Squash: what is, benefit, harm and varieties

Squash is a vegetable that many more people have heard about in our country than tasted.In agricultural periodicals, references to this plant are quite common over the years, however, so far it cannot be said that the culture has become widespread in our area. However, those who have tried to grow pumpkins usually leave only positive reviews, so the culture deserves more careful consideration.

Squash has another name - dish pumpkin, which gives answers to many questions of those who have little idea what it is. The plant really belongs to the Pumpkin family, but you shouldn’t call it a pumpkin itself, because cucumbers, for example, belong to the same family. The vegetable is famous for its pulp, which by tenderness surpasses even cucumbers, and as for taste, this fruit is often compared to artichokes.

As for the form, then, as follows from the official name, is flat and vaguely resembling a plate, and the size is usually relatively small - somewhere on a large palm. Even the word "squash" is a kind of attempt to describe the appearance of the vegetable: it comes from the French word "pie", because it outwardly reminded the French of this particular dish.

The fact that in our area the vegetable is relatively unpopular is not so surprising. For a long time it remained a huge wonder for the whole of Europe, because along with potatoes and tomatoes, it was originally American culture, which the first Europeans saw only at the end of the 15th century. However, the squash moved rather quickly to Western Europe from its homeland, and this is modern Mexico and Guatemala, not much lagging behind the two popular aforementioned cultures, this happened in the 17th century.

At the same time, the expansion did not continue: unlike the same potato, the vegetable turned out to be quite demanding with respect to the climatic conditions, and therefore, until recently, it did not pretend to conquer our country.

An exotic vegetable can be a very interesting addition to a wide variety of dishes, but first you need to figure out what the nutritional and energetic value of unusual food is. Most of the carbohydrates in the product is 5.5 grams, which is typical for vegetables, while there are very few proteins and fats — 0.6 and 0.0001 grams, respectively. At the same time, the fresh product is distinguished by its highest juiciness, because 92% consists of water. The fiber content in the product is at the level of 1.3%.

As part of the patisson, there are various vitamins and useful trace elements, but the most noticeable are vitamins C and A, as well as potassium and magnesium. This composition is very useful for maintaining the normal circulatory system of the human body. It should be noted also significant content of calcium, sodium and phosphorus, and also vitamins of group B.

As for the calorie content, the squash even among other vegetables is relatively safe for the figure. The absence of saturated fat and cholesterol, as well as a relatively small percentage of sugars, leads to the fact that the energy value of squash has very modest indicators - only 18 kcal per 100 grams of product.

The benefits of regular use of patissons for health are obvious to doctors, because they often prescribe this vegetable to people suffering from various diseases. The possible positive effects of a diet with a significant proportion of this vegetable can have different vectors and influence various ailments, we will select only the most noticeable results.

• Who does not want to get cancer, should eat scallops with skin.This part of the vegetable contains carotene, zeaxanthin and lutein - antioxidants that are actively involved in the elimination of free radicals from the human body, which are the main cause of oncology. In addition, this effect affects the appearance of a person - he looks younger, and he feels appropriate.
• Pectin, present in sufficient quantities in the squash, also “works” against cancer, but it acts more narrowly, protecting the large intestine from potential problems.
• The vegetable contains a relatively rare substance - folate, which is actively involved in the synthesis of new cells and is necessary for the production of DNA. These processes are vital for the proper development of the fetus, because the squash in moderation will be very useful for pregnant women.
• Potassium, present in the squash, has a positive effect on the state of hypertensive patients, helping to reduce pressure and reduce the heart rate. Thanks to the same mineral, the myocardium is strengthened.

• Any child knows about the benefits of vitamin C, and after all only 100 grams of squash provides a third of the daily value of this substance. It turns out that such a vegetable is an excellent remedy against any infection.
• The same vitamin C in combination with a significant percentage of magnesium, also part of the vegetable, helps reduce the risk of stroke.
• Squash refers to the active choleretic products, because it usually has a positive effect on digestion, even if the food is mostly heavy.
• B vitamins help to establish the production of all the necessary hormones in the body, first of all - serotonin, which is outwardly expressed as a stable good mood and vigor, as well as regular sound sleep. For this reason, the scallops are recommended for those who do not have the endocrine system working properly, or for patients recovering from nervous diseases.
• Oil, pressed from the seeds of squash, is used to eliminate harmful microorganisms from the digestive tract. True, here it should be clarified that there is no official recognition for this method yet, it should be attributed, rather, to traditional medicine.

• Vegetable is very useful for men, because it increases the potency and libido. Here again, the ability of the squash to prevent cancer affects the effect - in this case, the effect is directed to the prostate gland.
• For vegetarians who do not accept meat and other animal products, the squash is one of the best available sources of B vitamins.
• The squash has a pronounced diuretic effect, because it is indicated for those who suffer from edema. In this case, the components of the product remove not only excess water from the body, but also sodium salts, which are often the catalyst for the accumulation of fluid in the body.
• Riboflavin in the squash is able to help people suffering from migraine or a constant headache of any other nature. However, here it should be noted that the vegetable is still not so rich in useful components to solve the problem completely, because vitamin supplements will have to be taken, too, just in smaller quantities.

