Cucumber herb (borage, borage). Cucumber grass - a storehouse of healing substances

Cucumber grass (borage, borage, borage) is a herbaceous annual flowering plant of the Borage family, growing in the countries of Southern Europe, Asia Minor, South America and North Africa. In the wild, grass is found in wastelands and fields in Russia, Ukraine, and the Caucasus. Medicinal properties of borage have been used in folk medicine since ancient times, and due to the characteristic fresh cucumber smell and taste of the leaves, it is now also cultivated as a vegetable plant.

Borage blooms in June-August, with small white or deep blue flowers drooping and collected in a brush at the top of the stem, fructifies in July-September, the fruits are oblong-shaped nuts, dark brown. In height, the plant can reach 60-100 cm, the stem is ascending or straight, hollow, pubescent and thick, branched at the top. The root of the cucumber herb is taproot, the basal leaves are large, oval or elliptical, the stem leaves are sessile, oblong-ovate, covered with whitish hard hairs.

Chemical composition

For medicinal purposes, fresh and dry flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds of the plant are used. The composition of the leaves found: ascorbic, citric, lactic and malic acids, as well as tannins and mucous substances, carotene, tannins, saponins, mineral salts (especially a lot of potassium). The flowers contain an essential oil and mucus, the seeds contain allantoin, and the seed oil contains linolenic acid (necessary for the production of prostaglandins).

The herb is collected in the summer (during flowering), dried in the sun or in well-ventilated areas, raw materials can be stored for no more than a year, because it quickly loses its medicinal properties.

Beneficial features

The healing properties of borage include: soothing, regulating metabolism, antirheumatic, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, decongestant, expectorant, mild laxative, diuretic, enveloping.

Indications for use

Even in ancient Rome, flowers and leaves of grass were added to wine for warriors to raise morale before the battle, and in the Middle Ages, borage, or as it was also called "joy of the heart", was used as a means to help fight melancholy and sadness.

Currently, plant-based preparations treat lesions of the liver, gallbladder, and cardiovascular system. Grass is prescribed for catarrh of the lungs, cough, rheumatism, gout, heart neurosis, neurasthenia, skin diseases caused by metabolic disorders.

Vitamin salads from borage are recommended to prevent the development of inflammatory processes in the kidneys and intestines, reduce irritability in overly excitable people, and normalize metabolic processes. Infusions of flowers are used for colds, feverish conditions, diseases of the urinary system. The enveloping, anti-inflammatory and mild laxative property of the herb in alternative medicine is used in the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract. Due to the rich content of mineral salts and the ability to activate the metabolism, borage is often included in various diets.

In European countries, plant leaves are added to salads, vegetable soups, sauces, fish and meat dishes, marinades and pickles. Borage flowers in fresh and dried form are used in the confectionery and liquor industries.

Contraindications

Persons with liver damage should not use herbal preparations for a long time, because it contains a small amount of pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Before using the plant, you should consult with your doctor.

Homemade Cucumber Herb Remedies

• Infusion of leaves and flowers: 10 g of dried leaves and 5 g of flowers, insist in a sealed container for 1 hour in 200 ml of boiled water. Drink 3-4 times a day, 50 ml before meals in the treatment of fever, colds, metabolic disorders, rheumatic pain in the joints, heart neuroses, diseases of the bladder and kidneys;
• A decoction of leaves: 20 g of leaves are poured into 250 ml of water and simmered over low heat for 10 minutes, then filtered. Take 1 tablespoon before meals 3 times a day for colitis, gastritis with low acidity, nervous disorders, colds, joint pain. Also, decoction can be used to wash the skin with rashes;
• Infusion of flowers: 5 g of flowers are brewed in 200 ml of boiling water, infused for 6 hours, then filtered. Drink 4 times a day before meals, 100 ml for inflammation of the kidneys and bladder, gastritis with low acidity, weakening of cardiac activity;
• Infusion of leaves: 10-15 g of leaves are poured into 200 ml of chilled boiled water and infused for 2 hours. Take 3-4 times a day, 100 ml for heart neurosis, fever, inflammation of the urinary system.

Moreover, this plant is universal - suitable for both soups and desserts.

This is an annual herbaceous plant up to 30-50 cm high. The stem is branched. The lower leaves are oblong-ovate, petiolate, wrinkled, the upper ones are oblong-lanceolate, sessile.

As you can see in the photo, the borage plant has small, blue, drooping flowers on long pedicels with a bell-shaped corolla:

Blooms in June-July. Ripen in July-September.

