Common pecan or Kariya is a miracle nut from North America. Pecan nut: benefits and harms, which is more

In our country, the fruits of this plant are considered an exotic product. They lead among all nuts in terms of content. useful substances are considered to be among the most sought after in the world. Learn about the beneficial properties and contraindications of the fruits of this plant.

What is a pecan

Carya illinoinensis belongs to the genus Hickory, family Walnut. This tree is also called chocolate nut, Kariya pecan, Kariya Illinois, Pecan ordinary. This plant is the owner of a huge amount healing properties, affects the improvement of many systems of the human body, appetite, benefits both men and women. Housewives use the fruit for baking (looks like a walnut), side dishes, add to coffee.

Where does it grow

North America is considered the birthplace of Pecan, where they are grown everywhere. To this day, the fruit makes up the bulk of the diet. local population. Chocolate-flavored nuts are prepared both on an ordinary day and for special festive feasts. In addition to the American mainland, pecans grow in Central Asian countries, in the Caucasus, on the Crimean coast.

How it grows

In the first years of life, the pecan tree grows slowly: during this period, the root system builds up. In a year, the seedling grows by 30 cm, by the age of three it reaches a height of 0.5 meters, and only after that it is transplanted to permanent place. The plant loves a lot of sun, and abundant watering is necessary. Grows well in loose fertile soil. Young seedlings are shown constant feeding, protection from weeds. Seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 10th year of life and up to three hundred years, and the average height is forty meters.

What does a pecan look like

The appearance of this exotic fruit is ambiguous: to some it looks more like an olive fruit, and to someone a hazelnut. But the kernel is very similar to a walnut, so it is considered a close relative, the only difference is the taste: in the described fruit, it is softer, with a taste of chocolate. Due to the lack of internal partitions and structural features of the shell, pecans are not interesting for pests.

Health Benefits of Pecans

In the fruits of this plant, the fat content reaches 72% per 100 grams of product, protein - 15%, carbohydrates - 15%, ash - about 5%, water is also 5%. This plant contains:

• vitamin K;
• vitamins B;
• vitamin C;
• vitamin A (helps improve night and twilight vision);
• vitamin E (gamma-tocopherol).

Contains minerals: magnesium, sodium, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, folic acid, phosphorus, copper. It is distinguished by a high content of fiber and vegetable fats, which do not bring any harm to the body, but only benefit. Useful properties of pecan nuts contribute to:

• lowering cholesterol in atherosclerosis;
• prevention of coronary heart disease;
• increase in hemoglobin with beriberi;
• improvement of the reproductive system;
• treatment of the hormonal system, varicose veins;
• reduction in education cancerous tumors and help with anemia;
• treatment of the cardiovascular system.

Due to the presence of antioxidant properties, the aging process slows down, vision improves, fatigue is relieved, toxic and toxic substances are removed from the blood. Modern scientists have already expressed their opinion that nuts treat cancer. But excessive use of this product can be harmful: it appears headache, allergies, disruption gastrointestinal tract.

With caution, the use of fruits that look like walnuts should be taken by overweight people who have liver problems and a tendency to allergic reactions. In addition to fruits, oil is actively used, which has successfully shown itself in the fight against skin diseases(hematomas, psoriasis, fungal infections). It is especially recommended to use oil for the elderly and those who have weak immunity and need to stretch the body after the winter. Oil pressed from the fruit of this tree is used for Chinese massage.

I had scant knowledge of what a pecan was. What are the benefits and harms - I didn’t even think about it. Quite by chance, a small article in the local newspaper caught my eye. So much has been written about the benefits of pecans! Interested. Pecan is little known in our country, since the industrial cultivation of this walnut tree is practically not common in our country. Mostly pecan grows in the south of our country, but it is quite frost-resistant, so it can be grown further north. Once I saw on the shelves small bags of pecan kernels brought from the USA were very expensive. Compared to walnuts, pecans have a softer, more buttery taste. I like it.

Photo of pecan fruit on a tree

What are the health benefits of pecans?

