Kinkan

or kumquat

Family - rutovye. Homeland - Southeast Asia. There are several kinds of kinkans, the most common are Marumi, or round, and Nagamyoval. Kinkan is a subtropical, evergreen, small plant. In the indoor conditions, no more than 1 - 1.2 m. The branches are thin, devoid of thorns, the leaves are small( 5-10 cm), the flowers are large. The fruits are small, the size of a regular plum, orange, a pleasant sweet taste, with a smooth edible peel.

♦ Accommodation. Like all citrus fruits, it requires bright, sunny rooms. In summer it is best to take out a balcony to the garden, to the open loggia. In winter they are kept in cool, light rooms at a temperature of +4 - + 6 ° C.Very beautiful plant with bright golden fruits for the winter garden, heated loggias. Kinkan up to 12 - 15 years can be freely kept on the windows.

♦ Care. In summer, from April to September, abundant watering. In the winter, water carefully. It is necessary to monitor, so that it does not dry out. Feed the plant 2 times a month with a concentrated liquid fertilizer "Rainbow".

Transplant - every two years. The soil for kinkans should not be acidic, it is best to use for planting and transplanting the substrate for cacti, sold in stores.

♦ Pests and diseases - various kinds of scabbards, red spider mite. On discharge of the scabs the black fungus settles. When the air is dry and excess moisture, there is a loss of leaves.

♦ Reproduction - cuttings in special heated teplichkah, at a temperature of +25 - + 28 ° C.

Use

Jam

Whole Kincana fruit is blanched in water at 90 ° C for 15 minutes, cooled and kept in cold water for 10-12 hours.

Remove from the water on a sieve to make the glass water. Then pour hot syrup and stand 6-8 hours. Brew in 4 reception. To fill the fruit, a syrup is prepared from 800 g of sugar and 2 glasses of water per 1 kg of fruit.

Candied fruit kinkana

After cooking the jam, the fruits are poured together with the syrup onto a sieve. Leave on a sieve for 1.5 - 2 hours. Then lay out in one layer and dry in the oven at a temperature of no higher than 40 ° C.Then the dried fruits are sprinkled with powdered sugar. After sprinkling the fruits are dried again in the oven. Then stack in boxes with one layer.

Many citrus fruits are widely used in the food and confectionery industries.

The most interesting representatives of this group are kinkan. Strong aroma of flowers and ornamentality of small fruits make this plant a wonderful decoration of the interior of your apartment.