Growing leeks in the country and at home

Other information

The leek is one of the national symbols of Wales. According to legend, in the 6th century, the bishop and educator David of Wales, during a battle against the Saxons, which took place in an onion field, urged his soldiers to attach a leek to their helmet to distinguish their comrades from their enemies. Therefore, every year on March 1, the people of Wales celebrate a national holiday - St. David's Day.

In Great Britain, there is a “Leek Lovers Society”, whose members discuss the intricacies of cultivating this crop and exchange recipes for dishes.

Leek is a symbol of Vocaloid (the voice heroine from the Vocaloid2 Character Vocal Series

) Hatsune Miku.
The image of Hatsune Miku became popular after it was used in the video for the Finnish song Ievan Polkka
(in the video, Miku waved a leek to the beat of the song).

In the fairy tale “The Adventures of Cipollino” by Gianni Rodari, the gardener Luka Leek (Italian: Pirro Porro) had a long mustache, the ends of which Luka Leek’s wife tied to nails on the balcony and hung laundry on them.

Properties and description

Leeks belong to the Allium family and are a herbaceous biennial plant, but in summer cottages they are usually planted as an annual plant. In the first year of vegetation, the leek produces at least 10 long leaves, a strong root system, a false bulb with a diameter of 3-7 cm, a length of approximately 9-12 cm, flowing into a false stem, which reaches a height of 90-100 cm.

In the second year, it forms a flowering stem with small pink flowers, collected in inflorescences. At the same time, triangular seeds ripen, which resemble the seeds of a simple onion. The material for sowing remains viable for up to four years.

Leeks taste almost no different from onions, but they have a little less bitterness.

As a rule, the white part of the stem is eaten, rarely the young leaves (they become coarse rather quickly and become tough).

Application and beneficial properties:

• Pearl onions help normalize metabolism, are characterized by strong diuretic properties, have a beneficial effect on the liver, and improve the activity of the glands of the digestive tract.
• The composition contains phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, ascorbic and nicotinic acids, carotene, riboflavin, protein substances, thiamine.
• Doctors recommend limiting fresh leek consumption to patients with intestinal and stomach diseases and people who have low blood sugar, as this plant has the property of lowering sugar levels.
• Leeks are recommended for consumption by patients with diseases such as urolithiasis, anemia, diseases of the respiratory tract and digestive system, obesity, mental and physical fatigue, and atherosclerosis.

The medicinal properties of leeks are due to the presence of vitamins.

• Leeks contain 250 mg per 100 g of fresh weight vitamin potassium and have a diuretic;
• It is also used as a prophylactic for urolithiasis (it can dissolve even small stones);
• Recommended for diseases: rheumatism, gout, salt deposits, obesity.
• Leeks are especially valuable for metabolic disorders associated with age-related changes;
• The presence of phosphorus and magnesium helps restore the functioning of the nervous system;
• Rich in folic acid (vitamin B9). Expectant mothers, in anticipation of a new addition to the family, are recommended to include leeks in their diet. Since this contributes to better formation of the nervous system in the fetus.

Leek does not have a high content of essential oils, so it is recommended for dietary nutrition.

With cheese

• Cooking time: 50 minutes.
• Number of servings: 5 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 63 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch / for dinner / healthy lunch / healthy dinner.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: medium.

Lenten and healthy options can also be very tasty. If you don't believe me, learn how to cook green and white stalks baked with cheese. In addition to them, this recipe includes other vegetables and even an apple. Potatoes combined with cauliflower, onion stalks and broccoli under a cheese “coat” turn out to be very appetizing. If you make this casserole with mushrooms, the taste will become even richer.

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Ingredients:

• apple – 1 pc.;
• potatoes – 3 pcs.;
• cheese – 150 g;
• champignons – 250 g;
• mayonnaise – 2 tbsp. l.;
• cauliflower – 150 g;
• spices - to taste;
• broccoli – 150 g;
• carrots – 1 pc.;
• green part of the stem – 100 g.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the mushrooms, then cut them into quarters or just slices.
2. Thaw the cauliflower and broccoli if necessary. Then rinse, dry and disassemble into smaller inflorescences.
3. Wash the potatoes and carrots too, and then cut them into thin rings. Chop the onion into half rings and the apple into slices, just peel them first.
4. Take a baking dish and place potatoes on the bottom. Season with pepper and salt.
5. Next, distribute apples, both types of cabbage, mushrooms, onions and carrots in layers. Add seasonings each time.
6. Leave the vegetables for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with cheese shavings and spread mayonnaise on top.
7. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees until golden brown. This will take 25-30 minutes.

