What is watermelon honey (nardek), how is it useful and how to cook it

Watermelon honey is an aromatic, tasty and healthy delicacy. It is harvested at the end of summer. The product has many useful properties and goes well with homemade cakes and other desserts.

In the article you will find out which watermelons are suitable for making honey, how to cook it at home, what are its benefits and harms.

History of origin

In the 19th century in Russia, on the territory of Astrakhan, they gathered rich crops of melons and gourds. Watermelons were transported throughout the country, and entrepreneurs were making good profits.

The constantly increasing volumes of harvest led to a crisis of overproduction: large sweet berries simply did not have time to sell, and they began to deteriorate. Craftsmen looking for ways to process watermelons to make something that would last long... The hostesses preserved them, salted and leavened along with cabbage. The Don Cossacks adopted a useful and simple recipe from the Asians - honey from juicy pulp.

Reference. A delicacy called "nardek" quickly gained popularity. It was used as a frosting for gingerbread exported to other countries.

Boiling honey began at the end of autumn after more fruit has already been sold out. Any remnants of the harvest, even small and inconspicuous ones, were suitable for nardek. For long-term storage, the finished product was poured into clay pots or sealed in glass containers.

Composition and properties

Watermelon honey, despite the sweetness, has a low calorie content: 100 g contains only 100 kcal.

Dessert is allowed even for people with diabetes mellitus (carefully). Nardek is characterized by pleasant, not sugary sweet taste and light, fresh aroma. It does not crystallize during storage.

Honey contains only 9% fat and even 1% protein, and sugar content exceeds 50%. In him contains useful trace elements and vitamins:

• A, C, E, B and P;
• iron;
• potassium, folic acid;
• magnesium;
• pectin;
• beta carotene.

The classic cooking recipe does not involve adding sugartherefore the product is considered safe for those who watching the figure.

Benefit and harm

An important property of watermelon honey is its ability to retain all the nutrients in its composition even after heat treatment.... This makes the product a useful tool for the prevention of viral and colds. The use of nardek helps in the treatment of angina and bronchitis, laryngitis and multiple sclerosis, diseases of the blood and cardiovascular system.

Important! Honey is used during a weight loss diet, replacing the usual high-calorie desserts with it.

Other beneficial properties are known in folk medicine. watermelon treats:

• normalizes kidney function;
• improves digestion and the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract;
• increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood;
• strengthens the immune system;
• prevents pathological changes in liver tissues and cells.

It is believed that honey from watermelon pulp is useful for cancer... It is recommended to add it to the diet of those who are struggling with tuberculosis or undergoing treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.

Nardek restores the body after illnesses, replenishes the lack of fluid and normalizes the water-salt balance.

There is no direct harm to health from drinking watermelon honey... This is a safe treat that people of all ages include in the menu in moderation without problems (except for certain groups of people, which we will talk about near the end of the article, in the corresponding section).

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Selection and preparation of fruits

Only ripe and sweet fruits are chosen for boiling honey.... From unripe watermelons, a sour and not very rich dessert is obtained. You will have to add sugar to it, which reduces the benefits.

First, the watermelons are prepared:

1. They are washed well, cut into two halves.
2. Separate the pulp with a large spoon. It is better to do this in a large container so that the flowing juice does not disappear - it will still be useful.
3. Remove all bones from the resulting mass and knead the pulp together with the juice with a wooden spoon.
4. The entire composition is ground through a sieve. So it will acquire a homogeneous and airy consistency.

You can use a blender to chop the pulp, but the subsequent filtration through cheesecloth or sieve is required.

How to make a nardek at home

The process of making a watermelon dessert at home is simple.... If you have free time and enough ripe watermelons, you can prepare healthy honey for the winter, which is not inferior to bee honey in terms of taste and benefits. There are several known recipes for making nardek.

Classic recipe

It will take 5-6 large fruits to get about 1 liter of honey... The liquid boils down a lot during the boiling process. Honey is cooked only in an enamel container.

Cooking process:

1. Transfer the filtered and grated watermelon mass to cheesecloth and squeeze the juice well, discard the rest of the pulp.
2. Pour all the liquid into a large bowl or saucepan, put on low heat and bring to a boil, constantly skimming off the foam.
3. When the mass boils, let it boil for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.
4. Strain the juice cooled to room temperature again through a layer of cheesecloth, and then send it to a clean saucepan and again on low heat. This stage of preparation is the most responsible and laborious.

Cooking lasts at least four hours with constant stirring, otherwise the mass will burn and the taste will deteriorate.

