Sunflower halva recipe at home. Step-by-step photo recipe for preparing delicious homemade halva from sunflower seeds

One of the oriental delicacies that everyone loves is halva. This is one of the exceptions when tasty means also healthy for the body, because halva contains many microelements.

Today, halva can include a wide variety of ingredients: peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, sweets made from flour and other products. Despite this, the best halva is the one made from quality products.

We offer recipes that will help you prepare halva at home. Your household will love the oriental sweets prepared by your hands.

Sunflower seed halva

First I would like to talk about the properties of sunflower seeds. They contain a lot of vitamin E (which reduces the risk of heart attacks and slows down tissue aging), vitamins D and B. Also, consuming sunflower seeds prevents heart and vascular diseases and reduces the risk of cancer. We think the above reasons are enough for you to prepare halva at home.

Recipe 1. Sunflower halva

You need:

sunflower seeds - 3 cups,
flour - 2 cups,
sugar - 100 g,
water - 200 ml,
vegetable oil - 100 ml,
vanillin.

Preparation:
The seeds need to be fried in a frying pan. Then grind using a meat grinder. You should also fry the flour in a frying pan until it turns golden. Mix vanillin and sugar in a saucepan, adding vegetable oil. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then add seeds and flour to the mixture.

We put the mixture in a mold, which we grease with vegetable oil or cover the mold with special parchment. We put it all in the refrigerator to freeze.

Recipe 2. Sunflower halva

You will need:

sunflower seeds - 150 g,
sugar - 40 g,
sunflower oil - 30-40 g (not refined),
condensed milk - 25-30 gr.

Preparation:
Fry the seeds over low heat in a dry frying pan. Grind them using a meat grinder or blender. Add sugar, condensed milk, butter. Mix everything and cool (for example, put it in the refrigerator), after placing it under a press.

Nut halva

It is a useful product. Contains vitamins E, A, B. Rich in potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron. Peanut halwa is most often made. Halva is also made from pistachios, which contain an aphrodisiac.

Peanut halva

You need:

peanuts - 2 cups (roasted),
sugar - 1 glass,
flour - 1.5 cups,
water - 1/3 cup,
vanillin.

Preparation:

Peanuts should be crushed. Fry the flour in a frying pan until golden brown. Pour sugar into a saucepan and add water, allowing the mixture to boil. Mix peanuts, vanilla, flour well, add butter. Mix the resulting mixture with syrup. Then pour the mixture into the mold and wait until it cools down.

Walnut halva

You will need:

walnuts - 150 g,
butter - 100 g,
sugar - 200 g,
milk - 400 ml,
corn starch -15 gr.

Preparation:

Pour the milk into the pan, adding sugar. We are waiting for it to boil. Add corn starch diluted in milk (1 to 5) to the syrup and bring to a boil again. In this case, it is necessary to stir constantly so that lumps do not form.

Cleaning the walnuts. Cut the kernels in half and fry until dark brown.

The nuts then need to be placed in a pan, poured with syrup and the lid of the pan tightly closed. Place the pan on the fire and wait 20-30 minutes. Serve the halva hot.

Halva is a real find for those with a sweet tooth. Inexpensive, very sweet, pleasantly melts in your mouth layer by layer, especially with hot tea or coffee. And, most importantly, it still remains a natural product. It's interesting to know how it's made. So I offer a short story about how it is made on an industrial scale and several recipes for homemade halva.

Content

How is halva made in a confectionery factory?

On an industrial scale, the production of halva can be carried out on semi-automatic lines or on automatic lines.

The automatic halva production line has high productivity and allows you to have a large production volume at low cost. Raw materials automatically move from one processing stage to another. True, the halva turns out to have very small fibers, and therefore crumbles a lot.

A semi-automatic line assumes that raw materials will be moved from one processing stage to another by people. And halvin with caramel is often mixed manually. Productivity is low and limited by the capabilities of the equipment and the number of people employed in production. Hand-blended halva has long fibers and therefore slices well. This halva does not crumble, but breaks along the fibers.