Non-seedling planting of leeks

The seedless planting method, like the seedling method, requires advance preparation of seeds, including traditional disinfection and germination. We have already talked about each of these points in more detail in previous sections.

Leek seeds should be buried in the soil after it has warmed up.

So, the hatched leek seeds should be placed in the ground in mid-May. It is advisable that the soil be prepared for planting seeds in advance. For example, in the fall, it is advisable to cover the corresponding area of ​​the garden bed with black film so that it retains heat better. On the eve of planting the seeds, the soil is treated with rotted manure or compost to increase its nutritional value.

Hole location

Holes should be dug for the seeds, up to fifteen centimeters deep. They should be placed at a distance of twenty centimeters from each other, so that in the future the plants do not block each other’s access to the sun’s rays. After immersing the seeds in the soil, they should be moistened with warm water and covered with a film that does not allow light to pass through. Polycarbonate works well as a light-proof material.

The protective film will prevent the seeds from freezing in the soil

Less popular seed planting dates

There are alternative dates for planting leeks:

• At the end of June. Seedlings sown in the first half of summer will not produce a harvest this year, but will be able to get stronger until the next spring season. In order for young leeks to survive the winter, they should be hilled up and covered in October;
• In October. Despite the fact that sowing seeds at such a crisis time for many plants seems strange, some gardeners resort to such tactics in order to get the first shoots by spring. To prevent leek seeds from freezing in the soil, you should mulch it with peat.

Potato soup with leeks

Leeks give potato soup a special aroma and flavor. To make the soup more satisfying, it is recommended to eat it with croutons.

What ingredients will you need?

Potato and leek soup contains:

• white part of young leek – 2 pcs.;
• white onion – 1 pc.;
• potatoes of boiled varieties - 4-5 pcs.;
• broth (beef, chicken or mushroom) – 300 ml;
• cream (with any fat content) – 200 ml;
• high-quality butter – 50 g;
• pepper. It is recommended to use crushed white pepper – 2 g.

Salt should be added to the soup according to taste preferences.

Step-by-step cooking process

The process of preparing the ingredients and subsequent cooking of the soup is in the following order:

1. Leeks should be washed to remove debris and the entire white part of the plant should be cut into thin rings.
2. The onion must be peeled and the onion head cut into small cubes.

3. Potatoes need to be peeled, washed and cut into medium-sized cubes.
4. Then you need to put the butter in a container (preferably a saucepan) with a thick bottom and melt it over moderate heat.
5. Fry sliced ​​leeks in oil. Frying duration is about 5 minutes.
6. Next, you need to add chopped onions to the frying. Fry until the ingredients are soft. On average, the frying process takes approximately 10 minutes.
7. After 10 minutes, you need to put the potatoes in the container with the frying onion mixture, and continue frying for about another 5-7 minutes.
8. At the end of the specified time, pour the broth into the container. Cook until the potatoes are soft. Do not allow the broth to boil too much.
9. When the potatoes become soft, the contents must be salted and pepper added.
10. Then, with constant stirring, carefully pour the cream into the container. Wait for the contents to boil.
11. Remove the container from the heat and, using a masher or blender, puree the ingredients.
12. Place the container on the fire and bring the soup to a boil.
13. After boiling, you need to remove the container from the stove.

It is recommended to serve the soup hot, garnished with chopped herbs. To increase satiety, add croutons and about 20-30 g of grated cheese (Russian, Parmesan) to the soup.

You can diversify the recipe by including in the ingredients: carrots, bell peppers or tomatoes. You can also add boiled eggs and canned green peas to the finished soup.

Seed preparation

Despite the fact that many gardeners skip this stage or go through it partially, the fate of the future plant largely depends on the preparation of seeds. The procedures that seeds must go through before planting include three main ones: calibration, disinfection and germination.

Step 1: Calibration. In order to determine which seeds are of the highest quality, you should immerse them in a saline solution and mix well. Those that float to the surface are empty and must be disposed of. Only those specimens that have sunk to the bottom should be used as planting material;

Calibration is the most important step in rejecting bad seeds

Step 2. Disinfection. To disinfect the seeds, you should keep them for half an hour in a solution of potassium permanganate, and then rinse them thoroughly. Next, the seeds are immersed in an ash solution for twenty-four hours, after which they are wrapped in a damp cloth and left in a room with a temperature of thirty degrees;

Before immersing the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate, you can wrap them in gauze

Step 3. Germination. In order for the seeds to hatch, you should put them in pre-moistened gauze on a saucer and pack it all in plastic, leaving it in a room whose temperature does not drop below twenty-five degrees for a couple of days. If you want to speed up the process, keep the seeds in water brought to forty degrees for eight hours.