Reference. The more ripe the watermelons were, the longer it will take to process and boil them.

To check the readiness of a product, look at its consistency and shade.... The honey should keep its shape well and not spread over the plate. A deep brown color indicates the end of cooking.

Adyghe recipe

To obtain a thick watermelon syrup in Adyghe style, you need 3 kg of pure juice... The output will be about 300 ml of honey. The peculiarity of the recipe is the addition of cream or sour cream.

Step by step cooking:

1. Pour the pulp through a sieve into an enameled large container and place on the stove.
2. Cook until boiling, then reduce heat to low and, stirring, bring to a thick consistency and brown.
3. Remove the product from the stove, let it cool to room temperature so that dairy products do not curdle from heat.
4. Add sour cream or cream, mix well and pour into glass jars.

Adyghe honey add sour cream or cream only of high fat content.

This dessert is served with warm bread, Turkish delight or just tea.

With added mint

Mint nardek is an ideal addition to fruit salads or baked goods... The herb with an exquisite aroma gives the dish a special piquancy and freshness, and throughout the winter it will remind you of a warm summer.

For cooking you will need:

• 3 kg of watermelons;
• 0.5 kg of sugar (brown can be used);
• a few sprigs of mint and thyme.

Sequencing:

1. Strain the watermelon pulp with juice through a sieve.
2. In a separate bowl, combine chopped mint leaves, thyme and sugar.
3. Add them to the berry mass and send over low heat.
4. Boil, stirring constantly.The mass should thicken and acquire a rich dark red color.

You cannot cook honey from watermelon quickly and over high heat., otherwise the product will not thicken, and with poor filtering through one layer of gauze, streaks will remain in it.

The use of watermelon honey

To prevent colds and strengthen immunity watermelon honey is consumed daily. This helps to remove toxins from the body and cleanse it of toxins.

Nardek it is recommended to introduce into the diet for insomnia... It has a mild sedative effect, eliminates the effects of stress and tidies up the nervous system. At night, it is recommended to drink a glass of warm tea with 2-3 tablespoons of honey.

To quench thirst on a hot day or replace fluid lossWatermelon jam is added to warm water and drunk throughout the day. In addition, dessert is served with pancakes and pancakes, crumpets and fresh bread. It is suitable as a filling for pies and cheesecakes.

Watermelon honey used as a sweetener for cottage cheese, oatmeal, tea and coffee... To prevent diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract, a few drops of nardek are mixed with a decoction of oats, and a cough can be cured with a mixture of sweets and onion juice.

For the prevention of cardiovascular diseases instead of sugar, honey is put in a decoction of rose hips, chamomile or other medicinal herbs.

Berry delicacy also suitable for outdoor use... It has a healing effect on problem skin, therefore it is used in masks, balms, gels and creams.

Nardek-based formulations have beneficial properties for the skin of the face and neck:

• nourish and moisturize;
• rejuvenate and prevent the appearance of wrinkles;
• give velvety;
• increase elasticity;
• relieve inflammation and redness.

To apply masks, honey is mixed with blue clay, sea buckthorn or olive oil.

Reference. To strengthen the hair and give it shine, nardek is applied to the root of the hair and to the ends. To enhance the effect, it is mixed with burdock oil or egg yolk.

To give the skin a light and pleasant fruity scent, a small amount of watermelon jam is added to the bath. In warm water, it reveals its characteristic odor and is actively absorbed into the skin. This procedure relaxes well after a hard day's work.

Warm honey solution will help with diseases of the oral cavity, gingivitis and stomatitis. Rinsing will quickly eliminate discomfort, inflammation and irritation.

Consumption rates for adults and children

No strict consumption standards have been established... But you should not get carried away with a delicious delicacy. Overeating is fraught with vomiting and intestinal upset.

Children are encouraged to start giving dessert with small doses., gradually increasing the daily rate. It is not recommended to add nardek to the diet for babies under five years old.

For adults, the optimal daily allowance - 3-4 tablespoons, for children - halved portion.

Contraindications

Honey made from watermelon pulp is practically harmless... You should not get carried away with the product with gastritis, as it can provoke its exacerbation.

People who are prone to allergies and asthma attacks will have to give up nardek. In order not to provoke allergic reactions in infants, it is better for nursing mothers not to introduce nardek into their diet during lactation.

Conclusion

Watermelon honey is one of the few desserts allowed for dietary meals. It will fully fill the need for sweets and in moderation will not add extra centimeters at the waist. It is a universal remedy for many diseases and for their prevention.