Lupine

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Video: Lupine

Video: Lupine
Video: Lupine - Lupinus species - How to grow Lupines 2024, September
Lupine
Lupine
Anonim

Lupine / Lupinus sp./ is a large genus that includes more than 300 species of perennials, most of which are wild.

Lupine belongs to the legume family, and the homeland of the genus is probably the Mediterranean. It is cultivated in Europe, Africa, the USA and Australia, the latter being the world's leading producer of the plant.

The lupine It has been used for more than 4,000 years for animal feed, but also as a green manure because it has the ability to improve the soil on which it grows. Since the 19th century, lupine has been used as an ornamental plant and as food for humans.

The lupine reaches a height of 2 meters and the leaves are characteristically gray. Its colors are similar to those of peas and are colored in purple, yellow, pink, white and orange. The fruit of the plant is a pod that has several seeds. These seeds are similar to beans and are very rich in fat and protein.

Lupine plant
Lupine plant

Lupine composition

Lupine seeds contain a large amount of alkaloids, including lupanin, anagirine, sparteine. The plant has between 32-38% protein and a large amount of amino acids.

Growing lupine

The lupine can be propagated by seeds and dividing the tufts, but the latter method is more uncertain. It is best to use seeds to propagate the lupine.

Lupine seeds can be sown in the spring, but autumn sowing gives better results. For this purpose, a day should be chosen in which the air temperature exceeds 15 degrees.

The seeds are sown at a distance of 30 cm from each other. A shady or semi-shady place is chosen, which is protected from the wind. Lupine seeds have a hard shell and germinate quite slowly, so patience is required.

The lupine does not need special feeding, but should be protected from weeds and fungi on the roots, which can cause rot. Lupine likes more moderate temperatures and sandy soils.

Vine sarma with lupine
Vine sarma with lupine

In order to preserve the decorativeness of the plant and prolong its life, it must be pruned to develop its lateral roots. Plants that are over 4 years old are replaced because their flowering decreases sharply.

Cooking lupine

First of all, you need to know that the beans peel are boiled several times and the water is changed until the bitterness disappears. In some parts of Bulgaria they call the lupine bean lentil because it can be cooked like both.

Lupine flour has a very good emulsifying ability. For this reason, it can easily replace the egg in the preparation of cakes and sauces.

Benefits of lupine

After many years of research blue peel is becoming a source of important protein in the food industry and may even displace soy from some markets, say German experts. It is claimed that this plant can replace animal fats such as milk, meat, eggs, butter.

Bob lupine
Bob lupine

White lupine also has very high nutritional properties. According to some studies, white lupine seeds are useful in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

White seed extract peel, in combination with sunflower oil stimulates collagen synthesis. Sufficient collagen in the body is the most important prerequisite for the presence of elastic, young and smooth skin.

The use of creams that contain white lupine helps to tighten the facial contour and visible skin rejuvenation.

Harm from lupine

Lupine can cause signs of poisoning, which are dizziness and uncoordinated movements. This is due to the high amount of alkaloids that can cause poisoning in grazing animals and humans. Small herbivores such as goats and sheep can be fatal.

In humans, poisoning can occur by consuming seeds of lupine, which are not heat-treated according to the instructions - repeatedly boil the seeds with a change of water until the bitterness is removed.

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