Description of kale with a photo and how to grow it. Decorative and healthy kale

Botanical name: Borecole

Green even in frost, kale is easy to grow all year round: Cut off small, pale green leaves for garden salad, and large dark green leaves for stir-fry, pizza or soup, while the plant will continue to grow.

In the Tuscan regions, a variety of Tuscan or black cabbage is known - with glossy, wrinkled, green-purple leaves. Kale doesn't retain its crispiness for long, so it's best to use it within a few days of picking.

Health benefits of kale

If vitamins could be packaged and labeled, they would look a lot like cabbage. That's because the amount of vitamins in just one cup of these relatively little-known greens is worth an entire week of eating other foods: 684% daily allowance vitamin K, 206% of the recommended daily value of vitamin A and 134% of vitamin C (and even more - in the Scottish variety with curly leaves).

Kale can rightly be called a superfood, according to only one study, which reports on the high antioxidant activity of this vegetable. The phytonutrient indole-3-carbinol promotes the repair of DNA cells and at the same time slows down the growth of cancer cells. Thanks to the content of sulforaphane in it, kale protects against prostate and colon cancer.

In addition, studies show that it has the ability to relieve congestion in the lungs, which is good for the stomach, liver, and immune system. It contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect the eyes from macular degeneration.

Kale has been compared to beef, which is known to be the best source of iron, protein, and calcium. For its anti-inflammatory properties, kale remains an unsurpassed leader among greens, especially for the prevention and even reversal of arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and some autoimmune diseases.

Omega fatty acids are called essential because the body needs them to be healthy, but they must come from external sources; Kale is a great source of these healthy fats. Much talked about but little understood benefits of these compounds include the ability to help regulate blood clotting, build cell membranes in the brain, and protect against heart disease and stroke. They also help fight autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

One serving of kale contains 121 mg of omega-3 fatty acids and 92.4 mg of omega-6 fatty acids.
Kale is one of the best vegetables for health. See: The Best and Worst Vegetables to Eat

Nutritional value of kale Serving Size: 100 grams, raw
% daily needs** qty per portion
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Kale Research

Kale is the most cancer-protective of all foods studied in one study. Bladder the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States.

Kale contains an impressive amount of flavonoids, each providing its own benefits to the body, including 32 phenolic compounds and three hydroxycinnamic acids, which help keep cholesterol levels within the normal range and scavenge harmful free radicals from the body. Kaempferol and quercetin are two of the most important flavonoids found in abundance in kale.

It should be noted that when cooked, the effectiveness of several antioxidants and vitamins in cabbage is reduced.

Healthy Kale Recipes: Tuscan Beans and Kale Soup

You will need:

• 0.5 kg dry white beans
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1.7 l chicken or vegetable broth
• 150 g coarsely chopped green cabbage, veins cut out
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooking:

1. V large saucepan Soak dried beans in water and leave overnight. Drain and rinse.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sage and rosemary and saute for 1 more minute.
3. Add beans and broth. Cover with a lid and turn down the heat to simmer a little. Cook until the beans are soft, about 1 hour, then add the cabbage.
4. Cover and continue to simmer until the beans and vegetables are soft.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and mash some of the beans in the pot to get the soup to the desired thick consistency; add water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The recipe is for six servings.

(From the book " Healthy foods for your nutritional type" by Dr. Joseph Mercola)

Curly cabbage was first cultivated from wild varieties by the Greeks and Romans, and then it spread throughout Europe, and then to the British Isles. From there it was brought to America. The first time kale is mentioned in the United States is in 1669.

Summarize

Kale, which has gained a reputation as one of the healthiest foods in the garden - or at local farmers' markets or the supermarket's vegetable section, for that matter - is becoming more and more famous in the US, not only for the idiosyncratic flavor it adds to soups and salads, but and because of its enormous health benefits. Eating this vitamin-rich green vegetable helps fight cancer, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, and even macular degeneration. Given all this, you already know how to answer the question: “What are we having for lunch?”.

