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The healthy blueberries are often referred to as the powerhouses among fruits. Here’s what you should know about blueberries and what makes them so healthy.

There are two different types of blueberries: wild blueberries and cultivated blueberries. Wild blueberries are richer in healthy nutrients than cultivated blueberries. You can collect the wild berries mainly in the forest and in heath and moorland. It is unlikely that you can become infected with the fox tapeworm through wild berries. Researchers from the University of Ulm found that the highest risk of infection is through direct contact with foxes or through transmission through dogs that have become infected.

What you should consider when buying blueberries

The blueberry season runs from June to the end of September. Because blueberries go moldy quickly, you should eat them—or freeze them—as soon as possible after purchasing or harvesting them. When buying blueberries, also pay attention to organic quality: Cultivated blueberries from conventional cultivation are usually contaminated with synthetic pesticides.

In winter you don’t have to do without the healthy berries. They are also available off-season in frozen or dried form.

Blueberries as a healthy source of nutrients

Blueberries contain many healthy ingredients. In addition to numerous dietary fibers, the berries contain the following nutrients:
carotene
Vitamin A
vitamin C
vitamin E
iron
magnesium
calcium
potassium
Blueberries owe their blue color to the pigment myrtilline. Myrtilline is one of the anthocyanins – these are secondary plant substances that have an anti-inflammatory and blood-forming effect. They also help the body to trap and neutralize free radicals.

Getting high in anthocyanins in your diet can slow down the skin’s aging process – helping to prevent wrinkles. The anthocyanin in blueberries is also said to be useful as a cancer prophylaxis.

Furthermore, blueberries contain healthy tannins, which are particularly found in blueberry juice. They help with diarrhea and kill harmful bacteria and viruses. Blueberry Nut Juice is a juice made from 100 percent blueberries. The healthy ingredients of the berries are thus retained as far as possible.

Good to know: 100 grams of blueberries contain only 36 calories.

Also healthy: tea made from blueberry leaves

Blueberry leaves also have health benefits. If you brew a tea from them, it helps with the following diseases, for example:
stomach pain
Diarrhea
bladder weakness
inflamed eyes (put compresses soaked in tea on them)
Rashes (wash gently with the cooled tea)
To prepare the blueberry leaf tea, pour 1/4 liter of boiling water over two teaspoons of blueberry leaves and let the tea steep for ten minutes. Strain it and drink a cup morning, noon and night.

Important: Do not drink the tea regularly, but only in case of acute symptoms.

Lovage is also called maggi herb because its taste is reminiscent of the spice of the same name. Here you can find out more about the versatile spice and its cultivation.

The lovage belongs to the umbelliferae family. It originally comes from southern Europe and southwest Asia, but also grows in our gardens. The plant, up to two meters tall, has bare stems that branch out at the top and serrated leaves.

Growing lovage: This is how the Maggi herb thrives

Lovage is a perennial plant that sprout again in spring and can be harvested from April. Here are some tips on how to grow lovage in your home:

Lovage prefers to be in the light semi-shade.
Since the plant has extensive roots, the soil should be deep enough.
You have to water lovage regularly. However, it does not tolerate waterlogging. So the soil should be permeable.
Lovage needs a lot of nutrients to grow. You should therefore plant it in humus-rich soil and possibly fertilize it.
If you don’t have a garden, you can also plant the lovage in a flower pot on the balcony, but then the plant will not reach its full size.
Lovage plants draw many nutrients from the soil. That’s why you shouldn’t plant a piece of ground with lovage permanently, but give the ground several years to recover in between.

Cooking with lovage: spice for soups and sauces

The various components of lovage are mainly used for seasoning. The strong taste of lovage, reminiscent of celery, goes particularly well with hearty dishes. Here’s how you can use each part of the plant:

You can use the young leaves to flavor meat and fish dishes, soups, sauces and dishes with eggs.
You can blanch young shoots and serve as a vegetable side dish.
You can candy the lovage stems.
Lovage seeds can be used to flavor bread or other pastries.
Aside from its use in cooking, lovage has been used in natural medicine for centuries. It contains essential oils, is said to stimulate digestion and help against heartburn, stomach, intestinal and bladder problems. It has been scientifically confirmed that the root of the lovage has a draining effect and can be used to treat inflammatory urinary tract diseases.