Without germination, the seeds will take significantly longer to sprout

Sowing seeds

Seeds are sown at the end of February - beginning of March in small containers half filled with a mixture of turf soil and sand in a 2:1 ratio.

Before planting leeks, it is very important to properly prepare the soil. When sowing, it is necessary to distribute them evenly over the surface in order to avoid picking seedlings in the future, which onions tolerate very poorly in the early stages of development.

In order for the seeds to be visible on the surface and move easily, it is necessary to lay a 2 cm layer of snow on the soil and compact it with a paint roller. The seeds are very visible on a white background, and you can move them with a toothpick. Naturally, you need to sow the seeds quickly, until the snow melts. So, the seeds are sown in rows, the distance between the rows is 4cm, between the seeds – 2cm. After the snow has melted, you need to sprinkle the seeds with a 1 cm layer of dry soil, then water them and cover them with glass or plastic film to create a greenhouse effect.

Soil preparation

Regardless of which method of planting seeds you choose, growing onions starts with preparing the soil, starting in the autumn season. After harvesting, garden soil is usually dug up. When carrying out this action, all that is required from the gardener in the spring is to form the beds using a rake.

In the spring, it is necessary to structure the garden that was dug up in the fall.

In addition to forming beds, spring tillage includes:

• Removing weed rhizomes;
• Destruction of beetle larvae and other pests;
• Fertilizing the soil with compost, humus and manure.

Since leeks are a light-loving plant, it is necessary to prepare the most illuminated areas of your site for them. The acidity level of your soil is also of great importance. If its indicators are high, it is advisable to carry out preliminary liming of the soil using fluff, dolomite flour or chalk.

Soil liming is usually done in the off-season

In May, each square meter of area prepared for leeks should be treated with several types of fertilizers.

Table 1. Fertilizing the soil before planting leeks

There is no need to re-dig the soil in the spring.

Leeks should not be planted in the same area of ​​the garden twice without a break of several years.

Growing Leeks

Origin and distribution of leeks.

The homeland of this onion is the Mediterranean. It was developed from the wild species Allium ampeloprasum, native to the Mediterranean, southern England and Iran. It also grows in America, North Africa, Europe (especially France). In our country, leeks are grown mainly in the southern regions.

Botanical characteristics of leeks.

Leeks (Allium porrum L.) are a biennial plant of the Allium family (Alliaceae).

In the first year of growth, it throws out long flat leaves and false stems, and in the second year - flower stalks up to one and a half meters high.

In the second year, small round bulbs with a dense, thick bottom and strong rhizome also develop. Leek inflorescences are large and consist of whitish or pinkish flowers with a total number of up to 3 thousand.

Leeks come with short and long stems. The seeds are small, wrinkled, black. Weight of 1000 seeds is from 2.2 to 3.7 g.

Biological characteristics of leeks.

The plant does well in nutrient-rich soils. Acidic soils are not suitable for growing leeks. The temperature regime does not matter much; this plant tolerates frosts down to minus 7 ° C. The main capriciousness of onions is that they are demanding of fertilizers (in particular nitrogen). Fruits late - flowering in July - August, harvesting can be done in October - November. For this reason, it is bred mainly in the south of our country. Even in late autumn it gains green mass.

Reproduction and agricultural technology.

Preparing the soil for planting leeks is the same as for onions. You should often loosen the soil and remove weeds, water and feed the plants.

Seeds sown in the fall germinate the next year; if the planting was carried out as seedlings, then the harvest can be harvested in the fall of the same year.

To get faster germination, it is recommended to germinate the seeds. With the seedless method, leeks are planted at the end of June, in the south - at the end of July. The seed sowing rate is 6-8 kg/ha.

Seeds for seedlings are sown in March in greenhouses or greenhouses.

Seedlings are planted in the ground at the end of April - beginning of May in previously prepared furrows 10-15 cm deep and the same distance between plants. The furrow is left open for 15-20 days and then covered. During onion growth, it is necessary to carry out 2-3 hillings in order for the harvest to be of high quality.

Care consists of keeping the soil loose and free from weeds, fertilizing and watering.

Popular varieties of leeks are Bulgarian and Carantan.

Harvesting and storage of raw materials.

Leeks can be harvested within 45-60 days after planting, by thinning the plants. It is recommended to store onions in vegetable stores, buried with sand so that the ends of the leaves remain in the air. Comfortable storage temperature is 0-1 °C at a relative air humidity of 80-90%.

The seeds ripen when the capsules begin to crack.