Loaded with vitamins and phytochemicals, kale is an important immune booster. Let's talk today about the benefits and harms of kale, and how the beneficial properties of such cabbage affect the human body.

Curly cabbage - health benefits and harms

It is believed that the birthplace of kale is the Mediterranean. How heady and Brussels sprouts, this member of the Cruciferous family shares with these vegetables the useful ability to accumulate in their leaves a large amount of moisture and nutrients that make it so useful!

Nutritional properties of kale

Kale is rich in beneficial glucosinolates, natural plant compounds that have beneficial properties - they block the production of substances that cause the formation of cancer cells, stimulate body cleansing, restore enzymes and inhibit cancer cell division. It also contains flavonoids, essential for vascular health and immune system stimulation, and plant sterol, an important compound for keeping blood cholesterol levels low.

In addition, kale is high in B vitamins, which increase energy levels and strengthen the immune system's ability to destroy foreign cells. It has a very high level of antioxidants - vitamin C and beta-carotene. It also contains vitamin K, which is involved in blood clotting and wound healing, as well as high levels of minerals such as zinc and iron, which are necessary for good immunity.

Kale can be eaten raw, steamed, sautéed, or in a salad. Curly cabbage is especially useful in winter.

The benefits of kale for the human body

1. Kale, like other members of the Cruciferous family, promotes hormonal balance, so it should be consumed to prevent breast and ovarian cancer.
2. Vegetables from the Cruciferous family are arguably the best plant foods for cancer prevention due to their high content of glucosinolates.
3. In some parts of Europe, kale is called brauncol, which comes from the Dutch for "country cabbage".
4. The nutrients contained in kale are especially good for the skin and speed up wound healing, as well as strengthen cell membranes.

Useful properties of kale in cooking

Healthy Kale with Parsley (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of curly cabbage,
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil,
• salt and black pepper to taste,
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• half a teaspoon of nutmeg

Cooking:

Rinse kale and separate into leaves. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, put the cabbage in it, close the lid and simmer over low heat until the cabbage is soft. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, parsley and nutmeg. Stir-fry for 1 more minute, then serve immediately. Thus, you will get not only tasty, but also a kale dish with useful properties.

Useful properties of kale: video

Curly cabbage, or kale, is an extraordinary variety of cabbage that has managed to avoid genetic modification and domestication. During the Second World War in France, Jerusalem artichoke saved people from hunger and beriberi. At the same time, in England, it was cabbage of this variety that helped not to die of starvation. Kale, like Jerusalem artichoke, acquired the title of “forgotten vegetable” for many years. Nowadays, it is returning to the tables thanks to popular restaurants that actively use the leaves for cooking their dishes.

Name and birthplace of Kale

Curly cabbage has more than one name. It is also called kale (the emphasis is on the second syllable), brunkol, braunkol, gryunkol. But no matter how the vegetable is called, it looks the same in any case: its fringed leaves can have a purple or green tint, and they do not form a head. That is why in Latin the name of the product sounds Acephala or Brassica oleracea, which means "loose, unattached." This variety has a high, sometimes reaching one meter, stalk, from which leaves loosely diverge in all directions. Scientists are sure that grunkol is the most ancient type of wild cabbage.

Brauncoli manages to grow even under the most extreme climatic conditions. After the transferred frosts, it turns out only juicier and sweeter. In Europe, kale was the most popular until the end of the Middle Ages. green vegetable. Many countries were engaged in the cultivation of leaves, but over time, other cultures replaced the vegetable. When this variety was remembered again, it was already considered exotic, especially in our latitudes.

But, nevertheless, not a single state considers itself the birthplace of grunkol. Cabbage is loved in all countries, but everywhere they consider it brought from another state. The Germans call kale a French culture, in England it is widely believed that this cabbage comes from Scotland or Siberia, and for the Dutch it is a German “subject”. In the UK and the US, kale appears under the name Red Russian kale - Red Russian cabbage. They say that merchants from Russia brought the leaves to America on ships, after which the product firmly established itself in California gardens. Trade relations between Arkhangelsk and London contributed to the second coming of feces to England.

