Irga is a berry of small or medium size (0.8-1.8 cm in diameter) dark blue, less often red. The shrub is very unpretentious and hardy. It can be found both in garden plots and in the wild.
The plant begins to bear early, the crop is usually abundant. Therefore, the cultivation of shadberry on the plots of land is a profitable and simple task.
Briefly about the benefits of irgi
The richness of irgi mineral substances and vitamins (groups B, C, P) makes it popular among adherents of a healthy diet. It contains many vitamins and minerals. This berry is a good source of antioxidants. Its use in food can have an antitumor, immunostimulant, sedative and tonic effect on the human body.
Did you know? This berry is very fond of birds, which contributes to its spread over large areas. The bird eats the pulp along with the bone, which passes through the digestive process in the intestines of the animal without damage and falls to the ground far enough from the mother tree.
Berry picking rules
For the most part, the period of ripening of irgi falls on the end of June, the beginning of May. If the spring is cold, the harvest season may shift to August. 
We recommend to find out what useful properties irga has.
Gather these fruits in the same way as ordinary berries - tearing, put in a tight container or bucket. The game has a thick skin, so you should not worry that the fruits are deformed, but still, it is better not to choose too deep a capacity. They begin to remove berries from the plant at the level of ripening of the total. This is done for the reason that irga matures after removal from the bush.
To determine the ripeness of the berries, it is squeezed a little - the juice will flow from the ripe one. Also, the color of the fruit during ripening in most varieties varies from red to dark blue, purple or purple.
Important! It is not recommended to collect overripe, too green or damaged fruit. Leave them to feed the birds.
Recipes blanks from shadberry
You can make a lot of things from irgi: juices, jams, preserves, tinctures, jellies, compotes and even used as an additive in the preparation of wine. Also consumed fresh or dried. In addition to the berries are used flowers, leaves and bark of the plant.
Jam
Jamberry jam is very tasty and fragrant. It can be served with tea, spread on bread or used in baking.
Grocery list:
- shadberry berries - 1 kg;
- sugar - 400 gr;
- water - 200-300 ml;
- citric acid - 1 gr.
Step-by-step instruction:- Wash fruits, peel off the fruit legs.
- Prepare syrup from water and sugar (in the same pan where the jam will boil).
- The game must be poured boiling water and fold in a colander.
- Add berries to syrup and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and allow to infuse for about 12 hours in the refrigerator (put in the refrigerator after it has completely cooled).
- Boil again until cooked.
- Add citric acid. Roll up like any other jam in sterilized glass jars.
Important! Readiness of jam can be checked on a drop of syrup - it should not spread on a flat surface.
Jam
Making jam from jungle is not much different from the technology of making jams from other berries.
Grocery list:
- Irga - 1 kg;
- sugar - 1 kg;
- boiled water - 1 tablespoon;
- citric acid - 1/4 tsp.
- Wash fruits, peel off the fruit legs.
- Grind them with a blender or meat grinder to a state of mashed potatoes.
- Mix with sugar.
- Insist 3-4 hours.
- Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring and removing the foam.
- Turn off the heat and leave to cool.
- Repeat points 5 and 6 (3-4 times to obtain the desired level of density of the jam).
- On the last repetition of 5-6 points add citric acid, diluted in a spoonful of boiled water.
- Roll up in banks in the usual technology.
We recommend to learn how to make gooseberry jam, strawberries, cherries, plums.
VIDEO: JEM FROM IRGI AND CHERRY
The juice
Freshly harvested fruits are not all sufficiently ripe, so before juicing it is worth keeping it in a dark cool place for 5-7 days. This will get the maximum amount of juice.
Grocery list:
- Irga - 1 kg or more;
- sugar - 100-150 grams for every liter of squeezed juice;
- Wash berries, remove the stem.
- Load in small portions into the juicer and collect the resulting juice in a suitable volume by volume (the juice in it will boil).
- Put the container with the juice to heat on the stove, add sugar and stir until it is completely dissolved.
- Pour on pre-sterilized banks and roll up.
- You can also prepare the juice without adding sugar, or, conversely, increase its quantity (you get a syrup).
Compote
Cooking a large saucepan of compote irgi will take no more than 10 minutes.
Grocery list:
- Irga - 1 medium glass;
- water - 1.75 liters;
- sugar - 3-4 tablespoons.
Prepare a compote of strawberries, cherries, plums, sea buckthorn, apricots, cherries.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Fruits are prepared: wash with running water and remove sticks and spoiled areas.
- Pour water into a saucepan, cover the berries and set on fire.
- After boiling, boil for 10 minutes until the fruit is boiling.
- Add sugar and cook for another 1 minute.
How to quickly and easily prepare irgu for the winter
Fresh and ripe berries are not stored for a long time (only 3-5 days). If there is a need for longer storage, then this should be done in a room with a temperature of 0-2. Irga does not lose its properties after washing, so it is thoroughly washed before storage. For long-term storage, freezing or drying is best. This is very practical, as it does not require boiling, the cost of sugar, no hassle with banks and the canning procedure itself.
Did you know? The game is so unpretentious that it grows even beyond the Arctic Circle.
Frost
Berry fruits are quite dense, so after defrosting they do not lose their shape and attractive appearance. The freezing procedure is the same as for other berries:
- The game is washed and dried.
- Folds out in a single layer on the freezer tray.
- It freezes for several hours.
- Packed up in a convenient storage container in the freezer (it should close tightly).
Familiarize yourself with the best ways to harvest such berries for the winter: yoshty, viburnum, sunberry, strawberry, gooseberry, blueberry, dogwood, hawthorn, cranberry, lingonberry, sea buckthorn, currant.
Drying berries
In order for the irgi fruit to dry properly, it is necessary to decompose them in a well-ventilated, warm room. The berries are laid out in a single layer on a fine grid. It can also be dried in the oven at a temperature not exceeding 60. During drying, the raw materials should be mixed periodically. After drying, pack the finished product in a convenient container for storage.
Irga is an unpretentious and abundantly fruiting plant that produces not only tasty, but also very useful fruits. A wide range of berries makes irugu a good helper in trying to diversify the diet with useful products. These factors are enough to plant this plant in your garden. Moreover, the plant itself is very beautiful and can be grown for decorative purposes.
Feedback from network users
