Question: "What is medlar?" interests many people, because not everyone knows what a similar Caucasian fruit is and “what it is eaten with”. But the medlar has a lot unique properties and virtues that make it a truly valuable find for every person. Due to the rich useful vitamins and trace elements composition, the culture is used as an excellent traditional medicine. In addition, it can be called a good treat that can decorate the table while receiving guests.
Let's deal with the main features of such an amazing representative of the flora, let's talk about the use of medlar for practical purposes, as well as the features of growing at home.
Medlar - what is it
The plant appeared in the countries of the Middle East, and Iran is considered to be its homeland. On the territory of the Russian Federation, the fruit appeared only in the 19th century, where a domestic variety was bred - Caucasian medlar. According to its biological characteristics, medlar is a close relative of quince, hawthorn and pear. An adult tree grows up to 7-8 meters in height, has characteristic thorns on the branches and trunk, as well as rather large leaves. Flowering begins in April, when the plant is covered with tiny white inflorescences.
The fruits of the medlar are the so-called "drupes" that appear near the leaves at the end of flowering. They have a spherical shape and grow up to two to three centimeters. Taste properties are represented by a special sourness and sweetness. Sometimes there are also tart notes, due to which the fruit is often compared with apricot, apple, strawberry and passion fruit. Asking the question: “What does a medlar look more like?” - many hear in response - to an apricot. Such fruits are not suitable for export, because. shelf life is very short.
Currently cultivated around 30 plant varieties, among which:
- Japanese;
- Caucasian;
Representatives of the latter variety are widely used in the southern regions of Ukraine and Russia. It is not customary to grow a crop in other regions of the country, which is explained by unfavorable climatic conditions, due to which the plant simply does not have time to fully mature, and the growing season lasts a very long time.
The bulk of cultivated plants are found on the Black Sea coast, so do not be surprised if you hear the opinion that medlar is a Crimean or Caucasian culture.
The main advantages of medlar
Loquat fruits are very popular because of the very rich composition, which concentrates:
- phytoncides;
- vitamins of group B, vitamin A and C;
- tannins;
- mineral elements, including calcium, potassium, zinc, copper and iodine;
Availability rare potassium and vitamin A contributes to the improvement of activities nervous system and also favorably affects muscle contraction. In addition, the abundance of vitamin A is a real find for people suffering from problems with vision or perception. Regular consumption of medlar in food leads to stabilization of the growth and development of the body, strengthens cell membranes and gets rid of dangerous toxins.
Loquat fruit is considered dietary product which can be consumed by diabetics. There are about 47 calories per 100 grams of fruit, which is very small.
Other valuable properties of fruits
The plant is characterized by numerous useful properties and substances. Let's highlight the most famous:
Science has proven that medlar has 1500 times more valuable properties for the eyes than carrots.
In addition, the fruit has found its application in cosmetology. For example, before going to the beach, many girls eat a plate of grated fruit, after which the tan will be especially beautiful and even. Due to such a rich composition and unique properties, medlar is used for a variety of purposes and directions, considering it an incredibly valuable gift from nature for humanity.
Cosmetological purpose of the fruit
The orange product is considered an excellent remedy for traditional medicine and the cosmetic industry. Many creams and organic cosmetics contain some medlar substances that help improve skin condition, restore elasticity and natural color.
Also, leaf extracts are added to creams, which are excellent at fighting teenage rashes or other skin diseases. There is one highly efficient folk recipe to solve acne, acne and other troubles. It is as follows:
We take 30 milliliters of nectar, mix it with a teaspoon olive oil, a tablespoon of cream and a small amount of flour. Ready mix Apply to pre-moisturized skin with light massaging movements. Then the mask is covered with a paper towel and left for a quarter of an hour, after which it is washed off with slightly warm or cool water;
Cook very useful face tonic you can do it yourself. It is enough to get a glass of medlar juice and mix it with a small amount of vodka. It is enough to wipe the face with the resulting composition before applying any cosmetic product. However, such a solution may be contraindicated for people with high skin sensitivity due to the presence of alcohol. The composition must be stored in the refrigerator.
Medlar - for fitness
Yellow fruit is also used as an excellent weight loss products. Such a Caucasian plant contributes to a faster and more productive cleansing of the body from all kinds of toxins, salt and other unnecessary substances.
In addition to cleaning work, medlar will be excellent immunostimulant, which will replenish the supply of missing minerals and positively affect the functioning of the intestines or stomach. The fruit will be useful on fasting days, because. it contains fiber, and the level of calories is very small.
True, it is impossible to get involved in such a practice. The optimal interval of fasting days is once a week, with a maximum allowable volume of 1 kilogram per day.