Sunflower seeds are crushed using a crushing machine, i.e. remove the husk from the seed grain.
In a special winnowing machine the grain is separated from the husk.
Fry the grains until light golden brown to evaporate excess moisture from them (at the output, the moisture content of the grains should be no more than 2%).
Roasted and cooled grains are ground in a mill to obtain a fatty gray pulp - halvin.
At the same time, caramel is prepared, for which starch syrup, sugar, vanillin flavoring, and a foaming agent (usually licorice root extract (licorice or licorice)) are mixed and boiled in a caramelizer. The result is white hot, and therefore liquid, caramel.
In a special container, caramel is gradually poured into the halvyn and mixed, pulling out the long fibers.
While the mass is stirred, it hardens and a familiar product called halva is obtained. It is packaged and packaged.

Tahini halva, which is sometimes called sesame halva, is prepared in the same way. Sesame is also called sesame. And they also prepare peanut halva, nut halva from almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts. Whole nut grains, whole seeds, dried apricots, candied fruits, dates, poppy seeds, etc. can be added to it. It can be glazed or made into candies filled with halva, both glazed and caramel.

As you can see, a high-quality product consists of natural ingredients. It contains all the beneficial qualities of the nuts and seeds from which they are produced. Sugar, of course, is no different in its usefulness, but vegetable fats in unrefined form are a necessary product for us. Seeds and nuts also contain a lot of protein, vitamins and minerals. So, it’s better to eat a piece of halva when you want something sweet than sweets and even chocolate, which now contain only trans fats (hydrogenated palm oil, which is the basis of confectionery fat and cocoa butter substitutes).

Introduce halva into your diet with caution if you are breastfeeding a baby. Like any product, halva can also be allergenic for your baby.

How to determine the quality of halva?

Nepromes. Sometimes in halva you can find quite large white inclusions - unmixed caramel. Ideally, there shouldn’t be any - halva has a uniform consistency. Although this does not greatly affect the taste of halva.

Crumbliness. As mentioned above, halva prepared on an automatic line has small broken fibers, and therefore, instead of breaking along the fibers, it simply crumbles - it becomes like porridge. Perhaps it was prepared with the addition of pulp, so it is too dry. Again, this doesn’t really affect the taste, but you have to eat it with a spoon.

Fat leaks out of the halva. Sometimes you can find halva in jars (especially peanut halva), where a piece of halva is simply floating in fat. This grease can even leak out and stain your shopping bag. This only means some kind of violation in technology. It is possible that in order to reduce cost, cheaper vegetable oil was added to the peanut cake (remaining after squeezing out the nut oil); the storage conditions may have been violated (too hot). According to the recipe, you should not use cake, but a whole nut. By the way, this halva doesn’t even taste very good – it’s too fatty.

The color is too dark, and droplets of fat appear on the surface. It's better not to take this one, because... It’s been lying there for no one knows how long.

Homemade halva recipes.

There are recipes that, in addition to fatty sesame seeds and nuts, use carrots, semolina, corn or rice flour.

To grind nuts and seeds you can use: a coffee grinder, a blender jug, a mill, a meat grinder (you will have to pass it through the meat grinder several times). The immersion blender, unfortunately, cannot withstand the load.

Nuts and seeds can be pre-roasted, but you don’t have to. .

Halva recipe No. 1.

Hulled seeds and peanuts in a ratio of approximately 7:1.

Cooking method:

Grind the peanuts and seeds to make a rich paste. Gradually pour liquid honey into this slurry (candied honey can be pre-melted in a water bath at a water temperature of no higher than 50 degrees) and stir constantly until a dough is formed. Now you can knead this dough with your hands and give it the desired shape. Place in the refrigerator to harden. The halva will be moist, but very tasty.

Halva recipe No. 2.

3 cups sunflower seeds,
2 cups of flour,
100 gr. Sahara,
200 ml. water,
100 ml. vegetable oil,
vanillin.

Cooking method:

Lightly toast the sunflower seeds.
Grind them (in a coffee grinder, in a blender, passing through a meat grinder twice).
Fry the flour until golden brown, stirring constantly.
Pour sugar into the water and cook the cheese - it should be caramel-like - not liquid and not hard. Add vanilla. Add vegetable oil.
Add crushed sunflower seeds and flour to the syrup. Stir, carefully pulling out the caramel fibers (pull the spoon up).
Place the resulting mixture in a mold pre-greased with vegetable oil or lined with baking parchment.
After this, put the mixture in the refrigerator for several hours to harden.

