Characteristics of Chinese cabbage
Peking cabbage is very tasty and healthy because it contains trace elements and vitamins. Consider what Peking cabbage is useful for, what harm it can do to the body and how to grow it properly.
Characteristics of Chinese cabbage
Characteristics of the variety
Peking cabbage is grown in China, European countries and America. Despite its origin, Chinese cabbage has adapted to the climate of our region.
Peking cabbage has white-green or yellow leaves.
It grows best after onions and garlic. It is strictly forbidden to plant after radish, mustard, turnip, radish. All cruciferous plants suffer from the same diseases and are affected by the same Pests. For the same reason, it is impossible to plant a vegetable in the same place for several years in a row. You need to change the site for planting plants at least once every 2 years.
Vegetable culture loves warmth. Therefore, it must be planted in a well-heated soil. The time of sowing seeds depends on the region of cultivation. Typically, Chinese cabbage is planted in late May or early June. But, due to its rapid ripening, the vegetable can be planted even at the end of June. When grown in heated greenhouses, a Chinese vegetable is planted all year round. In regions with a warm climate, summer-autumn planting of seeds is allowed under a film cover or in unheated greenhouses.
Composition
Peking cabbage contains a large amount of vitamin C, which is involved in tissue regeneration and accelerates the healing process in viral diseases. Vitamins K, B6, PP, B9, E, A, B2 are present in a slightly lower concentration. Peking is rich in mineral salts and amino acids. Contains ascorbic, nicotinic and folic acid essential for women.
Trace elements in Peking cabbage: copper, iron, iodine, zinc, fluorine, manganese, selenium, potassium, sulfur, calcium. Also note that the chemical composition of the vegetable contains lutein, which helps to maintain vision, and zeaxanthin, which is also important for eye health. Peking is also rich in natural sugars, which, when absorbed by the body, do not harm the figure. Also in the vegetable culture there is fiber, which allows you to remove toxins and toxins.
The nutritional value
Peking cabbage is prized for its low calorie content. According to the calorie table of 100 grams, only 14 kcal. In other types of cabbage (cauliflower and white cabbage): 30 kcal per 100 g.
BJU:
- 31.5% proteins;
- 5% fat;
- 64% carbohydrates.
The glycemic index is 15 units.
The low calorie content of Peking cabbage allows you to use it with a diet. It helps to get rid of extra pounds, it normalizes the intestinal microflora.
Benefits for the body
Eating cabbage has a healing effect
Chinese cabbage has the following beneficial properties:
- Normalizes the work of the cardiovascular system.
- It is anti-allergenic. But before use, you should consult your doctor.
- Helps with stressful situations. Lactucin in the composition has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and strengthens sleep, helps to get rid of migraine attacks.
- Vitamin C boosts immunity.
- Providing a healing effect on the body, normalizes the intestines and gastrointestinal tract.
- Activates the formation of blood cells (prophylactic against anemia).
- Lowers blood cholesterol levels.
- The juice from the fresh leaves is used to fight gum and oral diseases.
- Doctors recommend using Chinese cabbage for people suffering from arthritis, rheumatism, jaundice, hypertension, senile dementia and cancer. Helps combat acne and maintain a healthy complexion.
- Vitamin K increases the body's ability to absorb calcium, which is needed to build strong bones.
Peking cabbage extract is used in the preparation of some medications.
Harm to the body
Peking cabbage harm:
- Peking cabbage is contraindicated for people who have pancreatitis, gastritis with high acidity, peptic ulcer or enteritis.
- Will harm people suffering from heartburn or reflux.
- Nursing mothers need to eat Peking cabbage with caution.
You need to eat vegetables within reasonable limits. Excessive consumption of fresh Chinese cabbage or cooked vegetables can lead to stomach upset. Abuse also leads to nausea and dizziness.
Although Chinese cabbage rarely causes allergies, this moment should not be ruled out. Before consuming a Chinese vegetable, you need to make sure that it does not cause an allergic reaction.
