Syn .: common watercress, watercress, bruncress, rezuha, medicinal watercress, etc.
Perennial (annual in culture) plant with pinnately dissected leaves. As a food plant, it is promising, rapidly developing.
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Flower formula
Watercress flower formula: * CH4L4T2 + 4P (2).
In medicine
Watercress is not included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation and is not used by official medicine, but it is a valuable and dietary product, is actively used for food purposes in many countries, and also has healing properties that are actively used in traditional medicine.
Due to the balanced content of biologically active substances (high content of vitamins and minerals, especially iron and iodine), watercress exhibits very useful, valuable dietary properties, which are intensively used in therapeutic dietetics. In this regard, nutritionists recommend including it in food for patients during the rehabilitation period after prolonged serious illness, complex operations to restore and maintain metabolism in general, as well as to improve appetite. It is useful to include the plant in the diet for obesity and diabetes.
Meanwhile, the biological activity of watercress (watercress) is of great interest to many researchers, especially foreign countries, and by now important results have been obtained, which will be very promising in the treatment of many diseases. For example, the experiment has shown that the extract and polyphenolic complex of watercress have antioxidant properties, the extract - hepatoprotective (Martinez-Sanchez et.al., 2008; Yazdanparast, Bahramikia, Ardestani, 2008), water-alcohol extract - hypocholesterolemic and cardioprotective (Bahramikia , Yazdanparast, 2008). Watercress juice enhances the activity of ethoxyresofurin-O-diethylase and NADPH-quinoreductase (Lhoste et.al., 2004). Watercress extract also exhibits antibacterial activity (Camacho-Corona at.el, 2008).
The German E Commission recognized watercress as a good remedy for the treatment of respiratory colds, especially runny nose and coughs.
In Europe, watercress is included in a number of herbal choleretic drugs. Watercress tablets and capsules are used as biologically active food additives. It is proposed to use the dry extract (powder) of watercress for the manufacture of tablets and hard gelatin capsules as a biologically active additive with a wide spectrum of action.
Contraindications and side effects
For medicinal purposes, watercress should be used as directed by a physician. In case of an overdose, irritation of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract is possible. Contraindication is individual intolerance.
In cooking
Watercress is a well-known valuable food plant and is only used raw (fresh young leaves and shoot tops). In cooking, watercress is used as an independent dish - a salad with a spicy, piquant mustard taste as a spicy seasoning for various dishes and for salads. Watercress well complements vegetable soups made from herbs, improves the taste of fish, some meat dishes, sauces, fillings. When combined with mint, rosemary, watercress forms a savory concoction that is used in many culinary dishes. It goes well with mayonnaise and vegetable oil. Due to its mustard flavor, it is added to sandwiches (fish, ham, cheese).
Seeds, as well as a spice, can replace mustard; they are used to obtain edible oil, which is close in quality to mustard oil. Watercress is widely used (especially in Europe and the United States) in mixed salads, in cold green sauces, for sandwiches, while inflorescences are also used for food.
In areas where watercress grows as a wild plant (especially along the banks of water bodies), it is harvested for use as food.
Watercress can be used for growing at home, especially during the winter season when there is a lack of vitamins. It develops very quickly, reaching a height of 30-90 cm. The leaves, stems and tops of young shoots of cress are perfect, as noted above, for salads and as a seasoning for many dishes (meat, fish, etc.).
Classification
Watercress or watercress medicinal (lat.Nasturtium officinale) is a species of the genus watercress (lat.Nasturtium) of the cruciferous or cabbage family (Cruciferae, or Brassicaceae). The genus includes 6 species, growing mainly in Eurasia, North and East Africa and North America. In the former USSR - 1 species (in the Caucasus and Central Asia). Watercress is cultivated in Western Europe and the USA.
Botanical description
Watercress is a perennial plant with a maximum height of 60 cm or more. Moisture-loving, relatively cold-resistant and shade-tolerant plant. The stem is hollow, furrowed, creeping, usually rooting at the base. Leaves are green, alternate, simple, without stipules, pinnately dissected, with wide petioles and 2-7 pairs of oblong or oval leaflets with a larger and more rounded ovoid apical leaflet. Bracts and bracts are absent. Flowers are bisexual, small, white, bilaterally symmetrical, located in short racemes. The perianth is double, 4-membered. Petals with marigolds, sepals in 2 circles. There are 6 stamens, of which 2 are short and 4 are long, nectaries are located at the base of the filaments. Ovary superior of 2 carpels. Watercress flower formula - * Ч4Л4Т2 + 4П (2). The fruit is a pod, it opens with two valves, with a remaining septum. The receptacles of myrosin are characteristic of the vegetative organs and inflorescences. Blooms in May - August.
Spreading
It is found in the European part of Russia (central and southern regions) and in the Caucasus. It grows along river banks, near streams and springs, sometimes in slowly flowing water, less often in swamps.
Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.
Procurement of raw materials
For medicinal purposes, only the aerial part is used. The grass is harvested during a vigorous flowering, and it can be cut off about forty days after planting. It is recommended to use it only fresh, since in this case all the necessary chemical compounds are preserved in it. The dried herb almost completely loses its medicinal properties.
