Such a fruit as quince, the harm and benefits of which are not known to everyone, cannot be ignored. It contains a lot of useful trace elements that are necessary for the human body. But there is also a negative effect. To use quince only benefits you, let's look at how it is harmful and useful, as well as how to eat it properly.
Short fruit description
To people who have never met with quince, at first glance it may seem that this is an apple, only of a rather strange shape. And some, on the contrary, compare it with a large pear. Quince actually has a very ancient and eventful history. In Asia and the Mediterranean, this fruit has been grown for about 4000 years. It looks like a small tree on which there are a lot of flowers. Traditionally, Transcaucasia is considered the homeland of quince.
The main feature of this fruit is that it can not be eaten fresh. Quince has a sour tart taste, so it must be subjected to heat treatment. At the same time, it becomes sweet and juicy and tastes like a pear and an apple at the same time. We will consider further how to properly prepare a fruit such as quince. The harm and benefits of this product is very important information that it is important to find out before preparing and eating it.
Useful properties of quince
A lot of useful substances are found in such a fruit as quince. Its harm and benefits are proven by medicine. The positive effect on the body is much higher than the negative. Quince contains glucose, fructose, citric and malic acids, iron, phosphorus, calcium. And the amount of vitamins in this fruit just rolls over: A, B, C, E, PP and many others. Quince is very useful during the treatment of a disease such as anemia.
This product perfectly reduces body temperature, so quince is often advised as an antipyretic. Quince jam and jam have a positive effect on digestion, as well as on the liver and stomach. Another magical property of this fruit is that it is able to stop bleeding.
Quince leaves are also quite successfully used in folk medicine. An infusion made from quince leaves lowers blood sugar and is recommended for people with diabetes. Also, the juice of this fruit helps with asthma and diseases of the upper respiratory tract. In addition to all this, the positive effect of quince is also noticeable on the kidneys, since it is a diuretic. Therefore, with a disease of cystitis, it is recommended to eat quince.
In addition to all of the above, this fruit helps fight stress, relieves stress and improves mood.
The harmful properties of quince
Compared with all the positive qualities of quince, its harm is very insignificant. People who are engaged in pedagogical activities or anyone else who needs a voice are not recommended to use this fruit. It has been proven by medicine that quince negatively affects the vocal cords and larynx. Also, people suffering from constipation and pleurisy, it is better not to eat quince. But this ban applies only to the consumption of fresh fruits. In any other form, this fruit can be consumed without fear.
Quince and cooking
We examined what quince is. The harm and benefits that it has are now known to you. Now consider how to cook it.
So, in raw form, this fruit is better not to eat. The only option to use it fresh is to add it to tea for a pleasant aroma. Most often it is subjected to heat treatment, due to which quince acquires a pleasant taste, and even then it can be eaten. Canned quince for the winter is one of the best cooking options for this fruit. Also, a huge number of desserts are prepared from it (cakes, cakes, marmalade, candied fruit). Some like to add quince to the pilaf, in various meat dishes, omelettes for piquancy. Quince for the winter is traditionally prepared in the form of jam, jam or jam.
A simple recipe for quince jam
There are many ways to make quince. Now let's look at a simple way to make quince jam.
We will need:
- One kilogram of quince.
- One glass of water.
- Two glasses of sugar.
- Three grams of citric acid.
First you need to rinse the quince well, remove the middle and cut it into pieces. Then you need to mix water, sugar, quince and citric acid in a saucepan. It is necessary that all this boil over low heat. The stewpan should be covered so that steam does not escape. For 2-3 hours you need to simmer quince over low heat, sometimes stir. Quince should acquire a dark red color. To find out if the fruit is ready, try it with a fork, it should be soft. After this, the finished quince jam must be rolled up in jars or simply closed and stored in the refrigerator. For piquancy, you can add a little cinnamon during cooking. The aroma will be stunning.
Quince jam: a step by step recipe
There are plenty of ways to make quince jam. Each of them is beautiful in its own way. Quince with nuts is a great combination, so we will consider the jam recipe with nuts.
For cooking you need:
- Ripe quince - 2.5 kg.
- Sugar - 2 kg.
- Water - 300 ml.
- Nuts - 300 grams.
- One lemon.
Step 1. Thoroughly wash the quince, cut the middle with seeds, peel. But in principle, you can not clean.
Step 2. Cut the fruit into small slices.
Step 3. Pieces of chopped quince should be blanched for two minutes. Do not pour out the remaining water. Wait for the quince to drain.
Step 4. Pour 300 ml of water into a wide bowl and add 700 grams of sugar. Then put quince there, mix and boil. Boil for about 10 minutes and leave for 12 hours.
Step 5. Add another 700 grams of sugar and boil for another 10 minutes. Again, leave it all for 12 hours.
Step 6. Finally you need to add the sugar that remains, pour out nuts and slices of lemon. All this should boil and cook for another 10 minutes over low heat. We leave it for another half day. Then boil and roll again. And now the most delicious quince jam is ready! Banks need to be covered with a blanket until they cool. Enjoy your meal!
Japanese quince: preparation and description
Japanese quince is a very beautiful tree with flowers similar to the flowers of an apple tree. The fruits have a pleasant aroma, but the taste is very sour. Therefore, to use them fresh is simply impossible. In addition, they are also very solid. But there are many options for cooking this quince: various jams, jams, candied fruits, jellies, marmalade and much more. Japanese quince can be consumed even raw. Consider several options for making such a fruit.
Raw Japanese Quince with Sugar
For cooking, you need 1 kilogram of quince and the same amount of sugar. Cut the fruit into slices. Then lay out in layers, alternating with sugar. Lock in a jar and store in the refrigerator. Serve for tea instead of lemon.
Japanese quince jelly
It will take 1 kilogram of quince, 400 grams of sugar and two glasses of water. First you need to wash the quince, then cut into slices (along with the seeds). Then cook on low heat until the fruits are soft. The resulting mass must be filtered, but not crushed. Juice must be poured into another container, add sugar to it and cook until it thickens.
Candied Japanese Quince
For cooking, you need to take a ready-made quince jam. Then you need to select the fruits from it, let the syrup drain and wait until the fruits have dried (on a plate). Then you need to sprinkle them with sugar and place in a closed container. Store at room temperature.
So, we examined such a fruit as quince: what it is, its beneficial and harmful properties, as well as a variety of cooking methods. This product has many positive qualities, so you should not neglect it. As you can see, in principle, there is nothing complicated in the preparation of this fruit, and its taste and juicy and sweet jam will delight you with cold winter evenings.