Dried strawberries. Dried strawberries Dried strawberries beneficial properties

The sweet and aromatic strawberry was probably everyone’s favorite treat in childhood. Most people appreciate it for its pleasant fragrant aroma and taste. But besides this, a small wild strawberry bush has great healing power.

Strawberries grow in sunny forest glades, meadows, hills, clearings, among bushes, in light forests. Wild strawberries are widespread in the European part of Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus, the Urals, Siberia and Central Asia. Most often found in the form of natural thickets. For example, in the central regions of Russia you can collect about 100 kg of strawberries from 1 hectare, and in clearings - about 200 kg. The berries here are very large and juicy.

This herbaceous perennial plant belongs to the Rosaceae family. Strawberries have a short rhizome and creeping shoots that take root at the nodes. On long petioles there are green trifoliate leaves covered with silky hairs below. Small white flowers are collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences and located on high stalks. Blooms from May to June. Wild strawberry fruits are bright red, fragrant berries that ripen in late June and July.

Chemical composition

Wild strawberries are a valuable source of vitamins. It contains a large amount of ascorbic acid, as well as carotene, folic acid, vitamins B1, B2, PP, pectin and tannins. Strawberries also contain citric, salicylic, malic and quinic acids, which give the berry its sourness.

The berries contain easily digestible sugars fructose and glucose. The berries also contain a lot of microelements (copper, cobalt, iron, manganese) involved in hematopoiesis, and mineral salts (calcium, phosphorus, potassium).

The leaves contain ascorbic acid, tannins, carotene, alkaloids, and polysaccharides. The rhizomes contain tannins and iron. A lot of iron is found in strawberry seeds.

Interesting fact: There is twice as much iron in strawberries as in plums and 40 times as much as in grapes. Wild strawberries are in first place among berries and fruits in terms of calcium content.

Useful properties and uses of wild strawberries

Among the people, strawberries are a very popular medicinal product and are widely used in folk medicine for various diseases.

Beneficial features:

The plant has hemostatic, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, astringent, diuretic and diaphoretic effects.
As a diuretic, strawberries help eliminate salts, with gout, various diseases of the joints, liver, spleen and atherosclerosis.
Wild strawberries improve metabolism and blood composition.
Dilates blood vessels, increases the amplitude and slows down the rhythm of heart contractions, strengthens uterine contractions and increases its tone.
It is a good remedy for the treatment of gastritis, colitis, stomach ulcers, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis, hypertension and anemia.
Wild strawberries are useful for diabetes and pulmonary tuberculosis.
Externally it is used to treat age spots, eczema, purulent wounds, ulcers, acne, as well as sore throat and laryngitis.
Strawberries are simply irreplaceable during the season of respiratory diseases, as a preventive and tonic remedy.

If you eat strawberries every day for 2-3 weeks during the season on an empty stomach, then after 2-3 years you can get rid of gout, hypertension, stomach ulcers, urolithiasis, cholelithiasis and many intestinal diseases.

Very similar in properties to strawberries - blueberries. Probably many have heard the phrase “In the house where they eat strawberries and blueberries, the doctor has nothing to do.”
Medicinal raw materials are leaves, berries and roots of strawberries, both fresh and dried.

Beneficial properties of wild strawberries

Berries have a very good effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Their use helps improve heart function, increases its performance and endurance. Strawberry fruits have long been used in folk medicine for heart diseases. For hypertension and atherosclerosis, it is recommended to consume fresh berries and in large quantities. They are a good remedy for anemia. Also, eating berries helps the body get rid of cholesterol.
Strawberries normalize intestinal function and improve digestion, perfectly quench thirst and improve appetite. Strawberries are used for inflammation of the biliary tract and stomach diseases. It is useful for constipation, worms, hemorrhoids.
Berries improve kidney function. Strawberry-based infusions and decoctions are an excellent diuretic. Strawberries are used for cystitis, gout, and uric acid diathesis. Fresh fruits are irreplaceable for anemia, atherosclerosis, and spleen diseases.
Fresh berry juice has a hypoglycemic effect, so it is very useful for diabetics.
Strawberries are widely used in cosmetology. Strawberry masks rejuvenate the skin of the face and neck and prevent the appearance of wrinkles. They are also used to get rid of acne and freckles.
Phytoncides of berries, capable of killing microbes, are used in aqueous solutions for rinsing for various diseases of the throat and oral cavity. They will also help get rid of bad breath. Eating fresh berries helps dissolve tartar.