Chemical composition
The chemical composition of watercress has been studied fairly well. Flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, kaempferol, myricetin, hesperetin, nareginin, quercetin), anthocyanins (pelargonidin, cyanidin, delphinidin) were found in the aerial part and in the fruits of watercress. In the aerial part and roots - glucosinolates (gluconasturcin, glucobrassinocin, neoglucobrassicin, etc.). Watercress also contains other nitrogen-containing compounds (phenylpropionitrile, phenylacetonitrile, etc.). The seeds contain higher fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, erucic, palmintic, steric, linolenic) and fatty oil - up to 24%.
Pharmacological properties
Watercress has some medicinal properties, in particular blood-purifying, expectorant, antiscorbutic, diuretic, tonic, etc. Watercress improves appetite and metabolism, lowers blood pressure and blood sugar in diabetes, calms the nervous system, acts as a mild laxative. In addition, the herb (extract) of watercress has a disinfecting effect for burns, skin diseases (dermatoses, lipomas, chronic skin rashes, itchy skin eczema, trophic ulcers, etc.), as well as for inflammation of the oral mucosa and periodontal disease. It has anti-inflammatory properties for colds, especially for runny nose and coughs.
German medicine recognizes watercress as a good remedy for the treatment of respiratory ailments, especially a runny nose and cough. In China, this plant is used to treat gingivitis. It is also traditionally used for lethargy, problems with joints, blood vessels, bronchitis, scurvy and goiter. In Europe, watercress is found in a number of herbal choleretic preparations.
Application in traditional medicine
Watercress, or common watercress, is much more widely used in folk medicine due to its medicinal properties. The beneficial properties of watercress are used by traditional healers as a blood-purifying, expectorant, antiscorbutic, diuretic, tonic for the treatment of many diseases.
In folk medicine, watercress is used for improper metabolism, for cleansing and improving the condition of the blood, as well as for various inflammatory diseases.
Infusions of watercress herb are used as a diuretic for kidney disease (nephritis); anti-febrile and sedative - for nervous diseases and fever; decoction - for diseases of the thyroid gland, liver, cholelithiasis and urolithiasis, anemia, rheumatism, gout, diabetes, gastritis, colitis, duodenitis, cystitis and gynecological diseases. Freshly squeezed watercress herb juice is effective in certain pathological processes in the liver and gallbladder, as well as in metabolic disorders, as a whole as a general tonic. Watercress is known in folk medicine and as a tonic. Watercress juice in folk medicine is used externally as a disinfectant for burns, various skin diseases, in particular dermatoses, lipomas, warts, polyps, chronic skin rashes, itchy skin eczema, trophic ulcers, as well as inflammation of the oral mucosa and periodontal disease , diabetic foot syndrome.
Historical reference
Watercress has been introduced into culture since the Middle Ages. In many countries, in particular France, Germany, Canada and the USA, it is a widespread vegetable garden. In the 17th century, special artificial reservoirs were even built for watercress. In England, watercress was introduced to culture in the 19th century, and then in many other countries.
Even ancient healers used the herb watercress for fever and scurvy. In ancient Rome, it was believed that watercress (with vinegar) soothes and heals people with a dull mind. In China, it has been used to lower blood pressure and as a laxative. According to legend, many preachers (Irish) ate watercress and dry bread all their lives and stayed healthy.
Literature
1. Biological encyclopedic dictionary / Ch. ed. M. S. Gilyarov) 2nd ed., Corrected. M .: Sov. Encyclopedia. 1989.
2. Girenko M.M., Zvereva O.A. Green vegetables: A guide for hobby gardeners. M .: Niola-Press; Union-Public, 2007.176 s
3. Dudchenko L. G., Koz'yakov A. S., Krivenko V. V. Spicy-aromatic and spice-flavoring plants: Handbook / Otv. ed. K. M. Sytnik. K .: Naukova Dumka, 1989.304 p.
4. Kutachek M., Oplishtilova K. 1964. On the distribution of glucorassicin, a precursor of indolylacetoitrile, ascorbigen and thiocyanate ions in plants, Russ. T. 11. Issue. 5.S. 867-870.
5. Plant resources of Russia / Wild flowering plants, their component composition and biological activity / Otv. editor A.L. Budantsev. T.2. SPb .; M .: Partnership of scientific publications KMK, 2009.513 p.
6. Bahramikia S., Yazdanparast R. 2008. Effekt of hydroalcholic extracts of Nasturtium officinale leaves on lipid profile in high-fat diet rats // Ethnopharmacol. Vol. 115b N 1.P. 88.
7. Camacho-Corona at.el, 2008. Activity against drug resistant-tuberculosis strains of plants used in Mexican traditional medicine to treat tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases // Phytother. Res. Vol. 22, N1. P. 82-85.
8. Lhoste et.al., 2004. The activities of several detoxication tnzymes are diferentially unduced by juices of garden cress, water cress and mustard in human HepG2 cells // Chem Biol. Interact. Vol. 150, No. 3. P. 211-219.
9. Martinez-Sanchez et.al., 2008. A comparative study of flavonoid glycosides, vitamin C, and antioxidant properties of baby leaf Brassicaceae species // J. Agric. Food Chem. Vol. 56. No. 7. P. 2330-2340.
10. Yazdanparast R., Bahramikia S., Ardestani A. 2008. Nasturtium officinale reduces oxidative stress and enhances antioxidant capacity in hypercholesterolaemic rats // Chem. Biol. Interact. Vol. 172, No. 3. P. 176-184.
Common watercress and watercress, medicinal watercress, spring watercress, watercress, watercress, watercress, keycress, horseradish, bruncress. All these names refer to the same species from the genus Zherukhi of the Cabbage family. In addition to this herb, eight other species belong to the genus "Zherukha".