Nuts have been part of the human diet for many, many centuries. When the Almighty created our unique planet for Man, He insured this super-intelligent but weak creature for all occasions. He created man as a complex of all trace elements, substances found on Earth. There are plants that are inseparable from human existence, like a reserve train in times of crisis to support or save him. These are nuts, among which pecan is in the first place.

Calorie content, variety of nut fruits is exceptionally high! AI Vavilov very aptly called them "the bread of the future." Yes, indeed, the kernels of any nuts contain a lot of first-class fat, protein, carbohydrates, almost the entire group of vital vitamins, trace elements, and other substances. It turns out that nuts are bread with butter, cocoa, fruits at the same time.

But I would call this beautiful creation a great healer. Almonds improve the functioning of the stomach, reanimate the performance of the brain, heart, liver, kidneys. improves vision, which is important for everyone over 40. It also, like the enemy of atherosclerosis, improves the functioning of the brain, lungs (for asthma).

A pecan is a collection of these nuts. He deserves special attention.

Where does the pecan grow?

The long-fruited pecan (carya illinoensis N) comes from the Mississippi Valley (North America). They have long paid attention to it as a valuable culture, harmoniously including everything necessary for life support. human body, which does not require special costs for cultivation, storage of fruits. industrial cultivation This culture is significant in the Southeastern United States, where pecan pie and pralines are traditional sweets.

In Russia, the pecan settled at the dawn of the 20th century, starting from the Black Sea coast. It is from that period that the Sochi alley of pecans (Research Institute of Horticulture) traces its history. A little later, his seedlings appeared in the Adler park-arboretum "Southern Cultures".

The height of the trees can reach up to 50 m with a crown width of up to 40 m. The trunk of a tree at the base reaches a diameter of up to 3 m. A hollow of such a tree can cover the rider along with the horse in bad weather. Young trees freely withstand frosts down to -30°C, so it is not surprising that the long-fruited walnut began to quickly move north.

There are many varieties of pecan at the Adler variety testing site. Like the best, received wide use varieties Success, Indiana, Stuart, others. They already grow in groups on the northern slope of the Caucasus Range, in the Stavropol Territory, the Rostov Region, Ukraine, and Moldova. But it has no industrial significance on the territory of these regions. It is not on the shelves, except that there are bags brought from other countries.

Walnut leaves, photo

Unpaired compound pecan leaves up to 50 cm long. According to its characteristics, the pecan is close to the walnut, because this plant is also dioecious, monoecious, which is very important for its survival. Male staminate catkin flowers hang on two-year-old shoots. And pistillate females are formed in bunches on the shoots of the current year. Usually flowering occurs at the end of spring and beginning of summer, which is not dangerous when spring frosts in the North Caucasus.

Photo of pecan fruits from Sochi

Pecans ripen in September-October, crumble like walnuts. It is the crumbled fruits that are considered ripe. The fruit is a drupe weighing 12-20 g. Due to the grade, the shape of the pecan nut varies from elongated-spherical to elongated oval, 3-6 cm long, 1-2 cm in diameter. The pecan kernel is golden brown on the outside, beige inside. The shell is smooth, clean, free from convolutions, cracks, holes, mold. Unshelled nuts should be heavy for their size. The nucleus is similar in shape to the nuclei of walnut, but the convolutions are, as it were, smoother, there are no partitions, i.e. the pecan kernel is easily removed whole from the shell. If unpeeled pecans rattle when shaken, it may mean that the inside is dry and unfit for eating.

It depends on the type of pecan nut whether it is difficult to crack it or not. I came across nuts brought from Sochi. Not large, rather, even smallish. It was hard to break them apart. The shell was quite thick. And the core is small. You apply a lot of force - the core is soft-boiled. If you strike lighter, the nut will remain intact. But judging by the reviews, there are varieties with a thin shell. Such pricks are not difficult.

The shell of a pecan nut has neither a slit nor a hole (like, for example, a walnut). This is both a plus - pests, different bugs cannot penetrate inside, and it is also a minus - it is difficult to split if the shell is thick.

Sometimes I met questions why a pecan is sold cracked. Haven't seen any replies yet. But I think I can answer it.

