Jerusalem artichoke, cabbage, red beets are plants that help to cope with many ailments. Almost everyone knows about their beneficial properties. But scorzoner therapeutic - for many more a mystery. Some have just now learned that there is such a plant.
Description of the “Stranger”
Scorzonera belongs to the family of asters. Her homeland is Asia (middle and south). The plant blooms in late May. During this period, yellow flowers with a vanilla aroma appear on it. In height, it can grow up to a meter.
As a vegetable crop, the plant appeared at the beginning of the XVII century. Until then, it has been used as an antidote to the bites of vipers. That is why the people call him - serpent.
The root and leaves of the plant are used in food. The scorzoner tastes curative - tender and reminds asparagus. It must be cleaned before use. It is advisable to do this with gloves if you do not want your hands to turn red. It retains its nutrients well even after freezing and canning.
The plant contains glycosides. They not only give a pleasant taste, but also determine dietary properties.
Growing
For good development, the plant needs fertile, non-acidic and moist soil. It should be well processed (loosened) - to a depth of at least thirty-five centimeters. You can not make fresh manure under it. Otherwise, the roots begin to branch. Complex fertilizer is applied once a month.
Scorzoneru therapeutic is grown in the middle lane, as an annual and biennial. In the first year, leaves and root crops appear, and in the second, flowers.
The plant in open ground can be sown for the winter or in April. Seeds fall asleep for two to three centimeters. The distance between the rows is about twenty-five centimeters.
After the appearance of the third sheet, the culture is broken through. Between the sprouts, the distance should be at least five and not more than eight centimeters. Feeding is carried out with ammonium nitrate. During the growing season, it is done twice.
For eating, roots can begin to be harvested from the end of September. But for storage - only before freezing.
Do not damage the roots. They contain juice if it spills out, the fruit becomes fibrous, poorly stored, and most importantly - it loses taste and nutritional qualities. Store the plant in the cellar, sprinkling it with sand.
Breeding problems
It became a little understood how to grow a scorzoner therapeutic. But do not forget that when breeding any plant, there are pitfalls. Scorzonera is no exception.
- Seed germination has a short period. In the first year - about ninety percent, and in the second already - about forty.
- Seeds germinate for a long time. Shoots appear only three weeks after sowing. In order to accelerate this process, the seeds are soaked or germinated. During this period, it is imperative to monitor the level of soil moisture.
- Sowing is necessary only in warm soil. Otherwise, flowers appear ahead of time. Although the taste and usefulness of the plant does not change from this, the size of the fruit becomes smaller. In addition, constantly have to pick flowers.
- Smooth and long root crops do not appear on any soil.
- Harvesting is difficult. Root crops are fragile and easily break.
- When growing, do not abuse nitrogen fertilizers.
Now about good
To solve the above problems, breeders are working hard. New varieties that are resistant to flowering (Schwarze Pfahl) are created; You can harvest with a combine (Lange Jan and Hoffman 83, Flandria). Scientists are thinking about creating varieties that will be suitable for preservation and freezing.
Nowadays, Scorzoner healing is considered a promising culture. This is a vegetable with a delicate aroma and pleasant taste. It includes inulin (an organic substance from the group of polysaccharides). Therefore, the plant is considered useful and medicinal.
If there are difficulties in growing a vegetable, then, speaking of diseases, we can say for sure - the scorzonera is not subject to them. There are no problems in this direction.
Beneficial features
Dishes prepared from this not only tasty, but also healthy plant can be used in a therapeutic diet. This product is low-calorie, does not irritate the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, does not create a load on the pancreas, gall bladder and stomach.
The properties of scorzoner therapeutic are as follows:
- relaxes, relieves insomnia, has a calming effect on the nervous system;
- normalizes the amount of sugar in the blood (useful for diabetics);
- helps the heart to work, normalizes the heart rhythm;
- beneficial effect on the functioning of the urinary system, gall bladder, removes stones from the ducts;
- frees the body from radionuclides;
- transforms cholesterol;
- helps get rid of bowel spasm;
- stimulates sexual desire in men;
- stops the development of arthrosis and gout.
It is recommended to use this plant for anemia, cirrhosis, cancer, atherosclerosis.
Contraindications
As usual, if there are indications for the use of a particular product, then there are contraindications. Scorzonera therapeutic is no exception. True, the use of this vegetable is contraindicated for people who have individual intolerance. It is worth paying attention to the amount of scorzoner used.
Attentive to baby food. The baby’s digestive tract is not yet ready to take a new product; scorzoner can cause indigestion. If you still want to give the child a sweet root, then mash it for the first time. Give one or two tablespoons. See how the baby’s body reacted. If everything is fine - use a new vegetable in feeding the baby.
Pregnant women should also be wary of using this product, so as not to cause an allergic reaction. Although it should be said that a dangerous allergy (Quincke's edema, anaphylactic shock) did not occur.
Using Sweet Root
Now let's talk about how to use the scorzoner therapeutic. In raw cooking, the product is almost never used. Its taste is similar to the taste of cabbage stump. Sometimes it is added to salads. But first it should be soaked in water with salt.
Most root vegetables are boiled, steamed and fried. Recently, its taste can often be found in soups, vinaigrettes, side dishes. For meat and vegetable dishes served sauces, which include scorzoner.
For the winter, the sweet root is canned and frozen.
Not only root crops are used. Young leaves of a vegetable are a good addition to various salads. After drying them, you get a wonderful seasoning.
As a medicine, the root crop is used as:
- The juice. The root is well washed and spilled with boiling water. Twisted through a meat grinder. The resulting mass is squeezed and juice is obtained. The liquid will help to cope with wounds, ulcers. With periodontal disease, lotions will help. Juice mixed with honey helps with urolithiasis. It should be consumed before each meal, one tablespoon.
- A decoction of the roots. The vegetable is well washed, chopped. One tablespoon is poured with a glass of boiling water. The mixture is boiled for a minimum of ten minutes. After that, half an hour is insisted. Used in 30 ml four times a day.
People say
You already know that there is such a useful plant as scorzoner healing. Reviews of people who used it to get rid of the disease will confirm its wonderful properties.
Often there are sayings that the vegetable helped to lose weight. It was consumed stewed, boiled and even raw. I wanted to eat less, and the weight left.
In diabetes mellitus, sweets cannot be, but scorzoner is salvation. Tasty, healthy, safe.
The statements of people about the culinary values ​​of this culture cannot be ignored. In some families, she won love, and not one holiday is complete without dishes prepared using scorzoners.
It contains pectin elements, amino acids and healthy carbohydrates, minerals, saccharides and a large amount of vitamins.