In March, if not already at the end of February, cherry trees begin to bloom in many parts of Spain, providing landscapes as inspiring as those found in the Jerte Valley.
They are cherry trees that are grown in mountainous areas, with relative humidity, often in a traditional way, and that occupy large areas, not only in Extremadura, but also in Andalusia and the Ebro Valley.
Spain is, along with Italy, Germany and the United States, the world’s largest exporter of cherries. In the wild, cherry trees are found mainly on the margins of deciduous forests in the north of the Peninsula and mountainous areas isolated from the rest.
They are trees up to twenty meters high, with a wide crown and oval, pointed leaves, shiny on the front. The flowers, grouped in umbels, are white, very beautiful and aromatic.
Various varieties of the fruit, the tasty cherry, are grown. It is an exquisite fruit, which is desired both for dessert and after hours and with which you can make delicious juices, ice creams, smoothies, jams and cakes.
They are rich in anthocyanosides – the pigment that gives them their red color –, mineral salts and vitamins, and have remineralizing, purifying, detoxifying and antibacterial properties.
Their fiber also makes them slightly laxative.
Medicinal properties of cherry stems
In phytotherapy, however, the fruit is not the most commonly used part, but rather the peduncles or stalks that attach them to the branches. They contain potassium salts, salicylic derivatives, flavonoids and tannins.
In addition to being attributed diuretic and purifying properties, they are considered analgesics and febrifuges.
Herbalists recommend the stalks to promote the emission of urine, detoxify the body and deal with different genitourinary conditions: edema, infections such as cystitis, kidney inflammation and the formation of kidney stones.
They are also advised to reduce excess uric acid and urea or high blood pressure, and in flu processes, to reduce fever and calm pain.
How to use cherry stems
In herbalists they are found in the form of a dried plant for decoction, liquid extract and tincture.
The juice of the fresh fruit can also be found and used for medicinal purposes.
Cherry stem infusion
With cherry stems you can prepare a diuretic and purifying herbal tea to eliminate toxins. This infusion combines cherry stems, horsetail, grass, birch leaves and star anise in equal parts to detoxify the body.
- Three tablespoons of this mixture are added to one liter of water and boiled for 2 minutes.
- Let it rest for another 10 and strain it.
- Once prepared, the infusion can be drunk throughout the day.
Pillows with cherry pits to sleep better
Nothing goes to waste in cherries. Proof of this is the traditional use of its seeds to fill cushions for therapeutic purposes.
- A good amount of seeds are washed and dried.
- They are briefly heated in the microwave or in a hot oven that has already been turned off.
- The cushion is filled with them.
This mass of seeds captures heat very well, but disperses it progressively, which is ideal for relaxing and relaxing the muscles of the neck and cervical muscles, and for relieving low back pain.
Jordi Cebrián. Advisor: J Mª Teixé, herbalist from “El Manantial de Salud”