Watermelon crust. Useful properties of watermelon and its peel

A native of Central and South Africa - watermelon spread to 96 countries of the world. Now more than 1200 varieties of the largest berry on the planet are grown.

What is rich in watermelon? Composition of watermelon

Watermelon pulp is rich in:

pectin substances - 0.68%

proteins - 0.7%

calcium - 14 mg /%

magnesium - 224 mg /%

sodium - 16 mg /%

potassium - 64 mg /%

phosphorus - 7 mg%

iron - 1 mg /%

vitamins of group B, PP, C (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin)

folic acid and provitamin A

carotene - 0.1-0.7 mg /%

ascorbic acid

alkaline substances

glucose, sucrose and fructose - 5.5 - 13% (fructose is ½ of all sugars)

in watermelon seeds - 25% vitamin D with fatty oil, the taste of which resembles olive oil, and the fat content is not inferior to almond oil

There are 38 calories in 100 grams of watermelon, so it is used for fasting days and quenching thirst.

What are the benefits of watermelon seeds

Seeds in their properties are similar to those of pumpkin seeds. They are used:

For adding to seasonings: fish and meat and soups in dry and ground form.

To prepare "watermelon milk" from high temperature and feverish conditions: grind the seeds and thoroughly in cold water (1:10) with sugar or syrup for taste. You need to take 1 tbsp. l. every 2 hours.

To prepare the mask: powder from dried seeds is mixed with vegetable oil or water until sour cream is formed. Apply a thin layer on the face and hold for 15-20 minutes, rinse with warm water. For a change, you can add egg yolk and / or any clay, honey.

Benefits of watermelon peel

The peel is dried in the oven, then decoctions are prepared from it. In dried form, the peels are stored for a long time and decoctions of them are used for rheumatism, heart and kidney diseases, to get rid of edema.

For migraines and severe headaches thick watermelon peel is tied to the temples.

For colitis: in boiling water (500 ml), add watermelon peels (100 g), let it brew, and drink 4-5 times a day.

Watermelon peel powder (dry or fresh) will help as a diuretic for chronic cystitis, nephritis, kidney stones, bladder and ureter: it is necessary to cut off the outer green layer thinly and finely chop, dry in the oven and dry at room temperature, grind in a blender. Take 3 times a day for 1 tsp. with water (50 ml) and honey (0.5 tsp). Store the powder in a paper bag.

A rejuvenating effect will be obtained from a decoction of watermelon peels or juice, if you apply a moistened napkin to a clean face for 15-20 minutes. Wash off with warm water and lubricate with a nourishing cream. The same effect will be obtained from a mask of watermelon gruel.

What is useful watermelon pulp

For eczema and psoriasis apply watermelon pulp to problem areas.

Watermelon pulp is used:

To remove toxins and carcinogens from the body as a diuretic.

For cleansing the liver and kidneys, removing sand and stagnant bile.

To improve the digestive process.

For a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system.

To remove cholesterol and prevent atherosclerosis.

For weight loss, using watermelon fasting days and eating 1.5-2 kg of watermelon pulp per day (for 5-6 doses). When unloading within 2-3 days, the pulp can be eaten with black bread (50-100 g each).

As a remedy, the pulp of watermelon is used:

For the treatment and prevention of anemia, since the pulp contains organic iron, which is easily absorbed by the body.

From fever, as a diuretic, mild laxative, anti-inflammatory and choleretic agent.

From pyelonephritis, nephritis, cystitis, kidney stones: eat 2.5 kg of watermelon pulp in laziness. In the kidneys and urinary tract, irritation will not occur. Salts will dissolve and be excreted by alkaline substances.

In the treatment of diseases: acute and chronic, liver, obesity, endocrine system, poisoning: industrial and medicinal with the help of sugars and water of watermelon pulp.

For the treatment of blood diseases, since 1 kg of pulp contains 1 gram of iron.

With iron deficiency in pregnant women and breastfeeding.

To create optimal conditions in the intestinal microflora with pectin substances and watermelon pulp fiber, and alkaline compounds - to regulate acid-base balance and from acidosis of various nature.

Treatment of cardiovascular diseases with watermelon pulp folic acid, since it helps to synthesize amino acids and the process of hematopoiesis, regulates fat metabolism, and has an anti-sclerotic effect in combination with choline and vitamins P and C.

For the treatment of angina (rinsing the mouth with watermelon juice) and tuberculosis.

For the treatment of: skin diseases, non-healing and festering wounds with watermelon lotions from the gruel of ripe red pulp of watermelon; skin burns and relief of the general condition of the patient with fermented juice.

Recipe: the pulp and juice are placed in a jar, closed with a lid and allowed to ferment for 3-4 months at room temperature. Then the contents of the jar are filtered and the skin burns are washed and lotions are made, having previously treated them with saline or boiled water.

Watermelon helps during the rehabilitation period after long and serious illnesses and surgical operations, especially under prolonged anesthesia. Watermelon juice is necessary to restore liver function after jaundice, improve male potency, mental balance and insomnia.

Delicious watermelon food. Recipes with watermelon

Watermelon honey (nardek) obtained by evaporation of watermelon juice and will contain 90% sugars. We wipe the pulp through a sieve, filter through 2 layers of gauze, bring to a boil, remove the foam and filter again, then boil over low heat, stir so as not to burn. 1/5 or 1/6 of the original volume should remain.

Candied watermelon rinds . You will need: watermelon peels - 2 kg, sugar - 700 g, water - 1 kg, powdered sugar - 100 g.

