This plant has characteristic appearance, while there are about tens of thousands of its varieties. There are many beliefs and signs associated with the fern; it is one of the most ancient representatives of the flora on our planet, it is widespread in different parts Globe.
The culture belongs to vascular plants, never blooms and has an unusual structure. The fern does not have what are commonly called leaves; instead, it has fronds, or fronds: a complex of branches located at the same level. The stem of the plant is underground. Not only spores, but also rhizomes participate in reproduction - this method is called vegetative. Ferns are also characterized by spore and sexual species.
Kinds
The most famous types of this plant:
Name | Peculiarities | Photo |
| Common bracken | Externally it is very similar to an eagle wing. It grows mainly in forests, but can spread to forest edges and clearings, and occasionally lives in limestone. When cultivating in the garden, the development of fern should be limited, since due to its powerful rhizome it penetrates deep underground and occupies a large area there, which makes it difficult to get rid of unwanted bushes. Bracken has a specific smell that repels insects. This species can be beneficial to humans: the rhizome of the plant lathers well, so if necessary it can replace soap. The presence of nutrients makes the fern suitable for consumption | |
| Common ostrich | Very beautiful plant, having the shape of a funnel, consisting of long openwork leaves, shaped like ostrich feathers. This fern prefers shade and lives close to a source of moisture. They like to use ostrich landscape design because of its attractive appearance, and young shoots are eaten. It is widely used in medicine - both official and folk. |  |
| Female fern (or female fern) | A plant with large triply pinnate leaves is a typical inhabitant of northern forests, but due to its appearance it resembles a representative of tropical flora. The name “feminine” is ritualistic and comparative. Kochedyzhnik has many varieties, which allows breeders to cross them to develop new varieties. It is used in medicine and landscape design |  |
| Shield fern (or male fern) | Unlike female fern, the shield plant has less finely pinnate leaves, but stronger ones. Loves damp and unlit areas. Shield rhizomes are dug up and then dried for medicinal purposes. |  |
| Nephrolepis | A tropical fern that is a large plant. The rhizome is short, the leaves are long and scaly, hanging down. Nephrolepis is used in pharmacology. The flower is in demand among lovers indoor plants |  |
Fern as a houseplant
The beneficial properties of fern, such as the ability to absorb dust, make it good option for breeding and growing at home. Almost all species are unpretentious in care, but the most popular indoor representative is Nephrolepis. Pots of this fern are usually placed on high surfaces so that the leaves can hang freely.
The benefit of the plant for gardeners lies in the possibility of using its roots as a substrate for growing orchids.
Nephrolepis root is used in the treatment of inflammation, and its juice is an effective remedy for therapy and prevention skin diseases and burns. Medicinal properties Kochedezhnik lies in its ability to have a calming effect on the nervous system.
Many experts recognize that fern is beneficial for health. But uncontrolled use of plant infusions can harm the body. There are contraindications to the use of fern-based products, such as anemia, stomach ulcers, and pregnancy. You should not treat the plant yourself; you should first consult a doctor.
Use in cooking
Since ancient times, fern has been used in cooking. Only 2 representatives are edible species - bracken and ostrich. Young shoots and leaves of the flower are used for food. They can be used for salads, as seasonings or as a main dish - fried, they taste similar to mushrooms. The plant contains a large number of proteins, and its calorie content is about 34 kcal per 100 g of product.
Regardless of how you use fern, you first need to boil it. This is done so that the shoots do not taste bitter. Fern is boiled in several stages: first, the plant must be washed in slightly salted water. After boiling, you should drain it, rinse the raw material again and fill it with salted water. In this case, you need to cook the fern until tender. It is easy to determine - the shoots should bend easily. When the plant is cooked, you need to let the moisture drain from it and use it according to the chosen recipe (for example, add it to any salad to taste).
It is widely used in salted form. Salted fern lasts longer; this cooking method is effective way canning a product from which you can later prepare any dish. To do this, you need to thoroughly rinse the plant and place it in glass jar layers, sprinkling each new one with salt. Then the container with the fern should be pressed down on top with something heavy and left for 2 weeks in a cool place. After this, you need to take out the jar, drain all the brine and transfer the plant to another container. The layers are laid out in the opposite order. Next, the raw materials are again filled with brine with a salt content of no more than 22%. This canned fern can be stored for up to several years.
Signs and superstitions
The unusual appearance of the plant has given rise to many legends and beliefs. People were wary of it because the fern never blooms, so no one could understand how it reproduced. A widely known sign is associated with this feature. It is believed that the fern blooms once a year, on the night of Ivan Kupala. Some believe that the person who finds its buds will become rich, since at this time the earth itself reveals and shows the wealth hidden in it.
It was believed that not a single secret could be hidden in front of a fern, since it reveals the whole truth. There is a legend explaining the appearance of the plant. According to her, the goddess of love Venus once dropped one lock of hair on the ground, and a fern grew from it. Another legend tells about a girl who fell from a cliff into a pond; a spring allegedly appeared at the site of her death, and her hair turned into this plant.
Today, there are two opposing views on keeping ferns in the house. According to some, it brings benefits, others talk about its negative impact on humans. TO positive qualities include:
- beneficial effect on the atmosphere in the room, as well as on its inhabitants;
- the ability to establish relationships between people of different ages;
- scaring away evil spirits;
- attracting money luck.
It is recommended to place it next to household appliances due to its ability to absorb radiation.
Opponents of keeping this plant in the house believe that the fern brings misfortune and illness, and sucks vital energy out of a person.
Thank you
Fern is rightfully considered one of ancient plants On the Earth. Scientists believe that it was the compressed wood of fern that became the main forming material of coal. Today there are a huge number of fern species (about 20,000), but only a few are edible, and therefore useful, among which the most common bracken ordinary. We’ll talk further about the benefits of this plant, the rules for its collection and preparation, as well as its use in medicine and cooking.
