Useful properties and chemical composition of Jerusalem artichoke. Contraindications to its use and possible harm. Recipes for the most delicious first and second courses, side dishes and drinks with this vegetable. Jerusalem artichoke fiber is also quite popular, preventing Alzheimer's disease, myocardial infarction, colitis. The roots themselves maintain muscle tone and prevent hearing impairment, are necessary for the production of thyroid hormones in order to avoid the appearance of hyperthyroidism and goiter. Regularly including them in the diet, you can alleviate the course of gout, tuberculosis, cystitis, urolithiasis, pancreatitis.
Important! For heartburn, vomiting, nausea, chronic constipation associated with colitis and gastritis, Jerusalem artichoke juice, infusions and decoctions are used.
Harm and contraindications to the use of Jerusalem artichoke
Listing the contraindications of Jerusalem artichoke, one cannot but say that it is not recommended to include it in the menu for bloating, severe flatulence, colitis in the acute stage, since it increases gas formation. Raw roots are unacceptable to use for stomach and duodenal ulcers, as they contain a lot of dietary fiber that irritate the walls of these organs.
Very carefully, you should introduce an earthen pear into the diet of children under 3 years of age due to the fact that they often suffer from allergies. Its use by people with hypersensitivity to the substances in the composition and their individual intolerance is not allowed.
But even if everything is in order with this, you should not abuse Jerusalem artichoke, since its juice is very active on the stomach and intestines.
Jerusalem artichoke recipes
Tubers can be used in any form - fried, stewed, cheese, pickled. They practically do not lose their useful properties after heat treatment. They make delicious hot and cold salads, first and second courses, sandwiches. In treatment, both juice and fruit pulp are widely used. The main thing is to always wash the vegetables thoroughly and peel them before using.
Here are some recipes for the most delicious dishes:
- Cold salad … First of all, deal with the tubers that need to be peeled and grated on a coarse grater, they will need 2-3 pcs. Then carry out the same work with carrots (1 pc.) And ginger root (1 pc.). After that, chop half a bunch of dill as small as possible, mix all the ingredients, salt them, season with lemon juice (10-20 drops) and apple cider vinegar (5 drops).
- Hot salad … Rinse 3 sprigs of arugula and 0.5 cups of radichio, pat dry on a towel and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. Then the same thing needs to be done with the mango, which will need 2 pieces. When the fruit is cool, peel and cut into strips. Toss it with chopped arugula and radichio. Then boil 200 g of squid in salted water and cut 3 slices of white loaf into cubes. Next, chop the onion, again with strips, combine all the ingredients, add 2-3 tbsp. l. sour cream, pepper and salt to taste. Ready salad can be served both separately and as sandwiches, spread on bread.
- Sandwiches … You will need one medium white Sterling onion, 50g homemade heavy cream, 8 thin slices of white loaf, and 2 large Jerusalem artichoke tubers. The latter must be peeled and grated or twisted in a meat grinder. The same must be done with the onions, then combine all the vegetables. Then grease the slices of the loaf with a thin layer of cream and sprinkle them with pre-salted pulp. With gastritis, the mass can be steamed under a lid over low heat.
- Cream soup … Pour boiling water over and clean the roots of the plant, 1-2 pieces will be enough. Cut carrots and onions into cubes 1 pc.and fry in vegetable oil. Then chop one celery fruit, mix it all and cover with boiled water (1.5 l). Then put the mixture on low heat and cook for half an hour. Add the grated cream cheese 1-2 minutes before turning off. At the end, beat the soup in a blender, turning into a homogeneous gruel. Before serving it, add a few tablespoons of sour cream and a sprig of parsley.
