A traditional blend of spices for Chinese cuisine that can easily add a Chinese touch to even ordinary dishes. The classic composition of spices is Chinese cassia cinnamon, star anise, Sichuan pepper, cloves and fennel seeds. Depending on the region, other ingredients are sometimes added to the spice mixture (even though the mixture is then called “5 spices” :-)), such as ginger, anise, nutmeg, cardamom or turmeric... Sometimes one of the spices is replaced . Only cassia, anise and Sichuan pepper remain indispensable.
The Chinese, who scattered around the world, popularized this mixture of spices in other countries, mainly Asian, but not only. The “5 Spice” spice mixture can be bought ready-made, but prepared at home it is undoubtedly more aromatic and interesting.
Cassia, or Chinese cinnamon, is a second-rate (so to speak) cinnamon, which is related to the Ceylon cinnamon that is familiar to us, only it has a slightly different aftertaste, a certain bitterness and a slightly different aroma. But you can safely replace it with regular cinnamon.
As for the Szechuan pepper, there is no need to substitute it. It has such a unique taste and aroma that it is worth making your life difficult and looking for it in online stores where it will not be difficult to find it.
You can add the "5 Spice" spice mixture to Chinese dishes, in addition, it is also excellent for duck, goose or pork cooked in your usual way.
Ingredients
- 1 stick of Chinese cassia cinnamon (can be replaced with regular cinnamon), broken
- 2 star anise
- 2 tsp Sichuan pepper
- 1 tsp carnations
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
1) Heat the spices in a dry frying pan until the expressive aroma of spices is felt.
Everyone loves the fruits of the crop, but not everyone can care for it properly. The matter is not limited to just planting seeds in the ground. Perform many agrotechnical activities. These include fertilizing and processing of plants.
The hallmark of its use is that it does not remain in vegetables. Use is safe for the human body.
- 1 g boric acid;
- 1 g potassium permanganate;
- 3 g copper sulfate;
- 100 g urea;
Since this solution does not cause harm, it is treated every 1.5-2 weeks. It is much weaker than chemicals, but after treatment with it, vegetables are eaten within 2-3 days.
The Chinese mixture for spraying cucumbers is used as foliar feeding.
How to prepare Chinese mixture?
Proper preparation is the key to a positive result. Completion of all points is mandatory:
- First of all, urea is diluted. To do this, you can take a little water, or half a bucket at once. Mix thoroughly.
- Boric acid is diluted in a glass of water, the temperature of which is 75-85 ⁰C. After dilution, it is added to urea with water.
- Potassium permanganate is added to the resulting mixture. Mix until smooth.
- Pour copper sulfate into a 10-liter bucket, pour in water, and dilute it. Add the mixture and mix thoroughly. As a result, they add up to 10 liters.
- Pour into a sprayer and begin processing; the resulting composition is not stored.
Spray all cucumber stems without exception. Without missing a single one.
What is it used for?
Treating plants against peronospora, powdery mildew and late blight also helps fight mites and revive plants that are starting to turn yellow.
Feeding cucumbers
Each summer resident has his own established fertilizer application system. It is difficult for only a novice vegetable grower to understand all the intricacies of the process. Sometimes, timely fertilizing helps to avoid serious consequences leading to the death of plants.
The very first feeding is carried out when the plant has produced 4-5 true leaves. Use mullein, 1 liter per 10 liters of water.
The dosage cannot be increased, as the plant will begin to form a powerful green mass and will not bear fruit.
Feed a second time after 14-21 days. Use diluted chicken manure, 700 ml per 10 liters of water. To avoid burning the sensitive roots of plants, water around the bushes.
During the flowering period, another feeding is carried out. Take 200-300 g of wood ash and dilute 10 liters of water. The mixture is poured under the root.
The season ends with fertilizing during the fruiting period. 500 ml of chicken manure per 10 liters of water. In addition, complex fertilizers are used, which are mixed independently.
Fertilizer combination
The main condition is not to do harm. To do this, you need to know exactly what to mix with what, and what is absolutely incompatible.
Lime, dolomite, chalk do not go together:
- With urea.
- Ammonium sulfate.
- Ammonium nitrate.
- Manure.
- Bird droppings.
- All types of superphosphate.
- Potassium chloride, potassium salt.
- Potassium sulfate.
Manure and bird droppings should not be mixed with:
- Ammonium sulfate.
- Ammonium nitrate.
The right combination of minerals and fertilizers will help plants form strong bushes and produce a rich harvest.
Other methods of feeding and processing crops
In addition to the Chinese mixture, other folk remedies are used for cucumbers. Their advantage is that they do not harm plants and the human body.
Summer residents advise using a decoction of onion peels. To do this you will need boiling water and 1 kg of husk. Leave for 24-48 hours. Then dilute in a ratio of 1:5-8 parts. Spray with the prepared solution once every 2 weeks. In addition to removing pathogens, the infusion feeds the plants and kills aphids on cucumbers.
