Lingonberry, or, as our ancestors called it, the berry of immortality, was loved by many for its fine delicate aroma, sour-tart taste and most valuable healing properties. Various fruit drinks, sauces, jams, lingonberry jams occupy an honorable place in the diet of people who look after their health and wish to remain young and energetic for many years.
Taste qualities
A small, but incredibly aromatic and attractive berry, lingonberry is famous for its unique beneficial properties and taste. Thanks to the latter, she deserved a special place in the kitchen. 
Berry, with its tart, sour and slightly bitter taste, is used to prepare various preparations for the winter, for example, compotes, berries in syrup, jams, preserves, etc. Cowberry in syrup without cooking is in special demand.
No less useful are such berries as: sunberry, gooseberry, currant (black, white, red), sea buckthorn, cloudberries, cranberries, princess, goji, mulberry, grapes and cherry plum.
What you need in the kitchen: appliances and utensils
In the process of preparing blanks for the winter, you should prepare the following kitchen equipment:
- tank (enamel pan or stewpan) for cooking syrup and berries;
- towel for drying fruits or a sieve;
- glass jars for storing blanks.
Ingredients Required
For lingonberry syrup you will need the following ingredients (for one jar):
- fresh-frozen lingonberries - 180 g;
- sugar - 90 g;
- pure water - 60 ml.
The key to high-quality, tasty and healthy harvesting is properly selected, ripe berry.Features of product selection
Lingonberry fruits are harvested during the period of its full ripening, when the berries acquire a bright saturated red color. It is at this time that the maximum amount of benzoic acid accumulates in the fruit, which is responsible for the preservation of the fruit.
When choosing a product should pay attention to its color and texture. If the berries are too soft and dark red - they are gone and they will not stand for a long time. It is better to give preference to slightly immature fruits, but not green. 
An immature greenish berry should also not be purchased, because it differs, firstly, by far from ideal taste, and, secondly, it cannot be stored at all, and in a few days it will deteriorate.
Important! The berries do not ripen themselves. Therefore, when buying green fruits do not hope that they will become scarlet and mature.
Step-by-step recipe with photo
Cooking lingonberries in syrup at home is easy, for this you need to follow the following instructions:
- Rinse the berries well with water, remove all rotten fruits, stems, twigs, leaves, dry on a towel or use a sieve.
- Put berries in a saucepan, cover them with sugar, add water and put the container on the fire.
- Heat the mass on low heat for 10-15 minutes, do not let it boil.
- Increase the temperature, bring the berries to a boil, but do not boil.
- Turn off the mass, fill it with pre-sterilized glass jars, tighten the lids.
- In an oven heated to 150 degrees, shift the jars with the billet, warm up in the "convection" mode for 15 minutes.
- Pull the container with the berries, put on a towel upside down. Allow to cool.
Lingonberry in syrup: what to add
To make the taste of the cranberry billet more saturated, unconventional and pleasant, various ingredients are added to it.
Lemon juice
Lemon juice will give lingonberries an incredibly fresh flavor and complement the taste with hints of citrus. To cook lingonberries with lemon juice, you need to take:
- cranberries - 1 kg;
- sugar - 300 g;
- lemon juice to taste;
- water - 400 ml.
Did you know? Lingonberry bush - long-lived, he, like oak, can live to three hundred years.
Cooking technology:
- Rinse the berries thoroughly, dry them on a towel.
- Fold the fruit in a dry glass jar.
- Boil sugar syrup in a separate saucepan: pour sugar into water, add lemon juice, boil, let cool for a little, strain.
- Pour the fruit with the prepared syrup, close the lid, put it in the fridge or in a cool dark place.
Apples
As an additive to lingonberry delicacy, apples are perfect. To prepare a delicious soaked cowberry in syrup with apples, it is recommended to prepare the following ingredients:
- cranberries - 5 kg;
- apples - 1 kg;
- sugar - 1 kg;
- water - 5 l;
- cinnamon - 7 g;
- Carnation - 2-3 pcs.
