Orange: Facts You Didn't Know Until Now! Citruses What kind of citrus plants.

Description:

The orange is native to India and Southeast Asia.

orange has healing properties known to the ancient Egyptians. Modern scientific studies have shown that in 100 g of an orange fruit, the content of the main nutrients is as follows: water - 87.5 g, proteins - 0.9 g, carbohydrates - 8.4 g, fiber - 1.4 g. Minerals: sodium - 13 mg, potassium - 197 mg, calcium -34 mg. Vitamins: carotene - 0.05 mg, B1 - 0.04 mg, PP - 0.2 mg, C - 60 mg.

Care:

This finicky plant does not like dry air and drafts. Smoke, carbon monoxide kitchen fumes affect him negatively. It does not tolerate an orange tree next to it and other aromatic plants, especially during the flowering period.

He also does not like frequent shifts from place to place and sharp turns.

With sufficient sunlight, an orange tree will thank its owner with fragrant juicy fruits.

Watering: For watering plants, you need to use only well-settled (at least a day) tap water in an open vessel. Boiled (soft), melt water is also suitable. In summer, water twice - in the morning and in the evening. warm water(about + 20-23 degrees). Plants are watered less often in winter. Water should be taken warmer (+ 25-28 degrees).

The need for watering can be determined by the color of the topsoil: when dry, ordinary garden soil becomes light in color. You can also tap on the sides of the pot. Pots with dry earth make a louder sound. A dull sound indicates that the plant does not need watering.

It should be remembered that with excessive watering, the earth can turn sour, and the orange root system will begin to die. The lack of moisture is also highly undesirable, especially during flowering and fruiting.

Checking for the need for watering can also be carried out as follows: take a clod of earth from the pot and squeeze it in your hand. If it crumbles, then watering is needed.

Top dressing: Plants need to be fed 2-3 times a month from early spring to autumn. Feed less often in winter. You can feed with mineral and organic fertilizers - in summer: 1 time in 10 days, and in winter 1 time per month. From mineral it is better to use complex fertilizers. For 2 liters of water, you need to take 3 g of ammonium sulfate, 2 g of superphosphate, 1 g of sylvinite. Fertilizer is applied after watering. From organic, you can use manure infusion, diluted 10 times before use. An excellent potassium-phosphorus fertilizer for indoor plants is the ash of deciduous trees. A teaspoon of ash is added to a liter of water, stirred and watered with this solution of the plant 1-2 times a month. The sediment should be removed. As a top dressing, you can also use sleeping tea or coffee grounds, which contain many trace elements. When dried, they improve soil structure. Once a month (not more often) it is possible to water the plants with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, but only in the evening. If an overdose of fertilizers is suspected, an urgent transplant should be undertaken to save the plant. Dip a lump of old soil into a bowl or any other vessel with settled or boiled water at a temperature of + 22-25 degrees. The earth will quickly soften and release the root system of the plant, settling on the bottom of the bowl. Cover the root of the tree with new soil in the same way as with a regular transplant.

Lighting: Orange is a photophilous plant. If there is not enough sunlight, the plant increases the size of its leaves. They acquire a corrugated surface, which increases total area sheet. Additional lighting can also be used, placing incandescent lamps (preferably matte) with a power of 100 W at a distance of 70 cm. And fluorescent lamps with a power of 40 W - at a distance of 25-35 cm above the plant. For an orange, diffused light is better. If direct scorching sunlight falls on the leaves, you can slightly move the tree away from the window. It is undesirable to take out an orange tree on a balcony or in a garden. It is justified to do this only in cases where the windows in the apartment are small and the plant clearly does not have enough light.

Priming: 4 parts of sod land, 2 parts of leaf, 1 part of humus, 0.5 parts of river sand. Sod land is the main component in the preparation of the mixture. Better if you take it in the garden. Thoroughly mix all the constituent parts, while removing stones, glasses, old roots, etc. The resulting earthen mixture can be put on "exposure" and used in a week or two. It is very important that the soil is neutral or slightly acidic. By the way, peat soil for planting an orange is not recommended. Heavy clay soil is also not suitable: it makes it difficult for the plant to feed and can tear its small roots.

