Do I need to peel the skin of radishes? Useful properties of radishes, and how they are used in folk medicine. Harm and contraindications
Before preparing a salad or eating a whole vegetable or fruit, we usually take out a knife and, out of habit, begin to peel them, but is this really necessary or are there foods that are better consumed in their original form? In fact, many vegetables and fruits not only can, but also need to be eaten with the peel in order to preserve all the beneficial properties that they contain. Next, you will find 7 super-healthy foods that are best eaten with the skin on.
Eggplant
For some dishes, we have to peel eggplants from their fleshy peel, and this is absolutely not worth doing if we want to preserve the unique phytonutrient called nasunin - a powerful antioxidant that has become almost the hallmark of eggplants. The fact is that nasunin protects cell membranes from damage, and our body from premature aging. Well, maybe it’s better to bake eggplants on coals in their peels?
Potato
If you love potato dishes, then peeling them is akin to hard labor for you? Great news: nutritionists advise sparing both yourself and the potatoes - you shouldn’t separate them from the peel. It turns out that 20% of the nutrients (like B vitamins and micronutrients) we want in our mashed potatoes are found in the skin, according to research. You should also look there for all the fiber that is beneficial for everyone.
cucumbers
Let's be honest: we don't always peel cucumbers, but sometimes when the skin is too rough and tough, we have to remove it. And now we will know that this is absolutely not worth doing! The fact is that cucumber peel contains large quantities of immunostimulating antioxidants and fiber, which prevents constipation and maintains gastrointestinal health.
Sweet potato
A rare southern guest for our supermarkets, however, if you are lucky enough to get your hands on it and are already happily figuring out how best to enjoy it, we recommend choosing the option with baking in the peel. It is with this method of preparation, as opposed to boiling, that we will retain most of the vitamin C, potassium and beta-carotene that the sweet potato has hidden from us in its peel.
Carrot
Research shows there is no reason to peel carrots. This, on the contrary, will only reduce its benefits for our body, since almost all of the antioxidants in carrots are concentrated in the peel or directly under it. In order to prepare carrots for cooking, just rinse them thoroughly from the soil under running water and additionally rub them with a brush.
Parsnip
This root vegetable, which is also sometimes called white carrots, has a savory, slightly spicy taste. But in some ways it would be appropriate to draw an analogy with carrots - it is in the parsnip skin area that contains a lot of nutrients (for example, folic acid and manganese), so it is best to leave it in the skin for cooking.
Apples
We often remove the valuable skin from apples because it may seem too tough to digest. However, it is precisely these apple peelings that contain fiber, valuable for our digestion, which gives a feeling of fullness and gently stimulates intestinal motility. Apple skin is also rich in quercetin, vitamin C and triterpenoids - compounds that can protect against cancer.
Who doesn’t know such a tasty and healthy vegetable as radish (lat. ) from the family Cruciferous.
Some medicinal properties were discovered many centuries ago in the plant’s homeland - China, where the root vegetable was highly valued along with cabbage.
No wonder the famous Chinese proverb says: “Eat spicy radishes and drink hot tea, and let the hungry doctors beg on their knees.”
Today we will talk about the medicinal properties of this bright representative of the Cruciferous family, but first, a few words about the most popular varieties.
This vegetable can take many forms. Its different varieties amaze with the variety of colors and sizes. There are several classifications. But if amateur gardeners prefer the one that takes into account the ripening and harvesting season, then you and I will be much more interested in the following:
- or Japanese radish is one of the key ingredients in Asian cuisine. It owes its pungent taste to isothiocyanates (also called mustard oils) - natural biologically active compounds. As a rule, they have an elongated shape, white or cream color, but there are also spherical varieties with brightly colored skin (our good old radish). In the East, not only the root vegetable is eaten, but also daikon greens.
- Black Spanish radishes are a gourmet's delight. It is believed that its peppery taste is much more interesting and richer than that of white varieties.
- Green radishes have long been cultivated in Northern China. The upper part of the root, bearing leaves and buds, is colored the color of green foliage, but closer to the tip it turns pale. The flesh of the green radish is a beautiful jade shade. The taste is sweet, the spiciness is almost not felt.
- Watermelon radishes resemble a watermelon when cut. It is slightly sweeter than the white varieties and not as spicy.
