Fruits of Japanese quince: application, medicinal properties and features

Japanese quince is a fruit and berry culture that is common in Asia, the Caucasus, Crimea, and Moldova. The fruits of the tree are used in several areas: in medicine, cosmetology, cooking. A few millennia ago, travelers repeatedly spoke about a tree with tasty and fragrant fruits that can be enjoyed from mid-autumn. It looks like a low tree (not more than 4-5 meters), not particularly demanding on the conditions of planting and growing. Only harsh winters can endure poorly. The growth rate is slow, it is worth propagating only by cuttings. A tree can live for about 85 years. Useful properties and application of quince (fruit, seeds and different parts of the tree) will be considered in the article.

Useful properties of different parts of quince

Quince is used in various fields. The benefits and harms of the fruits of Japanese quince have been studied for a very long time. It is also worth mentioning that not only fruits are used, but also bark, foliage, seeds. This will be discussed further.

Fruit benefits

The use of Japanese quince fruits will bring great benefits to the body, as:

1. Quince contains vitamins of group B, vitamins C, E, A.
2. The fruit is considered to be an indispensable antioxidant, it is used for anemia and as a choleretic agent. He is able to restore appetite.
3. Serves as a styptic.
4. Fruit drinks are useful after serious illness or surgery. They are able to saturate the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals, quickly restore strength and energy.
5. A large amount of fiber in the juice helps restore blood cholesterol.
6. Due to its low calorie content, the fetus is included in dietary and balanced nutrition. Nutrition - 38 kcal per 100 grams of product.
7. The use of Japanese quince fruits will be relevant for nervous breakdowns and stress. In some cases, they are used as natural sleeping pills, not addictive.
8. Helps strengthen the body's defenses, helps normalize blood pressure.
9. Baked fruits quickly stop vomiting and restore the digestive tract.
10. The benefits of the use of Japanese quince fruits are seen during pregnancy. The fruit not only saturates the mother's body with useful minerals, but also has a beneficial effect on the development of the fetus.

Seed benefits

Using folk recipes from quince seeds, you need to be careful, because they have a poisonous substance, the use of which will greatly affect health. But in order to feel at least minimal harm, they must be consumed at least 70 g. But in moderate doses, such a benefit of quince seeds is noted:

1. The tannins and mucous substances contained in it improve the digestive tract and can serve as natural laxatives.
2. Facilitates coughing and helps relieve the inflammatory process. Seeds are used for lotions with barley in the eyes.
3. Used as a basis in the preparation of a nutritious cosmetic product.

Leaf benefits

1. Different teas and decoctions are prepared on the basis of leaves. This is not only a pleasant, aromatic drink, but also a therapeutic and prophylactic agent for many diseases. The broth has proved itself as a remedy against gray hair.
2. A decoction of the leaves is recommended to be taken as an additional therapy for asthma.
3. Infusions on the leaves relieve the condition with hemorrhoids, quickly stop bleeding and relieve the inflammatory process. They have enveloping and bactericidal properties.
4. Leaves contain vitamins that normalize metabolism, the work of the intestines and heart. Contribute to the purification of blood vessels.

The benefits of bark

Infusions and tinctures are mainly prepared from it. They are used for cracked feet and sweating feet. Infusions on quince bark are a good medicine and prevention for fungus on the nails. When the first gray hair appears, you can rinse your hair with infusion.

Harm and contraindications

Like any medicine or food product, the fruits of Japanese quince have the benefits and harms. Contraindications and restrictions for use are as follows:

1. Seeds to use only in the quantities indicated in the recipes. It is forbidden to crush, bite or damage them in any way, since they contain amygdalin - a toxic substance.
2. If you have a duodenal ulcer or serious stomach diseases, fresh quince juice can provoke mucosal irritation.
3. Do not use with constant constipation, inflammation of the pleura.
4. There are known cases of harm to the fruit (especially the cannon on them) for the vocal cords. They provoke irritation of the mucous membrane (with unregulated use).

Caution should only be with raw fruits. Quince fruits that have undergone heat treatment have no contraindications.

Scopes of quince

1. The medical use of Japanese quince is the most common. In addition to all the above beneficial properties, quince fruits have a lot of phosphorus, copper, iron and calcium, potassium, natural glucose, fructose, and pectins. Quince decoctions have been used for several centuries to restore the digestive tract. Its properties have a beneficial effect on the treatment of jaundice, diarrhea, and normalize the heart rate. A decoction should be used to improve appetite and bleeding. With frequent vomiting reflexes and liver problems, it is worth trying quince jam. Fruits, like juice, are used fresh in cases of anemia, with diarrhea, if there are problems with the cardiovascular system. Medicine knows such properties of fruits as diuretic, astringent, antiseptic, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, enveloping, antitussive. Due to the presence of a large amount of iron in the fruits, quince is known as a prophylactic and adjuvant in the treatment of anemia. Decoctions from fruit seeds are recommended for diseases of the oral cavity.
2. Use in cooking. The fruits of Japanese quince have a slightly tart flavor, so they are almost never used fresh in dishes. Dried quince is a good addition to tea, and juice is used in winemaking. Unusual aroma and flavor of the dish can be obtained by adding quince to the soup. In some countries, it is considered a traditional cooking product. Hundreds of recipes for delicious and unusual quince dishes are known to professional culinary experts and housewives: jelly, stewed fruit, sweets, desserts, and stuffed dishes. Quince is a good filling for pies, can also be served with cheeses or meat. Different sauces and marinades are prepared on the basis of fruits.
3. The use of quince in cosmetology. Rubbing your face with pieces of fruit or cotton pads soaked in juice will help make it more fresh and velvety. The use of Japanese quince fruits will help lighten the skin (especially if there are freckles and age spots). You can add juice to the shampoo when washing your hair. This procedure helps strengthen your hair.

