Dorothy FarrarBarbarakraut
Already in the Middle Ages, the bittercress (real bittersweet or lat. Carpentariorum berba) was known as a medicinal plant. The herb, also known as winter cress, was also used in the kitchen.
Definition and Occurrence
The Barbarakraut, also called real Barbarakraut or winter cress, is a biennial plant from the daisy family. It is considered the plant of St. Barbara, the patron saint of miners, quarry workers and gunners.
The evergreen plant continues to bloom beyond St. Barbara’s Day on December 4th until around mid-December, when other plants have long since withered. In the summer months you can often spot the small golden yellow flowers that shine in the sun on sand and gravel banks in small streams and rivers.
However, the plant also grows on nutrient-rich soil along roadsides, on railway embankments, in gravel pits and on fields. The bittercress grows to a height of approx. 30 to 90 cm and in the first year forms lyre-shaped leaves with paired side lobes and a rounded, often heart-shaped end lobe. The following year, grape-like, bright yellow flowers develop that are somewhat reminiscent of rape blossoms. The flowers are 7 to 9 mm in diameter, and pods that are about 2.5 cm long grow from them.
Spirits disagree about the origin of the name. For some, the name derives from Saint Barbara (day of honor on December 4th), others see the origin of the name in the Latin “Carpentariorum berba”, which means carpenter’s herb. In fact, as early as the Middle Ages, carpenters and carpenters used the herb to heal minor injuries.
Ingredients, effect and dosage
Barbarakraut is a versatile plant that, in addition to its medicinal properties, also has a high vitamin C content , which makes it popular in the kitchen. It can be prepared there in a similar way to sorrel , ground elder , nettle and spinach . Mainly the fresh leaves from the period from May to October are used, which taste similar to the cress. That is why the bittercress is also called winter cress. The spicy taste comes from the mustard oils contained in the plant.
Barbarakraut can be used raw or cooked. The leaves taste particularly good before the bittercress begins to bloom, as they are very tender at this time. Older leaves are often harder and taste more bitter, but are still suitable as a vegetable. The bitter taste can be alleviated by changing the cooking water several times, but this also reduces the nutrients.
Because it contains twice as much vitamin C as the same amount of oranges, it’s an excellent source of vitamins during the winter months. It was also considered a medicinal plant against the vitamin deficiency disease scurvy . In addition to the high amount of vitamin C, the bittercress also contains ingredients that help the body to cleanse the blood, improve metabolism, stimulate digestion and stimulate appetite.
It also has a positive effect on wound healing, best in the form of washes and dressings with tea or tinctures. Barbarakraut can prevent a cold if it is drunk regularly as a preventive tea 3 times a day. A tincture of the crushed seeds with wine or vodka has a diuretic effect and helps with bladder and kidney infections.
What does Barbarakraut help against?
- bladder infection
- kidney infection
- stone diseases
- A cold
- abrasions
importance to health
Because of its high vitamin C content, bittercress is an important source of vitamin C. Other ingredients support blood purification. Bitter substances play a role in digestion . They promote appetite, stimulate metabolism and digestion in the stomach and intestines , which in turn stimulate the production of digestive juices in the stomach, pancreas , bile and liver . A decoction of bittersweet is said to help with stone diseases.
As an infusion, extract and tincture, bittercress has a positive effect on wound healing. A tincture of crushed seeds and wine is recommended to prevent bladder and kidney infections. This tincture has a diuretic effect and flushes out pathogens. The effect is also beneficial for gout. A tea made from bittersweet is often drunk to prevent colds.
In the Middle Ages, the barabara herb was mainly used to heal various wounds. In the Middle Ages it was even used in field surgery. For wound healing, however, it should mainly be used for smaller wounds; larger, deeper wounds that may still be dirty should always be treated by a doctor. But it is good for skin abrasions. The best way to do this is to soak the chopped leaves in olive oil for a day and filter them out after a day. The wounds can be rubbed with the oil mixture.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.