Dry and store lovage

You can dry the various components of lovage without losing much of their aroma. The dried leaves taste a little less spicy than fresh, while the seeds and roots have a stronger taste. Store the dried lovage in a dark container in a dry, cool place.

Coffee is lifestyle and enjoyment. For anyone who wants to learn a little more about their favorite drink, we’ve rounded up 10 fun facts about coffee.

Did you know?

When it comes to facts about coffee, pretty much everyone has something to contribute, because hardly any other drink has so many stories, myths and – facts – about it. We have picked out the 10 most exciting facts and don’t want to withhold them from you any longer:

1. Coffee was “discovered” by goats

You heard me right: according to legend, coffee was actually “discovered” by goats. In fact, it was a goatherd named Kaldi in 9th-century Ethiopia. He watches his goats and sees how the goats perk up after eating cherries from a coffee tree. So what could be more obvious for Kaldi than to taste the red cherries himself? Admittedly, the story was first written down in the 16th century, but it’s nice and somehow sounds believable.

2. Black Ivory Coffee – the most exclusive coffee in the world

For a long time, the famous Kopi Luwak, also known as cat coffee, was considered the most expensive and exclusive coffee in the world. The Kopi Luwak gets its special taste from the “manufacturing process”: It is created by giving the Indonesian civets coffee cherries to eat. These are digested by her and excreted again. The indigestible coffee beans are now selected from the legacies of the civets. The very complex manufacturing process makes the cat coffee extremely expensive.

3. Mild, light roast coffee beans contain more caffeine than dark beans

Contrary to popular belief, light, mild coffee roasts typically contain more caffeine than dark, hearty roasts. Why it is like that? The longer the coffee is roasted, the more caffeine is released from the bean under the heat. Basically, it’s like cooking with wine. The longer you let it simmer, the less alcohol you will later have in your food.

4. Espresso is not a bean

There is no special espresso bean. Espresso is just the name for a certain type of preparation. Dark roasted coffee beans are used and ground very finely. Hot water is then pressed through the ground coffee at high pressure. If you do it right, you get a concentrated coffee with a dense, brown crema. Due to the long roasting, espresso contains less caffeine than e.g. B. normal filter coffee.

5. Coffee is a cherry

That’s right – red cherries grow on coffee trees or bushes. The actual coffee bean is the seed inside the cherry. If the coffee bean wasn’t so desirable and flavorful, you might be able to buy the whole fruit of the coffee cherry in a fruit store, as it’s a delicious tart-sweet cherry that tastes a bit like honey, peach, and watermelon.

6. Coffee was forbidden

In the course of history, coffee has been temporarily banned several times in different cultures. The governor of Mecca closed all the coffee houses in 1511 because he saw them as places of moral decay. Only after a thirty-year dispute between the scholars was the ban lifted by the Sultan of Cairo. In 1675, the English King Charles II tried to ban coffee and coffee houses. He encounters great resistance from the population and triggers a rebellion, so that he ultimately cannot implement his plan. The Prussian King Frederick the Great finally banned the import of coffee in 1677. He feared that the rapidly growing coffee consumption at the time could displace traditional domestic products such as malt or barley. State propaganda tried to stigmatize coffee as a despicable fad and a superfluous luxury.

7. George Washington invented instant coffee

You read that right, but not the first American president, but his Anglo-Belgian namesake, George Constant Louis Washington, who invented instant coffee.
Washington, who emigrated to New York in 1897, was not the actual inventor, but he was the first to develop a process around 1908 to produce instant coffee on an industrial scale. He was commercially very successful. During World War I, the US Army bought the “G. Washington Coffee Refining Company” from their total production volume of instant coffee. This ensured that the soldiers at the front in Europe did not have to do without their “Cup of George”.
The Japanese-born scientist Satori Kato from Chicago is considered to be the inventor of the first instant coffee. However, he never succeeded in further developing his process, patented in 1901, into a commercially successful product.