Cooking sequence:
- Wash the lingonberries, sort, dry on a towel.
- Cook sugar syrup: pour sugar into water, put cloves and cinnamon. Boil for 5 minutes, cool, strain.
- Rinse the apples, cut the core, cut into four parts.
- Pour a layer of lingonberry 5-7 cm in a large enamel container, then a layer of apples. So make a few layers, and the latter should be cranberries.
- Lingonberry-apple billet pour syrup. Top down with any weight so that it does not rise.
Features and rules for storing the workpiece
Cowberry blanks should be stored in the refrigerator, cellar, basement or in another dark, cool place. Fruits in syrup or own juice are not subject to long-term storage, they should be consumed in 2-3 months.
For long-term storage it is recommended to sterilize the berry. As such, it can be put in a dark place at room temperature and stored for about one year.
Read more about how to prepare lingonberries for the winter.
Dried fruits are well preserved. They are dried in a warm oven, put in a wooden container, covered with paper sheets on top.
In the winter, to feast on fresh berries of lingonberries, it is necessary to thoroughly wash them, sort them, remove the rot, and dry on a towel.
Fully dry fruits put in a basket or wooden container, put in a dark, cool place. With this method, the product can last up to 60 days.
About the benefits of lingonberries
Lingonberry is a small perennial evergreen shrub of the heather family. The shrub has a branched stalk, on which are located shiny leathery leaves of elongated form. The height of the shoots varies from 15 to 40 cm. 
The plant blooms with white small flowers. The first berries ripen in mid-summer, around July, the second harvest is harvested in September. The berries are small in size, bright red and tart, bitter-sour taste.
Did you know? In Latin, the word "lingonberry" means "a vine from the Phrygian Ida mountain". There was a belief that in these places lived the fertility goddess Kibel, whose head was decorated with an amazing wreath of cranberry berries.
It is not for nothing that cowberries are called the doctor for all diseases; its unique chemical composition has determined a wide range of its most valuable medicinal properties. It is the source of many vital vitamins, micro and macro elements.
It is proved that the fruits exhibit an inhibitory effect against several types of malignant tumors, in particular, leukemia, colon cancer, cervix.
Chemical composition
The benefits of the berries are in the content of carbohydrates, organic and inorganic acids, carotene, tannins, biologically active substances that help eliminate many problems associated with the work of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, cardiovascular and nervous systems.
It perfectly strengthens and boosts immunity, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bacterial properties. 
The nutritional value of the fruit is represented by:
- proteins - 0.7 g;
- Fat 0.5 g;
- carbohydrates - 9.6 g.
At the same time, the caloric content of the product is extremely small, with only 43 kcal per 100 g of berries.
The vitamin and mineral complex of lingonberry includes:
- vitamin A. Improves the regeneration of the skin, normalizes metabolic processes, prevents aging of the skin;
- vitamin C. Strengthens the body, increases its resistance to various negative external factors, takes part in oxidative processes;
- vitamin E. Strengthens the flow of oxygen into the cells, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, normalizes cholesterol levels, reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases;
- group of vitamins B (riboflavin, niacin, thiamine). They take an active part in protein synthesis, normalize the work of the nervous, cardiovascular systems, are responsible for the production of energy;
- iron. It prevents the development of anemia, strengthens the immune system, allows you to quickly restore strength, gives energy;
- phosphorus. It activates brain activity, takes part in metabolic processes, helps the absorption of many minerals;
- calcium. Strengthens bone tissues and blood vessels, contributes to the proper formation of the skeleton, normalizes the work of the muscular system;
- magnesium. It normalizes intestinal motility and the functioning of the nervous system, relieves fatigue and stress, fights depression and insomnia, strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
- manganese. Ensures proper development of body cells, helps to absorb copper, iron and thiamine, activates important enzymatic reactions.
In addition, the berries contain organic acids - malic, citric, tartaric, lactic, salicylic, succinic, as well as sugar, instant oils and tannins. 
Beneficial features
Due to the natural composition, the berries have a positive effect on many body systems. One of the main features of the fruit is the ability to protect against recurrent urinary tract infections.
