How to prepare a tincture of viburnum?
Kalina is the most popular plant that almost every one of us knows about. There are many legends, poems and songs about this berry, it is painted on canvases, walls and dishes, and also embroidered on canvas. And it's not just that, viburnum is a traditional Russian berry. It is very popular in cosmetology, the pharmaceutical industry, folk and modern medicine, and it is also used to make pleasant-tasting drinks.
Plant features
Kalina is a deciduous tree or shrub, belongs to the Adox family. It reaches a height of 4-5 meters, is a long-liver (it can live more than 50 years). This completely unpretentious plant is usually found in areas with a temperate climate. Likes spacious light areas with moist soil. Very often this sprawling shrub can be found near the banks of rivers, near lakes and streams.
The fruits of the viburnum are round in shape, when they ripen, they acquire a bright red color. In the center of the berry there is a stone, it is round or oval, wide and flattened. The fruits ripen in September, they are very juicy, bitter and astringent in taste.
After the first frost hits, the berries become sweeter and the bitterness goes away. It is at this time that it is necessary to collect fruits for the manufacture of tinctures. Such a drink made from fresh berries will have a special aroma, an unusual sweetish astringent taste and delight with a bright color.
The berries contain carbohydrates, pectins, triterpenoids, organic acids, steroids, a large amount of B and A vitamins, ascorbic and folic acids, derivatives of phenocarboxylic acids and potassium salts.
In connection with this composition, viburnum tincture has the following medicinal and beneficial properties:
- anti-inflammatory;
- antibacterial;
- sedative;
- anticonvulsant;
- hemostatic;
- antiseptic;
- contraceptive;
- diaphoretic;
- laxative;
- expectorant;
- anthelmintic;
- astringent;
- antitumor.
Such a wide spectrum of action of Kalinovka allows it to be used in all branches of medical science: gastroenterology, nephrology, hematology, pulmonology, neurology, psychiatry, dermatology, etc.
Indications for use
Folk healers have long used viburnum tincture for the prevention and treatment of many diseases, keeping the recipe a secret. But, despite the development of the pharmaceutical industry, today there is a huge number of recipes that can be made at home and actively used in the event of the following ailments:
- bacterial and viral infections;
- gastritis and duodenitis;
- angina, scarlet fever, laryngitis;
- hypertonic disease;
- myocarditis, pericarditis;
- glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis;
- chronic constipation;
- parasitic diseases: helminthic invasion, giardiasis;
- insomnia;
- disorders of hormonal and metabolic processes and many other diseases.
In addition, people often use this pleasant drink from viburnum for holidays, meetings, relaxation, uplifting, and also add it to confectionery for an exquisite taste.
Are there any restrictions?
Viburnum tincture has some restrictions in admission.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women, children.
- People who suffer from low blood pressure should not take viburnum tincture, as it has a strong hypotensive effect.
- It is not recommended to take viburnum for people who are sick with chronic gastritis, duodenitis or gastric ulcer with increased secretion, especially during an exacerbation. In remission with these diseases, viburnum has a therapeutic effect in the correct dosage.
- Allergy sufferers are also contraindicated in taking this drink, since some substances contained in the fruit juice can cause an allergic reaction.
- Kalinovka should not be taken for gout and rheumatoid arthritis due to the high content of various acids in it.
Cooking methods
There are a huge number of different recipes: tincture can be made with vodka, moonshine, alcohol, lemon, honey, sugar and various additives. Let's take a look at how you can cook a delicious, fragrant tincture of viburnum on your own at home.
- Classic, traditional recipe for viburnum tincture on vodka. You need to take 1 kg of viburnum berries, 1 liter of vodka, 200 grams of granulated sugar. The fruits must first be crushed so that the juice comes out of them. After that, transfer all the ingredients into a glass jar and pour vodka. Such a drink should be infused for 30 days.