8. There are over fifty different types of coffee

Normally we consumers only know two types of coffee: Arabica and Robusta, because only these are normally used for coffee production and together they represent practically 100% of the world market. In fact, over fifty different types of coffee are known. So, if you ever get the very rare opportunity to taste a coffee that isn’t made from the usual varieties, please do so!

9. Over 500 billion cups

Around half a trillion cups of coffee are drunk worldwide every year. With a world population of almost seven billion, that’s an unbelievable 71 cups for every citizen of the world – including small children!

Incidentally, the Finns are at the forefront when it comes to coffee consumption: Every Finn drinks 1305 cups a year of the 3.6 cups a day! In contrast, German coffee consumption is still moderate at just under two cups a day. However, coffee is also the most popular drink in Germany, ahead of beer and mineral water!

10. Second most traded commodity in the world

After oil, coffee is the most important commodity in the world. The coffee beans are grown in 80 countries around the world on a total area of around 11 million hectares. Around 25 million people work in the cultivation, processing or distribution of coffee. Around 55 million sacks of green coffee, each weighing 60 kilograms, are produced every year.

These tips are sure to help you cook the tastiest fish ever! 🙂

  1. The fish is easier to peel if the hard fins are cut off with scissors or a knife first.
  2. When boiling fish that smells like mud, you need to add a little spicy herbs and spices to the water.
  3. To prevent the fish from falling apart during frying, it must be salted 10-15 minutes before the start of heat treatment.
  4. Fish fried in breadcrumbs looks more appetizing than fish fried in flour, but inside it is not fried enough. Therefore, in order to bring the fish to full readiness, it is necessary to put it in a preheated oven for a short time.
  5. If the broth prepared for jellied fish turns out to be cloudy, it can be clarified with egg white. To do this, it is enough to pour the protein into the chilled broth, stir, heat to a boil and hold for 15 minutes over low heat. Then let it settle and carefully, without shaking, strain the broth through a napkin.
  6. Do not cook the fish over high heat: otherwise it will become tough, and the broth will become cloudy.
  7. The fish will be tastier if you fry it in a mixture of sunflower oil and butter (both equally). Do not cover the pan – and the pieces will be covered with a crispy appetizing crust.
  8. Herring will be very tender and juicy if, after cutting, it is soaked for 40 minutes in milk or in tea infusion.
  9. Boiled fish will be very tender if fresh milk is poured into boiling water.
  10. Fish fried in foil is very tasty and juicy. The fish should be peeled, washed, salt, spices, wrapped in foil and placed in a preheated oven.

These are very important tips for making delicious pastries!

  1. Keep a bowl of ice water nearby. When you work with oily dough, it can melt due to your warm hands, making the job much more difficult. To avoid this, keep a bowl of very cold water nearby and dip your hands into it as needed.
  2. Use butter and eggs at the right temperature. If a recipe calls for your eggs and butter to be at room temperature or cold, take it seriously. This is how you will achieve the best result.
  3. Warm eggs quickly. The easiest way to bring your eggs to room temperature quickly is to put them in a bowl of warm water. However, you can overheat them this way. The best way is to break the eggs into a stainless steel bowl, put it in warm water and control the heating process with your finger for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Heat the oil quickly. To heat up the oil faster, place it between layers of polyethylene and hit it hard with a rolling pin. Continue rolling the butter in this way until it is about one and a half centimeters thick. Let the oil rest for 5 minutes, turn over, wait another 5 minutes and then use to cook.
  5. Foam the butter and sugar as needed. If the recipe states that you need to beat the butter and sugar, then just mixing them is not enough. Foam both ingredients to blow air into the oil. This is especially important for pastries. For cookies, on the other hand, butter and sugar should only be whipped if the recipe requires it. Otherwise, the baked goods will settle in the oven.
  6. Do not whisk flour. Foaming flour is not recommended – just mix it with the rest of the ingredients with a mixer until smooth. Otherwise, the baked goods will be too hard.
  7. Don’t worry about the lumps in your cupcakes. Any lumps that are present in the muffin batter will disappear during baking.
  8. Bake muffins on parchment paper. The baking paper will keep the cake from burning or escaping from the mold.
  9. Use parchment paper for the pies. Regardless of the recipe, always line the bottom of the tin with baking paper. This will make it easier for you to get the finished cake out of the mold.
  10. Fill empty muffin molds with water. If you are making muffins and you do not have enough dough for all the notches in the mold, fill the empty holes with a little water. This will save the shape from deformation.

