Muscat pumpkin: varieties, properties, benefits and harm. What to Cook from Muscat Pumpkin

Perhaps Cinderella's carriage was transformed by a fairy from a muscat gourd. Although the birthplace of this amazing fruit is on another continent, rather than France. The hot soil of South America became the stepfather's home for the orange beauty. But everything happens in fairy tales. Possessing magical properties, taste qualities, Muscat pumpkin long ago won its place at the dining and festive table. So, let's find out more about this product.

View from the inside

Muscat pumpkin is a wonderful material not only for fabulous transport. In Halloween, it gives great opportunities for the design of festive little faces-lanterns. However, the main advantages are considered to be its "inner world". The pulp is juicy, sweet, has dietary properties. The organism easily and with pleasure learns a pumpkin.

From the fruit prepare a lot of dishes that are becoming popular with demanding gourmets not only for their taste qualities, but also for low calorie content. In 100 grams, there are more than 31 units.

Benefit and harm

Rich in vitamins, pumpkin muscat. Varieties are different, but regardless of the species, the fruits contain pectins necessary for man, mineral salts (phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, calcium, selenium, manganese, copper). By the presence of carotene pumpkin at times superior to the more familiar to us carrots. For those who attack accumulated fat folds, excessive weight, dishes from the orange beauty will be a real salvation.

Recommend pumpkin to include in the diet of pregnant women. People prone to "hearty affairs," it will be useful to use this valuable product. They say that Muscat pumpkin helps reduce the risk of strokes, arrhythmia. Oncology is also included in the list of diseases in which the use of the fetus is recommended.

Additional valuable bonuses are a fortifying effect for immunity, a beneficial effect on the condition in renal ailments and liver disease. In addition, the pumpkin has laxative and choleretic properties.

Varieties

Muscatine pumpkin batternat, as a rule, has a pear-shaped form. Some compare her elegant figure with an hourglass. But this is not the only version of the appearance of a sweet beauty.

Today, the pumpkin is also grown on the Russian lands. Sorts, which are often found in domestic farmers, we now list. It:

• Pumpkin nutmeg "Pearl" of cylindrical shape. The weight can reach 7.5 kg. Has a gentle inside;
• Pumpkin muscatel "Vitamin", the form - elongated, weight up to 7 kg with a crisp flesh;
• Pumpkin Muscat "Prikubanskaya", small, reaches only 4 kg, the flesh is sweet, tender.

For the non-black earth zone, other varieties are also suitable. For example, "Marble" pumpkin, the average weight of which is 5 kg. It is distinguished by a patchy, grayish crust covered with tubercles. Inside it is traditionally orange, very sweet. You can store fruits for up to 9 months.

Pumpkin "Arbatskaya" can reach a weight of 20 kg. Its cylindrical shape thickens towards the top. The rind is very bright, golden orange. It is considered by maturation as one of the later varieties. Overtakes the ripeness "Delicacy" pumpkin. Outwardly it resembles a sports dumbbell. Unlike other species, this fruit has very few seeds inside. With a small drop, they compare the variety "Golden pear". Possessing a modest weight, up to 2 kg, it tastes slightly like a nut.

Numerous varieties of muscat gourd are grown today by Russian farmers. High popularity is explained not only by valuable qualities, nutritional properties, excellent taste. Muscat gourd is stored for a long time, not requiring particularly refined conditions. Therefore, dishes made from this fruit can be seen on the table in any, even the coldest season.

Dishes and recipes

What to cook from a muscat gourd? Experienced cooks on the move will call a dozen dishes. Porridge, soup, cutlets, side dishes. Many options for stuffing the fruit. Pumpkin is added to pastries, sauces, creams.

To any celebration, you can prepare a festive, hearty meal. The muscat gourd will help to surprise the guests. Dishes from this product are many. For example, a baked fruit with a filling.

Recipe for Baked Muscat Pumpkin with Vegetables and Minced Meat

For cooking, you need a medium-sized fruit. In the list of ingredients:

• Cheese - 30-50 grams;
• Minced meat (better from pork and beef) - 100-150 grams;
• Bulgarian pepper - 30-50 grams;
• Zucchini average - 1 piece;
• Leek - 30-50 grams;
• Garlic - 1-2 teeth;
• Oil (preferably olive oil) - 30-50 milliliters;
• Dill - a small bunch;
• Thyme - 3 grams;
• Salt, red pepper, black to taste.

The cooking process

If the oven is an old model, it is better to preheat it in advance. The required temperature is 170 degrees.

