Plum compote: simple delicious recipes and beneficial properties

Many amateur gardeners prepare plum compote for the winter, hoping to surprise their households with a pleasant drink closer to the New Year. Every housewife has more than enough recipes in stock. But how to prepare plum compote so that the beneficial substances are preserved for a long time?

Few people know that plum is a fruit that has not only excellent taste, but also medicinal properties. Plum can keep an organism weakened after a serious illness afloat, return immunity to normal and maintain the amount of vitamins in the human body at the required level. Which is especially useful during the period when vitamin deficiency is rampant. But you shouldn’t abuse it either. Because in case of an overdose, even a useful drug can cause harm to a person.

Botanical description

Melons (Cucumis melo) belong to the squash family (Cucurbitaceae). These are climbing plants with long stems that can, clinging to a support with their tendrils, rise to a considerable height. The stems are round in cross-section, coarse in texture with fine bristles. The length of the stems reaches 4 m. The plant is grown only in warm climates.

The leaves are located on the stems opposite to each other, lobed, rounded. The flowers are entirely male or female (monochromatic plants), with yellow petals. The shape of the fruit depends on the variety, and can be round or elongated (ellipsoidal), the weight of the fruit is from 500 g to 10 kg. Externally, the fruits can be smooth, corrugated or segmented, with white, yellow, orange or dark green flesh. There are seeds inside the fruit. These delicious sweet and aromatic fruits have medicinal properties.

Did you know? It is very important to harvest the melons when they reach full ripeness. After the fetus is removed from the mother's lash, it will stop singing. These fruits are not ripened during storage.

Features of using plum pits

In oriental medicine, products made from seeds are widely used. Plum tincture shows positive results in the treatment of bronchitis, prolonged cough, and the prevention of cancer .

Plum seeds and their kernels are widely used for medicinal purposes.

As with any other stone fruit, plum kernels contain amygdalin. Under the influence of enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, the substance forms hydrocyanic acid, which in large doses is dangerous to the body. Heat treatment leads to the destruction of harmful substances.

Long-term storage of canned products and compotes made from plums with pits is not recommended. To store fruits, they can be dried or frozen.

Fatty oils are obtained from plum seeds, which are used along with almond oils. They have pronounced antioxidant properties. The oil is characterized by a tart aroma of bitter almonds.

For medicinal purposes, it is not the bones themselves that are used, but their kernels . Ideally, their daily use is recommended, but prior consultation with doctors is necessary. Discussions about their safety often arise around the use of plum seeds.

With reasonable use of this product, it is possible to improve health, improve well-being, and also cleanse the body. Cheerfulness and good mood are guaranteed.

Chemical composition

Melon is 80% water, and the few calories it contains come from its moderate sugar content. Consumers usually do not know whether the amount of nutrients depends on the color intensity of the melon pulp. But there is a dependence: the brighter the pigmentation, the higher the amount of beta-carotene in the tissues. The beneficial substances in these fruits are vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Vitamin C has an antioxidant effect, like beta-carotene, it also promotes the formation of collagen, the absorption of iron from food, the body's resistance to infections, strengthening bones and teeth, and increasing the level of red blood cells.

Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in the human body as needed. Vitamin A is essential for vision, good skin, hair, mucous membranes, bones and the proper functioning of the immune system. Potassium is needed for the transmission and generation of nerve impulses, normal muscle activity and normalization of intracellular water balance. Magnesium is associated with the functioning of the intestines, nerves and muscles, is part of bones and teeth, improves immunity and has a mild laxative effect.

Important! Melons are an excellent source of provitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C and carbohydrates (mainly sucrose).
They are one of the richest fruits in sodium content (10 mg per 100 g of product). Nutritional value per 100 g of melon:

calories - 52.4;
carbohydrates - 13.1 g;
fiber - 0.8 g;
potassium - 320 mg;
magnesium - 11.8 mg;
calcium - 15.8 mg;
iron - 0.4 mg;
provitamin A - 3 mcg;
vitamin C - 32 mg;
folates - 2.7 mcg.

