As an alternative to hot lemon, they can try it the next time they have a cold or cough with sea buckthorn. The small yellow sea buckthorn berries are namely true vitamin bombs and contain up to ten times as much vitamin C as lemons. Already three spoons of sea buckthorn juice are to cover the complete daily requirement of an adult at Vitamin C. The sea buckthorn berry can also work wonders externally: sea buckthorn oil helps with sore, inflamed skin, protects against harmful UV radiation and is even used for chronic skin diseases such as neurodermatitis.
Sea buckthorn: origin and processing
The bright yellow sea buckthorn berries grow on spiny bushes – preferred in harsh climates as well as loose calcareous sandy soil, on rocky slopes or on sand dunes. In Germany, sea buckthorn is therefore found primarily in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, but also in the Black Forest. The career of the “lemon of the north” began in the GDR, where southern fruits were usually scarce, so that sea buckthorn was an important source of vitamins. Today, sea buckthorn is available as juice, mush, tea, syrup and in many other forms in any health food store or organic food store. Because the berries are very acidic, they are rarely consumed in their raw form. However, if they are gently pressed and processed with the skin on, most of the nutrients from sea buckthorn are retained.
Sea buckthorn: vitamin B12 supplier?
Sea buckthorn is considered one of the few plant foods that contain vitamin B12, which is otherwise mainly found in meat. Thus, sea buckthorn is also often recommended as a source of B12 for vegetarians and vegans, some of whom are deficient in this vitamin. It should be noted, however, that sea buckthorn – influenced by fertilization and soil quality – often no longer contains vitamin B12. Therefore, sea buckthorn is not a reliable alternative to B12 preparations for vegetarians and especially vegans.
Other nutrients of sea buckthorn
Sea buckthorn contains numerous healthy nutrients: In addition to the aforementioned vitamin C, sea buckthorn also offers an abundance of E, and A vitamins. Many vitamins are fat-soluble – conveniently, sea buckthorn provides the fat right away, allowing the body to process the nutrients directly. The flesh of the sea buckthorn berry also contains minerals such as magnesium, iron, calcium and manganese. All these nutrients are in a few spoonfuls of sea buckthorn juice or sea buckthorn puree. The sea buckthorn juice should be drunk best in the mixing ratio 1:6 with water. Sea buckthorn juice also tastes good with a spoonful of honey stirred into hot tea or apple juice.
Recipe: apple pie with sea buckthorn cream
For the dough:
- 300 g flour
- 1 sachet baking powder
- 150 g curd
- 100 ml milk
- 100 ml sunflower oil
- 80 g sugar
- 1 sachet vanilla sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 kg apples
- Sea buckthorn jam or sea buckthorn liqueur
For the sea buckthorn cream:
- 250 g curd
- 100 ml cream
- 4 tablespoons sea buckthorn juice
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 2 packets vanilla sugar
- 4 tablespoons oatmeal
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Sea buckthorn recipe: preparation of the cake.
Peel and core the apples and cut them into wedges. Preheat the oven. Mix the flour with the baking powder and put it in a bowl. Add the curd, milk, oil, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt. Knead the ingredients with a hand mixer to form a dough. Roll out the finished dough on a baking sheet greased with butter. Cover the dough with the apple slices, spread a few blobs of sea buckthorn jam (alternatively a few dashes of sea buckthorn liqueur) between the apples and bake the cake at 180 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes. In the meantime, whip the cream with the vanilla sugar until stiff. Mix the curd with orange juice and sea buckthorn juice until smooth and fold in the cream. When the cake is done baking, let it cool, spread the sea buckthorn juice cream on top and smooth it down. Finally, toast the oat flakes and sugar briefly in a pan and sprinkle over the sea buckthorn juice cream.
Cosmetics: miracle cure sea buckthorn oil.
Not only in the kitchen, but also in cosmetics sea buckthorn is a true all-purpose weapon. The fatty oil of the pulp and seeds from the sea buckthorn juice pampers the skin and has a healing, anti-inflammatory effect. A few drops of pure sea buckthorn oil on sore or inflamed skin boost the regeneration of skin cells and support wound healing.Sea buckthorn preparations are also often recommended for the treatment of acne or neurodermatitis. In addition, cosmetic products such as face cream, body lotion or bath oil have recently begun to rely on the power of the yellow sea buckthorn berry. Since sea buckthorn oil protects against solar radiation and thus prevents premature aging of the skin, it is primarily used in products for mature skin. The rich oil is especially suitable for people with very dry, rough, flaky skin. Despite all its miracle powers, the sea buckthorn berry unfortunately also has a catch: because the prickly bushes are difficult to harvest, genuine sea buckthorn products are usually relatively expensive.
