My wife, too, after three pregnancies, had sagging breasts. And she is also worried about it. But I did not choose a woman because of her beautiful breasts, but I chose a companion with whom we would build our life. And her body still excites me, no less than before. The male body also succumbs to the influence of time, and the muscles are no longer as elastic as in youth, and the tummy grows. Women's breasts are adipose tissue, the muscles are located under it, so physical exercise will no longer return it to its shape, just like supporting bras before. When the breasts fill with milk, the skin stretches and then there is nowhere for the skin to go. Physical exercises can restore overall muscle tone and tighten your chest a little, but nothing more.

Breasts after childbirth and feeding

1. Relatives blame themselves for forcing them to feed, having read the same educational articles, which resulted in a lot of problems in the end. 2. When the child switched to willow, the terrible colic that prevented him from sleeping immediately went away. 3.generally laughing. A calmly sleeping mother and a well-fed child sleeping the night away in his crib. Putting bottles in the sterilizer is a matter of two minutes against sleepless nights. And no pumping for an hour at a time. 4. Three out of three mammologists I know fed their children formula from birth. In the words of one of them: healthy mother, calm child. No lactostasis, mastitis or mastopathy. 5. any trip with a child. Plus a couple of weather things don't work. In addition, microwaves are everywhere, and sterilization bags were invented a long time ago. 6. yeah. and those on the guards smell of roses. 7. yes. But if there is no money in the family, having a child is irresponsible. In addition, there is a free mixture, domestically produced, though. 8.if the same letter as the author of the article. Look for a normal specialist. 9. let anxious mothers read about state regulations and checks on goods that we ourselves eat and feed with milk) the child will grow up and still have time to eat rubbish. 10.very funny. Only the author of the article can overfeed according to the prescribed scheme from a bottle with divisions. Of course, everyone determines the calorie content of their own milk by eye. And the child does not need to be weighed before and after each application. Minus.

Fiori di zucca in pastella is the name of an unusual dish in Italian cuisine, which is prepared from the flowers of the most common pumpkin or zucchini squash.

Pumpkin flowers fried in batter are a popular dish in Italy, often used in everyday cuisine. Very tasty, I must say!

Pumpkin flowers can be bought in Italy in a greengrocer's shop. When I saw it for the first time, I was very surprised by such unusual products on sale. Flowers are snapped up instantly, and housewives prepare them immediately - the shelf life of the most delicate flowers is short.

The flowers need to be washed and the base trimmed. Then dip in an egg beaten with salt and pepper, roll in flour and fry in vegetable oil. In Italy they use only olive oil.

You can roll pumpkin flowers in breadcrumbs, you can prepare a batter and dip it in it, as you like.

The flowers fried in this way should be placed on a paper napkin and then served with sour cream or mayonnaise.

Pumpkin flowers can be stuffed before cooking. In Italy it is most often stuffed with tomatoes and mozzarella. But you can, for example, have Bulgarian cheese with tomatoes if you are in Bulgaria. Or processed cheese mixed with chopped boiled sausage, if you are in Russia. Experiments are welcome!

Sometimes you can find flowers with small zucchini on sale. Then the dish turns out more satisfying.

Bon appetit!

Unusual, tasty, generous! Pumpkin is the most colorful, colorful vegetable of autumn! Orange fruits of a unique shape among the green lace of lacy leaves seem to emit sunlight, turning the vegetable garden into a garden with their beauty.

I love everything about it: the taste, the smell and especially the color! It is very difficult not to sympathize with her and overcome the desire to grow a pumpkin. And I, like many Italians who don’t even have a garden, grew it in a large vase to decorate my balcony and receive its fresh flowers. Pumpkin is the largest “berry” (the fruit of a pumpkin, like a watermelon, is botanically classified as a berry) that can be grown in the garden, and also the easiest to cultivate. You just need to have fertile, well-drained soil and a place that is sunny all day long. And the pumpkin also loves abundant watering, but does not tolerate water getting on its leaves and stem.

Pumpkin varieties

Pumpkin(Cucurbita), of the pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae), crossed the Atlantic centuries ago, found its home in Italy and gained enormous popularity. There are a huge number of pumpkin varieties, differing in size, color of peel and pulp, as well as aroma and taste.

The species and varieties now cultivated in Italy come from different parts of the world; the majority are from Central America (Maxima, Moskata), the interesting Malabar variety was brought from Southeast Asia, but there are also European species and varieties. These are decorative pumpkins: Bottiglia, Lagenaria vulgaris, they were known back in the Romanesque era, and even then the ancient Romans used pumpkins as a container for water and flasks for wine.

Pumpkin Delica(Cucurbita pepo). An ancient variety, bred in 1894. It grows as a subshrub, has very high productivity, fruit weight from 500 grams to 1 kilogram. The pulp is yellow-orange in color, dense and sweet. When fresh, its taste resembles the taste of ranetki apples; when cooked, it resembles the taste of chestnuts. The fruits remain fresh for up to a year.

Pumpkin Piena di Napoli(Moscata). This pumpkin has a stem that grows up to 4 meters long, it has large, whole leaves of a rich green color with gray spots, the fruits are very long, cylindrical in shape, thickened towards the bottom, slightly curved. The peel color is yellowish-red. This variety is typical of the southern regions of Italy; the fruit pulp is yellow, sugary, very tasty, with a characteristic nutmeg flavor.

Pumpkin Butternut Rugosa(Maxima zucca "violina"). The peel of the fruit is wrinkled, walnut-brown in color, the name of the variety is taken from the shape of the fruit; it is elongated, cylindrical, tapering in the middle, slightly reminiscent of a mandolin. It is grown in northern Italy, the pulp has a bright orange color and a pleasant taste. This pumpkin is often used to fill ravioli, as well as in the preparation of many dishes typical of the cuisine of “northern” Italy. Its seeds are very tasty, they are roasted or prepared traditionally - first soaked in salted water and then dried.

Pumpkin Turbante(Maxima). The variety is very common in Central and Southern Italy; the fruit has a large top shaped like a “cap”, which has an intense red or orange color. The variety is early ripening, from 4 to 6 fruits are formed on one plant, they last from six months to a year. The flesh of this pumpkin is orange and sugary. Soups made from it are especially tasty.

Pumpkin Marina di Chioggia(Maxima). It has a very long stem, the fruit is round, as if squeezed from above and below. The color of the peel is from green to gray-green. Grown mainly in northern Italy.

Pumpkin Trombetta di Albenga(Moschata). A variety of Italian pumpkin, very decorative. Its fruit grows more or less arched, reaching a size of one to one and a half meters. It is widely used in cooking, as it has an excellent taste, reminiscent of the taste of nutmeg.

Pumpkin Grigia di Colonia, so named because of its grayish color, is grown exclusively for making jam.

Garden ideas

Fruits collected and laid out in the autumn sun to dry can become a beautiful composition that will greatly decorate the yard. The pumpkin is a warm orange color that will literally illuminate the delicate autumn flowers near a tiny pond. And if you surround the laid out pumpkins with Tradescantia, cereal plants that grow in pots, you will get a picture worthy of an artist’s brush.

