Chemical composition and nutrient value of the quince

The quince, direct relative of the apple and classified as “false apple”, has a familiar flavor for the inhabitants of our central and Caucasus Asia, where it is considered a known and mandatory product in the local cuisine.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANT

The quince is a woody plant of the extensive family of the Rosaceae. It is a family to which the botanists send many fruit trees that constitute the “gold background” of our gardening: apple, pear, cherry, white bargain, plum and peach.

The quince is interesting because he is the only (monotypic) representative of its kind, which is called “common quince.”The history of the quince as a cultivated plant dates back to more than four millennia.

The quince is unique among other seed plants because its flowering, quite long (about three weeks), occurs after the formation of the leaves, and is not subject to the negative influence of return frosts. This property allows the quince to bear fruit every year. The pink or white, lonely and large quince flowers, located between dark green leaves and white-gray pubescent below, allow to classify the flower quince not only as a fruit plant, but also as a ornamental type plant.

Quince fruit is very aromatic, ripe meat is rather hard and scarce. Its flavor is sweet or sweet, with different degrees of astringency and acidity according to the cultivation zone and the degree of maturity.

Where and how it grows

The quince does not usually exceed 7 meters high, the sun likes it very much and does not need good quality soils. It can also be a shrub that extends, with large trunks.

The trunk can reach a maximum diameter of half a meter and its large branches in scaffolding are covered with bark detached. The cultivated membrillero is fruitful from three to five years of age and actively fructifies in the following two decades. The maximum age of the Mexican can reach 50 years.

It is widely distributed in our country in the Caucasus, which is considered its homeland, in Central Asia (former Central Asian republics of the USSR), Daguestán. It can be found in the Balkans, the Mediterranean and Transcaucasia.

It is relatively little demanding in terms of soil quality, which has allowed it to extend not only to the European and Asian regions mentioned, but also to other continents, to northern latitudes.

Like many southern trees, it quite easily tolerates the scarce summer rainfall. Part of the dryness of the fruit of the membrillo can probably be explained by the constant lack of moisture in the regions of its historical origin.

It spreads, like all related plants, better by cuttings or tied. The seeds produce scarce seedlings. It propagates by ports. The flowering time is May, June, that of maturation September, October (for the northern hemisphere).

Chemical composition of the quince

The chemical composition of the quince contains as a percentage (fruit pulp)

  • Tanninos – 0. 66%;
  • Organic acids – 1. 22%: Malic, citric and tartaric;
  • Protpectinas – 4. 7%;
  • Sugar – up to 10. 85% (including fructose – up to 6. 27%).

The quince cortex contains in enantoetyl and pelargonetic esters, which give it its characteristic persistent smell.

The chemical composition of the seeds must be indicated separately, since they are valuable raw materials for medical and cosmetological applications.

  • Mucilage – up to 20%;
  • Tonsilin glucóside – 0. 53%;
  • Starch, tannins;
  • Emulsian enzyme;
  • Fatty oil – up to 8. 15% in volume, which contains glycerides of the miristic and isoleic acids.

Proteins, fats and carbohydrates

One hundred grams of quince contain

  • Proteins – 0. 4 g;
  • Fats – 0. 1 g;
  • Carbohydrates – 15. 3 gr;
  • Water – 83. 8 gr.

Vitamins

The quince vitamin complex consists of:

  • vitamin pp (nicotinamide),
  • vitamin A (retinol),
  • Group B vitamins (B1 – Tiamine, B2 – Riboflavin, B3 – Nicotinic acid, B5 – Pantotenic acid, B6 – Pyridoxine, B9 – Folic acid)
  • Vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant),
  • Vitamin C.

Important: The amount of ascorbic acid of the quince is 5 times higher than that of citrus.

Mineral content

One hundred grams of quince contain magnesium, copper, sodium, phosphorus, iron, potassium and calcium in the form of salts:

  • Potassium – 197 mg;
  • Iron – 30 mg;
  • Phosphorus – 17 mg;
  • Calcium – 11 mg;
  • Magnesium, 8 mg;
  • Sodium – 4 mg.

Membrillo caloric content for 100 grams

The calories per 100 grams of quince are 57 kcal 238 kJ, which is comparable to 100 grams of cottage cheese.

Quince Properties

The chemical composition of the fruit, seeds and leaves of the quince, and the experience accumulated in its use, suggest that the properties of the quince:

  • They help in the fight against overweight.
  • They have antiviral properties.
  • Reduce cholesterol levels.
  • They reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
  • They help face stomach and intestinal disorders.
  • They allow their use as diuretic and choletic.
  • They reduce the risk of cancer.
  • They have a reconstituent effect throughout the body.
  • Disinfectant effect.
  • They have antiflogistic properties.
  • Sedatives
  • They have antihemorrhagic effect.
  • Astringent effect
  • I use as antieth.

