Kitayka (saponifolia) is a tree that is often sought after in the garden market. But, having found, they have difficulty identifying him. After all, Chinese seedlings are not a specific sort of small apples. This is a separate species characterized by polymorphism. It has many varieties and various forms. But most gardeners do not go into details, but only remember that the other name that the Chinese (the lilac apple tree) bears is Rayka. Also beautiful and delicious jam, which is boiled from its fruits, is widely known.
Chinese woman (Capybara or Malus prunifoli) in your garden
These trees are not only frost-resistant and unpretentious. They are also distinguished by ultra-high productivity and extremely decorative appearance both during fruiting and during flowering. These plants also attract a huge number of bees not only to their flowers, but also to neighboring apple trees. Thanks to this, an apple tree (golden Chinese) increases the productivity of the entire garden. Still these trees are often used by breeders as a stock. If you grow Chinese from seeds - it turns out to be very winter-hardy and hardy. Other, more fragile varieties can be grafted onto it.
The Chinese have disadvantages. Firstly, it is a very large height of trees, which makes it difficult to collect fruits. And to wait until they fall off on their own is irrational, since overripe or rotten fruits begin to crumble due to their low weight. Small apples, in addition, can only be stored for a very short time. Three weeks later, they are no longer suitable for food and for processing.
Chinese woman: early golden apple tree and other varieties
In old gardens you can find a variety from which the selection of these trees began. This is the "golden early" that Michurin bred. She has a very early ripening period, weighing up to forty grams. But they can be stored for no more than a week. These trees, by the way, are quite low. Their main disadvantage is that most fruits are located at the ends of branches. This leads to fragility of shoots and injury to the tree.
In addition to the “golden early”, it is worth mentioning such a variety as “Chinese Kerr” - a winter-hardy Canadian variety, small-sized and low. It has very tasty and beautiful fruits of dark red color, which can stay on the tree until September and be stored in a cool place until winter.
In Canada, they are often used to decorate the Christmas tree and as a filling for stuffed Christmas birds. They may well replace “Antonovka” in culinary recipes. Very fragrant compotes and preserves are prepared from the Chinese, and are used in sweet pastries.
Homemade preparations of paradise apples
This is not an ordinary jam. It looks like a puppet. Miniature apples seem to glow from the inside. The clear syrup tastes slightly sour and very aromatic. For one kilogram of apples you need to take one kilogram and three hundred grams of sugar and three glasses of water. Dip the fruits in boiling water and immediately after that cool in cold. Then chop and dip in hot syrup. Leave it in for six hours, and then simmer for two hours over low heat until transparent.