Not all foods are equally healthy, but many fruits and vegetables can rightfully be called vitamin bombs. In particular, strawberry guava is considered such. In Russian stores, and now you will not find such a product, but quite a lot of our compatriots are thinking about how to grow this fruit at home. Will there be any use in this venture?
What is it about?
Strawberry guava came to us from Mexico and America and gained distribution in many other countries, and especially in India and Africa. Some exotic lovers manage to plant and grow guavas at home. And this is a very difficult undertaking, the implementation of which cannot be approached without the slightest knowledge about what culture is and how capricious it is. According to science, strawberry guava has a less sonorous name - "Psidium". This is a medium-tall fruit tree with a thick spreading crown. Under natural conditions, the guava can grow up to ten meters, but in captivity is content with more compact sizes. The tree belongs to the myrtle family and represents a class of dicotyledonous plants. The foliage does not fall even in winter, and after three to five months of flowering on the guava, large fruits ripen to almost 200 grams in weight. Blooming guava looks very impressive due to its white inflorescences and a plentiful harvest. From one tree you can get a hundred kilograms of fruit. But there is also a second wave of harvest! Although the encore is always less fruit, and their size is reduced.
Taste mix
What attracts gourmets to strawberry guava? Of course, with its unusual taste! This is an original mix of apple, lemon and pear. The fruits themselves are rounded or slightly elongated. Their bumpy peel is associated with citruses. When the fruit is yellow, its peel is similar to quince. In a ripe guava, it can turn a burgundy, or it can remain green. The fruit is very fragrant and smells like lemon. The thick peel is slightly bitter, but the sweetest fruits have a thin peel. The fruit has a dense and very juicy pulp, and inside there are many yellow seeds. By the way, the seeds have a very thick shell, so growing them in a seed way is quite problematic. Each guava variety has a special taste, so you cannot say exactly what this fruit looks like. Depending on the variety, the flesh may be white, pinkish, yellow or red. For example, red fruits taste like raspberries, and the skin has a coniferous flavor. It is logical to assume that strawberry guava got its name for the taste of strawberries with a slight aftertaste of pineapple. The fruit is very sweet and juicy. If it acidifies, it is better not to eat it, as it can upset digestion and negatively affect the functioning of the kidneys.
In the process of tasting
Very appetizing guava strawberry. Photos of it can serve as an adornment of any restaurant menu. But not in every institution it is worth eating. Still, long-term storage affects the taste. Guava needs to be eaten only fresh, and if stored in the refrigerator, then no longer than a day. Another thing is a freezer. Pack the fruit in a sealed package so that it does not absorb foreign odors. From ripe fruits, you can cook a delicious and sweet fresh, cook compote, make on the basis of syrup and jelly. Delicious oriental cheese is made from dried fruits. And if the pulp is pickled, then the output will be an original side dish for meat.
If you still eat fresh guava, then cut it into slices and eat along with the skin and seeds to get a full charge of vitamins.
Healing treat
Strawberry guava, or Kettle’s guava, is a sweet and very unusual fruit. Girls will be especially pleased with the fact that there are relatively few calories in it - only 69 kcal per 100 grams. But vitamins and minerals are a dime a dozen. There is iron, and calcium, and phosphorus, and magnesium, as well as sodium, potassium, vitamins of groups B, A, C and PP. Guava has a lot of water and only 17.4 carbohydrates per 100 grams. Such a vitamin charge will be very useful for the prevention and treatment of many diseases. In particular, with problems with the gastrointestinal tract, with colds and lung diseases, with convulsions and epileptic seizures, with heart ailments. The guava peel contains antioxidants, so that the whole fruit eaten can relieve pain and cramps and act as an antitumor agent. For medicinal purposes, leaves are used, on the basis of which decoctions and herbal tea are prepared.
Your crop
So, can strawberry guava grow at home? Now there are many lovers of exotic among summer residents. They will be happy to grow a beautiful fruit tree on the site. Especially in the southern regions, the venture may succeed. But the classical Russian winter guava will not tolerate. Already three degrees below zero will be a critical level of cold. But guava can be grown in the winter garden as a pot culture. True, you can’t boast an abundant harvest, but there are enough fruits for your diet. The "psidium Littorale", which, by the way, does not require pollination, has natural immunity and blooms beautifully, survives best. The Kettleley variety has fewer fruits, but they have a strawberry flavor. To facilitate the germination of seeds, it is necessary to soak in the growth regulator and slightly scratch with sandpaper so that the sprout will hatch faster. Seedlings need warmth, so it’s best to plant in a greenhouse. Sow the seeds on loose soil and sprinkle a little sand. When growing up, it will be necessary to pinch and transplant them. Do not forget to look after the guava, provide it with a lot of heat and light. And enjoy the fruits of the tree!