Zherukha is a perennial, fast-growing, semi-aquatic plant known since ancient times as a herbaceous vegetable. Despite the fact that it was popular in the Roman Empire, and in the Middle Ages in France and the German states, it was introduced into culture only in the 19th century.
Appearance
The attitude towards this plant in different countries has developed differently. In some, watercress is considered a weed or aquatic vegetation, and in some it is widely cultivated as a very useful herb.
Outwardly, it looks like this:
- The stem is thick, hollow. Reaches 50-60 cm in length.
- Shoots usually hang decoratively from the main stem.
- Leaves are green, fleshy, often heart-shaped.
- The flowers are collected at the top in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence. Sepals are of the same shape, 2-3 mm long. The petals themselves are small and white, 4-5 mm long, with marigolds. The short stamens have honey-like glands shaped like a horseshoe. Anthers are yellow.
- Fetus. After flowering, the fruit appears in the form of a short convex pod. Inside it, oblong seeds are located on both sides.
- It blooms from May to August.
The flowers of the common watercress look very delicate.
Where grows
Pharmacy watercress can be found in wild places and cultivated in the beds.
In its natural environment, it grows:
- In the Azores and Canary Islands.
- In European states.
- In Central Asia and Pakistan.
- In Russia: in the Caucasian and Dagestan foothills.
In African countries: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco.
Whole watercress plantations are grown in the UK
Grown in the following countries:
- IN THE USA.
- In Paraguay and Venezuela South America.
- In many European countries (England, France, Germany).
The drugstore is a plant that loves water and moisture. In the wild, it grows in flowing streams, swamps, reservoirs, on the banks of rivers, near the seas. At home, for planting watercress, artificial ditches are made with a depth of at least 50 cm, which must be constantly filled with water.
Method for making spices
- The aerial part of the watercress is consumed only fresh, since it is believed that when dried it can lose its properties. Green leaves and seeds are used to make spices. The taste of the leaves is tart and bitter, and the smell is pungent, similar to the smell of horseradish. When combined with mint and rosemary, a very savory blend is obtained that enhances the taste of fish and meat dishes.
- The roots are usually harvested in the fall. Dried at a temperature of at least 40-45 ° C. A tincture is made from the roots. The seeds can also be used to make a spice. It tastes like mustard. They are harvested after ripening. Can be used in tinctures or added fresh to salads and sauces.
Peculiarities
Zherukha has the following features:
- It is considered a very healthy and dietary food.
- The taste is bitter and tart, reminiscent of horseradish radish and mustard.
- This herb is fast-growing, frost-resistant, moisture-demanding and shade-tolerant. Only with an abundance of moisture does it give tender greens, and when grown in soil, it quickly turns to stemming, and to flowering, as a result, it loses its medicinal qualities.
Beneficial features
The water walker is rich in minerals and vitamins.
Healthy drinks are made from watercress
Harm
In order to avoid irritation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and kidneys when using watercress, a number of rules should be followed:
- Do not take it too often and in large quantities.
- Drink it with water only.
- The most optimal dose is to drink one teaspoon no more than three to four times a day (with 30 ml of water).
Butter
Medicinal watercress oil resembles mustard oil in many ways. It is made from the seeds of the water walker. This oil is enriched with various acids: oleic, palmitic, linolenic, etc.
Common watercress oil is eaten
Juice
Fresh water can be squeezed out of the "magic drink" - juice. It is called magic because the juice of the razuha is very rich in minerals, especially sulfur.
This juice is able to treat:
- burns;
- lipomas;
- warts;
- polyps and other skin diseases.
You can cook a decoction from a water walker, which heals from diseases:
- thyroid gland;
- liver and kidneys (for cholelithiasis);
- skin;
- the circulatory system (for anemia).
Such a decoction is also useful for rheumatism, gout and even diabetes mellitus.
The juice of the pharmacy watercress cleanses the intestines well, in view of which it cannot be taken in a separate form.
You can drink it in combination with the juices of other vegetables. For example, a very good combination is obtained from watercress, carrot and celery juices.
Fresh watercress juice is taken in 30 ml of water 30-60 drops 3-4 times a day after meals.
- It cleanses, restores and improves the functioning of the circulatory system.
- It helps very much thin people with anemia and low blood pressure.
- It is an effective remedy for hemorrhoids. The mixture is able to dissolve even hemorrhoids and remove other types of tumors.
- To restore the body, you need to take such a mixture for several months (from 1 to 6), and at the same time exclude foods from flour, meat and sugar from the diet.
- A combination of razuha juices, parsley, carrot juice and potatoes is a valuable remedy for emphysema. It contains a large amount of phosphorus and chlorine.
Application
In cooking
Zherukha was used as a vegetable in ancient Rome.
Now they accept it:
- Raw, as a spice, vegetable.
- Dried as a seasoning.
- Boiled.
- In the form of an oil.
- In the form of juices.
Each part of this plant has its own culinary uses:
- Green leaves are added to salads, soups, sauces and fillings, fish and meat dishes as a spice. At the same time, their taste is slightly pungent, bitter, and the aroma is sharp, but pleasant, similar to the smell of horseradish. They can be combined with other spices. For example, when combined with rosemary and mint, a spicy mixture of spices is obtained that can enhance and add some spice to many dishes. Juices are also made from fresh green leaves. The leaves are dried, salted and even pickled, but many properties are lost.
