In recent years, more and more often you can see yellow-orange or reddish fruits of an unusual flattened shape on supermarket shelves. This fruit, which until recently seemed like a gimmick, but now has become a quite familiar delicacy, is called a fig peach.

Features of fig peach: description, properties, calorie content

Peach trees of this species grow in the western part of China, Iran, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean (Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Morocco). This type of fruit tree is becoming more and more widespread in the private farms of the Crimea, Transcaucasia and the southern regions of Russia and Ukraine.

For a long time Iran was considered the birthplace of this fruit, and even the name "peach" comes from the ancient name of this country - Persia. However, in fact, the homeland of the flat peach is China, from where this species first came to Central Asia, and then to Europe and America.

Contrary to its name, as well as the erroneous opinion that this is supposedly a peach variety crossed with figs, the flattened peach has nothing to do with figs. Unusual fruits are not a hybrid of a peach and a fig, since in principle it is not possible to cross these two species. Neither in shape nor color is the peach at all similar to the fruits of the fig tree. But flattened dried figs, these fruits really resemble a little. Perhaps it is for this similarity that the fig peach began to be called that way.

Also, you can still often hear such names of this flattened fruit as Chinese turnip, Chinese saucer, and also Fergana peach. These fruits can be named in different ways, but we are talking about the same fruit.

A flat peach, whose shape is really remotely reminiscent of a turnip, is practically not inferior in weight to the usual round peaches: saucer-shaped fruits reach up to 7 centimeters in diameter and weigh 80-120 grams. The skin of the fruit is dense, slightly pubescent, has a wide palette of shades: from creamy yellow to red-burgundy. The great advantage of this type is the very small, unlike ordinary fruits, the bone, which is easily separated from the pulp.

The fragrant juicy pulp is white or creamy, less often yellow, delicate consistency, fibrous structure and pleasant taste: the fruits are sweet, with a slight sourness.

An attractive feature of fig peaches is that flat fruits have the same taste both at the skin and near the stone.

If the flesh of a round fruit, which has a more intense taste closer to the skin, loses its taste a little at the stone, then the taste of a flat peach will not disappoint: it is the same throughout the fruit.

For those who monitor their health and weight, calculate the calorie content of foods, it will be interesting to know what is useful for a fig peach and what is its calorie content. If you decide to eat a fig peach, the benefits of this will be undeniable: its fruits are rich in carotene (provitamin A), vitamins E, PP, C, K, group B and many mineral elements. The pulp of the fruit contains calcium, potassium, manganese, selenium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and other trace elements, as well as pectins and organic acids.

The calorie content of a flat peach is only 60 kcal, so it will be an excellent lunch or afternoon tea for those who are used to keeping an eye on their figure. Fig peaches can be eaten not only fresh. Low-calorie fruits are an excellent option for preservation for the winter. From them you can cook aromatic jam, jam, compote or make canned fruits in sugar syrup.

Today you can not only buy peach-figs in any supermarket, but also try to grow it on your personal plot. Nurseries of the southern regions are already offering to purchase seedlings of this tree, the fruits of which were quite recently a wonder.

Growing: planting and care

Currently, several varieties of fig peaches are known, and there are also its columnar varieties. This species is characterized by late flowering, which avoids freezing of buds and buds during spring frosts. Fruits ripen in mid-August. The peach tree is medium-sized, has a fairly spreading crown at a young age. Small leaves are lanceolate and light green in color. The flowers are large, attractive pink.

The agrotechnology of growing fig peaches practically does not differ from the cultivation of familiar peach trees. If you see seedlings of this tree for sale in your region, remember a few important points:

You can plant trees in the ground in early spring or early autumn. Caring for peach trees consists in using standard agricultural techniques: regular watering during dry periods, fertilizing with mineral (nitrogen) fertilizers during the spring digging of the soil, applying organic fertilizers every 2-3 years, spraying the crown as a prophylaxis for diseases and pests. Fig peach is affected by diseases:

Particular attention should be paid to the formation of the crown of a young tree, carrying out annual pruning. The crown is formed in such a way as to avoid crossing large branches. Usually, a few of the most well-developed and evenly distributed shoots are left, shortening them annually. Dry and damaged branches are also pruned. Fruit formation occurs on new shoots.

In its homeland, China, the peach tree has long been considered the tree of life, symbolizing longevity and even immortality. The Chinese appreciate not only peach fruits, but also the wood from which they make fancy handmade bowls. Young twigs of peach trees serve as New Year's decorations in this country.

