Despite the usefulness and pleasant taste of natural honey, there are many recipes for an artificial product. This is a real find for those who are allergic to bee products. And this kind of honey like pumpkin still has a number of properties that are useful to humans.
What is pumpkin honey
Pumpkin honey is not a product of beekeeping. It is prepared from pumpkin pulp and sugar (honey) by fermentation, does not undergo heat treatment and includes the beneficial qualities of an orange vegetable. It can be taken as a medicine, and can be used as a dessert, serving to cottage cheese, pancakes, buns. It is not stored for a long time (no more than a month in the refrigerator), but it can be cooked at any time, as the pumpkin can be stored all winter.
The nuances of choosing a quality pumpkin
You need to choose a medium-sized vegetable, fully matured and of good quality (without damage).
Did you know? Homeland pumpkin is considered to be Mexico. Exactly there seeds of this vegetable are about 7,000 years old were discovered by scientists.
When buying a pumpkin on the market or in a store, consider the following:
- the stem must be already dried, if it is green, then the vegetable may not yet have ripened;
- the longitudinal stripes characteristic of pumpkin should be straight, if they are discontinuous or bent, this may be a sign of increased nitrate content;
- the peel should not be damaged, dents, signs of rotting;
- when knocking on a ripe pumpkin, a thud should be heard;
- when trying to pierce the peel with a nail, no trace should be left on it, and if left, the fruit is not ripe. The drawing on the hard crust of a well-ripened pumpkin is always clearly visible;
- the more saturated the color of this vegetable, the more delicious it is. True, there are varieties with green or gray peel and orange inside.
What do you need
To make pumpkin honey, you will need the following kitchenware:
- a large enough sharp knife, because pumpkins of some varieties may have a very hard skin and thick flesh;
- a basin in which a medium-sized pumpkin can fit entirely;
- towel;
- ladle;
- spoon;
- three half-liter jars with screw caps, sterile.
Learn also how to cook pumpkin and watermelon honey.
Ingredients:
- one pumpkin, medium size and, preferably, with a tail;
- sugar or honey (depending on the cooking method chosen and the size of the pumpkin).
Important! During the fermentation process, the vegetable used may become moldy. To prevent this from happening, the pumpkin must be chosen absolutely whole, without any signs of damage or injuries, and it must be well washed and dried before use. All used utensils should be clean, as well as the place where the fermentation process will take place. And the place should be dry and not too warm.
How to cook
Consider in more detail both options for making pumpkin honey: with sugar and honey. The sugar variant will be useful for those who are allergic to apiary products. The product based on natural honey has a more pronounced healing effect and combines the healing properties of pumpkin and flower honey.
On sugar
Choose a fresh, intact medium-sized pumpkin and take 1.5 kg of sugar. Perhaps, sugar will be needed less - it all depends on the size of the pumpkin. Vegetable should be taken whole, the tail is not cut off.
If you want the effect of honey on your body to be as positive as possible, learn how you can check the quality of honey.
The necessary kitchen utensils at the first stage: bowl, spoon, towel. In a week you will need a ladle and three sterilized half-liter jars.
Cooking technology is:
- wash well and dry the vegetable;
- cut the top of the pumpkin with a tail - you get a pumpkin cap;
- from the received lid and inside the vegetable with a spoon, select all seeds and fibers;
- fill the inside of the pumpkin with sugar, leaving room for closing the pumpkin lid;
- close the lid so that it fits snugly;
- put a sugar-filled vegetable in a basin in size and cover with a towel or cotton cloth on top;
- put in a warm dry place for 7 days until sugar is dissolved;
- after a week we pour the syrup obtained from the fermentation process and pour it into sterilized jars with the help of a ladle and put them in the fridge.
Important! The syrup obtained in this way has a pleasant pumpkin flavor, and is stored in the refrigerator for about a month. If it is heated to 80 ° C, then the shelf life will increase, but some of the vitamins will collapse.
On natural honey
Ingredients Required: medium-sized pumpkin and about one and a half to two liters of honey. The necessary kitchenware: a bowl, spoon, towel, ladle and three sterile half-liter jars.
The technology of preparation is the same as that of the above recipe with sugar, but instead of sugar, honey is put inside the pumpkin, it will enhance the usefulness of the resulting product.
No less useful are such types of honey as chestnut, lime, rapeseed, buckwheat, coriander, acacia, espartsetovy, phacelium, sweet clover.
Useful
Pumpkin honey is rich in many nutrients: iron, calcium, copper, fluorine, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, vitamins C and group B. Vitamin A, carotene and vitamin E give it antioxidant properties. This vegetable also contains vitamin T, which helps to absorb food that is heavy for the stomach. In addition, this product is rich in fructose, which is absorbed better and more useful than sucrose.
Did you know? The Chinese consider the pumpkin to be a talisman, which is capable of absorbing evil forces and protecting its owner from them.
Due to its composition, it has the following healing properties:
- improves the digestive process;
- promotes weight loss, as well breaks down fats;
- reduces cholesterol;
- removes toxins and slags;
- shown in food poisoning, toxicosis;
- eliminates nausea and heartburn;
- reduces the acidity of the stomach;
- activates brain activity;
- stimulates the heart;
- has antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect;
- used to treat liver and kidney disease;
- fights constipation;
- removes swelling;
- boosts immunity and vitality;
- contains iron and helps with anemia.
Also, immunity is positively influenced by: safflower, horseradish, garlic, savory, apples, ramson, fir, black walnut, aloe, almonds, white sturgeon, viburnum, dogwood, magnolia vine, mint, basil, melissa.
You can use the following recommendations in the treatment of diseases:
- for the treatment of liver and kidney. It is recommended to eat one tablespoon of pumpkin syrup made from natural honey for 21 days half an hour before meals;
- treatment and restoration of liver tissue. Take half a liter of water, two tablespoons of chicory, one teaspoon of lemon juice, pumpkin honey to taste. Chicory is poured with boiling water, then the solution is cooled and pumpkin syrup and lemon juice are added. This liquid is taken as a drink, instead of tea or coffee. This wonderful remedy will not only support the liver, but will also prevent colds and flu;
- hepatitis. Brew in a half-liter jar of herbs healing for the liver (nettle, knotweed), insist and cool. Every day, drink 100 ml of broth with the addition of pumpkin honey;
- edema syndrome. Every day, use a tablespoon of pumpkin syrup obtained with the addition of a few drops of lemon. The same tool is the prevention of dropsy.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that pumpkin honey is a natural and useful product, It has a number of contraindications:
- obesity. It should be used with caution with excess weight, as this product has a high caloric content;
- diabetes mellitus (high glucose);
- allergic reactions and idiosyncrasy;
- exacerbation of gallstone disease;
- reduced acidity of the stomach.
If you have diabetes, recommend: yucca, melon, purslane, shepherd tea, aspen, asparagus, zucchini.
Pumpkin Honey - it is a product that is useful for the human body, which can be easily prepared at home, an excellent natural antioxidant, an immunity enhancing agent, an excellent prophylactic agent for colds. It can help with liver diseases and other health problems.