Common bracken plant
Common bracken is a perennial herbaceous fern belonging to the Hypolepidaceae family. On Latin The name of the bracken fern sounds like Pteridium aguillinum: so, the first word means “wing”, while the second comes from the word aquilla - eagle. The plant received this name due to the similarity of the shape of the leaves to the wing of an eagle.
However, there is another version of the origin of the name. The fact is that on a section of a bracken petiole, the vascular bundles form a figure that resembles in its outline a double-headed eagle.
The edible species fern, reaching a height of 30 - 100 cm, has a strong, thick, creeping rhizome of black color, the diameter of which can reach 1.5 - 10 mm. Single leaves (fronds) separated from each other at a certain distance extend from the black rhizome. Bracken leaves got their name for their similarity to palm leaves (the word "frond" is translated from Greek language like "palm branch").
It should be noted that bracken forms so-called clones, occupying territories whose area can be equal to 100 - 200 sq.m. Such clones are formed due to proliferation and vegetative propagation rhizomes of the plant.
Interesting fact! Bracken has two types of rhizomes:
1.
Horizontal - formed from the main apical bud, does not form leaves (it is from horizontal rhizomes that new elongated growths are formed annually).
2.
Shortened oblique - formed from lateral buds and has leaves located at the top (a certain part of the lateral buds “falls asleep” over time or dies completely).
There is an opinion that bracken clones are able to “live” in the territory they occupy for hundreds and even thousands of years.
The green leaves of bracken have smooth, long and fairly rigid petioles (or rachis, which in Greek means “ridge”), while the leaf blade is noticeably inclined towards the petiole itself (sometimes located almost horizontally). On the underside of the leaf there are sporangia in which spores form and mature, falling out and being carried by the wind from July to September. It is from the sporangia that a continuous narrow strip is formed, running along the edge of the leaf lobes. The oblong and lanceolate fronds of the bracken are blunt at the end, while at the base they are lobed or pinnately incised.
Bracken is a large-leaved plant in which the length and width of the frond directly at the base can vary from 50 to 150 cm.
Common bracken can be distinguished from other types of fern by the following characteristics:
- solitary leaves;
- curved edges of leaves;
- longitudinal covered rows of sporangia.
Where does bracken grow?
Bracken grows in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, preferring forested areas (the main thing is that these areas are “caressed” by the sun). Common bracken grows on forest edges, clearings and forest fires. But in mountainous areas this plant cannot be found above the forest belt. Bracken does not grow in arctic regions, steppes and deserts.In Russia, this plant grows in the European part of the country, in Siberia, as well as in the Urals and the Far East.
Bracken takes root best on light and fairly poor soils, and can be found on limestone. It must be said that thanks to its deep-lying rhizomes and the ability for vegetative propagation, this plant perfectly masters clearings and burnt areas, not to mention abandoned fields, plantations and pastures.
In some cases, bracken forms continuous thickets, and therefore often dominates the grass cover.
Collection and preparation of bracken
Young shoots and rhizomes of the plant are used for medicinal purposes, as well as for food consumption. Rhizomes are harvested in the fall or in early spring(from May to June), when the above-ground part of the plant begins to grow (the beginning of the bracken harvest is signaled by the flowering of bird cherry, fireweed, lilac and lily of the valley). First, it is advisable to collect bracken on sunlit slopes (it is in open areas that the first brackens appear), then along birch forests and hollows, and then in shaded ravines and aspen forests. In this case, it is important to exclude the collection of shoots in one thicket, which, of course, will produce new leaves, but will be greatly weakened. It is enough to collect a third of the rachis from one plant, which will practically not weaken the plant.
The rhizomes are cleared of the ground, and all small adventitious roots are removed, which are not thrown away, but dried separately. But the bases of the leaf petioles must be left along with the rhizome. The underground part of the plant is dried in the shade.
Bracken leaves are harvested exclusively when they are young, together with shoots that have just emerged from the ground, which are fronds that have not yet developed (the height of the cut shoot should not exceed 20–30 cm). It is important that the diameter of the harvested leaves exceeds the 5 mm mark.
Only succulent, fragile and easily broken shoots of the plant can be collected. As soon as the shoots stop breaking when bent, but only bend, the collection of raw materials stops, since it becomes bitter and unsuitable for food. In addition, the content of useful substances in such hardened shoots will be minimal.
The collected shoots must be processed immediately, since within 3-4 hours after collection they will become coarse and lose their nutritional and medicinal value. IN as a last resort, bracken shoots can be stored for 24 hours in the refrigerator (with prolonged storage, fresh fern loses all its taste qualities).
Salty bracken
The shoots are tied into small bunches, after which they are placed in a barrel in layers (each layer is sprinkled with salt). The amount of salt used should be equal to one-fourth of the weight of the bracken. A load is placed on the last layer, the mass of which should be equal to (or greater, but not less than) the weight of the fern. After two to three weeks, the brine is drained, after which the load is removed to swap the lower layers with the upper ones. When changing layers, the raw material is again sprinkled with salt.Important! Since no brine is formed during secondary salting, it must be prepared separately, which will require an amount of salt that will be at least 20 percent of the amount of brine. So, the layers are filled with brine, after which a load is placed on top, which is removed after a week.
Before consumption, salted bracken is soaked in water for at least seven hours, then the above-ground part of the plant is boiled for about five minutes and used for preparing salads, dressings and marinades.
Important! Together with the brine, all the bitterness that is characteristic of young fern shoots will go away. Bracken grass prepared in this way can be stored for two to three years at any temperature.
Here is another recipe for preparing bracken for future use. The collected plant shoots, immediately after assembly, are boiled in salted water for 10 minutes, after which the water is drained, and the boiled raw material is laid out in a thin layer and dried, turning over regularly, until the young shoots become brittle (it takes no more than four days). Dried raw materials are stored in fabric bags. For subsequent preparation, it is recommended to soak dry bracken in water for 24 hours, changing the water periodically.
