Sweet cherry: benefits and harm to human health

Cherry is sometimes called a sweet medicine. Indeed, it contains a lot of useful substances - vitamins, minerals, anthocyanins, which help improve the condition of blood vessels and joints.

What is the difference between cherries and cherries

Cherries and cherries are very similar to each other. From a botanical point of view, this is understandable. After all, both trees belong to the same family of Rosaceae. And that they are biological relatives, gardeners have known since ancient times, long before the advent of genetics. Therefore, at present, most of the modern varieties are the result of crossing cherries and cherries. However, even today, both the trees themselves and their fruits differ from each other.

First of all, you need to learn to distinguish which tree in front of you is a cherry or a cherry, because they are also very similar. Cherry has a brownish, more saturated shade, the leaves are small, bright green, the crown is spherical, and the root system can be horizontal and vertical. Cherry bark is lighter, it may have a silver or light reddish hue. The root system can only be horizontal, and the crown has a more elongated, ovoid shape.

But, of course, the main difference is the fruits themselves. Cherry berries have only red hues, always very juicy, but slightly sour. This acidity is preserved even in jam. Cherry fruits are usually larger. They can be of different shades: yellow, red, pink and almost black. For the winter, it is recommended to dry or freeze them, since jam often turns out to be sweetly sweet.

What is more useful: cherry or cherry

Both berries have a similar chemical composition, but not completely identical. Nutritionists argue that cherries have a much richer mineral composition and fewer carbohydrates than cherries. But in fact, their glycemic index does not differ much, it is 22 units for cherries and 25 for cherries. The energy value is also almost the same. So with diabetes, cherries are considered more useful, but cherry need not be completely abandoned.

In addition, cherry fruits contain more hormone melatonin, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the endocrine system and reduce bad cholesterol. Therefore, cherries are advised to use for people suffering from diseases of the thyroid gland. But the cherry contains substances that allow you to fight inflammation and pain in the joints. Therefore, it is recommended as a more useful product for arthritis and gout.

How many cherries can I eat per day

Doctors, despite all the benefits of cherries, recommend not to get involved in this product. The maximum amount of fresh cherries is 300 g per meal and not more than 1 kg per day. Otherwise, digestive problems can occur, including severe diarrhea. At the same time, to minimize unpleasant consequences, cherries should be consumed either as an independent dish for a snack, or as a dessert no earlier than half an hour after the main meal.

Of course, you can only use a quality product, and you can determine the degree of ripeness of the berry by the color of the stem. It must be green, if it is brown, then the cherry is overripe, and such a product will not bring special benefits.

Can I eat at night

Many people think that since you can’t eat heavy meals for dinner, you need to replace them with berries, such as cherries. But in fact, this is not entirely true, since this fetus has a mild laxative and diuretic effect, and the night can be restless. On the other hand, if you eat 5-10 berries, nothing bad will happen.

It is best to eat cherries for breakfast or afternoon tea. Many people think that this is not a good idea, because there will not be enough protein in such a meal. In fact, you can supplement the berries with low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt, cheese or a handful of nuts. Then it will saturate the dish with proteins, and carbohydrates will be absorbed more slowly, keeping the blood sugar level at the same level.

Composition and calorie content

The energy value of cherries is only 52–62 kcal per 100 g, depending on the variety. Moreover, its composition contains the most water (82–85.7 g) and carbohydrates - 10.6–16 g. The rest are proteins, fats (together a little over 1%) and a number of useful substances, which will be discussed below. In particular, cherries contain:

1. Anthocyanins (250 mg per 100 g) are substances from the group of flavonoids. On the one hand, they are responsible for the red and purple color of the berries. In yellow cherries they are practically not contained. On the other hand, they have anti-inflammatory properties, are responsible for the barrier function of the intestine, which helps prevent serious diseases.
2. Coumarins are substances that have antispasmodic and antitumor effects.
3. Carbohydrates - glucose, fructose. At the same time, 75% of carbohydrates are fructose, which is easily and without harmful effects absorbed by the body. Therefore, these berries can be consumed even by those who suffer from diabetes (of course, in small quantities). At the same time, it is proved that fructose improves the pancreas.
4. Pectins - normalize the digestion process, improve bowel function.
5. Vitamin C (15 mg) - responsible for blood circulation.
6. Vitamin PP - good for vision.
7. Tocopherol (or group E vitamin - 0.3 mg) is an antioxidant.
8. B vitamins - normalize the nervous system and accelerate metabolism.
9. Iron (1.8 mg, or 10% of the daily norm) - this element is necessary for the normal functioning of the hematopoiesis system.
10. Potassium (233 mg, this is more than 9% of the daily norm) - is needed to normalize blood pressure, to strengthen the heart muscle.
11. Calcium (33 mg) - is necessary to strengthen blood vessels.
12. Magnesium (24 mg) - has an antispasmodic effect.
13. Phosphorus (28 mg) - is necessary for a normal metabolic process, improves cognitive function.

Thus, due to the vitamin composition, cherries will be useful for people suffering from iron deficiency anemia, pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, and dermatological diseases.

What is useful cherry

General benefit

Although the chemical composition of different types of cherries may vary slightly, in fact they are all equally useful.

1. The pigment melanin contained in sweet cherry protects the skin from the aggressive effects of sunlight and prevents the development of cancer. So it is recommended that residents of the southern regions snack on these berries as often as possible, observing, of course, reasonable moderation in terms of serving volumes.
2. The pulp of berries contains a lot of copper, which stimulates the active formation of collagen protein, which provides elasticity and firmness of the skin, which allows to prolong its youth.
3. Sweet cherry should be consumed by everyone who has encountered diseases of the cardiovascular system. Coumarins, anthocyanins and vitamins help strengthen not only the heart muscles and large vessels, but also the capillaries.In addition, coumarins can help reduce blood clotting, and this prevents the formation of blood clots, so that cherries are an excellent preventive measure against heart attacks and strokes.
4. The abundance of soluble fiber, which has a mild laxative effect, makes cherries an excellent cure for constipation, not only effective, but also very tasty.
5. Cherries contain a lot of vitamin C. Scientists still argue how important it plays in the formation of the immune system. However, it is absolutely known that it improves the absorption of iron. Therefore, eating cherries should be vegetarians, as well as people who adhere to strict diets, since in the absence of meat in the diet, the risk of developing anemia is seriously increased.

For women

For the fair sex, cherries are useful for several reasons.

Firstly, it contains substances that can stabilize the hormonal background, and this favorably affects the menstrual cycle and makes the process less painful.

Secondly, the use of cherries helps prevent the formation of blood clots, from which blood clots could form in the future. This problem is most often encountered by women who for a long time use hormonal contraceptives in the form of tablets.

In addition, blood thinning is very important for women during menopause, so that they will also benefit from cherries. It also contains a lot of tocopherol (that is, vitamin E), which is an antioxidant and ensures the beauty and youth of the skin.

For men

For representatives of the stronger sex, cherries are useful in that they reduce the level of bad cholesterol, and this problem is most often encountered by men. Thus, regular consumption of fresh, dried or frozen cherries can prevent cardiovascular diseases.

In addition, the anthocyanins and antioxidants contained in the cherry prevent the development of prostate tumors. Also, this berry has a positive effect on the production of male sex hormones. Doctors recommend that men eat at least 100 g of cherry berries daily to prevent erectile dysfunction.

This berry will be useful to those who are actively involved in sports. It is believed that it not only gives energy and helps to restore strength, but also prevents the appearance of muscle pain that can occur after active training. Moreover, for all these purposes, it is better to use dark varieties of cherries, which contain more substances that positively affect the heart and blood vessels.

During pregnancy

Sweet cherry is very useful for expectant mothers. It contains beta-carotene and vitamin A. These substances provide renewal of skin cells, mucous membranes, hair and nails, the state of which during pregnancy often suffers. Cherry also contains B vitamins, which are necessary for normal metabolic processes, and it is very important for expectant mothers to maintain optimal weight, otherwise edema will be inevitable. In addition, these vitamins normalize the functioning of the nervous system, which allows a woman to get rid of anxiety and irritability, as well as mood swings, especially often occurring in the first trimester.

