THE APPLE AND PEAR TREES ARE IN BLOSSOM

At one time the pear was regarded as a symbol of longevity in China. You see, the pear tree lives for many years. It was first mentioned in ancient Greek mythology. In Homer's "Odyssey" it is pear trees that are growing in the garden of the Persian tsar, and on the Peloponnese peninsula there was even a "land of pears".

The pear is like a storehouse

The pear is rich in bioactive substances. It contains vitamins A, B1, B2, E, P, PP, and C, carotene, mineral salts of iron, manganese, iodine, cobalt, copper, potassium, molybdenum, calcium, tannic acids and cellulose. It has more fructose than sucrose, which means that this fruit does not harm those whose pancreas is not functioning properly and those suffering from diabetes. This is why fresh and dried fruits and drinks made from it are included in diets when people are obese or diabetic. The pear's best quality is its high content of dietary fibre (2.3 g per 100 g), but it does not contain much vitamin C. The pear does however contain more folic acid than even blackcurrants.

Medical practice mentions the great benefit of the pear, but does not advise eating it on an empty stomach or drinking water with it. You should not eat it with meat either and you are advised to wait at least half an hour before eating it after a meal. Besides, only ripe, aromatic, juicy fruits that are easy to eat have medicinal properties.The pear helps to cleanse the body of heavy metals and toxins, and its unique ethereal oils and biologically active substances which boost the body's defences, help it to resist infectious diseases and have an anti-inflammatory effect and even to combat depression.

Pear juice is beneficial in the treatment of some gastric illnesses, and its flesh is more easily absorbed by the body than the flesh of apples. Sour and very tart varieties of pears help to fortify the liver and stomach.

Cooked fruit purees and stewed fruit contain a lot of tannin, whose astringent effect helps to alleviate upset stomachs. But it is not wise to eat fresh pears when you have a stomach upset. Pears are rich in iron, but it is best to eat red meat rather than pears (or fruit in general) to boost your haemoglobin. Doctors recommend that you should eat more pears after you reach the age of 40 years. The large amounts of potassium ions facilitate the normal functioning of the heart and muscles, as well as improving the restoration of the tissues.

Besides this, the pear satisfies the feeling of hunger while containing hardly any calories and therefore helps to stop you from putting on weight. The only contra-indication is that you should not eat raw pears, if you are suffering from a stomach ulcer. Otherwise, you just have to eat them in moderation - a couple of pears a day is quite sufficient for your body.

Summer apples

Apples are not only autumn and winter fruits. In actual fact, there are numerous summer varieties. The best known of them are Borovinka, July Chernenko, Kvinti, Melba, Papirovka [Papierowka] and Yandykovskoye. Most of the varieties that we have in our country originate from the Baltic States, Russia and Ukraine. Apples contain a large amount of vitamins like C, B1, B2, P, E, and also manganese and potassium. But the iron in apples is contained in a form that the human body can hardly absorb. If you have low haemoglobin, it is much more beneficial to eat animal products like red meat, liver and eggs.

In the summer varieties, thanks to the pectin the apples have a low glycaemic index; this means that they help in losing weight and contain little sugar. But this does not mean that you should eat too many of them. Apples also prevent the secretion of uric acid and break down formic acid. They are therefore beneficial to people suffering from rheumatism, gout, atherosclerosis, chronic eczemas and other skin diseases. Apples help to make your sight, skin, hair, and nailshealthier and to avoid nervous disorders.

Besides this, apples cleanse the blood when there is low blood pressure and hardening of the blood vessels. They are also of benefit to the lymphatic system.

Apples are best eaten raw with the skin on, because it contains more flavonoids, vitamin C and pectin. The amount of vitamin C in cut apples is drastically reduced; this can be seen from the way the cut surface of the apple rapidly turns brown. It is recommended that any meal should end with an apple; this is not only good for the figure, but for the teeth as well. Besides, whereas red meat, liver or eggs have already been mentioned as part of your diet, apples help you to absorb the iron obtained from them. 

It is important to know that the summer varieties of apples do not keep well and soon go bad. Apples should be kept separate from other vegetables and fruit since the latter start to go bad, when they are next to apples. You do not need to keep them in the refrigerator. You can store them in a cool, dark place. In patients suffering from diseases of the digestive tract, especially in their more serious stages (gastritis, colitis, erosion and ulcers) apples may cause painful sensations and make the disease to get worse. This occurs because apples contain large amounts of coarse cellulose, mainly in the skin. So, you can even do yourself harm by eating them.

On the market and in your garden

When choosing pears you should first of all judge by their aroma and texture. Ripe pears, full of nutritious properties, smell very sweet. It is worth noting that pears ripen very well at room temperature at home. Therefore, if you do not intend to eat them straightaway, select slightly unripe (hard) fruits. Well, naturally there should not be any patches of mould or bruising on the fruits. 

Like pears, apples need to be selected according to their aroma and their texture. But unripe apples go bad more quickly at home rather than getting ripe.

The gardener Latifa Zeynalova has told Regionplus that both pears and apples can be dried, but they lose their vitamins when this is done. It is better to dry green varieties of apples, but thejuiciest varieties of pears (like Duchesse) are best eaten fresh. They are not tasty when they are dried.

"Our soil is not really suitable for growing apple and pear trees, so they only grow well in the cooler regions in the north of the country, in Quba, Qabala, Saki, Zaqatali, and you do find them in Ismayilli," the gardener says. "Some varieties of pear are less difficult to grow, but none of them can survive in the intense heat of an Abseron summer." Both apples and pears need good-quality soil of sufficient depth, to be watered frequently and to be protected with insecticides.

PEAR PRESERVE

Ingredients

Pears - 1 kg

Sugar - 1.2 kg

Lemon - 1

Water - 1 glass

Preparation  

Aromatic pear preserve is made with thin slices of lemon. The preserve is made from segments, or lengthwise slices of pear. Peel and core the pear and cut it into large segments. Wash the lemon and slice it, discarding the pips and pour boiling water onto it. Boil it for three minutes. Pour off the liquid and make a syrup from it, gradually adding the sugar. Pour this boiling syrup over the pear and leave itfor two hours. Boil the pears in the syrup on a low heat, skimming off the foam that forms, until the pear segments become transparent and the syrup thickens slightly. Place the preserve in dry, warm, sterilised jars and seal them.

STEWED APPLES FROM SUMMER VARIETIES FOR WINTER 

Ingredients 

700 g small brightly-coloured apples, 3 g citric acid, 450 g sugar, a pinch of vanilla sugar. 

Preparation 

Wash the apples well, and remove the stems. Put them into the jars whole and pour the syrup over them. Add 2-3 g of citric acid and the vanilla sugar. Add the 450 sugar to the water (1 litre) and bring to the boil. Pour the syrup over the apples so that it runs over the top of the jar slightly.  Seal the jar and turn it upside down. After 2-3 days you can store it in a cool place.