How does plum help the human body?

Plum is a unique fruit in which absolutely all its parts can be eaten. Gardeners should pay close attention to the fruit itself, its color and bark, leaves and seeds.

By the way, the health benefits and harms of plums will be almost the same for fresh fruits and dried fruits.

The undoubted benefit for every person is that the product:

helps improve memory and concentration;
neutralizes damaged brain cells;
protects brain vessels;
reduces capillary fragility;
increases immunity;
cleanses the body of cholesterol;
reduces blood pressure;
prevents the development of sclerosis;
has a mild antipyretic effect;
strengthens the immune system;
helps regulate water-salt balance;
removes all excess fluids;
increases visual acuity;
strengthens the heart muscle;
helps fight diseases of the respiratory system;
is a prevention for arthritis and oncology;
increases appetite and activates the functioning of the stomach or intestines;
helps get rid of insomnia and stress;
can heal any wounds;
reduces anxiety levels;
increases hemoglobin.

Plum face mask

Cosmetologists and dermatologists advise prolonging youth by applying masks and decoctions of plum fruits and leaves to the skin. By the way, the benefits of fruits are invaluable for athletes, since they help contract muscles after any training.

Does melon weaken or strengthen?

Not everyone knows whether melon pulp is a good laxative. Undoubtedly, since this product, after eating, does not linger in the stomach and enters the intestines. In addition, it is prone to fermentation. Therefore, it is not recommended to take it on a full stomach, for example, after lunch, since the body will not benefit from the foods eaten at lunch; all of them will be expelled as a result of diarrhea.

Doctors recommend taking melon not as a dessert, but as a fruit snack between main meals. In case of constipation, can a patient do without tablets that regulate intestinal activity, such as Mezim, and solve the problem by eating 200–300 g of melon slices? Doctors are confident that this is possible.

Did you know? When buying a melon, its ripeness is determined by its smell. A ripe fruit has a sweet aroma, characteristic of this crop, that breaks through the peel.

Harm

Plum is harmful only if consumed in moderation. The result of overeating is intestinal upset, cramps and abdominal pain. Unripe fruits eaten on an empty stomach have a particularly strong laxative effect. For an adult, 5-7 large plums are considered a safe dose, and for a child – 2-3 pieces.

Contraindications

The fruit is not recommended for use in some acute diseases, as well as during exacerbations of chronic ones.

Contraindications include:

gout;
rheumatism;
food poisoning and diarrhea;
gastritis with high acidity;
peptic ulcer;
stones in the kidneys;
enterocolitis;
diabetes;
allergy.

By the way, an allergic reaction to plums is quite rare. And if it does develop, then peaches, nectarines, cherries, other Rosaceae and birch pollen also cause rejection. This is due to the fact that the proteins in them are identical and are perceived equally by the body - as an aggressor.

When and how to use

Melon is consumed fresh, after removing the seeds inside. The peel of the fruit is rough and inedible. The following are also prepared from the pulp: juice, jam, candied fruits, marmalade, confiture. Melons are most beneficial during the natural ripening season, which occurs towards the end of summer.

Also, as preparations for the winter, melon pulp is frozen or dried:

Take a ripe, aromatic fruit, cut it in half and peel it from seeds and seed fiber.
Remove the peel and cut into small slices, no thicker than 3 cm (for freezing) and 1 cm (for drying).
The slices are sent to be frozen after being placed in hermetically sealed containers or plastic zip-up bags. Fruit freezing does not lose its shelf life for 3 months.
To prepare dried melon, the slices are placed in an electric dryer (dehydrator), or you can dry them in the oven at low temperature. The finished drying is stored in cotton bags or tightly sealed jars. When properly stored, dried melon does not lose its shelf life for several years.