These tips will definitely come in handy!

  1. It is better to season salad with oil after you have salted it. Salt does not dissolve in oil, and its grains can be felt in the mouth.
  2. If you want your vinaigrette to be colorful, first mix the beets separately with vegetable oil, and only then add to the rest of the vegetables. Then she will not color them, and each vegetable will have its own color.
  3. To make the parsley for the salad more flavorful, you need to wash it in hot water.
  4. Dill greens for salad dressing in winter can be replaced with seed powder.
  5. In order for the raw onions used in the salad to become tastier and the unpleasant smell disappeared, after being cut, put it in a colander, pour over boiling water and immediately cool it under cold water.
  6. To cook the beans for the salad faster, you need to add a little sugar to the water.
  7. Do not add salt to the water when cooking green peas for salad. From this, it will remain firm for a very long time.
  8. Cook eggs for salads for at least 10 minutes.
  9. For salad dressing, use apple cider vinegar.
  10. To soften the red cabbage used for the salad, scald it with boiling water.
  11. Chopped greens should be placed in a salad before serving.
  12. Do not put potatoes in rice salad.

Japanese quince (Chaenomeles) is a shrub that is most often used as an ornamental plant (it has unusually bright orange-red flowers). However, its fruits are edible and very healthy.

  1. Chaenomeles is the fruit of a Japanese or flowering quince. The shape is a ball with an upper part protruding like a mushroom cap.
  2. Sizes – from 4 to 15 cm in diameter, in the center are small elongated seeds of brown or black color.
  3. Peel – thin, smooth, light green, yellow, orange, peach, brown blotches are allowed, pulp – dense, light yellow, greenish, white, juicy; taste – tart, slightly astringent, sourish.
  4. The more ripe the fruit, the higher the calorie content due to the increased sugar content. However, the nutritional value does not change significantly.
  5. The pulp contains a large number of pectins – these substances have antioxidant and antitoxic effects. When it enters the human digestive tract, they form a gel that envelops harmful compounds, which are subsequently removed naturally.
  6. They are especially appreciated for their high content of vitamin C. That is why Chaenomeles is also called a northern lemon.
  7. Chinese healers recommend activating the vital energy of qi by eating ripe quince. To do this, thin slices are coated with honey and dissolve in the mouth during meditation. The healing effect is used not only in philosophical movements.
  8. Improves bowel function, protects its mucous membrane from the aggressive effects of gastric juice and bile acids. Increases the speed of peristalsis, restores the balance of intestinal microflora, increases appetite, and helps to get rid of intoxication.
  9. Possesses immunomodulatory and immuno-strengthening properties, during the season of epidemics prevents complications if they are still sick. Increases the overall resistance of the body.
  10. Stimulates the work of the hematopoietic system, increasing blood clotting. Normalizes the function of internal organs – liver and spleen. Stabilizes the pulse rhythm.
  11. Chaenomeles can be used as an external agent to prevent purulent-inflammatory processes and accelerate epithelialization with long-lasting non-healing scratches.
  12. The beneficial properties of Chaenomeles depend on ripeness. The longer the quince ripens on the tree, the more active the bio-properties.

13. Of course, quince can be used to make jam or jam; in general, it is also suitable for making competes.
Or you can freeze it (after cutting it into pieces) in order to take it out in winter and brew it in a thermos (like a rosehip).

Plums are fruits of the genus Prunus (stone fruits). Plum may have been one of the first fruits grown by humans, along with olives, grapes, and figs.

