What is chaenomeles, description and properties of fruits, calorie content and composition. Benefits and harm to the body, uses in cooking and interesting things about the plant.
Chaenomeles is the fruit of a Japanese or flowering quince. The shape is a ball with an upper part protruding like a mushroom cap. Sizes - from 4 to 15 cm in diameter, in the center are small elongated seeds of brown or black color. The peel is thin, smooth, light green, yellow, orange, peach, brown blotches are allowed, the pulp is dense, light yellow, greenish, white, juicy; taste - tart, slightly astringent, sourish. It is used for medicinal and food purposes.
Composition and calorie content of chaenomeles fruits
In the photo, the fruits of chaenomeles
The more ripe the fruit, the higher the calorie content due to the increased sugar content. However, the nutritional value does not change significantly.
The calorie content of Japanese chaenomeles is 48 kcal per 100 g, of which
- Proteins - 0.6 g;
- Fat - 0.5 g;
- Carbohydrates - 9.6 g;
- Dietary fiber - 3.6 g;
- Water - 84 g.
Vitamins per 100 g
- Vitamin A - 416 mcg;
- Vitamin B1, thiamine - 0.01 mg;
- Vitamin B2, riboflavin - 0.03 mg;
- Vitamin B4, choline - 0.3 mg;
- Vitamin B5, pantothenic acid - 0.31 mg;
- Vitamin B6, pyridoxine - 0.04 mg;
- Vitamin B9, folate - 0.31 mcg;
- Vitamin C, ascorbic acid - 200 mg;
- Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol - 2 mg.
Macronutrients per 100 g
- Potassium, K - 150 mg;
- Calcium, Ca - 25 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 12 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 2 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 17 mg.
Microelements per 100 g
- Iron, Fe - 1 mg;
- Manganese, Mn - 0.05 mg;
- Copper, Cu - 0.09 μg;
- Zinc, Zn - 0.2 mg.
But these are not the only beneficial substances in the Japanese henomeles quince. It should be noted organic acids - 5 g per 100 g, tannins - 2 g per 100 g.
The pulp contains a large amount of pectins - these substances have antioxidant and antitoxic effects. When it enters the human digestive tract, they form a gel that envelops harmful compounds, which are subsequently removed naturally.
It is used in its raw form as an ingredient for medicines. The "culprit" of this is the tart taste. However, there is an exception to the rule: if you follow a strict diet for weight loss, you can add a little grated pulp to a fruit and berry salad made from sweet ingredients. This will help speed up metabolic processes and quickly remove fluid that could accumulate in organic tissues. By the way, you can get rid of the sugary taste if the dressing is honey.
Useful properties of chaenomeles
Chinese healers recommend activating the vital energy of qi by eating ripe quince. For this, thin slices are coated with honey and dissolve in the mouth during meditation. The healing effect is used not only in philosophical movements.
Useful properties of Japanese chaenomeles for the body
- Improves the functioning of the intestines, protects its mucous membrane from the aggressive effects of gastric juice and bile acids. Increases the speed of peristalsis, restores the balance of intestinal microflora, increases appetite and helps to get rid of intoxication.
- Stimulates gagging in case of poisoning, helping to recover faster, and eliminates nausea caused by motion sickness or pressure drops.
- Possesses immunomodulatory and immuno-strengthening properties, during the season of epidemics prevents complications if they are still sick. Increases the overall resistance of the body.
- Stimulates the work of the hematopoietic system, increasing blood clotting.
- Normalizes the function of internal organs - liver and spleen. Stabilizes the rhythm of the pulse.
- It has a mild diuretic effect.
- Suppresses inflammatory processes of the mucous membrane lining the gastrointestinal tract.
- Stops the production of atypical cells in already formed neoplasms and reduces the rate of tumor growth.
Chaenomeles can be used as an external agent to prevent purulent-inflammatory processes and accelerate epithelialization with long-term non-healing scratches.
The beneficial properties of chaenomeles depend on ripeness. The longer the quince ripens on the tree, the more active the bio-properties.