By using a solution of boric acid, you can significantly increase the yield of any crop. To do this, take 2-3 g of the substance and dilute it with 10 liters of water. All plants are treated with the prepared mixture during flowering.
Experienced vegetable growers advise using fish heads as top dressing. A special infusion is prepared for this. 2-3 heads are poured with 10 liters of water, left until foam forms on top. Then add 200 g of wood ash and let it stand for another 5 hours. Water the resulting mixture over those plants that have begun to dry out, have stopped blooming and have stopped producing ovaries. It is necessary to carefully remove all the leaves without touching the growing points and the top. The scourges are folded and pressed to the ground. After some time, sprouts will appear. After observing a little, the weak ones are removed, leaving 1 of the strongest. It will give new life to the old plant.
In order for plants to be less susceptible to insect attacks or diseases, proper care and agricultural technology are required. First of all, the plants on the plot or greenhouses should not be placed too close. The optimal distance between bushes and rows should be calculated.
There is no need to over-moisten the soil. It is better to water more abundantly and less often. To preserve moisture and control pests, the soil is hilled up or loosened after each watering. It is recommended to mulch the planting beds; this will prevent the appearance of weeds, the roots of which harbor insects that can destroy plants.
Competent prevention works better than any treatment; taking the necessary measures will save you from crop loss.
Cucumbers should be inspected regularly; when the first symptoms of any disease appear, the fruits, leaves, stems, and even the entire plant are destroyed. By sacrificing one, the rest will be saved. All infected plant debris is buried deep into the ground or carried far beyond the site.
It is better to use folk remedies for the prevention and control of diseases, since they do not harm the human body.
Timely introduction of fertilizing causes the disease to be avoided. A strong plant resists bacteria and viruses longer.
The Chinese mixture is used by many, including the Chinese themselves. Its benefit is that while disinfecting the plant, it acts as a top dressing. With proper care, you get a rich harvest.
Frozen vegetables can be found in almost every store today.
Such mixtures are especially relevant in the kitchen in winter, when there are practically no summer vegetables on the shelves, and you want to treat yourself to a delicious dish with the addition of sweet tomatoes or green peas. But before buying this product, many often ask themselves the question: Are frozen mixed vegetables healthy??».
After all, most people believe that since vegetables have gone through the freezing stage, all the beneficial microelements from the food have disappeared, and this does not indicate the benefits of vegetable mixtures. It must be said that this is not so.
Many experts claim that such semi-finished products are not inferior in their usefulness to fresh vegetables.
Indeed, thanks to modern technologies, vegetables collected from the beds go through the freezing stage within 2-3 hours. And during this period of time they simply do not have time to lose their nutritional properties.
Therefore, vegetable mixtures are ideal both for inclusion in a child’s daily diet and for consumption by older people.
In addition, these mixtures:
- Helps improve digestion and appetite;
- Suitable for dietary nutrition;
- They are low in calories;
- Rich in selenium, phosphorus, sodium, iron and other useful microelements.
By including frozen vegetables in your diet, you have the opportunity to discover new recipes from frozen mixtures. Depending on who you buy and what product you purchase, it will depend on how you prepare your culinary masterpiece: a side dish for the second course, soup or salad.
Now manufacturers are trying to surprise the buyer with an interesting composition of mixtures.
Frozen vegetables can be:
- carrot,
- tomatoes,
- Brussels or green beans,
- Chinese cabbage,
- beet,
- broccoli.
- Some people will like the Hawaiian mixture, the contents of which are characterized by the presence of rice, while others may like Italian mix frozen, where everyone’s favorite olives are available.
The main thing when choosing semi-finished products is to carefully study the composition of the product, since some vegetables may not suit you due to personal intolerance or other circumstances.
It is also important to assess the condition of the mixture. If it looks like a lump, it means that it has been defrosted, as a result of which it lacks any nutrients.
VIDEO ON THE TOPIC
Frozen mixture is a real new generation product that does not require long-term heat treatment. It doesn't even require pre-defrosting to prepare it. Such vegetables can be easily stewed, fried or boiled.
Hawaiian frozen mixture One of the popular ones is the Hawaiian frozen mixture, the recipe of which is quite simple. The main product that is included in its composition is rice.
It also contains:
- Red bell pepper;
- Corn;
- Green pea.
Here the composition may be different, because everything is decided by the manufacturer, but rice remains an unchanged ingredient. There are only 91 kcal per 100 grams of Hawaiian mix. As a result, the mixture is ideal for those on a diet.
This mixture will be an ideal addition to any dish, be it a main dish, a light soup or a salad prepared by yourself.
RECIPE
A very simple dish. Vegetables do not require defrosting, so you can start cooking at any time.
We will need:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil,
- water,
- salt,
- seasonings to taste.
Preparation procedure:
- Heat a frying pan and pour in vegetable oil.
- Pour in the vegetable mixture and stir lightly.
- Add water to the mixture (about a third of a cup will be enough for one 400 gram package).