The leek yield is 50 t/ha.

Medicinal properties of leeks.

Leeks have a diuretic effect, which is due to the presence of potassium salts. It is also rich in vitamins, their content in mg% is as follows: C-80, carotene - 0.7, E - 3, Bi - 0.1, B2 - 0.06, PP - 0.5, etc. Leek has a beneficial effect on the activity of the liver and gall bladder, increases appetite.

It can improve a person’s condition with fatigue, rheumatism, atherosclerosis, obesity, gout, and kidney stones.

Application of leeks.

Leeks, unlike other onions, have a mild aroma and delicate taste. The thickened lower white part of the stem and young leaves are consumed as food. Leeks are also suitable for freezing as part of frozen vegetable sets. Fresh onions are added to salads and eaten as an independent snack.

Leeks add flavor to meat and vegetable soups and go well with fish and meat dishes.

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What part of the leek is eaten?

The edible part of the leek, used in winter, consists of a light green stem and a small white bulb . The head and green part are cut off and discarded.

The white part has an amazingly subtle and unusual taste, reminiscent of both green onions and garlic. Fragrant leek adds a special flavor to dishes made from vegetables, meat and fish.

The edible part is thoroughly washed under running water, especially if the onion was grown on sandy soil, otherwise the grains will crunch on the teeth. Another way to rinse onions is to soak the white shoots for 30 minutes in clean water and then rinse again under the tap.

How to use the green part

Leeks are too tough, so they are not used for cooking. Even if the feathers are finely chopped and added to the soup at the beginning of cooking, they still will not become softer.

Professional chefs simply throw away the green part, but thrifty housewives have found a use for feathers with a rough structure. They are added to a bouquet garni - a bunch of herbs tied with culinary thread. The composition includes parsley, bay, basil, tarragon, celery, rosemary. The bunch is placed in the broth or soup at the beginning of cooking and taken out 10 minutes before the end of cooking. The bouquet imbues the dish with a unique taste and aroma.

Reference. The ancient Romans considered leek a delicacy and food for aristocrats. The product was added to meat and vegetable dishes.

How to preserve the harvest

The formation of a powerful stem in plants occurs in September. At this time, the plant can already be used in the preparation of various dishes, as well as consumed raw. Late varieties of onions can be stored for a very long time. For this purpose, in mid-autumn, the plants should be buried in the sand, having previously cut their roots to a length of 2-5 cm.

They should be placed tightly and vertically in the sand. The row spacing should be filled with wet and clean sand. During such storage, the temperature should be 0 ° C and the humidity in the air should be approximately 80%. Such conditions allow leeks to be stored for 6-7 months. At the same time, its stem becomes lighter and its size becomes larger. In February, the amount of vitamin C in onions increases.

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In order for the harvested crop to be used for food all winter, you need to know how to store leeks correctly. Many people prefer the method of keeping it in the refrigerator. To do this, you need to select good plants, clean and trim their roots and leaves, and cool them to 0+1°C. Then they should be packed in 7-9 pieces using plastic bags. They can be kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 months without any loss of quality. But with any type of storage, plants need to be inspected from time to time, because they can dry out, get sick or rot. Spoiled leeks should be thrown away immediately.

Interesting information about growing leeks can be gleaned from the video:

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Meaning and Application

Leeks in the Viennese Dioscorides, early 6th century

Even the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans knew leeks as a food plant. Among the Romans it was considered the food of the rich. The Roman Emperor Nero consumed it in large quantities, trying to preserve his voice for making long speeches: it was called the “eating leek.” Apicius recommended eating the green parts of leeks as a salad, and boiling the colorless parts or using them as a seasoning for some dishes.

In the Middle Ages, leek was also very popular. However, in the middle of the 20th century in Russia little was known about this vegetable crop.

Today, leeks are second only to garlic and onions in popularity. The thickened bases of the leaves, forming a thick false stem, are eaten.

The white tender stem (false stem) and young leaves of the leek are characterized by a pleasant, slightly pungent taste (more subtle than that of onions) and impart a unique aroma to culinary products. Leek bulbs with bleached stems are used raw, boiled (stewed) as a side dish for meat and fish dishes, and as a seasoning for soups. Used for preparing salads, sauces, in the canning and food concentrate industries.

The healing effect of leek was known in the distant past. It was recommended for use by patients with gout, rheumatism, scurvy, urolithiasis and obesity, mental and physical fatigue. Due to the large amount of potassium salts, leek exhibits a pronounced diuretic effect and is useful for obesity, rheumatism, and gout. 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 for inflammatory diseases of the stomach and duodenum.