Homemade halva recipe No. 3:

150 gr. sunflower seeds,
40 gr. Sahara,
30-40 gr. unrefined sunflower vegetable oil,
25-30 gr. condensed milk

Cooking method:

As in the previous recipe, fry and chop the seeds.
Add sugar, vegetable oil, condensed milk to the resulting mass. Mix everything well.
Place the resulting mixture in a mold pre-greased with vegetable oil or lined with baking parchment or cheesecloth.
Place it under a press and refrigerate for several hours.

Homemade halva recipe No. 4:

2 cups roasted peanuts,
1 cup of sugar,
1.5 cups flour,
1/3 glass of water,
vanillin.

Cooking method:

Grind the peanuts through a meat grinder, blender or coffee grinder.
Fry the flour in a dry frying pan until golden brown.
Pour sugar into a saucepan with water, cook, stirring, to dissolve the sugar. The result is syrup.
Mix the crushed peanuts, flour, vanillin and vegetable oil well.
Add the resulting syrup. Mix everything thoroughly.
Pour the resulting mass into the mold and let cool.

Homemade halva recipe No. 5:

150 gr. shelled walnuts,
100 gr. butter,
200 gr. Sahara,
400 ml. milk,
15 gr. corn starch.

Cooking method:

Add sugar to a saucepan with milk and bring the mixture to a boil.
Add cornstarch diluted in cold milk (in a ratio of 1:5) to the syrup and bring to a boil again, stirring constantly so that there are no lumps.
Fry walnut kernels, cut in half, in butter until dark brown in color.
Chop the roasted walnuts.
After this, transfer the nuts into a saucepan, pour in the prepared milk syrup and close the lid tightly. Warm the mixture for 20-30 minutes.
Walnut halva is served hot.

Homemade halva recipe No. 6:

fresh honey – 1 glass;
roasted peanuts or sunflower kernels – 2 cups;
flour – 1.5 cups;
sunflower oil - half a glass.

Cooking method:

Grind the peeled peanuts or seeds through a meat grinder (several times), in a blender, or in a coffee grinder.
Mix seeds or nuts with oil.
Add honey to the resulting mixture.
Place in a mold and put in the refrigerator.
It is advisable to use a press for this.

Homemade halva recipe No. 7:

A very interesting recipe for homemade halva with whipped egg whites and sugar syrup is presented in this video:

An interesting video about how halva is made in production:

Halva is the sweet hallmark of Middle Eastern cuisine. This delicacy is known to everyone without exception. This dessert comes in several types and can be prepared using the seeds of Pancake week crops, flour, nuts and even vegetables. There is a huge variety of recipes for this dish.

Although sweetness is very healthy, its calorie content is quite high - approximately 520-530 kcal, depending on the variety, so you should not abuse it.

The recipes below with photos will tell you step by step how homemade halva is made in several variations.

Sunflower seed halva

This dish is very high in calories due to the fats, proteins and vegetable fiber that are included in its composition, but in small quantities it is very good for your health.

Product composition:

Wheat flour – 200 g;
Boiled water – 125 ml;
Granulated sugar – 125 g;
Sunflower seeds – 400g;
Refined sunflower oil – 125 ml (you can take unrefined for a stronger aroma of seeds in the finished dessert).

Recipe for halva from seeds:

Fry the peeled seeds in a dry frying pan until golden brown, remembering to stir constantly. Pour them into a bowl and let cool;
In the same frying pan we repeat this process with flour, it is also fried until golden;
Grind the seeds in a coffee grinder and mix with flour;
Then prepare sugar syrup. Pour water into a saucepan and put it on the flame, add sugar. Stir and cook until slightly thickened. Add butter and syrup to the crushed mass;
Mix thoroughly, place in molds and place in the freezer for 5 hours;
Next, remove the molds and our food is ready for tea drinking.

Sunflower halva will give you energy for the whole day and the unique taste of fried seeds.

