2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
As they call her: Amur gooseberry, and creeper, and Far Eastern kiwi, tree gooseberry, etc. But her real, scientific name sounds very poetic and beautiful, just like she herself - actinidia kolomikta. Those who have tried to grow her at least once say a lot of good things about her
In fact, it is an ornamental fruit vine. She is able to beautifully wrap her long, tree-like shoots around fences, gazebos, verandas, etc., creating a dense shadow and nicely complementing the design of the site. In the Far East and in Primorye, it can be found even in the wild in forests of all types. But in gardens it is not so rare.
Games with color
Actinidia looks especially gorgeous at the beginning of summer: its large leaves covered with deep wrinkles can change their color: from initially bronze they turn into green and darken a little by autumn. Before flowering, literally in a few days, the leaves become variegated, which is clearly visible in open places. At first, the tips or half of the leaf turn white, and soon its entire area is colored.
This "whitish" period takes an average of two days. Then these albino leaves turn pink right before our eyes. Eventually, the leaves of actinidia become a deep crimson-red color. The cut branches of this colorful creeper look very impressive in flowerpots. In the autumn, the plant also looks very decorative. Its leaves are painted in bright pink, yellow, purple and reddish tones.
Such bright colors of the plant always attract many insects to it, which wonderfully pollinate it. It should be noted the amazing aroma emanating from the blooming Amur gooseberry, somewhat reminiscent of the smell of jasmine, beloved by many. And the little white flowers of actinidia, located on drooping long pedicels, look like jasmine in appearance. They are quite large - about 1.5 cm in diameter.
Resembles a pineapple
Actinidia kolomikta is able to delight with fruits annually. The fruits of the plant are small, oblong, soft berries with a very pleasant taste, close to tropical pineapple and strawberries. Moreover, during the most active fruiting, up to 7 kg of berries can be removed from the branches of one vine. Oddly enough, fruits hiding in the shade ripen much earlier than those that are fried in the sun. On average, the crop is harvested in August-September. The ripe berries of the plant are dark green or yellowish in color. But there are also translucent ripened actinidia.
Among the variety of plant varieties, you can choose those whose fruits do not crumble. But most often, ripe berries, if they were not picked, naturally fall from the vines and break on any hard surface under them. It is for this reason that many summer residents try to put something like kraft paper under the slider during this period or simply hang a cloth under the plant. There is another way: a week before the fruits ripen, remove absolutely all the berries from the vine and spread them in slightly shaded, ventilated rooms, in which there will be no foreign odors, for one week. In such conditions, the fruits can ripen without difficulty. If someone is going to dry the berries according to the traditional method - in the sun, then it is better to refuse such an undertaking - you will lose the unique taste of the Amur gooseberry.
And in jam, and in compote
The fruits of this wonderful liana contain a lot of vitamin C, which is much more than in the more familiar black currant for us. Berries can be eaten both fresh and made into jam, preserves, jelly, juice, compote, or make wine. In addition, many summer residents even dried fruits. Interestingly, to make wine, the actinidia fruits do not need to be washed - they are too soft for that. Wine is best drunk after three years of aging, because it is then that the charm of expensive vintage Muscat wine will appear in it.
The most valuable product obtained from actinidia kolomikta is the so-called "raw" jam. It has a specific effect, working as a strong laxative. That is why it is not recommended for children to eat it. However, as a medicine for normalizing the stool of adults, such a dessert is very suitable: hard or slightly soft fruits, rinse thoroughly, preferably in two waters, and then peel off the tails. Dry the berries a little in the shade and let them ripen.
Mash the already fully ripe berries with a wood pestle. Add granulated sugar to them, at the rate: per kilogram of berries - two kilograms of sugar. Dispense this sweet mixture into pre-sterilized one-liter jars, about 3/4 of the volume. Place the jars in a dark, preferably cool, place, the main thing is that the temperature there is no more than 15 degrees. So actinidia can be stored for up to 3 years, and what is important, while fully preserving all its vitamins.
Raw jam of actinidia kolomikta can be:
- add to any compotes to give an interesting taste and unique aroma;
- fill them with sweets or pastries;
- use for constipation (one teaspoon per day);
- use to improve the functioning of the heart and calm the nerves (the infusion is similar to valerian, but much milder).
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