When do water caltrops generally mature and hit the market?
The water caltrop is the fruit of the water caltrop (Trapa), an annual herbaceous aquatic plant in the genus Trapa of the family Trapaceae. It has very high nutritional value, containing abundant starch, protein, glucose, unsaturated fatty acids, various vitamins and trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus and iron. The ancients believed that eating more water caltrops could tonify the five viscera, eliminate all diseases and lighten the body. Now let us take a look at when water caltrops mature and hit the market!
When do water caltrops hit the market?
Water caltrops generally hit the market from July to September. Water caltrops begin to grow tender leaves in April of spring, begin to bloom in May, begin to grow tender water caltrops in June, and can mature in July; in August the water caltrops age and fall off, so water caltrops in July are the crispest and most delicious. Moreover, fresh water caltrops actually cannot be eaten for very long, lasting at most about ten days or so, and the water caltrops that come out later will gradually become old.
How much does a jin of water caltrops cost?
The price of water caltrops is about 3 to 5 yuan per jin, but prices vary greatly depending on the variety, place of origin, market and season. In China, water caltrops are cultivated most in the Taihu Lake area of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Pearl River Delta. Cultivated ones are larger, and can be the size of a matchbox, while wild ones are smaller, some only the size of a fingernail. Colors include green, red and purple, and the horns may be hornless, one-horned, two-horned or four-horned.
What kinds of water caltrops are there?
1. Huntun water caltrop: produced in Jiaxing, Zhejiang and other places, a late-maturing variety, sown at Qingming, harvested from Qiufen to Shuangjiang. High quality and high yield, sweet and glutinous in taste, with a yield of 1000 to 1200 jin per mu. The skin is greenish-white, with 40 to 50 fruits per jin.
2. Xiaobai water caltrop: produced in Wujiang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and other places, a mid-to-late-maturing variety, sown at Qingming, harvested from Bailu to Shuangjiang, with a yield of 600 to 1200 jin per mu. The fruit shape is relatively small, suitable for cooked eating, with 60 to 70 fruits per jin.
3. Daqing water caltrop: produced in Wujiang, Wuxian, Yixing, Jiangsu and other places, a mid-maturing variety, with sowing and maturity periods the same as Xiaobai water caltrop, with a yield of 1000 to 1200 jin per mu. Medium quality, large fruit shape, with 20 to 25 fruits per jin.
4. Shuihong water caltrop: produced in the Suzhou, Hangzhou and Jiaxing area, an early-maturing variety, sown at Qingming, tender water caltrops begin to be harvested at Liqiu, and old water caltrops are harvested at Chushu and Shuangjiang, with a yield of 800 to 1000 jin per mu. The fruit shape is relatively large, with 25 to 35 fruits per jin.
5. Bianfu water caltrop: produced near Nanjing, an early-maturing variety, sown at Qingming, harvested at Chushu and Hanlu. Its growth vigor is relatively weak, the leaf surface is light green and the underside is reddish-brown, the fruit shape is medium, and the skin color comes in two types, red and green, with about 40 fruits per jin.
6. Nanhu water caltrop: produced in Nanhu, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, an early and mid-maturing variety, sown at Qingming, harvested from Chushu to Shuangjiang. Good quality, the flesh is firm with a slightly japonica-like texture, the skin is greenish-white, the four horns are degenerated, the fruit shape is medium, with about 40 fruits per jin.