Orange useful properties

Evergreen fruit tree from the genus Citrus of the family Rutaceae, a fruit mycorrhizal tree, on tall rootstocks - 12 m high, on dwarf ones - 4-6 m, grows in a tropical and subtropical climate. The word "orange" - of German origin, means "Chinese apple".

Crown spherical or pyramidal, dense, densely leafy. Branches often with spines, the length of which on the juvenile shoots reaches 10 cm. The leaves are large, leathery, dark green, glossy, glabrous, entire( at the top of the leaf there is a small serration), ovate, with pointed;petioles are winged. Flowers axillary, white, fragrant, solitary or in scutes, bisexual.

Fruits are multi-nested berries, globose or somewhat elongated, from light orange to reddish-orange;the skin is often smooth, dense, not bitter, easily separated from the pulp. Pulp of fruit is dense, sweet or sweet and sour.

The homeland of an orange - Southeast Asia( China or India), in Russia it is sometimes cultivated.

Medicinal raw materials are fruits. The juice of the orange fruit quenches the thirst well with feverish conditions, it is taken as an effective means of prevention and treatment of hypo-and avitaminosis, with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, atherosclerosis, hypertension, gout, constipation.

However, orange juice is contraindicated in patients with peptic ulcer of the gastrointestinal tract and gastritis with increased acidity of gastric juice.
The healing properties of the orange were known to the Arab healers and European doctors of the Middle Ages.

In folk medicine dried fruit peel was used to stimulate appetite, with colds, coughs, as well as with malignant ulcers, kidney diseases, intestinal diseases, in the treatment of urolithiasis and other diseases. Alcohol tincture of orange peels was recommended as an effective antiplatelet agent and as a means of stopping uterine bleeding, which helps with abundant menstrual discharge and in the climacteric period.

Some medics of the Middle Ages wrote: in order to stop the bleeding of the uterus, the most reliable means are cooked unripe oranges in the skin.

The Romans used water from orange blossoms to treat a hangover and indigestion of the stomach. Ancient Arab physicians used this fruit to treat disorders of the nervous system - as a means to combat apathy, depressive states, fears, irritability, etc.

In traditional Chinese medicine, doctors recommended oranges for nausea, a feeling of rasparing in the stomach and in the stomach,with dysentery, with the lowering of the stomach and uterus.

The doctor Nigroselli compared the action of the peel of an orange with the action of quinine. He recommended a sick fever daily( 2-3 times a day) to take powders from pounded peel of orange. The Milanese doctor Septalius prescribed a decoction of orange peels to suppress strong menstruation. In Italy, from orange blossoms, special water was distilled, which was recommended as a diaphoretic and hemostatic.

Some doctors recommended daily eating a few oranges - as the best remedy for flu, furunculosis and for improving intestinal activity. At the beginning of the 18th century, the juice of orange and lemon was considered the best remedy for scurvy.

Nowadays many intuitive guesses of ancient doctors are confirmed by scientific medicine and biochemical research.

In the juicy pulp of orange fruits, ascorbic acid( up to 65 mg per 100 g), vitamins B, B2, A and P are also contained. Also, a large amount of sugars( up to 10%) and minerals( calcium, phosphorus, potassium).In addition, citric acid, pectic substances, color compounds( plant pigments) and phytoncides. In the peel of an orange, several types of valuable essential oils were found.

Fruits are used to prevent and treat hypo-and avitaminosis. Orange juice improves metabolism, has a mild tonic effect, stimulates appetite and improves digestion. Therefore, it is recommended for hypoacid gastritis( that is, patients with low acidity of gastric juice), are prescribed to reduce bile secretion and with a tendency to chronic constipation. Oranges and fruit juice contain a large amount of pectin substances, which contribute to the emptying of the intestine. This reduces the development of putrefactive processes and reduces the amount of absorbed substances harmful to the body. The use of oranges is limited in hyperacid gastritis( with increased acidity of gastric juice) and peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.

The ability of pectins contained in fruits and orange peels is now being studied, reducing blood sugar in healthy people and in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Due to the large amount of potassium, the fruits have a fairly pronounced diuretic( i.e., diuretic) action. Seeds of oranges and other citrus fruits are used for pain in the groin, pain in the testicles( hernia, dropsy), pain in the penis during erection or after sexual intercourse.

Orange juice has antiviral, anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects. Prevents catarrhal diseases. The orange, eaten with zedra, oppresses the oral trichomonas, the causative agent of periodontitis.

This fruit also helps in the violations of water-salt metabolism in the body - fluid retention, edema. Prevents formation of blood clots. Scientists also believe that eating oranges reduces the risk of cancer - this is due to the presence of antioxidants( substances that regulate oxidative processes at the cellular level).Due to the high content of antioxidants, not only the risk of cancer is reduced - the whole body experiences a rejuvenating effect. This ability of orange fruit was appreciated also by cosmetologists - many well-known companies use orange essences for the production of moisturizing and regenerating creams. Juice and essential oil of orange are widely used in cosmetology for caring for problem skin, for fighting cellulite. So it's not for nothing that the fruits of an orange were once named in myths and legends as the "golden apples of youth."

