Crazy cucumber is a plant in the cucurbitaceae family, which is a climbing herbaceous tropical liana. It blooms with yellow fragrant flowers in a smell reminiscent of the smell of gardenia. After flowering, fruits are formed on the stems - round, slightly elongated, orange-red. At this time, the plant is very attractive.
As they ripen, the fruits begin to crack and throw seeds away from themselves (sometimes up to several meters). Therefore, this plant was given a name - squirting cucumber. The most popular variety of such cucumber is Momordica, translated from Latin this cucumber also “bites”. The fact is that when a mad cucumber grows, it burns like nettles. But when the fruit appears, all the pungency disappears.
Blooms: July - August, ripens: August - September.
When and where to plant Mad Cucumber?
To decorate the walls of a house, a gazebo or a fence with weaving stems, a mad cucumber is planted in the garden plot. Besides the decorative qualities of momordica possesses medicinal and healing qualities, since her juice is poisonous. In folk medicine, cucumber is popular, only it should be handled very carefully.
This plant is easily propagated by seeds that germinate quite easily (like a pumpkin or a squash). Therefore, there is no need to pay any special attention to it.
Plant momordica after the threat of frost has passed. It is necessary to plant on easily warmed up soil, where there are no drafts.- The soil should be moisture-permeable, light and slightly acidic. The best option is lightly clayey and sandy loam soil.
- It is better to plant next to a fence, wall, terrace, gazebo, so that this plant has something to curl around.
- The best time to plant a mad cucumber is when the apple tree will bloom.
Application, treatment, useful properties
Preparations made from mad cucumber have a strong diuretic and laxative, anticancer, antibacterial properties.
A decoction from this plant used for diarrhea, inflammatory kidney disease, hemorrhoids, inflammation of the nasal mucosa.
Externally applied with trophic ulcers, with sinusitis, treatment of rheumatism, neuralgia, skin fungus.
Fruit tincture
You should collect the young fruits of a mad cucumber, rinse with the skin (do not cut it off), cut into small pieces, fill a three-liter jar with them loosely. Pour everything with half a liter of vodka or alcohol and put the jar in a dark place for two weeks. Strain the finished medicine.
Take a tincture of this plant three times a day, one teaspoon, on an empty stomach. Treatment should be carried out no more than three days. Thus, you can treat colds, psoriasis, rheumatism (externally). The tincture works well to strengthen the immune system.
Decoction
Seeds are used for decoction. Put about 25 g of seeds in a saucepan, pour 200 ml of boiling water, simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Then wrap the pan for one hour. Strain the finished broth and take half a glass - three times a day. The broth helps with hemorrhoids and is used as a diuretic.
Some recipes
For external use
Lichen. Sprinkle dried parts of the plant over the affected area.- Fungus. Prepare a foot bath: for this 200 g of a fresh plant, pour three liters of boiling water, let it brew.You can add a spoonful of honey to the solution and wipe the shoes inside with such a composition for prevention. Infusion of mad cucumber helps with fungus not only on human skin, but even on the walls.
- Gout. Mix squeezed cucumber juice with vinegar and moisten a cloth with this solution and apply to a sore spot.
- Hemorrhoids. Boil the fruits of a cucumber in sesame oil, lubricate hemorrhoidal cones with the obtained product.
For indoor use
- It should be remembered that mad cucumber juice is poisonous, even small doses can cause vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, weakness. Decoctions from this plant are drunk with jaundice, malaria and worms.
- Freshly squeezed juice can be used for sore throat, diphtheria, otitis media, migraine, runny nose.
- For angina, the juice of the plant is mixed with honey and olive oil, the resulting agent is lubricated with the throat.
Contraindications
Crazy cucumber is a very poisonous plant and preparations made on its basis should be taken very carefully. Need to carefully monitor your well-being during treatment... In no case should these drugs be taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
When juicing this plant at home work with rubber gloves... If the juice gets on the skin, burns, blisters or ulcers may form.
preparations from mad cucumber should be taken only strictly under the supervision of a doctor.
Cooking applications
Momordica fruit can be eaten and tastes like persimmon. For consumption, you should take young ten-day (still green) fruits. If you take more mature ones, then you can't eat them.as they are very bitter. Such fruits can be soaked in salted water for 12 hours. If, after soaking, they still taste bitter, you need to pour salt water again and wait a little longer.
After the bitterness leaves, you need to remove the skin, and the pulp can be used for stewing or preparing salads... In addition, the fruits can be salted, pickled - just like ordinary cucumbers.
Besides the fruits of this plant, tubers, leaves and fresh young stems are used for food... They can be used to make a light vegetable soup or add to salads.
Helena
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