Goumi of Japan the magic fruit
Table of Contents
GOUMI HEALTHY CONTENTS
Goumi is a nice big shrub, once harvested the fruits can last for a couple of weeks in the fridge. It is better to eat fruit fresh, but Goumi are also excellent for jams or juices
Rich in vitamin C, they have a significant amount of sugars, 5% proteins and many minerals.
A unique feature for a fruit is the presence, in its pulp, of essential fatty acids.
They are those that our body is unable to synthesize from other substances, but being considered indispensable, they must be introduced through foods that contain them (series Omega3 and Omega6).
Goumi of Japan contains seventeen times higher amounts of lycopene than tomatoes, so it has very high antioxidant capacities.
What does Goumi of Japan taste like?
The red small berries have a sour and sweet taste.
The more ripe, the less sour.
The particular texture of the zest, which is very thin but rough, is firm and when you bite the fruit, you have a nice little explosion in your mouth.
Cultivating Goumi
A Goumi bush grows easily in quite all climates throughout Europe.
It is an hardy plant that does not require special care or soil and produces large quantities of healthy fruit after it gets a couple of years old.
If it finds the right position it grows at a remarkable speed, becoming a real tree, with a growth of a couple of meters in a couple of months.
It blooms is in March-April and the fruits that ripen in December remain on the branches until the next flowering.
It is highly decorative through all the seasons, and it is very usefool for bees and birds, indeed it is a high melliferous plant and one of the fiew that bears fruits in winter season.
Starting a Goumi plant
My seeds to start your Goumi can be found here.
They need seed stratification: seeds need frost to germinate. It is better to plant them before winter outside so that you’ll have sprouts in spring. In a couple of year you’ll have an harvest, the next year the plant will grow exponentially and will produce kilos of berries.
Rooting a cut is very easy and the fastest way to propagate a Goumi plant. When you prune the shrub, cut the young branches in 30cm pieces and plant them in vases. In average the 80% will keeping grow and became a new plant.
Since I know this peculiarity of the plant, I’m sorry to throw away the pruned branches, so I get dozens of new plants every year.
Goumi uses
They give their best when eaten raw, but they keep many of their properties after processing.
They are very useful in treatment and prevention of flu and colds.
Goumy berries are also very effective as a natural tonic, mineral salt supplement, anti-inflammatory. Studies have shown the effectiveness of the antioxidants present in its fruits against the formation of cancer cells .
The considerable amount of fatty acids and fiber makes these fruits excellent for lowering bad cholesterol, even in the form of jam.