Types of cabbage brauncol

Curly cabbage has many varieties:

1. Siberian cabbage is a variety resistant to low temperatures and various pests.
2. Cane - its height can reach almost two meters. The peculiarity of this species is that it has a heavy stem that can be used as a cane.
3. Red Russian - has the same properties as the Siberian, but outwardly differs in the presence of convoluted, expressive red leaves.
4. Curly cabbage is the most common variety of kale (cabbage). It is distinguished from other varieties by its softer and sweet taste. The leaves of the culture have a wrinkled and curly appearance.
5. Redbor F1 cabbage can be dark purple or red, so this variety is often used to give dishes certain tones.
6. Tuscan cabbage - characterized by oblong thin leaves with a wrinkled structure.
7. Premier cabbage is a frost-resistant fast-growing variety.

Whatever the variety of kale (curly, it is better to eat it raw, adding them to salads with young garlic, tomatoes and basil. Thus, the useful properties of the culture will be preserved much better.

Composition of cabbage bruncol

Kale contains many minerals, folic acid, approximately 20% magnesium, calcium, copper and potassium. Curly cabbage, the photo of which can be seen in our article, is enriched with vitamins A and C. There are approximately 50% of them here. In a slightly smaller amount, the culture contains vitamins B1, B2, B6, and also E.

The product also contains vitamin K, which is extremely important for the human body. Pro-vitamin A (beta-carotene) is also found in feces. The product contains 85% of the daily dose of the substance. One hundred grams of cabbage brauncol has 28 kcal.

Useful properties of cabbage bruncol

Curly cabbage has a number of some positive properties, for which it is necessary to grow this vegetable. The product helps eliminate calcium deficiency. One gram of cabbage has about 1.35 milligrams of this substance, while in the same amount of milk it has only 1.13 milligrams. Calcium from this cabbage is absorbed by the body 25% better than calcium from milk. For individuals who suffer from milk protein intolerance, feces are an invaluable storehouse of calcium.

Due to the increased content of vitamin C, bruncol is considered an excellent antioxidant of natural origin. low calorie brauncoli helps to fight extra pounds. Despite the minimum calorie content, the vegetable fully saturates the body with most of the necessary substances. Therefore, vegetarians give culture an honorable place in their diet. diet menu.

Kale is considered an unsurpassed substance for the prevention of vision. The culture is called the queen of carotenoids, since one cup of the product contains 200% of the daily requirement of vitamin A.

Cooking kale

Bruncol is a wonderful ingredient in many dishes. Curly are given below) can become a component of a salad or soup. From young leaves of a vegetable, you can cook delicious salad. To create it, you will need eight small leaves of cabbage, one hundred grams of feta cheese, one glass of red currants (gooseberries, raspberries, black currants, grapes or apple slices), a little extra virgin olive oil, a quarter cup of quinoa, parsley, dill, green onion taste.

Washed and dried kale leaves should be cut into thin strips. Then finely chop the onion and herbs, beat some of the berries in a blender. Berry puree mixed with salt, olive oil and pepper. Now in a bowl we combine cereals, herbs, onions and cabbage and mix the salad with berry dressing. From above, it is recommended to decorate the dish with slices of cheese and the remaining berries.

To prepare soup with grunkol cabbage, you should prepare:

• One hundred ml of cream.
• One glass of chicken or vegetable broth.
• 400 g frozen peas.
• salt.
• One potato.
• 200 g kale.
• Two tablespoons grated cheese"Parmesan".
• One or two sprigs of mint.
• Three or four sprigs of basil

Peel the potatoes and cut into large pieces. Boil potatoes and peas in two containers. We combine the boiled products together with chopped cabbage leaves and broth and beat everything with a blender. Add chopped basil and mint leaves, parmesan, cream to the puree and put a container of soup on a small fire. Stirring all the time, heat the dish for two minutes. The dish is served with crackers.

Planting a crop

As a rule, the crop is grown from seeds that are planted in open soil. Curly cabbage, the seeds of which should be planted in mid-April or early May, do not tolerate transplanting in the best way. Therefore, it is better not to touch the sprouts that have already made their way out of the ground. The soil temperature for seeds should be 50 degrees. A little humus with wood ash must be added to each well.

Curly cabbage (kale) grows very quickly. Seeds germinate on the fifth or seventh day after planting. At home, the culture is grown from seedlings.

When buying kale, pay attention to the condition of its leaves: they should be crisp and dense and not have dark spots. The product is stored in the refrigerator in a paper bag for two weeks. If it is necessary to keep gryunkol longer, then this is done in the freezer in a plastic container.

Before cooking, it is better to wash the cabbage and remove the stems from it.

Contraindications to the use of feces

Cabbage of this variety contains oxalates. Their excessive amount in the body leads to a number of diseases. Therefore, the use of feces should be abandoned to persons who have stones in the gallbladder or kidneys.

Kira Stoletova

All other varieties known today were derived from the fork type of cabbage. Curly cabbage is called Kale (or Kale) and is one of the types of leafy cabbage, it is most popular in Europe.

Variety characteristics

All types of kale (curly) have been bred from plants in the wild. The variety is unpretentious, it can be grown in any region, as it is resistant to various pests and can withstand temperatures down to -18°C. The variety is also used in landscape design.

Curly cabbage got its name because of the specific shape of the leaves. They are:

• flat with small wavy edges;
• rounded with wavy edges of medium density;
• rounded with elongated wavy edges.

The height of the plant can also be different: from 40 to 90 cm. The color varies from green to red. The most famous types of kale:

• Black Tuscany. This kale is light green in color, its leaves have an unusual tuberculate structure. It is mainly distributed in southern countries.
• Reflex F. Variety different dietary properties. Only 100 g can provide a person with enough useful substances.
• Redbor F. Fancy purple bush, mild tasting. It is better to grow it in sufficiently clarified areas. The more light, the more beautiful the bush looks.
• Reed or reed. It has strong leaves, reminiscent of lettuce bushes. Pairs well with exotic dishes.
• Siberian. It is resistant to diseases, can produce crops at very low temperatures.
• Tintoretto. This variety tends to become even tastier after freezing.

Head Description

A distinctive feature of this variety is the absence of a head of cabbage.

Unlike the "stone head" variety, this plant is more like a lettuce. Some varieties are grown to decorate the backyard, as they look very beautiful. The plant contains many useful substances: flavonoids, anthocyanins, antioxidants.

All modern varieties were bred from a wild plant, so they are similar in appearance. chemical composition. Grunkol contains many vitamins C and K, as well as vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, E and omega-3 fatty acids.

Beneficial features:

• can replace meat dishes;
• good effect on vision;
• reduces the amount of cholesterol;
• optimizes the work of digestion;
• has a positive effect on blood clotting;
• reduces the risk of tumors.

It has a good effect on the immune system, increases the level of protection of the body. This happens because regular use of Kale prevents viruses from entering the body and increases hemoglobin, gives oxygen access to the internal organs of a person.

Curly cabbage is stored in a cool place: high temperature negatively affects its taste. You can even not dig it up for the winter, but simply leave the roots in the ground and enjoy the harvest again next season.

vegetable application

Curly cabbage along with broccoli is often used in the diet menu. Fresh fresh juices and juices are prepared from it. Thick leaves are suitable for pickling and pickling. Also, kale is added to lasagna.

Recipes

One of the most unusual recipes These are curly cabbage chips. The leaves are torn, add salt, pepper and mixed with oil, then lined on a baking sheet covered with parchment and placed in an oven preheated to 100 ° C. Keep until ready.

Curly green cabbage goes well with tomatoes, green onions and basil. Salads are best seasoned with pumpkin or olive oil.

One of the dietary options for a dish with Kale is a salad with beans. For cooking, take 500 g of cabbage, a jar of beans, 200 g of tomatoes, oil, salt, 4-5 spices. All vegetables are cut, the leaves are torn by hand, the ingredients are mixed and a sauce of oil and spices is added.

Contraindications

Despite the large number of useful properties of the product, kale has a number of contraindications. Curly cabbage can be harmful to people suffering from kidney or gallbladder disease. Abuse can cause flatulence, stomach cramps or diarrhea.

Care

To grow a good crop, it is important to water the seedlings in a timely manner, loosen and nourish the soil. When the plant reaches 20-25 cm in height, it is spudded, and weak sheets are immediately torn off. In order to facilitate care and protect the variety from root rot, you can fertilize the soil with humus or compost.

Watering

It is important to follow the rules of watering. To avoid the spreading of water, a small furrow is made around each seedling, water is poured directly into it. In the heat, the plants are watered more often and do not forget to loosen the ground. The soil should be slightly damp.

top dressing

It is necessary to feed the plant every 7-8 weeks. This is done for the first time during the period of active leaf growth. For fertilizer use infusion on herbs. The fourth part of the container is filled with water, then fresh grass is added (10 kg per 100 liters of water) and 2 kg of chicken manure is placed. The solution is infused for 2-3 days. Fertilizer is applied only under the root of the plant.

Diseases and pests

Diseases and pests of the variety:

• scoops;
• whites;
• flower beetle;
• wireworms;
• slugs.

You can protect the plant by sprinkling the soil with wood ash, tobacco dust, or a mixture of them, but after rain it is important to repeat this procedure. Spraying with a 70% solution of vinegar diluted in water will be effective.

You can also use chemical methods of struggle, it helps well:

• Kemifos;
• Aliot;
• Bankol;
• Kinmiks;
• Fury.

These measures should only be taken when folk methods powerless and need to save the harvest.

Growing vegetables in the garden, gardeners seek to enrich their diet with healthy and environmentally friendly plant products. However, rarely in the garden you can meet curly cabbage - and this is a big omission. She is considered the most valuable dietary product containing many vitamins and minerals. This culture is unpretentious in care, has several types and names.

Description and product names

It is not for nothing that curly cabbage got its name, because its leaves seem to be curled by a skilled hairdresser and have a fringed appearance. They may be green, purple or reddish in color. . In addition to its official name, kale has other names:

• kale (stress on the second syllable);
• browncol;
• bruncol;
• grunkol.

According to scientists, bruncol is the oldest type of cabbage. Most likely, this is why the culture managed to acquire so many names.

Kale does not form a head, but grows tall (up to 1 m) stem, on which leaves are rather loosely arranged along the entire length. Acephala and Brassica oleracea are Latin names for the plant, which translate as "loose" and "loose".

Origin and history of browncol

It is not known exactly where curly cabbage comes from. All countries that have ever cultivated this crop consider it brought from outside, and their opinions about the origin of the plant differ. However, there is evidence that the ancient Greeks used this vegetable as early as the 4th century BC.

In the Middle Ages, grunkol was popular in Europe, but other cultures replaced it over time, and in the 21st century, culture again attracted attention. This happened thanks to the desire of mankind for a healthy diet. Vegetarians know about many useful properties kale and include it in your diet.

Now all over the world there are healthy food restaurants that use brauncol in their dishes. This leafy vegetable, due to its vitamin and mineral composition, is the most valuable plant product, and also has a pleasant delicate taste.

Useful properties of kale

Subsequent care of the plant consists in removing weeds, watering and loosening the soil. To obtain juicy and sweet leaves, timely watering and harvesting is necessary. If the irrigation regime is not followed, you can get bitter and hard brauncol leaves.

It is also very important to remove discolored, dried or yellowed leaves in order to avoid plant disease and the appearance of pests. Once during the summer, about a month and a half after planting, you can feed the curly vegetable with organic fertilizer.