A wet bathing suit or sitting on a cool rock – summer poses some dangers for people with sensitive urinary tracts. A natural way to protect yourself from infections or to fight them is the lingonberry. The pigments (anthocyanins) that give the fruit its bright red make it so valuable. They cause the cells of the lower urinary tract to become slippery – so much so that it is impossible for pathogens to establish themselves there. They are flushed out like on a slide.
Pain, burning when urinating, increased urination and fever can be signs of an infection. As long as only the lower urinary tract is affected, therapy with cranberry preparations can be helpful for these symptoms. Cranberry juice is also said to provide relief for mild gingivitis.
Not only the berries are medicinally valuable, but also the leaves of the plant. They also contain substances that have an antibacterial effect on the urinary tract. In addition to all these good properties, lingonberries are also characterized by their high proportion of vitamins and minerals.
The sour little fruits can not only be enjoyed raw, but also used in the form of jams, teas, juices, as dissolved granules and even as an ingredient in baked goods and pastries.
The lingonberry, which belongs to the blueberry genus, grows and thrives throughout Europe and has long been valued both in the kitchen and in folk medicine as a tasty and medicinal plant. The evergreen dwarf shrub, which grows 10 to 30 centimeters high, flowers from May to the end of June. With its bell-shaped, white to pink flowers, it transforms every forest floor into a carpet of flowers. The globular, initially white, then scarlet shiny berries can be collected from August to October.
If you buy the berries in the supermarket, you shouldn’t be surprised at their high price. Real cranberries are purely wild fruits and therefore only thrive in natural locations.
Incidentally, the so-called “cultivated lingonberry” is not a lingonberry, but the “large-fruited cranberry” (Vaccinium macrocarpon), also called cranberry. It is also very healthy, but has a ground-crawling growth habit and a different taste. However, real cranberries are also cultivated and horticulturally grown. (gul)
Cranberry jelly with apple juice
Due to their rather sour taste, cranberries are best processed into jam, jelly or juice. As a jam, they go perfectly with mushroom dishes, baked Camembert or Wiener Schnitzel.
Ingredients: 1 kg cranberries, 1/2 liter apple juice (freshly squeezed), 1 kg preserving sugar
Preparation: Sort the cranberries, wash and drain well. Heat slowly in a shallow saucepan, just covered with water, and cook until the berries have burst. Set aside covered and let cool. Drain the fruit pulp through a scalded cheesecloth. Heat half a liter of the juice with the strained apple juice and preserving sugar in a large saucepan while stirring and allow to simmer for 6 to 8 minutes. Pour into prepared jars and seal immediately.
Source: Nachrichten