Cut the peeled peel into cubes and dip into sugar syrup - 70%. Cook until the cubes are transparent and discard them on a sieve, allowing the syrup to drain. At room temperature, dry the cubes for 12-24 hours, sprinkle with powdered sugar, place in jars and close with airtight lids.

Watermelon peel jam. You will need: watermelon peels - 1 kg, citric acid - 3 g, vanillin - 1 g.

It is necessary to cook syrup from 1 liter of water and 1.9 kg of sugar. Crusts - peel, cut and dip in boiling water for 5 minutes, then - in cold water. After - put in syrup and cook until transparent, insist overnight and bring to a boil again, insist again - 6-8 hours and then boil for 1 minute with citric acid (to taste). Then insist for the last time and cook until tender with vanilla.

Salted small watermelons . You will need a brine of water (1 l) and sea salt (2 tablespoons) - per 1 kg of watermelons. Clean watermelons need to be chopped in several places and poured with brine, left for 30-40 days in a cool place. Prior to this, the brine is kept for 1-2 days at room temperature.

Watermelon lemonade. Cut off the top of the watermelon, grind the pulp and pour into the watermelon a mixture of orange juice (2 tbsp.), Soda water (1 l.), Lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar to taste. Put in the refrigerator for an hour, then, together with the pulp, pour into glasses and serve. You can add sodas.

Watermelon-mango cocktail. You will need frozen and chopped pitted watermelon pulp - 500 g, mango - 1 pc.

Mango is crushed in a mixer with the addition of orange juice (750 ml) and pulp cubes. Ice is added to the drink.

Harm of watermelon. Can watermelon be given to children?

Nitrates that get into the pulp of watermelon are harmful, especially in cloudy and humid weather. By themselves, nitrates are low toxic, but when they get into the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract, they are converted into harmful nitrates and N-nitro compounds that cause cancer. With long-term storage of watermelons, nitrates begin to transform directly in it.

Nitrates disrupt the transport function of the blood, negatively affect hemoglobin and lead to hypoxia - a lack of oxygen in the tissues. This is especially difficult for children and patients suffering from diseases of the heart and blood vessels, excretory and respiratory systems.

You can not use watermelon in the presence of:

Urine outflow disorders;

Intestinal disorders: diarrhea and;

Large kidney stones: they will move and cause renal colic;

If you have chronic bowel disease you can not eat a lot of watermelon to avoid bloating.

After eating a large amount of watermelon, you can not eat highly salted foods for 2-3 hours: chips, vobla, nuts. Salt retains fluid in the body, so juicy watermelon can unnecessarily load a sick heart and provoke burns.

Is it possible to serve watermelon to pregnant women and diabetics?

In the presence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, edema in the last trimester of pregnancy should refrain from eating watermelon.

Symptoms of watermelon poisoning:

Watermelon poisoning manifests itself:

an increase in temperature after 1-2 hours (1-2 days);

headaches;

nausea and vomiting;

cutting pain in the abdomen;

diarrhea and dehydration.

In case of watermelon poisoning, the following measures should be taken:

1. You need to drink water often and a lot with the addition of Regidron or Gastrolit to the drink. This will restore the lost fluid and salts.

2. They take sorbents that attract toxic substances and remove them from the body: Enterosgel and Smektu.

3. In the presence of pain - take No-shpu and Papaverine. It is forbidden to take analgesics!

4. It is necessary to call an ambulance to provide assistance and exclude appendicitis with similar symptoms.

Sweet sugar watermelon is a storehouse of various benefits.

Watermelon peels - benefits and harms

But it turns out that watermelon peels can not be thrown away - there are benefits in them too.

The benefits and harms of watermelon peels

It would seem, what could be useful here? However, experts have found that there are useful substances in the green crust:

• in fact, all the microelements and vitamins that can be found in the pulp of a watermelon are also in the peel (vitamins: groups B, A, C, PP, beta-carotene; trace elements: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus);
• there is less sugar and water, but much more amino acids, chlorophyll and fiber;
• watermelon peels contain fibers and fiber, so their benefits are especially noticeable in the normalization of the digestive tract.

Thus, they are no less important for our health than the pulp of a watermelon.

It only seems to many that the green shell of a bright sweet handsome watermelon is no good. However, experts are in no hurry to throw it in the trash. Decoctions of them are used to clean the gastrointestinal tract, as well as diuretics and choleretic agents, expectorants and painkillers.

Watermelon rinds, which are proven to be beneficial, can also be harmful if used incorrectly.

Their use can cause irreparable harm to health in several cases:

• the rinds are removed from watermelons grown “out of season” or stored for a long time;
• watermelon is grown using a large number of chemicals - in this case, most of the toxins that accumulate in the berry go into the peel;
• recommendations in the dosage of components in the preparation of decoctions and infusions are not followed.

True connoisseurs understand that watermelons themselves, their seeds and peels can be both beneficial and harmful, so you need to be extremely careful when choosing this sweet giant berry.

Related articles:

watermelon rinds- a good diuretic for edema, if there are problems with the kidneys, heart and blood vessels. They are also useful for gout, obesity and hypertension.

Diuretic effect of watermelon peels can manifest itself even when they are used in the form of jam and candied fruit. By increasing urination, they do not irritate the kidneys and urinary tract. It is useful to use them to strengthen the body after a serious illness, with difficulty urinating, kidney and liver stones, dropsy. Watermelon rinds will also come to the rescue with constipation, because they contain a lot of fiber, and it enhances intestinal motility and facilitates defecation. This tool is suitable even for children.

as a diuretic Pour 20 g of fresh or dry peels with 1 cup of boiling water, leave for an hour, strain. Drink 1/2 cup 3-4 times a day.