- Radish or "rat tail" Homeland - the island of Java. The plant produces flowers, which then develop into edible pods. They are eaten raw, marinated in spices, added to vegetable salads, and in India, stewed in a cloud of ghee for later use in curry recipes.
The nutritional value
The low levels of saturated fat and cholesterol and high water content in radishes (about 90%) indicate their benefits.
In addition, this product contains a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals, and has antifungal and antibacterial properties.
Radishes contain potassium, vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, manganese, copper, magnesium, calcium, vitamin B6, riboflavin and sodium. Just half a cup of vegetable salad will give your body 15% of your daily value of vitamin C.
Why is it useful?
- In Eastern medicine, vegetable juice with the addition of black salt is used as a natural antipyretic.
- The pungent-tasting vegetable eliminates excess mucus in the body, which is useful in treating colds, sore throat, bronchitis, asthma and seasonal allergies. Clears sinuses and soothes sore throats.
- Has a natural cleansing effect on the body and digestive system. Helps eliminate toxins. Helps with constipation. Normalizes intestinal functions. Combats indigestion and bloating.
- Radishes are characterized by antiseptic properties due to their high vitamin C content: it prevents the development of viral infections in the body.
- Satisfies hunger and normalizes metabolism. Contains few calories but many nutrients. This is an excellent source of microelements and fiber - an optimal composition for weight loss.
- In case of jaundice, it regulates the production of enzyme acids, promotes the outflow of bile, reduces the level of bilirubin in the blood, and prevents the destruction of red blood cells - a phenomenon typical for this disease. The best helpers are black and leaf radishes.
- Vegetable juice is good for the liver and stomach, soothes the digestive and excretory systems, as it contains important enzymes: myrosinase, diastase, amylase and esterase.
- Natural diuretic: used in folk medicine to treat and prevent urinary tract infections. It cleanses the kidneys well, relieves inflammation and burning.
- Vitamin C, folic acid and anthocyanins in the root help fight cancer of the kidneys, colon, intestines, stomach and mouth. Natural antioxidants affect cancer cells at the genetic level, causing their death (apoptosis).
- For skin diseases, the disinfecting properties of the spring vegetable will be useful. Homemade cosmetics with radishes are suitable for dry skin, relieve rashes and cracks.
- Radish seeds are used in folk medicine to treat leukoderma (skin dyschromia). They are soaked in vinegar, ginger juice or even cow urine. And the resulting composition is regularly applied to white spots.
- Thanks to indigestible dietary fiber, it acts as a mild laxative and prevents constipation, a common cause of hemorrhoids.
- After numerous studies, scientists have determined that anthocyanins in radishes reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems. The high concentration of potassium in root vegetables helps relax blood vessels, thereby expanding blood flow and reducing blood pressure.
- Suitable for diabetics due to its low glycemic index. In other words, it has no noticeable effect on blood sugar levels.
- Disinfects the oral cavity and freshens breath.
Other useful properties include:
- treatment of headaches;
- normalization of stomach acidity;
- relief from nausea;
- treatment of whooping cough;
- elimination of gallstones;
- fight against dyspepsia.
How to choose and how to store
The most delicious radishes, as we know, come to our tables in the spring. Although daikon reaches its peak of maturity in winter.
Carefully inspect root vegetables before purchasing. Their tails should be large and elastic, and the top should have a bunch of green leaves (wrinkled and yellow are a bad sign). It is better to put radishes with cracks and cuts aside; you should also do the same if you find yellowness on the skin - a sign of old root crops that have managed to absorb nitrates and other harmful substances from the soil.
Immediately after purchase, you need to free the root vegetables from greens, since they take away valuable nutrients. Rinse the radishes thoroughly in water, dry them, and then put them in the refrigerator - they will remain juicy and fresh for a whole week.
Radishes do not need to be peeled, because they contain rare antioxidants - allyl isothiocyanates, to which the vegetable owes its beneficial properties.
In the hot weather it is very pleasant to eat light salads and cold soups like okroshka. The chef of the Uchkuduk teahouse, Erkin Aka, talks about why radishes must be added to these dishes.
Why are radishes so useful?