Application of leek

The vegetable is used in cooking, folk medicine, dietetics, and everyday life. Its properties accelerate weight loss and are suitable for skin care and medicinal cosmetics.

In cooking

You can eat leeks raw or cooked. They eat only the white part. The hard green part is not used.

Cooking secrets:

• no need to peel: leeks are cut 1 cm below the greens and 0.5 cm above the spine;
• the white part is washed under the tap to remove sand, kept in cold water for half an hour, washed again;
• young leaves are suitable for baking/stewing fish;
• leeks can be replaced with a salad variety of onions (the usual ones are first doused with boiling water).

There are many French recipes with onions. Fresh leeks are added to snacks, vegetable and fruit salads. It goes well with fish, potatoes, orange, and tomatoes.

Method for preparing stuffed onions:

1. The core is removed from stems 8 cm long.
2. The minced meat is mixed with onion, salt and pepper.
3. The tubes are filled with the filling, placed on a baking sheet, greased with oil, sprinkled with turmeric and paprika, and covered with foil.
4. Bake in the oven at 180 ºC.
5. After 25 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes.

The baked onions are immediately sprinkled with chopped cheese.

How to cook stewed leek:

1. The onion is separated from the greens and roots, cut in half, and placed in a saucepan.
2. Salt, pepper, add 400 ml of broth.
3. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Before serving, pour over creamy sauce. It is prepared from 100 ml of broth, parsley and 50 g of butter.

Vegetables fried in batter improve the taste of any dish. Served with beer, with garlic bread, as a side dish for soup, meat, and fish.

Watch the cooking video:

At home

Cutting the plant removes fishy smell from dishes, knives, and cutting boards. They also rub surfaces that smell unpleasantly like paint or varnish. Greens are laid out in ant habitats.

Dried leek leaves are added to fragrant bouquets to enhance the aroma in the kitchen. Combine with rosemary, geranium, tarragon, laurel branches, and basil.

In folk medicine

Leeks are rich in vitamins, acids, and elements. It is eaten fresh for vitamin deficiency and scurvy. The plant is also used for other purposes.

Treatment methods:

• eliminating the reaction to insect venom - the stem is rubbed on the site of a wasp, bee, mosquito, midge, flea bite;
• increasing immunity - 150 g of ground stem is mixed with 20 g of honey, eaten three times a day, 1 tbsp. l.;
• for acne or joint pain - chop the entire stem, apply a compress to the problem area, remove after 6 hours.

For type 2 or type 1 diabetes, it is recommended to drink fresh juice mixed with refined oil (can be used in salads). The product does not allow blood sugar to increase, prevents blockage of blood vessels, and inhibits weight gain.

Help for diabetics: the glycemic index is 15, and the insulin index does not exceed 25 units.

Onion culture in improving the body:

In dietetics and weight loss

Eaten for overweight and obesity caused by metabolic disorders or pathology.

Features of application:

• fresh vegetables in salads improve digestion and metabolism;
• fresh leek reduces the lack of nutrients while on a diet;
• Onion soup satisfies hunger and does not stimulate appetite.

A low-calorie diet is combined with physical therapy. This will speed up weight loss.

About losing weight with onions:

In cosmetology

Leeks are also useful, like onions. But it is gentler on the skin and smells nicer.

Directions for use:

• to strengthen hair - the juice of a fresh plant is rubbed into the roots and scalp, massaged, and washed off with shampoo;
• to strengthen nails, soften cuticles and calluses - apply a pulp from the stem, insulate it with film and a towel, wash it after half an hour.

A day before using onion cosmetics, be sure to do a skin sensitivity test to the vegetable.

Onion hair mask recipe:

Harvesting

The harvest time will depend on the plant variety: some types of leeks are harvested as early as August, while others intended for storage are harvested no earlier than October. The best time to harvest leeks is 2-3 days before the arrival of frost.

The lower chamber of the refrigerator or cellar is suitable for storage. In the cellar, onions should be stored in damp sand and only in an upright position. To fill the leeks, you can use soil from the garden bed. When storing leek in the refrigerator, it must be wrapped in plastic, in which case it will last much longer without losing its properties. Leeks do not stop growing, even if they are in storage.

When there is not enough storage space, fresh onions can be dried. Why clean the white leg, cut it and let it dry indoors, then in the oven. This blank must be stored in a cardboard box, in a linen bag, but not in an airtight container.

Pearl onions have a unique and surprising feature: during storage, they increase the content of ascorbic acid in the stalk by one and a half times. No other vegetable crop has this property.

You can easily grow leeks in your garden if you follow all the nuances when sowing seeds and planting seedlings in open ground. This plant is not afraid of pests and diseases, and is also quite unpretentious in care.

