In recent years, people in the post-Soviet space have enriched their knowledge (and skills!) In cooking, and have also discovered many different previously unfamiliar products. However, some still keep their secrets, which would be nice to reveal. Such riddles include fruits from the Sapindovy family: pulasan, longan, lychee, aki, rambutan, corlan and a funny-sounding mamonchillo. The thing is that it is almost impossible to find such fruits in free sale, in recipes for which even exotic dishes are prepared , these fruits are rarely involved, so only people traveling in Asia can tell about them. Meanwhile, there is the opportunity to make an interesting experience: to grow the same longan at home is relatively easy, but then you can try this fruit yourself and brag to your friends.
What a strange plant?
Actually, this is the name of the tree that grows, and almost everywhere, in Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Vietnam. In Asian countries, it is called Lam Yai. And translated from Chinese, the name translates as "dragon's eye." The fruits that grow on it have a dense but thin skin; it protects the fetus well against infections and insects, but it is easily cleaned, which is an additional bonus for fruit consumers.
At the “beginning of a career”, the longan was grown almost industrially by Indians and inhabitants of Sri Lanka. Then it gradually spread to nearby countries. Where a longan can be bought, it is sold in bunches. Moreover, the most delicious is the one that not only from the branch, but has already lodged for a bit in the warehouse or in the store.
Useful exotic
Why is it proposed to grow longan at home? This is just a storehouse of positive qualities. Women simply have to fall in love with it: the fruit has a magical effect on the skin. At the same time, it also stops general aging, contains a lot of necessary microelements and vitamins, and contains compounds that perfectly protect the liver from chemicals and toxins processed by it. For losing weight, the longan is also priceless: neither fat nor protein. Just by eating this fruit, you can get rid of dizziness and fatigue, relieve stress and nervous tension, improve sleep and get rid of fever. All these reasons are quite conducive to attempts to cultivate a longan at home.
How to choose the right and with the greatest benefit to eat longan
If you managed to find a place where this wonderful product is sold - remember it! At least until you have figured out how to grow your own longan. However, remember that you and the seller have different interests, and you need to keep your own. Choose the fruit correctly, that is, first of all, reject clusters on the berries of which there are cracks. It is advisable that you be allowed to try one berry, because depending on the place where the longan was grown, it can be very acidic or too sweet.
If you want to use gifts of the Asian nature longer - store fruits in a refrigerator. So they will not go bad for almost a week. In warmth (and not in summer) three days is the limit.
Longan can be eaten fresh as a standalone product - this is the most popular Thai way. But he is especially good with coconut milk and rice (necessarily sticky). As an option - boil a dried longan with sugar and combine with ice. The drink refreshes, quenches thirst well and arouses appetite.
It is also good with ice cream and salads; the filling for pancakes and pies also comes out wonderful. In sauces (especially fish) longan is simply irreplaceable. And for medical purposes it is used for diarrhea - it stops diarrhea almost instantly, and even disinfects the intestines.
How to enrich your home garden: bone care
Buying the seeds of this tree is almost impossible; and if you find them, the price is clearly not going to please. So if you come across a fruit in a supermarket - think: is it possible to grow a longan from a bone? It is not very difficult, but very entertaining. The only "ambush": fruiting will have to wait eight years (at least). Or you will have to look for a fruit-bearing tree and plant a stalk from it.
So, let’s imagine that you managed to find (buy, steal, barter) the seed of a tree, from which a longan will subsequently grow. Growing at home begins with the proper handling of planting material. That is, the bone needs to be thoroughly washed, the fruit non-eaten leftovers should be cleaned, a pot of moistened soil should be prepared and the stone pressed there. This should be done not very deep and not too superficially - 4 centimeters (one and a half "growth" of the bone). The pot is wrapped with plastic wrap, which is removed every day for ventilation; the soil is kept moist. A bone can hatch from a week to four.
You can speed up this process. This recommendation is especially good if, in your opinion, the fruit has been stored in a store or warehouse for quite some time. In order for the longan, grown at home, to grow up successfully, it’s worth soaking the stone for three days, and then putting it in the refrigerator for five days.
How to protect sprouts
In no less than 2 weeks, shoots will appear. They will grow rapidly for the same amount of time, and then growth will slow significantly. By that time, the sprouts will stretch by 15 centimeters. You should not worry about stopping growth - this is a plant that rises slowly. However, this applies to all stone fruits. Comfort yourself with the thought that you already have a longan in your home greenhouse. The cultivation at home of this plant in the future is not very different from most others.
If the fruit has already appeared
It will take several years to wait, so be patient. However, sooner or later this moment will come, and one must be prepared for the proper handling of fruits. The best way is to dry them. At the same time, all the beneficial properties and taste of the fruits are preserved, and you can use them after many years. In this case, the option of harvesting the dried fruits we are used to is not suitable here: first you have to cook the fruits, and only then dry them - in the oven or naturally (as circumstances permit).
In a word, if you have the opportunity and you are not against “apartment” gardening, try growing a longan. The photo shows well that even without fruits, he is quite capable of decorating your collection of indoor plants.