Radish, or simply radish, is an indispensable vegetable. And in vain they offended the radish so much, calling it after a “bad person.” Firstly, it contains many substances necessary for the body: potassium and calcium, magnesium and iron, zinc and iodine. And there is generally as much vitamin C in a bunch as in a lemon. Secondly, if you make freshly squeezed juice from radishes, you don’t even have to think about how many delicious dishes you can afford to eat at lunch—it breaks down fats perfectly. Doctors even recommend eating this vegetable in as much as you like for obesity, diabetes and gout. Radish juice is also very beneficial for the heart.
When did cooks discover radishes?
In Europe they learned about it at the beginning of the sixteenth century. French chefs were probably the first to discover it, because in some places radishes are still called “French radishes.” However, there is information that in Japan at that time they had already tried it. Takuan Soho, a Japanese Zen monk and poet who lived in the early seventeenth century, came up with a recipe for pickling radishes that his friends liked so much that it spread throughout Japan and remains popular to this day. Peter I brought radishes to Russia, but they only became popular here at the beginning of the twentieth century. If we talk about the radish’s closest relative, the radish, then its history is even more interesting - it was eaten as food back in Ancient Egypt.
How is radish fundamentally different from radish?
Firstly, size: radishes usually reach three centimeters in diameter, while radishes are much larger. Secondly, it tastes much more delicate. Although piquant bitterness and pungency are still present in radishes - thanks to organic acids and sulforaphene essential oil. Unlike radishes, whose main colors are white and green, radishes come in red, gray, purple, brown and even yellow (this variety is grown in the Czech Republic). The most delicious radish, in my opinion, should be pink-red in color with a white tail-tip. The main thing is that the root vegetable is hard - the soft radish inside will be overripe and dry. And under no circumstances should you use radishes with black spots, because they indicate the beginning of the rotting process.
How long can radishes be stored?
With the tops in the refrigerator, they will stay fresh for up to four days, and if you remove the tops and put the radishes in an airtight container, they will not spoil for two weeks.
Should I just cut off the tops and throw them away?
I wouldn’t throw it away, because the tops themselves are tasty. Young leaves can be used in salad. They can also be fried or stewed, like cabbage. I personally really like green cabbage soup with radish tops.
Are radishes themselves used to make soups?
Of course, in Uzbekistan we really like to cook cold soup with kefir in the summer - it’s a kind of okroshka, only very light, because we don’t add meat to it. In this okroshka, radishes are an indispensable ingredient. We add finely chopped cucumbers, green onions, dill and other herbs and boiled quail eggs to this okroshka. Then add a small amount of sparkling water. You can also prepare a drink similar to this soup - mix chopped radishes, young radish leaves, green onions and dill, pour it all with curdled milk and add a little salt for taste.
What else can you cook from radishes?
There are a lot of salads, because radishes go with a huge number of foods. For example, a warm salad with chicken liver. You need to chop the onion and herbs, fry them for five minutes, then add chicken liver and chopped radishes. Stir for a few more minutes with a wooden spatula, then remove from heat, pour in vinegar and sprinkle with parsley.
There is an Uzbek salad in which red radishes, cut into thin, almost transparent slices, are combined with chopped hard-boiled quail eggs, dill and sour cream. You can finely grate radishes, cheese and hard-boiled eggs in equal proportions, add chopped dill and low-fat sour cream, and spread the resulting mass on rye croutons. But back to the salads - they can be very simple: tomato, cucumber, radish, onion, romaine and lolo rosso lettuce and vegetable oil or dressing with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Or you can make a more sophisticated salad - with crayfish. Chop the peeled crayfish necks and claws with a knife, mix with radish slices and chopped onions, add salt and add crayfish meat. Pour the resulting mixture with sour cream or mayonnaise, sprinkle with herbs and crayfish caviar.
Apparently, radishes go very well with fermented milk products?
Exactly. There is another Uzbek salad that I really like. Remove the tops and roots of the radish, wash and cut into strips, finely chop the dill, mix with lightly salted granular cottage cheese - a light dietary salad is ready.
Are there any rules on how to eat plain fresh radishes?
It is best to eat it young, straight with the red skin. If you get an old radish, you need to peel it and only then can you eat it. If you are simply serving radish heads on a platter with other vegetables, it is best to leave small bunches of green tops on them so that there is something to grab onto. That's all the rules.
