Instant magic fruit “BAEL”

SCIENTIFIC NAME:  “AEGLE MARMELOS”

FAMILY: “RUTACEAE”

INTRODUCTION:  Aegle marmelos, commonly known as bael or bel, also Bengal quince, golden apples, wood apples. It is  a tree native to Bangladesh and India. It is present throughout south East Asia as a naturalized species. The tree is considered to be sacred by HINDUS. Its fruit are used in traditional medicine as a food throughout its range. The bael fruit has smooth, woody shell with a green, gray or yellow peel. It takes about 11 month to ripe on the trees and can reach the size of a large grape fruit. The shell is so hard it must be cracked with the hammer. It fibrous yellow pulp is very aromatic. It has been described as tasting of marmalade.

Indian people know bael patra purchare advise the best time to buy January to march.

Nutritional value:

Moisture – 61.5%

Protein- 1.8%

Fat-0.3%

Mineral-1.7%

Carbohydrate-31.8%

Fibre-2.9%

Total= 100%

·        Value /100g edible portion

 

Minerals and vitamins

 

Calcium- 85mg

Phosphorus-50mg

Iron-0.6mg

Vit. C – 8mg

 

·        Small amount of vit. B complex

Calorific value – 137

USE OF Bael –

·        Once ripe, this fruit can be consumed raw.

·        It can made in to sherbet a very popular summer drink in almost every house hold

·        The leaves and small shoots and eaten as salad green.

·        Besides medicinal use, the plants and its leaves and fruit are of religious importance. For instance in Hinduism, the leaves of the plant are being offered to gods as part of prayers.

·        It is used in murrabba, jam , chutney.

Medicinal properties of bael leaves:

·        ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY

·        ANTIDIARRHEAL ACTIVITY

·        ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

·        ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY

·        ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BAEL FRUITS:

The health benefits associated with this fruit are never ending.

·        It is very good antioxidant which scavenges free.

·        Radical from body.

·        Control cholesterol

·        Relive constipation

·        Reduce skin rash

·        Purify blood

·        Control diabetes

·        Antimicrobial properties

·        Peptic ulcer

·        Piles , diarrhea

·        Ear problem , dysentery

·        Diseases asthma

·        Jaundice is just a few of the numerous issues that can be tackled by the juice of bael.

Harvesting:

The fruit at first is cultured in a nursery and then fielded. Each plant varies in size, shape, height and culture. Although the exterior is hard, care should be taken while handling the fruit after harvest.                                                                                 

 SURABHI GUPTA

 M.Sc 1^st sem

 INSTITUTE OF FOOD TECHNOLOGY