Autumn and winter are the perfect time to grow health-boosting flowers, with fruit hanging all over the branches - steep them in tea or make jam

In late autumn, the fragrance of a hundred fruits fills the air. This is when a home with fruit trees looks its best. Never mind persimmon trees or pear trees, which need a yard. Today let's talk about fruit trees you can grow on a balcony. The fruit they produce is both ornamental and edible, and no autumn or winter home should be without one!

Appetizing hawthorn - a must-have for families with young and old

Fresh hawthorn is truly tempting, and you really want to grow one at home. In fact, hawthorn has strong adaptability and can be grown in most areas, north and south, tolerating cold and bearing lots of fruit!

Potted hawthorn needs timely fertilizer supplementation, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. It's best to spread a layer of chicken manure fertilizer or compound fertilizer at the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer. Don't water too much normally, and maintain at least 3 hours of sunlight per day for 100% fruit set.

Hawthorn fruits all turn red in October-November, though they're still a bit sour. With a little processing, they become an appetizing delicacy suitable for young and old. A little every day can also strengthen the body.

1. Canned hawthorn

Wash 1 jin of hawthorn and let it dry, then use a thicker chopstick to poke out the seeds.

Put the deseeded hawthorn in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes, then scoop it out and rinse in cold water. In a separate clean pot, boil 500ml of water, add 100g white sugar and 3-5 pieces of rock sugar, and cook until the syrup is thick and coats a spoon.

Let the syrup cool after cooking. Finally, put the hawthorn into a dry glass jar, pour in the syrup, seal the lid and put it in the fridge. After 3 days you can enjoy healthy and delicious canned hawthorn!

2. Hawthorn jam

If you have children at home, try making appetizing hawthorn jam. Prepare 1 jin of hawthorn, 300g honey, and 1 jin of rock sugar.

Remove the seeds from the hawthorn, cut into small pieces, put in a pot and add water to cover the hawthorn, pour in the honey (if you don't have honey, you can substitute 100g white sugar), bring to a boil over high heat then turn to medium heat.

Keep watching the pot during cooking, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. Cook the hawthorn until soft, add rock sugar, and keep stirring with a spatula until all the rock sugar has melted.

If a drop of hawthorn jam dropped into clear water forms a solidified little ball, it's done. You can spoon it into a dry glass jar, let it cool, and enjoy it anytime!

Astringent little kumquats transform in seconds into delicious health-boosting jam

Many gardening friends keep little kumquats at home just as decoration to look at. Although the fruit is sour and astringent, it's actually very useful. Follow Huahua and learn - from forcing fruit to making preserves, you must pay attention!

Many gardening friends buy kumquat trees with fruit already on them. When you get home, don't water first - place it in a shady spot, let it rest for about 3-5 days before watering. When the temperature is below 5°C, pay attention to keeping it warm. Let it get some sun during the day, and cover it with a large plastic bag at night to keep it warm and moist.

However, potted kumquats taste sour and astringent and aren't suitable for eating raw. Process them into throat-soothing kumquat tea - great for steeping in water in autumn and winter!

1. Kumquat tea

Cut the kumquats in half, or make decorative cuts on the whole fruit. After cutting, sprinkle a layer of white sugar on top and let them sit for 2-3 hours.

Prepare several dry glass jars - they must not contain raw water. Pour a layer of white sugar at the bottom of the jar, add kumquats, pour sugar, add more kumquats... until the jar is full. Put on the lid and place in the fridge.

Wait until the white sugar has completely dissolved into liquid, then open the lid and eat. It's generally used to make tea - more effective for soothing the throat than pomelo tea!

2. Kumquat jam

Kumquats are even better than mandarin oranges for making jam. The resulting jam is sweet and tart - the kids next door will cry with envy!

Wash 1 jin of kumquats and cut into thin shreds, crescent-shaped strips. Put them in a pot, add half a jin of rock sugar, add water to cover the kumquats, and bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to medium heat.

Stir constantly while cooking to avoid sticking. Once the liquid becomes thick, you can sprinkle in a handful of dried osmanthus for extra fragrance, then stir for 3 minutes and turn off the heat. After cooling, put it into a dry glass jar and store in the fridge to enjoy anytime~

After reading this article

Aren't you craving it?

Save these little methods

Try making them tomorrow!

?