Pumpkin bottle (lagenaria): recipes, benefits and harms

Bottle gourd has only recently appeared in vegetable gardens and garden plots. And they became interested in it not for tasty fruits and a plentiful harvest. The shape of the fruits and their main purpose – the manufacture of decorative crafts – attracted the attention of gardeners. The s wanted to grow such a pumpkin with their own hands, and then make a decoration for their home or a gift for friends from it.

Description of the variety

Bottle gourd with different names – Vietnamese zucchini, Indian cucumber, Gorlyanka, Calabass – comes from Africa, has up to 7 species, differing in leaves, seed color, fruit shape, flower size. It is an annual vine, as evidenced by the description of this tropical culture:

• the stem is faceted, covered with fluff, gives a daily increase of up to 15-20 cm, grows in length – up to 15 m;
• leaves are large, pentagonal, with a wavy surface, slightly pubescent;
• flowers are small, white, on long petioles, located in the axils of the leaves, bloom at night;
• fruits of an unusual shape, can grow up to 2-2,5 m in length.

Grow bottle gourd to produce fruits that have an unusual shape. When fully ripe, they do not rot, but dry out so that they can be used for various purposes.

Description of fruits

The fruits of the bottle gourd are smooth and firm, at the beginning of ripening they look like long cucumbers, and then they can take on various shapes:

• flattened;
• serpentine;
• spherical;
• pear-shaped

You can give the pumpkin a very specific look. To do this, the young ovary is placed in a wooden device, the shape of which the fetus receives in the process of growth.

Only young fruits of bottle gourd 20-40 cm long with a delicate pulp structure and spicy taste are used for food. It resembles the taste of zucchini, can be used to prepare the same dishes.

With further growth of the vegetable, the flesh dries out, the peel becomes dense, light and waterproof. Various decorative items are made from such fruits:

• all kinds of dishes;
• musical instruments;
• toys;
• caskets;
• candlesticks;
• smoking pipes.

Baskets, rugs, hats can be weaved from strong stems of bottle gourd.

View characteristics

Since the bottle gourd is a tropical vegetable, and it lives only one summer, it has not yet had time to adapt to the frost and requires a lot of heat and sun for its growth and does not tolerate cold drafts at all.

This crop is tolerant of drought, but for the formation of a good harvest it must be watered as soon as the soil has dried.

But strong immunity helps to resist many diseases (powdery mildew, mosaic, anthracnose, etc.) and not be attacked by pests.

From one bush you can collect up to 10 fruits. Gardeners are advised to reduce their number by breaking off the ovaries in order to get fewer fruits, but of a large size.

The benefits and harms of bottle gourd

The rich vitamin and mineral composition and low calorie content of bottle gourd fruits make it recommended for many diets. Only very young pumpkins are eaten.

Seed oil is used in medicine and cosmetology. Infusions of leaves, fruits and stems, prepared according to traditional medicine recipes, help in:

• strengthening immunity;
• normalization of metabolism;
• stabilization of the heart;
• lowering cholesterol levels;
• binding free radicals and removing them from the body.

The harm that the use of bottle gourd can bring to the body lies in the individual intolerance of the product.

Growing bottle gourd

In the climatic conditions of central Our Country, lagenaria can only be grown in seedlings and in a greenhouse or greenhouse.

First you need to prepare the soil in which the seeds will be planted, and a container for seedlings. There is no exact recommendation on which soil is more suitable for growing seedlings of lagenaria bottle gourd. The opinions of gardeners on this issue differ. At your discretion, you can do one of the following:

• take land from your plot if it is considered fertile enough;
• buy a balanced substrate in the store;
• make the mixture yourself by mixing soddy soil, humus and sand with the addition of ash or charcoal.

Lagenaria bottle gourd seeds of large size with a dense peel. Before planting, they should be soaked in hot water (+45⁰C) for two days or put in a growth stimulator for a day. Then wrap in wet gauze or put in raw sawdust. The air temperature should be at room temperature. After about a week, pecking will occur, which is a signal for planting bottle gourd seeds for seedlings.

