Curly endive(Cichorium endivia var. Crispa) is an annual lettuce plant with a decorative rosette of cut leaves and a delicate, bitter taste. Already known in ancient Rome, endive was widely cultivated, mainly for medicinal purposes. Learn about the nutritional values andhealing properties of endive , the principles of growing it and the bestendive varieties recommended for gardensHere's everything about growing endives on your plot!
Curly endive - Cichorium endivia var. crispa
Fig. depositphotos.com
The most important biological feature of the endiveis the rapid formation of a large (300-400 g) rosette of leaves. The color of the endive leaves varies from yellowish green to dark green depending on the variety. The inulin content makes them bitter. To get rid of bitterness, you should whiten the leaves of this vegetable.
Endive - nutritional and healing properties
It is worth appreciatingnutritional properties of endiveand planting this vegetable in your garden. Of all the green vegetables, endive endive is one of the richest in carotene. It is also a good source of vitamin C, calcium, chlorine, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. Endive leaves contain lots of B vitamins that are extremely beneficial for the nervous system. They are also involved in many important metabolic processes.
Consuming endive juice mixed with the juice of carrots, parsley and celery has a very beneficial effect on our eyes.Eating endives has a beneficial effecton the work of the liver and cardiovascular system. It also helps lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels.
Curly endive - varieties
Endywia has 2 botanical varieties:
- Broad-leaved(Cichorium endivia latifolia), also called escarola - with rosettes of green, large, full-edge leaves
- Curly(Cichorium endivia var. Crispum), also known as moss - with very strongly cut, curly leaves
Curly endive 'Tosca'- is an early variety, grown in summer and autumn, resistant to breaking out in seed shoots. For long-term storage. Very good for whitening, just tie the leaves 10 days before harvest.
Endive grown on the plot
Fig. depositphotos.com
Enddywia curly 'Bionda a Cuore Pieno'- a variety that creates wide rosettes of slightly cut leaves. You should start bleaching the rosettes 2-3 weeks before the planned harvest.
Curly endive 'Barundi'- a variety with strongly jagged leaves, recommended for cultivation in the ground from March to autumn. Creates a medium-sized head, quite flat, with a large proportion of yellow in the middle.
Curly endive 'Benthos'- variety with strongly jagged leaves. Recommended for cultivation in the ground from April to autumn. It is characterized by high tolerance to knocking out in inflorescence shoots. A very fertile and high-quality variety.
Curly endive 'Cigal'- creates a rosette of irregular, green-yellow leaves, which are perfect as an addition to various types of dishes. Self-bleaching variety.
Curly endive - cultivation
Endive prefers a quiet, sunny positionIt grows well in light, moist soils with a high content of humus. With the onset of long days and warmer temperatures, the plant quickly produces raised and branched flower shoots with inflorescences consisting of numerous tiny purple flowers.
Curly endive is very cold-resistant- tolerates frosts down to -4 and even -6 ° C. Under favorable conditions, it can winter in the ground. Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of +2 to + 3 ° C, with an optimal growth temperature of 20 to 22 ° C.
Often, endive is grown as an aftercrop vegetable after all other vegetables except salads.The best pre-crops for endives are:cucumbers, zucchini, early white cabbage, spinach, radishes and cauliflower.
Endive can be grown from seedlings or by sowing seeds directly in the ground. To prepare seedlings, seeds are sown at the turn of March and April in boxes placed in a greenhouse or a foil tunnel. After the formation of two proper leaves, the seedlings are transplanted into 8x8 cm pots. We plant the seedlings into the ground 4-8 weeks after sowing the seeds. The recommendedspacing for planting endivesis 30x30 cm.
Endive seeds can also be sownon the seedbed from late May to mid-June. Then, we plant the plants permanently in July, usually as polonium after the vegetables that have already been harvested. We collect until late autumn.
Endive can also be grown in autumnin unheated foil tunnels or greenhouses for harvesting the so-called 'baby leaf', i.e. young leaves.
Furtherrules for growing endive chicoryare the same as for all salads. The root system of Curly Endive is shallow, therefore the top layer of soil should be moist and loose. Plants should be watered abundantly, and then the soil should be loosened to ensure good aeration and to prevent crust formation.Endives grown in fertile soil do not need additional feeding. On weaker soils, we can feed it with organic fertilizers. Before planting or sowing the soil, the soil can be enriched with compost, while for topping it can be watered diluted with vermicompost.
Endive bleaching
Fig. public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Curd whitening
When the endive leaf rosette is large enough and spread out, start bleaching the inner leaves. Endive bleaching improves flavor, leaves become brittle and tenderFor this purpose, 2 weeks before harvesting, the leaves are tied at the top of the rosette with string so that light cannot penetrate inside. It is important to do this on a clear day, when the leaves are dry, because when tied when wet, they will start to rot quickly.
Instead of tying the leaves into rosettes, you can also cover the plants with covers of upturned pots, cardboard boxes or black foil . It will also cut off the access of light to the leaves of the endive.
Plants collected before the frosts themselves can be dug up with the roots and pitted in damp sand in a cool, dark room. Deprived of light, after a dozen or so days they will get rid of bitterness.
Bleached endive rosettesdo not store well, so it is best not to bleach all plants at once, but only as needed.
How to eat endive?
We eat end products like lettuce - raw - as a base for salads or as an addition to sandwiches.
Here are 2 proven endive recipes:
Endive and anchovy salad- put a large handful of endive leaves on the plate. Put a diced hard-boiled egg and anchovies on top. Pour over the sauce made of olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, pepper and s alt.
Green salad with broad beans- put broad beans into boiling water for about 10 minutes. After cooling, peel and mix with a handful of curly endives and chopped basil, chives and parsley. Season with olive oil, vinegar, pepper and s alt.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