Indian carrot recipe

Indian halva includes original amazing combinations that are made on the basis of khoya. This is specially dried cottage cheese called “ricotta” with milk powder and butter with various additives. We will look at a recipe for Indian carrot halwa, which contains nutmeg and double cardamom.

Ingredients:

Walnuts – 9 pieces;
Cardamom beans – 10 pieces;
Khoya – 90 g;
Carrots - half a kilo;
Sugar – 400 g;
Cardamom – 10 g;
Ground nutmeg - a pinch (as a substitute - 4 small spoons of cinnamon).

Cooking diagram:

The homemade halva recipe starts with peeling the carrots. Next, grate it on a fine grater. But the grater should not be very fine so that the carrots do not turn into puree;
Simmer the vegetable in a dry frying pan to remove excess moisture;
Add granulated sugar to the dried carrots;
Clean the cardamom seeds;
Add all the spices (cardamom powder and grains, ground nutmeg) to the sweet carrot mixture, mix everything thoroughly;
After the sugar has completely dissolved, add the khoya you prepared yourself;
On a small flame, knead the Indian delicacy until smooth, place into portioned molds;

We use walnut halves as decoration. Serve with milk or tea.

Turkish version with walnuts and flour

The flour halva recipe is very popular in Turkey. It is based on wheat flour fried in oil. The result is a fatty and high-calorie dish that should not be overused often. It is advisable to eat it in the morning, and it will give you strength and vigor for the whole day.

Components:

Sugar – 100 g;
Walnuts – 5-7 pieces;
Milk and water - 1/4 cup each;
Wheat flour - 0.5 cups;
Butter – 60-65 g.

Cooking process:

First you need to prepare sweet milk syrup. Mix milk and water in a deep container, add granulated sugar. Place the dishes over high heat and bring the contents to a boil, stirring. Then reduce the heat and boil the syrup for another 5-6 minutes. Remove the container from the stove;
We need a thick-bottomed frying pan that is placed over low flame. Add butter to it and melt;
Add chopped peeled walnuts and wheat flour to the frying pan;
Fry the flour until nicely browned. At first everything will be like one big lump, which will break up into small lumps. Eventually the flour will become like fine greasy crumbs;
Remove the pan from the flame and add milk syrup to it in small batches. Stir the mixture until smooth;
Using a tablespoon, we form our product into cakes and decorate with nuts.

Turkish halva is served both warm and cold.

Uzbek recipe with pistachios

Samarkand halva is a fairly famous variety of this delicacy. These instructions will help you prepare an unusual and tasty dish that your household will definitely enjoy.

You will need:

Glass of water;
Half a glass of sugar;
Peeled pistachios – 1.5 cups;
Vanillin – half a teaspoon;
Milk and melted butter (or butter) - 2 tablespoons each;

Pistachio Uzbek halva is made as follows:

Place the pistachios in a wide bowl, pour boiling water over them and leave for half an hour. Then transfer to a sieve or colander to get rid of excess water;
Next, put the pistachios in a food processor or mixer, add milk and grind everything to a paste consistency;
Add granulated sugar here and mix again;
Place a deep non-stick frying pan over low heat and melt the butter in it, add the pistachio mixture and fry for 15 minutes until the paste thickens. Don't forget to stir regularly;
Place the finished dish on an oiled tray or baking sheet, level it on top and sides, and let it cool.

We cut the hardened delicacy into small portion squares, put it in a beautiful bowl and put it on the table.

Semolina halva

This sweetness will especially appeal to little children who do not like semolina porridge. The dessert is not only tasty, but also very healthy.

Before considering the recipe for semolina halva, pay attention to the choice of the cereal itself. Coarsely ground products are best. This is indicated by the letter “T” marking on the packaging.

You need to prepare:

Water – 3 glasses;
Olive oil – half a glass;
Unrefined sugar – 2 cups;
Semolina - a glass;
Chopped sweet almonds - a quarter cup;
Walnut (kernels) – 1/8 cup;
Ground cinnamon - 1/8 teaspoon.

Cooking at home:

Place the semolina and ground almonds in a dry saucepan, put it on gas and fry a little until the cereal acquires a light brown tint;
Combine olive oil and brown sugar and add to saucepan. Set the flame to low and constantly stir the mixture until it becomes thick;
Transfer the sweet mixture into a beautiful bowl (you can use a baking dish) and place it in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours to harden;
Transfer the frozen dish to a large plate and sprinkle a mixture of crushed walnuts and cinnamon on top.

