Anise: cultivation, useful properties and use of the plant, recipes
Anise is a common annual plant that belongs to the Umbelliferae family. Its closest relatives are dill, cumin and fennel. All these cultures have similar characteristics. In the process of development, anise forms a straight stem up to 70 centimeters high. The culture has a rounded furrowed shape and forms many branches at the top.
Description of the plant
Anise is an annual crop of the Bedrenets genus, Umbelliferae family. This plant is considered very unpretentious. It has a thin medium stem and reaches a height of 50-70 centimeters.The culture is branchy and upright. Anise is characterized by a thin tap root with a large number of branches.
At the bottom, the plant has whole long-leaved leaves, which are distinguished by a round-beam shape. They may be lobed or notched-toothed. The middle leaves of the culture are wedge-shaped and have long petioles. On top of the bushes there are thrice pinnate leaves.
Anise blooms in the summer. Most often this happens in June. During this period, small five-membered inflorescences appear on the bushes. They look inconspicuous, but have an intense aroma. Anise flowers are white. At the same time, the inflorescences are characterized by an umbrella shape.
After the end of flowering, gray-green two-seeded fruits appear on the bushes, which have a pleasant fragrant aroma and a sweetish aftertaste. In shape, the grains are similar to an oval flattened on the sides, 2-6 millimeters in size. The crop brings the harvest in August.
Popular cultures
Anise is divided into 2 main varieties - ordinary and star. Each of them is characterized by its own characteristics.
Ordinary
This is an annual crop that has a developed tap root system. It penetrates to a depth of 40 centimeters. Thanks to this, the culture is able to withstand short-term drought. Anise of this species is characterized by a straight, finely furrowed stem, which is distinguished by a hollow shape. It reaches a height of 75 centimeters.
Anise is used in cosmetology and cooking. However, it should not be confused with the stellate variety. These cultures belong to different families, and therefore differ in shape, taste and aroma.
Star-shaped
This anise is also called star anise. This culture has a lot of useful properties.According to the botanical description, the plant is an evergreen culture from the Limonnikov family. The fruits of this type of anise resemble a 6- or 8-pointed star. This plant is actively used as a seasoning. It is often grown in Japan, China, India.
The aroma of star anise is reminiscent of licorice. This plant has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It contains shikimic acid, which has strong antiviral properties. Aromatic star anise is often used to make perfumes, essential oils, and oral compositions.
How to store seeds
Anise seeds are recommended to be kept in airtight containers. They need to provide a cool or moderate temperature. At the same time, for storing spices, you need to use the far corner of the cabinet. The shelf life of anise is no more than six months.
Plant varieties
The most popular varieties of anise in Russia are Alekseevsky 68 and Alekseevsky 1231. Also, summer residents often grow table and vegetable varieties of the crop. The most popular ones are:
- Magic elixir;
- Moscow;
- Semko;
- Blues;
- Umbrella.
All these crops are characterized by high resistance to temperature fluctuations. They are undemanding to care for and give a good harvest. As for imported varieties, the most popular are German, Dutch and French.
Useful and negative properties
The healing properties of the culture are due to its rich chemical composition. Anise fruits include essential oils, proteins, vegetable fats, sugar, carbohydrates. They also contain various acids - chlorogenic and coffee.
The content of such substances allows the use of anise as an analgesic, disinfectant, antispasmodic. Also, the plant helps to expectorate phlegm and helps to cope with inflammation.
The rich chemical composition of anise gives it a lot of valuable properties. The use of this product helps to achieve the following results:
- reduce body temperature;
- improve sputum production;
- block inflammation;
- stimulate kidney function;
- relieve spasms;
- stimulate bowel function;
- crush kidney stones;
- eliminate a migraine attack;
- stop internal bleeding;
- improve appetite;
- cope with sleep disorders;
- normalize the digestive system;
- increase lactation;
- improve heart function;
- achieve a calming effect on nervous disorders;
- cope with sleep disorders;
- eliminate epileptic seizures;
- achieve wound healing;
- get rid of itching and inflammation that appear after insect bites;
- get rid of dermatitis;
- improve eyesight;
- manage the pain of rheumatism and gout.