Like it or not, but even so useful fruit has its own contraindications for use as a food product. Before you start eating fruit, you need to make sure that your body responds normally to it.
Contraindications to the use of medlar.
Caucasian fruit will be contraindicated for those people who suffer from:
- gastritis with high acidity;
- ulcers of the stomach and intestines;
- diseases of the pancreas;
- with all kinds of forms of cholecystitis;
In most cases, such contraindications are typical only for immature fruits with high acidity. An adult, ripe fruit is unlikely to be able to harm, because. the number of useful properties is hundreds of times greater than the harmful ones. If you are fond of a sweet yellow product, but cannot eat it due to individual intolerance to any substances or contraindications, try using it as jam, compote and dried fruits.
The main thing is to be careful and observe the measure in everything. As already mentioned, there is a permissible limit for the use of medlar, which is equal to 1 kilogram of fruit per day. Do not exceed it, otherwise negative consequences cannot be avoided.
Application in traditional medicine
Loquat-based tinctures perfectly fight bronchial asthma and chronic forms of gastritis. There are a number of highly effective recipes that allow you to create truly valuable medical device. For example, many people prepare the following tincture:
- Peeled fruits are placed in a blender and crushed to a homogeneous mass. Then they are thoroughly mixed with honey and previously removed bones. Then rice vodka is added to the composition and it is again thoroughly mixed with a blender. The next step is to move the tincture to glass jar in a dark, cool place for storage for one week. It remains only to strain the resulting mixture through a fine colander.
The resulting product is excellent. fights cough and removes phlegm from the body. To taste, it resembles almonds combined with apple and apricot. It is not recommended to use the drug for children, due to the high alcohol content.
In addition, in folk medicine both leaves and medlar bones are used. Based on them, excellent decoctions are created, which will become an indispensable assistant in the fight against sore throats or sharp pains in the throat.
A few leaves need to pour a small amount of boiling water and let the broth cool. Gargle at the first sign of a sore throat.
Bones can only be used in revised form, because they contain slightly toxic substances. Dried product improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Alcohol tinctures fight bronchial asthma, heart disease and other pain. If you notice significant problems with the stomach or intestines, the bones should be boiled for 20 minutes, left to cool and used before meals in the amount of half a glass.
When to start picking yellow fruit and how to store it
The collection of very valuable leaves is carried out throughout the summer period. Fruit harvesting begins in late autumn, when the characteristic acidity in taste is replaced by increased sweetness and softness. If you don't pick the fruit before the start of winter, you can leave it on the tree until spring. By the way, in warm regions, they freely endure the winter and remain fresh until March.
When harvesting fruits, preference should be given to medium-sized specimens, without dark spots. The fruit is characterized by a short shelf life and rapid ripening. Storage in the refrigerator should be carried out in such a way that so that the fruits do not touch each other otherwise they will start to deteriorate. By the way, the product can also be stored in a room, however, the maximum shelf life will be no more than three days.
How to eat medlar
All nutrients and valuable trace elements enter the human body only with the correct use of medlar. For example, the fruit retains its benefits when used fresh, after the seeds have been previously removed. The most excellent taste properties are possessed by those fruits that have been hanging on a tree for a long time, have a bright color and a clean surface, without spots and other defects. As for small fruits, they are, in most cases, very sour and overripe.
Peeling the peel of the medlar is carried out at will. Someone likes to eat fruit in its natural form, like an apple. It all depends on personal preference. In any case, the fruit is really very useful and necessary for the normal functioning of the body.
Medlar is a tasty, healthy, but not familiar fruit. Outwardly, it resembles a cherry plum or. But the taste of medlar is similar to a mixture of apricot with apple and strawberries. Now we will tell you how to eat medlar fruit and tell about its beneficial properties.
Useful properties of medlar
The composition of medlar is close to apples - it contains about 7% malic acid, about 15% sugars, pectin, vitamin C and phytoncides. This fruit is extremely useful, because it is also rich in zinc, manganese, iron, selenium and copper. In addition, it contains such macronutrients as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium. This fruit is often used as a medicine: the pulp of a well-ripened medlar is an excellent natural laxative and sorbent. While the immature medlar, on the contrary, strengthens. When coughing, the pulp of this fruit can be mixed with - and then an excellent medicine will come out that will not only relieve cough, but also facilitate breathing and help to remove sputum.
As mentioned above, medlar, like apples, has a lot of pectin. Therefore, due to the frequent consumption of this fruit, cholesterol levels are reduced, radionuclides, heavy metal salts and other harmful substances and toxins are removed from the body. Thus, medlar will establish metabolic processes, cure the pancreas from inflammatory processes and heal the liver. Thanks to all this, the body will work more smoothly, and appearance and your skin will be much healthier.