- The seeds can be used to make mustard substitutes and mustard oil.
- Snack pasta, spices and mashed potatoes are prepared from the shoots. The shoots, kept in boiling water for 5 minutes, taste like a radish.
- The roots are more often used for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. Decoctions and infusions are made from them. It is an official food product in European countries (Switzerland, Italy, France) and South American countries (Brazil).
Here are some recipes for watercress:
Healthy soup made with watercress
Puree soup with potatoes and watercress
Would need: 3 handfuls of chopped watercress, one tablespoon of olive oil, 2 handfuls of chopped onion, 300 grams of mashed potatoes, ½ red hot pepper, 1.5 cups of vegetable or chicken broth (400 ml).
Cooking method:
- Fry the onions in olive oil for a few minutes. Add a pinch of salt and ground pepper.
- Add pre-cooked mashed potatoes.
- Wash the pepper, carefully peel and cut into small pieces. Place the peppers over the fried onions.
- Pour in the broth. Boil.
- Chop the cress leaves and add to the saucepan.
- Beat with a food processor or mixer.
- Heat again and add seasoning.
- Before serving, you can garnish with, for example, chives.
Juicy orange salad is prepared from water
Orange salad with watercress
You will need: a bunch of watercress leaves, two pieces of orange, 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Cooking method:
- Grate the outer rind of the oranges. Use a fine grater.
- Remove the white rind from the oranges and cut them into wedges so that the flowing orange juice also enters the bowl.
- Prepare a dressing with olive oil and one tablespoon of orange juice.
- Add grated orange peel and a pinch of sugar to the filling.
- Then season with salt and pepper.
- Finely chop the bunch of watercress. Add watercress to the fill and stir.
- Arrange the orange slices and pour over the dressing.
Prepare nutritious meals from salmon and watercress
Fried salmon with cress sauce
You will need: 400 grams of salmon fillet, 55 grams of cress, and 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds.
Cooking method:
- To prepare the dressing, you need to foam 110 ml of grape vinegar and 55 g of sunflower oil.
- Add 55 g of pre-chopped cress leaves. Leave alone to infuse.
- Take 400 grams of salmon fillet and cut into 2 pieces. Grease them with vegetable oil and season with seasonings.
- Fry in a preheated pan on both sides.
- Take a medium bowl or plate and sprinkle the watercress leaves in the center.
- Put the fillet on top of the leaves. Sprinkle in sesame seeds. Drizzle with the previously prepared filling.
Light soup is made from watercress
Cucumber soup with watercress
Would need: bruncress leaves, 55 grams of butter, a bunch of green onions, one large cucumber.
For cooking, you first need to melt the butter, then chop the bunch of onions and pour into the butter. Peel and cut the cucumber into small pieces. Pour it into oil. When the cucumber is tender, add the watercress leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in 1 liter of water. You can pour broth instead of water. Boil, keep on fire for another five minutes. Use a mixer or food processor and beat. Can be served cold and warm. Serve warm when served with sour cream.
Pumpkin Seed Cress Salad
Would need: 1 tablespoon olive oil, half a lemon, a bunch of watercress, 3 pieces of carrots, two boiled eggs, sunflower oil (or any other vegetable oil), peeled pumpkin seeds, honey.
Whisk in the lemon juice and olive oil first. Then add the chopped watercress. Grate the carrots. Chop the boiled eggs finely. Add carrots and boiled eggs to the watercress. Then heat a skillet with cottonseed oil. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds (1 tablespoon is enough). Cook for 2 minutes. Add a teaspoon of honey and remove from heat. Sprinkle the seeds again and the salad is ready.
Sandwiches with cheese, shrimps and watercress
Would need: cream cheese 75 g, shrimp 59 g, 8 slices of bread, seasoning.
Peel and cut the shrimp. Toss with cream cheese. Season and spread the mixture on 4 slices of bread. Sprinkle with chopped watercress leaves. Place a slice of bread on top. Divide the resulting sandwiches with a knife diagonally into 4 parts. It turns out very satisfying sandwich triangles.
In medicine
The composition of the pharmacy watercress is striking in the richness and combination of vitamins and various minerals. Traditional medicine recommends taking watercress fresh and raw, because only in this way its beneficial properties are better preserved.
Due to its composition, this miracle herb helps with various disorders of the human body:
- Zherukha helps with improper metabolism in the body.
- It is able to cleanse and improve the condition of the blood, treat anemia.
- To remove sand in the bladder and kidneys, drink its juice.
- This juice is also indispensable for stomach catarrh, pyelonephritis, pyelitis, nephritis.
- Effectively acts as a laxative.
- It removes worms from the intestines.
- For disorders of the nervous system, thyroid gland, rheumatism, oncological diseases, cress broth is prescribed.
- Zherukha is taken even for obesity. It is useful in diabetes mellitus.
- Watercress seeds are an effective treatment for impotence. Assign 1 teaspoon three times a day.
- An ointment based on rezuha helps well for burns, acne, warts, calluses, etc.
- It can cleanse the body of harmful substances, toxins.
- It is used in the treatment of fever and scurvy.
Alas, growing greenery in our apartments in winter is not easy at all. And if we also remember about the seedlings, which need to be grown during the same period, and take into account the interests of indoor flowers, then it becomes clear that sometimes we often have no time for greenery. And for the most part, like other plants, it is also photophilous, but with extra light space we have just constant problems, more precisely, there is only one problem - this very space is simply not enough.