Pumpkin and creativity

The humble pumpkin is the heroine of many legends, beliefs and fairy tales. The ancient Chinese believed that it was endowed with a symbolic reflection of the connection of heaven and earth. In Europe they believe that pumpkins can ward off evil, so they hang them on windows and doors. In America, a scary head is cut out of it to confuse evil spirits during the Halloween holiday, which has become popular throughout the world in recent years.

For centuries, pumpkins have awakened imagination and creativity. I immediately remember the fairy tale “Cinderella” by Charles Perrault, where a wonderful transformation of a pumpkin into a carriage takes place with the help of a magical fairy. Songs and poems are dedicated to her. It was used in ornaments when painting the halls of rich palaces.

It is not known who first made vessels from it, but the simple invention has become a tradition and is still alive in many national cultures.

Even a simply dried pumpkin is beautiful; it seems that its outer cover-crust is decorated with “sculpting” and brightly colored by nature itself.

Craftsmen boil decorative varieties of pumpkin in dyes or oil in a special way, then modify its shape. They are painted with multi-colored paints; the design often contains national ornaments and traditional patterns.

Jewelers often get to work, decorating the most elegant vessels, lucky bottles and pumpkin snuff boxes with silver frames, gems, and colored glass. Then the humble pumpkin becomes a work of art.

Pumpkin for health

For many peoples, this vegetable is a symbol of abundance and prosperity due to its enormous size and the abundance of seeds in its fruits. Pumpkin seeds contain a lot of zinc, protein and iron. They can be eaten either dried or fried, or even better, added to salads. Pumpkin seeds have many fans. Pumpkins are not only tasty, but also very healthy. The most valuable substance contained in pumpkin is carotene; its content is not inferior to carrots. In addition to vitamin A, it also contains many vitamins: C, B1, B2, B12, PP, D and others. The fiber found in pumpkin is easily digestible even by a weakened body, so dishes made from it are recommended for therapeutic and preventive nutrition. Pumpkin is a storehouse of minerals: it contains calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, copper, fluorine and zinc .

Pumpkin in cooking

Pumpkin dishes are very popular in Italy. They are tasty, healthy and easy to prepare. Almost all its parts are used in cooking: from flowers to seeds. I first tried a tasty and unusual dish made from pumpkin flowers in Italy and now I often cook it myself. Pumpkin flowers are high quality foods that can be eaten from June until the end of the growing season. They are very tasty and are used in many recipes. They contain a high percentage of vitamin A, are easy to digest, and can also decorate any table with their bright, vibrant colors.

So, the recipe "Stuffed pumpkin flowers". To do this, you need to collect (or buy) in the morning or evening the unopened male pumpkin flowers, wash them under running water, cut off the green sepals and stems. cut along the flower, remove the stamens, put salted sprat and a piece of soft cheese like mozzarella inside, carefully close the flower, dip it together with the filling in the batter. Fry in boiling sunflower oil for about 3-5 minutes until the cheese melts well.

Another recipe - . I usually make this pizza myself, in a regular oven, but I asked friends, owners of a family restaurant, to cook it in the oven, or as they call it, “forno,” to show real Italian pizza prepared according to an old recipe. It requires yeast dough, it should be soft and elastic. It is rolled out into a thin layer. Then you need to put grated soft cheese on it, preferably mozzarella and pumpkin flowers, cut into pieces, sprinkle everything with olive oil - and into the oven. The taste and aroma of the dish are extraordinary!

I also often prepare a sauce that is light, dietary, very tasty, and perfectly complements boiled fish or rice.

"Pumpkin sauce". Grind the pumpkin pulp together with the onion, add Parmesan cheese, mix everything well and place in sterilized jars.

The most important thing: Italians cook only in a good mood and often sing. Maybe this is the secret that dishes prepared from the simplest, uncomplicated ingredients turn out surprisingly tasty! Sing and eat to your health!

Elena Kulishenko, Italy Special for the magazine

Who would have thought that the queen of autumn, the pumpkin, even has edible flowers? Nothing about this amazing vegetable goes unnoticed by our chefs. They use pumpkin pulp to prepare salads, soups, pies, casseroles, stews, pancakes and desserts; pumpkin seeds are added to salads and served as a light snack. Many people store pumpkin for the winter in order to prepare something tasty for lunch or dinner in winter.

Pumpkin dishes are a real find for those who want to diversify their menu, to introduce, so to speak, a new note into their usual diet. The number of pumpkin dishes can incredibly surprise you with its variety and originality, because this wonderful autumn vegetable goes well with other vegetables, fruits, meat, cheese, cereals and dairy products, and spices generously added to pumpkin dishes make them even brighter and more aromatic.

Baked pumpkin with tomatoes and cheese

Ingredients:
small pumpkin,
200 g cheese,
3 tomatoes
50 g butter.

Preparation:
Cut the pumpkin and boil in salted water until soft. Cool, peel and cut into cubes. Grease a baking dish with butter and place a layer of pumpkin, a layer of chopped cheese on the pumpkin, then another layer of pumpkin and cheese. The last layer is tomatoes, cut into slices. Pour melted butter on top and bake in the oven at 180°C until the tomatoes are ready.

Pumpkin in sour cream with walnuts

Ingredients:
400 g pumpkin,
200 ml sour cream,
4 cloves of garlic,
50 g walnuts,
2 tbsp. vegetable oil,
parsley, salt, spices - to taste.

Preparation:
Peel the pumpkin and cut into slices. Fry them on both sides in vegetable oil until golden brown. Chop parsley, garlic and nuts. Mix sour cream with parsley, garlic, salt and spices. Place the pumpkin slices in a baking dish, pour in sour cream sauce and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180°C. Sprinkle with nuts.

Appetizer with pumpkin “Autumn hats”

Ingredients:
350 g minced meat,
350 g pumpkin,
2 eggs,
100 g hard cheese,
herbs and spices - to taste.

Preparation:
Grate the pumpkin on a fine grater, squeeze, add an egg, spices to taste and 50 g of grated cheese. Beat an egg into the ground beef, add spices and 50 g of grated cheese and mix the resulting mass. Place a leaf of herbs on the bottom of the muffin tin, top with a small layer of ground beef, then a layer of pumpkin mixture and another layer of ground beef. Place the pan in the oven, preheated to 180°C, for 40 minutes and bake until the minced meat is browned. Sprinkle the finished “caps” with grated cheese.

Pumpkin omelette roll

Ingredients:
300 g pumpkin,
3 eggs,
3 tbsp. cream or milk,
1 tbsp. wheat flour,
1 onion,
100 g beef liver,
50 g hard cheese,
salt, spices - to taste.

