Cornel is a fruit plant with a considerable amount of healing properties. In addition to the beautiful color and specific, but useful properties to soften and interrupt the smell of alcohol, dogwood is really useful for the body.
In particular:
- Dogwood is rich in glucose and carbohydrates
- it also contains a lot of vitamins E, P, C, A;
- many acids and essential oils are present;
- cornel has a positive effect on immunity, and therefore is useful in the fight against colds;
- improves metabolism and appetite, helps in the removal of toxins and metabolic products from the body.
Bright, persistent taste allows to use cornel in recipes of many dishes, not only European, but also Slavic cuisine. Cornel is also popular as a base for preserves, compotes and tinctures. On the preparation of the latter at home and tell in detail.
Recipes for cornel tinctures
The property of dogwood to a certain extent to balance alcohol ensured its popularity in the manufacture of wine, brandy, liquor and many other alcoholic beverages. Both fresh and dried, dried and boiled berries are used, as for their seeds, which are valued for their anti-bacterial properties. You should also remember that the quality of the tincture directly depends on the quality of the ingredients and the quality of the container in which the final result will be infused and stored - no aluminum or metal in general, only glass. If we talk about the recipes cornel tinctures, then we should start with the non-alcoholic version.
1. Non-alcoholic cornel tincture
It has a pleasant and refreshing taste that will appeal to not only adults, but also adolescents. To make this drink at home, you need 0.5 kg of fresh berries and a glass of sugar. The process is as follows:
Start with washing and culling the berries.
Next, you need to divide the remaining berries into two parts, one of which is with stones, and the other without. Then the raw material is placed in the bottle and filled with sugar.
After that, the banks tied up the neck with gauze and put it in a warm, dry and dark place for a week.
The next step is to replace the gauze with a water seal and once again leaves it in the appropriate place, already for 6 weeks.
The final step is disposal of sediment and bottling, after which they should be tightly closed.
The advantage of this drink is that its aging period is not limited, so you can enjoy it immediately or leave it for the situation.
2. Cornel tincture on vodka at home
You will need 0.5 kg of dogwood, 0.7 liters of vodka, and 50-150 grams of sugar, depending on personal preference. Remove peeled berries from the seeds and mash with a rolling pin, put the mashed potatoes in a jar. Knead is not necessary only if the cornel is dried - in this case, pour it as it is. Then pour the vodka into the berries and mix what happened. Tightly closing, put the jar in a dark and dry place, do not forget to shake it every 2 days. As time comes, pass the infusion through a sieve or multi-layer gauze to get rid of the sediment, and add sugar. Mix what happened and close the jar again, leaving it alone for another 20 days.
A successful tincture can be passed through cotton wool, if it seems cloudy. These proportions of ingredients provide 25% strength. Shelf life up to 5 years.
3. Cornel tincture on alcohol at home
Alcohol in this recipe can be replaced by moonshine, most importantly without impurities. Three-quarters of a 3-liter jar filled with fresh and whole berries. Poured liter of alcohol. After a few days you need to drain the resulting 850 ml of drink. In a separate container, you must prepare a syrup from a liter of water and 300 grams of sugar, then pour it into the tincture. The result will be quite pleasant and strong drink, quite suitable for daily use, if desired.
4. Cornel tincture on cognac with honey at home
An unusual but tasty drink with such a composition can be obtained as a result of the following process: 400 g of berries;
1 l of brandy;
10-30 g of honey.
After washing and drying the berries, each must be pierced with a needle. Place blanks in a container, pour brandy and add honey. Tightly closing, leave to infuse for 3 months. Filter through a sieve or gauze and bottled - the tincture of cognac is ready.
5. Tincture of cornel jam at home
Another interesting recipe that allows you to create a very pleasant tincture. Ingredients are:
1.5 liters of moonshine with 45-50% strength;
1 teaspoon of oak bark;
3 units of allspice;
2 branches of Hypericum;
0.5 teaspoon oregano;
10-20 berries from jam;
100 ml syrup from cornel jam.