In our country, these peaches appeared not long ago, and were not very popular due to their unusual appearance. And at a price they are much more expensive than ordinary peaches. But as time went on, there were changes. People began to taste them, and now, having tasted them, they began to admire their unusual taste.

It is believed that this type of peach is a hybrid created in China, which was crossed with figs. But in fact, these flat peaches are a common variety and have nothing to do with figs, the only similarity is in the shape. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that only the bones of the breed can affect the variety of varieties, for example, cherry plum, almonds, etc.

This variety of peaches withstands frost well, but its ordinary counterparts and nectarine do not like the cold. But there are no special changes in taste and aroma, the only thing that has been changed is a reduced bone.

There are several varieties of flat peaches:

• Vladimir
• fig new
• fig white

The benefits of all peaches is rich in vitamins. They also do not have a high calorie content, while being very nutritious. Even if you canned them for the winter, then most of the useful components will not suffer.

To find out in more detail what is benefits of flat peaches, it is necessary to study their chemical composition.

The chemical composition of fig peaches

The composition contains organic acids

• Wine
• Apple
• Lemon

They are also rich in macro and micronutrients, such as:

• Manganese
• Phosphorus
• Selenium
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Potassium

The composition contains a large amount of vitamins, for example: vitamins C, E, K. And in the pulp itself there are pectin, carotene, sucrose.

If you get to the seeds, they contain essential, fatty and almond oils. And also there is vitamin B17, which is very important for humans, because he participates in chemotherapy processes and fights cancer cells.

Who should eat flat peaches?

Children's doctors advise to include ripe fruits in the diet of children. They are not allergenic, help to normalize the intestinal tract and strengthen the body's immune properties. For example, if you are prone to frequent constipation, then these peaches will help to overcome this unpleasant moment, while they reduce the amount of gas and restore the metabolic processes of the intestines. It is worth using them for those who have problems:

• with cardiac activity,
• with biliary tract
• with liver and kidneys.

During pregnancy, it is also worth eating fresh peaches, especially during toxicosis, as they eliminate nausea and replenish the body with vitamins. If you are prone to depression, then you should not start eating chocolate and various flour products, but it is best to eat flat peaches. Due to the presence of magnesium in the composition, it will easily be possible to relieve the nervous state and irritability.

These peaches are very often used in folk medicine and for cosmetic purposes. The created flat peach masks rejuvenate the skin and help eliminate wrinkles.

A little about contraindications

Do not use if you have diabetes. Also, do not eat with individual intolerance and manifest allergic reactions.

The most interesting thing about fig peach is that it has absolutely nothing to do with figs. Its flat shape, however, somewhat resembles a dried fig, as the fig is also called, but it never occurs to anyone to call this a fig peach. It is also called a donut in some places in the West for the same flattened shape. Let's find out more about this tasty and aromatic fruit.

Botanical description

Contrary to popular beliefs, the fig peach is not only not a hybrid of a round peach and a fig, but, in principle, cannot be such. According to scientists, these two species cannot interbreed in any way.

The homeland of this interesting fruit is China, and not Persia at all, as, again, can be judged by its name. And here the peach once again misleads us.

The flattened fruit reaches 7 centimeters in diameter and 120 grams in weight. It is covered with a skin with a much finer fluff than that of its rounded counterparts, concealing a very sweet flesh of a white or light cream shade. It has a slight sourness, and inside the pulp there is a small bone, which again distinguishes this species from other peaches.

Another useful feature is even distribution of taste throughout the depth of the pulp, while in its rounded relatives, the taste is somewhat weakened as it moves from the surface of the fruit to the bone.

Did you know?Experts noticed an interesting fact: grapes serve as an almost one hundred percent accurate indicator of the future well-being of any peach. Where he feels good, peaches feel great there.

Chemical composition

The tasty pulp of this fruit is also saturated with many substances useful for human health. Among them - almost all members of the vitamin B group, as well as vitamins C, H, K, E, beta-carotene and a rather rare substance amygdalin, also called vitamin B17. He is suspected of being able to fight cancer problems.

There are a lot of essential oils, various organic acids and pectins in fig peach. But this fruit is especially saturated with such valuable minerals as:

• potassium;
• calcium;
• chlorine;
• iron;
• magnesium;
• copper;
• fluorine;
• sodium;
• phosphorus;
• sulfur;
• manganese;
• chromium;
• zinc.