Vitamin PP is needed for cellular respiration, so that the fetus receives enough oxygen, it helps prevent hypoxia with its dangerous consequences for the child. During pregnancy, ascorbic acid is needed not only to strengthen immunity, but also to cope with fast fatigue - many women face this problem associated with hormonal changes in the body.

Cherry fruits with their mild diuretic effect stimulate the kidneys, removing excess fluid - its stagnation during pregnancy is explained by the fact that the load on this organ is greatly increased.Anthocyanins and coumarins help normalize blood pressure, while in the second and third trimester, many women experience an increase in blood pressure due to an increase in blood volume in the body.

Fiber with its mild laxative effect does not affect the tone of the uterus, but at the same time it helps to easily cope with constipation, which many expectant mothers suffer from.

Finally, in the early stages of cherries helps to cope with attacks of morning sickness. But for such a result, you need to eat literally 3-4 berries, just so as not to experience any attacks of hunger or vomiting. Sometimes these berries even help to cope with headaches in the early stages of pregnancy.

Ripe cherries contain many vitamins, organic acids and minerals. Such a composition:

• beneficial effect on the formation of the placenta and fetal development;
• prevents anemia;
• provides cleansing the body of toxins;
• prevents and treats varicose veins;
• helps strengthen fetal bones;
• improves cardiac activity;
• stimulates collagen production and helps prevent stretch marks.

Of course, all this applies to those cases when the future mother is not allergic to cherries. In order not to take risks, you can replace the red berries with yellow ones - they do not cause a similar reaction. In any case, before including the berries in the diet, you should consult your doctor.

When breastfeeding

Young children are very sensitive to their mother’s diet, their own digestive system is only just being formed, and allergic reactions can occur even with relatively harmless foods. Therefore, until the baby is two months old, the sweet cherry should be removed from the diet of a young mother. However, in the future it will bring only benefit.

1. The B vitamins contained in it normalize the nervous system, help stabilize the emotional state and prevent postpartum depression.
2. The antioxidants and minerals that make up the berry will help improve the condition of the skin, hair and nails.
3. In addition, the cherry normalizes the digestive processes and speeds up the metabolism, which allows you to get rid of the extra pounds that a woman gains during pregnancy.

However, you need to consume cherries in reasonable quantities, looking closely at the baby's reaction to this product. First you need to try to drink 1 tbsp. sweet cherry juice. If the child does not have allergies, colic does not appear, you can eat several berries and check the baby’s reaction again.

For a nursing mother, the maximum amount of sweet cherry is 300 g per day.

For kids

The benefits of cherries for the child's body are undeniable. And every year, scientists and researchers continue to discover more and more properties of this amazing berry. For children, it is useful in that it allows you to strengthen natural immunity without taking pharmaceuticals. Anthocyanins and other substances that make up cherries activate the fight against inflammatory processes. They also protect the body from cancer.

Sweet cherry improves the child’s appetite, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, normalizes the nervous system. Its regular use promotes sound sleep.

However, kids should not rush to give cherries. The fact is that berries contain allergens. Therefore, until the baby is one year old, he does not need to give cherries, even if there are no prerequisites for an allergic reaction, and none of the parents had an allergy to this product in childhood.

Berry is introduced into the diet gradually and only in season, so that it is ripe, from local varieties. First, they give literally a few berries, since in larger quantities they can cause increased gas formation and bloating. If there are prerequisites for an allergic reaction, then give a yellow cherry, not red. The fruits should be resilient, shiny, without a single speck, and their tails should be green. It is recommended to break a couple before buying berries to check if there are worms there.

When losing weight

Almost all varieties of cherries - yellow, pink, red - are equally useful for losing weight. Although dark varieties contain more fruit sugars, they will still help to lose weight and will be beneficial for the skin because they contain anthocyanins. Yellow cherries contain more water, its calorie content is lower, and it allows you to quickly get rid of excess weight and puffiness.

Cherry diet is good because with this berry the body receives almost everything that it needs, including a rich set of vitamins and minerals (not to mention a large amount of iron). At the same time, on hot summer days, cherries saturate well, a person does not have a feeling of hunger, which could lead to a breakdown in the diet. Psychologically, such a diet is very well tolerated. One only needs to remember that a day on such a diet can not eat more than 450-500 g of cherries. Yes, and this amount must be divided into equal portions, and not eat everything at once, so as not to harm the digestive tract. You can also drink sweet compote, cooked without sugar.