Collection and preparation of wild strawberries

Strawberries should be picked in sunny weather, preferably in the morning, when the dew has disappeared, and in the evening. Berries are dried in the shade or under a canopy; properly dried berries are easily poured. You also need to choose the right surface for drying strawberries, for example, wood, to avoid oxidation of the berries. Dried strawberries can be stored for up to 2 years in a glass jar or bag.
A decoction is prepared from dried berries for medicinal purposes: 4 tbsp. spoons of berries pour 500 ml of boiling water. Drink half a glass of the decoction three times a day.

Beneficial properties of wild strawberry leaves

Collection and preparation of wild strawberry leaves

Strawberry leaves are harvested in May - June, when the plant blooms. Like berries, they are dried in the shade, stirring frequently. Dried wild strawberry leaves can be stored for 1 year in linen bags.

Beneficial properties of wild strawberry roots

The presence of tannins and alkaloids in strawberry roots determines their beneficial properties. An infusion of roots is recommended as a cleanser, helps remove toxins from the body, and cleanses the blood.
The medicinal properties of the roots are used in the treatment of dysentery, spleen, liver, bladder and kidneys.
An infusion of wild strawberry roots was used for heavy menstruation, uterine bleeding, leucorrhoea, and uterine fibroids. Recipe for infusion of strawberry roots: pour 1 teaspoon of crushed dry roots with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes.

Collection and preparation of wild strawberry roots

The roots are dug up in the spring during the flowering period or in the fall. They should be washed in cold water and dried in the shade or in a well-ventilated area. When dried, the roots are stored for up to 3 years in linen bags.

Attention!
For medicinal purposes, the berries, leaves and roots of wild strawberries are used exclusively. The roots and leaves of garden strawberries cannot be used for treatment, as they can be poisonous.

Although the medicinal properties of wild strawberries are described in many books, before using them for medicinal purposes you should consult a doctor.

The use of strawberries in cosmetology

The use of plant berries in cosmetology is very welcome. Even in ancient times, they were used to wipe the face to get rid of freckles. And noble ladies, in order to have smooth and beautiful skin, took baths with the addition of strawberry juice.
For cosmetic purposes, masks and lotions are prepared for facial skin using the juice and pulp of strawberries.

To remove freckles, acne, and age spots, use pure berry juice to wipe the skin. The juice can also be mixed with glycerin.
To smooth out wrinkles, use a lotion: mix ¼ cup of fresh berry juice with 0.5 g of salicylic acid powder, 1 cup of vodka and ¼ cup of cucumber juice. Wipe wrinkled skin with this lotion every evening for 20–30 days. If the skin is dry, then 1 glass of vodka can be replaced with 1 glass of wine.
For freshness and velvety facial skin, make a mask of fresh juice, applied to a cleansed face. After 15-20 minutes, wash off the mask with cool water.
For flaky and dry skin, this mask is suitable: 3-4 berries, 1 teaspoon of sour cream (you can use rich cream) and 1 teaspoon of honey. After 20 minutes, rinse the mask with warm water.

Harvesting wild strawberries

An excellent way to prepare strawberries is to freeze the berries, thus preserving all their beneficial properties.

Another very simple and tasty way to prepare berries is strawberry jam or berries in their own juice.
And from dried strawberry leaves in the forest winter you can make aromatic strawberry tea.

Contraindications for use

Allergy to strawberries. Some people may experience hives, swelling, and itchy skin even from the sight and smell of strawberries.
It is not recommended to use strawberry preparations during pregnancy, prolonged hepatic and renal colic, increased secretion of gastric juice, and appendicitis.

When taking strawberries on an empty stomach, nausea and abdominal pain may occur. In this case, it is better to eat it with sour cream or cream after eating 30 minutes later.