The reason is a dense but thin shell. Manufacturers make life easier for us, anticipating our difficulties, dissatisfaction when we have to wield a hammer, breaking the shell. I experienced it myself - it is difficult to calculate even the force of a blow with a hammer. You hit a little harder - you get a “porridge” from a nut or it flies into the farthest corner. A little weaker - he lies whole, unharmed. And so, thanks to a crack in the shell - everything turns out perfectly.

I would like to warn: be sure to read the information about the date of packaging, the expiration date. A cracked pecan is not stored for a long time, it becomes rancid, tasteless, even dangerous to health.

Pecan kernels not only taste good, they are healthy, especially when we are talking on lowering cholesterol levels. Not only do they help lower cholesterol levels, but they also cleanse the arteries.

The results of a 2001 study conducted by Loma Linda University (USA) showed that eating just a handful of pecans daily can inhibit unwanted lipid oxidation in the blood, thereby helping to prevent ischemic disease hearts.

Health Benefits of Pecans

The health benefits of pecans are hard to describe. Pecan nuts contain more than 19 vitamins, minerals - A, E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc. One hundred grams of kernels provide 30% of the recommended daily allowance fiber. Pecans are also a natural source of high quality protein that are very low in carbohydrates. Does not contain cholesterol, sodium. Among the nuts, pecans are the fattest - more than 70%. It satisfies hunger well, ideal as a snack for children or adults.

The merits of this nut are very high. The pecan kernel, in addition to the highest quality fat, contains up to 10% pure protein, up to 15% carbohydrates, the entire chain of vitamins, trace elements, and amino acids.

Pecan Kernel Oil - peanut butter- in many ways superior to olive. Ripe fruits, having a thin shell, do not lose their qualities when shedding, are transportable, can be stored for a long time, while not spoiling at all, not being afraid of pests. But the cleaned ones are not stored for a long time. Due to their high fat content, they become rancid and tasteless.

There is nothing better than eating these valuable pecans for the body during fasting instead of meat or animal fats. Within two or three weeks, you will feel lightness, body strength, eyes will become sharper, your heart will work more calmly, itching and insomnia will disappear. It is your body that is getting rid of vicious toxins accumulated by an illiterate, ruthless attitude towards yourself.

Harm can cause excessive consumption of pecan kernels. Firstly, it can ruin your figure, since pecans are very high in calories. And, secondly, there is a possibility of allergic reactions in susceptible people. In any case, you need to know the measure.

Cultivation and reproduction

Fruiting of pecan trees is annual. When propagated by seeds, the pecan tree begins to bear fruit from 9-14 years. The harvest of a young tree is from 1 to 5 kg. The average yield of a ten to fifteen year old tree is from 8 to 15 kg (US data). Back in the seventies of the last century, pecan production there reached 150 thousand tons per year. Life cycle tree is 300 years old. Old trees yield up to 250 kg of nuts.

Pecan growing technology is completely similar to walnut. This wind-pollinated, light-loving plant grows on soils various types: typically forest, rich in humus, heavy, stony, clayey. But, like most plants, it does not tolerate waterlogging.

Pecan propagates vegetatively or by seeds (seed germination up to 100%). The incidence of plants has not been noticed, there are no pests, even fruits, in comparison with walnuts, are not damaged by them.

Now the pecan has become very widespread not only in the USA and Europe. This therapeutic dietary product should be consumed by everyone. With pecans in your diet, you will live long, not painfully, optimistically rejoicing in the whole world around you.

The nature of the Creator is generous, rich, there are infinitely many unique and beautiful things in it. One of these noble creatures is the pecan.

When I learned in more detail what a pecan is, that its benefits are enormous, and the harm is minimal, I wanted to grow it in my country house. And now I have one pecan seedling growing. He is still very small. He is three years old. Grows very slowly. It is too early to share the experience of growing, but I will definitely tell you about it.

Yes, another small addition: where, at what price, from whom you can buy pecans - read the comments.

The pecan has a vanilla flavor and a chocolate flavor. Its merits were first appreciated by the Indian tribes of the American prairies. About 200 years ago, the plant came to Europe, and now it is grown in Russia.