- Simmer covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- As the liquid evaporates, the rice and vegetables will brown slightly. All that remains is to add salt and seasonings to taste.
You can serve it with any meat or as a separate dish.
In the minds of many, Mexican cuisine is necessarily fried dishes with the addition of a huge amount of hot pepper and spices. However, this is not the case.
In this country, the culinary preferences of the residents are not limited only to such culinary masterpieces; they also love meat, various cereals and vegetables. You can try the latter if you buy a frozen mixture.
In it you will find:
- Carrot,
- Bell pepper,
- corn grains,
- green beans,
- Green pea.
You can add mushrooms, cereals or other ingredients to the mixture if desired. A lot depends on the dish you want to prepare.
RECIPE
Omelet with Mexican mixture
This dish is unusual and very tasty.
We will need:
- vegetable oil,
- butter,
- two eggs,
- salt,
- 2 tablespoons milk,
- spices.
Preparation procedure:
- Heat a frying pan, add a little butter and fry the frozen vegetables.
- Two eggs will be enough for half a pack of Mexican mixture. Beat them with milk and salt and pour them into the pan with the vegetables.
- Cover with a lid and fry until done.
More Examples:
- A vegetable side dish, for which you need to fry frozen vegetables in a frying pan with the addition of seasonings and oil, then add a little water and simmer the dish. In just half an hour you can start testing.
- The frozen mixture goes perfectly with seafood, meat, various cereals and mushrooms; you can use it to prepare warm salads, holiday treats and casseroles.
Fans of Asian cuisine will be delighted with the Chinese frozen mixture, because it contains all the ingredients of traditional Chinese cuisine.
The main products included here are:
- White cabbage;
- Carrot;
- Shiitake mushrooms;
- Soybean and bamboo shoots;
- Celery;
- Mini corn.
Chinese frozen mixture can be supplemented with soy sauce or seasonings, which will only emphasize the exquisite taste of the products.
Recipe: Chinese mixed vegetables with meat
This dish involves pre-cooking the meat.
We will need:
- any meat, such as beef or pork,
- ginger,
- soy sauce,
- onion garlic,
- vegetable oil.
Preparation procedure:
- Cut the meat into thin strips, add ginger and soy sauce. Place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.
- The next day, fry the meat in a frying pan in vegetable oil.
- Add the vegetable mixture and onions to the meat, pour in soy sauce.
- If desired, add a little garlic and simmer, covered, until done.
- The Chinese mixture is ideal as a side dish for rice or meat. In order for the taste qualities of vegetables to be fully revealed, they must be added at the very end of cooking. After 15 minutes of cooking, when the vegetables become soft, you can start eating them.
Whatever frozen mixture you choose to realize your own culinary fantasies, you will have the opportunity not only to pamper yourself with delicious vegetables, prepare a unique dish for your loved ones, but also to maximally saturate your body with essential microelements and vitamins.
Indeed, thanks to modern technologies for processing ingredients, frozen vegetable mixture can be called a product of the future, which not only retains all its nutritional properties, but is also ideal for quick preparation.
Good afternoon. I will say this - I am not a fan of frozen vegetable mixtures. The fact is that I like to eat vegetables raw, but I don’t like boiled or stewed ones. More than once or twice I came across the refrigerator in the refrigerator with these frosts, and each time my eye was drawn to the “Chinese mixture”.
Finally, yesterday I bought it, and the choice was between 4 seasons and another brand, I chose “4 seasons”, because... for the same 400-gram package, the competitor asked for 30 rubles. more) In general, now it costs about 90 rubles in Magnit.
So, we have: carrots, onions, cabbage, peppers - well, that’s clear. Black Chinese mushroom - okay, we managed to identify it. But the bamboo and mung bean sprouts... I don’t know, there was something white that was denser and thinner, apparently that’s IT) I poured it into a two-liter bowl - estimate the volume of the bag.
I had some beef, the recipe just suggested itself. So, cut the meat thinly (into strips or slices, most importantly, across the grain), sprinkle with spices (I used a mixture of peppers + coriander), pour in soy sauce, marinate a little, and then start frying in hot vegetable oil. The heat must be high for the meat to fry , but not stewed.
I poured half the mixture into the finished beef, added more soy sauce, stirred and then left to simmer for a few minutes. When the vegetables are soft (7 minutes), the dish is ready. Separately, I boiled the noodles (buckwheat would have worked well, but due to lack of availability, regular wheat noodles were fine). My husband, who doesn’t particularly like experiments, devoured everything. I think the beef could be replaced with chicken or pork, and a vegan option would be good too.
A couple of days later I again wanted something unusual, so I made a salad with funchose. poured the remaining half of the vegetables into a dry Teflon frying pan and simmered with soy sauce until soft. I soaked half a pack of funchose (100 g) in hot water, then washed it and combined it with vegetables. seasoned with mixture for Korean carrots.
It is very convenient to have a package of this mixture in the freezer in case of unexpected guests or in case you are suddenly in the mood to eat something unusual. I think I will repeat the purchase and look at other types of these products.