But also on this beneficial features medlars do not end. This miracle fruit is simply necessary for hypertensive patients - it contains substances that moderately reduce arterial pressure.
How to eat medlar?
Like any other fruit, it is better to eat medlar fresh - then it will retain a maximum of vitamins and the body will receive more benefits. But also from this fruit you can cook jam, jams and compotes - even 
after heat treatment medlar has a positive effect on the digestive system.
And in order to eat high-quality medlar, you need to know how to choose it correctly. Ideally, this fruit should be medium in size (like a plum), as too small medlar can be sour, and too large can be overripe and tasteless. You should not store medlar for a long time, it is better if you keep it for no more than 2-3 days and then in the refrigerator. And just before use, do not forget to peel it from the peel.
Bon appetit and let this fruit bring you the maximum benefit!
Medlar grows in Southeast Asia and is quite widespread in the cuisine of Azerbaijan and Georgia. But in our country this product is little known. They began to import it to Russia only recently, so not everyone had time to try this fruit and feel its beneficial properties. And as it turned out, there are a lot of them.
Medlar - juicy, fragrant and very healthy
Description
Medlar is a fruit that is a close relative of pear, hawthorn and quince. Today it is a kind of exotic, although earlier - about a hundred years ago, this product was quite familiar to Europeans. Various desserts, preserves, jams were prepared from it, and, of course, they were consumed fresh.
In total, there are two main types of medlar. Let's consider their description in more detail.
Medlar
Medlar Germanic (Caucasian) is a small tree, the height of which is no more than 4 meters. Its fruit is round and brown in color. The flesh is quite tart with a sweet and sour taste.
On a note! The most delicious and usable fruits are harvested after the first frost! If the weather conditions are not favorable, the medlar is removed from the branches and placed in a strong saline solution. After a few weeks, the fruit pulp acquires a softer texture and a pleasant taste.
Why does this type of medlar have two different names - German and Caucasian? This is due to the fact that this variety was originally bred in southwestern Europe and southeastern Asia. Later, the ancient Romans brought it to Germany, where it will receive the widest distribution.
Germanic medlar prefers a mild climate. It grows well and bears fruit where the summers are warm and the winters are quite calm. In the wild, this plant is found on the territory of Georgia, South Ossetia, Armenia, as well as on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula and in the North Caucasus. This fruit is cultivated in the central regions of Ukraine, although such plantings are rare.
Japanese loquat
Japanese medlar is a taller tree that can reach a height of 7 meters. It has a dense wide crown, which during the flowering period is covered with white fragrant flowers. The fruits of this variety can have both rounded and oblong shapes with a diameter of 30 to 50 mm.
The flesh of the Japanese medlar is very juicy with a sweet and sour taste. Inside you can find a few small brown seeds. You can harvest from the branches already in late spring - early summer. This circumstance distinguishes this variety from the one described above - the German loquat is suitable for food only after the arrival of frost.
Japanese medlar does not tolerate transportation well and is stored for only a few days. For these reasons, these fruits are extremely rare on sale in our country.
Beneficial features
Medlar is a unique fruit, which, due to its rich composition, is able to show a lot of useful properties. And the main one is aimed at strengthening immunity and increasing life expectancy.
Medlar is a natural remedy for the normalization of the digestive system, which is why it is recommended for use in various intestinal diseases. At the same time, unripe fruits have a fixing effect, thus eliminating diarrhea, while fully ripe pulp, on the contrary, works as an effective laxative.
Sweet and sour fruit contains a large amount of phytoncides, which helps to eliminate inflammatory processes in respiratory diseases. In order to alleviate the condition, you just need to knead the pulp of the fruit and combine it with a small portion of honey.
Medlar will be extremely useful for high cholesterol levels. It will reduce its concentration to a safe level and at the same time remove other harmful compounds from the body, such as toxins, salts of heavy metals and radionuclides.
On a note! With prolonged use of this product, the pectins contained in the pulp will normalize metabolic processes, help the liver to normalize its work, which will certainly have a positive effect on general well-being and skin condition.
Small round fruits are characterized by an increased content of important vitamins - A and C, which makes their use highly desirable for hypertension and heart disease. Provitamin A, being a powerful antioxidant, will have a beneficial effect on the functions of the entire cardiovascular system, normalize blood pressure and improve blood clotting. Vitamin C will stimulate the immune system, tone the body and prevent premature aging.