Preparation:
Boil 150 g of pumpkin in advance, cool and rub through a sieve. For the filling, chop and fry an onion in vegetable oil, add raw pumpkin grated on a coarse grater, simmer a little, add grated boiled liver, salt, season with spices and turn off the heat. For the omelet, beat the eggs with a mixer, add cream, pumpkin puree, flour, salt and beat a little. Pour the resulting mass into a heated large frying pan with vegetable oil and fry over low heat on one side. Place the filling on the finished, slightly cooled omelette and grated cheese. Roll the omelet pancake with filling into a roll. Place the roll on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in an oven preheated to 180°C for 10-15 minutes until the roll warms up and the cheese melts.

Pumpkin salad with honey

Ingredients:
300 g pumpkin,
turnip or rutabaga,
2 apples,
3-4 tbsp. honey.

Preparation:
Cut raw pumpkin into small cubes, mix with honey and leave for 35-40 minutes. Also cut cored apples and turnips (or rutabaga) into small cubes, combine with pumpkin and mix well.

Pumpkin salad with bananas

Ingredients:
200 g pumpkin,
1 onion,
1 banana
1 apple,
juice of ½ orange and ½ lemon,
greens, ground almonds and lean mayonnaise - to taste.

Preparation:
Grate the pumpkin on a coarse grater. Cut the banana and apple into small pieces, finely chop the onion and herbs. Combine everything and mix with mayonnaise, almonds, orange and lemon juice.

Pumpkin soup with sour cream and herbs

Ingredients:
400 g pumpkin,
¼ cup rice,
5 tbsp. milk,
sour cream, parsley and salt - to taste.

Preparation:
Peel the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut the pulp into pieces, place in a bowl and cover with water for 20 minutes. Sort the rice, rinse, add water, add salt and boil until half cooked. After this, add the prepared pumpkin to it and cook for another 25-30 minutes. Then pour in the milk, bring to a boil, remove the soup from the heat and let stand covered for 5-10 minutes. Serve pumpkin soup hot or cold with sour cream, garnished with herbs.

Millet porridge with pumpkin

Ingredients:
1 kg pumpkin pulp,
1 stack hot milk,
¾ stack. millet,
½ cup raisins,
50 g butter,
salt, sugar - to taste.

Preparation:
Grind the pumpkin pulp and add hot water and cook covered over low heat until half cooked. Then add hot milk and millet, add a little salt and sugar to taste. Cook, stirring, until thickened.

Potato cutlets with pumpkin

Ingredients:
600 g potatoes,
300-400 g pumpkin pulp.
2-3 tbsp. wheat flour,
2-3 eggs,
3-4 tbsp. ground crackers,
3-4 tbsp. butter,
1 tbsp. fat,
salt - to taste.

Preparation:
Place grated pumpkin pulp into mashed or minced potatoes, add eggs, salt, melted fat and wheat flour. Mix the resulting mass thoroughly, form it into cutlets, bread them in ground breadcrumbs and fry them over low heat in butter on both sides until a light golden crust forms, and then put them in the oven for 5-8 minutes.

Roast pumpkin

Ingredients:
500 g pumpkin pulp,
2 onions,
2 slices toast bread,
2 tbsp. lemon juice,
2 tbsp. pumpkin seeds,
2 tbsp. wine vinegar,
100 ml olive vegetable oil,
thyme, salt, spices - to taste.

Preparation:
Cut the pumpkin into large pieces. Cut the onion into large rings and fry it in half the oil until golden brown. Cut the bread into small pieces. Place the pumpkin, bread and onions in a baking dish, add salt, season with spices, sprinkle with lemon juice, wine vinegar and the remaining oil. Chop the thyme and sprinkle it over the vegetables and bread. Bake the roast in the oven for 30 minutes at 200°C. 5 minutes before cooking, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Lazy cabbage rolls with pumpkin

Ingredients:
800 g minced meat with onion, salt, pepper,
500 g white cabbage,
300 g fresh peeled pumpkin,
⅔ stack. rice,
400 g sour cream,
4 tbsp. tomato paste,
1 tsp salt,
½ tsp. ground black pepper,
breadcrumbs.

Preparation:
Boil the rice in salted water. Chop the cabbage very finely, pour boiling water over it and leave for 5 minutes to remove the bitterness. Grate the pumpkin on a coarse grater. Place cooked rice, steamed cabbage, grated pumpkin and prepared minced meat in a large bowl, add salt and pepper. Mix well. Form large cutlets from this mass, roll in breadcrumbs and fry over high heat. They should not be fried, but just golden brown on both sides. Place the fried cutlets in a single row on a greased baking sheet. Mix sour cream with tomato paste, salt, pour in ½ cup. water. Pour the resulting sauce over the cutlets and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes at a temperature of 180-200°C.

Fried pumpkin flowers in batter

Ingredients:
12 pumpkin flowers,
150 g mozzarella cheese,
vegetable oil.
For the batter:
100 g flour,
1 egg,
5 tbsp. white wine,
2 tbsp. olive oil,
150 g water,
salt - to taste.

Preparation:
To obtain a batter, mix flour with salt, egg yolk, wine and olive oil. Add warm water to form a homogeneous dough, similar to thick sour cream, and set aside for 30 minutes. Gently rinse the pumpkin flowers under running cold water and dry lightly. Cut the cheese into thin strips and stuff the prepared flowers with it. Whisk the egg white in a separate bowl, add it to the dough and mix in a circular motion. Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan. Dip the flowers into the batter, then fry until golden brown. Place the finished flowers on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Pumpkin-apple pudding

Ingredients:
500 g pumpkin,
500 g apples,
250 ml milk,
100 g semolina,
3 eggs,
3 tbsp. butter,
50 g sugar.

Preparation:
Cut the pumpkin into small cubes, add milk, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Peel and seed the apples, chop them finely, add to the pumpkin and simmer them together for another 10 minutes. Then, stirring, add semolina and cook for 5 minutes. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Beat the whites. Add sugar, yolks, whipped whites to the cooled pumpkin-apple mixture and stir. Then place the mixture in a baking dish greased with butter and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 180°C.

Pumpkin and raisin dumplings

Ingredients:
For the test:
3 stacks flour,
2 eggs,
1 stack water,
2 tbsp. vegetable oil,
salt - to taste.
For filling:
1 kg pumpkin,
3 tbsp. raisins,
4 tbsp. rice,
½ cup water,
2 tbsp. margarine,
vanillin - on the tip of a knife,
salt - to taste.

Preparation:
Knead the dough, roll it into a layer 2 mm thick and cut out circles using a glass. For the filling, pour hot salted water over the washed and soaked rice and bring to a boil. When the cereal absorbs water, add chopped pumpkin, salt, vanillin, washed raisins and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then remove from heat and leave for 10-15 minutes. Then add margarine, cover with a lid, top with a towel, let stand for 15-20 minutes and cool. Place the finished filling in the center of each dough circle, pinch the edges, give the dumplings a crescent shape and cook in salted water until done.