The first thing to do is to prepare a pumpkin. To do this, it must be cut along. Muscat pear-shaped form has a depression to the apex, where the seeds are placed. They should be removed together with the connecting fibers. As a result, you should get a semblance of two boats.

The next step is the processing of pumpkin pulp. On the surface, the incisions are mesh. Cuttings should not damage the peel, but they need to be deep enough.

Required for this dish is a pickle. It consists of dried thyme, garlic, ground pepper red, black, olive oil. We combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Garlic pre-crushed, you can pass through the crush and grater. The resulting mass of beaten well with a fork, whisk or mixer.

With a culinary brush or a feather, marinade is applied to the dissected surface of a pumpkin. Filled halves should be given a little to stand, so that the dressing leaked into the notches, impregnating the pulp.

Pumpkin blanks, processed marinade, should be placed on a baking tray, lined with parchment, or in a special container with a heat-resistant surface. The halves are loaded in a hot oven. Baking time from 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the blanks.

While the pumpkin is in the oven, the main refill for the dish is being prepared. Sweet pepper is cut into small cubes. The zucchini is treated in the same way. If it is young and with a thin skin, then it is not necessary to clean it. More mature fruit should be freed from the peel, cleanse the seeds. Cheese curd consistency is cut into cubes. Slightly deferred to the decoration. The main part - in the filling. Leeks are cut into rings of medium thickness.

In the stuffing spices are added, salt, everything is thoroughly mixed. You can use boiled rice for fullness.

The frying pan burns hot. On vegetable oil, the vegetable portion of the filling is fried until the onion becomes golden, then it is added to the salting. After that, it is stuffed to it. Remains on a small fire until ready. Cheese is added to the filling. Stir the mass on fire until it melts.

Dishes from muscat gourd are distinguished by a special juiciness. Baked halves, taken from the oven, also give juice, which is best not to pour out of the boats. Then the flesh becomes even more tender, more intense.

The filling is laid out in the grooves with a slide. And the halves are sent back to the oven. The residence time is 10-15 minutes. Then again, the workpieces are pulled out, the tops of the cheese are laid out. The last stage is 7-10 minutes of baking (until the cheese melts).

Ready halves are sprinkled with herbs and served on a large platter. Baked pumpkin will become a royal treat and decoration of the table! It looks appetizing, it tastes very juicy. The main thing is satisfying.

Gourmets know how many first dishes can be decorated with a muscat pumpkin. Recipes are improved almost daily, each cook introduces something of his own. One of the main ones will be considered further.

The recipe for a soup of muscat gourd

Time to prepare the first orange dish will take only about an hour. Ingredients based on one medium pumpkin or 4 servings:

• Broth chicken - half a liter;
• Celery - 1 stem;
• Carrots - 1 piece;
• Potatoes - 2 pieces;
• Onion - 1 piece;
• Spices, salt are added to taste.

Cooking

Pumpkin is cleaned from peel, seeds. Then cut into cubes of medium format. In the same way we process potatoes. Celery, carrots and onions finely chopped.

To make soup, you need a large saucepan. Right in her melted butter. We fall asleep chopped onion, celery, fry carrots, add cubes of potatoes and pumpkin. Tomir for five minutes before a light ruddy crust.

We pour in broth so that the liquid completely covers the vegetable mass. After the broth has boiled, make a smaller fire and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for about 35-40 minutes.

Lightly cool the soup. Pour into a blender and grind until smooth. Once again pour into a saucepan, pour the remaining broth, put on the fire for a few minutes. Add salt, spices to taste. Serve with greens.

If you drop your thoughts about the benefits, and first of all emphasize the taste values, then you should pay attention to desserts, where the pumpkin is used for muscatel. Recipes of mashed potatoes, jellies, even cakes from the orange beauty should be kept in the culinary notebook to each hostess.

Pumpkin puree with raisins

From one small muscat gourd you can prepare this dessert six servings. The ingredients are based on one:

• Butter - 1 tablespoon;
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon;
• Salt - ¼ teaspoon;
• Cream - 1 tablespoon;
• Raisins, nuts to taste.

How to cook?

Pumpkin is baked in the oven. The flesh is laid out in a bowl. It is mixed with a blender with sugar, butter, cream and salt. The resulting mashed potatoes are laid out in molds, raisins and nuts are added.

Conclusion

Now you know what a muscat pumpkin is, the recipes for the preparation of this product we told you. We hope that you will like these delicious and healthy dishes. Orange mood for you!