From which they just jam in Russia, but from bitter dandelions? But they cook, but what a tasty and healthy! In dandelions there are so many vitamins, minerals, biologically active substances that act as natural medicines, that not using this gift of nature is short-sighted. Be sure to weld a jar or two, so that always at hand is an assistant for many ailments.
Useful properties of dandelions
All parts of yellow-headed dandelion contain a rich set of nutrients. but jam is cooked only from modest golden heads. They have many vitamins: retinol (Vit. A), tocopherol (Vit. E), ascorbic acid (Vit. C), riboflavin (Vit. B2), thiamine (Vit. B1), choline (Vit. B4). This group of substances has a comprehensive beneficial effect on the body:
• make capillaries durable;
• protect the heart;
• improve vision;
• normalize the work of the kidneys, liver, pancreas, intestines, stomach, endocrine, nervous, urinary system;
• prevent the development of cancer, stroke, diabetes, heart attack.
In addition, dandelion juice contains minerals (iron, calcium, chromium, potassium), selenium, bioflavonoids, tannins, and organic acids. On the basis of dandelion, people have learned to make healing broths, tinctures, dishes with choleretic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral effects.
The benefits of dandelion jam are explained by the fact that it helps to restore health, strengthen immunity, restore vitality and good mood
The benefits of dandelion jam
Sweet dessert is not as simple as it may seem. Yes, it is tasty and beautiful (resembles transparent fresh honey), but at the same time it is used as a powerful means of healing and preventing various ailments.
Jam affects the whole body in the most positive way:
• normalizes metabolic processes at the cellular level, removing hormonal imbalances and contributing to weight loss, despite the presence of sugar;
• fights viruses and bacteria, helping to recover faster with colds and their complications, for example, with bronchitis;
• tones up, strengthens immune forces, returns vital energy;
• beneficial effect on the nervous system, relieves insomnia, relieves increased irritability, helps to survive stressful situations;
• stimulates appetite, the production of gastric juice and bile;
• has a soft laxative effect, relieving persistent constipation, stops fermentation in the intestines, prevents hemorrhoids;
• helps the liver remove toxins from the body, reducing the burden on this organ and cleansing the intestines;
• relieves inflammatory processes in joints and bone tissue, alleviating the condition with rheumatism, osteochondrosis, gout;
• helps to quickly eliminate iron deficiency in anemia;
• strengthens memory, attention, ability to concentrate;
• increases physical activity.
Of course, despite all the benefits, dandelion jam is by no means a panacea for serious illnesses. But in complex therapy and prevention, this is an excellent help and reliable protection for our body.
Rules for the collection and preparation of dandelions for jam
An important point is the collection and preparation of raw materials for dandelion jam. The harm from poor-quality raw materials is that flowers and stems can accumulate harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Therefore, it is impossible to collect dandelions near industrial enterprises, highways, railways.
Harvesting is best outlined in the morning hours on a sunny, warm day. It is good if the dew is already dry, and the daytime dust has not settled on the petals. Rinse the torn off heads and dry them on a spread paper or cloth towel.
Dandelion Jam Recipes
There are several options for this medicinal dessert. They differ only in a set of additional components.
Classic jam
The classic jam recipe is so simple that anyone can handle the dessert.
Ingredients:
• 500 grams of dandelion flowers;
• 700 ml of water;
• 1.2 kg of sugar.
Soak the dandelion flowers in cold water for 12 hours, it is easiest for the night. Then drain the water, cut the raw materials very finely or pass through a meat grinder. Put the mass in a pan, pour in the norm of water and send to the fire. After boiling, reduce the heat and cook at a slow boil for about half an hour. Let the broth brew, after fifteen minutes strain through a gauze filter.
Return the broth to the pan, add sugar and cook after boiling for ten minutes. Sterilize the jar and pour the jam there while still hot. No need to roll up.
After cooling, store the product in the refrigerator, use for a month. To extend the shelf life, you can seal the sterilized jar with an iron lid. In this case, the jam is stored for a year.
Dandelion jam with lemon
Ingredients:
• a pound of dandelions;
• 650 ml of water;
• large lemon;
• 1.3 kg of sugar.
Pour the flowers with water for 12 hours, then dry and grind in a meat grinder. You can just chop smaller. Pour lemon over with boiling water, then cut into fairly thick circles. Put lemon slices and dandelions in a pan, add water and cook after boiling for 35 minutes. Strain the broth, add sugar and cook the jam until cooked for 15 minutes. Pour into small jars and refrigerate.
You can give the dessert an additional shade of aroma if you throw 2-3 leaves of mint at the end of cooking the flowers into the pan. In addition, try making a dessert at the same time as a lemon and an orange. It will also be a very interesting combination.
How to use dandelion jam
Since the composition of the dessert is healing, you can include a treat in the treatment regimen of the underlying disease or take it as a prophylactic. The benefits of dandelion jam will be greater if there are courses, repeating them periodically throughout the year.
1. In the complex treatment of diseased joints: in the morning on an empty stomach, one tablespoon half an hour before meals. The course is 30 days, then a break for two months.
2. For the treatment of cardiovascular diseases: a teaspoon of jam 40-50 minutes before breakfast. Duration of admission is 14 days, then a month-long break and a new course. In total, up to five courses can be done per year.
3. To cleanse the blood, restore the liver, and strengthen the immune system, take two teaspoons a day at any time, without reference to food intake. One or two days a week can be skipped.
4. For colds, eat a teaspoon of jam three times a day half an hour after eating or half an hour before eating. The course of treatment is ten days.
The benefits of dandelion jam are great, but when the result appears, it depends on the state of health. So, with a cold, improvements will appear after 3-4 days, and with gout or bronchitis - by the end of the second week, provided that the treatment will be accompanied by other procedures. For example, you can make compresses from tinctures on dandelions on sore areas of the body or rub her breast with bronchitis cough.
Harm dandelion jam
Not everyone can use the power of nature to restore or protect their body. Dandelion jam will bring harm if a person has an allergy to this plant. Moreover, it can be detected suddenly, since the concentration of nutrients in the dessert is high.
However, a more serious contraindication to the use of this tool is the presence of a number of diseases:
• diabetes;
• aggravated gastritis;
• stomach ulcer or duodenal ulcer;
• increased acidity of gastric juice;
• cholelithiasis;
• intestinal upset.
In addition, dandelion jam is harmful for young children with a weak immune system. Therefore, before the age of five, it is better not to acquaint kids with a delicious medicinal dessert.