Benefits

Membrillo – benefits our health, being consumed not only as food, in various ways, but also used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Its consumption is equally beneficial for men and women, children and the elderly.

To understand in what cases it is useful to use quince, medicinal and cosmetics preparations of their fruits, seeds and leaves, as well as to limit excessive consumption, it is necessary to know that:

  • The tannins that give the quince its astringent flavor act more actively in the treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal diseases. But they can also cause, in case of excessive fruit consumption or preparations based on it, a gastric bulge so strong that surgical intervention is necessary.
  • The thick quince fiber is good to clean the gastrointestinal tract at the “mechanical” level.
  • The quince contains a special oil and mucilag e-shaped sugar varieties, useful when used externally – for the treatment of various skin diseases, in spots or prophylactically in large areas of the skin.

For the women

Women, in addition to eating quince fruit in various forms, can be useful – organic acids of this fruit protect the epidermis from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light. With juice and quince puree, lotions and masks for the care of the face and neckline are made.

Vitamins C and PP of fruit seeds contribute to quince seeds are successfully used as an astringent during the critical women of women. It is recommended to add pieces of quince to the usual tea to reinforce the immune system.

Pregnancy

The woman’s body during pregnancy requires greater attention to the mother’s diet. The quince, as a treasure of beneficial substances, is a great help these special days. The effect of the chemical substances contained in the quince on the organism of the pregnant woman is described below.

  • Iron favors the normal process of blood circulation, the supply of oxygen to the organs and other body systems of the mother and the baby, thus helping to avoid the lack of oxygen in the baby.
  • Quince consumption is recommended in case of uterine bleeding to replace the substances from which the body has been deprived during blood loss.
  • The high amount of carbohydrates and vitamins contributes to the complete nutrition of the mother and the child without causing weight gain for both.
  • Folic acid reduces the risk that the baby develops cleft palate, mental illnesses and protein-energy deficiency.
  • Tiamine facilitates toxycosis tolerance during pregnancy.
  • Ascorbic acid has the ability to accelerate iron absorption and stabilize hematopoietic function.
  • The use of quince as diuretic, who suffer from edema for pregnant women.
  • The decoction of quince seeds is used to replace medications for acute colds.
  • Glucose is an important energy source for the future mother and the child.

For men

The consumption of quince for men is recommended as a prophylactic agent of the inflammatory processes of the prostate and the urinary tract. It can help not only reduce discomfort, but also to prevent more serious consequences for male health.

Quince consumption helps reduce the production of lactic acid after sports training or intense physical work.

For children

The quince is perfectly safe when children consume it regularly or occasionally. It helps saturate the growth of the growing child with a useful substance and vitamins complex. It has a therapeutic effect on colds, respiratory diseases, such as antiemetic, stomach disorders and problems with the passage of feces.

Baked quince consumption is recommended for children under one year old, after a year can be used fresh.

A distinctive characteristic of quince is its low level of allergenicity (except for allergic to citrus fruits). Membrillo has antipyretic and ant i-inflammatory effects, which sometimes helps improve the state of a sick child, avoid the use of antibiotics and cure colds.

Damages and contraindications

Important: The preparation of any plate with quince requires the elimination of seeds. Like many bone fruit seeds (peaches, cherries) they contain a dangerous element for the human body – glycoside tonsil, which, entering the digestive system of the person in large quantities, has the ability to become cyanide, which canlead to poisoning.

There are no other specific contraindications for the use of quinces in food or for the cosmetic treatment or use of quinces in pregnant or infant women, except for the appearance of citric allergic reactions in babies or infant mothers. It is enough to reduce the amount of quince consumed to disappear the allergic reaction.

People suffering from gastric and peptic ulcer and gastritis must consume fresh models in moderation, since their acid content is very high. Cooking at temperature significantly reduces the acidity of finished products and converts quince candy into a bright beautiful color delicacy.

Representatives of vocal professions must be careful when eating fresh quince, since “point” in the throat.

People suffering from constipation should not eat quince.

Special uses

Due to the unique properties of quince, they not only refer to the valuable fruit used as food, but also considered a medicinal plant, whose properties have found application in medicine and cosmetology.

In the absence of allergic manifestations, you can eat almost without restrictions, especially since this fruit is almost always cooked, which reduces the proportion of acids in the final product.

Crude consumption has a “natural” satiety limit due to the astringent flavor, which is almost impossible to eliminate freezing the fruit.

