It is no secret that agriculture and horticulture are very developed in Russia. For a long time various varieties of watermelons and peaches have adapted to our climate, and lemons or oranges will hardly surprise anyone now. But grapes can be found far from every site, because many novice gardeners believe that this is too demanding and capricious plant. And in vain! Today you will learn about what cinnamon is, what is the beauty of this grape variety and how to properly care for it. Believe me, you will once again enjoy the rich harvest and tart taste of these berries.
Variety popularity
The most popular cinnamon grapes in St. Petersburg and its environs. However, this does not prevent him from getting on well in the colder cities of Russia, as well as abroad: in Poland, Belgium, Canada and the Baltic states.
Features of growing varieties
First of all, it is worth noting that Russian cinnamon is an early and fruitful grape, it ripens in late August. So if you want to treat your loved ones homely early, this variety is ideal. In addition, it is quite frost-resistant and can withstand temperatures up to 26 degrees below zero, which allows the cultivation of this grape even in the Urals, the main thing is to remember to cover it in early November until the first frost.
This variety propagates with cuttings, which quite easily take root in loose nutrient soil and begin to bear fruit already 2 years after planting. Abundant rains can become the only problem in cultivation, since the variety does not like excessive moisture.
Cinnamon grapes do not show special requirements in the care and nourishment. It needs to be planted on the sunny side, where there is no strong wind. If these simple conditions are met, the bush can bear fruit for up to 50 years.
Taste features of the variety
Korinka Russian, sometimes it is also called cinnamon Russian, is very loved by children and birds. Fruits ripen medium-sized, round, golden green, sometimes with a slight pink tinge. The berries are very sweet (sugar content of more than 20%) and seedless, which allows not only to enjoy fresh grapes, but also to make raisins for the cold season.
How to use grapes
So, now you know what cinnamon is, it remains to figure out how you can use this grape variety. There are actually many options:
- Fresh berries are very useful and contain many vitamins, acids and trace elements.
- Dried grapes (raisins) are stored for a long time, preserving all their useful properties. It can be used for baking, soak and eat, make a vitamin mixture of various dried fruits.
- Also, this grape variety is great for compotes, which will certainly delight children at the festive table.
- Cinnamon is not bad for wines, although it is worth noting that the drink will turn out to be quite sweet, it is better to drink it in diluted form.
Methods for drying grapes
There are many ways to dry grapes, but not all are suitable for home use. What is cinnamon? This is an ideal grape for harvesting for the winter! The easiest and safest option is air-solar drying.
The grapes are moved and laid out in bunches on wooden trays or plastic boards (preferably covered with paper) in a ventilated room in the sun. The veranda is perfect for this purpose, but you can place the berries on the windowsill or balcony. In the process, grapes must be turned over to avoid fermentation and spoilage. It is enough to shift the berries every 3-4 days. If everything is done correctly, then after 20-30 days you will receive a wonderful and fragrant raisins that can be packed in paper and put in a dark place for storage.
You can use raisins and special dryers. This will help to significantly speed up the process. The essence of this method is the uniform supply and distribution of warm air in the dryer, as well as the planned temperature change. Of course, it all depends on the brand and type of equipment that you will use, but usually at the first stage of drying the temperature reaches 65–75 degrees, and by the end of the process only 40–50 degrees. With this method, the cooking speed of the raisins can be from 11 to 48 hours.
Now you know what cinnamon is, how to care for this grape, and even some processing options to increase its shelf life. The only thing left is to buy seedlings and start planting.