Humidity: For orange plants, a cool shower should be given every 2-3 weeks to wash away dust and pests. During such showers, cover the soil in the pot from getting wet tap water. It is also useful to wipe the leaves of plants on both sides with a soft, damp cloth. In the hot season, it is good to spray the plants 2-3 times a week with warm water from a spray bottle. After such a procedure, you can not put the plants under the scorching sun, so as not to cause leaf burns: after all, a drop of water on the leaves acts in much the same way as a magnifying glass - it focuses the sun's rays.

Reproduction: Orange can be propagated by seeds, cuttings, grafting, budding, layering. The easiest way is to plant freshly extracted seeds in the ground, but such trees bloom only after 12-15 years. Amateur gardeners need to know that a seedling grown from a seed with a trunk that has reached a diameter of 6-7 mm at the base can already be grafted. However, its further cultivation is unpromising, because. it’s quite difficult to do budding with a sleeping eye or, even more so, grafting on your own, and the lack of the necessary material for beginner amateur gardeners (eyes for budding and twigs for grafting taken from a fruiting tree) often poses insurmountable obstacles. For amateurs (especially beginners), I recommend purchasing an already grafted or rooted orange seedling. Necessary condition upon purchase - the seedling must have a closed root system.

To get a beautiful crown near a tree, it must be properly formed. This operation allows you to achieve faster flowering and fruiting. Crown formation takes several years. The crown should be in the form of a bush and consist of 3-4 skeletal branches located on the trunk. To do this, the shoot developing from the cutting is pinched at a height of about 20 cm so that 5 well-developed buds remain. The shoots grown from these buds and reaching a length of 20 cm are pinched. This will be the skeletal branches in the future. Branches of the 2nd-4th order should be pinched when they are 10-15 cm long. Flowers appear most often and abundantly on the branches of the fourth and even fifth order. Pruning is carried out above the kidney, the cut is made straight (with a sharply sharpened knife or razor. This upper kidney should “look” outward). A cut of thick branches is carried out at the very base. It must be covered with garden pitch or natural-based paint. However, remember: the thicker the branch, the more undesirable it is to cut it. So, carry out the formation of the crown of the tree in a timely manner. Pruning is desirable to do in the spring and as needed: remove dry branches, shoots growing inside the crown (so that pruning does not weaken the plant).

With the normal development of the tree, young shoots grow simultaneously with flowering and fruiting. It is advisable to carefully pick the first 2-3 orange flowers. It is better to do this before they bloom. This must be done so that the plant does not weaken. Orange blossoms profusely. The more ovaries are formed, the more likely it is that the fruits will grow small. By removing a small part in places where there is too much of it, the fruits on the tree will form both with pollination of flowers and without pollination.

Transplanting an orange is a very crucial moment. It must be produced as the tree develops. The age of an orange in years should approximately correspond to the size of the dish in liters. Transplantation is carried out every 2-3 years. The older the orange, the less often, when preparing a tree for transplantation, they stop watering. Due to the natural evaporation of moisture, the soil dries somewhat, so it will be easier to transplant the plant. Carefully lay the pot on its side and with your hands, lightly tapping on its walls, carefully remove the orange tree with a clod of earth riddled with many roots. You can not shake off all the old soil, so as not to damage the small roots. Distribute the roots of the tree evenly in a new dish, and only then fill it with new soil, which you take with your hand and knead thoroughly before backfilling. It is not necessary to compact the earth: over time, it will compact itself, then it will be possible to add it to the dishes more.

A very important point: the root neck of the tree can neither be pinned nor raised above the soil surface. After transplanting, water the plant and place it in partial shade for a week. The most suitable time for transplanting is spring. The evergreen orange sheds its leaves periodically. This is a completely normal process. If such a change of leaves occurs gradually, the leaf lives for about two years. So that the tree does not look one-sided, turning its entire crown towards the window (light), the pot can be gradually rotated so that the pot makes only one turn in a year.

In one of the ancient Greek myths, Hercules had to get golden fruits. Some researchers believe that we are talking about oranges - amazing fruits that can support immunity, cleanse and tone the body.