  1. Plum trees grow on all continents except Antarctica. But most of all they are grown in temperate zones. The average lifespan of cultivated plums is 10-15 years.
  2. Most plum trees grow in gardens near residential areas.
  3. Flower buds on most cultivars sit on short spurs along with the shoots of the main branch. Each bud can contain one to five flowers, and often appear as dense flower clusters when the trees are in full bloom.
  4. The fruits have an average size of 2.5 to 7.5 cm in diameter; shape from spherical to oval. The flesh is hard and juicy. The fruit is smooth with a waxy surface. Skin color ranges from bluish-black to red, purple, green, or yellow.
  5. The most popular and most common is the “home plum”, which takes 90% of all plum tree plantings in the world.
  6. Like most fruits, plums are low in calories. There are approximately 46 calories in 100 grams of raw plums; and they consist of 87% water, 11% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and less than 1% fat.
  7. Plum is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin B (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9), and vitamin E.
  8. Minerals present in them include potassium, fluoride, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, calcium, and zinc. They are also loaded with fiber, sorbitol, and isatin.
  9. The antioxidant power of plums helps in the treatment of osteoporosis, obesity and slows the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
  10. Plums also contain anthocyanin and quercetin, which are important in preventing the breakdown of brain cells.
  11. Plums have a low glycemic index, so consuming plums helps control blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.
  12. Numerous studies have proven that eating plums helps prevent the appearance of cancer cells, strengthens the immune system, and prolongs youth.
  13. Plums are widely consumed as dessert fruits. Plum fruits range in flavor from sweet to tart. Compotes and preserves are prepared from plums. They are used for baking pastries.
  14. In the Balkans, the plum is converted into an alcoholic drink called Slivovica (Serbian: šljivovica). Šljivovica is the national drink of Serbia in domestic production, and the plum is the national fruit.
  15. “Plum wine” is popular in Japan, Korea, and is also produced in China. In central England, a similar alcoholic beverage known as the plum drum is also made from plums.
  16. Dried plums, without fermentation, are called prunes. These plums contain a high level of sugar, the quality of which depends on the drying method (in dehydrators or the sun) and the storage method.
  17. The plum is heavily involved in Chinese mythology. She is often depicted carved on jade, as the Chinese associate her with wisdom.

In ancient China, tangerines were considered a symbol of happiness, wealth, and longevity. That is why the Chinese, going on a visit, took several fruits as a gift to the owners, thereby showing that they wish them all the best. And the hosts, in turn, also gave tangerines to the guests before leaving. There is an assumption that the very name “mandarin”, translated from the Chinese language, means “rich man”.

