Strawberry Tree - Bright Red Treasure of Mediterranean |
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Strawberry tree or cane-apple (lat. Arbutus unedo) is an evergreen shrub tree in the family Ericaceaea that grows to 5-10 m tall.
Its habitat is widespread through the Mediterranean region, up to Ireland and England, and even in Micronesia and warmer regions of Asia.
Strawberry tree is an exceptional plant with long period of flowering and fruit formation.
Its hermaphrodite flowers appear between October and December. Then there is pollination and later red berries are formed.
In other words, it takes a year for the fruit to form and ripe, and until it becomes suitable for eating.
Traditionally, for culinary and medical purposes, people use its fruits and leaves.
The Reservoir of Nutritional Ingredients
Strawberry tree has been traditionally harvested in the Mediterranean since ancient Greek times but its nutritional potential was discovered only in the last two decades.
In a Spanish study by food chemist Ruiz-Rodriguez, from 2011, the main nutritional components of the fruit have been explored.
Results showed that these red berries are rich in vitamin C, fiber, micro and macro elements and antioxidants.
Strawberry tree’s red berries contain:
- Vitamin C
- Dietary fiber
- Pectin (suitable for preparation of gels and gelatins)
- Sugar (high amounts of fructose and glucose, and low amounts of sucrose)
- Small amount of proteins
- Small amount of lipids
- Potassium
- Calcium (much more than in other berries)
- Magnesium
- Sodium
- Iron
- Zinc
- Copper
It is important to note that strawberry tree fruit’s flavor is not attractive to everyone.
Fruit should be eaten only in its last period of ripening, when its color is dark red and when it is very soft to touch.
The reason for its specific taste lies in high concentration of sugar, mainly fructose, which gives it an interesting combination of sweetness and sourness.
Strawberry tree contains high amounts of vitamin C. 50 g of strawberry tree fruit meets the recommended daily dosage of vitamin C for adults.
It is known that vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients for human body. Is responsible for immunity boosting, health of muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones, antioxidant activity, skin regeneration (it is essential for collagen synthesis). It is a key link in absorbing iron.
This plant is an excellent source of dietary fiber. 100 g of the fruit contains 40% of daily requirement of fiber for men and 60% for women.
Healing Properties of Strawberry Tree
Plant’s fruit can be used for culinary and medical purposes, and its leaf is traditionally used as a medicine for many diseases.
Population in Mediterranean region uses strawberry tree:
- For convulsions
- As antiseptic
- As diuretic
- As laxative
- For reducing blood pressure
- For sore throat
- For mouth sores
- For skin inflammations
- For cardiovascular diseases such as thrombosis and atherosclerosis
- For viruses and bacteria
Tea from strawberry tree leaf is used for treating diabetes, prostate problems, urinary tract problems and rheumatism.
Spalish tribe from Canada used strawberry tree to treat cold, while in Morocco leaf tincture was been used for lowering blood pressure.
Scientific studies confirmed the efficiency of strawberry tree as a quality antihypertensive remedy.
Two Turkish studies showed that strawberry tree has strong antioxidant properties and the ability to treat a sexually transmitted diseases caused by the Trichomonas vaginalis bacteria.
Be careful when using this tea because overdosing can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite.
Easy Cultivation - Abundance of Fruits
Cultivation of strawberry tree is easy and results in abundance of fruits and beautiful white flowers that attract everyone’s attention.
The plant does not demand any special type of soil (it can be planted even in limestone terrain).
It prefers mildly acid soil, tolerates dry weather and equally grows in sunny or shady areas.
However, young plants should be protected from wind and cold in their first year, primarily because they are sensitive to extreme conditions.
Pruning is done in winter, in a period when the adult plant is idle and handles stress easily.
Strawberry Tree Can Be Used In Many Ways
The most popular way to use strawberry tree is to prepare jams and aromatic fruit liqueurs.
In Portugal strawberry tree can be found in a famous national drink Medronho - sweet brandy, and in Greece the fruit is added to an alcohol drink called Tsipouro.
In cosmetics industry the fruits are used for producing face creams for removing or reducing brown spots and darker skin, and also for removing wrinkles.
Strawberry Tree Tincture
In ancient times it was believed that strawberry tree tincture can even cure the plague.
Tincture has many benefits. Because of its antimicrobial effect, it can be used for rinsing the sore throat or for treating cold.
It helps with digestive problems, bladder infection. It removes excess water from the body.
Preparation:
Take 50 g of dried plant leaves, pour with 96% edible alcohol or brandy. Chop the leaves previously.
Put the mixture into a dark bottle and store in a dark place for two weeks. Shake every day.
Afterwards filter and store in a dark place in a sealed pot.
When using, dilute with water in ratio 1:5.
You can gargle the tincture when suffering from sore throat and oral inflammation. Furthermore, you can use it for treating cuts, burns, skin decubitus and ulcers.
Strawberry Tree Jam
Rinse and filter 2-3 kg of fresh berries.
Put them in a bowl on low heat and stir about 15 minutes until the fruit decomposes.
There is no need to mash it, since it has a soft and gentle structure that softens quickly and turns to a thick paste.
Add 500 g of brown sugar and, optional, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon and cloves for richer taste.
Boil on low heat and regularly mix for about 30 minutes.
Later, add lemon or orange juice to preserve the concentration of nutrients that can be easily destroyed while cooking.
Pour the jam into sterilized glass jars.
Leave them open and put them into the oven for 15 minutes until the jam boils again. This is done for the purpose of long-term preservation of the product.
Remove from oven, cover with a clean cloth and let it cool. Then close the jars.
It is not recommended to eat more than 6-5 raw berries a day because they cause digestive problems and have a laxative effect.
But if the fruits are thermally processed, they can be consumed in large quantities.
Sources used in writing this article:
[url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/[/url]
[url=http://www.julskitchen.com/]http://www.julskitchen.com/[/url]
[url=http://www.treehealthcare.co.uk/]http://www.treehealthcare.co.uk/[/url]
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