That is why it is worth paying attention to such a plant as watercress which develops literally "at the speed of light". It reaches a height of 30-90 cm and is perfect for salads and as a seasoning for meat, fish and other dishes - they use leaves, stems and tops of young shoots. Their taste is spicy, mustard. Until recently, little was known about this plant. Meanwhile, watercress is a promising crop and is a perennial, rapidly growing plant of the cabbage family. It has long been cultivated as a vegetable crop in the countries of Western Europe, Asia and America, and it succeeds both in the open and in the protected ground.
Watercress was introduced into the culture in the 19th century, first in England, and then in other countries. They eat raw leaves and tops of young shoots, which have a pungent mustard taste, improve appetite and contain many vitamins. In terms of beta-carotene and other vitamins, watercress is superior to celery and onions, and is not inferior to parsley. The plant also contains essential oil (0.42 mg), iodine, rich in minerals, especially phosphorus.
What are the benefits of watercress?
Watercress is found in many countries of Europe and Asia, and also grows in America, where it was brought by European settlers. Wild watercress has been used as a vegetable crop since ancient times. And not so much because of its pleasant taste, but because of its benefits. This green herb has been praised since ancient times for its medicinal qualities, and it will be especially useful in the winter-spring period.
In ancient Rome, it was believed that watercress greens, used together with vinegar, soothed and healed people with a dull mind. In China, it is used to lower blood pressure and as a laxative. The Irish are especially strong in the belief in the health benefits of watercress, citing the legend that many of their preachers ate watercress and dry bread all their lives and remained healthy. Watercress is also known as an antiscorbutic, diuretic, expectorant, tonic, blood purifier. The plant is useful for obesity and diabetes.
By the content of vitamin C, this type of salad is 2-5 times superior to the leaves of green onions. Its particular value is the content of a significant amount of iodine, the lack of which causes thyroid disease. In addition to vitamin C (up to 150 mg%), watercress contains iodine, up to 0.45 mg per 1 kg of dry matter, as well as iron, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and copper. Watercress sap is exceptionally rich in sulfur, accounting for more than one third of all the mineral elements and salts of watercress combined. Acids (including sulfur, phosphorus and chlorine) form about 45% of the elements in watercress. Since this juice is a powerful intestinal cleanser, it should never be consumed alone, but only mixed with other juices such as carrot or celery.
A mixture of carrot juice with spinach juice and a small amount of watercress and turnip leaf juice contains substances necessary for the normal restoration of blood and especially to improve its oxygen supply. For anemia, low blood pressure and thinness, this mixture is an excellent nutrition. A mixture of carrot juice, spinach, turnip leaves and watercress has the ability to dissolve blood clotted fibrin in hemorrhoids or hemorrhoids and many types of tumors.
Drinking one liter of this mixture daily, with the complete exclusion of flour, meat products and sugar from the diet, brought the body back to normal for one to six months in a natural way. With surgery, the recovery process may take longer.
Watercress juice is a valuable addition to carrot, parsley and potato juices in the treatment of emphysema. In this mixture of juices, the predominance of phosphorus and chlorine is of particular value.
Growing watercress
Outdoors. In theory, watercress is cultivated in the same way as rice, but only in running water. Soil preparation consists of leveling the surface, cutting water supply and drainage ditches and filling watersheds. Where the watercress does not form seeds, it is propagated vegetatively by planting young plants. First, they are kept with some green crops in running water for 4 days, then the water is removed for 3 days, but the soil should be waterlogged. Only after that, every 4-5 days, the plants are left for 1-2 days without running water, which is also removed overnight. In general, for us who do not know how to grow rice, this is a rather complicated technology.
Watercress can also be cultivated in the open field with abundant irrigation in areas located in depressions, near water bodies, on marshy soils. In particular, there are such recommendations: to grow watercress, dig a trench 60 cm wide and 30 cm deep.A 15 cm thick layer of organic fertilizers should be laid on its bottom: rotted manure, garden compost or peat. This helps to accumulate moisture in the garden. Pour a layer of earth 7-10 cm thick on top, into which to plant the cuttings that have given roots. And then water regularly and very abundantly.
Indoors. The disadvantage of the technology for cultivating watercress in running water is that a significant proportion of the mineral fertilizer is washed off the ridges within 12 hours. Therefore, in France and England, a new agricultural technique for watercress, which requires little water, has long been developed - hydroponic culture. Its implementation is also possible in protected ground conditions - both in industrial greenhouses and simply in indoor conditions. When grown in greenhouses in hydroponics in industrial greenhouses, for example, 6-8 cuts of watercress greens are obtained per year (2.5 kg per 1 m2 for each cut).
It's not difficult to build a hydroponic structure at home - just take a wide container (a regular plastic basin is perfect, preferably a rectangular one) and fill it two-thirds with moss. Moss is periodically moistened with a prepared nutrient solution based on, for example, Ideal or other similar fertilizer. Planting plants is carried out directly into the moss as densely as possible - and soon you will have a real lawn with tasty and healthy watercress.
Reproduction of watercress
Watercress is propagated mainly by petioles about 15 cm long - the surface of the plant is devoid of hairy cover, when it comes into contact with soil or water, it forms roots. Or you can simply cut the cuttings and put them in a glass of water, half or one-third filled with water. After 7-10 days, roots appear.