Samsa with pumpkin

Ingredients:
For the test:
1 stack water,
1 egg,
flour,
margarine,
salt - to taste.
For filling:
pumpkin,
a small piece of butter,
salt, pepper - to taste.

Preparation:
Knead the dough like dumplings, roll it out thinly and brush the top with margarine. Then roll it into a tube and cut into large pieces. Roll out each piece, put the filling in the middle and pinch the edges. To prepare the filling, grate the pumpkin on a coarse grater, add salt, pepper to taste and a small piece of butter. Bake the finished product in an oven preheated to 180°C until golden brown.

Pumpkin pancakes “Sunny”

Ingredients:
450 g pumpkin,
150 g flour,
½ cup water,
15 g semolina,
1 egg,
25 g sugar,
½ tsp. salt.

Preparation:
Grate the peeled pumpkin, add water, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Grind the yolk with sugar until white. Beat the egg whites separately. Add the yolk, flour, salt, semolina and beaten egg white to the cooled pumpkin, stirring constantly. Fry pancakes in vegetable oil.

Pumpkin Peanut Cakes

Ingredients:
1 stack pumpkin puree,
2 stacks flour,
1 packet of baking powder,
100 ml kefir,
2 eggs,
1 stack walnuts,
⅔ stack. Sahara,
½ cup melted butter,
1 tsp cinnamon,
½ tsp. salt.

Preparation:
Grind the roasted nuts. Melt the butter and cool. Cut the pumpkin into cubes and simmer in a frying pan with the addition of 1 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. water until soft. Grind the finished pumpkin into puree and cool. Separate the whites from the yolks and beat until stiff peaks form; at the end of whipping, add 1 tbsp to the whites. Sahara. Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar until white. Add butter, pumpkin puree, kefir, chopped nuts, flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and stir until smooth. Then add the whipped whites in three additions, gently mixing from bottom to top. Line baking pans with parchment paper, pour in the dough and bake the cake at 170°C for about 50 minutes. Leave the finished cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it and let cool. Cut lengthwise, spread with cream or jam, place the cakes on top of each other, and decorate the top as desired. Cut the cakes into portioned cakes.

Pumpkin soufflé

Ingredients:
500 g pumpkin,
1 egg,
30 g semolina,
50 ml milk,
a little butter,
salt.

Preparation:
Cut the peeled pumpkin into pieces, simmer in milk until tender and rub through a sieve. Bring the puree to a boil, add semolina and cook for 8-10 minutes. Then cool, add salt, egg yolk, mix everything and add the whipped white. Place in greased molds and steam. Serve with cream.

Pumpkin dishes will bring the colors of bright autumn and a piece of the passing sunny summer into your usual everyday life, delight you with taste, aroma and give our body health and lightness.

Bon appetit and new culinary discoveries!

Larisa Shuftaykina

Pumpkin (lat. Cucurbitaceae)- a family of flowering dicotyledonous plants, numbering 130 genera and about 900 species. Most of the pumpkin plants are perennial and annual herbs, but among the representatives of the family there are subshrubs and even shrubs. Pumpkin crops grow in countries with warm climates. The fruits of many pumpkin crops (melons, watermelons, cucumbers, pumpkins) are edible, some are used to make musical instruments (lagenaria), sponges and filling materials (loofah), and there are species that are grown as medicinal or ornamental plants.

Pumpkin family - description

A common botanical feature of representatives of pumpkin plants is their liana-like life form. Cucurbitaceae have long, succulent stems, usually called vines, that extend along the ground and climb up supports using tendrils. The leaves of members of the family are petiolate, simple, palmately dissected or lobed, without stipules, hard or hairy.

Pumpkin flowers - male, female or bisexual - are located singly in the axils or collected in an inflorescence. Most cultivated plants bear both male and female flowers, and the proportion of female flowers may increase depending on shorter daylight hours, increased carbon monoxide levels in the air, or lower night temperatures.

The fruit of pumpkin plants is berry-shaped, multi-seeded, usually with a hard crust and fleshy contents.

There are thirteen genera in the Pumpkin family:

• genus Pumpkin, which includes the following species:
  • pumpkin;
  • zucchini;
  • squash, or plate pumpkin;
• cucumber genus:
  • common cucumber;
  • melon;
  • anguria, or horned cucumber, or Antillean cucumber, or watermelon cucumber, or hedgehog cucumber;
  • kiwano, African cucumber, or horned melon;
• Loofah genus:
  • Egyptian loofah or cylindrical loofah;
  • sharp-ribbed loofah;
• Chayote genus:
  • edible chayote, or Mexican cucumber;
• Watermelon genus:
  • watermelon;
• Benincasa genus:
  • benincasa, or wax gourd, or winter squash;
• -genus Momordica:
  • Momordica charantia, or Chinese bitter gourd, or bitter cucumber;
  • Momordica dioica, or spiny gourd, or kantola;
• genus Lagenaria:
  • Lagenaria vulgaris, or calabash, or gourd, or calabash, or bottle gourd, or table gourd;
• genus Cyclantera:
  • edible cyclantera, or Peruvian cucumber;
• genus Trichosanth:
  • trichosanth serpentine, or snake gourd, or snake cucumber;
• genus Melotria:
  • melotria rough, or mouse melon, or mouse watermelon, or sour gherkin, or Mexican sour cucumber, or Mexican miniature watermelon;
• clan Tladianta:
  • Tladianta dubious, or red cucumber;
• Sikana family:
  • cassabanana, or fragrant sicana, or fragrant pumpkin, or musky cucumber.

In our article we will tell you about the most famous cultural representatives of the family, grown both in the vegetable garden and in the garden.

Fruiting pumpkin plants

Pumpkin

– a genus of herbaceous plants of the Pumpkin family, the most famous representative of which is the common pumpkin (lat. Cucurbita pepo), cultivated as a food and fodder crop. The Aztecs ate, in addition to fruits, boiled flowers and ends of pumpkin stems, as recorded in the General History of New Spain, compiled in 1547-1577 by Bernardino de Sahagún.

Common pumpkin is an annual melon crop with a hairy creeping stem, with tendrils and large, lobed, hard leaves. Yellow large unisexual pumpkin flowers, depending on gender, are arranged singly or in bunches. The fruit is a pumpkin with a hard outer shell and numerous large light-colored seeds. There are about a hundred varieties of pumpkin in cultivation, which differ from each other in size, shape and color of the fruit. Some of them are cultivated as ornamental plants, for example Cucurbita pepo var. clypeata or depressa is an ornamental plant with hard-leathery ribbed fruits.

Pumpkin fruits contain fiber, potassium, many vitamins - A, C, E, B vitamins, rare vitamin K, which affects blood clotting, as well as vitamin T, which promotes the absorption of heavy foods and at the same time prevents obesity by improving and accelerating all metabolic processes in the body. And in terms of the amount of iron, pumpkin pulp surpasses even apples. Edible pumpkins are eaten raw, added to salads, and after heat treatment - the pulp of the fruit is baked, stewed or boiled. Pumpkin is easily digestible, quenches thirst, improves peristalsis. Dried pumpkin seeds are used as medicinal raw materials - they are used as a remedy for tapeworms.