Oranges are eaten, of course, first of all, in raw form;widely used in the food industry as raw materials for the preparation of juices, beverages, jams, marmalade, etc.

Essential oil is used for the aromatization of medicines and food products and as an independent curative substance in aromatherapy.

Candied Fruits

Cakes with thick-skinned oranges soak for two or three days in cold water, changing water 3 times a day. Then they are boiled for 20 minutes in water, poured into it, the crusts are lowered into boiling syrup( 1 kg of crust 1.2 kg of sugar and three glasses of water), removed from the fire and stand for 5-6 hours. Then put again on the fire, bring to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes, again remove from the fire and stand for 10-12 hours, and repeat 5-6 times. At the end of cooking add 3 g of citric acid and, taking off the fire, stand for 2-3 hours, folded into a colander and allowed to drain the syrup, lay out on a dish or plates and dried.

Compotes

The first way. Peeled oranges are divided into slices, they are removed from them with white fibers, placed in jars and filled with hot syrup( 1 liter of water, 300 g of sugar).Then at 85 ° C warm up: half-liter cans 10 minutes, liter - 15 or boiling water - 3 and 5 minutes.

You can prepare compote from not divided into segments of oranges. They are peeled and, after removing the white fibers, cut into four parts and poured with syrup;the banks are heated at 85 ° C.

The second way. Orange crusts contain many vitamins and other nutrients, for example, vitamin C in them - 170 mg%, carotene - 0.22 mg%, sugar - 8%, and in the pulp, respectively, 65 mg%, 0.09 mg% and 7,5 %.

Crusts are soaked in water for three days, changing water 2-3 times a day. Then cut into pieces, cook for 20 minutes, pour water, crusts cool with water, put in jars, pour in syrup( 1 liter of water, 400 g of sugar), add 4 g of citric acid and heat.

More delicious compote is obtained from crusts with cranberry juice( per 1 l add 500-600 g of sugar).

Jam

With oranges, peeled with a grater or a sharp knife, soaked in water for two days, changing water 2-3 times a day. Then cook 3-4 times for 5 minutes, each time changing the water. Chilled oranges cut across( on rings), large even in half, lowered into syrup( for 1 kg of oranges - 1.2 kg of sugar and two glasses of water).

Brewed in three stages with stand-by until ready;at the end of cooking add 4-5 g of citric acid.

Delicious orange dessert.

This requires 350 grams of fresh gingerbread, 4 oranges, 150 ml of white wine, 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 300 grams of cream and 2 proteins.

Rinse the gingerbread and put it in a deep dish. Peel 3 peelings of orange and peel them on a plate. Rub the remaining orange peel. Squeeze out the orange juice. Combine the zest and juice with white wine and powdered sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Whip the cream and whites, combine them with the wine mixture. With the resulting mixture, pour the gingerbread and hold for 2 hours in the cold. Before serving, decorate with fresh berries.

Orange milk

750 g of milk, 0.5 cups of orange juice and whipped condensed milk. Serve chilled with biscuits.

Salad of oranges with cucumber

2 servings of

1/2 cucumber, 2 oranges, 200 g cottage cheese, 3 tbsp.tablespoons olive oil, 1 tbsp.spoon of lemon juice.

Cucumbers cut into circles, oranges to peel, disassemble into slices, cut into 4 parts. Mix cucumbers, oranges, cottage cheese, lemon juice and olive oil.

Orange wine

3 kg of oranges, 4.5 liters of boiling water, 4.5 liters of juice -6 glasses of sugar, 0.5 tbsp.spoons of yeast, juice of 2 lemons.

Prepared by the recipe for wine from rhubarb, but yeast is applied to the rusk and then added to the juice.

Orange sweetened drink

4 servings of

900 ml of boiling water, 225 g of sugar, 3 scraped oranges, 1 teaspoon of citric acid.

Pour boiling water on the sugar in a saucepan. Gently heat with stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat, squeeze juice from oranges, then chop the crust and pulp and also add. Enter the citric acid. Leave to cool, stirring occasionally. Strain and plug into the bottle when completely cooled. Keep in the fridge for no more than 3 weeks.

Vitamin dainty

Put lemon( orange) for 1 minute in hot water. Then pass through a meat grinder, add 100 g of butter and 1 tablespoon of honey. Children like this oil in the morning before school.

Orange julep

Orange juice 100 g Lemon juice 20 g. Honey 10 g

Mint syrup 30 g.

The ingredients are thoroughly mixed, cooled and drunk through a straw.

Apple julep

Apple juice 100 g. Lemon juice 30 g. Honey 20 g

Mint syrup 30 g. Cider 30 g.

All components are thoroughly mixed and cooled.