Like all mono-diets, this diet requires prior consultation with a doctor. In any case, it must not be adhered to for more than seven days. But during this time you can get rid of 4-5 kg ​​of excess weight.

The menu of the cherry diet will be as follows:

1. For breakfast, eat only 250 g of cherries and drink a glass of green tea.
2. For lunch - 100 g of boiled or steamed chicken or turkey fillet. You can replace the bird with low-fat fish, but cooked in the same way. For dessert - a glass of sweet compote.
3. Snack - 200 g of sweet cherry.
4. Dinner - another 100 g of poultry or fish (depending on what was for lunch). To this you can add another 40-50 g of lettuce from leafy vegetables.

Before going to bed, it is recommended to drink half a glass of natural yogurt. No longer needed, because the cherry contains enough fiber to normalize the digestive process.

The benefits of sweet cherry leaves and seeds

Not only sweet cherry berries, but also its leaves, stalks and seeds are useful. So, from the leaves a decoction is prepared that has antiseptic properties (1 tbsp dry crushed raw materials per glass of boiling water). This broth is recommended to be added to the foot baths, which serve to prevent and treat foot fungus.

Cherry stalks contain amygdalin substance. It has a calming effect on the nervous system. It is recommended to make a decoction of the stalks (1 tablespoon of raw materials per glass of boiling water) and drink it 200 ml in the morning and in the evening so as not to experience the effects of stress in the form of a sense of anxiety and irritability.

Amygdalin is also found in the bones of cherries. They also have beneficial essential oils and fatty acids. It is believed that a decoction of bones should be used for kidney diseases, since it has a slight diuretic effect.

The benefits of dried and frozen cherries

Dried and dried cherries in many respects preserves the useful properties of fresh berries. But there are certain nuances. If fresh cherries have a slight laxative effect, then just dried has a fixing effect.

Dried berries are added to baking, stewed fruit, jelly. In winter, this is a good opportunity to fortify the body, because during natural drying, nutrients are practically not destroyed.

With proper freezing (and provided that it is stored properly), the cherries retain their beneficial properties in this form. Of course, there is a slight decrease in nutritional value, but it can be considered insignificant, since most of the most useful substances are not destroyed. But the fat and water soluble vitamins remain in the berries. That is, frozen cherries still contain retinol, ascorbic acid and B vitamins.

But, from a certain point of view, frozen berries have some advantages over fresh ones. They contain less pesticides. Not to mention the fact that such cherries are much tastier than those off-season fresh berries that are sold in winter in supermarkets.

Sweet cherry in medicine

Cherry is not considered a medicine in official medicine.Nevertheless, its benefits have been proven by numerous clinical studies. In particular, it is known that regular consumption of these berries:

• allows you to normalize blood pressure;
• reduces the risk of blood clots;
• reduces bad cholesterol;
• enhances natural immunity;
• serves as the prevention of viral and colds;
• normalizes the digestive process.

In addition, cherries are a berry of beauty. It contains many useful substances that can improve the condition of the skin, hair and nails.

With diabetes

Although cherries contain glucose, in fact the percentage of harmful sugars in these berries is relatively low. And at the same time, the cherry has a low glycemic index (only 25 units). Therefore, with diabetes, these berries can and should be included in your diet, but only in fresh form, no jam, jelly or stewed fruit. On the day you can eat no more than a handful of berries, even yellow, even red.

Due to the content of anthocyanins, sweet cherries can eliminate the complications of diabetes, including those associated with heart diseases, and even prevent the development of malignant tumors.

With pancreatitis

With an exacerbation of pancreatitis, the patient is forced to follow a very strict diet, so there can be no talk of any fresh fruits. Approximately on the 4th – 5th day from the onset of exacerbation, berry compotes and jelly are introduced into the diet, they can also be prepared from cherries, especially since it contains less acid than cherries. After about 1-2 weeks from the moment of exacerbation, jellies and berry mousses can be prepared from cherries.