[ Hide ]

Botanical description

The biological name of the plant is Caria Illinois. A more familiar name is the common pecan. Belongs to the Nut family, genus Hickory. These deciduous trees in their homeland can grow as tall as a twelve-story building. Kariya of old age reach 2 meters in girth.

Up to 15 kg of nuts can be harvested from one adult pecan tree, and 200 from an old one.

Appearance description:

• thick trunk with brown wrinkled bark;
• lush spreading crown;
• large, smooth, narrow leaves;
• long, fluffy catkins at the ends of young shoots during flowering.

Photo of a pecan

Blooms in May - June. In our conditions, this protects the flower stalks from spring frosts. Trees are pollinated by the wind.

How does a pecan grow?

The first 4-5 years, the seedling grows extremely slowly, adding no more than 30 cm in height. It is believed that at this time the root system of the future tree is formed.

Where does it grow?

Walnut grows on fertile, as well as loose and well-moistened soils. It is found in the United States (where walnut cultivation is practiced for commercial purposes) in the states of Iowa and Indiana, in the Mississippi valleys and the prairies of Texas.

European subspecies are common:

• in Crimea;
• in the Caucasus;
• in Central Asia.

Some varieties of Caria Illinois are frost tolerant. Young trees can withstand -30. Therefore, the variety may spread to the northern regions.

Varieties and varieties

To date, about 150 varieties of pecans are known.

In Europe, the following varieties are most popular:

• Success;
• Textan;
• Indiana;
• Major;
• Stuart;
• Greenriver.

All these species are characterized by unpretentiousness to the composition of the soil, resistance to drought and stable fruiting. They grow poorly only on marshy and acidic soils. Variety Mayor is considered one of the most cold-resistant. But for growing nuts in our climate, the endurance of the shoots is not enough. Since the fruits appear relatively late - at the end of October, most of them simply do not have time to ripen.

In addition, the following super-northern varieties are now popular:

• Snaps;
• Dearstand;
• Carlson-3;
• Campbell NS-4;
• Lucas.

The super-northern pecan varieties are not intended for commercial cultivation, as their fruits are the smallest of all - no more than 2.5 cm.

Description and properties of fruits

fruits in scientific world called a drupe. They are collected on a tree in bundles (5-10 pieces each), the length of each nut is about 4 cm. The shell is smooth, dense. When ripe, it turns brown, dries and cracks, exposing a walnut-like kernel. But pecans are sweeter and do not contain partitions inside.

You can learn about the beneficial properties of pecans in the video from the JitZdorovo channel.

nutritional value

Most of these oils are composed of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. A tenth of a kilogram of this product contains 9 g of protein, 14 g of carbohydrates, including dietary fiber.

In a large chicken egg, considered a source of protein, the latter is even less than in 100 g of pecans.

Comparative table of mineral and vitamin composition of nuts (per 100g of product):

Exotic pecan - contains a high amount of valuable fat-soluble vitamins A and E.

Benefit

Caria Illinois nuts are widely used in cooking. Pecan nuts have been used as food since ancient times. Indian tribes. The fruits were harvested for the future, they were eaten in case of an unsuccessful hunt. Priests and healers, rubbing nuts, received "milk", which was given to wounded soldiers, treated the weakened and strengthened the health of children.

But the main thing in pecans is a beneficial effect on the body, which is why they are recommended to be added to food for patients with diseases of the heart, eyes, and all the elderly.

Vitamin A (retinol) - ensures the functioning of the retina, maintains visual acuity and the health of our eyes. In addition, retinol is involved in the development of all systems of the child's body.

Vitamin E (tocopherol) is a natural antioxidant:

• stabilizes membranes, protects them from oxidation;
• maintains health at the cellular level.

Deficiency of this vitamin causes aging and deterioration of the body. Tocopherol, together with unsaturated fatty acids, protects the walls of arteries from damage and inflammation, slows down the growth of cholesterol plaques, saving from heart attacks and strokes. Furthermore, vegetable oils pecans literally remove “bad” high-density cholesterol from the bloodstream, while the content of “useful” increases.

