Which dish is very popular and always present on the New Year's table? The correct answer is tangerines. Now these delicious fruits are available to everyone and are sold in markets all year round. Morocco, Spain, Argentina and Sicily are the main suppliers to our table of these citrus fruits, which are associated with the sun, improve our mood with their aroma and orange color. In recent years, Abkhazian tangerines, which were imported from Turkey, have spread. We’ll talk about them now.
A bit of history: how tangerines appeared in Abkhazia
In fact, the historical homeland of these citrus fruits is India. Here they were grown several thousand years ago. They got their current name in China, where they were brought. At the beginning of our era, tangerines were available only to the emperor, and after a hundred years, to the highest dignitaries. They were considered elite fruits and became ordinary, available to everyone only in the Middle Ages. After several crusades in the sixteenth century, tangerines appeared in Europe.
Knights brought their seeds, and greenhouses began to appear in the homes of the rich. Soon, these fruits appeared in Spain, Greece, Turkey and Italy. It turned out that they are not too whimsical and quite normally take root in a different climate. Further, citrus fruits from China moved to Japan, from Spain to neighboring Morocco. Abkhazian tangerines, as already noted, came from Turkey.
The popularity of tangerines
Many people remember that not so long ago these fruits were a very scarce commodity, and often children could only eat them on New Year's holidays. Fortunately, those days are over, and now we buy them at our first wish. But since then, tangerines continue to be associated with childhood and the Christmas holidays. They are very tasty and have many uses.
Abkhaz tangerines are used in alcoholic beverages, they make fruit water, juices, jam, stewed fruit, make sweets and marmalade. In the manufacture of medicines, tinctures, syrups and extracts, mandarin peels are used as a substitute for orange peel.
Abkhazian tangerines, their properties and benefits
What is the main property of our citrus fruits? This is the ability to replenish vitamins lost during the autumn and winter seasons. It is recommended to eat them together with a white net, as it is very useful for strengthening the human cardiovascular system. Juice, like the fruits themselves, is an excellent antidepressant and has an antimicrobial effect.
A well-known feature is the high content of vitamin C. There are also mineral salts, pectins, vitamins B
1 , B
2 , D and K, essential oil, choline, lutein and zeaxanthin. Look at the Abkhaz mandarins. Photos of this fruit do not convey even a small part of their benefits, the effect of consumption. But this is the topic of a separate article, so let us dwell on what has already been stated.
The advantages of Abkhaz mandarins over others
They are not in vain considered the most useful and delicious. In stores and on the market, most Russian buyers prefer citrus fruits from Abkhazia, rather than Turkey or Morocco. Of course, they are not as photogenic as waxed from the southern countries, but they are not inferior to them in useful and healing properties. And their peel can also be further used, since it does not undergo any chemical treatment.
In addition, the tangerine season in Abkhazia begins in the second half of November, and the fruits immediately appear on store shelves, but the autumn harvest from Morocco and Turkey can be in warehouses for several months and lose a significant part of its useful properties during this time.
When tangerines ripen in Abkhazia
The ubiquitous harvest of delicious crops in these places begins, as already mentioned, after November 15th. But citrus fruits have several varieties, and the first of some early ones can be tasted a month earlier. Now you are quite well versed in information about such a fruit as Abkhazian tangerines: when ripe, useful properties, etc.
You need to know that they are exported all under one name - Abkhazian, but there are several dozen varieties and varieties here. On a relatively small territory of the country, in one of its corners, small-sized, thin-bodied fruits with an acidic taste can grow. And 50-60 kilometers from this place - thick-skinned, large, with a rich, sweet taste. The microclimate of the place where the plantations are located affects this: humidity, sea air and even mountains.
How to collect tangerines
In the harvest season, many vacationers come to Abkhazia. During this period, you can enjoy a winter, fresh fruit harvest: orange, mandarin, kiwi, persimmon, feijoa. Such a pleasure lasts until the end of January. So the New Year can be celebrated in these beautiful places. Including to observe the collection of fruits, and even take an active part. The collection of tangerines in Abkhazia is one of the main working seasons when local residents, and visitors, earn money for six months in advance. Almost every farm in these places has tangerine gardens. The task of collecting them is noticeably more difficult than with the harvest, for example, apples.
If you want to keep the harvested fruits as long as possible, and not two or three weeks, then you need to take this matter very carefully. First of all, it is necessary to carefully cut the stalks, to prevent them from being scratched one against the other. In no case can you rudely tear, but you need to use a pruner. If you do everything correctly, then at least a couple of months of successful storage will be ensured. Most of the crop is exported, with almost all citrus fruits being shipped to Russia. At home, they almost do not stay. They are not stored here for a long time, there are no dishes with tangerines in national cuisine. They are eaten mostly fresh, sometimes they squeeze juice or make a fruit salad.
How to save tangerines
We know when tangerines are harvested in Abkhazia. We also know how to harvest. And how to keep these fruits longer by buying them in a store or bringing them from a trip to a southern country? We will give you some tips on this:
- One of the best ways is to put tangerines in the refrigerator, preferably in a separate compartment, specially designed for vegetables and fruits. One month they will be saved so without problems.
- With this storage option, you do not need to be afraid that citrus fruits will rot. It is much more important that they do not dry. Therefore, in the refrigerator, conditions of high humidity and a temperature of +6 degrees must be observed.
- If you rub the fruits with vegetable oil, and then send them to the refrigerator, the shelf life will increase slightly.
- In no case do not store our fruits in a bag made of polyethylene, as they will deteriorate faster under such conditions. The reason is that the bag does not allow oxygen to pass through, enhanced evaporation of moisture begins, and tangerines “choke”.
- The best option is to put the fruits in a grid. Remember those from the past?
- After thermal treatment of citrus fruits, you can eat them for at least one year. Make jam, jam, jelly, jelly, or cake soak.
Reviews about tangerines from Abkhazia
What else might interest us when considering fruits such as Abkhaz tangerines? When do they ripen? This we already know. It should only be pointed out that, depending on weather conditions, the harvest season may begin a couple of weeks earlier, or as much later. Heat or, conversely, heavy rains have a significant impact on this. Well, what do citrus fans say about their impressions of this fruit? Both words merge into one: Mandarin - Abkhazia. Reviews of taste are mostly positive.
Well, no one said a bad word about the benefits of these fruits. Here, most importantly, one condition must be observed - in no case should you overeat. In this case, health problems may appear. This is especially true for children. According to some people, the tangerine diet helped them lose some weight and significantly improve their health. Moreover, tangerines are a great antidepressant, and losing weight with it is a real pleasure. So regularly eat your favorite citrus fruits and you will always be awake, healthy and active!