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Leek (pearl onion). Legends, myths, symbolism, description, cultivation, methods of application

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Content

1. Photos, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
2. Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
3. Botanical description, reference data, useful information, illustrations
4. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology
5. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Leek (pearl onion), Allium porrum. Photos of the plant, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Sort by: Onion (Allium)

Family: Onion (Amaryllidaceae)

Origin: The homeland of the plant has not been determined, presumably Central and South-West Asia.

Area: The leek is widely distributed in temperate climates and is grown all over the world.

Chemical composition: Leek contains essential oils, vitamins C, B1, B2, PP, carotenoids, minerals (potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus), organic acids, etc.

Economic value: Leek is a valuable food and medicinal plant. The leaves and tender stems are edible and can be used in salads, soups, sauces, etc. Leeks are also used in the cosmetics industry to create essential oils and fragrances. In medicine, leek is prescribed as a choleretic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and microbicidal agent.

Legends, myths, symbolism: In ancient Greek myths, the leek was associated with the goddess of the hearth and agriculture, Demeter. She was considered the patroness of the harvest and was depicted with leek garlands. In Greek mythology, the leek was also associated with the grape god Dionysus, who was considered the patron of fun and vitality. In folk medicine, leeks have been used to treat many ailments, including skin conditions, coughs, and colds. It has also been used to improve digestion and appetite. Symbolically, the leek is associated with the concept of harvest, fertility and home. It can be used in magical rituals to attract abundance and good luck in home life. Leek can also be associated with the concept of unity and the strength of the collective, since its leaves form a single mass. In Chinese culture, the leek also has its own symbolic meanings. It symbolizes prosperity and wealth, and is also associated with the concept of happiness and longevity. In Japan, leeks are used in cooking and are considered a symbol of spring and rebirth.

Leek (pearl onion). Description, illustrations of the plant

Leek (pearl onion), Allium porrum. Description of the plant, area, cultivation, application

A biennial plant of the lily family with a round bulb or completely devoid of bulbs, sometimes with a small number of them.

The stem is rounded, 45-80 cm high. It emerges from the middle of the bulb. Leaves are flat, linear.

Small whitish flowers are collected in large spherical umbrellas. Seeds are small, wrinkled, irregularly trihedral, black.

Leeks are native to the Mediterranean. It is also bred in the countries of Western Europe, Asia, America and North Africa, in the countries of the Caucasus.

Leek has long been used as a spicy-flavoring plant. It was grown by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and the latter loved it very much and gave the gardens where it was bred the name "porrinae".

At present, in England and America, leek is considered a common vegetable crop, and on the European continent, especially in France, it is classified as a spice. It is used as a salad, with meat or as an independent dish. Varieties of summer and winter leeks have been bred, including: Bulgarian - non-hardy, mid-season and Karantan - more winter-hardy, with a short and thick stem, frost-resistant.

Leek is propagated by seeds. In the first year, the plant forms a falsely thickened, elongated bulb bearing leaves. Blooms in the second year. The beginning of budding is in June. If the inflorescence is removed, then the false bulbs become very thick. Mass flowering of the plant in July-August.

In our conditions, seeds ripen very rarely. A characteristic feature of the leek is that it does not have a dormant period. The plant forms new leaves until late autumn, without stopping growth. They remain fleshy and juicy until autumn. Leek winters well under snow in open ground. To improve overwintering, the plant is spudded, and then covered with branches or other material.

Leeks are harvested late in autumn, stored dug in the sand at a temperature of 0-1 ° C.

Leek contains ascorbic acid, carotene, vitamins E, B1, B2, PP.

Currently, leeks are widely distributed in European countries. Mostly bleached parts of the stems are used, as well as young leaves. Compared to onions, leeks have a more delicate aroma and a more pleasant sweet taste, and these properties can be enhanced by cultivation.

By placing leek seedlings deep in the ground and planting them high, it is possible to achieve that most of the plant will be bleached, namely, it is much more tender than its greens, which are usually not eaten.

By taste, all varieties of leek can be divided into two groups: a very thick and powerful leek, which gives high yields and is more of a vegetable, and a smaller leek, used as a spice. The first type of leek is used for making salads, mousses, in boiled form - for flavoring meat and especially vegetable soups, as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.

Leek is consumed fresh, chopped and seasoned with vegetable oil.

Leek stalks are stewed in a small amount of water with the addition of vinegar, lemon juice and butter. Stewed leek can be seasoned with mayonnaise, adding parsley, dill, celery, baked with white sauce and served with grated cheese. Finely chopped young leek leaves are sprinkled on fish before stewing, frying or baking.

Leek also has healing properties, has a beneficial effect on the digestive organs, improves the activity of the liver and gallbladder, and increases appetite. Recommended for atherosclerosis, physical and nervous fatigue, metabolic disorders, obesity, gout, kidney stones.

Cultivation. Leek must be cultivated on rich, sufficiently moist and loose lands. It grows well on floodplain soils along river valleys.

Very picky about fertilizers, especially organic ones. It can be grown after legumes and vegetables. After removing them, the earth is loosened, and after the mass shoots of weeds, they dig to a depth of 20-25 cm, apply manure at the rate of 2-3 kg per 1 m2.

In the spring, the site is carefully harrowed. Seeds are sown in the ground in early May. Benefits appear after three weeks.

If the leek is propagated by seedlings, the seeds are sown in a greenhouse in March-early April, after germinating them. Shoots appear in 6-8 days. After the emergence of seedlings, the soil is carefully loosened with the introduction of mineral top dressing based on 1 bucket of water, 20 g of ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride and 40 g of superphosphate.

Seedlings at the age of 50-60 days are planted in a permanent place in grooves 10-15 cm deep. The distance between the grooves is 40-45 cm, and between plants 10-15 cm.

When planting, the roots of seedlings are shortened by 1/3, deepening by 4/5 cm to the base of the leaves. Planting seedlings in deep grooves provides further elongated bleached legs. After planting, the plants are watered abundantly.

To harvest in autumn, seeds are sown in early spring at a distance of 20-36 cm between rows and 8-10 cm in a row between plants. Seedlings break through, leaving 15-20 cm between them, and young leeks are used for food.

Plant care consists in loosening the row-spacings, feeding two or three times a day throughout the growing season.

They are fed with slurry or mineral fertilizers: 20 g of ammonium nitrate, 15 g of potassium salt and 5 g of superphosphate per 1 m2.

Leeks are harvested in early October. The onions are dried in the air, the roots and leaves are cut in half, then they are added dropwise in the cellar or basement, sprinkled with earth or wet sand.

Authors: Yurchenko L.A., Vasilkevich S.I.

Leek, Allium porrum L. Botanical description, distribution, chemical composition, features of use

Onion family - Alliaceae.

Annual plant.

The bulb is devoid of bulbs or with few bulbs. The stem emerges from the middle of the bulb. Leaves linear-lanceolate, cover with a long spout; umbrella large, spherical; perianth whitish or rarely pinkish, with slightly rough leaflets. Filaments of stamens are longer than perianth, internal tripartite, with middle part 2 times shorter than base.

Blooms in June - July. The fruits ripen in August - September.

It is bred for the sake of white, devoid of chlorophyll, bases of stems, mainly in the vicinity of large cities, in vegetable gardens.

Homeland - Western Asia, from where the leek came to the Mediterranean.

Differs in the high content of salts of potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, sulfur, magnesium. The plant contains essential oil, which includes sulfur, protein substances, vitamins - ascorbic and nicotinic acids, thiamine, riboflavin, carotene.

As a food plant, it was known to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, was very popular in the Middle Ages, and is currently cultivated on a large scale in Western Europe. White tender leg (false stem) and young leek leaves are characterized by a pleasant slightly spicy taste (more subtle than that of onions), give a peculiar flavor to culinary products.

It is used for preparing salads, sauces, boiled for flavoring meat and especially vegetable soups, as a side dish for fish and meat dishes, in the canning and food concentrate industries.

The healing effect of leek has been known since ancient times. It was recommended to be used by patients with gout, rheumatism, scurvy, with urolithiasis and obesity, mental and physical overwork.

Due to the large amount of potassium salts, leek exhibits a pronounced diuretic effect.

Clinical studies have shown that leek increases the secretory function of the glands of the digestive tract, improves liver function, increases appetite, and has anti-sclerotic properties.

Raw leek is contraindicated in inflammatory diseases of the stomach and duodenum.

Authors: Dudchenko L.G., Kozyakov A.S., Krivenko V.V.

Leek, Allium porrum L. Classification, synonyms, botanical description, nutritional value, cultivation

Synonym: A. ampeloprasum L., I. porrum Rgl. Leek.

Names: German Breitlauch, Porree, Porrog Pfarrn, Por, Poru, Lauch, Wasslauch, Preislauch, Spanischer Lauch; Goal. prei, porreylook; English common leek, purret; dates porre, purre, porrelog, purrelog; Swede, purjo, purjolok; it. porro, porrina, porreta; Spanish puerro; ajo porruno, ajopuerno; port, alho porro; fr. porreau; rum. praz; hung. porre, parhagyma; Slovenian horn; Serb, poriluk, praziluk; Czech horn; Polish horn, horn.

biennial plant; bulb one or more (usually one in cultivars). The stem emerges from the middle of the bulb; leaves linear-lanceolate.

The umbel is large, spherical, initially covered with a case having a long spout.

Perianth pinkish or whitish.