Pumpkin is undemanding to the fertility and mechanical composition of the soil; only clay soils are unsuitable for growing this crop, but it is still preferable to plant it on well-lit, drained, fertile sandy loam, medium loamy or light loamy soils with a neutral reaction, pre-fertilized with compost or manure. Any plants are suitable as predecessors for pumpkin, except related ones - cucumbers, squash, zucchini and the like, but it grows best after perennial herbs and garden plants such as corn, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, potatoes and legumes.

Varieties of pumpkin are divided into large-fruited, hard-bark and nutmeg, as well as bush and climbing, fodder, table and decorative. According to the timing of ripening, varieties are early, early ripening, mid-early, mid-ripening and late. The most popular table varieties are large-fruited pumpkins Zorka, Rossiyanka, Marble, Candy, Volzhskaya series, Winter sweet, Table winter, Ulybka, Khersonskaya, Kroshka, Medicinal, Stofuntovaya, Tsentner, Titan, Valok, Parisian gold, Big Moon, Amazon, Arina, Children's delicacy. Of the hard-barked varieties, Acorn, Spaghetti, Vesnushka, Golosemyannaya, Gribovskaya Kustovaya, Almondnaya, Altaiskaya, Kustovaya Orange, and Mozoleevskaya have proven themselves well. The best nutmeg pumpkins are represented by the Butternut, Vitaminnaya, Palav Kadu and Prikubanskaya varieties.

As for decorative pumpkins that refresh and decorate summer cottages and our homes, varieties such as Stars, Turkish Turban and Baby Creamy White from the Scheherazade series, as well as Orange Ball, Warty Mixture and Two-Color Ball from the series may seem worthy of attention. Kaleidoscope.

Watermelon

– melon crop, annual herbaceous plant, species of the Watermelon genus. Watermelon was first described by Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg in 1794 as a species of Momordica, but in 1916 Japanese botanists Takenoshin Nakai and Ninzo Matsumura assigned it to the genus Watermelon.

The root system of watermelon is powerful and branched, with good absorption. The main root can penetrate to a depth of one meter, and the lateral ones extend horizontally underground for a distance of up to 5 meters. The stems of the plant are flexible, thin, climbing or creeping, most often rounded-pentagonal, branched, 3 or more meters long, although there are also short-climbing varieties of the plant. The young parts of the stems are covered with thick, soft pubescence. The leaves are alternate, hairy, harsh, triangular-ovate, strongly dissected, on long petioles, length from 8 to 22 and width from 5 to 18 cm. The flowers are unisexual, with male flowers smaller than female ones. The fruit is a juicy multi-seeded pumpkin. The shape, color and size of watermelon fruits of different types and varieties can vary greatly, but in most cases their surface is smooth.

Watermelon is a heat-loving plant, drought-resistant and heat-resistant, but this crop does not tolerate frost. Watermelons are grown in well-sunny areas with light soil.

Watermelon pulp contains salts of iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, which have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive organs, hematopoiesis, endocrine glands and the cardiovascular system. Consumption of watermelon is indicated for anemia, heart disease, gall bladder and urinary tract diseases, and the water and easily digestible sugars contained in watermelon alleviate the condition of acute and chronic liver diseases. Watermelon fiber helps eliminate excess cholesterol and improves digestion, and the folic and ascorbic acids contained in the pulp protect the body from atherosclerosis. Watermelon juice quenches thirst during fever, and alkaline compounds regulate the acid-base balance in the body.

The common watermelon is represented by two varieties: the tsamma melon, which grows naturally in the countries of Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia, and the woolly watermelon, which is grown exclusively in cultivation. Currently, there are European, Russian, East Asian, South Ukrainian, Transcaucasian and American groups of woolly watermelon varieties. The most popular varieties are Astrakhansky, Monastyrsky, Kamyshinsky, Khersonsky, Melitopolsky, Uryupinsky, Mozdoksky, Apple, Raspberry Cream, Korean, Chernouska, a variety of Japanese selection Densuke with a black rind and others.

Melon

– Melon crop, a species of the genus Cucumber, is native to Central and Asia Minor, where it was domesticated about 400 years ago. Now you can no longer find melon in the wild, but it is grown in culture in all warm countries of the world. Mention of melon can even be found in the Bible.

Melon is a herbaceous annual with pubescent stiff hairs, a long, creeping rounded-faceted stem, the thickness of which is about 2 cm and the length reaches 2 m. Lateral shoots extend from the main shoot. The root system of the melon is taprooted, going 2-2.25 m deep. The leaves of the melon are alternate, separate or entire, entire or jagged, long-petiolate, round, heart-shaped, kidney-shaped or angular, in different shades of green. There are three types of flowers - female, male and bisexual. Their corolla is funnel-shaped, with fused yellow petals. The melon fruit is a false berry, the size, color and shape of which varies depending on the variety: it can be flattened, round, elongated oval, with a smooth or rough skin of white, yellow olive or brown color, with white, cream or almost yellow pulp . The structure, consistency, density and taste of the pulp also differ. The weight of a melon can reach from 1 to 20 kg. Inside each fruit there is a large number of light seeds - elongated, elongated oval or ovoid.

Melon is a plant for warm climates, so it is grown in sunny areas protected from the wind, preferably on a southern slope. The plant prefers neutral, light, dry and well-fertilized soil. Melon varieties are chosen based on the characteristics of the region: early varieties are more suitable for the middle zone, and in warmer areas, mid-season and even late-season melons can be grown.

Melon is represented by five subspecies:

Subspecies first - classic melon (Cucumis melo subsp.melo)- a melon familiar to everyone, which is represented by:

four varieties of Central Asian melons:

• radishes - autumn-winter melons of the varieties Beshek, Gulyabi green, Torlama, Koi-bash;
• bukharki - early melons of the varieties Chogare, Assate, Tashlaki, Bos-valdy and others;
• Khandalyak - early ripening melons of the varieties Khandalyak yellow, Kolagurk, Zami, Kok-Cola posh and others;
• ameri - summer, the most sugary of all melons, represented by the varieties Ak-kaun, Ameri, Kokcha, Arbakesha, Bargi, Vaharman and others;

Western European melons:

• Western European cantaloupe, represented by mid-season varieties Charente, Prescott, Galia and others;
• American netted cantaloupe varieties Edisto, Rio Gold, Jumbo and others;
• Eastern European melons: early ripening (Altaiskaya, Tridtsatidnevka, Lemon-yellow, Rannyaya varieties), summer (Desertnaya, Kubanka, Kolkhoznitsa, Kerchenskaya varieties) and winter (Bykovskaya, Kavkazskaya, Mechta, Tavriya varieties);

oriental melons:

• winter cassaba varieties Valencia, Honey Dew, Golden Beauty, Temporiano Roxet;
• summer cassaba varieties Honey Dew, Spotted, Zhukovsky.

and exotic melons:

• the second subspecies is Chinese melon (Cucumis melo subsp.chinensis);
• the third subspecies is cucumber melon (Cucumis melo subsp.flexuosus);
• the fourth subspecies is wild melon, or field weed (Cucumis melo subsp. agrestis);
• the fifth subspecies is Indian melon (Cucumis melo subsp.indica).