The infusion of the berries has a diuretic, antiseptic and astringent effect, helps to fight the causative agents of bacterial infections, prevent the development of cystitis, urolithiasis, pyelonephritis.
Preparations from such plants as: mordovnik, juniper, bathing vessel, goldenrod, stonecrop large, spurge, safflower and chervil are also often used as a diuretic.
Lingonberry is considered effective for eliminating pain and inflammation in rheumatism, arthritis, arthrosis, gout. It is an effective tool for raising immunity, reducing the risk of colds.
Regular use of the berries improves the condition of the oral cavity, prevents gum bleeding, strengthens the hair and nail plate. Lingonberry juice is indicated for intestinal problems, various diseases of the digestive organs.
The fruit of the plant is used to improve vision. They speed up the metabolism, have a rejuvenating effect, prevent premature aging. 
Whether all can use cowberry blanks
"Berries of immortality" often act as natural medicines to combat various ailments. However, there are categories of people - pregnant and lactating women, children - for whom the use of the product should be dosed.
Pregnant and lactating
In the absence of individual intolerance or allergies, it is allowed to consume lingonberries for women in the position. In some cases, the doctor prescribes it on purpose.
Important! It is necessary to eat a product in the first trimester of pregnancy with great care, as it can cause a tone, a contraction of the uterus. Fruits are recommended to be added to dishes by the piece.
To prevent a shortage of vital vitamins and minerals, it is enough for pregnant women to eat a few berries a day. They have a weak diuretic effect, so perfectly remove the swelling and prevent their appearance.
Lingonberry juice eliminates problems with digestion, reduces the risk of negative effects of external factors, and during cold periods is able to replace medicines. 
During lactation, it is especially important for a woman to support the immune system and the necessary balance of vitamins, therefore for this purpose it is allowed to add fresh berries of cowberries or preparations from it to the diet.
Lingonberry products contribute to the preservation of strength and energy in the mother, normalize sleep, struggle with postpartum depression and insomnia, support the normal functioning of the nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. In addition, they have a positive effect on the condition of the skin, nails and hair.
Cowberry fruits should be discarded when:
- allergies;
- individual intolerance;
- blood pressure races.
It is also recommended to start consuming the product after the baby is three months old. The first portions should be limited to half a berry per day, gradually increasing the dosage.
For children
Include the fruits in the children's menu should not be raw, but in the form of fruit drinks, juices, jams, etc.
Important! In the form of funds for the treatment of various diseases, for example, infusions, decoctions, lingonberries can be consumed by children over 12 years old.
It is better to postpone acquaintance with lingonberry blanks until the baby is one year old. The first dose should start with very small doses. In the absence of a negative reaction of the organism to a new product, its portion can be increased.
Fruits are recommended to be served together with other berries, fruits or as part of various dishes: salads, fruit drinks, puddings, curd casseroles, etc. 
Harm and contraindications berries
In some cases, the use of lingonberries is contraindicated. Fruits and juice from them should be excluded from the diet with stomach ulcers and gastritis with high acidity, hypotension, urolithiasis, cholecystitis, children under one year. With care berries must be used by people prone to allergic reactions.
It must be remembered that the berry, growing in polluted regions, is able to accumulate harmful substances, toxins, heavy metals. That is why you should eat only the product that was collected in environmentally safe areas, and the quality of which you are sure.
It will be useful for you to learn how to grow lingonberries at the dacha, as well as the diversity of its varieties.
Doctors do not recommend the use of drugs, in which lingonberry or its derivatives are present, immediately after a meal, they are taken on an empty stomach or before meals. Since the fruits have the ability to thin the blood, they can not be eaten by people after surgery, or when internal bleeding. 
Lingonberry is an aromatic berry that can please not only with pleasant taste, but also with a whole range of useful components. Regular consumption of raw berries, juices, jams or compotes will strengthen the immune system and significantly improve our well-being, which will make it possible to improve the quality of human life. But enjoying a useful delicacy, you should not forget about possible contraindications.