If there are kidney stones and to remove salts from the body with gout, take powder from the green top layer of crusts, diluting in warm water or drinking water with honey, from 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons 2 to 3 times a day before meals. The dose must be selected individually. Another good recipe for kidney stones: pour 2 tablespoons of powder from the green top layer of crusts into 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave for 45 minutes, strain.

The benefits and harms of watermelon: from juicy core to striped crust

Take 1/2 cup 3-4 times daily after meals.

With urolithiasis cut the watermelon peels, sprinkle generously with sugar and leave for a while. Pour the extracted juice into a dark bottle and store in the refrigerator. Drink 1 tablespoon with tea.

For liver diseases Pour 2 tablespoons of dry chopped watermelon peels with 0.5 liters of boiling water, insist until cool, strain. Drink 1/2 cup 5 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

With gallstone disease Pour 150 g of dry crusts with 1 liter of boiling water, boil over low heat for 30 minutes, insist until cool, strain. Take 1 glass 3-4 times daily before meals.

With dysbacteriosis Pour 1 tablespoon of crushed peels with 1 cup of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes over low heat, leave for 10 minutes, strain. Drink 1/3 cup 3 times a day.

For constipation Pour 500 g of fresh crusts with 0.5 liters of boiling water and boil under a lid over low heat for 30 minutes. Infuse until cool, strain. Drink warm 1/2 cup 2-3 times a day.

To remove salts from the body Pour 0.5 liters of boiling water in a thermos in the evening into 2 tablespoons of crushed crusts, strain in the morning and drink throughout the day in several doses.

With insomnia, coronary heart disease Take 1/2 teaspoon of watermelon peel powder mixed with 1/2 cup of water or kefir, 2 times a day between meals.

If watermelon rinds are taken regularly, it can lead to a decrease in potassium levels in the body. To make up for its deficiency, you need to eat foods rich in potassium: dried apricots, prunes, raisins, nuts. It is also possible exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases, flatulence.

A well-known berry from the gourd family, melon watermelon, enchants with juicy, fragrant pulp.

The benefits of watermelon peels

And watermelon crusts are often not paid attention to, they are simply thrown away. Therefore, it is useful to know what they are good for and in what form they can decorate the summer (as well as winter and off-season) menus.

What can you tell about the features of watermelon peels and their benefits

Whole watermelon peel is considered edible, except for the thin green skin, which creates the classic striped color of the fruit. The taste of the peel is refreshing, peculiar, neutral-pleasant, but most people will prefer the watermelon flesh flowing with pink juice. So the crust is valued mainly for its beneficial properties, and not for its taste.

Although, after a certain processing, watermelon peels are very appetizing, and you can make candied fruits, jam and pickled snacks in jars in the manner of ordinary cucumbers from them, moreover, jam and pickled blanks can be prepared by mixing crusts and pulp.

In folk medicine, the crusts are also used in the form of decoctions and infusions, they are dried (then they are ground into powder and taken orally, for example, with honey) and juice is squeezed out of them (but they will not be able to quench their thirst like a fresh pulp - it's just a natural medicine) .

The peels of ordinary (pink-red) and yellow watermelons are equally useful.

The energy value of watermelon is low - 25-35 kcal per 100 g of pulp, and the peel is not far from this level, but only while it is fresh - the same jam from it contains about 235 kcal per 100 g.

As for comparing the composition and benefits of watermelon peels and pulp, they are largely identical, and the former contain even more chlorophyll, fiber and amino acids, of which the most important is the nonessential amino acid citrulline, which, although not involved in protein synthesis for muscle tissue growth , but:

Promotes the removal of ammonia from the body, especially a lot produced during intense physical exertion, which, in particular, prevents the feeling of fatigue and pain in the muscles after these loads;

Acts as a vasodilator (by increasing nitric oxide levels), which improves blood flow and oxygen supply to tissues, and normalizes high blood pressure.

The carotenoid pigment lycopene, which creates the red color of the pulp, is contained in the peel, of course, less, but it still improves the condition of the skin - participating in cell renewal, the production of collagen and elastin for its youth, protecting it from solar radiation.

Watermelon peels contain vitamins - A, C, several from groups B and E, as well as minerals - potassium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, calcium, sodium, silicon.

And it is also worth noting choline (B4) - it enhances the action of folic acid, and when paired with lycopene, it acts as a powerful antioxidant - it strengthens the immune system and protects the body from premature aging and the risks of cancer.

What diseases will benefit from watermelon peels

One of the main properties of watermelon is a diuretic, it is also found in berry crusts and is characterized by the following features:

Unlike many diuretics, watermelon does not flush out potassium from the body;

The use of watermelon, even in large quantities, does not irritate the urinary tract;

If stones have not yet formed in the kidneys and bladder, but there is sand, watermelon helps to remove it;

The withdrawal of excess fluid is accompanied by a decrease in inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system, the disappearance of such an unpleasant symptom as frequent urination and a decrease in edema (especially caused by heart and kidney diseases).

The use of watermelon peels makes a good contribution to the prevention of cardiac diseases.

Due to the combination of coarse dietary fiber (fiber) and compositional features, watermelon peels heal the digestive tract, including:

Restoration of disturbed intestinal microflora;

Normalization of digestion processes;

Reduction of pain in the stomach;

constipation treatment;

Healing of minor mucosal lesions.