- Stew … To prepare 4 servings, you will need to peel and grate the third part of a small pumpkin, chop 1 bell pepper and 2-3 celery stalks. Next, eggplant (2-3 pcs.) Is washed and twisted through a meat grinder. Then chop one onion and 2 cloves of garlic. After that, the mass is salted to taste, pepper, a pinch of turmeric and dried basil is added. The last step is to pour cold-pressed olive oil (0.2 L) into the pan and pour all the ingredients. They are fried until golden brown, poured with boiling water (0.4 l) and tomato (5 tbsp. L.). All this is brought to a boil, transferred to a deep enamel saucepan and stewed over low heat for about 30 minutes. If desired, the finished dish is decorated with chopped dill and parsley right on the plate.
- Souffle … Grate salted hard cheese (250 g) and whip cream 35% fat (80 ml). Then you need to do the same with 3 yolks and peel 2-3 tubers. Next, they must be twisted through a meat grinder or chopped in a blender and fried in oil. After that, all the ingredients are combined, salted and laid out in a baking dish (cheese comes last), which is placed in the oven for 30 minutes. During this time, the soufflé should bake well and acquire a golden crust. You can pour sour cream over the finished dish and sprinkle with chopped dill.
- Canned Jerusalem artichoke … Wash root vegetables (2-3 pieces) and peel, cut into cubes and transfer to a 3-liter sterilized jar. Next, add 3 cloves of garlic, half a red pepper, 3 bay leaves, an umbrella of dried dill and a small sprig of currants. Then fill the jars with boiling water to the top, add 1 tbsp. l. salt and roll up. Place them upside down and cover with a blanket that will need to be removed after 2-3 days.
- Coffee … Tubers (2 pcs.) Are peeled, cut into strips and fried for 2-3 minutes. Then they are poured with boiling water (0.8 l) and left for 20 minutes. After that, the liquid is drained, and the infusion is used as a brew - it is diluted 50% with water.
- Kvass … It's just a great summer drink! To prepare it, you need to wash the tubers well, cut into slices, add water and leave to ferment for 2-3 days under a lid. After a specified time, the liquid is drained and consumed at will.
Note! Jerusalem artichoke can be stored outside the refrigerator for more than 2-3 months, the optimal conditions for it are low humidity, lack of natural light and temperatures from 10 to 20 degrees Celsius. For the winter, you can safely freeze a vegetable by cutting it into cubes - all the nutrients are preserved in it.
Interesting facts about Jerusalem artichoke
This vegetable is used not only to treat people, but also to improve yields in the garden. To do this, it is planted near the beds, after which it begins to actively and independently spread further. Thanks to the long stems of the plant, it can be safely used as a hedge. Due to its deep roots, it prevents weeds from growing. Jerusalem artichoke tubers are also useful for chickens, they are used as feed to accelerate egg production.
Until the 18th century, these root vegetables were confused with potatoes, as they are similar in their chemical composition. Its consumption declined just with the acquisition of popularity by its fellow. In tsarist Russia, it was not known at all as a vegetable, but as a medicinal plant, which was used to treat heart disease.
In medicine, Jerusalem artichoke serves as a source of inulin, which is necessary for those suffering from diabetes. Fried fruits taste very much like chips, which is why they are often prepared from this product in the USA. The Americans have gone even further and are already offering diet coffee based on this root vegetable.
Studying cosmetic recipes of Jerusalem artichoke, it is necessary to note medicinal decoctions, masks, infusions and tinctures. To make a facial, grate 1 vegetable, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and spread the mixture on your skin. After 15 minutes, remove it and wash with cool water. Repeat the procedure once a week, then apply a moisturizer.
For the treatment of diabetes mellitus and other diseases, they use root vegetable juice, which can be obtained by twisting them in a meat grinder and squeezing the liquid through cheesecloth.
How to cook Jerusalem artichoke - watch the video:
Considering how rich the composition of Jerusalem artichoke is, choosing it, you will definitely not regret it. The dishes cooked with it turn out to be very tender, soft and pleasant to the taste. To be honest, it is not entirely clear why they began to ignore him in the vastness of the CIS, massively switching to potatoes.