A feature of this plant is the constant growth of leaves. Literally until late autumn, you can remove young leaves from the stem. Onions can withstand the cold well, even the first frosts (down to -1°C) are not scary for them. But you still need to adhere to the harvest deadlines - at the end of October, in order to be in time before frost, you need to dig up the onions.

It is best to dig up the plant not with a shovel, but with a pitchfork, so as not to damage the bulbs. After the harvest is harvested, you need to shake off the soil and trim the roots to a centimeter. It is also advisable to trim the leaves, leaving only 1/3. Large stems do not need to be trimmed so much, leaving a stem up to 30 cm long.

After digging, disassemble the onion into separate parts and dry. A container will do; fill the container with wet river sand. By deepening the plant in the sand, you will preserve fresh leeks until spring (in the basement or on an insulated loggia). The stems will retain a large amount of vitamin C, even more than when harvesting.

Characteristics and description of leeks

Leeks, or pearl onions, are a biennial herbaceous crop, a unique representative of the Allium subfamily. Thanks to its ability to adapt to any weather conditions, today this vegetable is cultivated everywhere. The pearl onion has a cylindrical white stalk that is often referred to as a false onion. The stem is light green. The leaves are rich green, flat, fibrous and quite hard, as if lubricated with wax.

The white part has an unusual, spicy-sweet taste. The smell is pleasant, unobtrusive. The energy value of leek is about 60 kcal per 100 g. The product consists of 90% water, but at the same time it is a real storehouse of valuable organic substances. 100 grams of fresh leeks contain carbohydrates (8.2 g), proteins (2 g) and a small amount of fat.

The top and bottom of the plant are rich in vitamins:

• ascorbic acid;
• tocopherol;
• vitamins B1 and B2;
• nicotinic acid and beta-carotene.

Also found in the plant:

• organic acids;
• cellulose;
• starch;
• sugar;
• minerals - iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, nickel, phosphorus.

How to properly store leeks

A very important condition for its cultivation is the presence of storage. Leeks grow continuously and have no dormant period.

In winter, it is good to store in a storage container at a temperature of 0 to 8 degrees. The most favorable temperature for storage is 2 degrees. At this storage temperature, the amount of vitamin C increases.

For winter storage, leeks are divided into three parts:

• The first part is those plants that are intended for quick consumption. These are thin plants. They are laid out in boxes obliquely in a layer of 10 cm.
• The second part is plants of medium thickness. They are laid out in one row in storage in free space.
• The third part is plants intended for long-term storage. They are squat and thick. They are placed obliquely in boxes. Plants are spaced at a distance the thickness of the plant for better ventilation. This prevents rotting at high humidity.

Both the stem and uncoarsened leaves are eaten. Leeks do not lose their qualities even when frozen.

Use in cooking

Since the popularity of this product has not yet reached its peak, many people are not familiar with how to cook leeks. Here are some simple recommendations.

The thickened lower white part of the stem (leg) and sometimes young wide flat leaves are eaten.

Before using leeks, be sure to rinse them with cold water, because soil often gets clogged between their layers, and peel them.

Step-by-step instructions on how to peel and chop leeks (with photo)

There are two ways to prepare leeks for cooking. The easiest way is to cut it into slices:

1. Remove the top green part and outer tough leaves
2. Cut off the roots and cut the leek lengthwise.
3. Rinse well under running water.
4. Holding with your hand, thinly slice the leg until you reach the green part.

It's a little more difficult to prepare whole leeks for use in a recipe:

1. Insert the point of the knife about half a centimeter below the part of the stem where the leaves end. Cut down to the green leaves, leaving the white part of the leek intact.
2. Fan it out and rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
3. Cut off the dark green top and root portion of the leek.

Master class on slicing - video

Methods for growing leeks

Leeks, like many other vegetables, are grown in two ways:

1. Seedless: the method involves immersing seeds directly into open ground. This solution is not suitable for all gardeners, since the growing season for leeks lasts for at least six months. Therefore, leek seeds are immediately planted in the beds by gardeners, mainly in the southern regions of Russia, who are not afraid of losing the plant due to the arrival of sudden frosts;
2. Seedling: this method allows you to control the initial stages of development of seedlings planted in separate pots, and only after that move them to the beds. This approach is considered safer and is suitable for all regions of Russia, since a stronger seedling has a better chance of withstanding possible temperature changes.

Beneficial features

Since the vegetable is filled with antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory properties, the beneficial properties of leeks affect several organ systems at once and help protect a person from various, including deadly, diseases. The main therapeutic effects of the product are listed in the table.

