Kiwi belongs to the category of so-called “exotics”. Indeed, ten years ago this fruit was exotic and incomprehensible to us. And not only for us. Back in the 70s of the 20th century, customs officers, seeing strange brown balls in boxes, got scared and called sappers (this story is a real fact). Kiwi is Chinese by origin and New Zealander by upbringing. And the kiwi was born just 100 years ago! Then, at the beginning of the last century, a certain A. Ellison received a gift from China: monkey peach seeds. And Ellison began to improve this plant. The process dragged on for three decades. Until we got a bush with fruits, which we today call kiwi.
However, if it were not for the global industrial crisis of the 30s, we would never have known the taste of this green miracle: kiwi was grown only for ourselves, and only financial troubles made us think about this fruit as a source of income. And there was a lot to think about. Ros kiwi is unpretentious, the harvest was plentiful, and was stored in unsuitable conditions for several months. So, over time, the world learned about kiwi. And the fruit has its own history.
From the life of a kiwi:
So, thanks to the industrial crisis of the 30s – after all, the benefits of kiwi can hardly be overestimated.
This fruit contains:
Nutritionists advocate for kiwi as the perfect balance of minimum calories and maximum nutrients. (But don’t forget that kiwi fruit abuse can cause an allergic reaction.)
Kiwi is one of the fruits, the use of which reduces the risk of cancer and diseases of the cardiovascular system (coronary insufficiency, hypertension). Norwegian scientists have found that kiwi has the ability to burn fats that block arteries, which reduces the risk of blood clots. Norwegians advise eating two or three kiwi fruits daily, and the effect of such a diet is already manifested after 28 days – during this period, the risk of blood clots decreases and the level of harmful fatty acids in the blood decreases. Researchers claim that such properties of kiwi equate it to aspirin, used for the same purposes!
In traditional Chinese medicine, kiwi fruit (or rather, its progenitor, Chinese gooseberry) has long been used to improve digestion, prevent rheumatic diseases, prevent kidney stones, reduce nervousness, and prevent graying of hair.
A study of kiwi fruits showed that This fruit has an antitumor, antioxidant effect, and also improves physical performance.
In some countries, they are used as a stimulating and restorative agent for athletes – it contains so many useful substances.
The overseas kiwi fruit comes from China, but now it grows all over the world in warm countries – in Asia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand. Therefore, fresh fruits fall on our shelves throughout the year. They perfectly tolerate long journeys, and at zero temperatures, the fruits can be stored for up to six months.
Are you inspired enough to leave your computer and go to the nearest store? Stay just a moment – we’ll consider
how to choose and preserve this miracle fruit.
Kiwis are harvested hard, but fruits are considered ripe when they are slightly soft, without wrinkles on the skin, and when pressed, the skin is slightly pressed. If the fruit is too hard, it means that it has not yet ripened.
If the fruit is elastic to the touch, not softened or shriveled, then it can be eaten, it is quite juicy and sweet. Do not forget to smell the fruit: if the kiwi emits the aroma of banana, strawberry and lemon, this is a sign of ripeness.
Store kiwi in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator in a paper bag. Kiwi fruits do not like neighborhood with other fruits and food. In order for greenish kiwis to ripen at home, you should put the fruits on a dish with bananas or oranges.
Kiwi in cosmetology
What is so useful internally can be equally beneficial when used externally. However, Kiwi is not only useful, but also necessary for our skin: it perfectly cleanses and saturates it with a whole complex of vitamins.
Kiwi in cooking
What is healthy must be delicious. Kiwi is an excellent proof of this worldly theorem. The fruit is used in every cuisine.
You will need: 600 g kiwi, 750 g green gooseberries, 4 tbsp. l. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. l. lemon zest, 500 g sugar, 3 tbsp. l. woodruff syrup.
Kiwi clean, cut lengthwise into four parts, and then into slices. Remove stalks, inflorescences and seeds from gooseberries. Mix the berries with lemon juice and make a puree out of them. It is better to use a mixer or blender for this. Mix puree with kiwi, lemon zest and sugar. Bring to a boil with constant stirring. Boil over high heat for 1 minute. Then remove from heat, add syrup and immediately pour into pre-prepared jars. Close tightly with lids or roll up.
You will need: for the dough: flour – 1 cup, sugar – 2-3 tablespoons, butter – 140g, egg (yolk) – 1 pc. For the filling: kiwi – 10 pcs., fat cream – 1 cup, powdered sugar – 150g., egg – 2 pcs., cognac – 50g.
Pre-cool the butter, chop finely, add the rest of the products and knead the elastic dough. Place in the cold for half an hour. Then roll out and place in a baking dish. Pierce in several places with a fork, cover with foil, put the beans on top as a load. Place the mold with the dough in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove the mold from the oven, remove the weight and foil. Let the dough cool. Peel the kiwi and cut into slices about 1 cm thick. Put the kiwi on the dough so that the entire surface is evenly covered. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl. Gradually pouring in the cream, add half the powdered sugar and cognac. Pour the resulting mass through a strainer onto the kiwi. Place the pizza in the hot oven for another 20 minutes. Let cool slightly and sprinkle with powdered sugar on top. Serve warm to the table.
You will need: 100 g butter, 70 g powdered sugar, 1 egg yolk, 200 g flour. For lemon custard – 3 yolks, 90 g sugar, 60 g flour, 400 g warm milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon liqueur. For jelly – 1 teaspoon of agar-agar, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of liquor, a few mint leaves. For decoration – 3 peeled kiwis, a few strawberries.
Rub the butter with sugar until the mass turns white, then add the yolk and mix well. Add flour and stir with a wooden spatula. Make koloboks and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Roll out the koloboks and make them like plates. Pierce the dough in several places so that during baking (10 minutes) it does not swell. Reduce heat and bake for another 7-8 minutes. Take out and cool.
Prepare lemon cream: beat the yolks, add sugar and grind well. Add flour and stir until the mixture is homogeneous. Pour in milk, mix well and pass this mass through a sieve. Heat the cream over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When it begins to thicken, stir very carefully so as not to burn. When it starts to boil, remove from heat. Pour in lemon juice, liqueur and stir. Lubricate pastries with cream and decorate with kiwi slices, and spread strawberries on top.
Prepare jelly: boil 100 g of water in a small saucepan; mix agar-agar with sugar and put in a saucepan; stir well until sugar and agar-agar disperse; remove from heat and add liqueur. Drizzle over fruit and garnish with mint leaves.
Kiwi at home
You won’t believe it, but you can try to grow kiwi at home, and the experiment can be quite successful! For those who decide to try to grow their own kiwi, the following tips: the fruit comes from the tropical zones of China, so take care of the seedlings, as well as other exotics from the tropics: provide abundant watering, humidity, plenty of fresh air, light and heat in summer. In winter, cool content (about 10 degrees), limited watering without stagnant moisture. By the way, for avid gardeners, we note that kiwi liana (didn’t you know that kiwi is a liana?) can be successfully grown both indoors (with sufficient lighting) and in open ground.
But now you can and even need to leave the computer and go to the store! Behind him, behind this gift of nature generous to us. For kiwi.
