All parts of this unique tree have long been used in folk medicine, especially the berries, which are considered multivitamin. They contain a huge supply of essential microelements for humans, antibacterial agents of plant origin, oils, and acids. How to properly store sea buckthorn so that it does not lose all its magical properties?
Picking berries and preparing for storage
An important feature of sea buckthorn fruits is that they begin to deteriorate within a couple of hours after harvesting. The reason for this is the intense release of a plant hormone - ethylene.
Fruit harvest time
Sea buckthorn is harvested in the fall. Choose sunny, dry weather for this. The procedure is combined with parallel processing of the fruit, which must be carried out in just a couple of hours. The exact timing of fruit harvest depends not only on the variety, but also on how the crop is planned to be used further. The optimal time for picking berries is considered to be the end of August - mid-September, but it may vary depending on the region.
How to determine the ripeness of sea buckthorn
To prepare compotes, jellies, jams or eat fresh sea buckthorn, it is collected at a time when the berries become deep yellow, but not yet bright orange. During this period, the skin on them is thick, and there is still a little juice, so it is convenient to harvest. The bright orange fruits are considered overripe and are used only for oil and juice. Light-colored fruits contain the most vitamins and nutrients.
How and with what to harvest
Harvesting sea buckthorn berries is not an easy process, so gardeners are always trying to make it easier by inventing new methods and devices. Popular devices include:
- cobra;
- scraper;
- special gloves;
- slingshot with a string made of fishing line.
As for the methods by which fruits are collected, the most popular among gardeners are:
- manual;
- scissors or tweezers;
- squeezing juice directly from branches;
- cutting fruit branches with pruning shears;
- use of various inventions and devices.
Methods and duration of berry storage
Several methods have been developed to preserve sea buckthorn berries at home without losing their beneficial properties.
True, there are certain storage rules that must be followed when choosing one or another option for preparing a vitamin product for the winter.
Fresh sea buckthorn
To keep sea buckthorn fresh longer, it is better to collect it directly on the branch. Vitamin C in berries is not destroyed, so the harvest can be stored for about 30 days, provided that the air temperature in the storage does not exceed +3 0C. Fruits on branches can be sent to the fruit storage compartment of the refrigerator.
Freezing
In the freezer, sea buckthorn does not lose its valuable qualities throughout the year. Before sending the berries to the chamber, you need to clear them of debris, sort them, and carefully rinse them in a bowl of cold water. Place clean fruits on a napkin and let dry thoroughly. Cover the board with cling film, scatter sea buckthorn on it in one layer and place in the freezer for a day. After that, move it into a food container and put it back into the chamber. Under no circumstances should fruits be re-frozen.
Drying
If there are no conditions for freezing or storing fresh berries, then you can simply dry them. True, this requires some effort. The fruits must be sorted, washed and allowed to dry. After this, dilute 1 tsp in a liter of water. baking soda and heat to almost boiling point. Throw sea buckthorn into this liquid for a few seconds and immediately rinse with water, let dry and place on baking sheets previously covered with paper. In sunny and hot weather, the berries will be ready in about a month.
Conservation
Sea buckthorn can be preserved in different ways.The easiest way is to pour hot syrup over the fruits sorted and poured into a glass container, close the lid, let cool and store in a cool room. You can also put the berries in jars, leaving a little less filling to the edges. Place the container in hot water up to the shoulders and keep it there until the sea buckthorn releases juice and shrinks. After about 20 min. The jars are removed, hermetically sealed and sent to storage.
Sugaring of fruits
To candied sea buckthorn, you will need to take the same amount of fruit and granulated sugar (you can add even a little more sugar). The fruits are sorted and washed in a bowl of cool water, laid out on a towel and allowed to dry. After this, carefully mix the berries with (part of) sugar and place them in jars, filling them three-quarters full. The remaining volume is filled with granulated sugar, covered with a lid and sent to the refrigerator.
Soaked sea buckthorn
Soaked sea buckthorn is prepared from freshly picked berries. To do this, they are laid out in glass jars, filled with boiled water, cooled to room temperature, hermetically sealed and sent to the refrigerator or basement.
Sea buckthorn juice
To prepare a vitamin drink, sea buckthorn is sorted and passed through a juicer. The squeezed juice is put in a cold place, and the waste is poured with water so that it covers them a little, and left to infuse for an hour. After this, the cake is squeezed out, and the infusion is poured into the cooled juice, after which everything is filtered through cheesecloth and heated to 75 0C. The pure drink is poured into glass containers and pasteurized at 80 0C, sealed and placed in the basement.
Making jam
To make beautiful and tasty jam you will need:
- ripe sea buckthorn fruits - 1000 g;
- granulated sugar - 1500 g;
- water - 0.5 l.
The berries are sorted, washed and allowed to dry. You can blanch them for 3 minutes to get rid of the bitterness. Water is mixed with sugar and a thick syrup is boiled, after which it is filtered and poured over sea buckthorn. The drenched fruits are left to steep for 4 hours, after which the syrup is poured into a saucepan, put on fire and boiled for 15 minutes, then the berries are poured in and simmered over low heat for 30 minutes. When the jam is ready, they will become almost transparent and the liquid will become thick. Caramel syrup should not spread when it gets on a plate. The dessert is poured into jars and preserved.