To do this, proceed as follows:

1. Drainage and prepared soil are placed in the seedling container.
2. To a depth of 4 cm, the seeds are immersed with a sprout down, lightly watered.
3. They create the effect of a greenhouse by covering with a film or glass until full-fledged sprouts appear.

Further, the film is removed, and when strong seedlings grow, they are planted in open ground. It takes about one month to grow bottle gourd seedlings from seed. At the end of May, lagenaria should be transplanted to a permanent place where it will produce its bottle fruits.

It is better to choose a landing site near a fence or wall, which in the future will serve as a support for the stems of lagenaria. It must be remembered that the bottle gourd loves the sun and warmth. Top dressing must be carried out every 10 days. And when the stems reach 3 m in length, you need to stop fertilizing the bush.

How to dry bottle gourd

If the bottle gourd was grown for crafts, as in the photo below, then it must be properly dried. To do this, proceed as follows:

1. The fruits are cut, leaving only the tail.
2. Wash well from dust and dirt with soap, wipe dry.
3. Leave outdoors or in a room with good ventilation, but without direct sunlight.
4. After a week, the fruits are checked: they should change color and become hard.
5. Now they are transferred for a long time (up to six months) to a dark room for final drying.

The fruits need to be turned over once every 1-3 days for uniform drying and checked in order to remove spoiled ones and with traces of mold in time. A confirmation that the bottle gourd has dried up is the sound of dried seeds when shaken. When the seeds rattled, cut off the top, take out the insides and leave to dry completely.

How to cook bottle gourd

In terms of its qualities, bottle gourd resembles a zucchini common in regions. It is usually cooked like a zucchini, and in dishes it behaves in much the same way. Here are some proven recipes.

Caviar from lagenaria

For cooking you need:

• bottle gourd – 1 kg;
• onion – 300 g;
• tomatoes – 400 g;
• vegetable oil – 150 g;
• salt and pepper – to taste.

Preparation:

1. Pumpkin, tomatoes, onions are peeled, cut into small cubes.
2. First, onions are sautéed in hot oil.
3. Then add tomatoes to the onion and fry over low heat for 10-15 minutes.
4. Pieces of pumpkin are combined with the resulting mass, spices are added and stewed to the desired consistency. Usually a mass similar to caviar is obtained.

Use this dish cold, spreading on slices of bread.

Punkkeys

This dish is prepared in much the same way as zucchini pancakes. But whether they are similar to each other, everyone can determine on their own taste.

Ingredients:

• bottle gourd – 400 g;
• celery – 100 g;
• flour – 1 tbsp.;
• raw egg – 1 pcs .;
• refined oil – 3 st. l .;
• salt – on the tip of the knife.

Preparation:

1. Vegetables are washed, peeled and rubbed on a coarse grater.
2. Add egg, flour, salt and mix everything.
3. Fry on both sides in a heated frying pan with oil, turning over.

Pancakes are very tender and slightly spicy in taste.

Hungarian recipe

What you need:

• fruits of lagenaria – 0,5 kg;
• red sweet pepper – 100 g;
• bulbs – 2 pcs .;
• pork lard – 50 g;
• sour cream – 2 tbsp. l .;
• broth – 1 tbsp.;
• sunflower oil – 50 g;
• flour – 2 Art. l .;
• spices – to taste.

How to cook:

1. Vegetables are cut into pieces and fried with lard.
2. Add broth and simmer until liquid has evaporated.
3. The flour is separately fried in oil and mixed with vegetables.
4. Add sour cream and spices, close the lid and simmer until tender.

The output is vegetable gravy, which can be served as an independent dish with breadcrumbs or added to main dishes.

Conclusion

Bottle gourd conquers not only temperate climates, but also the hearts of gardeners. For those who love to create with their own hands, this tropical vegetable is a gift from nature to express their creativity with the application of agricultural skills.

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