Honey from a pumpkin: a recipe and a way of preparation. Baked pumpkin with apples and honey: recipe

Bright orange pumpkin fruits, which are collected in the first weeks of September, remind us of the past summer. Homeland of this unusual vegetable is South America.

The ancient tribes of the Indians began to cultivate the pumpkin five thousand years ago before our era. Of the seeds, butter was made, pulp was used to prepare various dishes, and dishes were made from coarse skin.

In Russia, the sunny pumpkin was in the XVI century. Currently, about twenty varieties with decorative and edible fruits are known. In our country the most common pumpkin is common. The plant prefers subtropical and temperate natural areas. For ripening pumpkin requires a large amount of light, heat and moisture.

Honey from a pumpkin, casseroles, salads, cereals and side dishes - that's just not cooked from these fruits! Pumpkin is suitable even for diet and baby food, so the necessary recipe for cooking can be found without difficulty.

Beneficial features

In the raw form of a pumpkin eaten rarely, often subjected to heat treatment, because even the baked pumpkin with honey does not lose its useful properties.

A special combination of vitamins and microelements deserves special attention:

1. Vitamin T, or carnitine - in plant products is very rare. It plays an important role in the digestive process: it helps the body to digest animal fats, preventing obesity. For this reason, experts advise to "heavy" dishes of beef and pork as a side dish to add pumpkin puree. The recommendation is especially useful for those who suffer from metabolic disorders and are prone to overweight.
2. Vitamins C and B help to overcome seasonal depression, give strength, soothe the nervous system and relieve fatigue. It is best to treat yourself to freshly squeezed pumpkin juice in autumn and spring.
3. Vitamin K - is indicated for violations of blood clotting. Helps absorb calcium from food, thus inhibiting the development of osteoporosis.
4. Vitamin E - the source of youth, supports the elasticity of the skin.
5. Potassium + magnesium - this combination relieves the body of excess water, and, hence, from cellulite. Recommended for people who have problems with the kidneys and prone to swelling.

Pumpkin must certainly appear in the diet in patients with cholelithiasis, diabetes, tuberculosis, gout and atherosclerosis. With swelling during pregnancy, cardiac, kidney, gastrointestinal and anti-obesity, be sure to pay attention to these bright yellow fruits.

An important role is played not only by the pulp flesh, but also by seeds that are rich in proteins and vegetable oils. Their regular use is also able to solve a number of problems, such as:

- dandruff and hairiness of hair;

- acne on the body and face.

Seeds are used to normalize the reproductive system in women and men, as well as as an anthelmintic.

How to choose?

Many summer residents grow a pumpkin on their six acres. Drying of the peduncle and bright color are the main signs of ripeness. Be sure to collect the pumpkin in dry weather in the first two weeks of September. Store fruit best in a dark place and at room temperature - such conditions will allow you to enjoy the sweet flesh from a few months to one year.

But how to be the one who goes for a sunny fruit to the market or to the store? Basic tips:

1. As we have already said, the tail must fall off itself. If you see the place of the cut, then the pumpkin did not have time to ripen and was ripped off before the time.
2. Much longer stored fruit with a dense skin, covered with natural wax.
3. Try to choose pumpkin varieties with small fruits - they are best for preparing various dishes.
4. Refuse to buy chopped pieces of pumpkin, which may be rotten or withered. If there is no other option, then taste the seeds - a large size and ripeness confirm the maturity of the fetus itself.
5. Do not choose a large pumpkin, because most often they are bitter, watery or, conversely, already dry.

The Secret of Longevity

Caucasian long-livers have long revealed their secrets. The product that should be in the diet of each person is honey from a pumpkin. Recall that some microelements and vitamins are only in pumpkin honey, they just can not be found in the delicacy that bees give us.

The pumpkin honey differs in a light yellow shade and a tender taste, reminiscent of melon. One of the main features of the product is the ability to remove harmful substances from the body. Experts advise taking it with poisoning or the appearance of constipation.

You can change white sugar for honey from a pumpkin during a tea party or make a useful snack from cottage cheese and honey - just mix the two ingredients in a 10 to 1 ratio.

Cooking ourselves

On sale, this pumpkin honey, collected by bees from flowers, is rather difficult to find. We offer an alternative, which is slightly inferior in terms of healing properties and quality.

So, for the preparation of honey at home, you will need only three components: a small ripe pumpkin, sugar and patience.

Recipe

Take the fruit, cut off the top so that the "cap" turns out. Peel the pumpkin from seeds and pulp, and fill the empty container with sugar and close the lid.

Pumpkin put in a pan or basin - over time the peel will become softer, which will certainly cause difficulties in transportation. Keep the pumpkin in a cool place for ten days (until the sugar completely dissolves).

During the preparation of honey, pumpkin can form on the pumpkin, but there is nothing to worry about. Just make a hole on the side and through it, move the finished product into a clean jar.

In the fridge, pumpkin honey is stored for no more than a month. The term can be increased by cooking until thick, but some of the useful properties will be lost.

Another option is to use real honey instead of white sugar.

Simple and tasty

A ripe and fragrant pumpkin baked in the oven with honey is an excellent option for dessert, which will be appreciated by adults and children. Culinary gurus know a lot of ways to prepare this dish, and we decided to present the best of them.