Serve this beautiful delicacy to the table, cut it into portions and enjoy its delicate taste.

Tahini halva made from sesame and flour

It is made from sesame seeds and is very healthy. The recipe can be supplemented with cocoa or coconut flakes, and pieces of nuts or fruit can be used for the filling.

You will need:

Sesame seeds and premium wheat flour - a glass each;
Milk – 70 ml;
Granulated sugar – 120 g (can be replaced with honey);
Vanilla sugar – teaspoon (optional);
Vegetable oil – 3 tablespoons.

Sesame halva is prepared as follows:

Pour sesame seeds into a frying pan and dry until they acquire a golden color, stirring constantly;
Transfer the roasted grains to a blender bowl;
Add flour to the same frying pan and fry until light yellow. Don't forget to stir so it doesn't burn;
Pour the milk into a saucepan, add sugar and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the flame level and cook the contents of the saucepan for a couple of minutes with constant stirring, then remove from the gas;
Combine ground sesame seeds and fried flour, add vegetable oil and warm milk syrup;
Mix the ingredients until smooth and transfer the mixture into any convenient container with food paper on the bottom;
We press the halva with our hands, giving it the desired shape, then let it cool and dry slightly.

Cut the finished dessert into pieces and serve with unsweetened green or black tea, milk or coffee.

Video: Recipe for halva made from flour

A delicacy such as halva can be prepared at home from ordinary sunflower seeds. At the same time, it will be very healthy, without sugar, but very tasty and sweet! The recipe for this halva was sent by Anastasia Bordeianu (asika):

The recipe came up somehow on its own as a healthier alternative to store-bought halva.

This homemade halva is simply a storehouse of vitamins and contains no sugar at all! It is perfect for a holiday table, or just as an everyday sweet, as well as for those who are fasting.

It takes time to prepare, but the results are worth it! Try it and get a boost of sunny summer. Be healthy!

Halva at home

Composition of sunflower halva:

1 kg bread pan

550 g sunflower seeds, peeled
130-150 g of thick honey (preferably not aromatic, i.e. buckwheat, linden will not work)
4 tbsp. tablespoons sunflower oil with flavor (not refined)
70 g brown raisins (or any other sour, preferably not cloyingly sweet)

Homemade halva recipe:

First, prepare the raisins in advance. Remove cuttings (if any), rinse well and soak briefly in cold water to soften it. Drain the water and leave the raisins to dry. We don't need excess moisture in halva.
Raisin
Meanwhile, prepare the base for homemade halva. Carefully sort out the peeled sunflower seeds (sometimes they contain debris, and the seeds themselves are sometimes partially shelled).
Sunflower seeds for halva
Fry the seeds in a dry frying pan, stirring frequently to ensure they cook evenly. A characteristic smell should appear, but the main thing is not to overdo it.
Advice: If you are preparing a whole portion, as per the recipe, then it is better to put not all the seeds into the pan at once, but in parts. This way they will cook better.

Roasted sunflower seeds
Cool the seeds. Set aside some of them for filling the halva. For my taste, 50 grams is enough. I like the seeds to be sprinkled here and there and not to be too many, but to feel the homogeneity of the halva.
Now let's start the magic! Sunflower seeds must be turned into almost flour. I do this with a coffee grinder. I have it very powerful and copes with this task just fine. Of course, you have to make more than one pass, but it’s worth it.
Sunflower “flour”
Now all we have to do is combine the seed flour, honey and sunflower oil and bring the mixture until smooth. I already do this using a blender. Here you need to be patient and take your time, because... We use thick honey, it takes time for it to be evenly distributed throughout the halva mass. I advise you to take honey without a pronounced smell, otherwise it will overwhelm the taste of halva. I always use floral and it turns out great!
Add honey

Note: The amount of honey and sunflower oil can be easily varied. It all depends on what consistency you want the final product to be. After experimenting, I came to exactly this “tasty” ratio. The halva turns out to be whole, homogeneous, at the same time tender and not dry, and holds its shape well when cut. Do not forget that after standing in the refrigerator, the halva will become denser due to honey.