It is these characteristics that allow doctors to recommend melon as a non-medicinal remedy for constipation. This fruit is especially useful during pregnancy. Constipation is one of the disorders of pregnancy (in the first trimester), since in pregnant women the digestion process is slower than usual. Melon has a fairly high amount of fiber, which helps loosen the stool.

Important! Melon fiber helps the body absorb incoming substances and cleanse the intestines.

Use for diet

A diet based on plum fruits is not inferior in its effectiveness to many options using exotic fruits. Thanks to it, in 2-3 days you can lose 1-1.5 kg of weight, feel light and comfortable. Metabolism in the body is normalized and peristalsis is stabilized. The intake of potassium into the body when consuming fruits has a diuretic effect without causing dehydration and water-salt imbalance.

Contraindications for eating melon

Having such delicious, healthy fruits, melon also has contraindications:

Despite their low calorie content, these fruits are not recommended for patients with diabetes - as they contain sugar and carbohydrates, which increase blood sugar levels.
It is forbidden to use by people who have a stomach or intestinal ulcer.
You should not combine melon with alcohol, sour milk or curdled milk, or cold water, as this almost instantly acts as a laxative.
It is not advisable to consume this fruit as a dessert, immediately after a heavy meal.
In order not to harm your health, it is advisable to eat this fruit in the intervals between meals during the day.
It is not advisable to include melon pulp in the menu of nursing mothers, as it can cause diarrhea in the infant.

Melon is undoubtedly a very tasty, aromatic and healthy fruit. People can use it with health benefits not only in the summer, but also in the form of preparations (freezing, drying, jam) throughout the year.

Medicinal properties of leaves, flowers and bark of plum

Not only plum fruits are useful for the human body, but also leaves, flowers, and bark of the plum tree. Crushed fresh and steamed dry leaves applied to purulent wounds and ulcers promote their healing.

If you pour 1 teaspoon of dry leaves with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes and strain, then this infusion is useful for gargling with a sore throat.

If you have a cold, pour 1 teaspoon of crushed plum bark into a glass of cold water, bring this mixture to a boil and keep on fire for 10 minutes. Next, the broth is infused for half an hour, filtered and drunk warm with honey.

An infusion of leaves and flowers is used for inflammation of the kidneys and bladder, and for dermatoses. A decoction of the bark is used for diarrhea and malaria, externally for erysipelas and for douching for leucorrhoea.

Since the life of fresh fruits is quite short (the second half of summer is autumn), residents of Russia, including our readers, often have to use dried fruits. Therefore, we will devote a significant part of our publications to prunes, known to everyone since childhood.

Laxative foods

When diagnosing chronic constipation, it is not at all necessary to storm the pharmacy and purchase expensive laxatives. Products that weaken the adult and children's intestines can help in this unpleasant situation.

The use of these products guarantees both a reduction in the specific symptoms of constipation and other intestinal pathologies. Before “loading” the body with potent medications, it is important to start eating laxative vegetables and fruits.

Legumes

Peas, beans and other legumes contain low amounts of cholesterol and fat. For this reason, their consumption helps improve digestion. These foods also contain a lot of fiber.

Nuts and seeds (raw)

An excellent preventive and anti-constipation remedy is the consumption of nuts and raw seeds. Particular attention should be paid to:

pumpkin seeds;
flaxseed;
walnuts;
almonds;
sesame seeds;
hemp seeds;
sunflower seeds;
Siberian cedar nuts.

These products painlessly weaken the intestines because they are rich in zinc and protein, and also contain vitamin E and fiber.

Acids

These acids, which have a laxative effect and have a detoxifying effect, are found in the following products:

linseed oil;
olive oil;
fish (red);
avocado.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes, rich in vitamins such as K, A and C, also perfectly weaken the intestines. Tomatoes contain about ten percent of the daily requirement of necessary substances. In addition, tomatoes contain lycopene. It protects the body from the progression of cancer in the colon and prostate gland.