2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Dogwood is a magical Bulgarian tree that symbolizes hope for the future, health and life. It is present in many traditions and customs, it is used for divination and naming. Thinking about what is a New Year's pie without a dogwood branch or a Christmas cake without dogwood branches.
Dogwood is the tree with which we survaka for fertility and health. The flowers of dogwood are yellow, located on lateral short branches, two, three or four. Dogwood blooms before leafing, but gives a harvest only in September-October. Its small red fruits are an invaluable source of vitamins and minerals.
In Bulgaria, dogwood is found mostly in deciduous forests, but can be grown in the home garden without any problems. There are different types of decorative dogwood that can be used as natural fences. Dogwood blooms in February-March, and the fruits ripen in August-October.
The flowering one dogwood is one of the most popular ornamental trees in America. The leaves of this dogwood in summer are dark green above and silvery below, and in autumn they turn a beautiful red color, shining gently and romantically in the autumn sun.
Chemical composition of dogwood
The bark and root of the tree contain organic acids, tannins, corin glycoside. Dogwood leaves have a high content of tannins, vitamin E and vitamin C. The fruits are rich in natural sugars / glucose and fructose up to 17% /; organic acids - succinic, citric, malic; mineral salts of potassium, magnesium, sulfur, iron and calcium.
The fruit also contains phytoncides, essential oil, glycosides, flavonoids, pectin, nitrogen and tannins. They are rich in vitamin P, vitamin C and provitamin A.
Collection and storage of dogwood
Harvesting the fruits of dogwood it should start after they acquire their natural red color, without waiting for them to soften or darken. Overripe fruits fall off very quickly, resulting in large losses. The harvested fruit must be left to ripen. Do not pick dogwood in rainy weather or dew, because wet fruits are very easily damaged.
It is important to know that the fruits of dogwood they do not ripen at the same time, which requires that the harvest be carried out several times or that the picked fruits be sorted together by degree of ripeness. Maturation takes place in dry rooms and lasts from one week to 10 days. After this period, well-ripened fruits darken, soften, become much more fragrant and sweet.
Dogwood in cooking
As we mentioned, the cake and pie for Christmas and New Year would not be the same without a sprig of dogwood. But this does not end the application of dogwood in cooking.
Cornflowers are most often used to make juices, jellies or amazing wine. For the production of dogwood juice, extraction by steam extraction is recommended, but it can also be obtained by centrifugation or pressing. To do this, pour well-ripened cornflowers with water so that it covers them.
Leave to stand overnight. After this period, remove the stones and extract the juice, to which you can add sugar and a few drops of lemon juice. Cornflower juice is suitable for mixing with all types of slightly acidic fruit juices.
The necessary products for dogwood jelly are 2 kg of dogwood, 5 g of tartaric acid and 700 g of sugar. Wash and clean the cornflowers, then fill them with water so that they are covered. Cook them until they change color and soften.
The juice is filtered and boiled with sugar. The jelly is completely ready when a sample taken from it and placed on the edge of a plate is gelled. Finally, add tartaric acid and boil for another 2-3 minutes.
Benefits of dogwood
Dogwood juice is useful in exhaustion after a serious illness, increases appetite and is useful in the treatment of tuberculosis. It is often used for inflammation, as well as to relieve fever and chills. It is suitable for iron deficiency anemia, for disturbed alkaline-acid balance of the body.
Its consumption is recommended for skin diseases, metabolic disorders, used as a good choleretic and hematopoietic agent. Fresh dogwood juice is extremely rich in vitamin C, which unfortunately is almost lost in dried dogwood.
Dogwood fruit has a good astringent and phytoncide effect, which is why it is used for colitis and diarrhea. The high content of potassium, vitamin C and fruit acids is extremely useful in the treatment of gastric diseases.
Cornflowers have a good diuretic effect, so it is used in diseases of the urinary tract, stones and grit in the kidneys. Cornflowers are also used for gout, bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract. Decoction of dogwood helps with inflamed gums.