First you need to create a fragrant base. Take a two-liter bottle, put there oak bark, then allspice, St. John's wort, oregano, and fill with moonshine. The mixture should be infused in a cool, but dry place for at least 3 days, after which it is necessary to drain the liquid and leave the residue to infuse for at least another 5 days. Then pour berries and syrup from cornel jam into the previously fragrant base and leave to “reach” another 2 weeks. Shake the bottle every couple of days.
After two weeks, the resulting tincture must be passed through a filter and poured into prepared containers. You can drink the drink immediately, but according to the traditional method it is better to let it stand for another 2 to 6 months. In any case, this recipe allows you to prepare not too bitter, but not too sweet drink, which will be a nice addition to any table.
6. Cornel tincture with blueberries at home
This recipe involves the use of dried blueberries to create a delicious and fragrant hop drink. To make your own hands you need:
300 grams of cornel;
50 g blueberries;
100 g sugar;
100 ml of alcohol;
0.5 liters of boiled water.
The manufacturing process is not too complicated. Wash and mash the dogwood, place in the bottle. Add bilberry peeled from leaves and tails. Fill with alcohol, clog and leave alone for a month. Then boil the syrup from water and sugar, after cooling it to room temperature, pour in the tincture. Shake well, close again and after the day of infusion pour into bottles. In such a composition, it must be brewed for another 3 to 6 months to make the taste as bright and pleasant as possible. 7. Cornel liqueur at home
Pleasant and mild taste, which is able to please all year round - this is what this tincture provides. The manufacturing process does not require much time or effort. A 2 liter bottle is taken. One half is filled with fresh and clean berries of cornel, slightly frostbitten, and filled with sugar, in an amount that completely covers the berries. The bottle closes tightly and remains in the sun for 40 days. Then supplemented with a few grams of cinnamon and cloves for taste and filled with anise brandy to the top. The result is a unique and high-quality alcoholic drink that every lover of strong "liquids" will appreciate.
8. Water cornel tincture at home
This tincture is used in most cases for medicinal purposes and is used as a tea. There are several types of recipes:
30 grams of dried and crushed leaves and cornel flowers should be poured 250 ml of boiling water. Cover and steep for an hour. Such a tincture, in addition to a pleasant taste, acts as an effective antipyretic and disinfectant for colds, typhus and tuberculosis.
35 grams of leaves and 35 grams of berries pour 0.5 liters of water, cook for 10 minutes and let stand for 8 hours. This tincture is great for indigestion or as a diuretic.
In addition to therapeutic purposes, water cornel tincture is a good alternative to the alcoholic varieties, if you can not use them.
Specificity of cornel tincture at home
One of the main properties of the cornel, as the basis for the tincture is the softening of alcohol. In practice, this means that the drink, although it turns out to be quite strong and aromatic, is not always perceived as alcohol. Obviously, with insufficient caution, you can easily overdo it with the amount and earn both a terrible hangover and harm the body.
In addition, it should be remembered that it is not statistically impossible for an individual to be allergic to certain ingredients of the tincture, including cornel itself, so it will not be superfluous to ensure its absence before use. In addition, homemade dogwood tincture should not be used for gastritis with high acidity, acute or chronic duodenitis, an ulcer or insomnia. Also, contrary to common misconceptions, not every tincture is effective in treating constipation or diarrhea - cornel just refers to what is contraindicated in such conditions. Always remember that the quality of cornel tincture is 90% dependent on the quality of the ingredients, not the recipe. Berries, additional ingredients for flavor, alcohol-containing liquids - everything must be of adequate quality. In addition, the process of making cornel tincture at home, like any other berry tincture, among other things, is characterized by one important nuance: the container for infusion and storage must be enameled or made of dark glass.
Also, in the manufacture of cornel tinctures always clearly represent its purpose - as an alcoholic drink or as a therapeutic agent. Depending on this, there will be strong differences in both the recipe and the amount to be consumed. Tinctures with a strong effect on the body, which will be therapeutic in small doses, will be able to cause considerable harm in large doses.