Along with this, a complex cleansing of the body from toxins and toxins is carried out.

Also, watermelon peels are useful for the following:

Relief of symptoms of joint diseases;

Treatment of cholestasis (stagnation of bile) as a choleretic;

Restoration of the full functionality of the organs of the respiratory system after inflammatory diseases.

How else is the benefit of watermelon peels

Despite the fact that watermelon has an average and even rather high glycemic index (about 75 units), its peels, firstly, contain less sugar than pulp, and secondly, it is mainly represented by easily digestible (not requiring this large amount of insulin) fructose.

Thus, the berry is not contraindicated in moderation in diabetes mellitus and overweight (obesity).

Another plus of watermelon is that all of it belongs to products of average degree of allergenicity.

Watermelon peels (especially in the form of sweets) have a positive effect on the nervous system - they improve mood, help against depression and apathy, increase concentration and the body's resistance to stressful situations.

Watermelon is one of the most useful fruits for female beauty, and although in this regard peels cannot be compared with pulp, anyway, they, in particular, improve the condition of nails, giving them strength and shine, protecting them from brittleness and delamination.

Can there be harm from watermelon peels

Not all plants, like melons (which, in addition to watermelon, also include pumpkin and melon) are able to accumulate nitrates, heavy metals and other harmful substances in the peel.

But it is rarely possible to find out everything about the environmental safety of the place where watermelons are grown and how they fertilize them.

Therefore, in order to use watermelon peels without harm, it is recommended that before eating them or harvesting them in any way, soak the crusts (having previously cleared the green peel) in cool water.

In 2-3 hours, harmful substances will pass into the liquid, and the crusts will only be dried and used with benefit.

Excessive and prolonged treats with crusts (and pulp) of watermelon can lower the level of potassium in the body and to prevent this phenomenon, and in order not to give up your favorite watermelon, it is recommended to introduce into the diet something that is rich in potassium, for example, nuts, dried apricots, raisins, spinach , potatoes (with skin).

You should not get carried away with watermelon crusts in the last stages of pregnancy - despite the fact that the internal organs are already experiencing increased stress, its pronounced diuretic property can negatively affect a woman’s well-being.

Also, in order to avoid harm from watermelon peels, they are strictly contraindicated in:

Tendencies to diarrhea and flatulence;

Urolithiasis (movement of stones can be provoked);

Inflammatory and chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in the acute stage (but theoretically, the doctor can cancel the ban with favorable health indicators).

Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.
Cucurbitaceae family - Cucurbitaceae.

Description

An annual monoecious plant with a creeping stem and branched tendrils. The leaves are large, deeply three-five-parted. Flowers unisexual, light yellow. The fruit of the watermelon is a spherical false berry. The fruits are large, spherical, rarely oval or cylindrical with a smooth surface, with red or pink juicy sweet pulp and numerous seeds. Some varieties have white or yellowish white flesh. The color of the bark is green, dark green, sometimes white with a pattern in the form of stripes or a grid. Stem length 2–3 m.

Spreading

Watermelon is cultivated in many regions of the Earth with a dry and hot climate. Watermelon is native to South and Central Africa.

habitat

Cultivated on melons.

flowering time

June July.

collection time

Aug. Sept.

Procurement method

The rind of a ripe watermelon is shiny. If you knock on it, the sound will be clear, sonorous. Watermelons are stored, laid out on shelves in one row, tails up at a temperature of 0 to 5 ° C.

Watermelon peels, seeds and juice, benefits and harms

Chemical composition

Watermelon is a source of pectin, nitrogenous and alkaline substances, fiber, vitamins B1, B2, C, PP, folic acid and provitamin A, as well as salts of manganese, nickel, iron, magnesium and potassium. The pulp of watermelon contains up to 12% sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose). Fructose makes up about half of all sugars and is responsible for the sweetness of watermelon. A fruit weighing 3–4 kg contains up to 150 g of pure fructose. The seeds contain up to 25-30% fatty oil rich in vitamin D.

Applied Part

Fruits (pulp and rind) and seeds.

Application

In folk medicine, the pulp, peel, seeds and juice of watermelon are used:

• In febrile conditions;
• As a strong diuretic;
• As a mild laxative;
• As a choleretic;
• As an anti-inflammatory;
• As hemostatic;
• As an antihelminthic;
• With dropsy;
• With jaundice;
• For the treatment of colitis in children;
• With arthritis and gout;
• With sclerosis;
• For burns;
• With skin diseases;
• With diseases of the liver and gallbladder;
• With anemia;
• With angina;
• With pulmonary tuberculosis;
• With chronic cystitis, nephritis;
• With stones in the kidneys, bladder and ureter;
• With impotence;
• With intoxication.

Contraindications

Use with caution in patients with diabetes mellitus. Do not use to treat alkaline urinary tract stones.