Culinary recipes from watercress
Watercress greens are used in food mainly fresh in salads, and also as an addition to sandwiches with ham, fish and cheese. It makes an excellent side dish for game. The ancient Romans prepared cress with pepper. The French made a delicious green Potage cressonier soup with cress and potatoes. In China, where the plant's name means "western water vegetable", watercress is made into soups, but it is never served fresh. The whole plant greens (leaves and stems) are allowed for food. Delicious sandwiches with ham, fish or cheese, covered with watercress greens, are obtained. Chopped greens are added to soups or used as a side dish to the second meat and fish dishes.
Puree soup with potatoes and watercress
Heat 1 tbsp in a saucepan. spoon of olive oil and sauté 2 handfuls of chopped chives for 1-2 minutes with salt and pepper. Add 300 g of finished mashed potatoes, 1/2 seeded and finely chopped chili and 400 ml of chicken or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and add 2-3 handfuls of watercress. Whisk in a food processor. Return to saucepan, reheat and season to taste. Serve garnished with chives.
Green watercress sauce
Boil 300 ml heavy cream with 1 finely chopped shallot and cook until the mixture is 1/3. Fry a handful of watercress in 25 g of butter and add to the cream. You can dilute the sauce by adding boiling milk if you like. Season to taste and drizzle with lemon juice. Whisk in a food processor if desired.
Cress and orange salad
Grate the zest of 2 oranges on a fine grater, then peel them with a sharp knife, cutting off all the white rind. Use a knife to cut slices between the films and place them all in a bowl along with the juice that will drip while you cut the orange. Make a dressing by mixing 2 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil with 1 tbsp. a spoonful of orange juice, grated zest, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper. Toss the bunch of cress with the dressing and sprinkle the mixture over the orange wedges.
Fried salmon with cress sauce
Beat up 110 ml of wine vinegar, 55 g of vegetable oil and 55 g of cress. Set aside for a while, so that the dressing is infused. Grease 2 pieces of salmon fillet 200 g each with vegetable oil, season. Fry on both sides in a hot skillet. Put a pile of watercress in the middle of the plate, and put a piece of salmon on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (2 tablespoons) and pour over the dressing.
Cucumber soup with watercress
Melt 55 g butter, add 2 bunches of chopped green onions and 1 large cucumber, peeled and finely chopped. Cook until soft and add 2 bunches of cress, salt and pepper. Add 1 liter of water or weak broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Whisk and serve either warm with sour cream or cold.
Watercress soup
Sauté half a finely chopped red onion in butter in a saucepan for 2 minutes, add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in 290 ml of vegetable broth, 4 tbsp. tablespoons of cream and 4 tbsp. spoons of milk. Season to taste and cook for 2 minutes. Add half the bunch of watercress before whisking the soup in a food processor. Serve the soup, garnish with a sprig of mint.
Cress and Pumpkin Seed Salad
In a salad bowl, beat the juice of half a lemon with 1 tbsp. spoon of olive oil. Add 1 bunch of cress, 3 finely grated carrots and mix. Rub 2 boiled eggs on top. Then heat a drop of vegetable oil in a frying pan, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of pumpkin seeds, fry for a couple of minutes, add 1 tsp. honey and remove from heat. Sprinkle the seeds over the salad and serve.
Cauliflower, watercress and egg salad
Steam for 4 minutes a head of cauliflower, broken into inflorescences. Boil 3 eggs, chill and cut lengthwise into wedges. Stir in cabbage, eggs and 2 bunches of watercress, adding 4 tbsp. spoons of vinaigrette dressing, and serve.
Trout stuffed with watercress
Finely chop 2 bunches of watercress, mix it with 100 g of cottage cheese, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of horseradish, 1 raw egg and seasonings. Fill 4 large boneless trout with the mixture and wrap each fish in a large sheet of oiled foil. Bake in the oven at 1800C for 20 minutes, until the fish breaks open easily with a fork.
Sandwiches with cheese, shrimps and watercress
Mix 75 g cream cheese and 59 g peeled and chopped shrimp, season to taste. Spread the filling on 4 slices of bread, sprinkle heavily with watercress, cover with 4 slices of bread. Cut off the crusts and cut the sandwiches into 4 pieces diagonally to form triangles.
Svetlana Shlyakhtina
Cabbage family, or cruciferous
Origin of culture
A plant of European origin, found in the wild in many countries of temperate climates. It has many names: watercress, key watercress, watercress, bruncress.
It was popular in the days of the Roman Empire, in the Middle Ages it was eaten by the inhabitants of France and the German states. However, it was introduced into culture only in the 19th century.
Beneficial features
The plant has a pungent mustard flavor. Contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals, especially calcium, potassium, phosphorus and iron, rich in iodine.
Watercress is known as a broad spectrum medicinal culture. It is recommended as a blood-purifying, anthelmintic, antiscorbutic, diuretic, tonic for diseases of the thyroid gland, liver, kidneys, bladder, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, the initial stages of tuberculosis, diabetes, obesity, furunculosis.
The leaves and tops of young shoots are eaten boiled or raw in salads and as an addition to sandwiches, ground ripe seeds can be used as spices.
Biological features
Perennial. Stem up to 80 cm high, ascending and easy to root. Leaves with 2-7 pairs of oblong or oval lateral lobes and one large, rounded apical lobe. It is usually used as an annual crop; in areas with a warm climate - for salad products in winter.