In the presence of persistent remission of chronic pancreatitis, you can eat fresh cherries. The season should begin with 1-2 berries per day. The maximum amount of cherries that can be eaten per day with this disease is 100 g (about half a glass).

With gastritis

With this disease, the pattern of eating cherries will be about the same as for pancreatitis. In the acute stage, when any fresh fruit is contraindicated, it will have to be abandoned. Then stewed compotes and jelly from these berries without adding sugar, make jelly and puddings. And in the presence of a stable remission, you can safely include fresh berries in your diet, since they do not cause heartburn and do not increase the acidity of gastric juice.

Those who often suffer from constipation will also benefit from eating cherries. It is allowed to drink juice made from these berries. But if the acidity of the stomach is increased, then experts recommend giving up cherries. But cherries are allowed to have in their diet even those who are sick with gastritis and a stomach ulcer. The fact is that unlike cherries, this sweet berry never enhances the acidity of gastric juice and does not provoke the appearance of heartburn.

For the intestines

Unlike cherries, cherries contain few acids. It practically does not irritate the intestinal mucosa, so it can be used even with peptic ulcer disease (but not during the period of exacerbation, but in remission).

With irritable bowel syndrome, which is accompanied by diarrhea, dried cherry fruits will help. To do this, take 30 g of raw materials, pour a glass of cold water and insist all night. You need to take the infusion a little, dividing the entire volume into 3-4 servings.

For constipation

Much, of course, depends on the cause of constipation. But, if they are caused by atony of the intestine, a decrease in its motor activity, then it is enough to simply consume 150-200 g of fresh cherry berries per day, and the result will immediately appear. Some doctors recommend consuming this sweet medicine for a course of 1-2 weeks, but, in fact, this is how much the sweet cherry season lasts.

With gout

Gout is a disease associated with joint inflammation caused by impaired salt metabolism.Since cherries do not contain purines, which lead to such a violation, it can and should be used with this disease, since it reduces pain in the joints and helps relieve inflammation.

In this case, you can use fresh cherries (100-300 g per day, according to tolerance). But other means work well, for example, an infusion of seeds, which is drunk in a two-week course. You can also drink a decoction of the stalks (tails) of cherries. To do this, take 1 liter of water, bring to a boil and throw 4 tablespoons there. stalk. The broth is simmered for 3-5 minutes, after which it is left to cool completely and filtered. A day you need to drink a little up to 0.5 liters of such a decoction.

Cherry in cosmetology

Since cherries contain many vitamins and minerals, it is used for summer cosmetic face masks. At the same time, both ripe and unripe berries are involved - they contain less sugar, but they have enough vitamins.

You can do the following masks:

1. To narrow the pores. To do this, take 100 g of unripe berries, take out the bones, chop, the resulting mass is applied to the skin of the face, neck and décolleté for 12-15 minutes, then rinse and apply a daily moisturizer.
2. For dry skin. To do this, you will need yellow cherries - 5-6 crushed berries, which are mixed with a spoon of olive oil and applied to the face for 15 minutes, and then washed off with water.
3. For oily skin - 7-8 red berries of sweet cherry are crushed, add 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, applied to the skin for 20 minutes, then washed off. Lemon also has a whitening effect.

Cherry juice can be added to the water for washing - it is useful for all skin types.

Harm and contraindications

Sweet cherry has practically no contraindications. However, fresh berries should not be consumed if there is a tendency to diarrhea, increased gas formation and flatulence. With caution, it is necessary to include cherries in the diet for those people who are obese or diabetes - no more than the medical norm.

Fresh berries should not be consumed in the presence of allergies, as well as in the presence of an acute form of gastritis, peptic ulcer or colitis.

Symptoms of Cherry Allergy

As a rule, an allergic reaction is accompanied by signs characteristic of this disease - the appearance of a red rash and itching. In some cases, more severe manifestations of urticaria are possible, when it covers not only the skin, but also the mucous membranes, leading to their swelling, which is accompanied, inter alia, by cough and runny nose with clear discharge. Also, an allergy to cherries can lead to digestive disorders - diarrhea or bloating.

How to choose and store sweet cherries

To get benefits from eating cherries, you need to choose the right berries. They should be ripe, but not overripe - elastic, glossy, without spots. The peduncle should be green and fresh.