Zucchini is an annual herbaceous plant, a bush variety of pumpkin with green, yellow or almost white fruits. Zucchini comes from northern Mexico - where for centuries, along with corn and pumpkin, they formed the basic diet of the aborigines. Zucchini was brought to Europe by conquistadors in the 16th century, and then spread, occupying a particularly important position in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Today, zucchini is cultivated wherever climatic conditions allow it to be grown.

In appearance, zucchini resembles not a pumpkin, but very large cucumbers. They are covered with a dense, smooth skin, under which there is a fleshy light pulp with a large number of seeds. Zucchini is eaten in the phase of technical rather than biological maturity, since the seeds of ripe fruits become large and hard.

Zucchini should be grown in open sunny areas located on southwestern or southern slopes. The soil should be neutral, light, sandy or loamy. Under favorable conditions, you can get zucchini fruits within a month and a half after germination, but if the plant lacks light, the yield may decrease until the growing season stops completely.

Zucchini contains a complex of vitamins - A, C, H, E, PP and group B, trace elements calcium, sodium, iron and magnesium, fiber, proteins, fats, carbohydrates and structured water. Zucchini is a dietary product and has medicinal properties.

Zucchini varieties are divided according to such characteristics as ripening time (early, mid-ripening and late), type of pollination (non-pollinated and bee-pollinated), place of cultivation (indoor or open ground), origin (variety or hybrid) and purpose (for consumption raw or for processing). But it’s most convenient to divide the zucchini according to ripening time.

Of the early ripening zucchini, the varieties Chaklun, Belukha, Vodopad, Mavr, Aeronaut, Karam and the hybrids Belogor, Iskander, Areal, Kavili and Karizma have proven themselves well. Popular mid-season zucchini are represented by the variety Gribovsky 37 and the hybrid spaghetti squash Tivoli, and the good late varieties are Nut and Spaghetti Raviolo.

- Italian variety of white squash. Translated from Italian, “zucchini” means “small pumpkin.” This variety of zucchini gained fame only in the 19th century. Zucchini's lashes are more compact, the leaves are more decorative, and the taste of the pulp is both more delicate and richer than that of zucchini. Plus, zucchini lasts longer. In short, zucchini is zucchini upgraded. The skin of zucchini can be dark green or golden yellow, streaky or striped. Zucchini varieties differ in the shape of the fruit. The growing conditions for this variety are the same as for ordinary zucchini.

Of the early varieties of zucchini, the most famous are Aeronaut, Genovese, Zheltoplodny, White Swan, Golden Cup, Sudar, Zebra, Mezzo Lungo Bianco, Negritenok, Black Beauty, Skvorushka, Anchor and Gold's hybrid. The early ripening varieties Pharaoh, Tsukesha, Razbeg, Souvenir and the hybrid variety Embessi are good. Mid-season varieties include zucchini Tondo Di Piacenzo, Kuand, Multi-storey, Milanese black, Zolotinka, Diamant and the hybrid Jade. Mid-late zucchini is represented by the Macaroni variety. In general, the zucchini group usually includes early and mid-season varieties.

Patissons

Patisson (lat. Patisson), or saucer pumpkin- a herbaceous annual, a variety of pumpkin, which is cultivated throughout the world. Squash is not found in the wild. They were brought to Europe from America in the 17th century and quickly gained popularity. A little later, they began to be grown in Ukraine and southern Russia, and two centuries later, this variety of pumpkin reached Siberia.

The squash has a bush or semi-bush form, it has large stiff leaves, single unisexual yellow flowers, and the fruit is a bell-shaped or plate-shaped pumpkin of white, green or yellow color, sometimes plain, sometimes with stripes or spots. The taste of squash is comparable to the taste of artichokes. Both young ovaries and ripe fruits are used for food - they are stewed, salted, fried, fermented and pickled, sometimes together with cucumbers and tomatoes. Squash fruits contain mineral salts, pectins, fats, fiber, ash elements, vitamins and other useful substances.

Squash is heat-loving and demanding of moisture, so it is grown in open, well-lit and ventilated areas with loose, fertile neutral soil. The main condition for growing squash is timely and sufficient watering.

Varieties of squash, like varieties of zucchini, are divided into early, mid-season and late. Early varieties allow you to get a harvest within 40-50 days after germination. Mid-season squash need 50-60 days to reach technical ripeness, and late-ripening squash need 60-70 days. Of the early squash varieties, the most popular are White 13, Disk, NLO orange, Cheburashka, Bingo-Bongo, Malachite, Umbrella, Piglet, Gosha, Sunny Delight, Chartreuse, hybrids Polo and Sunny Bunny. Mid-season squash is represented by the varieties Belosnezhka, Chunga-changa, Solnyshko, NLO white, Tabolinsky and the Arbuzinka hybrid.

cucumbers

Or cucumber is an annual herbaceous plant, a species of the genus Cucumber of the Cucurbitaceae family. Cucumbers are eaten unripe, unlike pumpkins, which must be ripe to be eaten. The cucumber appeared in culture more than six thousand years ago. The ancient Greeks called this vegetable "aguros", which means "unripe". The plant's homeland is the tropics and subtropics of India, the foothills of the Himalayas, where it can still be found in the wild. Today, cucumbers are grown all over the world in open and closed ground, and breeders tirelessly develop more and more new varieties and hybrids of this popular plant.

The stem of the cucumber is rough, creeping, ending with tendrils clinging to the support. The leaves are five-lobed, heart-shaped. The fruit is a juicy, emerald green, multi-seeded, pimply green, covered with white or dark pubescence. Fruits of different varieties may differ in size, color and color.

Zelentsy contain 95-97% structured water. The remaining few percent include a small amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, macro- and microelements, sugar, carotene, chlorophyll, vitamins C, B and PP. The substances that make up cucumbers stimulate appetite, improve digestion and assimilation of food, increasing the acidity of gastric juice. The properties of cucumbers were described in the ancient medical book “Cool Vertograd”, which was compiled back in the 17th century.

Exotic pumpkin plants

Gorlyanka

Or gourd, or gourd pumpkin, or bottle gourd, or Indian cucumber, or Vietnamese zucchini, or calabash is an annual creeping vine of the Cucurbitaceae family. This plant is cultivated for its fruits, which are used for various purposes: young pumpkins of long-fruited forms are eaten, and ripe fruits, shaped like bottles, are used as vessels and musical instruments are made from them. There are two subspecies of gourd:

• lagenaria siceraria subsp. asiatica - a plant with elongated bottle-shaped fruits, common in Polynesia and Asia;
• lagenaria siceraria subsp. siceraria is a variety with elongated, bugle-shaped fruits, native to Africa and America.

