Do you know what apple and mountain ash have in common? And where does medlar grow? And which fruit contains more vitamin C - pear or quince? In our article we will consider the merchandising characteristics of pome fruits. We are sure that everyone will discover amazing facts about familiar plants.
Characteristics of pome fruits
Botanists call the fruit a modification of the flower. This structure consists of pericarp and seeds. Several types of fruits are distinguished depending on the structural features of these parts. They can be dry and juicy, one - and multi-seeded.
Particularly popular are pome fruits and stone fruits. What do they look like? They are juicy and contain a lot of pulp, which is formed by an overgrown receptacle. Therefore, fruits of this type contain a large supply of water (up to 90%), nutrients, and especially polysaccharides (up to 15%). Of the solids, fiber (up to 1.5%) and organic acids (up to 1%) should also be called.
But the pome fruit, which is also called the apple, is multi-seeded. In addition, there are several film cameras inside it. They contain seeds. Examples of drupes are cherry, plum, peach. Inside they contain a single woody stone.
The apples
This pome fruit has long been a favorite of both children and adults. Among the pome seeds, it is the most common. Just imagine that every second tree on the planet is an apple tree.
This fruit is grown everywhere. Now there are more than 10 thousand varieties of apple trees. Among them there are highly winter-resistant, which tolerate a temperature of -40 degrees. Such fruits have a good indicator of keeping quality - about five months.
The tallest crops reach 8 meters, and dwarf crops - two. Apples differ in taste. They can be sour, sweet or dessert. By maturity, summer, autumn and winter varieties are distinguished. The first are stored up to a month. Autumn and winter have a denser peel, so they are longer stored and better transported.
The benefit of apples determines their chemical composition, which depends on the variety, place and growing conditions. They include water, fructose, sucrose, sorbitol, dietary fiber, vitamins of groups B, C, E. It is not recommended to peel apples, since it is the peel that contains the oxidizing agent flavonoid.
Surprisingly, small and wormy fruits are considered the most useful. They are environmentally friendly and rich in minerals. It is also known that green apples are the most low-calorie and hypoallergenic. Reds, on the contrary, contain more carbohydrates, and yellow ones contain vitamin C.
Rowan
This fruit, depending on the species, has a yellowish, red or black color. The taste can be tart, bitter, fresh or sour-sweet. How to prove that mountain ash belongs to pome fruits? According to the features of the structure. Each mountain ash fruit is a small apple with membranous chambers and seeds inside.
Use this product in a fresh, dried and canned form, prepare tinctures and liquors. They are useful for the treatment of hypertension and the prevention of scurvy. Rowan fruits are rich in pectin, carotene, sorbitol, vitamins P and B, and especially iodine.
Pears
If we compare these pome fruits with apples, they are more thermophilic and sweet, worse transported and stored. Pears have a dense, and some even rough peel. A distinctive feature of this fetus is the presence of stony cells around the membranous chambers.
But pears are no less useful product. The most valuable substances this fruit contains are carbohydrates, folic acid and phenolic compounds. The fruit is also rich in trace elements: copper, zinc, manganese, iron, fluorine and iodine. This makes pears a valuable disinfectant, antipyretic, fixing and diuretic.
Quince
This representative is a true record holder for the duration of storage of pome fruits. He will delight you with his freshness for 8 months. The shape of quince resembles a pear or an apple. Massively cultivated in Central Asia, Crimea, Moldova and the Caucasus. The surface is often ribbed and tuberous; dots or brown spots are visible on the skin. The quince pulp is very dense, juicy, and the taste is sweet and sour, tart and astringent. Therefore, most often this fruit is consumed not fresh, but in the form of jam, marmalade, jelly, and drying.
A characteristic feature is a noticeable pubescence of the surface of the fetus. Quince is also famous for its fragrant smell. The fact is that its skin and top layer of pulp contain many esters. Therefore, these parts of the fetus are also used to prepare various products. Another quince record is the vitamin C content, which is twice as much as in apples.
Hawthorn
This pome fruit has been used in medicine since the 16th century. But initially, people used it to fight diarrhea and purify the blood. But its fruitful effect on the cardiovascular system was discovered only by the 20th century.
Hawthorn grows mainly in the temperate climatic zone of the northern hemisphere of our planet. The size of the fruits, which have a rounded shape, reaches a maximum of 4 cm. In September and October, their bright fruits, collected in inflorescences, are very clearly visible. The color of the hawthorn depends on the species and can be yellow, red, purple or orange.
These fruits are well stored in dried form. In this case, the hawthorn undergoes heat treatment in an oven or an electric dryer, after which it is placed in a container. The temperature regime for such fruits should not exceed 18 degrees, and air humidity - 13%. It is also recommended to avoid direct sunlight. In this form, hawthorn is advised to store for two years. It is also possible freezing valuable fruits, making juice and tinctures.
Irga
These pome fruits in our country are well known in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Here they ripen by mid-summer. Irga, or cinnamon, can grow in two life forms. It can be a low tree or deciduous shrub.
The fruits of the irgi are small. Their size reaches a maximum of 1 cm. Depending on the type, the color of the fruit can be black, gray, purple or bright red. Under the delicate peel is juicy pulp, which has a pleasant aroma and sweet taste.
The chemical composition of berry berries is characterized by a high content of polysaccharides (up to 12%), ascorbic acid (40%), pectin substances (up to 4%). This composition makes it an indispensable tool for tonsillitis and stomatitis.
Medlar
This plant first gained widespread fame as a decorative species. And now it is grown for the sake of juicy fruits that perfectly quench thirst. The main areas where medlar is cultivated in our country are the Crimea, the Caucasus and the Krasnodar Territory. This plant is also popular in Israel, Abkhazia, Italy and Spain.
Medlar is a winter-hardy culture. In September, it only begins to bloom, and bears fruit in the spring. If the winter turned out to be warm, then the first crop can be obtained at this time of year. The plant is unpretentious to the type of soil and light intensity.
Fruits on one tree do not ripen at the same time. This process can last up to 1.5 months. Transportation of medlar is very problematic. Ripened fruits quickly deteriorate and do not last for a long time, and green fruits do not ripen.
The apples of medlar are collected in a brush, the color is yellow. Inside each fruit is from 1 to 5 seeds. The pulp tastes like a ripe pear and cherry. Unripe fruits are tart and hard. Their diameter is up to 50 mm.
An important property of these fruits is their ability to lower glucose levels. Therefore, on the basis of medlar, teas are prepared for diabetics. Another valuable action is a diuretic. Therefore, these fruits are very popular in folk medicine. Use it in the form of jam, jam and jelly.
So, pome fruits, the types of which we examined in our article, combine common structural features. This is the presence of the peel, juicy pulp and membranous chambers inside which the seeds are located. Pome fruits are of great practical importance. They are used as fruit crops, used in the pharmacological industry and traditional medicine. The advantage of many of them is good transportability and keeping quality.