The homeland of the plant is the African coast of the Mediterranean Sea and Asia Minor. The leaves and flowers of the plant have long been used to lift the spirit, increase the courage of Roman soldiers. In the 15th century, borage flowers began to be used to uplift the spirit.

Often found as a weed in fields and wastelands in the Crimea, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Cultivated as a vegetable crop, since the leaves have a pleasant cucumber smell and are widely used in salads, they are sprinkled on top of boiled.

Growing and caring for borage

Cucumber grass is grown on light, non-acidic, well-moistened fertile soils. Cucumber grass is sown before winter or early spring to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. Row spacing is 40-45 cm. The sowing rate of borage seeds is 3-4 g/m2. Seedlings are thinned twice, leaving 15-20 cm between plants. The growing season is 70-80 days.

Caring for borage is to keep the soil loose and weed-free. During the growing season, at least three inter-row treatments are carried out: starting from the phase of 3-4 true leaves until the plants close in a row. The depth of processing is increased from 5-6 cm to 10-12 cm. If necessary, weed control in a row is carried out one or two manual weeding.

Harvest by hand in the phase of a well-developed rosette before the appearance of a flowering stem. Plants are cut at the level of the soil or pulled out with roots; before laying in a container, the earth must be removed from the roots.

Usually, diseases and pests are not observed on the grass, and pesticides can be dispensed with.

When cutting raw materials, do not forget that the plant is an annual and seeds will be needed for sowing next year. Therefore, leave 3-4 plants. You don't have to wait for all the seeds to ripen. If you wait for the latter, then the first largest ones will simply crumble. Therefore, when the last flowers begin to bloom, cut off the flower stalks and lay them out on paper in a dry place. As it dries, the unripe seeds of borage borage will ripen, and the ripe ones will spill out onto paper. After that, you can collect them and wait for the next season.

The borage runs wild very easily and can become a malicious weed, therefore, when grown in fields and vegetable gardens, its growth must be carefully monitored so that it does not spread to areas occupied by other plants.

See how borage borage looks like in the photo when grown in the garden:

Useful properties of seeds and flowers of borage borage

Medicinal raw materials are grass, flowers and seeds of the plant. The grass is cut during flowering near the ground itself, cleaned of poor-quality lower leaves. Dry in the sun, laying out a thin layer, or in a ventilated area.

Seeds can be collected in unlimited quantities, however, one must take into account the fact that the seeds crumble quickly, and when they are brought to ripeness indoors, the seeds can be eaten.

The beneficial properties of borage borage are due to the fact that it contains up to 30% of mucous substances, saponins, tannins, traces of essential oils, organic acids, resins, flavonoids, allantoin, carotenes, vitamins, silicic acid. Also, the benefits of borage are due to the content of magnesium salts, manganese, potassium nitrate and others.

The flowers are also edible. They decorate various dishes, especially salads. In drinks, borage leaves enhance the existing aroma, they do not transfer their smell to drinks. The flowers are also eaten candied.

Medicines from borage herb

Cucumber herb medicines can have a calming, diuretic, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, laxative, regulating metabolic processes, enveloping, antirheumatic effect.

For the treatment of kidney diseases drink fresh juice. To do this, the lower leaves are collected, washed with water, scalded with boiling water, turned through a meat grinder and squeezed through a cloth. Before use, the juice is diluted with whey or boiled water in equal parts, boiled for three minutes. You need to drink juice 3-4 times a day 30 minutes before meals, 3 tablespoons.

For the treatment of heart diseases, an infusion is made from leaves and flowers of grass: two tablespoons of crushed dry raw materials are poured into 250 ml of boiling water, the container is covered, insisted for five hours, filtered. It is recommended to drink the infusion 5-6 r / day, two tablespoons, 30 minutes before meals. Treatment lasts 1-2 weeks.

The use of borage in the treatment of depression is also widespread. In this case, freshly squeezed juice helps - it is drunk in a tablespoon three times a day.

For the treatment of gout, lotions are made on sore joints from grass. To do this, fresh leaves are kneaded, and dry ones are steamed with boiling water. Putting grass on the sore spot, polyethylene is applied on top, wrapped with a warm cloth. It is better to do such compresses at night. You also need to consider that the grass can stain bedding and compress fabric.

Juice helps with neurodermatitis and skin irritations. It is diluted 1:1 with water and then the affected areas are treated.

With a disturbed menstrual cycle, rheumatism, dry collection helps: they take one tablespoon of raw materials, pour a glass of boiling water, insist until it cools, filter. Drink infusion on a tablespoon three times a day. It is also noticed that the use of the plant helps to alleviate the manifestations of premenstrual syndrome.