In general, the beneficial properties of a fruit such as medlar will come in handy in the following situations:
- cancer prevention;
- prevention of heart attacks;
- stroke prevention;
- diabetes;
- to increase the body's resistance to viruses and bacteria;
- kidney dysfunction;
- high levels of toxins and other harmful components;
- blurred vision;
- deterioration of digestive processes;
- various intestinal disorders;
- fluctuations in blood pressure;
- colds;
- diseases of the respiratory system.
Plus, the rich vitamin and mineral composition makes the medlar very useful product for women during pregnancy and lactation. Biologically active substances will help strengthen the body of the expectant mother and help in the normal formation of the fetus.
Important! However, it is not worth abusing medlar during this period. It is better to start with small portions and follow the reaction - if there are no rashes and other manifestations of allergies, the fruit may well be in your diet!
Sweet and sour medlar has found its place in the field of cosmetology. Its juicy pulp is actively used in home cosmetics. Thanks to such products, you can eliminate fine wrinkles, make the skin more even and smooth, even out its tone and eliminate pigmentation.
How to grow medlar yourself?
You can also grow medlar at home. This plant is quite unpretentious and at the same time has the ability to partially self-pollinate, due to which the fruit ovaries will necessarily appear on the branches in one quantity or another.
Advice! The Japanese medlar is more suitable for self-cultivation, the cultivation of the German medlar is too troublesome!
Landing
Medlar is grown from a fresh bone, peeled from the pulp. Since the planting material is covered with a very dense shell, for better germination it is desirable to pre-treat it with sandpaper. After scarification, the seeds are placed in water. room temperature for a day. The floating bones are discarded, and the remaining ones at the bottom are left for planting.
It is recommended to plant seeds in separate pots. If you place several plants at once in one container, then later you will have to pick, which is rather painful for young shoots. In addition, the pot must have drainage holes that will ensure the outflow of excess moisture.
As a substrate, you can use any ready-made peat mixture. It is moistened and the seed is immersed to a depth of about 2 cm. After that, the pots must be covered with glass or a plastic bag.
Care
For 20-30 days after planting, the substrate must be aired daily and condensate removed from the inner walls of the mini-greenhouse. This will prevent the growth of mold. In addition, every day the top layer of soil should be sprayed with a spray bottle.
With proper care, young shoots should appear 20-30 days after planting. When the sprouts reach a height of 2 cm, the greenhouse is removed, and the pots are transferred to a shaded place. Otherwise, under direct sunlight, delicate greens may die. During the first week, it is important to observe a certain temperature regime - the thermometer should be at + 18 ° C. After the seedlings get stronger, they are taken out to the balcony or terrace, where there will be enough fresh air for the further growth of the medlar. Watering is carried out at least three times a week.
During the first month, the plants develop quite quickly and reach 15 cm in height. If you have planted several seeds in one pot, now is the time to dive them into separate containers. If initially the pots were individual, then a transplant will be needed only after a year. Adult plants are transplanted even less often - about once every 3 years.
On a note! The medlar does not tolerate transplantation very well and often stops bearing fruit during this period!
The first flowering occurs approximately in the third year of life. This usually happens in late autumn or early winter.
Around mid-December, fruits begin to set in place of the flowers. The first fruits are small - no more than 9 cm in diameter. Full fruits can be expected only for 4-5 years.
Adult plants are recommended to be fed twice a year, introducing an infusion of organic fertilizers into the substrate in spring and autumn. As for watering, it is regulated depending on the season - often in summer, in winter a couple of times a week. At the same time, in cold weather, it is desirable to cover the soil with moss, which will prevent the evaporation of moisture.
pruning
Medlar, growing in the wild, is a densely leafy plant with a rounded crown. At the same time, it is quite high, sometimes up to 7-8 m. A culture grown at home rarely even reaches 2 meters in height.
Crown formation should be started at the initial stages of plant development - in the phase of formation of the 3rd leaf. At this stage, it is recommended to pinch the sprout. If you want to get a tree, then after six months pinch the side shoots.
In addition, throughout the entire period of growth and development from the plant, it is necessary to regularly remove old branches and shoots that do not grow correctly. Thanks to this technique, the medlar will bear fruit much better, and the quality of the crop will begin to improve markedly.
In general, this plant tolerates pruning quite easily and painlessly, which allows it to be used as a bonsai. And if you plant several seedlings in a long pot at once, then after a while, with proper care, you can get a rather unusual plant composition consisting of intertwined sprouts. However, if medlar is cultivated as fruit plant, then in this case the traditional form of a small tree with a rounded crown is preferable.
