Almonds, the benefits and harms of which will be the topic of our conversation. Many people love almonds, the benefits of which are the availability of a large amount of nutrients in nuts, which are very necessary for the mental and intellectual development of a person. The damage is minimal, but more on that below. Almonds are a valuable and very useful plant from the group of walnut. The almond fruit is usually called a nut, but in fact it is the seed of the inedible almond fruit. Almonds have an interesting twofoldness in the plant: according to its biological characteristics, its systematic position, it is a stone fruit plant, by the marketable characteristics of the fruit, and its consumption in food, it is nut-bearing.
The biological characteristics of almonds
The genus of almonds unites about forty species, but one species has become widespread as a garden culture - the ordinary (Amygdalus communis L), which belongs to the multicolored family.
In our country, the culture of almonds has developed recently, is industrially distributed in the Crimea, Central Asia. Although in the Crimea he was introduced back in the VI century. The initial position for the distribution of almonds is considered to be Asia Minor.
The ancient Phoenicians in a flowering tender pink tree saw the image of the beautiful goddess Amygdala, on her behalf came the generic name of this culture - amygdalus. Tajiks call him “bod”, Uzbeks - “bad”.
As a garden culture, almonds are now widespread in many countries and on the continents: in Australia, the USA (California), Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco), Yugoslavia and others.
Depending on the soil, ordinary almonds in natural conditions have a height of 2 to 6 meters, that is, it can be in the form of a bush or tree. The crown is wide, oval, spreading, with a broom, rarely - cylindrical. Branches without thorns, straight or deviated, with numerous small branches.
Winter flower buds are oblong-ovate, slightly pointed at the apex, rounded at the base. Vegetative buds are broadly conical, up to 5 mm long.
The leaves are dark greenish, sometimes with a bluish tinge, soft (leathery in very arid areas). Flowers with a diameter of up to 4 cm, monoecious. Five white petals with a pink tint, a base with carmine color, up to 36 stamens.
Fruit - consists of an external pericarp, endocarp (seed) - walnut, seed (kernel). The fruit is slightly pubescent (sometimes bare), thick, green, ripening, cracking along the abdominal suture. The stone (nut) is smooth, holey, brownish-brown (rarely white, straw-light, fawn), varies in shape: compressed or swollen (two-seeded).
The core is protected by a brown thin strong shell - a nut shell, inside is white, ovate-lanceolate or oval, tastes sweet or bitter with a pleasant almond smell.
Almond buds are laid in July on annual shoots. This is clearly visible: in the axils of the leaves, small green tubercles are visible, which by the end of the month become larger buds, from which flowers and vegetative buds will develop.
When harvesting almonds, it is advisable not to damage the developing buds, since at this time there is a very active internal development of flowering buds. Humidify the earth (do not fill it!), Then loosen it, make fertilizers.
In the spring, pink tips of future flowers appear before flowering. The flowers consist of five light pink petals, the bases of which are painted in a bright carmine color. up to 30 stamens are placed inside the petals. the pestle, consisting of an ovary at the base, ends with a stigma.
Since almonds have strictly cross-pollination, insects are required. Nature created this plant so that the pollen of its own flower in the tree could not successfully pollinate the pistils of its own flowers, that is, the plant itself is barren. This eliminates the deterioration of the offspring, which happens with self-pollination.
Almonds form amazingly many flowers, but out of tens of thousands of them, no more than 5-8% of the fruits are formed on an adult plant.
Flowers are the main reserve of the seed crop. In winter, when the temperature drops to minus 22 degrees, only part of the flower buds dies. Even at minus 24 degrees, up to 20% of flower buds remains viable.
With normal pollination, the young almond fruit grows rapidly, while the active growth of new shoots begins at the same time. After 2.5 months from the start of fruit growth, the amount of fatty oil in the seeds is up to 50% of its total amount.
Almonds - benefits and harms
Tasty almonds have long been revered as the epitome of well-being and health. Its nucleolus is a highly nutritious dietary, medicinal product. The kernel contains - 70% fatty oil, up to 15% carbohydrates, up to 35% protein. It is rich in proteins, perhaps this is the richest protein plant, not only among nut-bearing ones. One hundred grams of almonds contain 85 mg of sodium, 228 mg of sulfur, 451 mg of phosphorus, 4 mg of iron, 75 micrograms of vitamin A, 75 - vitamin B1, 600 Vitamin B2.
The benefits of almonds, the harmonious composition of the walnut kernel give it excellent dietary and medicinal value. In nutrition, almonds are ahead of meat, milk, fish, all fruits, temperate, subtropical vegetables.
It is the source of many nutrients for the mental and intellectual development of man. It has long been considered one of the most important foods for growing children. Almonds contain two vital substances useful for brain function - riboflavin, L-carnitine, which increase brain activity, and as a result, the risk of Alzheimer's disease is reduced. Studies have shown that almonds, as well as almond oil, are an important component for overall health, the functioning of the human nervous system.
This is a fantastic source of many vitamins, minerals, and phosphorus, certainly one of them. Phosphorus affects the strength, longevity of bones, teeth, and also prevents the occurrence of age-related diseases such as osteoporosis. Almonds are high in vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant.
Its significance for the health and beauty of the skin is well known. Massage with almond oil is often recommended for newborns. Almond milk is added to cosmetic soaps because of its established reputation for improving skin condition.
Many people think that the word “fat” means something negative, but in fact, some fatty acids are necessary. They can be very beneficial to our health. The body cannot create its own fatty acids, which is why we must get them from food sources. The benefits of almonds are that they contain two very important fatty acids, such as linoleic and linolenic acids. These fatty acids help reduce inflammation throughout the body. Fatty acids also help lower bad cholesterol. They support healthy skin and hair. The presence of potassium, sodium in almonds helps to regulate, control fluctuations in blood pressure. Regular consumption of almonds protects the body from the dangerous spikes in blood sugar from which diabetics suffer so much.
