How and when to collect hawthorn

The healing properties of hawthorn are known to people from ancient times. Even in modern medical preparations, raw materials derived from inflorescences and fruits of this medicinal plant are used. Those who are interested in medicinal preparations, certainly will be useful to know when to collect hawthorn.

Scientific research has proved that the fruits of hawthorn, the so-called "false apples", contain valuable organic acids, flavonoids, pectin, fructose, vitamins and minerals. But not all varieties are recognized as valuable and useful. The most accessible species, which is recognized by the official medicine, is C. Sanginea (blood-red hawthorn, photo above). It is quite often found in nature in the wild. But most often it is cultivated on the private plots subspecies C. Oxicantha, or prickly.

It should be noted that for the preparation of medicinal raw materials, inflorescences and fruits are used. Therefore, the question of when to collect hawthorn is particularly acute in the period of flowering and ripening of berries. Flowering begins in the regions at different times, and lasts only 3-4 days. Therefore, it's important to catch the buds not yet fully opened, at the very beginning of flowering. To collect, you need to choose a warm day without precipitation. Only dry inflorescences are suitable for harvesting. Moisture destroys the collection of hawthorn, raw flowers instantly begin to decay. Too blooming buds are also unsuitable, because they can quickly crumble, and the collection will not have value.

To ensure that the raw material is not zachevoy, it is collected in cardboard boxes, and then lay out a thin layer on a sheet of paper and dried. It is impossible to tampor flowers into dishes or collect them in plastic bags - gentle petals will stick together, start to burn and deteriorate.

Despite the abundant flowering, fruit bush is not always abundant. The reason for this can be heavy rains, a lack of pollinators, temperature jumps during flowering. Those who are interested when collecting hawthorn, you should know that the berries are not ripening together, but gradually. In this case, different species of this plant bear fruit in different months. Some of the earliest harvest in July-August, others ripen only in October.

Virtually all varieties of berries have a strong specific odor. This should be taken into account when planting bushes in your summer cottage. To some, this aroma resembles a sour herring pickle. Therefore, when collecting hawthorn, it will tell exactly this unpleasant smell of fish, which is not only the berries, but also the flowers of the plant. The harvested collection is kept in special dryers, ovens or well ventilated rooms with low humidity. The smaller the collected fruits, the easier they are to be processed.

For storing dried berries, glass containers, cardboard boxes, rag bags are suitable. Shelf life for dry berries - 2 years. Having at hand such a valuable collection, you can prepare broths, following proven recipes. But it should always be remembered that these funds are strictly contraindicated for pregnant, breastfeeding women and infants. Also it is necessary to treat with care the preparations of hawthorn, bought in a drugstore without a doctor's recommendation!