The plant can be included in the dietary menu for diseases of the vessels, gallbladder, kidneys, infarction, cardiac neurosis: the plant tends to regulate metabolism, reduce the excitability of the nervous system. For the same reason, the herb helps with insomnia.

With nervous disorders, colitis, joint pain caused by a cold, with gastritis with low acidity, prepare such a decoction: 20 g of leaves should be boiled for 10 minutes in 250 ml of water, over low heat. Drink a decoction of a tablespoon 3 times a day before meals. Since the leaves appear in early spring, they are recommended to be included regularly in your diet to reduce the severity of beriberi symptoms.

Cucumber herb recipes: salads and okroshka

The leaves are used as a substitute for cucumbers in okroshka, vegetable, mushroom and meat salads, vinaigrettes, cold borscht, as seasonings for meat, fish and cereal dishes. Various drinks are prepared from flowers with the addition of honey, wine, vegetable and berry juices, fruit drinks, flowers are added to kvass and tea. The roots collected in autumn are used to flavor wines, flavor beer, tinctures.

When preparing various dishes according to recipes from borage herb, only fresh leaves should be used, as dried or frozen ones lose their flavor. This also applies to hot dishes - they are recommended to season them before serving. A small amount of finely chopped greens will greatly improve the taste of a stew or fish dish.

Salad with pepper and sauerkraut

Ingredients: 300 g of borage leaves, 300 g of sweet pepper, 300 g of sauerkraut, vegetable oil.

Combine the washed finely chopped borage with slices of sweet pepper, add cabbage. Dress salad with borage herb with vegetable oil.

Salad with tomatoes and nuts

Compound: 100 g chopped borage leaves, 200 g, 5 chopped walnuts. Mix everything, season with vegetable oil.

Meshcherskaya okroshka

A few young leaves of borage herb finely chop and grind. 4-5 leaves of watercress, 60 g green onions, 1 tbsp. chop finely. Add 80 g boiled potatoes cut into cubes, 1 egg, 80 g boiled meat or sausage, sour cream, salt and sugar to taste. Before serving, pour okroshka with borage herb into kvass.

Okroshka with kvass

Boiled potatoes, meat and eggs are finely chopped, green onions and eggs are rubbed with salt with a pestle; everything is mixed with chopped borage, poured with kvass, finely chopped dill, sugar, mustard are added.

For 0.5 l of bread kvass - 60 g of boiled beef or sausage, 50 g of potatoes, 60 g of borage, 40 g of green onions, 15 g of dill, 1 egg, 30 g of sour cream, salt, sugar, mustard.

Borage Cucumber Recipes

beetroot

Compound: 0.5 l of beetroot broth, 2-3 boiled potatoes, 1 boiled beetroot, 200 g of chopped borage, other herbs (to taste), sour cream, salt. Cut vegetables and greens, pour beetroot broth (you can kvass - then you get okroshka), season with sour cream. You can add boiled eggs and meat to this dish.

Cream soup with herbs

For 165 ml of water - 1 bunch of borage, dill, tarragon and basil, 2 bunches of chives and herbs, 2 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 2-3 tbsp. lemon juice, 5 tbsp. any vegetable oil, except sunflower, 1/2 tsp. mayonnaise and sour cream, 100 g of fresh cottage cheese, 2 hard-boiled eggs. Rinse the greens, let the water drain, remove the stems, finely chop, put in a porcelain bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice, mix with vegetable oil and let it brew for 5 minutes. Add mayonnaise, cottage cheese, sour cream to hot water and beat with a mixer. Then chop the eggs, spicy greens and mix with the rest of the products. Serve in small bowls as an independent dish with croutons or as a sauce for fish.

Borago stew

Borage leaves are boiled in a small amount of salted water, rubbed and served with butter.

candied flowers

A layer of sugar is poured into earthenware, a layer of fresh flowers is laid on it, again a layer of sugar, etc. A thick layer of sugar is placed on top. Store in a cool place.

leaf tea

6-8 leaves of borage are poured with two glasses of boiling water and incubated for 15-20 minutes. They drink it for sore throats and to improve blood circulation, as well as a diuretic and sedative.

Here you can see photos of borage dishes prepared according to the above recipes:

Cucumber Grass (Borago)(other names: borage, borage medicinal, borage medicinal) belongs to the borage family. Its name is borage semi-leaves - whole, broadly elongated, the lower ones are ovoid, narrowed to the petioles, the upper ones are more oblong, smaller, sessile; flowers - blue, five-petalled, drooping, sitting on a long pedicel, collected in a dense brush at the top of the stem, rich in nectar; seeds - oblong, dark. The whole plant is bristly-hairy.

blooms from the end of June to August.

