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Adherents of proper nutrition and lovers of greens have long expanded the range of their culinary stocks. On their table, in addition to parsley and dill, green lettuce leaves also appear. There are a large number of varieties of this garden crop. For example, endive lettuce, which is presented in two forms – curly and broad-leaved. It has a spicy taste and rich composition.
Endive lettuce is widespread in France and is also considered a popular green crop around the world.
What’s this
Endive lettuce belongs to the green garden crops of the genus Chicory, it is also called lettuce chicory. In appearance, the plant is often confused with lettuce, but unlike it, endive has wider leaves with jagged wavy edges. Leaf plates, adjacent to each other, form a pink head.
Despite the fact that endive is called lettuce, it has nothing to do with this culture, but only outwardly resembles it with its green leaves. If you carefully examine the plant, you can see that the endive leaf plates are less wide and undivided, like a lettuce. To taste, they do differ in light bitterness, but this only gives them more piquancy.
On the market, you can most often find two types of lettuce chicory – this is curly and broad-leaved endive. Both species are represented by medium-sized sprouts with light green leaves tightly adjacent to each other. Less common are yellow and reddish cobs, such shades indicate belonging to exotic endive varieties (Mediterranean).
The piquant bitter taste of lettuce chicory may be the reason for its low distribution among culinary specialists. But due to the rich composition, nutritionists still recommend including it in the diet.
Composition and calorie content
Endive salad is a low calorie food. There are practically no fats in its chemical composition, but there is a lot of valuable fiber. The BJU of the product is the following figures:
- proteins – 1,25 g;
- fats – 0,2 g;
- carbohydrates – 0,25
Calorie content per 100 g of endive leaves is only about 16 kcal. But these are not all the advantages of this culture; salad chicory also surprises with its rich composition. It contains a large list of vitamins, minerals and other nutritional biologically active substances.
Vitamins:
- A;
- C;
- E;
- K;
- PP;
- many of group B.
Micro and macro elements:
- iron;
- copper;
- zinc;
- manganese;
- potassium;
- calcium;
- magnesium.
And this is not a complete list of all useful substances, since the composition also contains acids important for the human body (arginine, valine, lysine, threonine, etc.). But one of the most valuable substances is considered to be intibin, which just gives the endive a bitter aftertaste.
Benefit and harm
In addition to being low in calories, endive lettuce is also beneficial due to its rich composition. Nutritionists recommend using smoothies, decoctions and fresh juices from green leaves to increase immunity and improve well-being.
The use of lettuce chicory is considered an effective prevention of diabetes and cancer.
With the regular inclusion of endive in the diet, you can notice the following positive effects on the body:
- normalizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract due to valuable dietary fibers that stimulate digestion and cleanse the intestines;
- strengthens the cardiovascular system, as it contains the so-called “heart” minerals potassium and magnesium;
- increases the protective functions of the body due to the large number of important vitamins (A, groups B, C);
- favorably affects vision;
- improves skin condition;
- helps to strengthen the nervous system.
A large list of useful qualities of endive lettuce does not make it absolutely safe to eat. Like any product, green leaves have a number of contraindications. The use should be abandoned in case of an allergic reaction, as well as in case of individual intolerance. With extreme caution, greens should be eaten by pregnant, lactating women, children under three years of age and people suffering from acute gastrointestinal diseases.
How they eat
You can use endive salad as an independent product, or as part of various dishes. But before you cook green leaves, you should choose and prepare them correctly.
Choose salad chicory exceptionally fresh, with no signs of wilting. The leaves should fit snugly together and their color should be bright. After buying or cutting from the garden, the heads of cabbage are thoroughly washed under running cool water.
It is best to use the inside of the head for cooking, as the outer darker leaves are very bitter. In addition, the age of the plant also affects the bitterness of the product, the younger the salad, the less bitter it is.
Cutting endive leaves is not recommended, as a lot of juice will stand out. It is best to tear them apart with your hands before using them. Dressing with sauce, vegetable oil or citric acid should also be done before serving, so as not to spoil the appearance of the product.
If the salad is slightly wilted, you can restore its crunchiness by soaking it in ice water for 8-10 minutes.
Growing lettuce endive
You can grow endive lettuce both in the open field and on the windowsill of the house. But it requires compliance with special agrotechnical rules. The plant does not like high temperatures, and due to the ingress of a large amount of sunlight, the leaves begin to become very bitter.
Growing endive lettuce outdoors
In the open ground, sowing of endive seeds is carried out in the fall. The place is chosen shaded, the soil should be neutral or slightly acidic. If the acidity is increased, then lime should be added.
Before sowing, grooves are made up to 2 cm deep. The distance between rows should be at least 30 cm, as well as between seeds in a groove. If the distance between the seedlings is less, then thinning should be performed.
After sowing, the soil is well moistened by spraying; as it grows, it is necessary to water it regularly, but at the same time, excess moisture can lead to decay of the bushes.
As you grow, you can carry out a one-time top dressing with complex fertilizers containing potassium and nitrogen. Perform it during the formation of heads.
Growing lettuce endive on a windowsill
At home, lettuce chicory should be grown in spacious boxes. Seed consumption per 0,5 sq. m is about 1 g.
The growing container must have holes in the bottom. It is also required to organize a drainage layer. The substrate is best purchased ready-made universal. Sowing seeds is carried out according to the same principle as in open ground. First, the soil is well moistened, then a groove is made and the seeds are poured into it. The box is covered with a film until the first shoots appear (shelters are removed daily, removing condensate).
When seedlings appear, thinning is performed, a distance of at least 20 cm should be maintained between plants. Watering is carried out as the soil dries.
Harvesting and storage of crops
It takes about 50-55 days from planting to harvesting endive lettuce. If during this time you do not remove the heads, then the flowering process will begin, then the leaves will be quite bitter. Some varieties ripen in 60-70 days.
Harvesting is carried out by cutting under the root. If you need to harvest endive lettuce for the winter, then carefully dig out the bushes, trying not to damage the root system. Then they are placed in a box with sand and sent for storage in a dark room with a temperature of about +10 ºC.
Conclusion
Endive lettuce has a rich composition, which makes it unique among other vegetable crops. Regular use of the leaves will be an excellent support for the immune system, as well as improve the functioning of many organs and increase resistance to stress and the manifestation of apathy and depression.