Regular consumption of the fruit
- reduces the frequency of hypertensive attacks;
- dissolves harmful cholesterol accumulated in the lumen of blood vessels;
- eliminates anxiety, restores sleep;
- helps to cope with stress, physical and mental stress;
- eliminates spasms in the bronchi, liquefies phlegm and helps to remove it;
- reduces the manifestation of asthma attacks;
- improves the quality of synovial fluid, strengthens cartilage tissue;
- relieves pain during exacerbations of gout, arthrosis, arthritis and osteochondrosis.
Currently, an official study of the effect of flowering quince is underway. The anti-cancer properties of polyphenols are being studied - it has already been proven that they suppress the malignancy of the mammary glands and prostate. An extract from the fruits of chaenomeles is recommended to be included in the treatment of rheumatism, and rinsing with a decoction of dried pulp or fresh juice is indicated for sore throat or pharyngitis.
Empirically, the positive effect of flowering quince extract on Parkinson's disease has already been established. While this fruit is only advised to be introduced into the diet, in the future it is planned to produce medicines.
Cosmetologists also paid attention to the composition of the fruit. Extracts are used to lighten pigmentation, nourish aging skin and prevent early gray hair.
Contraindications and harm to the fruits of chaenomeles
Individual intolerance may develop for fruits, both fresh and after heat treatment. It is especially dangerous to introduce a new taste to children or adults who often have allergic reactions. Due to the astringency, a spasm of the larynx can occur, which increases the likelihood of developing mucosal edema, and respiratory failure.
Regular use of chaenomeles can cause harm with the following diseases and conditions
- With enterocolitis and a tendency to constipation - leads to spasms, intestinal obstruction, blockage of the lumen of the intestinal loops.
- With urolithiasis and gallstone disease. The properties of increasing the excretion of urine and bile, accelerating movement along the ducts can provoke the advancement of calculi and cause acute attacks.
- With increased acidity of gastric juice and peptic ulcer due to stimulation of the production of digestive enzymes.
- With exacerbation of laryngitis, so as not to provoke spasms of the laryngeal mucosa.
- With varicose veins and thrombophlebitis due to the property to increase blood clotting.
With stomatitis or peptic ulcer disease, slices of ripe fruit cause a burning sensation.
The glycemic index of chaenomeles quince is low - up to 35 units, but it cannot be introduced into the diet for diabetes mellitus. The fact is that fruits are not eaten without heat treatment, and sugar is traditionally added during cooking. And its use in this disease should be limited.
Fresh quince is often eaten with seeds, but you need to know that gastric juice converts nitriles and tamigdalin, which they contain, into hydrocyanic acid and cyanide. This can cause toxic damage to the body. Therefore, if something is prepared from quince, you need to carefully remove the core.
Recipes for dishes and drinks with chaenomeles fruits
Jam and jelly are made from fruits, candies are made from them, drinks are made.
Recipes with chaenomeles fruits:
- Candies … Pits are removed from the quince, the pulp is cut into small pieces, boiled until it becomes soft. Mix mashed potatoes with granulated sugar in equal amounts, rub through a sieve, boil again, putting 1-2 vanilla sticks in a saucepan. Cover a baking sheet with baking foil and lay out the sweet puree in a layer of 3 cm, dry in the oven at 60 ° C with the door ajar. Cut the dense crispy mass into squares and roll in powdered sugar.
- Vitamin puree … Remove the skin from the chaenomeles fruits, grind them in a combine, mix with the same amount by weight of sugar. They are placed in clean jars, placed in boiling water and sterilized for 30 minutes under clean lids. Capped and turned over, cooled under a blanket.
- Jam … Syrup is cooked from 1.5 kg of sugar and 2 glasses of water. Cut 1 kg of fruit, together with the peel, but without seeds, pour over the syrup. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and cool, boil again. The process is repeated until the syrup stops rolling off the nail. Hot jam is poured into sterilized jars.
You can add quince slices to compote, but more often it is used to make alcoholic beverages. To prepare the liqueur, cut the fruits, 0.5 kg, removing the core, put in a glass jar, cover with sugar - 400 g, leave in a warm, bright place (preferably on the windowsill) for 3 days. Then pour in vodka, 0.5 liters, and put the container in a dark place. Shake once every 2-3 days. After a month, filter and bottle. Store in the refrigerator.
