Muscat color "saint" - this is a close-up film of bright red color, it tries to remove undamaged. The nut is extracted from the fruit, and the color (matsis) is collected, laid on bamboo decks and dried under open sunlight. When the color loses its elasticity and juiciness, it is squeezed with special devices for shaping in the form of plates. After that, the matsis is dried until it becomes brittle and does not reach a bright yellow color. Then it is packed in a special container. The most valuable is the Penang and Bandan color of higher grades.
Nutmeg - a seed-drupe muscatel fragrant. Dried in a special bamboo dryer over wood-smoldering coal. The drying process lasts from 1.5 to 3 months. Nuts are constantly stirred until they become brownish-brown. After that, the shells of the seeds are broken with wooden hammers. Further cleared nucleoli are lowered into a calcareous solution for protection against mold and insects, and then they are still dried for 2 - 3 weeks.
Muscat color and nutmeg are very similar in flavor and taste. But the flower is more fresh smell with a slight flavor of roots. The taste of the color is slightly bitter, and the taste of the nut is more intense and sweet. It should be taken into account that to add a nut need to measure, not more than 1 mg. The nut flavor is very dependent on its shape: round and large nuts have a more delicate, rich flavor than the oblong one.
Under the name of nutmeg, the fruits of a variety of plants can be hidden. For example, the Madagascar nut is considered the fruit of the camphor exotic tree, and the Californian nut is a tree with an unpleasant odor. Therefore, only muscatel fragrant was always and will remain a legendary pearl that appeared on the islands of spices.
Confectionery production and cooking - the main application of nutmeg and nutmeg. Ground Muscat is a part of spicy mixtures and for souring bakery products. With nutmeg, marinated and spicy herring, hot smoked fish, spicy small fish are prepared, second courses of beef, veal, lamb, pork, game and poultry are prepared. Often used for dishes of white cabbage and cauliflower, kohlrabi, sorrel and spinach, celery, onions, mushrooms and potatoes. Use in cereals, flour and egg dishes. Indispensable in the manufacture of certain types of cookies, cakes, pastries, cakes and puddings. Nutmeg is poured into the dough during mixing, and into the dish before the end of the heat treatment. It is used in grated, crumbled and crushed form. Muscat oil is a part of spicy mixtures for smoking chicken products and sausages, flavoring of sweets, spirits and cocktails, served literally before meals and also for hot wine, punch, milk drink, cocoa, coffee and tea leaves. To get the nutmeg oil, the peeled nutmeg is distilled with water vapor and 1 liter of butter is obtained from 7 to 10 kg of nuts. From the muscat color prepare the essence (matsisnoe oil). This oil is a very fragrant colorless liquid. From it prepare sauces, mustard, pickled vegetables. Nutmeg in combination with muscat color is used to make a mixture of "curry" and "dry spirits" in industrial production, and in small amounts are included in the components of Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola.
In medicine, nutmeg is one of the best spices used to activate the absorption of food, most often in the small intestine. Has astringent calming and carminative effect, enhances sexual desire. Nutmeg is used to treat insomnia, impotence, helps with total fatigue, fills with energy, stimulates blood circulation, appetite, eliminates bad breath, cures gallstone disease, has a larvicidal effect, and is therefore used to kill arthropod and helminth larvae. Imitates the hormone estrogen, normalizes menstruation, reduces pain, increases uterine contraction. Nutmeg strengthens memory, normalizes brain activity and increases cerebral blood supply. He treats benign tumors, for example, mastopathy. Due to the heating effect, oil is useful for arthritis, rheumatism and muscle pain. Usually used in combination with vegetable oil (5 drops per 10 ml of oil) for grinding. With regular use, nutmeg has a rejuvenating property, it is also successfully used to treat phlebitis and varicose veins on the lower limbs. Nutmeg, thanks to its sharp, astringent taste, is used in the treatment of diarrhea, it is also useful to children, as a sedative during teething.
When using nutmeg, precautions should be taken into account. In case of an overdose, the nut causes hallucinations, which is accompanied by headache, dizziness and palpitations. Even 3 - 4 nuts can have a narcotic effect. This is due to the myristicin, which is part of the essential oil, the excess amount of which can cause convulsions, attack, and sometimes death. Safrole, which is a part of the oil has an endogenous property. Oil is not recommended for people suffering from cancer, pregnant women and during breastfeeding. The main criterion of the nut is the piquancy of taste and therefore the more nutty the higher its strength. It is necessary to wash the nut with chafir, that is, with strong tea, and after 2 - 3 hours its effect appears. That's it, nutmeg, the useful properties of which are sure to come in handy!