Nature has endowed people with rich resources. All natural products, among which there is also dried plum, which has a mass of valuable vitamins, minerals and substances vital for the body that can strengthen human health. Also, dried fruit is actively used in the culinary industry, dietetics, cosmetology. The delicacy was first made by the Asian people and became popular due to the fact that it is stored for a long time and does not deteriorate. When purchasing a dried product in a store, one cannot be sure of the naturalness of the product. Therefore, knowing the basic methods of harvesting for the winter at home, you can dry the fruit yourself.
The specifics of drying plums at home
High quality fleshy prunes with a black tint and a sweet taste are obtained by choosing large-fruited varieties of a dark purple hue for drying. For the manufacture of a useful product, you need to use exclusively ripe, fresh, fleshy, dense structure of fruits with a bone that can be easily separated from the pulp.
Before drying, sort out the fruits, getting rid of damaged specimens affected by the moth and other diseases. Sort by size, get rid of the stalk and seeds, wash thoroughly. The next stage is blanching. Place the fruits in a boiling solution prepared from 1 liter of water and 5-6 g of soda for a few seconds, then immediately put them in cold water, wipe them off using a paper towel. The procedure will speed up drying.
The best time to harvest prunes is during the summer and autumn months.
It is important to properly collect the plum from the tree.
Drying methods for plums
There are many ways you can prepare prunes at home. The simplest one, which was used by our ancestors, was under the influence of sunlight. Surely, coming to visit grandmother in the summer, you could see the halves of the plums laid out on the windowsill. Nowadays, they are increasingly resorting to using a microwave or oven, as it is more convenient and much faster.
Did you know that plums and prunes have a different set of vitamins and have different effects on the body?
How to dry properly in the oven
Pre-prepare the fruits, blanch them in a baking soda solution for 2 minutes. Divide them into two halves and remove the bone. Then carry out stepwise drying:
- Preheat the oven to 50 degrees and send the slices there for 5 hours. Then let them cool down at room temperature.
- Turn the halves over to the other side, put to dry at 70 degrees for the same amount of time. Due to exposure to high temperatures, moisture will gradually evaporate. Then take out the product again and allow to cool.
- Set 75 degrees and, turning the plums, keep them in the oven until fully cooked.
Subject to all stages, prunes will turn out incredibly tasty. The main advantage is that the product will be ready quickly enough, but there is always a risk of overdrying and spoiling the product.
Drying in an electric dryer
It is necessary to dip the fruits in boiling water in advance, wipe them with a paper towel. The process includes three stages:
- Open the VOLTERA 1000 Lux electric dryer and place the drain halves on a special tray with the cut up and leave for 4 hours, setting the temperature to 50 degrees. Allow to cool after the time has elapsed.
- After cooling, send the fruits again for 6 hours at 60 degrees.
- The last stage is drying the drain for 5 hours, setting the electric dryer at 80 degrees.
The advantage of this method is its speed and simplicity.
Drying in the sun
First, you need to thoroughly wash the fruits, get rid of the pits and spread the resulting halves on paper, peel down. Then place in the sun and wait at least 4-5 days, turning them over every day, and bringing them into the room at night. During this period, make sure that plums do not become a treat for wasps and flies.
The advantages of the method are that the product does not lose its useful qualities due to the natural light source. Moisture is evaporated by direct exposure to sunlight. Also, the method has many disadvantages, for example, the likelihood of eating fruits by insects, the impressive duration of the process.
How to cook dried fruits on a windowsill
Lay out the cut fruits, cut into halves, on a paper-lined window sill. Leave, covered with gauze from insects, for 3-5 days, not forgetting to turn over. The windowsill should be illuminated by the sun throughout the day. The fruits retain all their positive properties. Cloudy weather can negatively affect their quality.
Drying over stove
Spread the halves of the plums on a baking sheet and put on the stove for 2 hours. It is important to determine the empirically required burner mode, height and cooking time. To get used to it, you first have to spoil a lot of plums.
Microwave drying
Wash the fruits, wipe them with a towel, put them on a special plate. Set the microwave power to 300 degrees and bake for 20 seconds. Let cool slightly. Repeat the process several times until complete cooking. One of the fastest ways, but there is a high probability of overdrying the product and ruining it.
Storage of dried prunes
The finished prune should be firm, firm and not stick to the fingers when squeezed. It is recommended to store the product for no more than 1 year by sending it to a glass jar or plastic container or bag.
Prunes are widely used in cooking. It is used to prepare compotes and decoctions, combined with different types of meat. Confectioners add dried plums to cakes, sweets and pastries.
Dried plum is a real gift of nature, the benefits of which are of particular interest to those who lead a healthy lifestyle and monitor the state of their body. Dried fruit, consumed in a reasonable amount, is beneficial to all body systems. Therefore, the use of such an affordable medical product will help a person get rid of many health problems.
What varieties of plums are used to make prunes and what useful properties the dried fruit has, read on our website.