Mode of application

Most often, watermelons are used fresh. Fruit pulp, juice well quench thirst. The presence of tender fiber and pectin in watermelon has a beneficial effect on digestion and improvement of intestinal microflora. It is also useful in the diet of obese patients. The seeds have hemostatic and antihelminthic properties. Watermelon is good for people of all ages. Its medicinal properties are widely used in medicine.

pulp

• Regular consumption of watermelon in food provides healthy sleep, peace of mind, and for men - increased potency.
• The slurry of red watermelon pulp is applied to the wound with skin diseases, to heal non-healing festering wounds.
• In diabetes, small doses of watermelon are recommended. This is due to the fact that in a mature watermelon there is a lot of fructose, which is easily digested and, unlike sucrose, does not cause a load on the insular apparatus of the pancreas. But diabetics should be very careful with watermelons.
• Watermelons improve the digestion process. Fiber and pectin substances of watermelon pulp contribute to the vital activity of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines. Watermelon is rich in alkaline substances that neutralize excess acids from the main foods: eggs, fish, meat and bread.
• In kidney stone disease, the alkalinity of urine increases under the influence of substances contained in watermelon, the salts become soluble and are excreted due to the diuretic effect. In this case, watermelon should be eaten in uniform portions, you can also at night. However, it should be remembered that stone formation can also occur in alkaline urine (for example, phosphate stones). In this case, watermelon treatment should not be used.
• With urolithiasis, cystitis and nephritis, occurring without water retention in the body, watermelon can be eaten from 2 to 2.5 kg of watermelon per day.
• Watermelon is an excellent diuretic. It should be eaten with edema associated with diseases of the cardiovascular system, kidneys and liver.
• Watermelon contains folic acid, which is important for cardiovascular diseases. It is involved in the synthesis of amino acids and blood formation, regulates fat metabolism, has an anti-sclerotic effect, like choline and vitamins C and P contained in watermelon pulp.
• Watermelon is also useful for anemia, since in addition to folic acid it contains iron salts.
• Watermelon fiber, increasing intestinal motility, accelerates the excretion of excess cholesterol, therefore watermelon is useful for atherosclerosis and hypertension.
• Watermelon is useful for restoring liver function after jaundice.
• With gallbladder stones, watermelons are used in clinical nutrition, and they are also a good choleretic agent for hepatitis.
• In diseases of the liver and gallbladder, watermelon removes fluid from the body and nourishes the liver tissue with easily digestible sugars.
• It is useful to eat watermelon in the period after a long and serious illness, as well as after a surgical operation, especially if it was carried out under anesthesia.
• In the diet of obese patients, watermelon pulp is used to simulate satiety. The pulp is low-calorie (about 38 kcal per 100 g).

Crust

Watermelon rinds are used fresh and dried, as well as a decoction and infusion are prepared from them.

With headaches, migraines, a thick watermelon peel tied to the forehead and temples helps.

Thinly cut off the outer green layer of the watermelon peel, finely chop, dry first in a warm oven, then dry at room temperature. They grind. Consume 1 teaspoon 3 times a day before meals, washed down with honey diluted in water: for 50 ml of warm boiled water, half a teaspoon of honey. Store dried watermelon rinds in a paper bag. Used for chronic cystitis, nephritis, kidney stones, bladder and ureter as a diuretic.

A decoction of watermelon peels

1 tablespoon of watermelon peels is poured with 1 cup of boiling water, boiled for 10-15 minutes in a water bath. Cool, strain. Take 1/2 cup 3-4 times a day as a diuretic. You can use dried and fresh peels.

Infusion of watermelon peels

100 g of dried crusts are poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water and infused until cool. Take 1/2 cup 4-5 times a day for colitis.

seeds

• Watermelon seeds, like pumpkin seeds, have an anthelmintic effect.
• Fresh watermelon seeds are pounded with a heavy object to crush them rather than grind them into powder. 100 g of seeds are taken per 1 liter of water, boiled for 45 minutes over low heat, then filtered and drunk three times a day, 200–250 g each.
• Dried watermelon seeds, pass through a meat grinder and mix with milk in a ratio of 1:10. During the day, drink 2 cups of the mixture between meals as a hemostatic agent for uterine bleeding.
• Watermelon "milk" is made from crushed watermelon seeds. The seeds are ground in cold water in a ratio of 1:10 and drunk every 2 hours, 1 teaspoon (you can add sugar or fruit syrup). It is used to quench thirst, lower the temperature and in febrile conditions, and also as an anthelmintic.

The juice

• Juice, along with the pulp, is used in feverish conditions and to quench thirst.
• With angina and pulmonary tuberculosis, it is recommended to gargle with watermelon juice.
• With burns (even extensive ones, up to third-degree burns), the patient's condition is relieved with the help of fermented watermelon juice.
• From the recipes of Chinese medicine: the pulp and juice of ripe watermelon are placed in a clean glass jar, corked and left at room temperature for 3-4 months, then the juice is filtered. After a while, it will acquire a sour smell. First, the burns are washed with cool saline or water, then several times a day lotions are applied to the burnt area from the fermented juice. With this remedy, first and second degree burns tend to heal in 8–9 days, and third degree burns in 18–21 days.

goodies

Watermelon "honey"

Ingredients: ripe sweet watermelons.

Cooking: the pulp is selected, rubbed through a sieve, filtered through 2-3 layers of gauze and the resulting juice is brought to a boil, stirring constantly and removing the foam. Then the juice is again filtered through 3–4 layers of gauze and boiled over low heat, stirring until the volume decreases by 5–6 times and thick brown “honey” is obtained.

Candied watermelon

Ingredients: watermelons of the Candied variety or others - 1 kg of peeled peels, sugar - 1.5 kg, water - 4 cups, citric acid, vanillin - on the tip of a knife.

Cooking: prepare syrup from sugar and water. Peeled peels cut into small cubes and dip in sugar syrup. Boil for 7-10 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and leave for 8-10 hours, then cook again for 7-10 minutes and let stand again. This is repeated 4 times until the crusts become transparent. At the last boil, add vanillin and citric acid to the syrup. Drain the hot crusts in a colander, let the syrup drain, then sprinkle with granulated sugar, mix, shaking to remove excess sugar, and dry the candied fruit in a hot oven.