Base for homemade halva
When the halva mass is ready, add raisins and a handful of reserved seeds. Mix everything well (hands are easiest).
Cover the mold with cling film, this will make it easier to remove the halva from the mold. Place our homemade halva in the mold and compact the mixture well.
Compact the sunflower halva
Cover the halva tightly with cling film and refrigerate until set.
Put it in the refrigerator

Our healthy homemade halva is ready! Carefully remove the film from the mold, unwrap it and cut the halva into cubes.

Homemade halva is ready

Experiment with the halva recipe using different fillings, and you will see that each time it turns out with its own “zest”. You can use other nuts and dried fruits. You can also prepare halva by adding carob to the mixture. Its taste is very rich.

Homemade seed halva

Bon appetit!

P.S. If you liked the recipe, subscribe to updates so you don't miss out on new goodies!

Julia author of the recipe

Travelers gladly took it with them on long journeys; they simply needed it. Firstly, halva is very high in calories, quickly satisfies hunger, in addition, a very small piece was enough for a traveler for a whole week, and secondly, it can not spoil for a long time. In Persia, this dessert was generally endowed with magical properties. Halva was first brought to Russia during the era of the Crusades. Our knights were very interested in the amazing delicacy that the eastern Saracens indulged in (http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saracens). The confectioners who made halva were called kandalatchi. The profession of shackles even today stands apart from other chef professions, and all because making halva requires not only special training, but also the necessary skills. Unfortunately, these days halva is made by hand only in three countries: Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey. Of course, the halva created by the shackles of the mentioned countries is the best in taste and quality. How do real masters prepare this dessert?

Making halva

Let's figure out what halva is made from? It all starts with seeds. They are usually dried with hot air. According to the old recipe, the seeds, peeled from the hull, must be fried, and exclusively on a cast-iron Dutch oven. Only then will the seeds have a golden crust and a unique smell. It is important to constantly stir the seeds; if they burn, the halva will taste bitter. During frying, almost all the moisture evaporates from sunflower seeds. But the amount of healthy oils does not decrease. In order for the grains to grind well, the amount of moisture in them should be no more than 2%. Each seed is half oil. Kandalatchi sends the roasted seeds into an extractor, which thoroughly grinds the kernels, turning them into a protein mass. An oily paste made from crushed seeds is called halvin. This is the basis of an old recipe. The paste is ground several times until it becomes liquid, like condensed milk. Then, following the old recipe, the craftsmen add a little vanilla. Next, prepare the caramel. First, syrup is made from water, sugar and molasses. The finished sugar syrup should be thick and viscous. To turn the sweet mass into caramel, a decoction of soap root is added to it. The roots of this Mediterranean plant contain substances called saponins, which, when shaken, form a thick white foam. To prepare halva, the soapwort decoction is mixed with sugar syrup and shaken into a stable foam. The result is snow-white caramel. Then the magic begins. Caramel is combined with halvin. Both ingredients being mixed are very liquid. How does the dessert become hard and crumbly? This is where the magic lies. The future halva is kneaded with oars, as was done in the East many centuries ago. The trick is to gently pull out the caramel strands while kneading. One thread can stretch up to 10 meters. Only with such thorough kneading will the halva turn out airy and fibrous. If a mixer were to mix the mass, it would break the fragile caramel threads, making the dessert crumbly like sand. That is, if you use mechanisms when making halva, you will never get a real, proper delicacy. After kneading, the halva is completely ready. Now it can be packed into boxes. Chocolate halva is also kneaded by hand. It is important not to overdo it here, otherwise the sweetness will turn out not airy, but hard.

How to choose the right halva

In our country, unfortunately, halva is not made by hand now. And during the industrial production of halva, the quality suffers greatly; halva quickly releases fat to the surface and goes rancid, or, conversely, dries out and crumbles. In addition, our manufacturers, as you know, are guilty of adding all sorts of components to it: flavorings, sweeteners and thickeners, replacing natural sugar and honey with them. These substances are not at all provided for in ancient recipes and, of course, worsen the taste of the product and its structure. Therefore, when purchasing, be sure to read the composition of halva. The packaging should only contain seeds or nuts, sugar or honey, foaming agent (soap or licorice root), molasses and vanillin. Halva should have a layered fibrous structure, not crumble and be moderately moist. It’s good if the packaging is transparent, then the buyer will be able to see what quality the product is offered to him. If drops of fat are noticeable inside the package, it means that either the technological process or the storage conditions of the halva were violated. It happens that halva literally floats in a pool of fat and traces of it remain on the store shelf. This is completely unacceptable.