Orange is the fruit of an evergreen tree of the citrus family. But is it a fruit, it turns out, big question. In the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, fruits are any tree fruits that contain a lot of juice and are edible. And biologists say that oranges are multi-celled berries. As a result, oranges are both fruits and berries at the same time.

The birthplace of orange trees is Southeast Asia, in particular China, from where they were brought to Europe in the 15th century. Translated from German, orange means "Chinese apple". Today, this plant is grown not only in Asian countries, but throughout the globe. So far, scientists have not found a single orange tree in the wild. This gives reason to believe that the fruit is bred artificially. Most experts' guesses come down to a cross between pamelo and tangerine.

The shape of the orange is round, in some varieties it is slightly changed due to the presence of a small outgrowth on the top of the fruit in the form of another ball.

The skin of an orange is yellow, orange or dark orange, close to red. Depending on the type, it can be smooth and bumpy, thin and dense.

The flesh of an orange is usually juicy, sweet, or sweet and sour. Although some varieties have very sour pulp. Its color ranges from light yellow to blood red.

Orange leaves are leathery, oval-shaped with a pointed tip. The crown of the tree has a spherical shape or the shape of a ball, tapering towards the top.

Orange flowers are white, have a bright and sweet smell. The climate of orange trees choose subtropical humid. In other areas, they grow weakly and produce less juicy fruits. However, even in the temperate latitudes of Russia, it is possible to grow fruit-bearing orange trees at home.

In the store you can find the following types of oranges.

• Ordinary - bright yellow fruits with many seeds.
• Jaffa - large, juicy and sweet fruits with a dense bumpy skin.
• Umbilical - oranges that have a process in the upper part of the fruit in the form of a ball. The peel of an orange with a navel is orange, as is their flesh.
• Korolki - sugar fruits small size. This is the so-called red orange, because its flesh has a dark, bloody color. Such fruits are the sweetest of all presented in stores.

Composition of an orange

A whole range of vitamins, of which 100 g of the product contains the daily norm of vitamin C for a person, microelements and macroelements, dietary fiber and nutrients- all this is contained in an orange. Carbohydrates make up the bulk of the nutrient elements of the fruit - over 8 g. Proteins contain a little less than 1 g, and fats - 0.2 g.

AT diet food, in which there are so few sweets, it is an orange that comes to the aid of a losing weight person. The calorie content of its fruits is only 43 calories per 100 g of product.

The vitamin complex of "Chinese apples" includes many B vitamins, among which folic acid is isolated, which allows pregnant women to eat oranges. They also contain beta-carotene, vitamins A and E, as well as a large number of ascorbic acid.

The beneficial properties of an orange directly stem from its rich vitamin and mineral composition. People who are accustomed to using oranges only as a prevention of colds will be surprised at the effect that such a common fruit has on the human body today.

Orange - useful properties

Doctors recommend eating oranges for children and the elderly, who especially need a full range of minerals and vitamins. And for a strong body, the Chinese fruit has a tonic, immune-supporting, stimulating effect on metabolic processes.

Useful properties of orange

1. beneficial effect on digestive system. Oranges are known to stimulate the appetite and also stimulate the body to produce bile, which is involved in the process of breaking down food. Thus, a glass of orange juice before a meal will ensure its rapid and proper absorption. Chinese fruits facilitate the digestion of fatty foods, stimulate the intestines, detoxify the gastrointestinal tract, removing harmful products decay and putrefaction from the body. The value of orange in the treatment of constipation is also known.
2. Oranges reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood and prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases.
3. The fruits contain substances that accelerate the healing of wounds and ulcers, as well as kill harmful microbes in places where the skin and mucous membranes are damaged.
4. Due to the high content of vitamins in orange, it is used in the treatment of hypovitaminosis.
5. The use of oranges is shown in diseases such as hypertension, obesity, atherosclerosis, gout.
6. Oranges help relieve nervous tension and its consequences - physical and psychological fatigue, sleep disturbances, a state of apathy. Essential oils are used in complex treatment depressions. They can also cheer up and increase the stress resistance of a person.
7. Substances contained in oranges destroy cancer cells that are found in every human body. As a result, the risk oncological diseases decreases.

