Common ircus (scientific name Amelachier ovalis) in the European latitudes has been known since the 16th century.
It is not grown on an industrial scale, but the useful properties of irgi have long been known to folk medicine, so it is often found in the gardens of country houses.
Effective for hypertension, the prevention and treatment of scurvy, vitamin deficiency and vascular problems.
Recommended by folk and official medicine to enhance immunity.
Irgi has few contraindications, but they must be known before its use.
General information
According to the classification, Amelachier ovalis belongs to the pink family. The plant is a perennial shrub or tree with a height of 2.5 to 5 meters. All in all, about 25 species of irgi are known in the world. In the CIS countries, Irga vulgaris is the most common - a round-shaped fruit plant. In the more northern latitudes, the Canadian spiky elderweed better survives, which is distinguished by larger sizes.
From an adult tree for the season it will be possible to collect about 15 kg of berries. When ripening, the hue of the fruit initially varies between red and purple. When the berries become blue-black with a light bloom, the crop is ready for harvest - usually this is the beginning of the second half of summer. Ripe fruits have a pleasant sweet taste - their size reaches one centimeter in diameter.
Irga - useful properties of berries
If there is a choice, then we must remember that Canadian irga is a cultivated plant - its fruits are larger and sweeter than other varieties, but the useful properties of Canadian irgi are inferior to the same Amelachier ovalis. Therefore, if you grow irgi for decorative purposes and just to feast on berries, "Canada" is more suitable, and for fans of traditional medicine you need to find an ordinary round-shaped variety of plants.
It should be remembered that many of the beneficial properties of plants often go along with contraindications, and berth in this matter is no exception.
For medicinal purposes, all parts of the plant are used: leaves, flowers and bark, but the largest number of recipes include the use of berries. They have unique properties, the first of which is the lack of fats and proteins in their composition - only carbohydrates.
The pulp of berries has a rather complex composition, which includes organic acids, pectin, stearin, trace elements, flavonols, carotene, as well as vitamins, which make irga an effective anti-zingotic agent.
• Pectin - removes unwanted elements and harmful substances from the body: toxins, salts and cholesterol. Thanks to its effect, the work of the heart improves and the prevention of vascular diseases - atherosclerosis and varicose veins occurs.
• Carotene - a powerful antioxidant that favorably affects the level of immunity. Helps the body fight infections and strengthens its resistance to poor ecology.
• Vitamins A, B and C - individually, favorably affect growth, vision, skin and metabolism. In a complex, they are prescribed as a cancer patient - they are able to slow down the development of cancerous tumors, but their intake should be strictly controlled by a doctor.
• Vitamin P - helps to improve the elasticity of blood vessels and increases their strength.
Application and contraindications
Berries are eaten freshly picked or dried. Squeeze juice from them, brew or make compote. The same goes for leaves and flowers - for some recipes they are ground into a small slurry, and for others they are dried for the future, then to prepare decoctions. Some lovers make virgo wine.
Berry juice
Before preparing it, it is advisable to leave the berries after harvesting for a week in a dry room, spreading them on the surface in one layer - after which the berries let the juice well. Before using the juicer, you can slightly suppress the fruits with a whisk.
Add sugar at the rate of 300 grams per 1 liter to the squeezed juice, after which, without bringing to a boil, heat everything until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour the finished juice into sterilized jars and pasteurize for 15-20 minutes (0.5 and 1 liter, respectively) at 85 degrees.
It is used for high blood pressure and vitamin deficiency. Since the juice does not contain chemicals and alcohol, it can be used by pregnant women. At the same time, you need to be very careful, since low blood pressure is a contraindication of a jiri, the symptoms of which cannot always be distinguished from high. You should also always check for the absence of allergic reactions - first try the juice, berries or broth in small quantities.
Berry tincture
In a liter jar, 700 grams of berries are poured, which are "poured" over the shoulders with vodka, after which they are left to infuse for three days. Then the infusion should be filtered, add another 350 grams of berries to it and leave to infuse for another two days. The finished tincture is filtered again and now it is ready for use. Apply a teaspoon before meals.
Recommended to improve heart function and increase the general tone of the circulatory system. Like fresh berries with juice, it reduces pressure.
Contraindications of the irgi in the form of tincture also include its ability to dull the reaction, therefore, drivers and persons controlling dangerous mechanisms must be careful with it.
Jam
Mix a kilogram of berries with the same amount of sugar, add a glass of water and cook for about 25 minutes. Before cooking, you can add citric acid to your taste. Then pour everything into sterilized jars and roll up. Store jam preferably in the cellar. You can eat it like any other, but you should avoid excesses.
Decoction of flowers
If alcohol infusions cannot be used, then decoctions will replace them. For cooking, you will need two tablespoons of flowers of fresh-picked irrigated or dried. They must be poured with two glasses of boiling water, then wrap up the dishes and leave to cool. Then the leaves are filtered, and the broth itself is taken in a tablespoon before eating. This is an effective medicine for strengthening the cardiovascular system and hypertension.
Decoction of bark
Two tablespoons of crushed dried bark pour two cups of boiling water and put on a small fire for 15 minutes. After that, allow the broth to cool, strain the bark and add boiled water to the original volume. Take half a glass 4 times a day. The broth helps well with digestive disorders - it relieves diarrhea, and is also useful in the treatment of gastritis.
Leaf tea
It is prepared as ordinary tea, with the difference that the tea leaves are not made from tea, but immediately a drink. The leaves are infused for about 15 minutes and after filtering the tea is ready. It has a calming effect, so it is better to drink it before bedtime.
The useful properties of berry berries are fully disclosed when used correctly, and most contraindications appear only when the berries are eaten excessively. For example, to start feeling drowsy while driving, you need to eat them at least a kilogram. Therefore, it is always worth remembering a respectful attitude to herbal products, and consult a doctor before using drugs.
What is useful irga gardeners
Even if you don’t take into account the useful properties of irgi, this shrub is attractive in itself from the point of view of decorative gardening, due to its unpretentiousness. It can be grown on any soil, except salt marshes, the plant can withstand frosts to minus forty, and it is also resistant to drought - the root system goes deep into 2 meters.
To plant irgi on the site, you can take a fragment of the root of an adult tree, or seeds from the fruits. Flowers and fruits normally develop in shady areas, but the plants will be more sweet in a plant lit by the sun.
An additional advantage in the eyes of gardeners will be the lack of need for processing plants from pests. It is also not affected by diseases of cultivated trees and will delight the owners' eyes for 50-70 years.
When the irga blooms, its shrubs resemble miniature Japanese sakura. Its flowers of a white or cream shade are also fond of bees, who are fully prepared to appreciate their honey properties. With the onset of autumn, the leaves of the irgi begin to shimmer in shades of red - from orange to crimson, adding their own colors to the landscape.
