The benefits of highly fortified dry fruits in winter can hardly be overestimated. They are included in the diet as an independent dish, used for baking, stewed fruit and warming drinks. Proper drying preserves vitamins and minerals. Dried fruits are in no way inferior to their fresh counterparts, and you can make them yourself at home.
Preparing fruits and berries before drying
To get not only tasty, but also a beautiful product, the fruit must be prepared in advance. Apples, pears, grapes, plums, apricots wash perfectly under running water. This is more difficult when you are preparing tender berries for drying. They quickly give juice and lose their shape.
There is a simple preparation algorithm, following which you can get high-quality dried fruits at home:
- Each fruit is washed or thoroughly wiped away from dust and dirt.
- Wet fruit is laid out on paper towels to dry.
- The middle or bone must be removed.
- Small fruits dry out entirely, and large ones need to be cut into small slices.
It is not recommended to use sugar for drying fruits and sending them for long-term storage.
To get high-quality dried fruits, you need to choose only ripe fruits. If there are bruised spots, foci of decay and wormholes, then they are cut out. Damage will spoil the appearance and damage the product. At the discretion of the hostess, the skin is removed or left from the fruit. It has long been known that most vitamins are concentrated in the peel.
Drying methods at home
The natural way of drying and with the help of modern technologies stand out. Among the housewives, there are many adherents of one and the other options. With large volumes of products, the natural method is the most affordable and profitable. Small amounts of fruit can be cooked in one of the cooking units.
Using the dryer
The most convenient unit for drying is the VOLTERA 1000 Lux electric dryer. Its disadvantage is only small volumes, which only racks give. The instructions for the unit indicate the drying time and temperature for each product.
The dryer makes it possible not to be distracted from household chores. She performs all the functions herself. It is enough to put the sliced fruits on the trays and set the desired mode. The temperature for hard fruits such as apples and pears can be increased up to 70 degrees. Fruits with a delicate pulp will wither at 50.
When using two pallets at once, they need to be swapped.
To make candied fruits, you need to lightly sprinkle the slices with powdered sugar. Despite the fact that the process is fully automated, it is required to check the degree of drying, and, if necessary, turn the fruit.
In the oven
In an apartment, with a small amount of the original product, you can dry it in the oven. This option is suitable for cooking candied fruits from delicate fruits such as kiwi, banana, pineapple.
Fruit slices are laid out on a baking sheet covered with parchment. They are sprinkled with sugar and left at a temperature of 40-50 degrees for several hours. From time to time it is necessary to turn the candied fruit over and open the door so that excess moisture evaporates. The process takes 6 to 7 hours. Each fruit has its own time frame. It depends on the juiciness, hardness of the fruit and the thickness of the slices. The maximum temperature should not exceed 70 degrees. At the initial and final stages - more than 50.
In the sun
Nature itself offers a reliable way for the winter harvesting of dried fruits. The sun's rays fry the fruits well, eliminating excess moisture. It takes longer to dry, but each piece absorbs the summer heat.
- The fruit must be washed and rubbed so that there is no water on the peel.
- The fruits are peeled and coreless, cut into slices or circles.
- Fruits are laid out on wooden shelves, cardboard boxes or nets, placed horizontally, in one layer.
- From above, everything is covered with gauze, since the sweet juice collects a large number of insects that want to feast on.
- The racks should be placed in a sunny place. Unlike greens, fruits are not afraid of direct hit.
- Shelves can be stored in a cool place at night.
- On each side, the slices dry for 2 days. After the allotted time, they must be turned over.
The more sunlight the fruits absorb, the tastier and more aromatic they will be. Products are stored in linen bags or containers with sealed lids.
Fruits and berries lend themselves well to drying. For very juicy fruits, more time is needed. The duration of the process also depends on the thickness of the slices, the size of the layer, temperature and ventilation. Candied fruits take longer, as it is necessary to set a lower degree so that the sugar does not start to burn. It should be borne in mind that when dried, its own glucose is released from the fruit.