Harm of oranges

1. Oranges are contraindicated in gastritis and some other gastric diseases, as they contain a lot of acids.
2. Fruits are the strongest allergen. Allergy to oranges can develop if they are consumed too often. And if you eat them regularly and in large quantities, the risk of diabetes increases.
3. Oranges destroy tooth enamel. To avoid this trouble, rinse your mouth after eating a fruit or drinking orange juice.

oranges for diabetes

Oranges are recommended for use in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. There are only 33 of them, and all the sugar contained in these fruits is fructose and glucose. Oranges contain enough soluble fiber to slow down the absorption of glucose in the body. In addition, a person suffering from diseases needs additional vitamins and minerals, which an orange will provide a diabetic in large quantities.

oranges during pregnancy

Expectant mothers are known to have the most unexpected food preferences. This is due to the fact that the body of a pregnant woman feels what elements it lacks for the proper development of the child. Oranges are frequent culprits for such sudden desires. But can pregnant women eat oranges?

Orange contains a lot of vitamin C, which will support the immune system future mother, as well as folic acid - an indispensable element in the 1st trimester of pregnancy. It is folic acid that is involved in building the nervous system of the baby. Therefore, oranges for pregnant women are not only allowed, but also indicated. To avoid allergies during pregnancy, eat them no more than 1 piece per day.

Application of orange

oranges in the kitchen

The simplest and fast way to get its healing power from an orange - squeeze it from fresh fruits and drink it or just eat a Chinese fruit. Today orange is added to many dishes. The juicy pulp makes the dishes taste delicious, and the smell of orange can attract even the most capricious gourmets to food. Despite the fact that this is a sweet fruit, it is successfully combined with vegetables, meat and mayonnaise. Well, biscuits and curd cakes with the addition of fragrant slices, they will turn into real culinary masterpieces.

health benefits of orange

Orange is used not only for the prevention of diseases, but also for their targeted treatment.

1. Orange combined with lemon perfectly cleanses and strengthens blood vessels and is used to prevent stroke, heart attack, angina pectoris.
2. Grated orange peel tincture relieves intense menstrual cramps.
3. Inhalations with sweet orange oil soften Airways for colds and infections.
4. Tincture on orange slices helps to relieve fever.
5. Freshly squeezed juice mixed with raw chicken egg used to relieve hangovers.
6. With the help of special orange compresses, gum bleeding can be reduced and the symptoms of stomatitis can be alleviated.

Orange in cosmetology

In modern cosmetology, they are used as an independent tool or as part of various cosmetics. Orange has the following effect on the body:

• reduces pores and reduces the intensity of acne;
• eliminates unwanted skin pigmentation, has a whitening property;
• stimulates the production of collagen, as a result of which wrinkles are smoothed out and the skin becomes more elastic;
• accelerate the renewal of skin cells;
• reduces the appearance of cellulite;
• moisturizes and tones the skin.

Application of orange peel

1. Orange peel is used for the preparation of candied fruits, zest, jam, medicinal infusions.
2. If your pets like to dig into potted plants or chew on leaves, place orange peels next to the plants. Cats can't stand orange smell. The peel will also drive away insects that start in residential buildings.
3. The essential oils contained in the orange peel have a beneficial effect on nervous system, relax, relieve fatigue, help with depression. You can make aromatic pouches with peels yourself and hang them around the apartment.
4. The dried peel burns well in a fire, so use it to kindle a fireplace or stove in the village.

Oranges belong to the genus Citrus. All year round, orange fruits are available to customers from all over the world.

It happens that you want oranges, you come home, peel the peel, and the fruit is incredibly sour. An orange, like all citrus fruits, contains a lot of vitamin C. It is he who gives sourness.

Why do oranges turn sour

In the case of sour oranges, everything is simple. At home, in Southeast Asia - China, oranges grow in the sun with soft and warm temperatures. climatic conditions, therefore, acid rarely appears in fruits there.

1. Oranges grown in unsuitable conditions for ripening turn out to be sour and unsuitable for eating. Unripe citrus, already sour in taste, becomes unbearably sour.
2. Oranges, like many fruits, are often hybrids. Crossed varieties of mandarin and pomelo sour.