You can use the tincture earlier, but it will not have such a pronounced taste and beneficial properties, because the longer the drink is infused, the more aromatic and tastier it will be.
- Tincture of viburnum with lemon on alcohol. You will need 300 grams of viburnum, 1 large lemon, alcohol diluted to 45 degrees 0.5 liters, 200 ml of water, 200 grams of honey or maple syrup.Viburnum berries must first be mashed. To do this, you can use a meat grinder, blender or knead yourself with a spoon. Dilute honey in water and boil the mixture. The resulting syrup must be cooled, and then pour viburnum juice and alcohol into it. Pour the drink into a glass jar and put in a dark, cool place. Everything should be infused no more than 2-3 weeks.
- Pouring from viburnum and raspberries on moonshine. Take 1 kg of viburnum fruits and 0.5 kg of raspberries, pour 250 grams of granulated sugar. Let the mixture stand for a day, then the juice will stand out. Then add the moonshine and put on a slow fire so that the sugar is completely dissolved. Cool and pour into a jar. You can insist the drink for at least a week, after which it is ready for use.
- Kalinovka with sugar. You will need to prepare viburnum juice for this recipe. Take 0.5 kg of berries and pass through a juicer. Next, prepare the sugar syrup. To do this, dissolve 150 grams of powdered sugar in water, boil, cool. Then mix all the ingredients in a glass bottle and add 1 liter of vodka there. Close the container tightly with a lid and shake. Store in a dark, cool place for at least 3 weeks. Then the drink is ready to drink.
- Honey viburnum. Take 300 grams of honey, dissolve in 0.5 liters of water, put the drink on low heat until it boils. Pour 1 glass of viburnum fruits with hot honey syrup and tightly close the container with a lid. Move the container to a dark, cool place. Insist 14 days. Before drinking, you can squeeze half a lemon into the drink.
- Quick recipe for viburnum liqueur. For this drink, you will need 1 kg of viburnum berries and 0.5 liters of water. To begin with, put the viburnum with water on a slow fire and cook a rich fruit drink.After boiling, add 0.5 kg of powdered sugar to the drink, it will dissolve very quickly. Cool the liquid and pour 0.5 liters of vodka and moonshine into it, choose what you prefer. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate.
Viburnum liqueur can be consumed the next day after production.
- Berry tincture of viburnum. Here you can show your imagination and collect your favorite berries in this drink. You can use cranberries, raspberries, chokeberries, cherries and many other berries as an additive. As a basis, you need to take viburnum, which should be 500 g, and the rest of the berries - 200 g each. Use a combination of 3-4 types of different fruits, so the taste will be more unusual. Vodka will need half a liter and 200 ml of boiled water, as well as 400 grams of sugar. We mix everything and leave to infuse for at least 20 days, after which we take out the drink and filter it. It is better to store in the refrigerator.
Recommendations
You need to know the following:
- Before taking viburnum tincture, make sure that this alcoholic drink is not contraindicated for you.
- If you picked the berries before the first frost, and they are a little bitter, put them in the freezer for half an hour. This is how you can quickly eliminate the unpleasant bitter taste.
- When preparing a medicinal drink at home, use only ripe, whole berries. Do not forget to sort them out and rinse them from dust and other particles.
- In order to have more juice in the berries, first freeze them, and then pour boiling water over them and pass them through a juicer.
- Use only proven moonshine, vodka or alcohol.
- If you plan to insist Kalinovka on alcohol, be sure to dilute it to 40 degrees with water.
- The longer you insist Kalinovka, the higher the concentration of nutrients.
- Always follow the recipe for making a drink, as if you do not follow the rules and proportions, you can harm your body.
Store your drink only in glass containers, as plastic bottles release chemicals over time that are harmful to the body. When storing the tincture in plastic, the release of toxic substances increases due to alcohol. They dissolve well in the drink, which will be consumed in the future.
How to prepare viburnum tincture, see the following video.