What is black carrot juice: cultivation, preparation and use
Black carrots, or scorzonera, are rarely seen on store shelves. This root vegetable has been undeservedly forgotten, although in ancient times it was used for culinary and medicinal purposes. The product with an amazing sweetish taste and delicate aroma of vanilla has a rich chemical composition and has a lot of useful properties.
In this article we will tell you what kind of vegetable this is, how to grow it and use it for preparing dishes and medicinal products at home.
What are black carrots
Scorzonera, kozelec, black or sweet root, black carrot (lat. Scorzonera hispanica) are the names of the same culture from the genus Kozelets (Scorzonera). The plant is grown for its root crops.
The birthplace of culture is Southern Europe and South-West Asia. Carrots grow almost everywhere in Europe; they are found in Georgia, the foothills of the Caucasus, and the European part of Russia. It is especially highly valued in Turkey.
Peculiarities
It is a perennial plant, but is grown as an annual to obtain thick cylindrical root vegetables.
Stems are erect, branched, 25-75 cm high, densely covered with foliage. The branches are protruding, the base is covered with basal leaves.
Green or bluish-green leaves. The lower foliage is ovate or oblong, with many veins. The middle foliage at the base is stem-encompassing, oblong, the upper one is subulate.
The inflorescences are single cylindrical baskets with pointed leaves, fleecy along the edges, yellow in color.
Root vegetables look like the usual carrots. Length - up to 15 cm, diameter - up to 5 cm, weight - 150-200 g. The color of the peel is black, the flesh is creamy or white, juicy.
The crop enters the flowering phase in May. Root crops ripen in late May - June.
Interesting facts about other cultures:
What is Sudanese grass, how is it grown and used?
What is black watermelon: description, features and best varieties
Types and varieties
Scorzonera is available in abundance in shops and markets in Turkey.. In the south of the country, the popular varieties are Black Knight, Lilac Dragon, and Pusa Asilta.
In Russia, culture has not yet gained much popularity, which is explained by the lack of information about its beneficial qualities and features of agricultural technology.
Reference. The State Register of the Russian Federation includes some varieties of black carrots: Overseas Delicacy, Solar Premiere and Medicinal.
| Characteristics | Overseas delicacy | Sunny premiere | Medicinal |
| Ripening period | 100-120 days | 101-120 days | 100-120 days |
| Socket | Semi-raised | Vertical | Semi-raised |
| Leaves | Medium size, green | Ovate-elongated, on a long petiole | Ovate-elongated, on a long petiole |
| Root shape | Cylindrical | Cylindrical | Conical |
| Root color | The skin is dark brown, the flesh is white | The skin is dark brown, the flesh is white | The skin is dark brown, the flesh is white |
| Length | 28-35 cm | 28-31 cm | 28-35 cm |
| Weight | 100-130 g | 60-80 g | 60-80 g |
| Productivity | 1.8 kg/m² | 1.5-1.8 kg/m² | 1.5-1.8 kg/m² |
| Application | Cooking, traditional medicine | Cooking, traditional medicine | Cooking, traditional medicine |
Benefits and harms
The nutritional value of scorzonera is higher than that of orange carrots.The product contains B vitamins, ascorbic acid, zinc, inulin, potassium, asparagine, phosphorus.
Black carrots have such beneficial properties:
decreased blood pressure;- improved vision;
- acceleration of metabolism;
- increasing immunity;
- relieving inflammation;
- treatment of diabetes mellitus;
- removal of radionuclides and toxins.
Scorzonera has been used since ancient times for preparing an antidote for viper bites.
Possible complications:
- irritation of the gastric mucosa, which is why use is prohibited for gastritis and stomach ulcers;
- allergic reaction.
Medicinal properties
Rich vitamin and mineral composition allows use black carrots to treat diabetes, influenza, ARVI, vitamin deficiency, anemia. Regular use of the product reduces excess fat deposits, regulates blood pressure, improves vision, and relieves inflammation.
Application
The appearance of scorzonera is not very attractive. Root vegetables resemble thick straight sticks or the roots of some plant. But as soon as you remove the peel, you will find white, juicy pulp with a slight vanilla aroma in your hands. Carrots taste similar to sweet radish or asparagus. The root vegetable is widely used in cooking and folk medicine.
In cooking
Black carrots added to first courses and salads, served as a side dish for meat, fish, cereals, used as a filling for pies, prepare casseroles, omelettes, fried with vegetables. The product is suitable for canning and freezing.
For making soup The root vegetable is washed, doused with boiling water, peeled, cut into pieces and thrown into boiling water. When cleaning, use gloves so that the milky juice does not stain the skin of your hands dark.
To prepare the salad The root vegetable is boiled in salted water for 30 minutes, then cut and seasoned with vegetable oil.
Advice. To prevent the flesh from darkening after removing the skin, place the root vegetable in water slightly acidified with lemon juice or table vinegar.
Casserole with spinach and scorzonera
For cooking you will need the following ingredients:
- scorzonera - 1 kg;
- lemon juice - 50 ml;
- butter - 15 g;
- spinach - 500 g;
- sour cream 15% - 150 ml;
- vegetable broth - 250 ml;
- eggs - 2 pcs.;
- hard cheese - 100 g;
- nutmeg, black pepper - to taste;
- sesame - 3 tbsp. l.
Preparation:
- Peel the scorzonera and boil it in salted water with 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice until done.
- Grease the bottom of the pan with butter, add black carrots, spinach, and sprinkle with lemon juice.