The shelf life of oranges is from 3 to 6 months. Imported oranges are stored for 2-3 months at temperatures down to -2 degrees. Chilled citruses quickly deteriorate and lose their taste.

How not to make a mistake in choosing

Buyers rarely think about the possibility of buying unripe or just hybrid oranges. The purchase scheme is simple - put orange fruits in a bag, weigh them, punch them at the checkout.

To understand if oranges are sweet, use the tips below:

1. Pay attention to the price tag. In hypermarkets, on the label where the price is indicated, the type of product is prescribed. The sweetest varieties are Sukkari and Mosambi.
2. Look at the variety. If it is not listed, ask the seller a question. The seller-merchant manager must know the range of goods offered.
3. Learn the shape of an orange. There is an opinion that oranges with a thin, hard-to-peel skin are sweet - such a fruit will be softer. Thick-skinned oranges are large, heavy, and visually bulge.
4. Choose oranges with a "navel". We met oranges with a slight bulge in place of the handle - they are recognized as the sweetest.

Oranges are loved by everyone. Many people love oranges even more than apples. And how can you compare a noble citrus fruit with some kind of antonovka? Meanwhile...

Until the 16th century, Europeans had no idea about oranges at all. Russians, even more so. We don't grow oranges! And then the Portuguese navigators brought these delicious orange balls from the eastern countries. And they began to trade with their neighbors. Those, of course, asked: "Where did the apples come from?" - because they have not heard of oranges, but in shape this fruit looks like an apple. Merchants honestly answered: "Apples from China, Chinese!"

And so it was remembered. And oranges came to Russia from Holland. The Dutch for "apple" is appel, and the Chinese for "apple" is sien. Here comes the orange.

Origin of the orange

Oranges have been known to mankind since ancient times. They were first mentioned in ancient literature as early as 2400 BC. e. Later in Europe, they became elite fruits and adorned only royal meals and noble feasts. The common people were left with only the skins of juicy bright fruits. During the Renaissance, scientists thought that oranges "fought away" the plague, and immediately attributed them to medicinal plants. I must say that the scientists were right about the healing properties of citrus fruits. They really increase appetite, improve metabolism by improving digestive functions, and strengthen the body's immune system.

Orange is indeed Asian in origin. Italy, Spain, Morocco and other Mediterranean countries, which feed half the world with citrus fruits, are, as they say, a secondary center of origin. And he got there quite late, less than five centuries ago.

The warriors of Alexander the Great were also familiar with the orange, but they did not recognize it good fruit. For many centuries, Europeans did not pay any attention to the orange. Here is the time and place of his arrival in Europe: 1548, Lisbon. Very quickly odorous fruit with a noticeable orange peel became widely known, although under different names. And not only because of the amazing juiciness and unusual, memorable taste, but also because the tree bears fruit. all year round, and its fruits (more precisely, multi-celled berries, since the seeds are surrounded, as in a currant, with juicy pulp) are stored for a long time without any special tricks.

In a country that was formerly called the USSR, only Colchis and even the Central Asian subtropics could provide orange tree tolerable conditions for existence; already the Sochi region is unnecessarily cool for him. Selection for cold resistance has been going on for a long time, but victorious fanfare has not yet been heard. Harvest near Batumi ripens only by the very end of the year, sugar in the pulp - in juice bags covered with a film - is noticeably less than that of Spanish or Moroccan oranges. True, there are so many vitamins and minerals.

Today, in the 21st century, you will not surprise anyone with oranges. They can be found on store shelves all year round. And this is wonderful, because these sunny fruits fabulously rich in vitamins C, E, B3, B6, PP, A, fiber and antioxidants that slow down the aging process human body. An orange weighing about 150 grams, for example, contains not even 100, but 130% of the daily value of vitamin C. At the same time, experts from the US National Academy of Sciences are sure that only 10 mg of vitamin C per day can prevent its deficiency in the body, and one medium An orange contains about 70 mg of this vitamin.