Strawberries are contraindicated for duodenal ulcers and biliary dyskinesia. Complications may occur with pancreatitis.

Strawberries are a very tasty and valuable storehouse of vitamins. After all, everyone knows how much vitamin C, antioxidants, vitamin B9 and microelements are in it, which is so beneficial for the body. This berry is very useful for anemia, gout, and some diseases of the digestive tract. It has a very good effect on the cardiovascular system of the human body. And besides, strawberries are a low-calorie product, which promotes weight loss. Dried strawberries retains all its beneficial properties during two years of storage and has a beneficial effect on the body. Part dried strawberries includes not only vitamins, but also water, fats, carbohydrates, organic substances, folic and other acids, minerals.

Dried berries are especially valuable because they contain pectic acids, which help remove toxins from the body. Therefore, doctors recommend including strawberries in your daily diet to support immunity and prevent many diseases. It is especially useful to use them during the period of exacerbation of seasonal diseases, namely late autumn and early spring. Doctors have proven that constant consumption of strawberries not only improves health, but also normalizes sleep, has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, produces collagen, making your skin look toned, well-groomed and younger. Also berries dried strawberries are famous as a powerful antidepressant. Experts say that this tasty berry can prevent the development of esophageal cancer, and to do this you just need to eat sixty grams of this valuable product a day.

You can even dry the berries at home. To do this, you need to purchase an electric dryer, or you can dry it the old fashioned way - in the sun or in the oven. For these purposes, it is imperative to choose only slightly unripe berries. Then you need to carefully inspect all the selected berries for spoilage and rinse in clean running water. When the berries are dry, cut them into thin slices and distribute them in a thin layer on electric drying trays. It takes about five to six hours to dry the strawberries, periodically changing the trays. If you still decide, then carefully place the slices on parchment paper and dry at a temperature of forty to forty-five degrees. Or you can even string pure strawberries on a thread and hang them in the sun. The result is an excellent delicacy that can be used in home baking, in food, and also as a decoration for desserts. This storehouse of vitamins is stored in tightly sealed glass containers or gauze bags in a cool, dark place. Under such conditions, strawberries will be stored for more than a month, or even a year. Don’t forget that even with proper storage, dried strawberries can spoil, so don’t be lazy and regularly inspect your supplies, ventilate them, and rearrange them.

Remember, dried strawberries retain all their beneficial properties. How pleasant and healthy it is to drink tea on long evenings with this aromatic berry. It is also an excellent treat for young children. You can also try and make delicious confectionery powder at home. To do this, you need to select beautiful, whole, undamaged berries, wash, dry them using an electric dryer, and then carefully grind them in an electric meat grinder. As a result, we get aromatic powder that can be used to make confectionery, drinks and simply to decorate dishes. Whatever you say, strawberries are the most delicious and healthy berries.

Since ancient times, man has hunted and gathered, and berries, fruits and fruits, in particular wild strawberries, occupied not the least place in his menu. Our ancestors could only guess about its beneficial properties, but with the development of science and natural history, it was proven that this berry, exuding an unsurpassed aroma and incredibly tasty, can help in the treatment of a variety of ailments.

It is useful both fresh and dried. In addition, its leaves are also of medicinal interest.

Composition and properties

The beneficial properties of both fresh and dried strawberries are inexhaustible. It contains vitamins C and group B, organic acids, tannins, pectin, nitrogenous substances, alkaloids, as well as a huge amount of minerals - iron, cobalt, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, zinc, chromium, aluminum, selenium, nickel, iodine, etc. .

The calcium in its composition is easily digestible, which makes it possible to recommend it for use by children, because it is required by the growing skeleton and bones. It contains practically no sugar, but it contains natural glucose and fructose, which determines the dietary properties of this berry. Dried strawberries are used to improve digestion, quench thirst and hunger, eliminate inflammation and ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract, biliary and urinary tracts. Experts advise eating it for gastritis, colitis, dysentery, atherosclerosis, various types of asthma, hemorrhoidal and uterine bleeding.