White caramel icicles that can be seen on the break of the halva also indicate its low quality and a violation of the technological process. If you clearly see a dark coating on a piece of halva, it means its shelf life is almost over. The shelf life of the loose delicacy is just over two months. If it is enrobed with chocolate or packaged using vacuum technology, then this period can be increased to six months. Also, halva should not contain particles of seed husks or even nuts. This can only indicate the low quality of the product, which is also unsafe to give to children.

Properties and benefits of halva

Halva, it turns out, has not only a wonderful, melt-in-your-mouth taste, but also wonderful beneficial properties that carry real value. To begin with, it must be said that good halva contains only natural ingredients, so it can be given to children without fear.

How is halva useful?

It contains a large amount of vegetable fats. But not only them. Halva is rich in fatty acids, proteins and dietary fiber. It contains a significant content of minerals necessary for humans: potassium, zinc, copper, iron, as well as phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. This healthy dessert has rejuvenating properties. All the benefits of halva come down to the benefits of the products from which it is made. After all, seeds or nuts do not lose their properties when dried and crushed. Halva, which contains several components, only increases these properties.

The main benefit of any natural halva is the polyunsaturated fatty acids of plant origin it contains. These are substances such as linoleic, linolenic, oleic and other valuable acids. It also contains a lot of protein, containing useful proteins and amino acids. And, of course, vitamins and microelements that this product is rich in. In general, depending on what raw materials the halva is made from, its beneficial properties will vary. We will talk about this in more detail when we look at its various varieties.

Eating halva

Is it possible for nursing mothers to have halva?

Of course, nursing mothers are very strict about their diet. And this is correct, because what they eat should not harm the newborn baby. But, if the question arises whether a nursing mother can have halva, then the answer will most likely be positive.

A young mother, of course, wants something sweet and tasty, but there are many things she cannot do, for example, it is not recommended to eat chocolate. But halva made from natural products may well be an acceptable product for feeding. Many mothers eat it from the very first days after the birth of the baby. In some eastern countries, halva is even indicated during breastfeeding.

Let's remember what halva is made from? The main component is nuts or seeds. Both are not allergens and should not cause harm. In any case, if you have a choice between a cake, candy or halva, then it is better to give preference to halva.

On the other hand, due to the high calorie content of the product, its consumption can negatively affect digestion. It is important to know that if sweetness is poorly digested by the mother, then it will certainly cause an undesirable reaction in the child, for example, bloating.

Therefore, you need to follow the golden rule of all nursing mothers. You need to introduce halva, like any other product, gradually, starting with a small piece. If the child did not respond very well to sunflower halva, then you can try another one, for example, peanut or tahini. Fortunately, there are dozens of varieties of halva and there is plenty to choose from. The main thing is to monitor the naturalness of the composition and expiration date. Over time, you will be able to choose for yourself the manufacturer whose product is well suited for both mother and child. It’s great if the mother has time to make this choice before giving birth. To do this, you just need to eat a small piece of halva on an empty stomach; if it does not cause pain or heaviness, then most likely you can eat it without fear during feeding.

Is halva harmful?

Halva can carry not only benefits, but also harm. The harm of halva lies primarily in its calorie content and increased sweetness. The high sugar content immediately makes it an unacceptable product for people with diabetes. The high calorie content of halva creates serious restrictions on its consumption by people with excess body weight. It may be contraindicated for those who are prone to allergies. Since this is a fatty product, it should not be consumed in large quantities by those who have problems with the pancreas or liver.