The use of oranges reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and the development of malignant tumors - and all thanks to the presence of phytoelements in their composition. Orange is an easily digestible product. It produces an incredible amount of heat and energy in the body immediately after consuming it. This is very effective remedy with depression. The fruit is useful for hysteria, insomnia, nervous tension.

And finally, the orange is low in calories, so nutritionists strongly recommend that everyone who follows a healthy lifestyle consume it. So fragrant sweets from fresh, grated orange zest, included in the line "Sweets for Slimming", will not harm your grace at all, but they will certainly add a drop of pleasure and health.

Orange is known to be able to prevent colds and flu. Its energy increases the body's resistance against infections and speeds up recovery. Citrus has anti-aging properties, removes toxins and metabolic products from the body, thereby preventing aging and many diseases.

Orange reduces the effects of overeating fast foods. This conclusion was made by endocrinologists from the University of Buffalo, USA. Studies have shown that orange contains bioflavonoids that can protect and support the circulatory system.

All scientists unequivocally state: useful properties apply only to natural oranges, and in no case to a dry concentrate.

Orange peel also has beneficial properties.

It is curious that vitamin C, ascorbic acid, orange accumulates in the peel three times more than in the pulp. His bright armor, which accounts for about a quarter of the fruit, is good in many ways. From its outer layer, called flavedo, fragrant is extracted essential oil. The inner, white layer - albedo - is one of the richest sources of pectin, just like the white column in the middle of an orange.

Pectins, firstly, are favorable for digestion, and secondly, they contribute to the excretion of harmful substances; these two advantages would be enough, but there is also a third: they give the culinary products a special texture, tender and strong at the same time. It is thanks to pectin that orange jams and marmalades are so good.

The skin of an orange, cut with a knife, is also used by a prudent housewife: in pies, candied fruits, cocktails, apple jam, and even in a wardrobe - it is believed that dried peels repel moths. Public opinion tends to favor thin-skinned oranges, either orange or red. In the latter case, oranges are quite officially called kinglets (their flesh is usually red), and in the first - ordinary oranges. There is a third type - navel oranges, large, sweet, very tasty. However, many are confused by the navel, the underdeveloped second fruit at the top. Many - but not those who have ever tasted such an orange.

An orange harvested in the fall may not be as juicy as before in the spring, but it is almost certainly sweeter, because the ratio of sugar to acid increases little by little during storage. But it is even more surprising that sometimes (alas, not always) an orange gains vitamin C in its maturation. If it loses it, it is not enough to fall in our eyes. Just like that, you won’t win the second place in the world among fruits, and it’s not at all shameful to give way to an apple ...

However, do you know that one (!) Orange, in terms of the content of this most valuable substance, replaces several kilograms of potatoes?

Fruit lovers know that on the same tree you can grow different varieties and even different types fruits. However, this is not mere amateurism. The so-called "two-story citrus culture", proposed by the Sukhumi citrus breeder N.V. Ryndin, brilliantly justified in practice, as an original method of additional accelerated production of oranges. This method allows you to regraft with oranges those citrus plantations that are somehow low-yielding. You can turn into orange trees those tangerines that are planted in warm neighborhoods suitable for oranges. And vice versa: where lemons are planted in insufficiently warm places, they are often damaged by frost and therefore do not bear fruit - they can also be re-grafted with oranges. In this way, it is possible to increase by 10-15 times the number of scarce imported oranges we have in two or three months. To do this, in June, it is necessary to graft an eye of a high-grade orange into the crown of a mandarin, which, by the budding season, that is, by August, grows into a powerful branch. The practice of "two-story culture" of oranges on the crown of tangerines has found a lot of great advantages. Grafting an orange, as it were, on a huge rootstock of a more frost-resistant tangerine tree significantly increases the frost resistance of oranges, the fruits ripen earlier and have a sweeter taste and brighter color than oranges in a conventional culture.

Instructions on how to find out how many slices are in an orange, tangerine or lemon before peeling it:

first, tear off the tail of the orange;

in the resulting recess, we count the number of small holes - their number is the number of slices in the orange: through them, the orange absorbs juices into its slices;

offer a bet that you can guess how many slices are in an orange before you peel it;

win the fight :)

According to iqfun.ru, lakomie.ru

What are citrus plants?

