Feijoa

Feijoa – a small evergreen bush with dense sprawling krone. The plant is from tropics, and in the European countries for the first time appeared in 1890. Is later than a feijoa from France delivered to Transcaucasia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, to the Crimea and Georgia where it perfectly got accustomed.

For feijoa it was open by the Brazilian botanist Joao da Silva (Silva) Feyjo. Later the botanist Otto Karl Berg gave the name to this plant in honor of the pioneer.

The feijoa – a thermophilic plant, however, as a matter of experience of cultivation in Krasnodar Krai and the Crimea, can take out frosts to-10 ˚С.

The bush blossoms in June-July, and fruits of a feijoa ripen in October-November. The feijoa plentifully fructifies. Even from houseplants collect up to three kilograms of fruits, and from bushes on a plantation – to thirty kilograms.

The fruit of a feijoa represents the oblong greenish or yellowish polyspermous berry by the size reaching five-seven centimeters. Depending on a grade the weight of a fruit varies from 25 to 125 grams. Ripe fruit has juicy, slightly sourish pulp with small, oval seeds. Its peel tart on taste and rather dense.

Fruits of a feijoa collect immature. The peel of crude fruits has characteristic glossy gloss. They ripen at storage or when transporting. Useful properties of a feijoa at such ripening, according to specialists, are not lost. Ripe fruits quickly enough spoil. Feijoas smell of mix of a wild strawberry and pineapple and have sweet-sour taste. Pulp of ripe fruit has to be transparent. If pulp white, then a feijoa did not ripen yet and if brown, then the fruit is already spoiled.

Nutrition value and caloric content of a feijoa

Hundred grams of a feijoa contain 86 g of water, 1 g of proteins, 0,8 g of fats, 10 g of carbohydrates and 0,74 g of ashes.

8 mkg of B1 vitamin, 32 mkg of B2 vitamin, 0,29 mg of Niacinum, 0,23 mkg of B5 vitamin, 0,05 mg of B6 vitamin, 38 mkg of folic acid are a part of fruits.

100 g of fruit contain 155 mg of potassium, 17 mg of calcium, 3 mg of sodium, 9 mg of magnesium, 20 mg of phosphorus, 80 mkg of iron, 70 mkg of iodine, 85 mkg of manganese, 55 mkg of copper, 40 mkg of zinc.

In 100 g of a feijoa about 50 kcal contain.

Advantage of a feijoa

It is difficult to revaluate advantage of a feijoa. First of all, the advantage of a feijoa is that iodine in these berries contains much more, than in any other products. On the content of iodine this fruit costs on an equal basis with seafood and a laminaria. Iodine in its structure contains in a type of water-soluble connections. Bushes of a feijoa receive it from the sea breezes rich with flying iodine. Therefore true advantage to an organism bear only fruits which grew by the sea under the sun.

In addition to iodine, sucrose, cellulose, pectinaceous substances as a part of a feijoa contains more, than in other berries.

In medicine these berries apply at avitaminosis, inflammatory diseases of a digestive tract, at pyelonephritis, bronchitis, a bazedovy disease, gout, at painful periods, rheumatism, vomiting, diarrhea. The regular use of fruit promotes decrease in concentration of cholesterol in a blood plasma and to decrease in the high ABP. At flu and catarrhal diseases it is useful to use a feijoa with warm tea in the form of jam. The boiled, fresh or wiped fruit are very useful at atherosclerosis.

Essential oils of a feijoa are applied dermatology as effective anti-inflammatory drug. Extract of these fruits has the expressed antifungal and antibacterial properties. Useful properties of a feijoa quite often use in cosmetology. Cosmetic masks on its basis possess the rejuvenating, nutritious and antiinflammatory action.

Bark and leaves of bushes of a feijoa are used as an antiseptic agent and disinfectant for healing of wounds and ulcers. Broth of leaves kills a dentagra and saves from bleeding of gums.

The peel of these fruits contains catechins and leykoantotsiana – strong antioxidants. The regular use of a peel reduces risk of development of oncological diseases. Therefore it is the most useful not to peel this fruit of a peel and to eat entirely. However the peel spoils taste of a feijoa a little because of tart, astringent taste therefore it is the best of all to dry it and to make with tea.

It is daily recommended to eat not less than four fruits.

Use of a feijoa

Most often fruits of a feijoa are eaten crude, but some culinary specialists cook compotes, desserts, marinades, jam from these fruit, add them to fruit and vegetable salads. In feijoa salads perfectly is in harmony with citrus and oily fruit, and also with carrots, beet and apples.

The excellent dessert turns out from the fruit wiped on a grater mixed with sour cream or yogurt.

Fruit quite often use for preparation of wine and various tinctures, and also as a stuffing for pastries.

Very often feijoas fray with sugar. At a zasakharivaniye taste and useful properties of a feijoa remain invariable.

Because of high concentration of sugar fruits are contraindicated at a diabetes mellitus and obesity.

Feijoa storage conditions

The feijoa can be stored in the refrigerator from one to two weeks. At storage they lose moisture and become more sweet.