Watercress thrives best in very humid places - it grows right in the running water of streams and rivers. In the garden, it is placed near a reservoir, a well, a ditch - where there is water nearby. Grows successfully in shaded areas under apple trees.
Varieties
Only one variety is recommended for cultivation.
Podmoskovny - early ripening, from full germination to economic shelf life of 40-45 days. Leaves are dark green, shiny, pinnately dissected, with wide petioles. Plants thrive and produce tender greens when watered abundantly. The taste is good. Stalk-resistant, able to withstand temperatures down to 1-3 ° C.
Growing conditions
Watercress is grown by sowing seeds, planting cuttings 10-20 cm long or. Cuttings are cut from mother plants, planted in grooves,
placing them obliquely in the direction of the water flow.
To obtain seeds, they are sown in early spring (late March - early April) in a greenhouse or greenhouse (you can also grow them in the open field, but later). Seedlings appear on the 6-8th day after sowing. Reddish brown seeds remain viable for up to 4-5 years.
At 30 days of age, they are planted on well-moistened beds according to a 20 × 20 cm scheme with a slight slope for water drainage. The soil should be loose and nutritious, for which a fairly large amount of manure and compost is applied. Garden beds must be watered abundantly and regularly in the morning and evening. For better tillering and the formation of young shoots, the tops of the plants are pinched.
Since the nutrients are washed out of the soil, they periodically feed with mullein infusion (1: 6) and loosen the soil.
Watercress is quite thermophilic. At temperatures below 10-12 ° C, plants stop growing, therefore, when the temperature drops, they need to be covered with a film.
Shoots are cut periodically. The first harvesting period begins 2 months after planting, when they reach a height of 30 cm, the subsequent ones - every month.
The shoots washed in cold water are well stored in a plastic bag in a refrigerator for one week.
In autumn, cuttings 10-20 cm long can be cut from the plants you like most, which can easily take root in water. After the roots appear in the stem nodes, the plants are planted in flower pots with loose nutrient soil. After 2-3 weeks, it will already be possible to cut fresh shoots. All winter you will have fresh spicy greens, and in the spring from these plants you can cut cuttings, root them and plant in an open pound.
Note to the hostess
Watercress greens are used mainly fresh in salads and as an addition to ham, fish and cheese sandwiches.
Sandwich
Spread the bread with butter, put the watercress, salt, serve.
Watercress salad
Finely chop the watercress, season with vegetable oil, salt, pepper, add finely chopped. Add some vinegar before serving. Serve as a seasoning for meat and fish.
Watercress soup
Stew the thinly sliced watercress in butter, season with salt, add broth or water and cook for 15 minutes. Pour the dressing with flour and boil for a few minutes
Cress is the name for several types of salad greens with a weakly spicy smell, belonging to different types of vegetable crops.
Watercress is most often consumed fresh (less often pickled or salted). When dried, they completely lose their aroma and pungency. To the taste, watercress is somewhat reminiscent. Greens are rich in vitamins and are indispensable in dietary nutrition for certain diseases. There are several varieties of watercress.
Watercress
Other names - watercress, keycress, bruncress.
Watercress was one of the favorite aromatic plants of the ancient Greeks. In our country, watercress grows in the central and southern regions of the European part, in the Caucasus and Central Asia in damp places, swamps, along ditches, and river banks. In England, France, USA and other countries, the plant is actively cultivated.
Watercress is a perennial herb of the cabbage family with a creeping stem 20-60 cm long. The leaves are pinnate with three, five or seven elliptical notched-crenate leaves. The flowers are small, white. Pods are oblong-linear, bent, 12-20 mm long.
Watercress propagates by seed, leaf or stem cuttings. Young shoots are cut before flowering shoots form (with the appearance of the latter, the greens become more bitter). Watercress is harvested throughout the growing season. Consumed immediately after cutting.
Watercress is rich in vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K, contains iodine, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sulfo-nitrogenous oils, allyl sulfocyanide.
The medicinal properties of the plant are also known. In medicine, it is used as a diuretic, expectorant, tonic, blood-purifying, antiscorbutic, antifebrile agent. Watercress significantly improves metabolism, but it is not recommended for pregnant women.
Watercress has a spicy odor and a slightly bitter taste. More often it is used in a crushed form: it is added to green soups, salads, fish and meat dishes, sauces for chicken, various fillings.
Watercress combines well with mint and rosemary, forming a piquant aroma and taste harmony.
Watercress
Other plant names - sowing watercress, garden watercress, kir-salad (Armenian), pepper pot, horseradish, tsitzmat (cargo).
The homeland of watercress is Iran. In the wild, watercress is common across the globe. In our country, the plant is cultivated in Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Far East.
Watercress is an annual herb with a single, straight, paniculate stem 30-60 cm high. The basal leaves are petiolate, pinnate, bipinnate or lobed; the upper ones are sessile, linear, solid, blue-green. The flowers are small, white, collected in a raceme inflorescence. The fruit is a rounded ovoid pod. Seeds are ovoid, slightly flattened, yellowish-brown, smooth. The mass of 1000 seeds is 2-3 g.
Watercress blooms in June - July. The seeds ripen in August; remain viable for three to four years. The plant is cold-resistant and early maturing. Undemanding to soil, moisture-loving. Watercress is propagated by seed.
There are the following varieties: Narrow-leaved 3, Common watercress, Curly watercress, Garden cress and Broadleaf.
Watercress greens are rich in potassium, calcium, phosphate salts. It contains iodine, iron, rutin, vitamin C, carotene and B vitamins.