Citrus fruits belong to the rue family, the orange subfamily, the genus citrus. They are bred for the sake of fragrant, vitamin-rich fruits, and so long ago that there are almost no wild species in nature, only cultivated ones. The birthplace of citrus fruits is Southeast Asia, from where they spread to all tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. Citrus fruits now occupy the largest area in North and Central America. The genus includes about twenty species that easily interbreed with each other, so that the number of hybrids is difficult to count. From time to time we see fruits with unfamiliar names in the store, but it is immediately clear in appearance: citrus. You can't confuse citruses with anything.

What is a hesperidium?

The fruit of a plant in the citrus family is called a hesperidium. It was named after the Hesperides, in whose garden golden apples grew. According to experts, these were oranges. Hesperidium is a special kind of berry-like fruit. Its pulp, divided into segments, consists of spindles filled with juice, which are called juice sacs and are formed from the inner wall of the ovary. At first they look like small papillae, then they turn into multicellular hairs, then the inner cells of the hair are destroyed, and a sac filled with a solution of acids, sugars and vitamins remains.

Second salient feature hesperidia - its peel. It consists of two layers: a bright outer, called flavedo, from the Latin flavus - yellow, and white albedo (albus - white). The outer layer contains many glands that secrete essential oil and is covered with a thin layer of natural wax, thanks to which the fruits are stored for a long time. The inner layer serves as a source of moisture for the developing hesperidium, but dries out as it matures. The drier and looser the white layer becomes, the easier the peel is separated from the pulp.

Why is there a small orange inside a large orange?

This is another unique property of Hesperidia. They sometimes form a "two-story" ovary, and as a result, two twin fetuses develop. The second, small, is visible through a small hole (navel) in the peel of a large fruit. There are even varieties of navel oranges.

What are citruses?

The largest member of the genus is the citron (Citrus medica). Its length reaches 40 cm, and its diameter is 28 cm. The peel of the citron is thick, and it is sour, so it is not eaten fresh. However, it was he who was the first of the citrus fruits to come to Europe, apparently just because of the fragrant peel. The second place is occupied by pampelmus, he is sheddock and pomelo with an accent on the second syllable (C. grandis). Its peel is thick, from greenish to bright yellow, the flesh is sweet and sour, sometimes slightly bitter, but not as strong as that of a grapefruit (C. paradisi). Some experts do not exclude that the grapefruit is a mutation of pampelmus or its hybrid with an orange.

Sweet, Chinese, or real orangeC. sinensis, perhaps the most common citrus. The adjective "orange" is derived from the French word "orange", but there are also red oranges. They are also called "kings". The kinglet is slightly smaller than an ordinary orange, its juice contains the red pigment anthocyanin, an antioxidant, by the way, which is not typical for citrus fruits. Peeling a red orange is more difficult than an orange. There is also a sour or bitter orange, also known as orange and bigardia (C. aurantium). Really bittersweet, but good for marmalade. A variety of orange or its hybrid with citron - thick-skinned bergamotC. bergamia. Bred mainly as an essential oil crop, bergamot oil is considered the finest of all citrus oils.

A huge number of cultural options in mandarinC. reticulata, the most famous of them is clementine. It is easy to clean and break into slices and is practically pitted. Some varieties of tangerine are even isolated in certain types. For example, tangerineC. tangerina- sweet, thin-skinned, and satsumaC. unshiu. Satsuma also has a very thin skin with large glands that secrete essential oil, and tender flesh that requires careful handling.

Lemon C. lemonfamous for its acidity and high content of vitamin C. Seafarers took lemons with them on long voyages as a remedy for scurvy.

Less well known is sweet lemon, or sweet lime.C. limetta. Its fruits are really sweet and juicy. real limeC. aurantiifoliavery sour, small fruits, greenish flesh. Another sour thing is yunos, or yuzuC.junos. It is a complex hybrid between several citrus species. In Japan, it is used like a lemon.

What is a kumquat?

