How do you eat kiwanos? Learn how to grow a kiwano

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Every year, new exotic fruits and vegetables appear on supermarket shelves. Even having bought a fruit for testing, not all lovers can say with certainty what they are holding in their hands - a fruit or a vegetable, and how to eat it in general. Another such novelty is the nod. What kind of fruit is this? Some believe that kivano is a fruit, no one really knows how it is. Others are sure that it is a vegetable. And only in one opinion all are united. A fruit that looks like a hedgehog is very useful. How is Kiwano eaten and what is this exotic plant? This needs to be sorted out.

Interesting fruit

Kivano is called a fruit conditionally. In fact, it is a vegetable from the pumpkin family. Simply put, a close relative of the common cucumber. It is called differently - African prickly cucumber, two-horned or jelly melon. Those who call it Antillean cucumber or anguria are wrong. These are completely different plants, in which you can see only some external resemblance.

Two-horned melon is grown everywhere in countries with a hot tropical climate, and is specially bred in New Zealand,USA (California), Israel and Columbia.

Kivano is an annual herbaceous vine with thin but strong stems. In length, it reaches 5-6 meters. It is a thermophilic, short daylight plant that can be grown as a garden crop and as an ornamental vine.

Kivano leaves are similar to cucumber leaves, only smaller. In their axils are numerous yellow flowers. Like other pumpkins, they are divided into male and female. During the entire growing season, the vine bears abundant fruit. Observing all the rules of care, up to 200 fruits can be collected from a bush. It is realistic to achieve such a result by constantly cutting greens. But the yield can drop sharply if at least one Kiwano fruit remains and ripens on the vine.

How to grow it in our country?

The best way to do this is through seedlings. Before sowing in pots, seeds should be soaked in a nutrient solution for a day. As soon as the threat of frost has passed, young plants after mandatory hardening can be planted in the ground. The place for the nod should be protected from wind and direct sunlight. Despite the fact that the plant is thermophilic, it does not tolerate the hot sun. Burns will quickly appear on the leaves, and the flowers and ovary may fall off. Kiwano prefers light, loose, permeable soil. It does not tolerate drought and waterlogging. The stems of the plant need support. Therefore, it is advisable to plant them under a fence or tie them with twine, periodically twisting the stem clockwise.

Alternatively, you can spreada mesh that the vine will densely braid. Due to the rapid growth and abundant foliage, young plants should be placed at a distance of 50-80 cm. Further care of the kiwano is simple. This is regular watering (especially after each harvest), soil mulching (the root system is weak, it is easy to damage it when loosening), weeding and fertilizing every 10-12 days, and it is imperative to alternate organic fertilizer with mineral. The plant also responds well to foliar fertilizing with microelements. Lateral shoots should be pinched, especially with strong thickening. In this case, the stems with male flowers are removed first and completely. The crop is harvested every 4-7 days with mandatory subsequent watering.

This plant has many advantages, the main of which is resistance to diseases characteristic of the gourd family. But there is one drawback. Kiwano is very sensitive to diurnal temperature changes. However, the first domestic variety, the "green dragon", has recently appeared on sale. It was bred specifically for our latitudes. The development and growth of plants of this variety do not depend on the length of daylight hours and are more resistant to low temperatures. In addition, they begin to bear fruit after 2 months.

Indoor Growing

If there is no garden plot, it's not scary. A balcony or loggia is perfect for a nod. How to grow and what is the peculiarity of caring for him at room conditions? First of all, you need to choose a pot for the plant. Its volume can vary from 5 to 25 liters. It depends on the size of the balcony. To infruits were tied indoors on the vine, it will be necessary to carry out pollination manually with a brush. This is done only in the morning, when the flowers are open and the pollen is viable. The resulting fruits will perfectly decorate a balcony or loggia.

What does it taste like?

Despite the fact that kiwano is called a jelly melon, it is no larger than an average orange in size. The skin of the fruit, green with marble stains, is covered with soft spikes. When ripe, the kiwano acquires a yellow color. The African cucumber is a very watery vegetable. Its green flesh has a jelly-like consistency. Therefore, in ripe fruits, you have to scoop it out with a spoon.

Sweet and sour kiwano, the taste of which resembles melon, banana and cucumber at the same time, contains many useful substances and has healing properties. Its pulp is rich in carbohydrates, B vitamins, macro- and microelements, the main ones being iron, zinc, calcium, copper, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. And yet most of all it contains ascorbic acid.

Prolonged use of Kiwano, especially in winter, helps to strengthen the immune system. Due to its low calorie content (only 44 calories per 100 grams), it is recommended for obese people to eat it. And due to the content of potassium, the fruit is useful for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. But its use in medicine does not end there. With astringent properties, the pulp of the fruit helps to heal wounds and stop bleeding.

Kivano is also valued in cosmetology - as a component that is part of masksfor face and body. They have a pronounced tightening and toning effect on the skin. Due to the high fiber content, the fruits stimulate intestinal motility and are recommended for the prevention of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. With chemotherapy, regular consumption of juice has a beneficial effect on the condition of the hair, slowing down and reducing their loss. The fruits of horned melon can be eaten even by diabetics.

How is it used?

How to eat kiwano depends on the degree of ripeness of the fruit. It is eaten both green and fully ripe. Greens are s alted and pickled in the same way as cucumbers. Kivano will give an original taste to compotes and jams. But most often the fruit is eaten raw. Its dense green flesh is added to desserts and salads. Peeled slices decorate cocktails, sandwiches and second courses. How do you eat kiwano if it is ripe? To do this, cut it in half and remove all the pulp with a spoon. After that, the empty halves can not be thrown away, but washed well. If you put them on spikes like legs, they will turn into an original dish for serving snacks or an interesting table setting accessory.

Many are interested in how they eat kiwano in his homeland. The most popular dish is an appetizer with seafood and cheese. She is easy to prepare. Seafood should be mixed with soft cheese and add kiwano. Sometimes you can do without seafood. It is enough to cut the cheese into circles and decorate them with the jelly-like pulp of the African cucumber on top. You can make a delicious and he althy cocktail from Kiwano juice. Forthis you need to add lemon or orange juice to it and beat them in a mixer. Such a cocktail is served in a glass of kiwano skins.

After eating horned melon, no serious consequences have been recorded. And yet, people prone to allergic reactions are advised to try the nod for the first time carefully, in small pieces.

Storage

Having figured out how kiwanos are eaten, it remains only to say that ripe fruits are perfectly stored at room temperature for several months, almost until spring. So, they can perfectly support immunity all winter.