Biological features

Leeks are cold-resistant enough that they can be cultivated in all regions of Russia. In the year of planting, a rosette and a false stem are formed in the form of a white or light green bulb, covered with one or two film scales. Its size, depending on the variety, can be from 2 to 6 cm in height and from 2 to 7 cm in diameter.

The dark green leaves have a slight waxy coating, reach a length of 90 cm, and a width of 3 to 6 cm. Closer to the root, the leaves tightly close into a stem, the length of which can reach up to 60 cm. The weight of one plant averages 200-300 G.

The following summer, the plants form a flower arrow, at the end of which there is a spherical umbrella. It can contain up to 900 small bell-shaped flowers of white or lilac color. They appear towards the end of summer, so the seeds rarely have time to ripen under natural conditions in middle and northern latitudes, but they ripen well during storage and can produce a good onion harvest for several years. When stored at low temperatures, in addition to buds, aerial bulbs appear on the peduncle, which are also well suited for propagation.

Leeks have a powerful root system that tolerates any manipulation well. Interestingly, leeks are the only member of the allium family that does not have a dormant period. Unlike other types of green onions, leeks provide tasty and healthy greens until late autumn, easily tolerating frosts up to 7 degrees. But if you intend to use the crop for storage, you should not delay harvesting too much.

For different regions of Russia, you can use varieties that correspond to climatic conditions.

• Early ripening - Goliath, Vesta.
• Middle early - Lancelot, Kilima.
• Mid-season - Tango, Casimir.
• Middle late – Premier, Asgeos.
• Late ripening - Karantansky.

Varieties included in the State Register of the Russian Federation

To date, foreign and domestic breeders have developed more than 100 varieties and hybrids of leeks. Some of them are officially registered in the State Register of the Russian Federation, are well adapted and approved for gardening throughout the country. Varieties are usually divided into groups with different ripening periods:

As can be seen from the table, the list of recommended varieties is not yet very large and it is dominated by mid- and late-ripening varieties. When choosing the variety you are interested in, it is important to understand that:

• early ones - characterized by weak frost resistance, have lighter leaves and a tall (more than 25 cm) false stem, are not suitable for long-term storage;
• medium - their stem is shorter (15-22 cm high), but thicker, especially in the lower part, has the highest taste;
• late ones grow slowly, produce a short stem (7-12 cm) and leaves, colored dark green, can be stored all winter in proper conditions.

When cultivating leeks in Belarus, it was noted that early-ripening varieties have 1.2-1.7 times higher yields than varieties with later ripening periods

Botanical description

Leek inflorescence

Morphology

The bulb is devoid of bulblets or with few bulblets.

The stem emerges from the middle of the bulb.

The leaves are linear-lanceolate, with a long nose.

The umbrella is large, spherical; the perianth is whitish or less often pinkish, with slightly rough leaflets. The filaments of the stamens are longer than the perianth, the internal ones are tripartite, with the middle part half as long as the base.

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

Biological features

In the first year of life, it forms a powerful root system, a large number of flat long (40-60 cm) leaves arranged in a fan (alternately), a white false bulb 10-12 cm long and 2-8 cm in diameter, turning into a light green false stem with a height of up to 80 cm. In the second year, a flowering stem (arrow) up to 2 m high and seeds are formed. Leek flowers are small, pink and whitish-pink, collected in an inflorescence - an umbrella, initially covered with a sheath. Cross pollination. The seeds are triangular, wrinkled, and resemble onion seeds in appearance. They remain viable for two to four years.

Leek is a cold-resistant crop. Adult plants, when hilled and insulated with peat or sawdust, overwinter in the middle zone, especially in snowy winters. It is demanding of moisture, prefers loamy, high-humus floodplain soils. Heavy clay and light sandy soils, as well as waterlogged and acidic soils, are unsuitable for leeks.

Propagated by seeds. In the central and northern regions, the seedling method is used. In the southern regions, seedless culture (sowing seeds in open ground) is preferred.

The most dangerous pest is the onion fly.

Leeks in open ground

The soil

The best predecessors of this vegetable are potatoes, tomatoes, beans, peas and cabbage. Leeks should not be planted after herbs, cucumbers and carrots. The soil for leeks is prepared in the fall. During deep digging, organic and mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil per 1 square meter. m:

• 5 kg compost (or 3 kg manure)
• 3 kg ash
• 40 g superphosphate
• 20 g potassium chloride
• 30 ammonium nitrate

It is worth noting that acidic soils are not suitable for growing leeks. The situation can be corrected if, during the autumn digging, you add more ash, for example, a bucket of 1 square meter. meter.