Dried strawberry leaves also have pronounced beneficial properties. They are able to stop bleeding and have a mild diuretic, antiseptic, choleretic and antitumor effect. A decoction of the leaves is used for respiratory tract infections, fibroids and other gynecological problems associated with menstrual irregularities in women.

The use of dried wild strawberry leaves has a positive effect on leukemia. To do this, the plant is collected during flowering and dug out along with the roots. The raw materials are crushed and 1 tbsp. l. pour a glass of freshly boiled water. Drink 2-3 mugs a day as tea, adding honey if desired.

In this case, a week-long course of treatment is alternated with a week-long break, and so on until complete recovery. And if there is a malignant tumor in the nasopharynx, then gargle with this decoction. Strawberries are taken not only internally, but also externally, using fresh and dried berries to treat acne, eczema, small wounds, whitening age spots and prolonging the youthfulness of the skin and its beauty.

How to dry and store strawberries

There are several recipes for drying strawberries. Ground parts and berries can be dried on regular cotton cloth in a well-ventilated place. In this case, the weather should be sunny, but direct rays should be avoided. You can bring it into the house at night and take it out again in the morning.

Typically, you can have dried strawberries in a couple of weeks. Recipes for obtaining dry raw materials also include oven drying. It is necessary to warm the cabinet to a temperature of 35°C and place the berries on a baking sheet.

An hour is enough for them to dry out, after which you can increase the temperature to 60°C and simmer for another couple of hours. After this time, you can use the raw materials for their intended purpose, for example, prepare an infusion of dried berries and shoots.

With the advent of special household assistants in the kitchens of modern housewives, drying berries, fruits and vegetables has become even easier. If you have a fruit dehydrator or an air fryer, you can use it for these purposes. Read the instructions for the device carefully and do as it says. Dried strawberries, when cooked correctly, have a dark red color and shiny grains.

How to properly store dried strawberries?

Previously, it was placed in special linen bags, but this did not save the berries from all kinds of pests. Today, special tin cans are sold for bulk products, and it is recommended to use them for these purposes. In addition, berries can be stored in glass containers for 2 years.

Cooking recipes

The use of leaves and berries is reflected in these recipes for the preparation of healing infusions and potions:

It is recommended to wipe oily and combination skin with an alcohol infusion based on strawberries. Pour a glass of berries with 1.5 glasses of vodka, leave in the refrigerator for a month, then strain and use for facial skin care;
For gastrointestinal diseases, 2 tbsp. l. pour the above-ground parts into a thermos with a glass of boiling water in the evening, and in the morning strain and take 1/3 glass throughout the day as tea after meals;
For diseases of the genitourinary system and disorders of water-salt metabolism, steam 20 g of dry pre-crushed raw materials with a glass of heated water, put the container on the fire and boil for 5-10 minutes. Leave for 2 hours, then filter and bring the volume of liquid to the original volume. Use 1 tbsp. l. 3 times during the entire waking time;

To improve health and for vitamin deficiency, add a couple of strawberry leaves and a few berries to regular tea, and drink this drink throughout the day.

Strawberries have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. The diuretic property of strawberries is due to their high potassium content. An infusion of strawberry leaves is non-toxic; it dilates blood vessels. improves heart function. Strawberries are a wound-healing and cosmetic product known since ancient times.

Application

Strawberry tea helps remove salts from the body in case of gout, arthritis and arthrosis.

Strawberries are also useful for women's health; they can be used for uterine bleeding and as a means of reducing the permeability of blood vessels and toning smooth muscles. Strawberries are also used for anemia during pregnancy and in young children.

Due to its powerful phytoncidal action, it is used externally for hemorrhoids and for the treatment of purulent, weeping and long-lasting wounds and ulcers.

Strawberries produce aromatic, tasty tea of rich color, with a large amount of vitamin C, which is simply irreplaceable in winter and during periods of vitamin deficiency.

Since time immemorial, strawberries have been valued as a tasty, nutritious and wonderful medicinal plant. Popular wisdom says: “In a house where there are strawberries, a doctor has nothing to do!”

Hurry up to buy strawberries, and health will come to your home!

