Dorothy FarrarRenewal
The barberry belongs to the barberry family and thrives in Asia and Europe. It is extremely rich in vitamins and is used to make jam.
Interesting facts about barberry
The barberry is a shrub that can reach a height of up to three meters. The branches have thorns, the flowers of the plant are yellow and hemispherical in shape. Barberries also have red berries, which are also edible, but have a very sour taste due to the malic acid they contain.
The winter spores of grain rust often grow on the underside of the leaves. The plant can therefore be considered an intermediate host of the cereal fungus pest and for this reason it has been removed from the vicinity of cereal fields.
Except for the berries, the entire plant is poisonous, with the root having the greatest alkaloid content. Barberries thrive in southern, central and western Europe, in the east the barberry can be found up to the Caucasus. It prefers dry and calcareous locations and grows on the edges of forests and meadows or in bushes.
Barberries bloom from May to June, the fruits are collected between August and November, but can also be found on the bush in winter. In addition, the plant is also self-cultivated, for which a semi-shady place should be selected. Colloquially, the barberry is also often referred to as sour thorn, cuckoo bread, vinegar hot or jack bush.
importance to health
Already the Indians used the barberry as a remedy against general physical weakness and to increase appetite. In ancient Egypt, a syrup made from fennel seeds and barberry was considered a remedy for the plague . Barberry root bark contains the alkaloid berberine, which promotes digestion and stimulates bile activity . Therefore, the root bark can be used for liver and gallbladder problems or against indigestion.
In addition, the blood vessels are expanded with the help of the bark and kidney activity is promoted. The fruits of the plant contain no alkaloids but vitamin C and fruit acids. The fruits can be dried and used as a source of vitamins. They help especially with bleeding gums and spring tiredness and can also be used for colds .
The fresh juice of the fruit is brushed onto the gums to strengthen them. The fruits are also used for spleen disorders, fever and constipation . They promote the excretion of urea and have a supportive effect on gout , arthritis and rheumatism . In addition, it is possible to relieve skin ailments with the help of barberry. A barberry decoction can also help with tired or inflamed eyes .
Ingredients & nutritional values
The fruits of the barberry contain a wide variety of plant juices and vitamins, while the leaves and roots contain the alkaloids berbamine and berberine, which inhibit pathogens. Other ingredients are: copsanthine hyperoside tannic acid jatrorrhizi.
intolerances
Too high a dose of barberry can lead to diarrhea , abdominal pain and nausea . In addition, people with kidney diseases, pregnant women and nursing mothers should refrain from consuming the plant.
Shopping and kitchen tips
The largest producer of barberries is Iran, where the shrubs grow quite naturally in the Kharasan region. Fresh barberries are hard to come by, but the dried fruit can be bought in Persian, Turkish, or Asian shops. The barberries that are offered in stores mostly come from wild bushes and are not chemically treated.
Since dried fruit is very sensitive to heat and light, storage in a cool, dark place is recommended. It can also be stored in the fridge or in a sealed jar in a cool pantry. With appropriate storage, the dried fruits of the barberry last about six to twelve months.
Preparation tips
The fruits of the barberry are edible. They contain a lot of vitamins and have a sour taste. In Europe they are mainly used for the production of jams. When dried, they can also be added to muesli. In oriental countries, the barberry is also used to flavor fish, roasts or rice .
For a barberry juice, the dried fruits are infused with warm water and then have to steep for about 15 minutes. They can also be processed into liqueur, jelly or fruit tea. Furthermore, barberries go very well with black tea, for which you brew barberries, a cinnamon stick and tea leaves.
If the fresh berries are sprinkled over grilled meat, the grilled food is seasoned with it, since the juice then escapes from the berries. In general, barberries go very well with pistachios , rice, poultry, yoghurt, almonds or lamb and with spices such as cardamom , bay leaf , dill , saffron , coriander or cinnamon.
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.