Habitat

Cucumber grass grows everywhere, often settles by self-sowing in vegetable gardens, like a weed. Homeland borage - Asia Minor, the Mediterranean coast. The ancient Romans endowed it with the properties of uplifting the spirit, increasing courage and used it "to make it easier on the heart."

In France, borage grass was called "joy of the heart", "fun", "heart flower" and was widely used to flavor wines, vinegar, flowers were placed in glasses with wine and soft drinks.

Unfortunately, in our country, borage grass is a rare green crop, although many amateur gardeners often sow its seeds. The yield of green mass can reach 50-60 centners per 1 ha and 20 kg/ha of honey (borage is a good honey plant).

In Udmurtia, Perm and Yekaterinburg regions, borage is sown in household plots; ripened seeds crumble easily, giving a large harvest the next year.

In culture, borage grass is called "borago" and is valued as a cold-resistant plant that grows well on various soils and even in the shade. Seeds are sown before winter or early spring, young tender leaves grow within a month after the first shoots, they can be collected in several stages. It must be remembered that in dry, hot weather, the plant quickly forms a flower stem, and the leaves become rough and tasteless.

The use and beneficial properties of borage

What makes this plant stand out, besides the cucumber taste and smell? It contains vitamin C, carotene, malic and citric acids, essential oils, flowers contain a lot of sugar. In addition, furocoumarins, saponins, tannins and mucous substances were found.

Both fresh and dried, borage has medicinal properties.
It is used as a mild laxative, for articular rheumatism and some skin diseases, for heart neuroses and catarrhs ​​of the lungs. Infusions from the leaves are drunk with neurasthenia as a sedative, and infusions from flowers - as a diuretic and diaphoretic. Vitamin salads prophylactically promote metabolism, prevent inflammation in the kidneys and intestines, relieve irritability.

In Bulgaria, it is recommended to use the infusion for edema, inflammation of the kidneys, rheumatic pains according to the following recipe: pour 2 tablespoons of borage herb with a glass of boiling water, leave for 5 hours and drink 1 tablespoon 5-6 times a day.

Wild borage is harvested before flowering. Young leaves and shoots are widely used in salads, okroshkas, soups, and are also used as a side dish for meat, fish and cereal dishes, for fillings in pies, flavoring vinegar, punches, wine, tea brewing.

Contraindications

Long-term use of this plant can lead to impaired liver function. Therefore, experts advise not to take borage for more than one month. It is also desirable to take borage not as an independent drug, but to include it in various medicinal collections.

borage grass- This is a flowering annual plant native to Syria, the leaves of which smell like fresh cucumbers. Other names for borage grass: borage, borage, borago, heart flower, etc. In most cases, this plant is perceived as a weed in our country. grows almost everywhere - along roadsides, in wastelands, landfills, vegetable gardens, etc. However, in Western Europe, borage is grown as a vegetable plant, and has also been used as a folk medicine since ancient times. We will find out how borage grass is useful, and whether it can harm health.

Cucumber grass is a stiff-haired plant with a stem length of up to 1 meter, which blooms with fairly large, five-petalled dark blue flowers. Flowering time - June - August. After this, a fruit is formed - an oblong tuberculate nut.

In the chemical composition of the leaves are the following substances:

• vitamin C;
• lemon acid;
• Apple acid;
• trace elements (potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, etc.);
• mucous substances;
• tannins;
• saponins;
• tannins.

Borage flowers contain essential oil and mucus.

Useful properties and use of borage (borage)

It is known that borage is used in homeopathy for the preparation of various medicines, and is also part of some dietary supplements. Cucumber leaves are recommended to be added to food, which not only improves the taste of dishes, but also contributes to the following:

• improvement of digestion processes;
• normalization of metabolic processes in the body;
• prevention of inflammatory processes in the intestines and kidneys;
• excretion;
• calming the nervous system;
• normalization of work and strengthening of blood vessels.

The benefits of cucumber grass are not only this. Also, the plant has a mild laxative effect, has a diuretic, diaphoretic and enveloping effect, helps with various types of pain - rheumatic, muscular, arthritic, etc.

Young cucumber grass can be used as an additive to vinaigrettes, sauces, side dishes, okroshka, vegetable cold soups, meat and fish dishes. Mature leaves can be used like spinach - stewed, boiled and fried, as well as in pickles and marinades. Flowers can be used fresh and candied as a treat, and from the roots of borage to prepare oil, which is added to cheeses, syrups, essences, cold drinks, wines.

