BIRD CHERRY

                                                          Prunus padus

Berries of this tree are astringent, slightly sour & good source of vitamin C.
Eating too much of berries may cause respiratory failure & in some cases even death.
In small quantities, hydrogen cyanide in berries has been shown to stimulate respiration & improve digestion, it can also benefit in the treatment of cancer.

Tea made from bird cherry leaves & flowers is good for fevers, pneumonia, headache.
Burning flowers as incense or frying on a pan for aroma can help with headache.

Bird cherry has been used to treat both kidney & gall stones & when dissolved with wine, for the treatment of coughs.
Bird cherry has also been used as an eyewash for conjunctivitis & to treat angina, bronchitis, anemia & various inflammatory diseases.

The bark is mildly anodyne, diuretic, febrifuge & sedative.
An infusion is used in the treatment of colds, feverish conditions etc.
The bark is harvested when the tree is in flower & can be dried for later use.
In small amounts it stimulates respiration, improves digestion & gives a sense of well-being.

The resin which leaks from the trunk was formerly used by children as chewing gum. It is recorded as a treatment for coughs & when it was dissolved in wine, it was used to treat gall stones & kidney stones.

PRECAUTIONS:

The seed & leaves contain hydrogen cyanide.
Usually the presence of this poison is in too small a quantity to do any harm,in excess, however, it can cause respiratory failure & even death.

RECIPES:

The black fruit of the bird cherry are bitter- sweet & can be used for making a tasty liqueur, jam & preserves.

Bird cherries can be used to flavor alcoholic drinks such as whisky or gin & cherry brandy can easily be made by filling a bottle with wild cherries, adding sugar, topping up with brandy & leaving for a few months.

Use dried berries for making a tea:
take 1 tbsp of dried berries for a
1 cup of  water
Simmer gently for 20 min, strain.
Drink half cup 2-3 times per day for diarrhea & other stomach upsets. 

Bird Cherry Liqueur:

30 bird cherries
8-9 cups of boiling water
3 cups of  sugar
3 cups of vodka
Add cherries to food processor, chop roughly.
Place pulp in a large bowl & add boiling water.
Cover & set aside to infuse for 24 hours.
Strain juice into a clean bowl, press down on pulp with a fork to extract as much liquid as possible. Pour liquid into a pot, bring to a boil & cook for 10 minutes.
Add sugar, stir to dissolve.
Remove from heat & allow to cool.
Strain liquid through a fine-meshed sieve lined with muslin.
Combine liquid with vodka.
Pour mixture into clean bottles, seal airtight & set aside in a dark place to mature for at least 30 days.
The sweet liqueur will keep for several years if properly stored.

Bird cherry flour is made from dried wild bird cherry fruits.
Fruits are collected.
The pips are then separated from the pulp, dried & grinded to become flour.
Bird cherry flour is of brown colour, rich in vitamins & phytoncides & contains three times fewer calories than wheat flour.
Bird cherry flour does not contain gluten.
Bird cherry flour is used in bread making & baking.
It gives a distinctive colour, chocolate taste, almond aroma & rum flavour to cakes, pastries, muffins, shortbread & biscuits.

Bird Cherry Flower Cordial:

40 bird cherry blossom clusters
2 lemons
1,5 l water
1,5 kg sugar
50 g citric acid
Pick flowers & cut of all stems.
Wash the lemons & cut them into thin slices.
Place the flowers in a large bowl & cover them with the lemon slices.
Boil the water & then add sugar & citric acid.
Stir thoroughly until completely dissolved.
Pour the hot syrup over the flowers & lemon slices.
Cover & cool.
Put the bowl in the refrigerator for about 4 days. Stir once a day.
Strain the cordial & pour it into bottles.
The finished cordial can be stored in a refrigerator up to a month.

MAGIC:

Bird Cherry helps cleanse the aura against negativity.
If placed at the door, the strong-smelling bark of the tree was said to ward off the plague.

Bird Cherry helps improve the body energy & home, as well as heal the soul.
With Bird Cherry you return the love in your heart & get rid of depression.

The people of Scotland referred to bird cherry trees as hack berry (elsewhere they are also known as hag berry) & warned against using the tree's wood for any purpose, as it was considered a witch's tree.