The gourd was used in culture long before our era, even before the advent of pottery. Africa is considered the homeland of lagenaria, from where it spread through Central Asia to China, and also, having strong walls and buoyancy, came to America with the ocean current. This crop is grown in the subtropical and tropical zones of Africa, China and South America. In temperate climates, lagenaria is grown in greenhouses using seedlings.

The unripe fruits of the gourd, which reach a length of 15 cm, are eaten - they taste very much like zucchini. They are eaten raw, they are used to prepare dishes, and they are preserved in the milky ripeness phase. Oil is obtained from the seeds of ripe fruits. Lagenaria seeds, like pumpkin seeds, have an anthelmintic effect. Gorlanka can be used as a rootstock for melons and cucumbers. From the ripe fruits of the gourd they produce vessels for storing food and water, drinking bowls and musical instruments such as balafon, guiro, shekere, kora, which are usually decorated with carved or burnt patterns. In South America, they are also used to make utensils for brewing mate.

Trichosanth

- a genus of herbaceous vines of the Cucurbitaceae family, representatives of which grow in tropical and subtropical zones. In the countries of South and Southeast Asia, Trichosanthes cucumerina, which is the most popular species of the genus, is cultivated for its fleshy fruits, stems and tendrils, which are eaten.

The stem of Trichosanthus serpentine, or serpentine cucumber, or snake gourd

thin, up to 3 m long, leaves are complex, three-seven-lobed, the root system lies shallow, like cucumbers. Female flowers are solitary, male flowers are collected in racemes. The shape of the flowers is unusual and attractive: numerous elongated threads extend from the white petals, twisting at the ends. By evening, the flowers begin to emit an amazing aroma. Trichosanth fruits resemble Chinese cucumbers, and some of them wriggle like snakes. They are from 50 to 150 cm long, and from 4 to 10 cm in diameter. The color of the fruit depends on the plant variety - it can be white, green, green with white stripes or white with green. When ripe, the fruits gradually turn red from bottom to top. There are no more than 10 pumpkin seeds in trichosanth fruits. During the season, up to two dozen fruits can be harvested from one plant, which contain carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals. The pulp of the fruit is eaten raw, added to salads, pureed soups are cooked from it, fried, baked and stewed. Some varieties of trichosanth have an unpleasant odor, which can only be removed through heat treatment.

Trichosanth is not picky about growing conditions, but if you want maximum output from the plant, then select a site for it with fertile, water- and breathable light loamy or sandy loam soil. Groundwater should not lie too close to the surface of the site. Trichosanth is grown through seedlings, which are planted in the ground under a film around April 15-20. Popular trichosanth varieties are Cucumerina with marbled white fruits, Snake Guad - a Chinese variety with white fruits with dark green stripes, Petola Ular - a Malaysian variety with light green fruits with dark stripes and a Japanese variety Snake with green striped fruits, twisted in a spiral.

Chayote

Or mexican cucumber- a cultivated plant known to the Mayans, Aztecs and other ancient Indian tribes. Chayote is native to Central America. The main supplier of chayote today is Costa Rica, but it is cultivated in many countries with warm climates.

Slightly pubescent shoots of chayote with longitudinal grooves reach a length of 20 m, clinging to the support with tendrils. The root system is a fleshy root, on which, from the second year of growth, up to a dozen tubers weighing about 10 kg of yellow, yellow-green, light green, dark green or almost white color with white pulp, reminiscent of the texture of cucumber or potato pulp, are formed. Widely rounded chayote leaves covered with stiff hairs, 10 to 25 cm long, consisting of 3 to 7 obtuse lobes, located on long petioles. Greenish or cream-colored flowers with a corolla about 1 cm in diameter are unisexual - the female flowers are solitary, and the male flowers are collected in racemes. Chayote fruits are round or pear-shaped berries weighing up to a kilogram, length from 7 to 20 cm with one flat-oval white seed measuring from 3 to 5 cm. The peel of the fruit is shiny, thin, but durable, white, green or light yellow, sometimes with longitudinal grooves or small growths. The pulp is white-green, sweetish, starchy.

All parts of the chayote are edible - leaves, tops of young shoots, which are eaten stewed, and unripe fruits - stewed, added raw to salads, baked, stuffed with meat or vegetables. Chayote seeds acquire a nutty flavor after roasting. Young tubers are cooked like potatoes, and old ones are fed to livestock. The stems are used to weave hats and other products.

Chayote contains 17 amino acids, including arginine, lysine, methionine, leucine, as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids, carbohydrates, proteins, sugar, fiber, carotene, starch, potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, iron and zinc , vitamins C, PP and group B.

Since chayote stops growing at temperatures below 20 ºC, it is grown only in warm climates or in greenhouses. Chayote needs loose, well-drained, neutral and rich soil, although with proper care it can be grown even on clay soils. Place beds with chayote in places protected from the wind and well warmed up and illuminated by the sun.

Loofah

Loofah, or luffa, or luffa (lat. Luffa) is a herbaceous liana of the Cucurbitaceae family. The loofah's habitat is the tropics and subtropics of Africa and Asia. According to various sources, there are from 8 to 50 species of plants, but only two of them are grown in culture - cylindrical loofah and sharp-ribbed loofah, a more early-ripening and cold-resistant species that grows well even in the northern regions. We are all familiar with products made from loofah - bath sponges, which can be bought at a hardware store, but it is much more interesting to grow them in your garden.

The loofah vine reaches a length of 5 m. Its leaves are alternate, whole or five-seven-lobed, the flowers are large, dioecious, white or yellow. Male flowers form a racemose inflorescence, while female flowers grow singly. The elongated cylindrical loofah fruits are fibrous and dry inside, with a large number of seeds. It is the fruits of some types of loofah that are used to make washcloths. And the fruits of such species as Egyptian and sharp-ribbed luffa are eaten. The seeds of the plant contain more than 25% oil suitable for technical purposes. Soap is also made from loofah.

Loofahs are grown in seedlings, planting hardened seedlings on low ridges or beds in early May. The soil on the site should be fertile, fertilized, neutral and preferably sandy loam. Choose a place for the loofah that is sunny and protected from the wind. If you are interested in edible fruits, then it is better to grow the sharp-ribbed loofah, and if you need washcloths, then give preference to the cylindrical loofah.

Momordica charantia

Or bitter cucumber is a herbaceous annual monoecious liana that grows naturally in tropical regions of Asia, and is cultivated in warm regions of the world - in China, the Caribbean Islands, South and Southeast Asia. The leaves of this species of momordica have a kidney-shaped, flattened or rounded shape with a heart-shaped base. They are deeply incised into 5-9 lobes and arranged oppositely on petioles 1 to 7 cm long. Momordica flowers are unisexual, axillary, with five yellow petals. The fruits are green, rough, with warts and wrinkles, cylindrical, oval or spindle-shaped. When ripe they turn yellow or orange. The pulp of the fruit is spongy and dry, the seeds are bitter, uneven in shape, and red-brown in color.