The same substances, balanced by a complex of other vitamins and minerals, regulate the functions of human immunity. Reducing the strength of radical reactions that damage membranes and DNA. Tocopherol and fatty acid involved in antitumor defense.

The benefits of pecans are described in a video published by the Prosperity Culture channel.

You can also get from pecans:

1. Pecan oil. Use inside for colds, heart disease. Outwardly - for skin diseases, as well as during massage procedures.
2. Trunk wood. Appreciated by furniture manufacturers. It is believed that it is harder than oak.

Harm

Even these healthy nuts can cause harm:

1. body shape and weight. People who watch their weight need to remember that Kariya fruits are a very high-calorie product.
2. Allergies. Do not eat this product if you cannot tolerate peanuts, hazelnuts or walnuts. Cases of allergic reactions in children suffering from diathesis are also described.
3. Digestive disorders. They occur with the uncontrolled use of nuts.

Planting and growing

Kariya reproduces in the following ways:

• seeds;
• cuttings;
• budding;
• vaccination.

It is easier to grow pecans from seeds than from seedlings. The latter often die during transplantation, since the root system young plant vulnerable.

Preparing and choosing a landing site

It is important that at the place of planting both seeds and subsequently seedlings there is a deep fertile layer soil. Water in the beds should not stagnate. Choose a well-lit area so that the trees do not grow in the shade of a house or other buildings.

How and when to plant?

Mature seeds are sown in the ground in autumn or spring. If the spring option is chosen, it is necessary to stratify the seeds. To do this, they are kept in a humid environment at a temperature of 2-4 degrees for 2 months. It is better to sow in April.

Before planting, beds and furrows are formed. It is better to leave a distance between rows of at least 1 m. The depth of seed placement in loose soil is 7-8 mm. After planting, the bed is watered and covered, sprinkled with sawdust, wood chips or mowed grass. This will protect the seeds from the scorching sun, showers and create comfortable conditions for germination.

Nut germination is better with spring planting. The first shoots appear in a month. Strong and tall seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place at the age of one year. Others - after 2-3 years, when they reach a height of at least 50 cm.

In the place where the walnut tree will grow, they dig a landing hole with a depth and width of at least 60 cm. When transplanting, they try not to damage root system young pecan. Gently straightening the roots of the plant in the pit, they are sprinkled on top with loose soil. After that, carefully watering, you should sprinkle the ground with peat or sawdust.

Pecan care, fertilizer and top dressing

The basis of plant care is regular watering and fertilizing. In summer, make sure that the soil does not dry out. The roots of the tree must be constantly moistened, so during dry periods it is necessary to water more often and more abundantly. Some gardeners recommend periodically moistening the leaves using shower watering methods.

Not everyone has tried pecans, and even more so they know where such a nut grows in Russia. This culture is only gaining popularity on household plots. Pecans are predominantly grown in the south, but bred frost-resistant varieties allow landing and northern regions. Exotic is unpretentious in care, it reproduces in the same way as a walnut. If you look at the photo, you can see that the plants are similar in appearance.

Varieties and varieties

The homeland of pecan is North America, where it is grown on an industrial scale. The walnut grows in Central Asia, in the Crimea and the Caucasus, the Stavropol Territory and the Rostov Region of Russia. Some varieties calmly tolerate thirty-degree frosts, are distinguished by drought resistance, stable fruiting and undemanding to the composition of the soil.

Pecan nut is a rather unpretentious plant.

• Textan;
• Success;
• Indiana;
• Major;
• Stuart;
• Greenriver.

Pecan wood is harder than oak and has an interesting structure - it is made from various furniture. Walnut butter is made from nuts cosmetical tools, used to prepare confectionery. Pecans have a higher fat content than other nuts, about 10% pure protein, rich in vitamins and minerals.

Advice. Pecan vigorous large plant. It reaches a height of 60 m, with a crown diameter of 40 m. For pollination, several trees are required, since pollen is carried by the wind.

Planting and reproduction

The nut is propagated by seeds and vegetatively:

• cuttings;
• grafted onto white pecans;
• budding.