To prepare wine, remove the seeds and rub the pulp on a fine grater or grind it with a blender. 5 kg of fruit puree are poured with sugar syrup, cooked from 250 g of sugar and 250 ml of water. For 3 days, the composition is removed to a dark place, stirring daily and removing the floating pulp. The wort is filtered after 72 hours. Stir in citric acid and sugar - for each liter of fermented drink, 3, 5 g and 75 g, respectively. The liquid is poured into a bottle with a narrow neck, a water seal is installed - a glove with a pierced finger, placed in a dark room with a temperature of 17-19 ° C. Sugar is added on days 5 and 10, 25 g each. When the water seal falls off, the wort is decanted through a tube into a clean container - contact with air should be excluded. For ripening, they are put in the same place, periodically filtering out if the precipitate falls out in a thick layer. When the wine becomes transparent - usually after 5-6 months, the sediment stops forming. The drink is again poured into clean containers, sealed tightly and placed in a cool cellar. It is better to taste it not earlier than after 1 year.
Interesting facts about chaenomeles
The small homeland of a plant from the Rosaceae family is Southeast Asia. They began to cultivate in the XV-XVI centuries. gardeners of Japan who appreciated the beauty of flowering. In Europe, bushes began to be planted by the 17th century for decorative purposes. The plantings were used as hedges. The crown is dense, the branches of the bushes grow often. In appearance, they are similar to a young apple tree, only more branched with large leaves. Flowers can be red, orange, or pink.
The most popular types:
- Japanese - a shrub with thorns and shoots up to 3 m high. The petals of the buds are white-pink or red, fruits appear in 3 years, from one plant to 4-5 kg. Most valuable for the medical and food industries, high content of essential oils and ascorbic acid.
- Chinese - a tree up to 6 m high, without thorns, with easily peeling bark, large foamy pink flowers and dark yellow large fruits up to 15 cm long. It can be grown in warm climates outside of its permanent range - for example, in Ukraine or the Caucasus.
- Katayansky - a shrub with very long spines, smooth "waxy" dark green leaves and red fruits. Fruits are small - 4-5 cm long. Can be planted throughout Europe, up to the Ural Mountains.
- Henomeles Maulea - a low shrub with shoots up to 1 m with orange-red flowers. The fruits are identical to the quince, each weighing 50-70 g, the stalk is short.
Plants can also be grown on a windowsill. The fruits of ornamental chaenomeles are bright, similar to Christmas tree decorations. The properties of the fruit do not depend on the type of plant.
When harvesting, you must wear cotton gloves and a gauze bandage. Fruits and leaves are coated with a coating that, if damaged, irritates the skin and respiratory tract. It is best to store whole fruits in the refrigerator, in the vegetable drawer, wrapped in parchment. Properties are stored for up to 3 months.
The fruits are washed, dried with paper or cloth towels. If freezing is planned, then the quince, without peeling, is cut into thin pieces, packaged in polyethylene bags, tightly closed and placed in a freezer with a temperature of -16-18 ° C. When they want to dry the pulp, pour boiling water over the slices, stir in a little citric acid. Thrown in a colander, and then dried in a dryer or oven at 100 ° C with the door ajar.
Chaenomeles is widely used in home cosmetology to restore the quality of the skin
- From age spots with oily skin, wipe the face with fresh juice in the morning and in the evening.
- Whisk the yolk against wrinkles, stir in 1 tsp. juice, honey and olive oil.
- To normalize the work of the sebaceous glands, beat the protein and stir in quince puree.
- To increase skin tone, combine 2 tbsp. l. juice, 1 tbsp. l. vodka and glycerin. Pour 200 ml of cool boiled water. Wipe your face 2 times a day, store in the refrigerator.
Cosmetic masks are applied for 15 minutes, washed off first with warm and then cool water. The cream is applied 30 minutes after the procedure.
The use of folk remedies from quince in the treatment of diseases, during which you need to constantly take medications, requires a doctor's consultation. The combination can affect the absorption of pharmaceuticals. You cannot switch to homemade potions on your own. Despite the benefits of chaenomeles fruits, the harm from self-medication can negatively affect health.
Watch a video about the properties of chaenomeles:
