Quince is a fruit that should become an obligatory component of the diet in the period of fall and winter illnesses. Quince contains a lot of vitamin C and many other vitamins, as well as mineral elements that effectively strengthen the body's resistance and support the immune system in the fight against flu and colds. What other healing and nutritional properties does quince have?
Quincecommon ( Cydonia oblonga ) is grown as an ornamental plant in orchards, home gardens, parks and allotments. Quince fruits ripen in the fall - in September and October. They are yellow, large and resemble small pears or apples, which is why they are often called "apple fruit".Quince fruitare not suitable for eating raw because they are hard and sour (which is why they are sometimes called Polish lemon), but they can be used to prepare many preserves with both taste and he alth benefits: honey , marmalades, jams, plum jam, compotes, juices, pastes, tinctures and wines. Due to its appearance, common quince is often confused with Japanese quince ( Chaenomeles japonica ), however, quince fruits are clearly smaller, harder and more acidic than quince fruits, but at the same time more aromatic. It is their sour taste that can be found in the classic tincture called quince. However, in the kitchen, both types of fruit can be used interchangeably and make numerous preserves based on them.
Quince for flu and colds
Quince, apart from sugars and organic acids, also contains tannins, pectins and volatile oil. Of all the vitamins, it contains the most vitamin C (15 mg per 100 g), which strengthens the immune system. In the period of autumn and winter illnesses, the body is also supported by the B vitamins contained in quince. Moreover, quince fruits contain many minerals, such as: calcium, potassium, iron, copper, magnesium and phosphorus, which are necessary to strengthen the body's natural defenses. That is why modern phytotherapy recommends eating quince fruit in the form of juice with honey for dry cough, cold, flu and autumn solstice.
Worth knowingNutritional value of quince (in 100 g)Energy value - 57 kcal Total protein - 0.40 g Fat - 0.10 g Carbohydrates - 15.30 g Fiber -1.9 gVitaminsVitamin C - 15.0 mg Thiamine - 0.020 mg Riboflavin - 0.030 mg Niacin - 0.200 mg Vitamin B6 - 0.040 mg Folic acid - 3 µg Vitamin A - 40 IUMineralsCalcium - 11 mg Iron - 0.70 mg Magnesium - 8 mg Phosphorus - 17 mg Potassium - 197 mg Sodium - 4 mg Zinc - 0.04 mgData source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
Quince for digestive ailments
The medicinal raw material is also quince seeds. A maceration or infusion of quince seeds will relieve indigestion and also help get rid of heartburn and acid reflux. They are also recommended in the case of excessive intestinal fermentation and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, gastroenteritis, damage to the gastric mucosa.
Both fruits and seeds stimulate digestion and support metabolism, which is why they are often recommended as a slimming diet supplement. They also strengthen the liver, so they can be consumed by people taking medications.
In turn, quince seeds, which also have many he alth properties (in traditional folk medicine it is a medicine to improve appetite), you can prepare a tincture called a kernel or add their extract to tea.
This will be useful to youHealing quince tincture - quince recipe
How to make quince tincture? Wash 2 kg of ripe quince fruit. Do not peel, just grate together with the skin on a coarse-mesh grater. Then put it in a jar, add 1 kg of sugar and cover with parchment paper. After a week, slowly pour 0.5 l of spirit into the jar. Then close the jar and macerate the fruit for a month. Then strain the infusion through coarsely folded cheesecloth and squeeze out the fruit mass. Mix the liqueur with 0.5 liters of vodka 40%. and set aside for at least two months.
You must do itQuince juice recipe for colds
Wash 1 kg of quince fruits and cut each of them into 4 parts (without peeling them off). Then, hollow the pips and room the quince into thin slices. Then arrange them in layers in a large jar, sprinkling each of them with sugar (a total of 0.5 kg should be used). Close the jar and set aside in a warm place for about 4-5 days, stirring its contents once a day. Pour the resulting syrup into jars and pasteurize for about 10 minutes. The juice is ready to eat.
In traditional folk medicine, in order to fight colds or flu, 1-2 teaspoons of bee honey are added to a glass of quince juice.
This will be useful to youQuince jam for tea - RECIPE
Quince jam added to tea will work similarly to lemon - it brightens and changes its taste to a more acidic, but it will provide much more nutrients.
Liketo make quince jam? Wash 1.5 kg of quince fruit, peel, cut into eighths. Then cut the seeds out of them and cut them into small pieces (you can also grate them on a vegetable grater). Put everything in a pot with boiled water and cook until soft (about 30-40 minutes), stirring occasionally. Drain the fruit and put it in the pan. Then sprinkle them with sugar (about 4 glasses) and a teaspoon of cinnamon and fry them until they are very thick and turn a dark orange color (about 30 minutes). The jam prepared in this way can be eaten immediately or stored pasteurized in jars.