Important! In its raw form, bracken is poisonous and can cause severe poisoning, which can be fatal.
Composition of bracken
CatechinsAction:
- removal of toxins;
- relieving inflammation;
- slowing down the aging of the body.
Action:
- normalization of the nervous system;
- strengthening vascular walls and capillaries;
- regulation of blood pressure;
- neutralization of free radicals;
- normalization of heart rate.
Action:
- increased collagen synthesis, which promotes skin regeneration;
- maintaining normal hormonal levels directly in the female body.
Fatty oil
Action:
- skin regeneration;
- relieving inflammation;
- acceleration of wound healing;
- promoting the absorption of essential oils;
- protecting the body from the effects of carcinogenic substances.
Action:
- appetite stimulation;
- normalization of digestive processes;
- increased excretion of bile;
- restoration of strength and energy;
- increasing immunity.
Action:
- increasing the body's defenses;
- removal of toxins;
- neutralization of the harmful effects of free radicals;
- prevention of the development of cancer;
- regulation of the protein synthesis process;
- normalization of metabolism;
- ensuring normal bone tissue formation.
Action:
- normalization of redox processes;
- normalization of metabolism;
- ensuring normal functioning of the nervous system;
- improvement of eye condition;
- removal of toxins;
- normalization of sleep.
Action:
- stimulating the production of the hormone estrogen;
- promoting wound healing;
- skin protection from ultraviolet radiation;
- slowing down the aging process;
- regulation of water-lipid balance;
- elimination of inflammation on the skin;
- removal of swelling.
Action: - increased synthesis of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisone, thyroxine and insulin;
- ensuring all types of metabolism;
- elimination of pain syndrome;
- improving joint mobility;
- activation of the function of the cerebral cortex;
- vasodilation;
- increased blood flow speed;
- strengthening the secretory and motor functions of the stomach;
- stimulation of the functional activity of the pancreas and liver;
- strengthening immunity;
- lowering blood cholesterol levels;
- decrease in blood pressure.
Glycosides
Action:
- normalization of heart function;
- calming the central nervous system;
- promoting vasodilation;
- increased urination;
- neutralization of microbes;
- liquefaction and removal of mucus.
Lignin not only absorbs, but also promotes the elimination through the gastrointestinal tract of salmonella and yellow staphylococci, toxins, all kinds of allergens and heavy metal salts.
Tannin
Action:
- removal of waste and toxins;
- increased mental activity;
- improved digestion;
- elimination of the source of inflammation;
- normalization of gastrointestinal tract functions;
- neutralization of bacteria and germs;
- significant slowdown of oxidative processes;
- acceleration of the wound healing process;
- strengthening blood vessels.
Action:
- relieves inflammation;
- saturates the body with energy as it is transformed into glucose;
- helps stop tumor growth;
- slows down the absorption of sugar, thereby helping to lower its level;
- in moderate doses improves intestinal functions.
Action:
- normalization of blood circulation;
- pain relief;
- acceleration of blood clotting;
- lowering blood pressure.
Action:
- stimulation of the cough center;
- regulation of water, salt and mineral metabolism;
- increased action of hormones;
- elimination of foci of inflammation;
- liquefaction of sputum.
- produce hemoglobin;
- secrete thyroid hormones;
- neutralize the effect of bacteria;
- regulate metabolic processes;
- synthesize insulin;
- regulate the functioning of the central nervous system;
- remove waste and toxins;
- prevent the formation of kidney stones;
- normalize the functioning of the reproductive system;
- activate anabolic processes;
- strengthen bones;
- saturate cells with oxygen;
- regulate blood sugar levels.
Useful properties of bracken fern
- Sedative.
- Antispasmodic.
- Antipyretic.
- Painkiller.
- Anti-inflammatory.
- Antimicrobial.
- Hemostatic.
- Antihelminthic.
- Diuretic.
- Choleretic.
- Hypotensive.
- Wound healing.
Treatment using bracken
Common bracken is used in the treatment of:- cough;
- joint pain;
- scrofula;
- worms;
- diarrhea;
- abscesses;
- eczema;
- arthritis;
- polyarthritis;
- rheumatism;
- radiculitis;
- leukemia;
- dry pleurisy;
bracken leaves
Young leaves, as well as bracken shoots, containing amino acids and tannins, are indicated for diseases of the intestines and spleen. In addition, this part of the plant is used to prepare infusions and decoctions to eliminate cough, pain and remove worms. Bracken rhizome
The roots and rhizomes are taken as an internal remedy in the treatment of aching joints, diarrhea, and rickets.Externally, an infusion from the rhizomes of the plant is used for skin diseases, old wounds, abscesses, scrofula and eczema. Also, the infusion in the form of baths can be used in the treatment of ulcers and rheumatism.
Use of bracken in medicine
About fern as about medicinal plant Pliny and Dioscorides also mentioned it in their works, while a detailed description of this plant and methods of its use was described by Avicenna in the 11th century.Interesting fact! In the Middle Ages, the Swiss doctor and pharmacist Nuffer compiled a recipe for an anthelmintic medicine, the basis of which was fern. This recipe was kept in the strictest confidence, which was revealed for a large reward after Nuffer's death (the recipe was purchased from the pharmacist's widow by order of the French King Louis XVI himself). Already at the end of the 18th century, fern was included in the pharmacopoeia of European countries as a means of helping not only to get rid of worms, but to alleviate arthritis and polyarthritis.
This popularity of fern is due to the beneficial effects of preparations from this plant on the body.
Action of bracken:
1.
Stimulates metabolism.
2.
Elimination of pain syndrome.
3.
Stress relief.
4.
Elimination of feverish conditions.
5.
Stimulating the growth process.
6.
Promoting the correct formation of the skeleton.
7.
Increased performance.
8.
Improving the condition of the endocrine system.
9.
Promoting the removal of radionuclides.
10.
Elimination of iodine deficiency.
Bracken in cooking
A little history
Fern (namely bracken) has long been used as a food product.So, in Russia, during famine, this plant was used as a substitute for bread, while in Japan, fern was considered a real delicacy, because the taste of this plant is conditioned proper preparation reminiscent of the taste of premium mushrooms. In Japan, warabi-mochi sweets, which are filled pies, are made from fern starch.
Bracken is valued for its taste in countries such as China, Korea and New Zealand. For example, residents of the Canary Islands (to be fair, we note that fern grows in abundance on the islands) add the rhizomes of the plant to flour, from which a tasty, nutritious and healthy bread called “helejo” is baked. In Korea, bracken is used to make jeon pancakes, which can be filled with meat, seafood and vegetables.
Important! Bracken shoots and leaves have an anti-putrefactive effect: thus, vegetables or fruits placed with them remain fresh for a long time and do not spoil.
Interesting Facts! It has been established that bracken fronds can repel insects (cockroaches, bedbugs, flies and spiders), so in Western Europe peasants used the leaves of the plant to stuff mattresses and pillows. In addition, it was believed that such padding protects against radiculitis. And the French used bracken root to cleanse their skin. Finally, to this day, a special glue is produced from fern rhizomes that does not dissolve in cold water(backpacks are impregnated with this glue to make them waterproof).
How to prepare bracken fern?
Young and unexpanded leaves and shoots of bracken (they are also called “snails”) are eaten instead of asparagus or olives, and are also pickled, fried and boiled, since this plant has a strong mushroom taste.When stewed, bracken acquires a greenish-brown hue.In general, bracken can be used as a side dish or additive to vegetable, cereal, meat, fish and flour products. This plant goes well with potatoes, various cereals, and peas.
Dried bracken is used in a finely ground state as an ingredient for gravies or fatty sauces.
But you should remember that before using bracken, it is necessary to heat-treat and soak the plant, which will help get rid of bitterness, excess salt and toxic components.
Thus, the main task The culinary method is to remove the bitterness by salting, marinade, drying, soaking or boiling, while leaving a crispy hardness.
In the process of cooking bracken, it is important to achieve the desired consistency of the shoots, so it is better to undercook the raw material than to overcook it, since overcooked fronds will lose their taste and crispness. It is recommended to cook the fronds for no longer than 10 minutes, after which the water is drained and the boiled bracken is washed under running water and stored in the refrigerator for several days.
Interesting fact! The Japanese believe that ferns should be boiled exclusively in copper vessels, which will help preserve the bright green color of the plant.
Bracken salads
Bracken can be used to make delicious and very healthy salads, the recipes of which are given below.Egg salad
Ingredients:
- young bracken fronds – 100 g;
- hard-boiled eggs – 2 pcs.;
- green
In nature there are more than 10 thousand varieties fern. All of them are scattered all over the world and over the years of growth they have adapted to the area. In the climate of our country, several species of fern grow here, one of which is Bracken.
Large plant - perennial. It appeared 55 million years ago and is one of the few oldest lichens, which not only survived to our time, but also retained their appearance without changes. It reaches almost 70 centimeters in height, and some up to 2 meters in the southern regions, and is unpretentious to the soil.
The name of the fern is due to the similarity of its oblong leaves to eagle feathers. He poisonous for all representatives of fauna, but it is successfully used by people for decorating rooms, for medical purposes and even in cooking.
At home, the bracken fern will live much longer than in natural wild conditions. With proper care, the plant will delight with lush crown growth for up to several decades.
You can see the bracken fern more clearly in the photo below:
Home care
Bracken Fern can be grown at home. A responsible approach and compliance with all the nuances is a guarantee that you will be able to grow a healthy and beautiful plant.
Features of care after purchase
The first step towards success is buying a healthy fern.
Having brought the Bracken home, you should leave it for a day in a shaded place. Then transplant into a previously prepared spacious pot with soil mixture.
The planting substrate should consist mostly of sand.
Ferns love well-drained soil; they will not be comfortable in a clay environment, so broken bricks are often placed at the bottom of the pot.
Dig a deep hole in the pot, cover it with a thin layer of compost and carefully place the roots of the plant in the hole. After planting, immediately water thoroughly by special means, which will soften and speed up adaptation.
Lighting
The bracken fern will feel good in the house in a dark place away from batteries central heating . Sunny window sills are strictly contraindicated for it - it is better to place a pot with a large plant on the opposite side of the window.
Temperature
Bracken Fern withstands a fairly wide range of temperatures - from +10 degrees to +25.
In the summer, the plant can be taken outside to places protected from direct contact. sun rays, destructive for lichen. The main thing is that it is protected from cold drafts and wind.
Air humidity
IN home care For bracken fern, it is important to maintain humidity. In summer, the lush crown and trunk of the plant must be constantly moistened. The leaves should be sprayed with a spray bottle daily, irrigating the air around them. In a dry environment, the fern begins to hurt.
Watering
Bracken loves plenty of watering from the beginning of spring to late autumn - the soil is moistened 2 times a week, as it dries out the slightest.
IN winter time years, watering is reduced, performing the procedure once every 2 weeks. During this period, daily spraying is sufficient to maintain necessary for the plant moisture level.
Fertilizers and fertilizing
The bracken fern is very sensitive to chemical fertilizers.
The plant should be fertilized after hibernation to restore strength and give impetus to growth. They are applied once a week according to the indicated dosage.
Transfer
The plant rarely needs replanting. This is only appropriate if an adult, mature fern is planted in open ground for the warm summer period or if the pot in which it grows has become too small for the overgrown root system.
In the garden Orlyak is transplanted into a deep hole, in a shaded area. sunlight place without drafts. All replanting work is carried out only in the spring, when the plant enters the active growth.
Trimming
The fern crown does not need seasonal pruning. At home, bracken does not shed its leaves. A representative of the lichen family growing in the garden withered leaves in the spring it will be “replaced” with new ones, which will return it to its former healthy appearance.
Reproduction
The unpretentious plant reproduces in several ways. You can determine which of them is the simplest after a detailed consideration of each option.
Reproduction by spores
In the wild, Bracken reproduces by spores as it is an asexual plant.
In home propagation, in the fall, they cut a leaf from the plant, cut it and put it in a paper envelope to dry.
At the end of January, the spores, which are a fine powder, are poured into prepared boxes with a soil mixture, irrigated with a spray bottle and covered with thick glass.
After 2 months, it appears on the soil surface green moss- this is the basis for future seedlings. During this period, the glass is removed to provide oxygen access.
When individual elements grow together and increase in size; they can be transplanted into separate pots of small diameter. By spring, the seedlings are ready and can be planted in another soil. It's pretty the hard way and rarely use it, preferring a lighter alternative.
Reproduction by dividing the bush
Most easy way get a lot planting material- divide the bush into separate parts. The developed and strong root system of the plant allows you to do this without damaging the main fern and get many daughter elements ready for planting.
The procedure is carried out in early spring, after the end of frost, as soon as the thermometer shows consistently above 0.
The bracken fern does not reproduce by tubers and shoots.
Diseases and pests
Beneficial features
The bracken fern is used not only for decorative decoration home or garden plot.
Its successful use in medicine and cooking is known. However, the fern Bracken has not only beneficial features, but also contraindications.
Plants are the most ancient medicines that humans began to use. Our distant ancestors, using not so much experience and knowledge as animal sense and intuition, used plants to heal diseases and wounds. Medicinal plants still play a role today vital role in medicine and pharmacology: a huge number medicines made from plant ingredients.In our country there are many medicinal plants that are used in both traditional and alternative (folk) medicine. One of the very common and well-known plants that are used for treatment is the bracken fern or common bracken. This plant is also used in cooking; dishes made from it are especially popular in Asian countries.
General information
Common bracken (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn) is a perennial fern belonging to the bracken family, one of the most common large ferns in Russia. This plant has a very wide geography; it is found almost anywhere on our planet, with the exception of northern latitudes.
It lives in both coniferous and deciduous forests, prefers sunny places and poor soils. Can form continuous thickets. Propagates well through vegetative propagation.
Appearance
Usually the plant is 30-100 cm in height, but specimens up to 150 cm are often found. The leaves are strongly pinnate, sitting on fleshy cuttings. The leaf blade is hard and dense, with a specific odor. The leaf has a triangular shape. The plant has several powerful vertical and horizontal rhizomes, which it uses, among other things, for vegetative propagation. Sori, like those of other ferns, are located on the underside of the leaf blade. 
Active substances
The bracken fern contains a large number of different chemical substances, almost all of them can have a very strong effect on the human body. Here are just a few of them:
Catechins;
Flavonoids;
Riboflavin;
A nicotinic acid;
Glycosides;
Carotene;
Tocopherol;
And this is far from full list. In addition, bracken is rich in microelements, which are very beneficial for our body. Among them are iodine, potassium, calcium, magnesium, nickel, sulfur and phosphorus.
As you can see, this plant is very rich in active substances and they can both help a person from many ailments and cause serious harm if used incorrectly.
Fern in medicine
This fern has long been used in medicine to treat a wide variety of diseases.
Young shoots and leaves are used to treat the digestive system and spleen. A decoction of the leaves is used against coughs and also to remove helminths. Rhizomes are used for diseases of the musculoskeletal system: aching joints, rickets, rheumatism. An infusion of bracken rhizome is used to treat skin diseases: eczema, wounds or abscesses.
In the Middle Ages, bracken was used as an anthelmintic. Today medications This plant also helps with many diseases. Many of the effects that these drugs have can be described in one term: improvement and normalization of metabolism.
Why is bracken fern valued, what are its beneficial properties?
Stimulating growth;
Increased immunity;
Stress relief;
Improving the functioning of the endocrine glands;
Increased performance;
Improving the metabolism of some microelements (iodine, potassium).
And also, according to Japanese research scientists, as they reported in the press, bracken is a plant that removes radionuclides from the human body.
To whom is bracken fern dangerous? What harm does it cause?
Despite what kind of medicinal plant bracken fern is beneficial, bracken fern is actually very dangerous, so it should be used with extreme caution. Do not self-medicate at random! An overdose of fern preparations can be fatal. And we warn you about this on this page of the website www.rasteniya-lecarstvennie.ru! The plant is poisonous and should only be used under the strict supervision of a doctor. Remember this!
The use of bracken preparations is contraindicated:
- pregnant women;
- small children;
- nursing mothers;
- persons with individual intolerance.
Symptoms of bracken poisoning are as follows: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, severe convulsions, weakened heart function and low blood pressure. Impaired liver and kidney function. Various allergic reactions are possible.
Use in cooking
For a long time, bracken has been used in the cuisines of different peoples of the world. It is still widely consumed today, especially in Asian countries. Previously, it was used in Russia. Today, fern shoots are considered a delicacy in Korea, Japan, New Zealand and China.
For cooking, only young, not yet unfurled shoots (snails) can be used. Therefore, it is important for the collector to choose right time for harvesting shoots. If you missed the right moment and the shoot hardens, then it is no longer suitable for food. It becomes bitter and toxic.
Young shoots are rich in nutrients and microelements. They can be boiled, fried, pickled, and used in salads.
After collection, fern shoots can be stored for no more than two days; after this period, they become poisonous. So, collected plants It's better to recycle it right away. The collected shoots need to be soaked for a day in salt water, and then washed in cold running water. After this, the shoots need to be boiled several times, and each time after boiling, change the water. Only after this can you safely use fern for cooking.
Fern can be pickled and thereby make long-term reserves. To do this, you need to take a wooden container, put bracken there and cover it with salt, in a ratio of 3 to 10 (3 kilograms of salt per 10 kilograms of fern). Cover the container with a lid and place a weight on top. After two weeks, drain the brine and make a new one, now taking a proportion of 2 to 10. After another two weeks, do the same operation with a proportion of 1 to 10. Then the fern is taken out and dried. Then it can be used after soaking it.
The taste of bracken is very similar to mushrooms, so it can be used in the same way. Fern can be used as a side dish or as an addition to meat, fish, vegetable and other dishes. When crushed, it can be used in sauces or gravies. The amount of protein in bracken shoots approximately corresponds to its content in cereal crops, so bracken is easily absorbed by our body if it is prepared correctly.
And remember the most important rule of using this plant: it should not be eaten raw. Before use, bracken must undergo heat treatment.
Bracken fern - recipes
In Korean
Prepare:
600g fern
70ml soy sauce
100ml vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. hot ground red pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp ground coriander
Preparation
Soak the fern for about 12-13 hours, changing the water 4 times during this time. Place a 12 liter saucepan over high heat and wait until it boils. Cut the plant into 3 parts and throw it into the water.
Once the water boils, cook for another 2 minutes. Don't overcook it! It is better to cook for only 1 minute rather than 3 or more.
Pour water into a colander.
Place the fern in a pan. Squeeze the garlic through a garlic press, add pepper, coriander, soy sauce and oil. Connect everything. Add salt as desired. Let it brew for several hours.
Give it to your guests to try and enjoy it yourself!
Fern stewed with pork
Prepare:
- 800g bracken fern
250g onions
100g soy sauce
5 heads of garlic
600g pork
Vegetable oil
0.5 tsp hot ground red pepper
Chop the pork without lard into strips, cut the onion into half rings, and cut the fern into 4 pieces. Fry the meat in oil, add the onion and cook until done.
Place the chopped Orlyak in a frying pan. Add crushed or chopped garlic, soy sauce, red pepper, and table salt to taste. Mix everything evenly and simmer for about 8 minutes until done.
Bracken fern: beneficial properties and recipes
The bracken fern decorates birch groves with its spreading legs all summer long. Altai Territory, Far East, Siberia and the Urals. Fans of hiking in these parts enthusiastically admire its mysterious meadows, but few people know that this miracle plant is highly valued for its exquisite taste and beneficial properties. Recently, local gourmets have also become interested in recipes for fern dishes.
Unpretentious, beautiful and unkillable
Bracken fern is herbaceous plant, similar to a low bush. It usually grows in dense colonies, united underground by a common rhizome. Bracken is found in different climate regions throughout the earth. It is very easy to recognize by its beautiful feathery leaves, similar to acacia branches. If you cut the stem of a fern crosswise and carefully examine its image, you can see in it the eagle that gave this plant its name.
The common bracken fern is known for its vitality. It thrives in any soil, even the most infertile, rocky or sandy. Once settled, he remains in this place for many years. Summer residents and farmers do not like it for this, as they wage a fierce struggle with it as a difficult weed, which is almost impossible to eradicate. Even if there is a fire that destroys everything in the forest, grove or garden where this plant grew, it will be the first to sprout and sprout new shoots.
From harm to benefit - one step
Despite the widespread attitude towards ferns as weeds, two of their species are still classified as edible - ostrich and bracken. It is worth noting right away that these plants can be used for food only after following certain precautions. They cannot be consumed fresh, as they contain toxic substances that are poisonous to humans.
If there is such a risk, is bracken worth consuming? The beneficial properties of this plant far outweigh the minor danger that can be easily eliminated. This has long been understood by residents of many Asian countries, where ferns are not just a delicacy, but are considered national dish. Such love makes it possible for those who live in Kamchatka and the Primorsky Territory of Russia to have additional income.
Starting in May, when the first bracken shoots appear, many go to the taiga to collect this delicacy, which is purchased en masse from the population for export to China and Japan. Why is this plant loved so much in the East?
A storehouse of benefits, taste and health
Dishes made from bracken fern contain many useful elements that are found both in young shoots and in rhizomes. The leaves provide the body with the following substances:
1. Phytosterols - reduce cholesterol levels in the body.
2. Flavonoids - strengthen capillaries, regulate blood clotting, improve vascular permeability.
3. Sesquiterpenes - have an anthelmintic, anthelmintic effect.
4. Tannins (catechins) are indispensable for the prevention of cancer, and also increase immunity and preserve youth.
When eating young shoots and stems of bracken, the body benefits from elements such as essential oils, glycosides, alkaloids, fatty oils, aspartic, nicotinic, glutamic acids, tyrosine, phenylalanine, iodine, phosphorus and many other trace elements and vitamins. Thanks to such a rich composition, bracken fern is valued. Its beneficial properties stimulate metabolism and increase the body's stress resistance.
Don't miss the short collection period
Let's now proceed to detailed description all the nuances that need to be taken into account if you want a safe and tasty bracken to appear on your table. Preparation begins with proper collection. Although this plant can be found in forests, ravines, birch forests and even in your garden throughout the warm season, it should only be collected for cooking in the spring. The fact is that young shoots that have not yet produced leaves are edible.
At the end of spring, the shoots begin to harden, the spreading paws with leaves turn into a bush, which is no longer suitable for food, since it contains large quantities of bitter glycosides, and the level of toxic substances also increases significantly. It is important not to miss that short period when the bracken is still young, its stem is fragile, and the young shoots are bent into a hook. Such branches are as easy to collect as dandelions - they break easily, and their delicate leaves are rich in various substances.
Set goals and allocate time
Harvested bracken should be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than two days. During this period it must be processed, otherwise it will become completely poisonous. This must be taken into account when collecting. If your goal is to surprise your friends with an exotic dish, you should not collect it in large quantities. If you want to stock up while it is still edible in order to pamper yourself with its unusual taste throughout the year, then it is worth setting aside several days for these purposes, since you will need time not only for trips to the forest or grove for fern, but also for its processing.
Having collected the required amount of raw materials, immediately begin preparing it. Start with sorting - select a small number of beautiful and uniform heads to treat yourself to this delicacy this evening. Place the rest in the refrigerator. We will process it for a long time in order to prepare it for the winter or for future use. For this purpose, the plants will need to be salted, pickled or dried, but more on that later.
Preliminary processing
To ensure that your fern dinner is not overshadowed by food poisoning, you need to properly prepare freshly harvested raw materials. First of all, it is necessary to clear it of bitterness and toxic substances. Perfect option, which will allow you to save as much as possible useful material and the trade dress of the fern is soaking. The shoots prepared for cooking are dipped in a salty solution for a day, after which they are soaked in fresh water. This pre-treatment will make young bracken shoots completely safe and palatable.
If you don’t want to wait a whole day, then you can remove the bitterness from the fern using several stages of boiling. First, take a copper basin and pour a large amount of water into it. Bring it to a boil, add salt, immerse the shoots very carefully for two to three minutes. After this, you should replace the water and bring it to a boil again. This should be done two or three times.
During the last boiling, the shoots need to be boiled for about ten minutes, constantly monitoring the process. As soon as the fern heads curl into beautiful green rings, they should be removed from the heat. Now let's start preparing the bracken. The recipes for almost all bracken dishes are similar, differing only in the presence of ingredients. They are based on the same cooking methods that we are used to using when processing mushrooms.
Stocking up
Let us now return to processing the fern, which was put in the refrigerator. We want to stock these raw materials for long term, salting. To do this, you need to take a large container, it is best wooden barrel. Place the collected fern into it, mixed with salt in a ratio of 3 to 10 (for three kilograms of salt, 10 kilograms of raw materials). Cover with something heavy so that the brine appears under pressure. After two weeks, the brine should be drained and replaced with a new one, which should be prepared in a ratio of 2 to 10. Leave again for two weeks, after which the fern, if desired, can be salted again in a ratio of 1 to 10. After this, the shoots should be folded into bunches and dry.
Salted bracken can be stored as long as dried mushrooms. Before cooking, it should be pre-soaked and then used. In addition to pickling, bracken can be prepared in pickled form according to the scheme used for mushrooms.
Fern salad
The simplest recipe for how to cook bracken is to make it into a meat salad. Boiled beef or veal are best. You will also need hard-boiled eggs, green onions, hard cheese, fresh tomatoes and mayonnaise. All ingredients should be taken in equal quantities. Cheese, meat, tomatoes need to be finely chopped.
Pre-soak the bracken in water (salted) or boil it (raw). Place the prepared shoots in a frying pan in heated oil and simmer to remove excess moisture. After this, mix all the products evenly and season the salad with mayonnaise. Garnish it with finely chopped green onions.
It is impossible to cover all the many recipes that chefs offer for preparing bracken. These can be not only the famous Korean salads made from pickled fern, but also Russian inventions such as dumplings, pancakes and even pies stuffed with fried bracken. All these experiments became possible due to the fact that it tastes similar to mushrooms, so the same dishes are prepared from it.
Also to simple recipes include fried fern, which can be used as a gravy for any side dish. It's very easy to prepare:
1. Finely chop one onion and fry until transparent.
2. Place 400 grams of boiled fern in a frying pan and fry for another 10 minutes along with the onion.
3. Separately mix half a glass of sour cream with one tablespoon of flour.
4. Pour the mixture into the fried fern. Place in the oven. When a golden brown crust forms, remove. Serve hot.
Fern and its beneficial properties
Modern ferns (lat. Polypodiphyta) are one of the few ancient plants (appearing about 400 million years ago) that have retained significant diversity comparable to what was in the past. Ferns vary greatly in size, life forms (both herbaceous and woody life forms are found), life cycles (alternating asexual and sexual generations), structural features and other features. Their appearance is so characteristic that people usually call them all the same - ferns, not suspecting that this is the most large group spore plants: There are about 300 genera and more than 10,000 species of ferns.
Ferns are ubiquitous, although they do not always attract attention. But their greatest variety is where it is warm and damp: the tropics and subtropics. Found in birch forests throughout Russia. Widely distributed in the Urals, Siberia, Altai, and the Far East.
Their main feature is that they do not have seeds, and they reproduce mainly by spores.
Their main feature is that they have no seeds. And they reproduce by spores.
Not every fern can be eaten: bracken is considered edible (pteridium aquilinum), common ostrich (matteuccia struthiopteris), Osmunda cinnamon (osmunda cinnamomea) and several other species, while others are completely tasteless or even poisonous.
Compound
The rhizome of bracken fern contains starch, alkaloids, saponins, hydrocyanic and bracken-tannic acid, essential oils, flavonoids, fat, and tannins. Young shoots are rich in vitamins, tocopherol, riboflavin, carotene, and nicotinic acid.
Of the microelements, bracken accumulates iodine, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, sodium, nickel, sulfur, and phosphorus.
The proteins of bracken fern are similar in their properties and composition to the proteins of grain crops and are easily digestible. Fern has long been used as food by taiga dwellers in the Far East, as well as by residents of Korea and Japan. The use of fern has a beneficial effect on growth processes, helps the formation of the skeleton, metabolism, activity of the nervous system, increases efficiency, improves the condition of the endocrine system, and promotes the removal of radionuclides from the body.
Calorie content and the nutritional value fern
Fern calories - 34 kcal.
Nutritional value of fern: proteins - 4.55 g, fats - 0.4 g, carbohydrates - 5.54 g
Beneficial features
Fern has been used for medicinal purposes for a long time. A decoction of rhizomes and herbs is taken internally for diseases of the spleen and intestines, for aching joints, diarrhea, jaundice, headache and chest pain, for dry pleurisy, noise in the head and ears, as a laxative, diuretic, analgesic and anthelmintic.
Bracken stimulates metabolism and relieves stress.
Externally, a decoction of fern rhizomes is used for wounds, eczema, scrofula, and abscesses. The infusion can be used for ulcers and rheumatism in the form of baths.
Contraindications
Fern infusions and decoctions should be used very carefully, under the guidance of an experienced herbalist, since fern is poisonous.
You cannot use fern during pregnancy!
Overdose can lead to nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, convulsions, low blood pressure, respiratory depression, weakened cardiac function and even death.
Use in cooking
Fern is used in cooking by different peoples of the world. Salads are prepared from young leaves, “snails” are boiled, fried, pickled and salted for the winter, and used as a seasoning for meat.
The most popular among chefs. It got its name from the similarity of the leaves to the wing of a bird of prey. Bracken is quite common throughout the territory and is not difficult to find. Young leaves - fronds - are formed in May and at first resemble a snail, and as they grow, they unfold and resemble a hook. The leaf petiole is called rachis. The young shoots, the so-called rachis, are used for food. Rachis is the central vein with the petiole of a compound leaf. Young – 10–15 days old – sprouts bracken tastes like porcini mushrooms. The best are considered to be those whose leaf blades have not yet unfurled, with a petiole length of about 20 cm. Rachises are collected in the spring, at the time of flowering of lilies of the valley, when the leaves of the fern have not yet unfurled, but the cuttings are already quite large.
When collecting, you need to know that cut rachises do not grow back on ferns. Therefore, do not trim the entire bush completely - you will destroy the plant. Raw rachis is poisonous!
The lower part of the bracken petioles instantly hardens, so they need to be salted or boiled in salted water (5 minutes, then drained in a colander) immediately after collection, and then dried. Salted 
fern like this: put the greens in an enamel pan, sprinkle with salt (at the rate of 250 g of salt per 1 kg of fern), cover with a wooden lid and press with pressure, the weight of which must be equal to the weight of the greens being salted, and leave for 6-8 days. As soon as the brine begins to cover the lid, it is drained. The bitterness contained in the young shoots will also go away with it.
The fern prepared in this way is stewed (the fern and onions are fried separately, and then stewed together in sour cream and served with fried tomatoes and herbs), fried (dipped in pancake dough and deep-fried), and added to salads. You've probably seen chopped bracken branches in ready-made Korean salads.
Salted fern shoots perfectly preserve valuable substances. Fern shoots help with stress, they increase the body's endurance, improve well-being and metabolism.
Try it - an amazing-tasting, excellent “mushroom” snack grows under your feet for the whole year!
Interesting fact: In Slavic mythology, the fern flower was endowed magical properties, although the ferns are not blooming. On the night of Ivan Kupala, lovers look for this mythical fern flower (according to legend, it blooms for just a moment), believing that it will bring eternal happiness to their couple.
Interestingly, South America, Australia, and New Zealand eat the starch-rich rhizomes of bracken fern. And in Western Europe they were once used to make flour and even brew beer.
Based on materials from wikipedia.org, gastronom.ru, lady.mail.ru
Fern! What a beautiful and mysterious name the plant has. Gogol's story "The Evening on the Eve of Ivan Kupala" immediately comes to mind.
Fern is one of the oldest plants on earth, surviving in its original form to this day. Today, the existence of 300 genera of ferns and more than 10,000 species is known. They are found in forests, on the branches and trunks of large and large trees, in swamps, in rock crevices, in lakes and rivers, along roadsides, as weeds on agricultural lands and even on the walls of city houses. Such vitality and adaptability of the plant is simply amazing. But most of them are in the tropics and subtropics, it is there that nature has created fertile soil for them, it is warm and damp.
The most famous of all fern species is bracken. It is often used for culinary purposes and alternative medicine.
Scientists suggest that the basis of coal was the wood of ancient ferns in compressed form. The leaves of ferns are amazing - they look like the outline of a wing huge bird. This is apparently where the name of the plant itself came from - pteron in Greek is translated as “wing”, and in Latin aquila means “eagle”.
The stem begins underground. In the spring, namely in May, young leaves appear - fronds, resembling a snail; then, as they develop, they unfold and become like a hook. Reproduction of this amazing plant happens by controversy.
Fern composition
The fern rhizome contains: starch, saponins, alkaloids, essential oils, hydrocyanic and hydrocyanic acid, fat, flavonoids, tannins. Young shoots are rich in vitamins, riboflavin, tocopherol, nicotinic acid and carotene.
Taiga dwellers of the Far East, as well as residents of Japan and Korea, have been eating this plant since ancient times. The use of fern has a positive effect on general metabolism, on growth processes; beneficial substances participate in the formation of the skeleton, increase efficiency and normalize the activity of the nervous system. The plant’s effect on the endocrine system and in the removal of radionuclides from the body is also known.
Applications of fern
Its use in cooking of all kinds of peoples of the world is great. What can they do with the young leaves of the plant? They are used to prepare salads, “snails” are fried, boiled, pickled and salted for the winter season, and used as a seasoning for meat. Ferns should not be consumed fresh!
Beneficial features
- The amazing qualities of fern have naturally been used for medicinal purposes. For a long time, a decoction of rhizomes and herbs has been known as an internal remedy. It is used for diseases of the intestines and spleen, for jaundice, diarrhea, aching joints, chest pain and headaches, for noise in the ears and head, dry pleurisy, as a diuretic, laxative, anthelmintic and analgesic.
- It is also known to use a decoction of fern rhizomes for various wounds, abscesses and scrofula. In the form of baths, the infusion is used for rheumatism and ulcers.
Harm to ferns
Despite the positive properties of fern and the mass of useful substances it contains, fern decoctions and infusions must be used with great caution. In any case, the plant is poisonous and in large, immoderate quantities can cause significant harm to humans.
An overdose leads to negative consequences: nausea and vomiting, convulsions, dizziness, respiratory depression and low blood pressure, weakened cardiac activity, and can even lead to death.
As you can see, it is necessary to use decoctions and infusions extremely carefully, under the supervision of an experienced herbalist.