At home, such varieties of loquat feel best as:
- "Sailes";
- "Frost";
- "Premier";
- "Tanaka";
- "Champagne".
These fruit crops have excellent taste qualities and compared to other varieties, they store better and tolerate transportation well.
Medlar is a fruit plant, which can be considered the birthplace of the northern coast of India, China and the Himalayas. This shrub loves wet, so it can mainly be found on the coasts, for example, in Russia it grows in the Sochi region. It also grows well in mountainous areas, which is why it is sometimes called rock medlar.
Loquat jam. Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of medlar;
- 1-2 sprigs of cardamom;
- 350 g sugar.
Cooking method:
Peel the berries from the seeds and peel, for this you just need to pour boiling water over it, and the skin can be easily removed. Cook over low heat until softened, while shaking frequently. Add sugar, cardamom sprigs, bring to a boil and cook until desired consistency. Arrange the finished jam in jars and cover with a lid. There is one secret: if you put nuts in medlar (instead of seeds), then the jam from it will turn out to be very tender.
Conclusion
Well, now you all know about the medlar fruit: what it is, what useful properties it has, where it is used. Be sure to try it, you definitely won't regret it.
Medlar is an exotic fruit native to India and China. Namely, there the most suitable climate for this plant is humid subtropical. Due to the beneficial characteristics of this fruit, it began to be more intensively planted and imported to other countries. However, it must be clarified that the medlar is demanding on weather conditions and will not grow in rainy and cold regions - a warm and mild climate is necessary for its growth. Today, medlar can be found in Spain, Italy, Israel, Georgia and even the Crimea.
It is an evergreen small tree, although with good care it can grow quite tall. Often grows in mountainous areas. There are two types of this plant - German and Japanese. The Japanese medlar is somewhat similar to an apricot and its color is light orange. German medlar is more saturated in color, closer to brown. The fleshy fruits are clustered. They can be of different shapes - pear-shaped or round. The peel of the fruit is smooth and with overflows. The pulp of the fruit has a sweet and sour taste, a bit like a mixture of apples, cherries and apricots. Inside the fruit are several large dark-colored seeds.
The nutritional value of medlar and its effect on the human body
It should be clarified that medlar is found on the market less often than other fruits. If you still managed to buy it, this is a great success, because this fruit has a significant value for human health. This unusual fruit is very rich in useful micro-, macroelements and vitamins. After the research, experts detailed composition fruits: dietary fiber, proteins, carbohydrates, B vitamins, folic acid, beta-carotene, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, copper, selenium, manganese and iron. Due to this content of useful elements, medlar has a number of positive properties.
Useful properties of medlar
Medlar is a very versatile fruit, as it can be consumed both fresh and boiled. Often marshmallow, jam, jams, compotes, marmalade are prepared from it. I would like to note that even after cooking, this fruit does not lose all the useful elements and has a very positive effect on the human digestive system. However, in our country there are few housewives who make jam from this fruit, and there is an explanation for this - the cost of medlar is an order of magnitude higher than other fruits. In addition, it is possible to manufacture alcoholic beverages because this fruit is easily fermentable. Even medlar seeds are suitable - they are ground, dried and used as coffee.
Medlar for beauty
It should be noted that this fruit is used in cosmetology practice, both domestic and industrial. Entire series of cosmetics are made on the basis of medlar - from tonic to moisturizer. And this is not surprising, because this product is multifaceted - it has anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, tonic properties. For example, the leaves of this plant will help problem skin - an extract from them relieves redness, removes itching, cleanses the pores and normalizes the functioning of the glands. But, the pulp of the fruit favorably affects dry and sensitive skin. Also, the content of collagen fibers allows the use of medlar for the purpose of rejuvenation, because it has a firming effect on sagging skin.
In addition to the recognition of this fruit in cosmetology, nutritionists also began to recommend it to their patients. Due to its low calorie content, medlar can be easily introduced into the diet of people who want to lose weight. Indeed, in addition to the low calorie content, it also removes all unnecessary substances from the human body at the same time, enriching it with useful elements.
Are there any contraindications for this fruit?
It turns out there is! This fruit should be used with extreme caution by people suffering from ulcers, gastritis, excessive acidity and other diseases of the pancreas. Since medlar is acidic, it can increase acid levels and provoke chronic diseases.
Despite the fact that this product is rich in vitamins, it is strongly not recommended to abruptly introduce it into the child's diet because of the risk of allergies. Therefore, you need to start giving one berry a day and gradually increase the dose.
Also, medlar seeds, in addition to benefits, can cause significant harm. After all, they contain mandelic acid and alkaloids, which, if taken regularly, can cause poisoning of the body.