- Mix the broth, eggs and sour cream, salt and pepper, add nutmeg and pour the mixture over the vegetables.
- Grate the cheese on a coarse grater, mix with sesame seeds and sprinkle on top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes in an oven preheated to 200°C.
Read also:
In folk medicine
From roots and leaves of black carrots prepare infusions, decoctions, tinctures, ointments:
- Grind 20 g of dry leaves, add 250 ml of water and cook for 15 minutes, then leave for half an hour and strain. The infusion is used to treat ARVI, dermatitis, polyarthritis and gout, rubbing mosquito and midge bites, washing wounds and abscesses.
- Grate 200 g of root vegetables on a fine grater, pour in 250 ml of boiling water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes, leave to brew for 30 minutes. Take the decoction 30 ml orally 4 times a day half an hour before meals. The product relieves bronchitis, joint and liver diseases.
- 2 tbsp. l.grated root, pour 1 liter of boiling water, pour into a thermos, leave for 12 hours. Take 1 tsp. 30 minutes before meals for 3 weeks, then take a break of 7 days and repeat the course of treatment. The product relieves liver and gall bladder diseases.
- Pour 200 g of root vegetables into 1 liter of alcohol and leave for 1 week. Use the tincture to heal wounds and treat furunculosis.
- Pour boiling water over black carrot leaves, wrap in gauze and apply to areas affected by arthritis.
- 1 tbsp. l. black tea mixed with 1 tbsp. l. scorzonera root, pour boiling water and take to reduce attacks of toxicosis.
- Combine pork fat with dry root vegetable powder. Use for rubbing painful joints, treating ulcers on the skin.
Nuances of cultivation
Scorzonera is grown like a regular carrot.. The plant is resistant to cold and drought, tolerates frosts down to –30°C under deep snow cover.
Seeds germinate at +4...+5°C, but the optimal temperature for rapid germination is +20°C.
The crop grows best in areas with early spring and cool summers, the worst is in regions with late spring and early autumn. In the first year, a lanceolate-shaped rosette and long fleshy roots of black or dark brown color are formed. In the second year, a stem up to 1 m high, flowers and seeds grow.
The growing season is 100-120 days. The plant prefers nutritious, deeply plowed soil after peas, cucumbers, potatoes, and onions.
The soil is prepared in the fall: deep plowing is carried out and fertilized with humus. In spring, the soil is loosened and seeds are sown to a depth of 2-3 cm.
Sowing scheme:
- two-line: the gap between the lines is 25-30 cm, and between the rows - 50-60 cm;
- single-line: the gap between the rows is 45-50 cm.
After the appearance of 2–3 true leaves, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving a gap of 5-6 cm, and then 10-12 cm.
If the plants send out arrows, the flowers are torn off. Weeding and loosening are carried out as necessary. Irrigate according to weather conditions. In hot weather, the frequency of watering is increased; in rainy weather, it is stopped.
Harvesting is carried out in late autumn. The soil is pre-moistened for easy extraction of root crops. Dig with a shovel very carefully so as not to damage the roots. If they are torn off, the product will not be stored well.
Scorzonera overwinters best in the soil and much worse in the cellar. Therefore, some of the root crops are dug up, the foliage is cut off, and the rest is stored in the ground, dug up as needed.
To obtain seeds, black carrots are left in the ground. In the first half of June, flowering begins, which lasts more than 30 days. The seeds ripen unevenly, so the collection stretches over a long period. Seed yield - 20 g/1 m².
How to Squeeze and Apply Black Carrot Juice
For making juice Root vegetables are washed, doused with boiling water and peeled. Then they are twisted through a meat grinder, the mass is transferred to clean gauze and the juice is squeezed out. You can also use a blender or juicer.
Means used to heal wounds and ulcerative skin lesions. Juice lotions help cure bleeding gums.
For the treatment of urolithiasis juice is mixed with honey in a 1:1 ratio and taken 1 tbsp. l. before meals for 2-3 weeks.
In case of individual intolerance, stop taking the drug.
Reviews
Black carrots are known to most gardeners under the name “goat”. Few people are involved in growing the crop, so there are few reviews about it.Those who have tried to eat root vegetables speak positively about the culture.
Evgeniy, Kstovo: “Scorzonera, or black carrots, is not one of the popular crops, but I learned about its beneficial properties from my grandmother. Last year I found some seeds in the store and sowed them in the garden. The crop does not cause any particular difficulties in growing. Agricultural technology is standard, as for ordinary carrots. I removed the weeds, loosened the soil crust and watered it. In the fall, I collected part of the harvest and left some in the ground for seeds. Root vegetables have an unusual but pleasant taste. When cutting, a milky juice is released, which stains your hands, so you need to use gloves when cleaning them.”.
Larisa, Yelets: “I have known about this plant since childhood. We called it “goat” and chewed the young leaves. I recently learned about the beneficial properties of black carrots and plan to try its medicinal properties on myself. The plant has spread in our dacha by self-sowing in large numbers.”.
Conclusion
Black carrots, or sweetroot, are not the same as regular orange carrots. The cylindrical or conical root vegetable has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. Over time, people appreciated the high taste of the product. It is used to prepare soups, salads, pie fillings, stewed, fried, and baked.
Growing the crop is no different from cultivating carrots. The seeds are planted in fertile soil, watered as needed, weeds are removed and loosened.
Infusions, decoctions, and ointments based on black carrots help cure diseases of the skin, liver, gall bladder, joints, promote the removal of radionuclides, reduce oxidative processes in the body, tone and regulate blood sugar levels.