"Sunny squash" (another popular name for the patisson), like most other products on our planet, with all its benefits has certain contraindications that somewhat limit or even completely prohibit its use to certain groups of people. Such moments should be interested in advance, otherwise the product, considered by many as almost a panacea, can aggravate the already imperfect state of the organism.

• Like many vegetables with fiber content, squash promotes mild relief of the digestive system, and in most cases it is considered a beneficial effect, helping to eliminate constipation. However, if the problem is completely opposite in nature, that is, there is regular diarrhea or chronic dyspepsia, the use of the vegetable in question will only aggravate the symptoms described.
• Squash helps hypertensive patients to lower blood pressure, but it has a similar effect on healthy people, and even on hypotensive. For the latter, such an impact can be very dangerous, so eating vegetables is undesirable.

• Like many diuretic products, dish pumpkin is composed of substances that contribute to the formation of kidney and gallstones. For a healthy person, moderate consumption of the product is most likely not dangerous, but if a similar disease is already diagnosed, the risk is double: here, the stones may increase, and their movement will become more active.
• Separately, it should be said about canned squash, which is contraindicated in even more groups of people than fresh vegetables. In addition to all the categories described, such a product is also undesirable for diabetics, as they can preserve dish pumpkin, usually with sugar. For kidneys and pancreas, canned sausage is more dangerous than fresh vegetable. This product is also not recommended for children under 10 years old.
• Squash is a rather rare product in our country; therefore, even an adult may not suspect that he is allergic to such a product. Therefore, if a person tries a product for the first time, it is necessary to limit the portion, allocating time to monitor the body's reaction.

Although for us the scallops are still a wonder, there are many cultivated varieties of this plant in the world, and some of them are the brainchild of domestic agronomists, so they grow in our climate without problems. They should be considered more closely.

Given the tropical origin of the vegetable, in our conditions, not every variety of it should be planted in open ground. Nevertheless, the construction of greenhouses for squash in our country is unpopular, because frost-resistant varieties for open ground are particularly successful.

• "Cheburashka" judging by the reviews, is the best solution for the post-Soviet space. Not only is this variety not too afraid of cool weather, it also gives the crop extremely quickly: it only takes 5-6 weeks, that is, not even a month and a half. Such characteristics make it possible to grow vegetables even in very short summer conditions, and the result will be fruits weighing up to 400 grams.

• "Umbrella" does not beat the record of precocity - its ripening period can reach seven to eight weeks, although even such indicators make the vegetable early. But the varieties of this variety are best suited for open ground in the sense that the seeds can be planted without seedlings, although for the northern regions such a decision would be unnecessarily risky. The considered variety is highly valued for its excellent yield: each bush produces fruits weighing up to 400 grams, and up to 5 kilograms of ripe vegetables are harvested from one plant.

It would seem that the large size of the fruit should attract buyers, however, as in the case of gherkins, the best patches for canning are those that are small in size.

• "Sun", for example, it is perfect for canning, not only because it produces no more than 300 grams of weight, but also because of the uniformity of the harvest: approximately 15 vegetables are produced from a bush, which differ in the same shape and size. These bright yellow vegetables are used for both stuffing and roasting, but with their size they literally push housewives to pickle them whole.

• "Disk" does not belong to the varieties of patissons with the smallest fruits - the weight of a ripe vegetable usually ranges from 300-350 grams. However, this does not prevent the hostesses from actively using the fruits of this particular variety for conservation: the trick is that this variety can be rolled up into banks even in a not fully ripe form, due to which the dimensions differ somewhat in a smaller direction. At the same time, even full maturation of the patissons of this variety takes no more than six weeks, whereas it is possible to get the raw materials for conservation literally in record time.

• "Penny" - the absolute champion among the squash in terms of modest size, thanks to which it is also called the squash-cornice. This fruit weighs ten times less than “normal”, its average weight is only 15-30 grams, which means that for conservation it is the best option. Such tiny dimensions lead to the fact that the vegetable is spiced in record time - usually it takes about five weeks. An additional advantage of the variety is the fact that it can be “stored” directly on the branches, without breaking, for two more weeks after ripening.

• Sunny Delight, as the name suggests, is the only variety of squash, bred far outside our country, but still successfully growing here. The size of the fruit of such a plant compares favorably with all other squash - these are not quite small “berries”, and not “a whole pumpkin”, since the average weight is 60-80 grams. This variety is indifferent to drought, and fruits are calm up to the first night frost. The term of ripening is about 6-7 weeks and they, unlike competitors, are kept fresh longer.

Squabs of this type usually differ in quite impressive sizes of both the plant and the crop.

• "UFO white" yields a crop in about one and a half to two months, and is valued for the size of fruits that reach 600 grams (up to 10 centimeters in diameter). The peel of such a vegetable is quite large, and therefore allows the vegetable to lie a little longer, which distinguishes this variety from medium squash, even in a refrigerator that can withstand no more than five days of storage.

• "Piglet" It is considered one of the most famous bush varieties, a huge plus of which is the ability to normally withstand the absence of not only heat, but also irrigation. A ripe fruit weighs no more than 300 grams, but for a plant that develops normally even at low positive temperatures, this is a very worthy indicator. Given the small size of the fruit, the variety is suitable for canning.

See the following video for the cultivation of squash plants.