Pecan fruit

Fruits that have fallen to the ground are considered ripe. Immediately after harvest, the fruits can be sown in the ground or stratified before planting. Make grooves up to 10 cm deep and sow nuts. A distance of at least 1 m is left between the rows. Absolutely all seeds germinate in the spring, and the seedlings turn out to be more hardy and viable.

In spring, nuts are sown at the end of April. Before that, they are stratified. Soaked for a couple of days in water, then placed in wet sawdust or peat and placed in a cool place for germination. Make sure that the substrate is constantly wet, and the room temperature remains at the level of 2 - 4 0C. After two months, they are taken out to a warm room. Sow in furrows, sprinkle with humus and water regularly.

A place for landing is chosen sunny and protected from the wind without stagnant moisture. If the seeds will be planted immediately in a permanent place, then fill the planting site with compost in advance.

pecan sprout

Pecan grows very slowly in the first years - it builds up the root system. The annual growth of the plant is only about 30 cm, to three years old reaches 50 cm and is suitable for transplanting to a permanent place. Cooking landing pits 60 x 60 cm in size, if the soil is acidic - lime. Fill with a nutrient mixture of compost and earth. The roots must be placed so that they do not tuck, they are completely straightened to the sides. A peg is driven in, to which the seedling will be tied after planting. root collar plants should be at ground level, after planting, the soil is slightly compacted and watered abundantly. Top mulch with humus or any organic material. The distance between seedlings is about 15 m.

Young seedlings need watering, top dressing, protection from weeds. The fruiting of a seedling grown from a seed occurs in the tenth year of life. Grafted seedlings bear fruit earlier - at 4 - 5 years of age.

Advice. Before sowing, the nuts are soaked in water - the floating ones are discarded.

Pecan care, diseases and pests

Young plants need in large numbers moisture and weed control. Abundant watering is necessary in hot, dry weather. Pecans also need top dressing and shaping pruning. Pruning is carried out by forming young trees; adult plants no longer need such a procedure. In the spring, dry branches and branches are cut out that overly thicken the crown.

Culture loves regular watering.

Pecan is notable for the fact that it practically does not get sick. Its fruits are not affected by the codling moth, since the fruit has a whole shell, unlike walnut, which has a soft layer between the halves of the shell.

Important. The pecan tree is a long-liver, bears fruit up to 300 years of age, and can live 500.

Fertilizer and top dressing

Fertilizers containing an increased dose of nitrogen are applied in the spring. Phosphorus and potassium are applied in the fall - they help the wood to ripen and contribute to the laying of the future crop. Mature trees that have crossed the thirty-year milestone can be fed with a mixture of potash salt, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate.

Pecan nuts are visually similar to olives, which is why it is called the "olive nut". If you have a lot of space on the site, feel free to plant a pecan, and the tree will generously thank you with a harvest.

Pecan properties: video

Pecan in the garden: photo

Hello dear friends and readers! Since childhood, I remember the taste of this delicious herb - pikan, which I ate in the hot summer with my grandmother in the village. But grandmother is long gone, and the refreshing taste of this delicacy is still remembered. And just recently, by chance, a woman I knew somehow casually told me that these pikans grow in her garden and she often cooks them in the summer. You probably already guessed that I did not miss this moment and simply begged them from her: I so wanted to try again and remember the taste from my childhood.

I decided to learn more about this wild edible herb. What was my surprise when, after looking on Wikipedia, I was simply surprised to find out how popular this plant turned out to be. Intrigued you? Then I'll tell you more about what I learned. And I remember the cooking recipe, how my grandmother did, and she recently cooked it herself. But more on that later.

It turns out that pickanas are a distant relative of our garden dill, which appearance and tastes as different from it as celery or parsley from dill. They can be found in water meadows, on forest edges, along river banks and in wastelands. It reaches human height in height, during the flowering period it has a complex umbrella of small white or light yellow flowers.

Otherwise it's big herbaceous plant called hogweed, wild sorrel, bodran, bunch or gigli. More common in the Ural forests. Pipes are made from old plants; before, children used them to shoot peas at each other. Yes, and as soon as they appear, the children tore off the top peel from them and ate just like that. It turns out that it is so delicious, because this is the first green after a long winter!