Do you like pumpkin in the oven with honey? The recipe is incredibly simple:

1. Choose a small pumpkin and wash it thoroughly.
2. Peel off the seeds and cut into slices.
3. Cover the baking sheet with parchment and put the pumpkin on top.
4. Pour the lobules of honey. If you have candied honey, then warm it up a little bit on low heat until it is liquid.
5. At a temperature of 220 degrees, bake a pumpkin for 10-12 minutes, then turn the slices and pour honey again.
6. Ten minutes later, serve dessert with sour cream or cottage cheese.

Pumpkin in the oven with honey will become even more delicious if you use various additives. In this case, walnuts or sesame seeds are perfect.

Even more vitamin C

No less delicious will pumpkin in the oven pieces with honey and orange. The following ingredients are required for this recipe:

- 500 g of pumpkin;

- an orange;

- 4 tbsp. L. Honey;

- 1 tsp. Cinnamon.

Cut the pulp pulp into small pieces and place them in a special bowl suitable for baking. Pour with honey and mix. Remove the peel from the orange, chop and add to the pumpkin, and freshly squeezed juice pour the mass from above. And, finally, sprinkle the dish with cinnamon. The process of cooking in the oven at 180 degrees will take approximately 30 minutes.

Children's menu

Pumpkin, baked in an oven with honey, is very popular with children. The main condition is the lack of allergy to honey.

Sliced pulp in the same way as in the recipe for adults, watered with honey and sent to the oven. The only difference is the cooking time. For small gourmets it is better to hold a pumpkin in the oven for up to 40 minutes.

If the pieces are made a little thinner, and the time is slightly increased, then the result will be real pumpkin candied fruit.

Garnish

Fans of unusual gustatory sensations will definitely like our next recipe. Baked pumpkin with honey is associated in most people with dessert, but what about a unsweetened side dish?

Hurry to make a list of products:

- 400 g of pumpkin;

- 2 cloves of garlic;

- 2 tbsp. L. Vegetable oil;

- 1 tsp. Honey;

- 1 tsp. Sharp mustard;

- A branch of rosemary;

- 100 ml of orange fresh;

- 2 tsp. Lemon juice;

- ground black pepper and salt;

- A piece of red chili pepper.

At the first stage, chop finely chili and garlic. Fresh rosemary grind with a knife (dried grinded in a mortar).

In the second stage, we prepare the marinade in a separate container, into which we add the following ingredients: honey, olive oil, chili, mustard, rosemary, orange and lemon juices, pepper, salt and garlic. Beat everything with a whisk for better mixing. The taste of marinade should represent the perfect combination of salty, hot and sweet.

In the third stage, we clean the pulp from the peel and seeds, cut into small plates (thickness 3 mm). If the pumpkin, cooked in an oven with honey, will be served as a side dish for meat dishes, it is better to choose unsweetened nutmeg varieties (honey or light yellow pulp).

In the fourth stage, the prepared slices are poured into the marinade and left for 30-40 minutes. Then in the oven heated to 200 degrees, put the baking dish and cover with a lid or foil, so that the pumpkin does not dry out. After 15 minutes, check the pulp - it should be soft outside and slightly crispy inside, but in no case loose. The cooking time depends on the pumpkin variety, so do not forget to check the availability.

Pumpkin in the oven with honey, the recipe of which you just read, can be served to the table as an independent dish. In this case, choose more sweet varieties with a bright orange flesh.

With lemon

Incredibly delicious turns the pumpkin in the oven pieces with honey and lemon. To prepare this dessert you will need:

- 300 g of pumpkin;

- one lemon;

- 3 tsp. Honey;

- 0.5 tsp. Cinnamon.

In a container, mix freshly squeezed lemon juice, cinnamon and honey. Slices of pumpkin put on a baking sheet, covered with parchment, and pour the cooked "sauce". Bake a useful dessert at a temperature of 200 degrees for about 40 minutes.

During cooking, you can add another season fruit. For example, a pumpkin with apples and honey is perfectly combined - such a delicacy will be to taste even for small ghosts.

Stuffed pumpkin

Baked pumpkin with apples and honey can be prepared in a more interesting way.

Ingredients:

- half a large pumpkin (about 600-700 g);

- 1 tsp. Honey;

- two sweet apples (approximately 500 g);

- a mixture of nuts - 30 g (hazelnuts, cashews, almonds);

- dried apricots and prunes (20 g each);

- 1 tsp. Coconut shavings.

First step. Pumpkin carefully mine, cut in half and remove the seeds. Apples are also sliced. Dried fruits are washed and let dry. Nut mixture is crushed with a mortar.

Second phase. We take half a pumpkin and lubricate it with honey. At the bottom lay out the prunes and dried apricots, sprinkle a little coconut shavings and nuts. Next layer are apples and some more dried apricots, at the end we grease with honey, and in the middle we pour out the remaining nuts and shavings.

The third stage. Cover the container with a foil lid and transfer it to a baking tray. Pumpkin with apples and honey in the oven for the first ten minutes baked at maximum temperature. Then we reduce the temperature to the minimum level and leave it for another 40-50 minutes.

A very beautiful and tasty dessert will certainly surprise your guests!