Watercress also has medicinal properties. It is used for diseases of the respiratory tract, to improve appetite, strengthen the nervous system. It improves digestion, sleep, lowers blood pressure, and has diuretic properties.
Sap squeezed out of plants, is used as an antiscorbutic agent and for anemia.
Crushed Seed Powder used instead of mustard plasters.
Ointment made from dried crushed seeds and herbs, cooked in lard or ghee in a ratio of 1: 5, is used as a folk remedy for scrofula, scabies and suppuration of wounds.
In cooking, fresh watercress leaves are used as herbs, seasoning for soups and gravies. They are added to vegetable salads, meat and fish dishes. Due to the early maturity and pleasant taste of young leaves, the culture is widespread in many countries of the world.
Despite the fact that the plant is consumed only fresh, watercress can be eaten throughout the winter. To do this, it is sown, for example, on a plate covered with a layer of cotton wool. Young leaves appear in two weeks.
Sagebrush
It turns out that such a familiar herb as wormwood also belongs to the spicy-flavoring plant. There are over 400 species of wormwood, 174 of which grow in our country.
The types of wormwood are very different from each other in properties. For example, tarragon also belongs to the genus wormwood, but the taste and aroma of the plant, which do not correspond to the traditional concept of wormwood, determined its isolation.
Today we will talk about those types of wormwood that can be eaten as a spice. They, as a rule, have a weakened characteristic bitterness and an increased aromatic beginning.
Wormwood annual
In the wild, wormwood grows in North America, Japan, Central Europe, the Mediterranean, Iran, Mongolia. In our country, wormwood is common in the European part, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Siberia (from Altai to Transbaikalia). In the wild, it is found in wastelands, garden plots. Wormwood is cultivated in the south of Ukraine and in Moldova.
Annual wormwood is a herbaceous plant 2 m high of the Aster family. The stem of the plant is naked, straight, furrowed, at the beginning of the growing season - green, at the end - dark purple. Leaves are oblong, double-, triple-pinnate. Numerous baskets are collected in pyramidal paniculate inflorescences. Fruits (achenes) are very small, rounded-oval (1 mm long, 0.5 mm thick), brown.
Plants are drought-resistant and resistant to diseases and pests. Wormwood blooms in August - September. Seeds remain viable for one and a half to two years.
Wormwood is propagated by seeds, which are sown directly into the ground. The active growth of the plant begins in the first half of June.
Harvesting is carried out during the period of mass flowering, cutting off plants at a height of 30-35 cm from the soil surface. The green mass is dried in the shade, put in bags and stored in a dry room. The yield of annual wormwood is 20-25 t / ha.
To obtain valuable essential oil, the raw materials are immediately sent to the plant after mowing. The essential oil content is as follows (% wet weight): in the inflorescences - 1.8, in the leaves - 0.2, in the stems - 0.03.
It is a readily mobile liquid, colorless or yellowish in color. The oil contains camphene, myrcene, pinene, cineole, artemisiaquetone, camphor, borneol, acetic and butyric acids. It is used in the perfumery and cosmetic industry.
The medicinal properties of the plant are also well known. The aerial part of wormwood is used as a gastric and diuretic, as well as for skin diseases.
Wormwood is also widely used in cooking. In Transcaucasia, young leaves of wormwood are used as a seasoning for meat dishes. In Kyrgyzstan, goat meat broth is seasoned with spice. In Mongolia, wormwood seeds are added to flour and cereal dishes, tea.
Wormwood paniculata
Wormwood paniculata grows in Central Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula, in Asia Minor, Iran. In our country, it is common in the European part, Siberia, Central Asia. Grows in fields, pastures, roads and river valleys.
Panicle wormwood is an annual or biennial herb of the Aster family with a straight single stem 1.2 m high, strongly branched in the middle and upper parts. Leaves are separate, segments of stem leaves are linear-lanceolate, double-, triple-pinnate, 1-4 cm long. Baskets are rounded-oval or oblong-ovate, 1.5-2 mm long, consist of six flowers, collected on branches with one-sided brushes forming pyramidal panicle. The fruit is ovate, flat, filiform-ribbed, brown achene 0.6 mm long.
The plant is drought-resistant, photophilous. Mass flowering takes place at the end of August, seed ripening in November. Propagated by seeds.
Panicle wormwood is harvested during mass flowering. The aboveground part, cut at a height of 20-30 cm above the soil surface, is used as a raw material.
The essential oil of wormwood paniculata is also valuable. To obtain essential oil, mowed wormwood is immediately sent for processing by hydrodistillation. The oil yield is 0.4-0.7% of the wet weight.
The composition of the essential oil of wormwood paniculata includes pinene - 40%, pircene - 10%, methylchovicol, eugenol. The essential oil has a nutmeg-clove smell; it is used in the food and perfumery and cosmetic industries.
When harvested as a flavoring agent, the green mass is dried in a well-ventilated area or in the shade, often turning it over. Dry raw materials are stored in tightly closed containers or bags.
Plants are harvested for seeds in the phase of wax ripeness by a separate method, followed by ripening in rolls. Then the rolls are threshed with a combine harvester.
Wormwood extracts are fungistatically active against molds: penicillium, aspergillus and mucor.
In the cuisine of European countries and the United States, this type of wormwood is used dried in small doses (at the tip of a knife): they season the fried meat 1-2 minutes before being cooked. More often the plant is used for aromatization.