My grandmother's story

My grandmother lived in the last century. The war and the post-war famine fell to its lot. While still a schoolgirl, I listened to her stories about life, but for some reason I could not believe that people could live like this: after all, I lived in a different time, when it was already possible to buy everything and people were not starving. Now, with my adult mind and worldly experience, I understand how hard it was to live in those days.

So, only thanks to young nettles and picans, people then could survive these hard times. This grass was a salvation for the dispossessed and the obvious poor. In summer, in hot weather, the grass helped to hold out for a month - one and a half, until green onion, cucumbers and young potatoes.

As soon as the pickans appeared, and this is the end of April - the beginning of May, old people and small children went to the forest to collect them - the rest were busy in the field or on the farm. We collected pickans in large quantities at once, so as not to once again go after them again. They boiled and stored them in the cellar.

My grandmother was a deeply pious person, she strictly observed all the fasts, so pikans were then taken out of the refrigerator and this was an obligatory dish on Peter's fast and on ordinary fasting days of the week.

Beneficial features

Since this grass survived in difficult times, it means that the plant has some useful properties. What?

The plant contains vitamin C, carotene and essential oils. It is this composition that determines its nutritional value.

The chemical composition of the plant is very rich. It contains sucrose, coumarins, anthocyanins, essential oils, polyacetylene compounds and umbelliferose.

The plant has a number of medicinal properties:

• boosts immunity,
• has a choleretic and analgesic effect,
• used for neurosis and epilepsy, help with depression,
• contributes to the normal functioning of the intestines,
• The low calorie herb is great for weight loss.

For cooking medicines use young shoots and leaves of the plant, as well as roots.

Application in cooking

Young shoots are used for food along with leaves that are harvested in April-May. Collect for food only those plants that have released the third leaflet. Overgrown plants do not have that nutritional value, they are rough, and when collecting the juice of overgrown plants, it can cause a burn on the skin, although to a lesser extent than in other types of hogweed.

A decoction of the stems and leaves has a mushroom aroma, the stems taste juicy and slightly sour. Young (milk) stems with leaves are used for salads and soups.

Soups from young nettles and hogweed leaves not only saturate the body tired of the cold with vitamins, they help get rid of the depression that has accumulated over the short winter days.

Stem petioles can be marinated and then used as a side dish for second courses. Some of the pickans make caviar that tastes like eggplant.

How to cook pikan

The collected petioles of the plant with leaves must first be sorted out, then washed thoroughly. The leaves can be removed, or you can boil them together with the stems. The petioles are cut into small pieces and boiled in salted water until the petioles are soft, about 30-40 minutes.

1. Boiled pickans along with the broth must be cooled, add sour cream, boiled egg - you get a cold soup, which will replace okroshka in the heat. Another option - the broth is drained, the pickans are poured with cold kvass, boiled eggs, fresh radishes, cucumbers, green onions and sour cream. It turned out a kind of okroshka.
2. For hot soup, young nettles, potatoes and onions and carrots fried in oil were added. If desired, the soup was seasoned with sour cream or vegetable oil.
3. To prepare the salad, the petioles along with the leaves are seasoned with sour cream. Usually my grandmother did not add anything else to such a salad. But I think that it is not forbidden to add to such a salad fresh cucumbers, radishes or green onions.
4. To prepare caviar, the broth is drained, and the boiled petioles are crushed with a blender, spices are added. If desired, fried carrots and onions can be added to the caviar.

Dear readers, I beg your pardon, but I don’t have photos of the soup with picans because I simply didn’t have time to take a picture. When I came to my senses, there was no soup.

I don’t know, some of you may be familiar with this plant, and some of you hear about it for the first time. But it would be interesting to know about it - write about it in the comments. Tell your friends about this herb and subscribe to blog news.

Dear my readers! I am very glad that you looked at my blog, thank you all! Was this article interesting and helpful to you? Please write your opinion in the comments. I really want you to also share this information with your friends in the social. networks.

I really hope that we will communicate with you for a long time, there will be many more interesting articles on the blog. In order not to miss them, subscribe to blog news.

Be healthy! Taisiya Filippova was with you.