In cooking

Only the culinary defendant of the quinces, allows us to get rid of its main inconvenience – the astringent flavor. And perhaps this is the reason for its low score as fruit. We are accustomed to consuming fresh fruit, and less frequently, in the form of a host or canned.

Accustomed to the characteristics of apples or pears, the quince does not seem at the beginning an adequate fruit. Disconfa by its felt cover, its sour and astringent taste, its dry pulp, its somewhat rough and little sophisticated appearance. But once the quince jam with citrus slices is tested, or having found pieces of orange in stuffed birds or pilaf, curiosity and desire to dominate the quince begins to prevail.

When cooking for the first time a simple quince plate in the oven (instead of the cut seeds from the top, it puts honey or sugar and a little butter and is sent to the oven for 20 minutes to 150 degrees), the chefsThey discover that the acidity and dryness of the quince have disappeared, while the fruit has not lost its form and is delicious, which opens new possibilities of sel f-perfection.

The physical structure of the fruit (pulp without seeds) is such that it can support temperatures of up to 200 degrees in the oven without becoming a “porridge”, which for apples, for example, is an unattainable result.

It is used as filler of filled bird dishes. This allows the pieces to be tasty and soak up the juices of the bird meat after cooking, retaining their shape and structure.

The quince is used in meat dishes by adding it into small dice as various fillings for fillings. The quince does not require a change in the general cooking regime of the chosen dish, and can be used creatively in blankets, meatballs, stuffed colm rolls and various types of pilaf.

The quince is an excellent main ingredient to prepare compotes as the only filling and as part of a mixture of fruits with cherries, dry apples, currants, thorns, peach, apricot.

Quince jams can vary in consistency and hardness of pieces on the finished dish. If the minimum is removed and the finished product is allowed for a short time, the quince pieces will remain almost intact and the proportion of jam will be minimal. On the contrary, removing a little more in the long cooking process will make the sweet more succulent.

In principle, the preparation of quinces such as compotes, jellies, jams or canned jams, does not differ in any similar recipes for apples or pears, which gives hope that the quince, occupy the place that corresponds to them at our tables. At the same time, due to their important carotene content, jams and jellies acquire an intense and bright orange color.

With the quince condiments can be prepared for many meats: veal, lamb and birds.

In medicine

The quince is rich in vitamins C and B, whose utility for the human body has been described on numerous occasions. The quince is very effective to stimulate the cardiovascular system.

The quince contains a special oil and mucilag e-shaped sugar varieties, useful when used externally – for the treatment of various skin diseases, in spots or prophylactically in large areas of the skin.

The ripe fruit, in its fresh form, is actively used as choletic and diuretic. The medicinal preparations prepared from the seeds and leaves have tonic, antiulcean and antibacterial properties.

The decoction of the seeds is used as an enveloping agent to reduce the local irritating effects of other medications. At the same time they have a soft effect, which allows them to use them to relieve inflammation of the eyelids and cornea. Formerly, quince seeds were used as an expectorant or laxative when they were taken orally.

Popular medicine uses them for constipation, flatulence, colitis, uterine hemorrhages, cough and respiratory problems.

Quince extracts and oils are effectively used to combat skin diseases such as dermatitis and psoriasis.

In cosmetology

Because of its wealth in elements necessary for the skin and mineral substances, the fruit and seeds of the quince are actively used in cosmetology as a basis for making lotions, masks, tinctures, decoctions, exfoliating and exfoliating masses. Even a simple friction of a piece of ripe fruit on aging skin will do wonders for skin health.

Profile resources provide detailed recipes on how to prepare compositions from the quince and its seeds and leaves for:

  • The fight against fatty hair and seborrhea (decoctions, seed mucilage infusions, masks are prepared.
  • Dye premature gray hair, dye golden hair, strengthen hair.
  • Various facial masks with honey, egg yolks, aloe, starch.
  • Skin care lotions.
  • Exfoliating and exfoliating masses.

Preparation and storage of the raw material

In the quince not only the fruits are used, which are collected after maturing, the pulp is separated and the seeds are still processed, but also the seeds, which dry at a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, and the leaves, which are collected youngIn June-Julio. The leaves dry under a shadow awning, or in dryers, at a temperature of between 30 and 50 degrees.

The subsequent storage of the pulp depends on how it is processed before consumption. Dry seeds and foliage are stored separately in hermetically closed containers that do not allow moisture entry, in dark places.

The quince is a very tasty and healthy fruit if you know how to prepare and consume properly. Due to its low distribution in the central part of the Russian Federation, it is still little appreciated. It is advantageously distinguished by its “natural” origin and taste of apples and “synthetic” pears that have flooded markets, which in the near future will undoubtedly appreciate by gardeners and consumers.

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