Due to the high calorie content of this dessert, nutritionists recommend consuming no more than 30 g of delicacy per day. The next aspect is the properties of the products underlying the halva. Over time, sunflower seeds can accumulate such a harmless substance as cadmium. Therefore, it is better to use only fresh halva, since a product that has been lying around for a long time can be harmful. Peanut halwa may contain a dangerous poison such as aflatoxin, so it is better to refrain from offering it to children. In addition, unscrupulous manufacturers may add substances containing genetically modified organisms to tahini or sesame halva, which is most likely not beneficial for humans.

Types of halva

Sunflower halva. The most popular halva in our country is, of course, sunflower halva. She has been known to all of us since childhood and loved by many. It is made from sunflower seeds. Its color should be approximately the same as the peeled seeds themselves. The benefits of sunflower halva are obvious. Its use can improve blood circulation, have a positive effect on the state of digestion in general, improve the functioning of the nervous system due to the rich content of B vitamins. Vitamins of this group can suppress depression and fight insomnia, they help even with such unpleasant ailments as acne and dandruff. Halva contains another vitamin useful for humans in sufficient quantities - vitamin D. Its content helps the body absorb calcium; we can say that it is simply necessary for this. What is calcium for our body? These are strong bones and teeth, nails and hair. Vitamin E contained in the dessert helps the body slow down the aging process. The benefit of sunflower halva is that the seeds themselves are an excellent means of preventing such a terrible disease as myocardial infarction. Sunflower seeds can also have a beneficial effect on the normal functioning of the biliary tract and liver. They have another remarkable property - they are able to inhibit the development of tumor processes in various organs such as the intestines, mammary glands, lungs, ovaries and human skin.
Peanut halva. As the name suggests, it is a halwa made from peanuts. It is different in color from sunflower and should have a creamy tint. Peanuts are no less beneficial for the human body than sunflower seeds. The main advantage of peanuts is that they are incredibly rich in vitamin B9 or, as it is also called, folic acid. This vitamin is especially necessary for pregnant women, but not only for them. Among the advantages of folic acid is the ability to renew human cells, thereby slowing down the aging process. Other vitamins and microelements contained in peanuts make our nervous system work better, correct attention, and strengthen memory. Its beneficial effect on the body can hardly be overestimated; peanuts improve the functioning of the liver, heart and the entire cardiovascular system as a whole. It also removes free radicals well and inhibits the development of tumors.
Sesame or tahini halva. In Turkey they make halva from sesame seeds. It is called sesame or tahini halva. This halva is also commonly called Turkish halva, since this is the country where it comes from and where it is made best. Sesame halva is much lighter than sunflower halva; it has a light gray tint; in addition, it has a slightly bitter taste. Sesame is another storehouse of vitamins and microelements. Most of all it contains vitamin A, which is important for vision, beautiful skin and the state of our immunity in general. Sesame is rich in zinc. This substance is necessary to have healthy hair and nails. Another valuable microelement is iron, which has a beneficial effect on blood composition. Phosphorus in sesame improves brain function. Sesame seeds contribute to the normal functioning of the respiratory system, they also have anti-carcinogenic properties. They also have one more, recently discovered advantage. They are able to regulate oxygen exchange, which helps cell renewal and allows the body to better recover from stress and strain. Sesame is also able to combat the effects of alcohol on the body and reduce cholesterol levels.
Nut halva. Not only peanut kernels are used as a raw material for the production of nut halva. Other nuts such as cashews, walnuts, almonds, and pistachios are often used as a basis. Nuts are extremely rich in various vitamins, especially A, E and almost all B vitamins. Nuts contain sufficient amounts of phosphorus and iron, calcium and potassium. Nuts should be consumed by older people to prevent the onset of senile dementia. They can also reduce the risk of heart attack.

This type of halva, such as pistachio halva, can rarely be found in stores, however, this does not detract from its taste properties and the beneficial substances it contains. It will help people regaining their strength after illnesses; it is also indicated for problems with the liver and heart. Pistachios have another magical property. Their ability to act as an aphrodisiac is known. Sometimes you can find mention of Azov halva. However, this type of halva does not exist. When we say this, we usually mean the products of the Azov confectionery factory.

Halva is not difficult to make at home. All the ingredients that make up halva are available to most of us. It is enough to follow the recipe and, most importantly, the production technology. Then you can get your own delicate homemade halva with a wonderful subtle taste and unsurpassed aroma.