Kumquat also belongs to the citrus subfamily, but to a different genus -Fortunella. The kumquat looks like a small orange, tastes like a sour tangerine. It can be eaten with the skin, it is thin and sweet. However, it crosses with real citruses, there is a hybrid of kumquat and lime - limequat. Its flesh is sweet with bitterness.

What are the benefits of citrus?

The pulp of citruses makes up to 70% of the mass of the fruit. It contains 1-6% acids, mainly citric, 2-8% sugars, vitamins C, P, B 1 and B 2 , carotene. The taste and color of the fruit depend on the ratio of these substances and the presence of some additives. In mandarin, for example, there are very few acids, no more than 1%, and grapefruit pulp contains the bitter glycoside naringin. Bitterness comes from the films in which the fruit slices are enclosed, so they try to get rid of them. In addition, citrus fruits contain dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus.

Citruses are first of all delicious sources of vitamins and microelements for us. Vitamin PP and potassium have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system as a whole and on strengthening the walls of blood vessels. Carotene is useful for the eyes, calcium and phosphorus salts - for bones, nails, hair and teeth, vitamin B - for the central and peripheral nervous system.

Grapefruit glycoside naringin and its derivative naringenin have an anti-sclerotic effect and contribute to the normalization of weight. Grapefruit juice is useful for hypertensive patients, patients with metabolic syndrome and increased level blood sugar. Even more effective is nobiletin, a flavonoid isolated from the peel of tangerines. In general, the peel of all citrus fruits contains a large amount of flavonoids, which to one degree or another have antioxidant, antifungal and antisclerotic effects, as well as affecting the activity of many metabolic processes.

Processes. The flavonoid hesperidin, for example, strengthens the walls of blood vessels. Just do not think that if you eat a few kilograms of grapefruit along with white films, all diseases will disappear. Every product shows its useful qualities if consumed regularly. Grapefruit, for example, you need to eat half a day, and another teaspoon of albedo.

Are citrus fruits good for everyone?

Citrus proteins and polysaccharides are strong allergens and should be given to children with caution. You should not overeat citrus fruits for people with high acidity, stomach ulcers and intestinal upset, and patients diabetes should be aware of the high sugar content in tangerines and oranges.

What foods go well with citrus?

Sweet citrus fruits: oranges, tangerines, pomelo and even grapefruits are wonderful on their own. They are eaten fresh, added to fruit salads and confectionery. Drinks (juices and soft drinks), jam, marmalade and marshmallow are made from citruses. Jam is made from the peel - this is the most fragrant part of the fruit - and candied fruits are prepared, tinctures are made from it, and an essential oil is obtained, which is used to flavor drinks and confectionery. Bitter and sour citruses go straight to confectionary shop. Like any fruit containing acid, citruses go well with meat and fish. They decorate meat dishes, pies and pies, sauces are prepared from them. Fish and seafood are advised to drink citrus juice with ginger. And here is a popular Italian salad: red oranges and fennel root are cut into pieces and olive oil is added.

About the zest.

Zest is a spice, the dried pigmented layer of citrus peel. To prepare the zest, it is first necessary to thoroughly wash the fruit in order to clean the peel of wax and various substances with which it may have been processed. Then you need to carefully cut off the top layer with a sharp knife, trying not to capture the bottom white. Then the peel is dried for two to three days, laying on paper, at room temperature, turning regularly. When the zest becomes brittle, it is ready. You can store it in pieces, but it is added to dishes only in ground form.

The peel of orange, orange and tangerine is used to prepare sweet dishes, such as jelly, compotes, mousses, puddings and ice cream, and is added to pastries. Orange zest also adds flavor to meat sauces and pairs well with poultry and fish. The range of applications of grapefruit and lemon zest is even wider. It is added to vegetable, fish and meat salads, as well as to all cold sauces for them. Lemon peel goes well with beets, improves the taste of cold beetroots and hot borscht. It is not necessary to boil it, the zest is added to the freshly cooked soup and allowed to brew for three to four minutes. Lemon zest does not contain acid, which remains in the pulp, and gives the dish only the aroma of lemon. It is good to infuse vodka on grapefruit and lemon zest.

Zest is a mild spice, so it is added in large quantities. A piece of meat, for example, is thickly sprinkled with powder.

Artist E.Stanikova