Salted watermelons, whole

Ingredients: half-ripe small watermelons.

Cooking: wash the watermelons well and chop them in several places to a depth of 3 cm, then lower them into a barrel with pre-prepared brine (400 g of table salt and 1.2 kg of sugar are taken for a bucket of cold water, if the brine is prepared without sugar, then a bucket of water 700-800 g of salt is taken). The water should cover the watermelons. A clean cloth, a circle and a load are placed on top. After 3 days, take the barrel out to the cold. After 3 weeks, watermelons are ready to eat.

Salted watermelon is a very refined delicacy. It is served as a side dish for meat and fish.

Pickled watermelons in a jar

Ingredients: half-ripe watermelons, salt - 1 tablespoon, sugar - 1 tablespoon, vinegar - 1 teaspoon, water - 1 liter.

Cooking: wash watermelons well. Cut into small pieces, peel. Fold in a 3-liter jar, pour the prepared marinade. Ready for use after three days.

Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.
Cucurbitaceae family - Cucurbitaceae.

Description

An annual monoecious plant with a creeping stem and branched tendrils. The leaves are large, deeply three-five-parted. Flowers unisexual, light yellow. The fruit of the watermelon is a spherical false berry. The fruits are large, spherical, rarely oval or cylindrical with a smooth surface, with red or pink juicy sweet pulp and numerous seeds. Some varieties have white or yellowish white flesh. The color of the bark is green, dark green, sometimes white with a pattern in the form of stripes or a grid. Stem length 2–3 m.

Spreading

Watermelon is cultivated in many regions of the Earth with a dry and hot climate. Watermelon is native to South and Central Africa.

habitat

Cultivated on melons.

flowering time

June July.

collection time

Aug. Sept.

Procurement method

The rind of a ripe watermelon is shiny. If you knock on it, the sound will be clear, sonorous. Watermelons are stored, laid out on shelves in one row, tails up at a temperature of 0 to 5 ° C.

Chemical composition

Watermelon is a source of pectin, nitrogenous and alkaline substances, fiber, vitamins B1, B2, C, PP, folic acid and provitamin A, as well as salts of manganese, nickel, iron, magnesium and potassium. The pulp of watermelon contains up to 12% sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose). Fructose makes up about half of all sugars and is responsible for the sweetness of watermelon. A fruit weighing 3–4 kg contains up to 150 g of pure fructose. The seeds contain up to 25-30% fatty oil rich in vitamin D.

Applied Part

Fruits (pulp and rind) and seeds.

Application

In folk medicine, the pulp, peel, seeds and juice of watermelon are used:

• In febrile conditions;
• As a strong diuretic;
• As a mild laxative;
• As a choleretic;
• As an anti-inflammatory;
• As hemostatic;
• With dropsy;
• With jaundice;
• For the treatment of colitis in children;
• For burns;
• With diseases of the liver and gallbladder;
• With anemia;
• With pulmonary tuberculosis;
• With chronic cystitis, nephritis;
• With stones in the kidneys, bladder and ureter;
• With intoxication.

Contraindications

Use with caution in patients with diabetes mellitus. Do not use to treat alkaline urinary tract stones.

Mode of application

Most often, watermelons are used fresh. Fruit pulp, juice well quench thirst. The presence of tender fiber and pectin in watermelon has a beneficial effect on digestion and improvement of intestinal microflora. It is also useful in the diet of obese patients. The seeds have hemostatic and antihelminthic properties. Watermelon is good for people of all ages. Its medicinal properties are widely used in medicine.

pulp

• Regular consumption of watermelon in food provides healthy sleep, peace of mind, and for men - increased potency.
• The slurry of red watermelon pulp is applied to the wound with skin diseases, to heal non-healing festering wounds.
• In diabetes, small doses of watermelon are recommended. This is due to the fact that in a mature watermelon there is a lot of fructose, which is easily digested and, unlike sucrose, does not cause a load on the insular apparatus of the pancreas. But diabetics should be very careful with watermelons.
• Watermelons improve the digestion process. Fiber and pectin substances of watermelon pulp contribute to the vital activity of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines. Watermelon is rich in alkaline substances that neutralize excess acids from the main foods: eggs, fish, meat and bread.
• In kidney stone disease, the alkalinity of urine increases under the influence of substances contained in watermelon, the salts become soluble and are excreted due to the diuretic effect. In this case, watermelon should be eaten in uniform portions, you can also at night. However, it should be remembered that stone formation can also occur in alkaline urine (for example, phosphate stones). In this case, watermelon treatment should not be used.
• With urolithiasis, cystitis and nephritis, occurring without water retention in the body, watermelon can be eaten from 2 to 2.5 kg of watermelon per day.
• Watermelon is an excellent diuretic. It should be eaten with edema associated with diseases of the cardiovascular system, kidneys and liver.
• Watermelon contains folic acid, which is important for cardiovascular diseases. It is involved in the synthesis of amino acids and blood formation, regulates fat metabolism, has an anti-sclerotic effect, like choline and vitamins C and P contained in watermelon pulp.
• Watermelon is also useful for anemia, since in addition to folic acid it contains iron salts.
• Watermelon fiber, increasing intestinal motility, accelerates the excretion of excess cholesterol, therefore watermelon is useful for atherosclerosis and hypertension.
• Watermelon is useful for restoring liver function after jaundice.
• With gallbladder stones, watermelons are used in clinical nutrition, and they are also a good choleretic agent for hepatitis.
• In diseases of the liver and gallbladder, watermelon removes fluid from the body and nourishes the liver tissue with easily digestible sugars.
• It is useful to eat watermelon in the period after a long and serious illness, as well as after a surgical operation, especially if it was carried out under anesthesia.
• In the diet of obese patients, watermelon pulp is used to simulate satiety. The pulp is low-calorie (about 38 kcal per 100 g).