Dishes with borage grass will be useful for women who want to lose weight. Due to its low calorie content and the ability to improve metabolic processes in the body, this plant will help you quickly get rid of extra pounds.

Also, the plant can be used as an external agent for the preparation of anti-aging folk remedies for the face - masks, lotions. Both fresh and dried young leaves are suitable for this. From a decoction prepared on the basis of leaves, you can make compresses that help relieve pain and promote the speedy healing of injuries and. In cosmetology, borage seed oil is used, which has a beneficial effect on the skin.

Harm and contraindications of borage

Any plant can provide not only benefits, but also harm, and borage is no exception. It should be eaten in moderation, because. long-term use in large quantities can adversely affect the functioning of the liver. Therefore, it is not recommended to use this plant for more than a month - you should take short breaks.

Cucumber grass, if you let its growth take its course and stop caring for it, runs wild very quickly and turns into a weed. Therefore, the spread of this herb is best controlled.

The scheme for planting borage grass depends on the further purposes of using the plant. If the stems are taken as a whole, then the seeds are laid according to the scheme 10 * 10 cm, as the plant grows, increasing the distance between rows to 30 cm. And when growing borage for flowers and seeds, the distance between adult plantings should be at least 70 cm. Seed laying depth - 1-2 cm.

plant care consists in regular loosening, thinning and timely watering of plantings. However, borage grass is drought tolerant. Young leaves and succulent stems can be cut into fresh salads throughout the season.
And when the borage seeds ripen, do not forget to collect them too - this is a valuable product for the treatment of many diseases. When cutting off whole plants, be sure to leave a few of them on the site, because bees love them so much.

On the windowsill

Growing borage grass from seeds can be done not only in an open summer cottage, but also at home - in flower pots.

Borago: benefit and harm

And what else distinguishes borage, in addition to its cucumber aroma and taste?
A lot of useful substances were found in its leaves and stems:
vitamin C,
carotene,
mineral salts,
organic acids
essential oils,
tannins and mucous substances.
Cucumber inflorescences contain a large percentage of sugars, and its seeds abound in useful fatty oils.
Thanks to this composition, the borage was known among the people as a real healer. By preparing culinary dishes based on this plant, you can not only satisfy your taste needs, but also make up for the lack of nutrients in the body.

But, as is the case with many other cultures, a number of contraindications can be identified. Cucumber herb in large quantities should not be consumed by those who have liver problems. Recent studies report that frequent consumption of borage by individuals with chronic liver disease can lead to the formation of blood clots in the liver. Therefore, using borage as a drug, be sure to take breaks between courses.

The use of borage in cooking

In many European countries, borage has been grown as a vegetable plant for a very long time. No wonder - this is a real "substitute" for the familiar cucumber. The leaves are famous for their refreshing (like onion flavor) taste and aroma of fresh cucumber.

Leaves, stems, flowers and even roots are used for culinary purposes. They can be eaten both fresh and pre-processed.

Fresh leaves and shoots of borage are chopped into salads, added to sauces, okroshka, hot soups, main dishes. No less tasty are teas brewed on borage leaves.
The roots of the plant, collected in autumn, are used in the preparation of green oil, for flavoring many alcoholic beverages (wine, punch, beer).
Flowers serve as an original decoration for various dishes, they are also often used as a completely independent dish in a candied form.

For cooking, it is better to take young leaves of cucumber. During this period they are especially tasty. And as the plant grows, the foliage coarsens, and rather stiff hairs form on it instead of a light fluff. Therefore, it is important to harvest green mass on time. But even if you are a little late, the stems are still good for consumption. The skin is easily peeled off from them, and the shoots are used for their intended purpose. Flowers can be picked at any time.

The use of borage in medicine

A long time ago, back in ancient Rome, borage was given to warriors before battle to give them courage, and to feasters to cheer up.
Now the herb borage is included in the pharmacopoeias of some European countries. She is one of the components in many dietary supplements.
But in the scientific medicine of the former CIS countries, borage has not yet found wide application and official recognition, although you can buy its seeds and oil at any pharmacy. Yes, and in the "grandmother's" recipes, this ingredient is often found.

Western nutritionists are sure to prescribe borage for metabolic disorders and constipation. Due to the high content of mucous substances in borage, all toxins are removed from the body very quickly. Compresses from borage herb will cure rheumatism and skin diseases.
Tinctures and teas from the leaves of the plant can be used as a medicine for inflammation of the kidneys and gallbladder, diseases of the vascular system, neuroses and sleep disorders.
Borage oil treats eczema and acne, rashes. It is extremely useful in diseases of the intestines and upper respiratory tract.