Folk recipes from Japanese quince

Probably, little is known about the use of the medicinal plant Quince Japanese. It is used for the treatment and prevention of various diseases. Most often, tea, quince juice or seed broth is prepared.

A decoction of seeds

For a decoction, you need 10 g of seeds per 100 ml of water. All this should be boiled until a mass of mucous consistency is formed. Such a tool will help with bronchitis, bleeding. In these cases, apply 1 tbsp. l decoction 3 times a day. It can be used both as lotions and rinses.

Quince tea

It is very simple to prepare: it is enough to throw a few dry slices of fruit into boiling water and insist for 10 minutes. The resulting tasty, but slightly acidic drink can be consumed both as simple tea, and as a cough, cold, and swelling remedy.

Quince juice

In any possible way, extract juice from well-ripened fruits (grind in a meat grinder, use a blender or juicer). Fresh drink is ideal for diseases of blood vessels or heart, anemia, problems with the intestines and respiratory tract. They recommend it as a hemostatic, diuretic, antiseptic and astringent. But with nausea, it is better to use not juice, but the flesh of baked or boiled quince.

The most delicious Japanese quince dishes

Quince as a fruit has many fans due to its unusual taste and rich composition of vitamins and minerals. You can cook many dishes from the fruits of Japanese quince. Recipes of some of them will be presented to your attention later.

Quince stew with dried fruits

Quince fruits are thoroughly washed and cut into cubes or slices, rushed into the pan, dried fruits and sugar are added to taste here. Pour fruit with water, boil for at least 10 minutes. Better if he infuses for half an hour.

Stuffing for pies

The fruits are washed and cut into small cubes or thin straws. Remove seeds from fruits. Put the fruit in a small saucepan, adding a little water and sugar to taste. Stew until the fruit is soft. After this, the mixture needs to be cooled, grated through saturated. For the piquancy of such a filling, crushed raisins or nuts can be added.

Jelly

Quince fruits (do not take overripe ones) are cut into slices, poured with water and stewed until the quince is soft. The mixture is removed from the stove and with the help of a sieve the juice is separated from the boiled fruit. Sugar is added to the juice obtained (0.7 kg per 1 liter of juice of boiled juice) and again put on the stove on a small fire. Only need to be removed when the mixture becomes a jelly consistency. Add 3-4 g of citric acid a few minutes before cooking. The resulting mixture is poured into molds and set to cool in a cool place.

Quince marmalade

Baked quince is rubbed through a small sieve, adding sugar (in a 1: 1 ratio). The whole mixture is whisked until smooth and cooked until thickened. The boiled mass is laid out on a tray or a large small plate and cools. Then it can be cut into pieces of any shape.

Preparations for the winter from the fruits of Japanese quince. Jam

The fruits are washed, laid in a pan and filled with water (quince should be completely covered with water). Boil for 5-7 minutes. They are removed from the stove and immediately laid out in cold water. So the fruits will be softer, and the peel will clean faster. In addition to the peel, the core is also removed. You need to watch so that the seeds do not get into the fruit, which after cleaning needs to be cut into slices. The resulting fruits are poured with boiling water syrup (you can take water from quince for syrup). Allow them to stand for 3-4 hours, then boil until cooked. Ready jam has a pink hue, and quince slices are clearly visible.

Candied quince

In order to make candied fruit, it is worth cooking quince jam. After cooking, it should stand for 2-3 hours, after which it boils again for 15-18 minutes. The resulting mass is laid out on a sieve to glass the liquid. The remaining dried slices are rolled in sugar and put in jars for storage.

Pickled quince

Prepare the marinade, for which you will need 1 liter of sugar plus 1.5 ml of vinegar and a little vanilla in 1.5 liters of water. Boil everything. Wash the fruits (about 3 kg), peel, cut into small slices, pour into the cooked marinade and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the fruits and put in jars, and the marinade is boiled until it is reduced in volume by 2 times. Pour them with cooked fruits and roll up jars that are best sterilized for 10 minutes. Store the workpiece in a cool, dark room.

Freezing

For this type of workpiece, you need to rinse the fruits and remove the villi, peel and grate on a coarse grater. Pack the resulting product in bags and close or tie, before squeezing the air out of them. Fold in the freezer.

How to dry?

Before you make dried fruits from quince, the fruits are washed, cut out the middle (seeds) and cut into thin slices. You can dry in the oven for 5-6 hours at a temperature of 90 ° C, slightly opening the door. But such a drying is tougher than that prepared in an electric dryer. Before sending the prepared quince to the dryer, you need to boil it in syrup for about 5-7 minutes and allow to cool completely. Strain the product and drain the syrup. Put the product in an electric dryer. Drying time depends on the desired result. The average time is 6-7 hours at a temperature of not more than 50 ° C.

Features harvesting fruits, leaves and seeds

In order for all parts of the plant to retain all their useful qualities longer, it is important to adhere to the correct conditions for their preparation and storage.

1. The fruits are harvested in the fall, before frost. It is advisable to store them in a cool (not higher than 10-12 ° C) dark room, previously wrapping paper with each fruit. Under such conditions, it is possible to preserve the fruits and beneficial properties in them until the end of winter. The average shelf life in the refrigerator is 3.5 months.
2. Leaves are best prepared during flowering. Dry the collected raw materials in a special dryer or in a shaded, well-ventilated place. Store in special bags or glass jars that are tightly closed.
3. Seeds are harvested only from well-ripened fruits, dried at a temperature of 45 ° C. Seeds, like leaves, are stored in a tightly closed container for no more than a year.