But even such berries cannot be stored for a long time. Storage in a well-washed and dried glass jar, on the bottom of which you need to lay clean cherry leaves, will help to slightly prolong the freshness. Pour the washed berries, mixing them with layers of leaves. Then cover the jar with a plastic lid. Berries can stand for several weeks.

For storage in winter, cherries can be dried - either in a special dryer, or in a classic way. In the latter case, it should be blanched for 5–8 minutes in hot water, immediately dipped in cold water, and then spread in one layer in a sufficiently large sieve. After this, the cherries are slightly dried in the oven at a temperature of 65 degrees, and then dried, increasing the temperature to 85 degrees.

Is it possible to freeze

Cherry can be frozen.This will help preserve all the beneficial substances. It is only necessary to observe certain rules for the preparation of berries and their further storage. To begin with, it should be noted that the berries should be ripe, not spoiled, without any dubious spots. Previously, they need to remove the leaves and stalks. You need to act very carefully so as not to damage the berries during processing. It is better to freeze some delicate varieties directly with the stalks, and clean up after defrosting. Ideally, in general, it is better to take only those that were ripped off two hours before the moment they were sent to the freezer, but this is possible only at your own summer cottage.

Cherry must be washed. Then dry it on paper towels, evenly distributing them in one layer. Put another towel on top so that it absorbs moisture faster.

For storage of frozen cherries, both special lockable plastic bags, which are sold in supermarkets, and ordinary food-grade plastic containers are used. Packages that are already in use cannot be used, as they may have an extraneous smell, in addition, they may have tiny holes, so that the berries will be depressurized, and ice may get into them. Glass containers are not suitable; in the cold, they may crack.

As already noted, before freezing, the cherries must be thoroughly washed and dried. If in winter it will be used for compotes, then it is not necessary to take out the bones. If the berries are intended for filling dumplings or pies, then the seeds should be removed.

To freeze cherries is the quick freeze function, spreading on polyethylene in one layer. Then you can pour into packages. Then the berries will remain intact. Stacking cherries in bags or boxes, you need to make sure that the berries lie tight enough. Air should be released to the maximum. If the container is opaque, you need to make a record of its contents and set the date of freezing so as not to open it again.

Cherries can also be frozen with sugar. To do this, the berries need to be laid in plastic containers in layers, pouring sugar. Keep such a dessert is in the freezer.

Frozen cherries should not be kept next to any other strongly smelling products, otherwise the smell will be absorbed. It is best to freeze the berries in small portions, sorting them in special bags to defrost as needed.

What can be cooked from cherries: recipes

Compotes are prepared from sweet cherries, preserves (although rarely), made toppings for pies, added to fruit salads and smoothies. In a word, everything depends solely on the hostess's imagination.

Jam

Would need:

• Sweet cherry - 1 kg.
• Sugar - 1 kg.
• Water - 1 cup.
• Vanilla Sugar - 5 g.
• Citric acid - 1 tsp

Unfortunately, it is impossible to make jam from sweet cherry because sugar simply does not have time to soak into elastic berries. For this reason, sweets are usually cooked in several stages:

1. Berries are first cleaned of the stalks and washed thoroughly. Then they put it in a container (it is best to use enameled dishes) and immediately fill them with sugar syrup, then leave them for 4-12 hours to soak them.
2. Then the sweet mass is again boiled for 3-5 minutes and insisted - 5-8 hours. An important point: during the cooking process, the foam is removed without fail.
3. At the end of the 2nd cooking, put in a jam a pinch of vanilla sugar and citric acid.
4. Pour jam into dry sterile jars, filling 1/2 cm below the top of the neck.

Compote

This is one of the most delicious summer drinks, but most often it is one of the methods of harvesting berries for the winter. For 4-5 cups of cherries, take 1.5 cups of sugar, 3 liters of water, lemon juice and vanillin to taste.

Process:

1. The berries are sorted, washed, jars sterilized, at the same time bring the water to a boil.
2. Ready cans are filled with berries, filled with boiling water, covered with lids and left for 15-20 minutes.
3. Then the water is again poured into the pan, sugar and lemon juice, as well as vanilla are added, and again brought to a boil.
4. The berries remaining in the banks are again poured with syrup and immediately rolled up. After that they are turned upside down and covered with a towel.