Crust

Watermelon rinds are used fresh and dried, as well as a decoction and infusion are prepared from them.

With headaches, migraines, a thick watermelon peel tied to the forehead and temples helps.

Thinly cut off the outer green layer of the watermelon peel, finely chop, dry first in a warm oven, then dry at room temperature. They grind. Consume 1 teaspoon 3 times a day before meals, washed down with honey diluted in water: for 50 ml of warm boiled water, half a teaspoon of honey. Store dried watermelon rinds in a paper bag. Used for chronic cystitis, nephritis, kidney stones, bladder and ureter as a diuretic.

A decoction of watermelon peels

1 tablespoon of watermelon peels is poured with 1 cup of boiling water, boiled for 10-15 minutes in a water bath. Cool, strain. Take 1/2 cup 3-4 times a day as a diuretic. You can use dried and fresh peels.

Infusion of watermelon peels

100 g of dried crusts are poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water and infused until cool. Take 1/2 cup 4-5 times a day for colitis.

Watermelon "honey"

Ingredients: ripe sweet watermelons.

Cooking: the pulp is selected, rubbed through a sieve, filtered through 2-3 layers of gauze and the resulting juice is brought to a boil, stirring constantly and removing the foam. Then the juice is again filtered through 3–4 layers of gauze and boiled over low heat, stirring until the volume decreases by 5–6 times and thick brown “honey” is obtained.

Candied watermelon

Ingredients: watermelons of the Candied variety or others - 1 kg of peeled peels, sugar - 1.5 kg, water - 4 cups, citric acid, vanillin - on the tip of a knife.

Cooking: prepare syrup from sugar and water. Peeled peels cut into small cubes and dip in sugar syrup. Boil for 7-10 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and leave for 8-10 hours, then cook again for 7-10 minutes and let stand again. This is repeated 4 times until the crusts become transparent. At the last boil, add vanillin and citric acid to the syrup. Drain the hot crusts in a colander, let the syrup drain, then sprinkle with granulated sugar, mix, shaking to remove excess sugar, and dry the candied fruit in a hot oven.

Salted watermelons, whole

Ingredients: half-ripe small watermelons.

Cooking: wash the watermelons well and chop them in several places to a depth of 3 cm, then lower them into a barrel with pre-prepared brine (400 g of table salt and 1.2 kg of sugar are taken for a bucket of cold water, if the brine is prepared without sugar, then a bucket of water 700-800 g of salt is taken). The water should cover the watermelons. A clean cloth, a circle and a load are placed on top. After 3 days, take the barrel out to the cold. After 3 weeks, watermelons are ready to eat.

Salted watermelon is a very refined delicacy. It is served as a side dish for meat and fish.

Pickled watermelons in a jar

Ingredients: half-ripe watermelons, salt - 1 tablespoon, sugar - 1 tablespoon, vinegar - 1 teaspoon, water - 1 liter.

Cooking: wash watermelons well. Cut into small pieces, peel. Fold in a 3-liter jar, pour the prepared marinade. Ready for use after three days.

Watermelon is the largest false berry on earth, oval or round in shape, with a smooth surface and a dense rind, under which pink, sweet and very juicy flesh is hidden. It belongs to the pumpkin family, and is known to every person as a wonderful delicacy that effectively quenches thirst in the summer heat. In addition, this berry is a recognized means of traditional medicine, while using not only its pulp, but also peels.

Watermelon contains about 12% of sugars and most of them are fructose, and the rest are glucose and sucrose. It also contains a lot of pectins, fiber, B vitamins, vitamin PP and C, provitamin A and folic acid. In addition, this berry contains many trace elements - iron, manganese, potassium, nickel, iron and magnesium. The seeds are very rich in vitamin D and various fatty oils.

Most often, watermelons are eaten fresh, so in summer they perfectly quench thirst and serve as a source of trace elements, thanks to which elements lost with sweat are replenished. Also, these berries can be salted; during salting and fermentation, they do not lose their medicinal properties.

Watermelon juice is boiled to make watermelon honey, which contains more than 90% sugars. Marmalade, candied fruits and jams are prepared from the peels, they are also dried and used for medicinal purposes. The seeds are used to make a special watermelon oil.

Watermelon can be eaten by people at any age, it is also used in folk and even official medicine.

Useful properties of watermelon and its peel

This berry significantly improves the digestive processes. Its pulp contains fiber, which stimulates beneficial intestinal microflora. Watermelon belongs to alkaline foods, it is able to neutralize the action of harmful acids from meat, eggs, fish and bread. It contains a lot of folic acid, which stimulates fat metabolism and has a pronounced anti-sclerotic effect. Its action is significantly enhanced by choline and vitamins C and PP. Due to the fact that watermelon is most often eaten raw, all folic acid reserves reach the body unchanged, since heat treatment leads to their destruction.

Watermelon helps to eliminate the negative consequences that have arisen after drug therapy and after anesthesia, in addition, it is useful to eat it after long-term illnesses and surgical interventions.

How to dry watermelon rinds?

The method of harvesting them for the winter is simple - finely chop the crusts and dry in the oven at 50C, then store in a dark place.