  1. Everyone loves seedless tangerines, but for obvious reasons, they cannot reproduce without human help. Now there are about 50 varieties of these fruits, but they all belong to cultivated plants and are not found in the wild. Most likely, sometime in time immemorial, Chinese breeders bred it.
  2. A tangerine tree can grow up to 4-5 meters in height, but it takes about 30 years for it. But from one such large tree, you can collect a solid harvest, for the season it can bring up to 6000-7000 fruits, and in some cases even more.
  3. Breeders actively cross tangerines not only with each other but also with other fruits. What is sold in stores often refers to just such hybrids, outwardly very similar to tangerines. Tangerines, for example, which are grown in China more than any other citrus, or clementines, which are a sweet hybrid of mandarin and bitter Seville orange.
  4. Of all citrus trees, tangerine is the most resistant to cold weather. Therefore, these fruits have been grown for a long time even in the south of Russia, although winters there are too cold for most other citrus fruits. But tangerines grow well in the Caucasus, in particular, in Abkhazia and Georgia. It takes 6-8 months for the fruit to fully ripen, and the conditions there are quite suitable, the warm season lasts long enough.
  5. Like other citrus fruits, tangerines are the strongest allergen. But they still have a lot of useful properties – a huge amount of vitamins, for example. For the inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere, these fruits are a valuable source of them in the winter.
  6. In cold climates, tangerine trees do not survive because they are classified as evergreens. They do not shed their leaves for the winter, and therefore snow and frost kill them easily.
  7. Mandarin juice is not commercially available, unlike orange juice, although the cost of these fruits is comparable. The thing is that orange juice is healthy, it retains many useful properties during processing, but tangerines lose these properties. Therefore, it makes no sense to make juice from them – it will not be useful for the body.
  8. The word “mandarin” in a slightly distorted form came to the main European languages from Spanish, and in ancient China, high-ranking government officials were called mandarins, and the Chinese language in English-speaking sources is still called Mandarin. Why the fruit was named as the nobles were called – no one knows. Perhaps the fact is that once in China, only tangerine officials had the right to grow tangerine fruits in their gardens.
  9. If we count all the hybrids together, it turns out that tangerines of all citrus fruits are second only to oranges in terms of the scale of the world harvest. They are grown in many countries of the world, although they came to Europe only a few centuries ago, around the time of the Napoleonic Wars.
  10. Distinguishing a tasty tangerine from a tasteless one is not difficult even in a store. With prolonged storage, these fruits lose moisture and dry out, and therefore become lighter. Therefore, the heavier the tangerine, the juicier it is likely to be, and the fruits that are too light for their size are likely to be slightly dried and not very sweet.
  11. Tangerines are nitrate-free. This is because fruits contain a lot of citric acids, which, due to their properties, neutralizes their harmful effects.
  12. Scientists at the Mayo Clinic Science Center have found that tangerines are wonderful to cheer up. Their smell relieves anxiety and stress and charges a person with optimism.
  13. Eating tangerines is a great way to recharge with vitamins. This fruit contains the same amount of vitamin C as an orange, and 3 times more vitamin A. Also, tangerines are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and bioflavonoids. Moreover, one fruit contains an average of 40 calories.
  14. Don’t rush to throw away the tangerine peels! It can also be used: use it as a flavoring for drinks and desserts. But before doing this, rinse the crusts with water and vinegar to help rinse the chemicals off. Also, avoid using shiny peels, as the gloss means the fruit has been waxed.
  15. How do you calculate the most acidic fruits? Very simple! They are of medium size and flattened. These are Unshiu tangerines, and if you do not like sweets, then you should opt for these fruits.
  16. Mandarin oil works well against cellulite.
  17. To prevent tangerines from spoiling for a long time, simple storage conditions should be observed. These citrus fruits cannot stand dryness and high temperatures, and therefore the bottom drawer of the refrigerator will be the best place for them.

In different parts of the world, you can find various exotic fruits that many of us have never heard of. One of these fruits is pomelo, which appeared on the shelves of our stores relatively recently and has not yet gained great popularity among customers. What is interesting about this large citrus and is it useful, we will tell you about this today.

  1. The name of this citrus should be pronounced with an accent on the letter “e”. Americans call this fruit “Pumelo”, and the Chinese call it “Yu”. Also, you can often find this fruit on store shelves called shaddock, this is how the surname of the European sounded, who was the first to describe this fruit.
  2. It is believed that the homeland of the pomelo is southeast Asia, and this fruit came to America thanks to Shaddock.
  3. The island of Barbados was the first place where pomelo trees were grown from seeds.
  4. It was on the island of Barbados that orange pomelo pollination or rebirth took place, as a result of which the grapefruit appeared.
  5. After you taste the pomelo, a slight bitterness will remain in your mouth, and the aftertaste is very reminiscent of a grapefruit.
  6. Pomelo is a real treasure trove of vitamins, trace elements, and other useful substances.
  7. Pomelo has strong diuretic properties and in this respect, it can even compete with watermelon.
  8. The Chinese use pomelo crusts to prepare medicines for traditional and alternative Chinese medicine
  9. Pomelo pulp is not only tasty but also healthy, as it is rich in pectin. That is why this fruit is used in the preparation of marmalade. Besides the fact that pectin also improves metabolism, it is a known fact that pectin cleanses the body of pesticides, toxic and radioactive substances!
  10. Interestingly, our exotic fruit is also an antidepressant, as it contains substances that strengthen the nervous system and help fight bad moods. Great property, isn’t it?
  11. A good ripe fruit should have a rich aroma, a pale green or yellow color, and be slightly springy, like a “rubber ball”. Of course, it shouldn’t have any damage – a smooth and shiny fruit is the perfect pomelo.