Common name: wild strawberry, Victoria

At the end of May, small bushes covered with white flowers appear in forest clearings and edges - this is how everyone’s favorite forest strawberry blooms. In June, she will delight adults and children with fragrant berries.

Strawberry is a perennial herbaceous plant with creeping shoots. The strawberry leaf is trifoliate, on a high stalk, the inflorescence is a multi-flowered shield with white petals. Strawberries are juicy, rich red in color, have a unique aroma and pleasant taste.

Strawberries grow throughout the European part of Russia and are found in Siberia and Central Asia. In nature, there are several varieties of wild strawberries. Everyone knows the nutritional properties of the berry, but the strawberry leaf is no less useful.

Chemical composition

Strawberries are a real storehouse of biologically active substances. They contain: glycosides and flavonoids (which strengthen the walls of capillaries), ascorbic acid, catechins, essential oils, alkaloids, tannins, carotene.

Strawberries are rich in organic acids and various minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, etc.). And the vitamin C content in a strawberry leaf reaches 300 mg, which is exactly 6 (!) times higher than the vitamin C content in strawberry berries.

Mode of application

Infusion: 1 tbsp. spoon of strawberries in 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes. Drink 3-4 times a day before meals, store in a cool place for no more than a day

Decoction: 1 tbsp. A spoonful of dry strawberries is poured with 1 cup of boiling water. Boil in a water bath for 15 minutes, leave for 10 minutes and drink half a glass 3 times a day before meals.

Contraindications

Individual intolerance.

Composition of the product

Strawberries.

Where can I buy?

If you want to order dried strawberries, the Russian Roots herbal store is at your service! The store's website has a convenient catalog where you can select the product you are interested in and place an order. All products presented in the store have quality certificates.

You can pick up your order at one of the Russian Roots herbal pharmacies, which are located in Moscow and Moscow Region, and also arrange postal delivery if you live in another region of the Russian Federation.

Strawberries are one of those plants in which not only the fruits, but also the leaves are useful. Properly dried strawberries retain their healing properties and aroma for 2 years, which is more than enough.

To prepare strawberry tea, strawberries can be dried along with the leaves and stem without picking the berries. Tie the strawberry leaves together with the inflorescences into small bouquets and hang them in a well-ventilated area.

At an air temperature of +25 degrees, such drying will take a week. Check the berries and leaves and if they are dry enough, cut the bouquets with scissors for more convenient storage and subsequent brewing of tea.

You should not leave strawberries to dry for a long time. It will dry out, lose its aroma, and flies with dust will make the healthy berry inedible and even dangerous.

Place dried strawberries with leaves in glass jars, close with a tight lid and store in a dark and cool place.

Strawberries dried in the oven or electric dryer

In this case, the strawberries are dried separately, without leaves and stalks. It is strictly forbidden to wash the berries before drying; only manual cleaning of debris is allowed.

Strawberries and wild strawberries absorb water too quickly, and during forced drying, the washed berries spread into a small blot that cannot be removed from the dryer rack or parchment paper.

In the oven, first dry the berries a little, setting the minimum temperature to about 30 degrees for 2 hours. Then increase the temperature to 50 degrees, stirring occasionally, until completely dry.

Strawberries are dried in an electric dryer for 5 hours at a temperature of 30 degrees, then dried at 65 degrees until ready.

On average, to get a glass of dried strawberries, you need 2 liter jars of fresh berries.

But who uses strawberries only for treatment, if it can become a real delicacy?

Strawberry marshmallow in an electric dryer

Strawberry marshmallows are very easy to prepare and store just as well as regular dried strawberries.

If you have any crushed strawberries left, or ones you had to wash, put them in a blender, add a little sugar and blend until smooth.

Lubricate the tray of the electric dryer with vegetable oil and place the strawberry mass in the tray, in a layer of no more than 0.5 cm. Set the temperature of the electric dryer to 60 degrees, and after 10 hours of tedious waiting, you will finally get the long-awaited strawberry marshmallow.

If you don’t eat everything right away, roll it up, cut it, and you can dry it a little more for longer storage.

For more information about drying strawberries, watch the video: