Frozen Bayberries

Frozen Bayberries

　　Beijing Specialty — Frozen Bayberries, a famous local delicacy in Beijing. These frozen bayberries have a sweet and refreshing taste, offering an authentic flavor that lets you enjoy bayberries all year round. Bayberries are highly nutritious and considered a natural green health food. According to tests, high-quality bayberry flesh contains 12%–13% sugar and 0.5%–1.1% acid. They are rich in dietary fiber, mineral elements, vitamins, as well as certain amounts of protein, fat, pectin, and eight types of amino acids beneficial to the human body. The calcium, phosphorus, and iron content in the fruit is more than ten times higher than in other fruits. They help quench thirst and invigorate the spleen and appetite. Eating them not only does no harm to the digestive system but also has detoxifying and cold-dispelling effects. As recorded in the "Compendium of Materia Medica," “Bayberries can quench thirst, harmonize the internal organs, cleanse the intestines and stomach, and eliminate vexation and foul qi.” They are hailed as the “agate among fruits” and praised as “green pollution-free fruit.”

　　       Specialty Culture: Making frozen bayberries is simple. 1. Soak the bayberries in light salt water for ten minutes, then remove and drain excess water; 2. Separate the flesh from the pits by hand — wear an apron during this step as bayberry juice can stain clothes and is hard to wash out; 3. Place the bayberry flesh into a blender; 4. Blend the flesh until smooth; 5. Pour in an appropriate amount of rum; 6. Add sugar — use just a little as it sweetens easily; 7. Pour the flavored juice into an ice cube tray; 8. There may be tiny bubbles on the surface of the juice right after pouring — let it sit for a few minutes until the bubbles disappear, then place it in the freezer.

　　       Specialty Benefits: Bayberries help quench thirst, invigorate the spleen and appetite. Eating them not only does no harm to the digestive system but also has detoxifying and cold-dispelling effects. As recorded in the "Compendium of Materia Medica," “Bayberries can quench thirst, harmonize the internal organs, cleanse the intestines and stomach, and eliminate vexation and foul qi.” All parts of the bayberry — the fruit, pit, root, and bark — can be used medicinally, are neutral in nature, and are non-toxic. The pits can treat athlete’s foot, the roots can stop bleeding and regulate qi, and the bark soaked in wine can treat bruises, swelling, and pain. Bayberries soaked in white liquor, when consumed in hot summer, bring a refreshing sensation and help relieve heat and greasiness. When suffering from diarrhea, drinking concentrated bayberry soup can stop the condition due to its astringent effect. Bayberries offer multiple medicinal benefits such as aiding digestion, removing dampness, relieving summer heat, quenching thirst, soothing coughs, helping digestion, resisting cold, stopping diarrhea, promoting urination, and preventing cholera. They are honored as the “agate among fruits.”