Growing
Agricultural Secrets:
- Peking cabbage is a vegetable that must be grown from seeds. Its root system is not well developed, so it rarely takes root in a new place after transplantation. Before the emergence of planting shoots, be sure to cover with a film, which experts recommend to remove after the young plants get stronger.
- You need to plant seeds in well-moistened wells. If we are talking about late plantings, then the earth needs to be moistened several times, and only after that the seeds should be placed in the holes.
- Caring for Chinese cabbage includes watering and loosening the soil. It is necessary to feed the culture at least once and make sure that weeds do not appear in the garden.
- Harvesting on personal plots is done manually. In mass cultivation, Peking cabbage is processed and harvested using special agricultural equipment (a combine, for example). Heads of cabbage are not damaged during mechanized harvesting.
- Shooting of a vegetable crop occurs at low soil temperatures. If a cold summer is expected, plant the seeds under a film. The culture is also shot at untimely harvesting. Therefore, it is important to remove ripe heads of cabbage on time. If the Peking cabbage has sprouted, then you should not remove the head of cabbage from the garden. Better to leave it for seeds.
Selected vegetable crops should be stored in a basement or refrigerator during the winter. Apples should not be stored next to it - they will negatively affect the taste. When storing in the refrigerator, it is worth wrap the heads of cabbage with cling film. Peking can also be frozen. When defrosting, the content of nutrients in it does not change. You can also eat the leaves all winter by pickling them in a saline solution. This storage method does not have a negative effect on the benefits of a vegetable.
Using cabbage
Fresh cabbage is healthy
Peking cabbage has found application in several areas. These are medicine, cooking and cosmetology. In cosmetology, juice or gruel from the leaves is used. You can also use the juice at home for morning rubbing of the face skin in frozen form. We will not dwell on the medical aspect, since it was mentioned above.
The greatest benefits of Peking cabbage appear when eaten fresh.
Most often, fresh salads are prepared from Peking cabbage. You can also bake it, stew it. You need to cut a head of cabbage with a sharp knife. The lower part of the head is not used for cooking. When cutting, make sure that there are no rotten leaves inside the head.
Sometimes Peking is bitter. This is the result of improper care, storage conditions or excess nitrates. To make the bitterness go away, you need to soak it in cold and pre-salted water. You can also remove the bitterness by boiling the leaves. But with this procedure, they lose a significant part of useful trace elements and vitamins.
Recommendations for choosing a variety
The following varieties are recommended for growing on a personal plot: Monaco, Lyubasha, Spring Jade, Miss China, Spring Beauty, Richie F1, Shanghai, Nagaoka 50 days, Naina F1, Hydra F1, Mirako F1, Sprinkin F1, Sotsi, Thumbelina, Michelle, Pioneer F1, Glass, Khibinskaya, Manoko F1, Vorozheya, The Magician F1, Tenderness F1, Orange Princesses F1, Orange mini F1, Nika. The leaves of the last two varieties, despite their names, are colored green. Only during the ripening period on the wavy edges of the leaf plates does a narrow, either yellow or orange, strip appear.
If you want to grow an unusual variety on your personal plot, then pay attention to the KS 888 F1 hybrid. It looks unusual thanks to its lilac leaves.
When buying seeds, a detailed description of each variety can be read on the package. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some are suitable for growing outdoors, others are intended for growing in greenhouses, and others can even be grown on a windowsill. On some plants, small heads are formed during ripening, in others, large ones. At the same time, the yield of almost all varieties is the same, as is the content of nutrients.
You need to choose those varieties that have been grown in the area for several years. They are adapted to the climatic conditions of the region and give a stable harvest every year. If you want to try new varieties, then you should not plant many plants in the first year. It is better to plant 10-15 bushes, and see how they behave when growing, and what kind of harvest they will give.
Conclusion
Now you know all the characteristics of Chinese cabbage. Finally, we note that this alkaline product can be grown from the stalk that sprouted. But this is not the easiest way. In addition, hybrid varieties give a good harvest only in the first year. Plants grown from hybrid seeds are not resistant to common diseases.