Transplanting

After 60 days from the day the seeds hatch, the seedlings are ready for planting in the ground. Naturally, young plants should be planted in the garden after the threat of frost has passed. Leeks are famous for the unique taste of their tender and juicy stems, but in order for them to be that way, they need to be “bleached”. There are many ways to bleach plant stems, but most gardeners use a ball of earth. It is necessary to plant seedlings in a certain way.

At the landing site, V-shaped trenches are dug 15–18 cm deep at a distance of 50 cm from each other. A bank of earth on the sides of the trench will protect the plants from unexpected frosts, and will subsequently be used as a means of bleaching onion stems. Then plants are planted in trenches at a distance of 10–15 cm.

Before planting, it is necessary to shorten the roots of the plants to 1.5 cm, and the leaves by a third, without touching the growth point

It is very important to prevent the fine roots of the leek from drying out before placing the plant in the ground. Therefore, after shortening, the roots are dipped in clay mash (clay diluted with water to a mushy state)

When planting, seedlings are buried down to the first leaf. After planting, the plants are immediately watered.

Care and whitening

Caring for leek plantings involves removing weeds, watering and loosening the soil. During each loosening, if the length of the plant allows, you need to hill it up, covering the bottom leaf. This way, most of the plant will be permanently underground, resulting in a long, juicy, bleached stem.

To form a powerful bulb and stem, the plant requires abundant watering by sprinkling. Leeks are very responsive to fertilizing with organic fertilizers. It is recommended to fertilize the vegetable every three weeks with a solution of mullein (100 g per 10 l) or universal fertilizer.

Harvesting

Leeks are harvested in late autumn. If the soil is loose, it is easy to pull the onion out of the soil with your hands. If the weather is dry or, conversely, rainy, then the leek is dug out using a shovel or pitchfork.

Source

Stewed tomatoes with leeks

The dish has a unique appearance and taste. It is recommended to serve for breakfast or use as a snack.

What ingredients will you need?

To decorate stewed tomatoes and onions you will need:

• leek. White part of shoots – 500 g;
• medium-sized washed tomatoes – 250 g;
• wheat flour – 10 g;
• sour milk or yogurt – 100 ml;
• salt - the ingredient is used as desired and to taste;
• granulated sugar – 3g;
• ground pepper (you can use black or red, depending on the spiciness of the dish) – 1 g.

To fry foods you will need approximately 40-50 ml of vegetable oil.

Step-by-step cooking process

When stewing tomatoes, you need to adhere to the following sequence of points:

1. The onion needs to be prepared as standard (washed and cut into half rings).

2. Tomatoes should be doused with boiling water and peeled. The tomato pulp must be carefully cut into small cubes.
3. Heat the oil in a suitable frying pan and fry the leeks in it for about 5 minutes.
4. Next, place the tomatoes in the pan and fry the ingredients until softened.
5. When the tomatoes and onions become soft, salt the contents, add granulated sugar and pepper. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
6. Then you need to carefully add flour and pour in milk. Stir the ingredients and wait until they boil.

Ready stewed tomatoes should stand with the lid closed for approximately 10 minutes. The dish not only has a rich nutritional composition, but also normalizes the functioning of the digestive tract.

Features of care

Agricultural technology for growing leeks consists of a set of measures, including:

1. Regular watering. It must be done at least three times a week. In order to moisten the soil 8-10 cm deep, watering should be sufficiently abundant. This crop responds very well to moisture during the first half of the growing season.
2. Fertilizing, which is best done simultaneously with watering twice a month. In order to provide the plants with nutrition, you need to know how to feed the leeks. You can use a remedy common among summer residents, which includes mullein or chicken droppings, which is diluted with water.
3. Hilling, which is recommended to be done at least 4 times in one season. The ideal option is 2 times a month. This operation increases the chances of growing a plant with a powerful white stem. Hilling up is best done some time after watering.

Otherwise, growing leeks consists of the necessary weeding, as well as mulching the soil between the rows with peat or rotted manure.

Seedling care

After 4-6 days, the first leek loops will appear: from this moment and for 14 days, it is necessary to place the container overnight in a cool place with a temperature of 14 - 16 C. This procedure will help prevent bolting and stretching of seedlings. Leek seedlings are very thin and fragile, and to prevent them from falling, it is necessary to periodically add soil. This technique also contributes to the formation of a dense bulb and a long stem.

Leek seedlings need abundant watering and fertilizer. Seedlings should be fed every two weeks with any universal fertilizer, but in a reduced concentration (2 g per 10 l) to avoid burns on young greenery.