Wine

In southern countries, cherries are used to make wine - a pleasant, light drink that can be prepared at home.

For this, 10 kg of berries take 1 kg of sugar, 0.5 l of water and 25 g of citric acid. The latter is needed in order to remove excess sweetness, it also acts as a stabilizer and increases the shelf life. Sweet wine lovers can add another glass of sugar.

Some experts advise not to wash the cherries, but simply wipe them with a dry rag to make the wort ferment faster. But this is only if we are talking about an environmentally friendly product, in respect of which there is confidence that it was not processed by anything. If there is no such confidence, it is better to wash the berries. Then they act like this:

1. Bones are removed from the berries with maximum accuracy, trying to make sure that the juice gets to the same place where the flesh is. The bones contain toxic substances and give an unpleasant bitter aftertaste.
2. Add water to the berries, mix. All this is transferred to a vessel, the neck of which is tied with gauze, and left for 2-3 days in a dark place. It is not necessary to keep the container in the cold, the room temperature will be just right. On the surface will appear a kind of "hat" of the skin and pieces of pulp. It can be knocked down with a wooden spatula.
3. As soon as the foam and a slight sour smell appear, the juice is filtered through cheesecloth into a new container, filling it with 2/3 of the volume. The remaining pulp (skin and pulp) is squeezed as it should.
4. Citric acid and 2 cups of sugar are added, mixed and placed on the container, either a ready-made water seal, or an ordinary medical glove, in which one hole is made in one of the fingers. The vessel is kept in a dark room at room temperature.
5. After 4 days, the water lock is removed, the wort in a volume of 1 liter is poured into a separate container, and a half cup of sugar is added. It turns out the syrup, which is poured back into the container, and again a water seal is placed on it. After three days, the procedure for preparing and draining the syrup is repeated, which takes the remaining sugar.
6. After about a month, the wine will lighten, a precipitate will form at the bottom of the container, this is normal. Since gas is no longer being released, the valve seal will deflate. Wine is drained through a thin tube, which is used for droppers, in a prepared container.

If you wish, you can add sugar to the wine again or make it stronger by adding vodka (but not more than 10% of the finished volume). The container intended for storage needs to be tightly closed. If sugar has been added, then for another week you need to put a water seal. Once every three weeks it is recommended to remove the wine from the lees. If not, then the drink is ready.

Is it possible to give animals cherries

Modern food for cats and dogs contains all the necessary vitamins, so there is no particular benefit in cherries for animals. But you can’t call it a clearly prohibited product. From time to time, if a pet loves cherries, he can be given a couple of berries, only you need to clean them from the skin and pull out a bone.

Interesting facts about cherries

1. Cherry trees grow in all southern regions of Europe. They can grow in height up to 25-30 m - such cases have been recorded by science. Bees can collect 35 kg of pollen from one average tree.
2. There are many varieties of cherries, and in some of them the berries can reach 2 cm in diameter. Currently, about 15–20 sweet cherry varieties are actively cultivated in the world.
3. In England, cherries are called sweet cherries, emphasizing the similarities between the two berries. But in many other languages, the name "bird cherry" has taken root. The fact is that birds love ripe cherries much more than cherries. Sometimes whole flocks of sparrows or rooks literally cling to a tree and peck all the berries.
4. Cherry tree is considered more fragrant. But the resin of the cherry tree contains carbohydrates. It was once used as a chewing gum.
5. Cherry color is determined by the content of anthocyanins. The more of them, the darker the color and the higher the degree of ripeness. But the amount of sugar increases proportionally. Interestingly, cherries are used to obtain food coloring, however, it gives not red color, but green.
6. Although cherries and cherries are very similar, they did not appear at the same time. Still, the first one was cherry, and it became the ancestor of cherries - genetic studies have shown so. At the same time, cherries have been known to people for more than ten thousand years, but since it is very thermophilic, it often does not take root in more severe conditions. You won’t even meet it in the middle zone of Russia, although cherries grow excellently in this region.

Photo cherries