Seeds resemble onion seeds, but more wrinkled, 3-4 mm long, 1-2 mm wide and 0,5-1 mm thick. The weight of 1000 seeds is 2,2-3,7 g. Seeds are obtained in the second year, and the plant does not completely die off (it is perennial in nature), but is no longer suitable for further use. Leek is sometimes considered a type of pearl onion.

Of the leek varieties, the most common are Bolgarsky and Karantansky, which differ in leaf color, the angle of their divergence and the size of the bulbous thickening: in the second grade, the leaves are darker, diverge at a large angle, the bulbous thickening is shorter and thicker.

Usually, leeks are planted with seedlings in the same way as sweet or semi-sharp varieties of onions in the north or in the middle lane.

In addition to those listed, many other types of onions are used (mainly in the wild) as vegetables.

Author: Ipatiev A.N.

Leek, Allium porrum. Methods of application, origin of the plant, range, botanical description, cultivation

Plants contain about 3% proteins, up to 12% carbohydrates, a number of mineral salts and vitamins. An important property of the leek is that during winter storage in the bleached false stalk, there is not a decrease, but a significant increase in the content of vitamin C.

Leek is eaten fresh, onion soup is prepared, various main dishes, fillings for pies, salads are made from young leaves. In the canning industry, it is used as a raw material in the manufacture of canned vegetables and for drying, it can be successfully stored for 2-3 months in a green form in the refrigerator.

The center of origin is the Mediterranean (not found in the wild).

The ancient Roman poet Mark Valery Martial, who lived in the I-II centuries. n. e., in his epigrams he wrote:

"To whom the leek is pleasant, let him eat it: // It is more useful than all vegetables, // What drives away pain from the stomach!"

Leek has a cylindrical bulb and ribbon-like leaves, thickened sheaths which form a false stem.

Leek has a long growing season, and therefore in the tropics and subtropics it is grown mainly by seedlings. Seeds are bubbled before sowing (soaked in water through which air is passed) or germinated. Seeding rate per 1 m2 of nursery - 10-15 g. Seedling output - 1,5-2,0 thousand pieces. per 1 m2.

Leek seedlings are planted in grooves 10-12 cm deep in a 2-3-line tape method (line spacing 25-35 cm) or wide-row, with row spacing 45-60 cm. The distance between plants in a row, depending on the variety, is 12-25 cm .

During care, earth is poured into the furrow 3-4 times to obtain a well-bleached bulb. Plants are fed and watered, like onions.

Harvest when ripe.

Authors: Baranov V.D., Ustimenko G.V.

Leek (pearl onion), Allium porrum. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology

Ethnoscience:

• To strengthen immunity: chop a leek and add it to a soup or other dish. Leek is rich in vitamin C, which helps to strengthen the immune system.
• For the treatment of cough: chop the white part of the leek and mix with honey in equal proportions. Take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.
• For the treatment of rheumatism: chop the white part of the leek and mix with olive oil. Apply to sore joints and leave overnight. Repeat the process every night for several weeks.
• To improve digestion: Make a decoction of the white part of the leek and take 1/2 cup before meals. Leek helps improve digestion and reduce inflammation in the stomach.
• For the treatment of skin diseases: Apply leek juice to the affected skin. Leek has antibacterial properties and can help reduce inflammation and itching.

Cosmetology:

• Skin Moisturizing Mask: chop a few leeks, add 1 tablespoon honey and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Apply to face and keep for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
• Skin cleansing mask: chop a few leeks and add 1 tablespoon of milk. Apply to face and keep for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
• Mask to reduce inflammation on the skin: chop a few leeks and add 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Apply to face and keep for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

Attention! Before use, consult with a specialist!

Leek (pearl onion), Allium porrum. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Leek (Allium porrum), also known as pearl onion, is a popular vegetable crop.

Tips for its cultivation, harvesting and storage:

Cultivation:

• Leek prefers fertile, well-drained soil and a sunny location.
• It is recommended to plant the seeds in the ground in late winter or early spring when the soil warms up. Crops should be deeper than 1 cm and located at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other.
• After germination, young plants should be dug up and transplanted 3-4 weeks after sowing to a depth of 15-20 cm to promote the development of the white parts of the plant.
• Water the plants regularly to keep the ground moist but not oversaturated.

Workpiece:

• Leek is ready for harvest when the white parts are 2-3 cm in diameter.
• Cut off the leaves and roots, leaving only the white part of the plant. Leeks can be used fresh or frozen for later use. Leek also keeps in the refrigerator for several days.
• Leeks can be used in soups, stews, salads, and other dishes.

Storage:

• Fresh leeks can be stored in the refrigerator in a parchment or plastic bag for 5-7 days.
• Leeks can also be frozen for longer storage. To do this, it is recommended to freeze the chopped stems in a container or bag.

Fresh leeks have a milder taste and aroma than onions, so they are often used in cooking raw or after minimal heat treatment.

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