It contains folic acid, which helps reduce the risk of birth defects in newborn babies. It also stimulates the growth of healthy cells, tissue formation. Doctors regularly prescribe folic acid preparations for pregnant women to ensure proper fetal development.
Unsweetened almond milk can be used if you are trying to lose weight. Monounsaturated fats, which contain almond kernels, reduce appetite, prevent overeating. Dietary fiber also contributes to the feeling of fullness, despite the fact that you eat a few nuts. Studies have shown that a low-calorie diet that includes almonds is good for obese, obese people and helps them lose weight. Finally, the dietary fiber contained in the nuclei promotes consistent bowel movements, which also helps to lose weight. Overall well-being improves as dietary fiber helps remove toxins from the body.
A therapeutic emulsion is prepared from the kernel - almond milk. According to eastern medicine, the beneficial properties of almonds are enhanced by figs and surpass ginseng. With sugar, it is very useful for asthma, pleurisy, hemoptysis, intestinal ulcers, bladder, increases male abilities, improves eyesight.
This is an excellent honey plant and valuable wood. Almonds are considered one of the earliest domesticated nut-fruited. Throughout history, he retained religious, ethnic, social significance. The Bible mentions almonds ten times, where it is described as "the best among the best fruits."
But even the most useful product can be harmful. Almonds, its nuts are a strong allergen, therefore it should be used very carefully by allergy sufferers, since an excessive amount can cause not only a strong allergic reaction, but even cause poisoning.
Do not eat unripe almonds - it has a high content of hydrocyanic acid, and this can also cause poisoning.
Well, the increased calorie content contributes to weight gain - this, of course, is harmful to overweight people.
It comes in two forms, sweet and bitter. Sweet is used in many Asian dishes. A popular use of chopped sweet almond kernels is the candy base - marzipan.
Gorky is also used for cooking, but it must first be processed while still raw to remove the bitterness. Bitter almonds contain a toxic amount of hydrocyanic acid, which can be obtained from nuclei and processed into cyanide poison. Eating a handful of uncooked raw almond nuts can kill a person.
In addition to the world-famous almond cookies, cakes, salted or candied nucleoli, I recommend two recipes.
Almond cocktail: Pound 20 g of almonds with a porcelain mortar or mince, add 200 ml of milk and 20 g of any fruit syrup, mix with a mixer, the cocktail is ready. Fruit syrup can be replaced with 15-20 g of jam - strawberry, raspberry, fig, unabi.
Almond cocktail will bring special benefits when instead of syrup they use fig jam, raspberries, strawberries, unabi and slightly warmed milk. This cocktail can be a cure for colds.
Almond cake. Mix well crushed cookies, almond kernels, pour over condensed milk, put in a form, refrigerate for 35-40 minutes. Then sprinkle sugar and cocoa on top. The almond kernel for such a cake should not be crushed as much as for a cocktail.
And another video recipe for almond cake without flour:
Growing almonds
Features of growing almonds: it grows even on stony, slate, light clay, light sandy soils, but prefers deep fertile water-permeable soils. Almonds are undemanding to soils. But it does not tolerate heavy clay, high standing groundwater, saline areas. In household plots, it is easy to increase soil fertility by adding organic fertilizers for deep digging.
This is a photophilous plant, with a lack of light, productivity decreases. It should not be planted in the shade of tall trees, buildings.
Under natural growing conditions, almonds propagate by seed. To preserve the variety, vegetative propagation is used - budding. Rootstock is obtained from seeds of a bitter-seed variety of almond. Seeds are sown before winter to a depth of 8-10 cm. Already in July, with proper care, seedlings at the root neck reach 1 cm in diameter and are suitable for budding.
Two days before budding, the soil is well watered - after heavy watering, the bark is better exfoliated. At the base, the ramming stock is wiped from top to bottom with a piece of damp cloth, and then budding is performed. Well-developed straight shoots on which eyes are clearly formed are selected for budding.
In areas where it can be minus 25 degrees in winter, the harness is not removed in winter, moreover, it is better to sprinkle the budding area with earth, and in the spring remove the harness and cut it just above the vaccination site (cut by eye). The shoots of rootstock are systematically removed.
On poor soils with weak growth of seedlings, top dressing with mineral fertilizers is applied, but it is better to rotted manure at the rate of 4-5 kg per 1 sq. M. meter. In a personal garden, it is advisable to plant at least 2-3 plants for cross-pollination.
In the first year of planting, plants need careful care: watering, loosening the soil. Watch the plant - it will tell you what it needs.
If the soil on your site is already very heavy, you can use peach seedlings, cherry plum, plums as stock. After 3-4 years, you will already receive a crop.
Trimming is carried out forming and cutting. I am a supporter of stunted trees. Dwarfism has many advantages: ease of maintenance, a large number of plants in the same area, the absence of mutual shading, much higher yield from the area, the possibility of sheltering plants for the winter.
Almonds increase yields to eighteen years, and after twenty-five years, yields decline. Watering during the growing season contribute to a sharp increase in yield. To avoid frequent watering, the soil surface can be mulched with grass, old sawdust, any mulching material.
The ripening of almond fruits is determined visually by cracking of the pericarp along the abdominal suture. The taken fruits are cleaned of pericarp, which is used to feed small livestock. Then the nuts are dried.
Despite the peculiarities of growing this crop, it is second only to walnuts and hazelnuts in production. He who loves almonds is not afraid of impending old age. Lovers of this nut at any age feel cheerful, easy, boldly look to the future!