Interviewed by Anna KAMANOVA
Test work on MDK 01.01. “Technology for processing raw materials and preparing dishes from vegetables and mushrooms”1 option
Root vegetable -
a) potatoes; b) beets; c) garlic.
2. Kohlrabi – vegetable
a) cabbage; b) onion; c) spicy.
3. Capsicum peppers belong to the __________________ group of vegetables.
4. stinging pathogenic microbes -
a) beets, carrots; b) garlic, onion; c) potatoes, cucumber;d) pumpkin, cabbage.
5.
a) potatoes pumpkin; 6) celery, parsley; c) beets, cabbage;d) asparagus, spinach.
6. Root vegetable containing carotene -
A) beets; b) celery; c) carrots; d) radish.
1) Distribution by quality; a) cleaning;
4) Removal of parts with low nutritional value; d) calibration.
8. Using a special tool, cut potatoes
a) barrels; b) shavings; c) garlic; d) balls.
9. Dimensions of potatoes, cut into cubes:
a) length 4-5 cm, cross-section 2 mm;
b) length 3-4 cm, cross-section 1 cm;
c) length 4-5 cm, cross-section 0.5 cm.
10. Potatoes, cut into large cubes, are used for cooking
a) soups; b) salads; c) side dishes for cold dishes.
11. Use boiled potatoes for side dishes, sliced th
a) shavings; b) garlic; c) barrels.
12. Peel radishes
a) red; b) white.
13. To prepare the marinade, cut the carrots
a) cubes; b) cubes; c) straws.
14. By cutting the carrot sticks, you get
a) cubes; b) lobules; c) straw.
15. Checkers - a form of cutting
a) onions; b) white cabbage; c) beets.
a) straws; b) checkers; c) in slices.
1) rings; a) for cereal soups, minced meat;
2) half rings; b) for cabbage soup from fresh cabbage, stews;
3) lobules; c) for soups, sauces;
4) crumb; d) for kebabs, deep-frying.
18. Overripe tomatoes are used
a) for salads; b) for stuffing; c) for making soups.
19. Cut into diamonds
a) fresh cucumbers; b) pickles; c) capsicum.
20. Stored in water
a) peeled potatoes; b) peeled carrots; c) parsley.
a) with the lid open; b) with the lid closed.
22. Long cooking time
a) for a couple; b) in water.
To prepare mashed potatoes, mash the potatoes:
a) hot; b) warm: c) cooled.
24. For cooking in milk, potatoes are cut
a) cubes; b) slices; c) cubes.
25. Vegetables are fried at a temperature of 170-180º C
a) the main way; b) deep-fried; c) in the oven.
26. For frying boiled potatoes, cut them
a) cubes; b) slices; c) circles.
27. Why does fat splatter when frying French fries?
A) the potatoes were not dried; b) the potatoes were coarsely chopped; c) potatoes sprinkled with salt.
28. Potato zrazy
a) deep-fried; b) fried in the main way; c) baked.
29. Do not add semolina to cutlets
a) beetroot; b) cabbage; c) potato.
30. When preparing stewed cabbage from sauerkraut, increase the amount
a) vinegar; b) sugar; c) tomato puree.
Why is it necessary to add acid when stewing beets?
a) for softening; b) to preserve vitamins; c) to preserve color.
32. Do not drain, but use the remaining liquid together with vegetables.
a) when allowing in; b) during cooking.
Why do potato rolls develop cracks after baking?
a) the potato mixture is too wet; b) the potato mass is dense;
V) no punctures were made.
34. Temperature for hot vegetable dishes –
a) not lower than 55°C; b) not lower than 65°C; c) not lower than 74°C.
35. Can be kept chilled for a day
a) deep-fried vegetables; b) vegetables in sauce; c) stewed vegetables.
Option 2
1. Root vegetable -
a) carrots; b) onions; c) potatoes.
2. Broccoli - a vegetable
a) fruity; b) cabbage; c) dessert.
Lentils belong to the __________________ subgroup of fruit vegetables.
Vegetables containing bactericidal substances phytoncides are destroyed stinging pathogenic microbes -
a) potatoes, cucumber; b) garlic, horseradish; c) eggplant, beans;
d) pumpkin, cabbage.