When using anise, it is important to consider that it can provoke allergy symptoms. Therefore, people who are prone to this problem should use the plant with caution. At first, it is recommended to take a little substance and only in the absence of allergies, you can increase the dosage.
Contraindications to the use of anise should include the following:
- pregnancy;
- chronic gastritis;
- peptic ulcer.
Anise oil is not recommended for more than 1 week.With high blood clotting, it should be mixed with milk or cream and consumed 1 drop per day. To avoid narcotic effects or paradoxical arousal, this product should not be used in large quantities for a long period of time.
Recipes for use
The use of anise helps to cope with a variety of diseases. In this case, you can use the following recipes:
- To restore the voice, take half a glass of anise seeds, pour 200 milliliters of water and boil for 10-15 minutes. Then strain the broth and add 1 tablespoon of cognac and 2 tablespoons of honey to it. Boil for 5 minutes and drink 1 dessert spoon at intervals of 30-40 minutes.
- With polyps in the nose, instill a composition based on 15 grams of anise grass and 100 milliliters of alcohol. The mixture is recommended to infuse for 9 days. For instillation of the nose, it is necessary to mix the tincture with water in a ratio of 1: 3.The nose needs to be instilled 3-4 times a day, using 3 drops in each nostril.
- To eliminate asthma and cough, you need to take 15 anise grains and boil in a glass of water. The resulting remedy is taken in half or a quarter of a glass 3-4 times a day. This should be done half an hour before meals.
- In case of chronic bronchitis and loss of voice, it is recommended to drink an infusion of common anise fruit. In this case, 1 small spoonful of seeds must be mixed with a glass of boiling water and insisted for 2 hours. Strained remedy take a third of a glass 3-4 times a day.
- In case of throat diseases, you need to take 1 small spoonful of crushed anise fruits, add 250 milliliters of boiling water and put on a small fire for a quarter of an hour. After completing the cooking process, strain the composition through cheesecloth. Drink 3-4 times a day 20 minutes before meals. A single dose is 2-3 tablespoons. The infusion successfully copes with dry throat and helps eliminate hoarseness.
How to grow a plant
This culture prefers light fertile soil with low acidity. It does not develop well in swampy and loamy soil. Before carrying out planting work, the site is recommended to be cleared of weed roots. It is best to plant anise in autumn. In this case, the soil needs to be dug to a depth of 20-25 centimeters and manure or compost is applied. In the spring, this area needs to be dug up again to a depth of 5-6 centimeters, leveled and slightly compacted.
Anise seeds are slow to germinate. This is due to their structure and the high density of the shell, which hardly passes moisture and air. Soil temperature has a significant effect on seed germination. If it is + 3-4 degrees, the seeds will germinate in 25-30 days. With higher values, the first sprouts should be expected already on the 14th-16th day.
Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionTo get friendly shoots, before planting, it is worth soaking the seeds for 2-3 days in water. However, it needs to be changed daily. It is recommended to plant anise in April. In this case, the beds should be placed at intervals of 30 centimeters.Culture is recommended to be planted after various vegetables and potatoes. At the same time, cilantro should in no case be the precursor of anise. Caring for anise involves timely watering. It is important to consider that it is required to moisten the soil at least 3 times a week. Also, the beds should be regularly weeded and hilled.
Full ripening of anise seeds occurs 3 months after planting. Harvesting is required early in the morning. In this case, the umbrellas need to be cut, dried, threshed. If necessary, they need to be sieved. It is recommended to store the seeds in a paper bag or in a glass container.
Anise is a useful crop that has an intense aroma and is often used as a spice. In addition, the plant contains many valuable components, which allows the culture to be used in traditional medicine.