Calorie content

Although the fruit of this peach is sweet, however, its calorie content is low - only 60 kilocalories per hundred grams of product. This is facilitated by the complete absence of fats in the fruit, which makes it in demand in dietary nutrition.

Fig peach varieties

Breeders managed to breed several successful varieties of this plant, which differ in the area of \u200b\u200bcultivation, but are identical to the necessarily flattened shape of the fruit.

"Nikitsky flat"

The variety is typical for that it is best adapted to cool climates. Its tree is low, spreading, and the fruits reach 110 grams in weight and have a very delicate taste. The plant bears its first fruits in mid-August.

"Vladimir"

This fruit has gained popularity among gardeners for its high yields and disease resistance. The tree, reaching an average height, bears rather large fruits up to 180 grams, characterized by a very sweet taste and juiciness. They ripen in early August.

"Sweet Cap"

The characteristic features of this variety are early, in the third or fourth year, fruiting and simultaneous ripening of fruits in mid-August. The fruit of this short tree has a sweet and sour taste and can weigh up to 150 grams.

"UFO-3"

Although this variety is not cold resistant or high yielding, but it is prized for its annual yield stability. The tree itself can grow up to a height of 2.5 meters, and the weight of the fruit reaches 110 grams. Their flesh contains pink veins and tastes like honey.

"Saturn"

This variety can withstand light frosts, and its fruits suffer the least during transportation. Its tree is tall and sprawling, has the ability to bear fruit early and has a consistently high yield. Its fruits are small, reaching only 100 grams, but they have a great taste.

Beneficial features

The presence of a large amount of substances valuable for the body in fig peaches naturally makes this fruit one of the most popular fruits in the human diet. Moreover, for different categories of people, it is good in its own way.

For ladies, he easily replaces heaps of pharmacy diet pills, which are not only expensive, but often harmful and even more often useless. As an excellent dietary remedy for strengthening the body from the inside, this fruit is able to have a rejuvenating effect on the outside. Regular consumption of peach in the form of food, as well as the use of its pulp in masks and creams, significantly improves the appearance and condition of the skin, hair and nails in women.

Like women for men, this fruit strengthens the immune system, tones up the body, while improving the ability to concentrate and develop memory. There are also specific properties of the fruit addressed specifically to men: it has a positive effect on male sexual functions, while inhibiting the development of prostatitis.

From the age of two, peach is shown to children. It normalizes the activity of the children's gastrointestinal tract, raises the tone of the body and, most importantly, activates the activity of the child's immune system.

Did you know?In China, not only peach fruits are widely used, but also its wood, making intricate bowls from them, which are very popular among the Chinese.

As practice shows, the use of a fig peach is one of the best remedies. overcoming toxicosis in pregnant women in the early stages of pregnancy. In addition, the solid presence of folic and pantothenic acids in the fruit pulp is extremely important for the normal development of the unborn child. And for nursing mothers, this wonderful fruit, in addition to significant help in overcoming depression that occurs after childbirth, also noticeably activates lactation.

After long observations, doctors came to the conclusion that eating a fig peach can help in:

• normalization of the cardiovascular system;
• strengthening immunity;
• activation of the body's defenses against flu and colds;
• normalization of the functions of the gastrointestinal tract;
• elimination of heartburn and constipation;
• preventing colon cancer and other cancers;
• elimination of excess weight;
• improving the activity of the kidneys, liver, biliary tract;
• overcoming depressive states;
• saturation of the body with vitamins, trace elements and useful acids;
• moisturizing and rejuvenating the skin.

Cooking use

It is noticed that when canning, this type of peach is the best among other fruits. knows how to maintain its useful properties... Culinary experts recommend preserving fruits in sugar syrup. Like apricots related to them, peaches are also dried, after which they retain useful substances almost one hundred percent.

In addition, these wonderful fruits are actively used in the manufacture jam, compote, ice cream, jelly, jam and other desserts. They are also widely used in the manufacture of confectionery. You can make various sauces and drinks from peaches, as well as add them to salads, meat and fish dishes, with which they go well.

Harmful properties

There are very few substances in this fruit, possessing harmful properties for the body. Is that amygdalin, or vitamin B17, which has the property of being converted in the body into toxic hydrocyanic acid. However, it is in this fruit in such scanty amounts that there is no need to talk about any harm to humans.

Peach allergens can also bring health problems.

Contraindications

Contraindications for the use of peach figs most often boil down to limiting its use by people with allergies. Together with apples and kiwi, this fruit belongs to the most allergenic fruits. People who are allergic to peaches can develop an oral allergy, which can cause swelling of the throat, lips and mouth, and skin rashes.

How to choose a fruit when buying

To buy quality fruit, it is best to do this at a trusted grocery store or market. Supermarkets and hypermarkets rarely offer a truly quality peach.

Important!When choosing and purchasing a fruit, remember that a peach can be stored at room temperature for a maximum of 60 hours.

A good specimen should have a dense skin and the fruit itself should be firm to the touch. Rotten parts immediately signal a problem with the freshness and safety of the fruit.

Storage conditions

Store these peaches in a cool and always calm place, since the fruits deteriorate very quickly when physically exposed to them. Fruits that are not fully ripe ripen quite successfully on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator.

Rotten parts of the fruit noticed in time must be cut out immediately, and the rest cut and placed in the freezer. But before that, it is imperative to remove the peel from the fruit, since at low temperatures it can spoil the taste of the product with bitterness.

After thawing, the fruit cannot be kept without consumption for more than 12 hours.

Growing a fig peach

You can grow this fruit with the help of seedlings and from the seed. Naturally, the actions associated with planting are different in both cases, but then the care of the trees becomes almost the same.

Landing features

The main difference in the peculiarities of planting a peach is what exactly is the initial "seed" material - seed or seedling.

Saplings

When purchasing seedlings, first of all, it is necessary to find out to which climate they are adapted. Then you need to carefully examine the roots, which should not be damaged, and the place where the vaccination was carried out. There should be no sagging or other suspicious discharge on it.

The age of the acquired seedlings is very significant, since the best survival rate is observed in annual specimens. This should be the starting point for purchasing them.

The place that is planned for planting a seedling, should be prepared in the fall, having carefully dug it up. In the spring, they dig holes of a meter wide and 80 cm deep, fertilize the soil with organic matter and minerals, and pour a bucket of water into each hole. It is recommended to dip the roots of the seedling in a solution of a growth stimulator a day before planting, and then the plant can be planted.

From bone

To grow a future tree from a peach seed you need to take it out of the fruit, immediately place it in a glass of water and keep it in it for several days, periodically, every twelve hours, changing it. Then the bone should be dried, and, carefully breaking it with a hammer, remove the nucleolus from it.

Kernels can be stored in a dark and cool place for a long time. And it is best to sow them in the middle of autumn. Having chosen a place that should meet the same criteria as for seedlings, the nucleoli should be planted in the ground to a depth of five centimeters.

Important!When drying, and in no case should the sun's rays fall on the bone - this can ruin the whole thing.

Location and lighting

Peach loves the sun very much and hates strong winds. Therefore, it should be planted on the south side of the garden in an area that is well sheltered from the winds, but not in the shade of taller trees.

Experts do not advise planting this fruit on the land where melons or nightshade crops, as well as strawberries or alfalfa, used to grow. Otherwise, there is a danger of infection of the peach with a serious disease - verticillosis. It is not out of place to inquire about the depth of the groundwater in this place. It is undesirable that they are deeper than three meters.

Required temperature

Among all the peach figs their fellow is the most resistant to low temperatures, although it is definitely not a northern plant. It has the characteristic property of late blooming and blooming, which allows it not to be afraid of spring frosts.

Humidity and watering

When the groundwater is not very shallow, the peach can withstand drought very well. But still, insufficient moisture intake from the upper layers of the earth negatively affects the yield. In an overly hot summer, experts advise pouring a pair of buckets of water under each tree every two to three weeks.

Did you know? In China, the peach tree is a symbol of longevity; its branches decorate buildings for the New Year.

Soil and fertilizers

If the plant is not planted in black soil, then when planting it is recommended to fertilize the land with organic matter in the form and as well as mineral fertilizers: potassium, etc. And with black soil, only

Fig peach is a type of fruit tree, as well as nectarine and pubescent. A feature of the variety is the flat, like a fluffy cake, fruits resembling a turnip. This variety of peaches originates from China, and they are called in everyday life: saucer or Fergana peach, but more often, Chinese turnip. Fig peach is distinguished by greater winter hardiness of buds and buds, ripens at the end of August, requires a long, warm summer. Therefore, in the Moscow region, the fruits do not have time to gain taste, to ripen. The fruits are heavy, 90-140 g.

Characteristics of the flat peach

Like other varieties, the fig peach belongs to the Pink family. The disc-shaped fruit resembles a fig, but a peach / fig hybrid is not possible. The tree is cultivated as a peach, a similar agricultural technique, the same diseases and pests. The fruits are different, they have a richer taste and a small pit. Sowing with a bone, however, conveys the maternal properties of the tree. Flat peach is colored in the usual colors - orange and yellow with all shades and red blush. The skin is less pubescent and does not come off the flesh.

The tree can grow up to 5 meters in height, the crown is spreading, the growth is weak. There are already standard forms. The requirements for choosing a warm, light, gentle slope, protected from the north wind, does not differ from relatives. But the tree blooms in mid-April, which is why it leaves the late southern frosts. The leaves of the disc peach are lanceolate, dark green above, the reverse side of the plate is grayish. The flowers are similar to rose hips and have pale pink flowers.

A photo of a fig peach cannot convey the play of the breeze with leaves, the warmth and taste of the fruit.

The description of the fig peach draws attention to its beneficial properties. The fruits contain half of the elements of the periodic table. They are useful for the prevention of cancer, have a low calorie content. Even the smell has a beneficial effect - it helps to relieve the depressive state. You can not use this useful fruit for diabetics and those who are allergic to pink fruits.

However, until 2010, the fruits of the fig peach were eaten only by residents of warm regions. They were not transportable. Miraculously, or thanks to GMOs, now they are on the shelves of northern shops and do not deteriorate.

How to grow a fig peach

Gardeners of the southern regions are happy to grow Chinese peaches. The agrotechnology of a plant is no more difficult than for a nectarine or an ordinary garden tree. But the winter hardiness of fruit and leaf buds is higher, the plant is tolerant to the main diseases. Disc peach blooms later, leaves from cold snaps. It needs a lot of warmth; in the southern part of the country, before Voronezh, some peaches have time to ripen. The cost of Chinese peach fruits is 3 times higher than others, the yield is excellent.

The disadvantages of disc fruits are considered low keeping quality, poor transportability and a tendency to the rapid development of gray rot, which can leave without a crop.

Flat peach is planted with seedlings from a fruit nursery, or grown from seeds. When choosing a fig peach seedling, you must:

• clarify where the variety was grown and whether the variety is acclimatized in the area;
• the roots must be alive, free from dry and damaged;
• the bark from the inside should be green, alive;
• the best seedlings are one-year-olds.

The seedling is rooted in a pre-prepared hole in March or at the end of September. Autumn planting is preferred. A fertile substrate is prepared from 2 buckets of organic matter, a liter can of wood ash, a glass of superphosphate and half a glass of potassium chloride in the fall, sulfuric acid in the spring. The substrate should not directly touch the roots. Chemical fertilizer peas can cause chemical burns. After compaction of the soil, the root collar should remain above the soil. After the seedling is watered, the soil is mulched.

The cultivation of a fig peach is based on the operations:

• watering and feeding;
• shaping and annual sanitary pruning;
• pest prevention and;
• protected from freezing.

The fan formation of the fig peach provides a light flux to each leaf working for the harvest. In the future, the tree needs sanitary and thinning pruning. Pruning should ensure that the branches are fanned out. They are left no longer than 50 cm. Each stump, cut into a ring, is treated with garden pitch on a dry cut.

Peach feeding begins from the second year after rooting. Spring requires mineral and organic. After harvesting, winter hardiness should be increased by feeding the tree with potassium-phosphorus mixtures. Before winter, you can insulate the roots with manure placed in the trunk circle without touching the trunk. Digging the trunk circle will saturate the earth with oxygen.

Four times spring spraying of a tree with a 1% solution of copper sulfate will destroy hibernating spores and mycelium. The schedule of treatments is usual - after the snow melts, by buds, before and after flowering.

Varietal diversity of culture

Let's consider some varieties common in the regions of Russia.

The tree is not tall, the yields are regular. Resistant to major flat peach diseases. The fruits are even, the weight of one berry is 180 g, sweet juicy, the color of the flesh is creamy.

The tree is short, fast-growing. The yield is instantaneous. Fruits weigh 140-150 grams, pleasant, sweet and sour taste.

Rich taste, small bones, good harvest - what more could a gardener want! The weight of the round saucers is 80-120 grams. The variety does not like transportation, it is not stored for long.

The large-growing variety Saturn of American selection was bred back in 1820, but for its outstanding qualities we are loved by gardeners of all countries.

Modern varieties of fig peaches have several columnar, which are easy to cover for the winter. But in the suburbs, they lack warmth and light for a set of taste. A tender tree is already being cultivated in Voronezh.

Belmondo fig peach video