5.
Vegetables containing aromatic substances and essential oils -
a) cucumber, beans; 6) beets, cabbage; c) parsley, celery;
d) carrots, radishes.
6. Carotene contains
A) in potatoes; b) in cabbage; c) in carrots; d) in beets.
7. Correlate the methods of mechanical cooking of vegetables:
1) Distribution by quality; a) calibration;
2) Size distribution; b) sorting;
3) Removing contaminants from the surface; c) washing;
4) Removal of parts with low nutritional value; d) cleaning.
8. Not a complicated form of cutting potatoes
a) lobules; b) shavings; c) barrels; d) garlic.
9. Dimensions of potatoes, cut into strips
a) length 4-5 cm, cross-section 1 cm;
b) length 3-4 cm, cross-section 2 mm;
c) length 4-5 cm, cross-section 2 mm.
10. For pasta soups, cut the potatoes
a) straws; b) cubes; c) slices; d) cubes.
11. To prepare vegetable stew, cut the potatoes
a) straws; b) cubes; c) in slices.
12. Radishes are not peeled
a) red; b) white.
13. To prepare carrot cutlets, cut the carrots
a) straws; b) slices; c) slices.
14. Potato slices can be obtained
a) from cubes; b) from lobules; c) straws; d) from blocks.
15. Checkers - a form of cutting
a) cauliflower; b) white cabbage; c) kohlrabi.
16. For naval and Siberian borscht, cut white cabbage
a) checkers; b) straws; c) in slices.
17. Correlate the forms of slicing onions according to use:
1) rings; a) for minced meat, cereal soups;
2) half rings; b) for stews, cabbage soup made from fresh cabbage;
3) crumb; c) for sauces, soups;
4) lobules; d) for kebabs, deep-frying.
18. Cut into diamonds
a) pickles; b) fresh cucumbers; c) zucchini.
19. Overripe tomatoes are used
a) for stuffing; b) for preparing sauces; c) for salads.
20. Stored in water
a) peeled potatoes; b) peeled beets; c) dill greens.
21. To preserve vitamin C, vegetables are boiled in a container
a) with the lid closed; b) with the lid open.
22. How to keep vegetables green when cooking?
a) cook at low temperature; b) cook at a vigorous boilwater with the lid open.
23.
What kind of water do you put quick-frozen vegetables in without defrosting them?
a) into a boiling water; b) in the cold; c) warm.
24. Why does mashed potatoes have a sticky consistency?
A) the potatoes were mashed hot; b) the potatoes were mashed cold; c) addedcold milk.
25. Pai – deep-fried potatoes, sliced
a) straws; b) cubes; c) shavings.
26. At a temperature of 250-280º C vegetables
a) fried in the main way; b) deep-fried; c) baked in an oven.
27. In what case does stewed cabbage turn out to be very liquid? what consistency?
28. They are not stuffed products made from potato mass.
a) zrazy; b) cutlets; c) roll.
How do you cut white cabbage to prepare the “vegetable stew” dish?
a) slices; b) straws; c) crumbs; d) checkers.
Determine which vegetable corresponds to the specified type of processing:
sorted by size and degree of ripeness → washed → cut out the place where the stalk is attached.
a) sweet pepper; b) eggplant; c) tomato; d) cucumber.
31. When preparing carrot and beet cutlets, add to the mass
a) semolina; b) flour; c) starch.
32. To chop pickled cucumbers and sauerkraut, use boards with markings
a) OS; b) OB; c) OK.
33. Stuffed vegetables
a) boil; b) baked; c) fried.
34. Sauté carrots
a) for the transfer of coloring substances into fat; b) to improve taste; c) to preserve the aroma.
35. Hot vegetable dishes are kept for serving
a) no more than 5 hours; b) no more than 30 minutes; c) no more than 2 hours.
Sample answers:
№ question
answer
№ question
answer
1 option
Option 2
fruit
legumes
1-B
2-G
3-B
4-A
1-B
2-A
3-B
4-G
1-G
2-B
3-B
4-A
1-G
2-B
3-A
4-B
Criteria for assessing test work –
39-41 – mark “Excellent”
33-38 – mark “Good”
29-32 – mark “Satisfactory”
Less than 29 – mark “Unsatisfactory”.