegar is used to lubricate old festering wounds and ulcers. An infusion of leaves and flowers is used for inflammation of the kidneys and bladder and for dermatoses.

An infusion of flowers is used as a diuretic and diaphoretic and for hypertension. A decoction of flowers reduces vascular permeability, has an anti-inflammatory effect and is therefore recommended for metabolic disorders, prostate adenoma, as an expectorant and diaphoretic, for neuralgia, nausea and shortness of breath. Also, a decoction is used for constipation, liver disease, furunculosis and pustular skin diseases.

Roots, bark and even young wood have a diaphoretic and antipyretic effect. A decoction of the bark is used for diarrhea and malaria, as well as for elevated body temperature. Also, a decoction is used for erysipelas of the skin and for douching with whites.