Momordica is grown for its fruits, which are collected unripe, then they are soaked in salt water for several hours to remove bitterness, after which they are stewed or boiled. Young shoots, leaves and flowers of the plant are also stewed. The poisonous juice of momordica is used to treat asthma, rheumatism and arthritis. The taste of momordica pulp is similar to the pulp of chayote or cucumber. It is nutritious and healthy due to the content of large amounts of iron, beta-carotene, potassium, calcium and other elements important for the human body. Some compounds contained in the momordica fruit help treat HIV, malaria, and type 2 diabetes, and the plant juice can destroy pancreatic cancer cells.

The heat-loving plant is grown in greenhouses, greenhouses, on balconies and window sills. Among the species of momordica there are also ornamental plants both for indoor cultivation and for growing along fences and gazebos.

Cyclantera

Or achokhcha cucumber, or Peruvian cucumber– a species of plants of the genus Cyclantera of the Cucurbitaceae family, cultivated in countries with warm climates for its edible fruits. This species is native to the countries of South America - Peru, Ecuador and Brazil. The plant was introduced into culture by the Incas, then it was forgotten for a long time, but today interest in cyclanthera has increased again. Young cyclantera fruits are consumed raw, stewed, fried, pickled and salted; the flowers and shoots of the plant are also edible.

Cyclantera is a powerful annual vine up to 5 m long, clinging to a support with tendrils. The leaves of the plant are alternate, finger-shaped, dissected almost to the base into 5-7 parts. They grow so densely that you can hide under them from the burning summer sun. The flowers are yellow, small - up to 1 cm in diameter, dioecious. The female flowers are solitary, the male flowers are collected in 20-50 pieces in paniculate inflorescences 10-20 cm long. The elongated oval fruits of the cyclanthera with a diameter of up to 3 and a length of 5-7 cm are narrowed at both ends, and the apex is usually curved. The green skin of the fruit turns light green or cream when ripe. Black cyclantera seeds, 8-10 pieces, are enclosed in a chamber inside the fruit.

The seeds of the plant contain 28-30 amino acids, and the pulp of the fruit includes phenols, peptin, flavonoids, glycosides, alkaloids, lipids, tannins, resins, terpenes, sterols, vitamins and minerals. Cyclantera has analgesic, diuretic, choleretic, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, hypoglycemic effects.

Cyclantera is grown by seeds and seedlings, but it is very demanding of heat, so choose for it areas protected from the wind, well lit and warmed by the sun. Cyclantera grows best on drained, loose loamy or sandy loam soils of neutral reaction.

Benincasa

Or wax pumpkin, or winter pumpkin is a herbaceous vine, a species of the genus Benincasa, which is widely cultivated for its edible fruits, reaching a length of two meters. The surface of unripe fruits has a velvety texture, but as they ripen, it becomes smooth and covered with a waxy coating, which allows the fruit to be preserved for a long time after cutting. At first, Benincasa was cultivated only in Southeast Asia, then it spread to the east and south.

Benincasa is a liana-like annual with a well-developed root system and faceted stems as thick as a pencil, reaching a length of 4 m. The leaves of the wax pumpkin are long-petioled, lobed, but not as large as those of other pumpkins. The flowers are very beautiful, large - up to 15 cm in diameter, orange-yellow, with five petals. Benincasa fruits can be round or oblong, and their weight can reach 10 kg, although in the middle zone they only grow up to 5 kg.

The pulp of the wax gourd fruit has medicinal properties and is used in Chinese folk medicine to relieve pain, lower body temperature during fever and remove excess water from the body. The seeds are used as a tonic and sedative.

Benincasa loves well-lit places and nutritious, breathable soil with a neutral reaction.

Sicana

Fragrant sicana (lat. Sicana odorifera), or fragrant pumpkin, or cassabanana- a large vine cultivated for its fruits. The plant comes from Brazil; it also grows wild in Ecuador and Peru, and is grown in cultivation in all tropical countries of America and the Caribbean. In the middle zone it can be cultivated in greenhouses.

The length of the liana-shaped stem of the sicana reaches 15 m, and the leaves covered with hairs are 30 cm. The fruit of the sicana is elliptical, slightly curved, up to 11 cm in diameter and up to 60 cm in length. Its skin is smooth, glossy, dark purple, maroon, orange-red or black. The pulp is juicy, aromatic, yellow or orange-yellow, and in its middle there is a fleshy kernel with a large number of flat seeds up to 16 mm long and up to 6 mm wide.

In terms of biological composition and taste, sikana resembles the sweet fruits of pumpkin. It is added to salad, fried and stewed.

Melotria

It is also a climbing herbaceous plant native to the tropical forests of Central America. In cultivation, it is grown for small fruits measuring 1.5-2 cm, which taste like sour cucumbers and look like tiny watermelons. Melotria leaves are also similar to cucumber leaves, but they are smaller and do not turn yellow for a very long time. Bright yellow female flowers are arranged singly, while male flowers are collected in inflorescences. Melotria vines can reach a length of 3 m and cling to support with tendrils, like the stems of other pumpkin plants. In addition to edible fruits, melotria produces tubers weighing up to 400 g, resembling sweet potatoes in shape and size and used for making salads.

Melothria is grown through seedlings in balcony boxes, near trellises or fences.

Properties of pumpkin plants

The common features of pumpkin plants are a creeping or climbing stem with tendrils clinging to support, which are actually modified shoots.

Pumpkin plants are mostly insect-pollinated, so the flowers of many of them have a strong aroma that attracts pollinators - bees, wasps, bumblebees and steppe ants. Representatives of different types of pumpkin crops do not cross-pollinate, so they can be grown in close proximity to each other. The only exceptions are zucchini, zucchini and pumpkin; however, cross-pollination of these crops, changing the genetic code of the seeds, does not affect the quality of the vegetables.

As a rule, flowers in pumpkin crops are dioecious: female flowers are arranged singly, and male flowers form a racemose or paniculate inflorescence.

The vast majority of pumpkin plants have fruits similar in structure to berries. Examples of this include watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin and melon. Sometimes the ripest seeds begin to germinate inside the fruit, and when the overripe fruit cracks, not only seeds fall out of it, but also seedlings that take root very quickly.

Pumpkin crops grow best in southern or southwestern areas protected from the wind, well lit and warmed by the sun, with sandy loam or loamy soil of neutral reaction.

The best predecessors for pumpkin are perennial herbs, potatoes, as well as onions, cabbage and carrots. It is undesirable to grow pumpkin plants in one place for several years in a row - this leads to the accumulation of pathogenic organisms in the soil and, as a result, to a sharp decrease in yield. After harvesting pumpkin crops, it is advisable to plow or at least deep dig the area to cover up plant residues and fertilizers - this will reduce the number of weeds, pests and infectious agents next season and activate the course of microbiological processes.

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