How can watermelon rinds be used medicinally?

A decoction of fresh watermelon peels and seeds has an excellent diuretic effect, if the peels are dried, they can also be used in winter.

Watermelon and a decoction of its peels are used to get rid of edema that occurs due to kidney and liver ailments, as well as vascular and heart diseases.

With urolithiasis, it is necessary to consume watermelon pulp every day (2.5-3 kg), or drink a decoction of peels (2 liters each). This will help dissolve the stones and prevent the progression of the disease.

In nephrolithiasis, the alkaline environment of urine, which arises from eating watermelon, dissolves salts that are present in both the kidneys and the urinary tract. To get a therapeutic effect, you should eat a large piece of this berry every hour.

Cut off the hard top layer from the watermelon rinds. Cut the crusts smaller and dry in the oven until half cooked (the temperature should be low), later scatter them on fabrics and dry them at room temperature. In the cold season, they can be consumed as a cure for kidney stones, nephritis and edema. For treatment, it is necessary to eat one teaspoon of raw materials before meals, drinking a small amount of warm water with a teaspoon of natural liquid honey. Take this remedy three times a day. Store dried peels in a dry place, folded into a paper bag or linen bag.

For colitis, take one hundred grams of dried crusts and pour half a liter of boiling water over them. Insist in a thermos for two hours. Take half a glass of this remedy five times a day.

For the treatment of tonsillitis and tuberculosis, take fresh watermelon peels and cut off a dense peel from them. Cut them and grind them in a meat grinder, then squeeze the juice and use it to gargle every hour.

You can get rid of pigmentation and sluggish facial skin using freshly squeezed juice from watermelon peels. It should be applied to the face three times a day and washed off after a quarter of an hour with clean water.

In order to help restore the liver after alcoholism and hepatitis, one tablespoon of juice should be given to the patient at an interval of one hour.

Diabetics should not eat a lot of watermelon pulp, but drinking the juice from the rinds will do them good. It should be taken a glass a day, distributing it into four doses. It contains all the same minerals and vitamins as the pulp, but it has virtually no sugar.

You can get rid of trophic ulcers, boils, acne and bedsores with the help of fresh juice from the crusts, they need to wipe the affected areas or use for lotions.

With diarrhea, you can grind dry crusts with a coffee grinder and take them every two hours in the amount of one teaspoon with clean water.

For the treatment of sunburn, you can apply gruel prepared from watermelon peels to the affected areas. After an hour, wash it off and apply a fresh dose. Repeat this procedure until the inflammation subsides.

Watermelon is a unique natural remedy that can help treat a wide variety of ailments.

Ekaterina, www.site

On August 1, watermelon stalls will open in Moscow. Perhaps everyone can tell about the beneficial properties of this plant. However, as it turned out, not only the watermelon fruit itself is useful.

Watermelon - the head of everything

Watermelon also contains a lot of fiber, which is why it removes cholesterol from the body, which is the main culprit of atherosclerosis. Watermelon helps to eliminate stagnant bile, which improves the complexion and the digestive tract. The striped giant is able to expel sand from the kidneys - when used for 4-5 days, about 2 kg of watermelon on an empty stomach daily, preferably in two doses.

To the delight of all the sweet tooth, who are forced to limit themselves in the use of their favorite foods, watermelon contains easily digestible sugars and is not contraindicated even for patients with diabetes. For people on a diet, watermelon is an ideal delicacy, because a kilogram of watermelon pulp contains only 500 calories, writes ulady.ru.

In the fight for a slim figure, watermelon is your good helper. Most often, watermelon fasting days are arranged for weight loss, when only watermelons are eaten during the day - 1.5-2 kg of pulp in five doses - and nothing more. Such fasting days are best arranged no more than twice a week. It is also recommended to eat watermelon with brown bread on fasting days. In the absence of contraindications, you can also arrange "watermelon starvation", when, apart from watermelons and black bread, nothing is eaten for 3-4 days.

Useful snacks

Watermelon peel jam is also quite popular. Products: watermelon peels, citric acid (3 g per 1 kg of peels), vanillin - 1 g; syrup: 1.9 kg of sugar per 1 liter of water. Peeled cut crusts should be lowered for 5 minutes. in hot water with citric acid, then in cold. Next, the crusts are poured with syrup, boiled until they brighten. Then you need to let them stand and boil. Leave for 6-8 hours and boil again, adding citric acid, and let it brew again. Then cook the jam until cooked, add vanillin.

Watermelon can also be salted. To do this, you will need: brine: salt, water (2 tablespoons per 1 liter); 1 kg of watermelon per 1 liter of brine. Washed watermelons must be put in a container, after pricking them in several places, pour brine and leave for 30-40 days in a cool place. The brine should be kept at room temperature for 1-2 days.

In order to make lemonade from watermelon, you will need the following ingredients: 2 cups of orange juice, 1 liter of sparkling water, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar. Next, you need to cut off the top of the watermelon, grind the pulp, pour juice into the watermelon, add sugar, lemon zest to taste and put the watermelon in the refrigerator for half an hour. After the lemonade, along with the pulp, pour into glasses, add soda and serve.

And finally - the recipe for a watermelon and mango cocktail. Ingredients: 500 g watermelon, 1 mango, 750 ml orange juice, ice. Cut the pulp of pitted watermelon and mango into cubes and leave in the freezer for 2 hours. Then beat the fruit in a blender (or mixer) with orange juice. Pour the drink into a jug, add ice and serve.

The material was prepared by the online editors www.rian.ru based on information from open sources