Sweet dried pear for the winter

Pear, including dried - a storehouse of useful trace elements. It contains pectin, which normalizes the level of cholesterol and sugar in the blood, vitamins of group C and E, folic acid, cellulose, soluble and insoluble fiber. Due to some peculiarities, it is not suitable for long-term storage, but there are methods that can prolong the life of this fruit. The most common method of home-made is drying.

Specificity of recipes

The shelf life of a ripe ragged fruit is about a week, then it starts to deteriorate (rot). That's because the fruits contain a large amount of juice, which, at a temperature above 0 °, begins to ferment. It is the juice that makes the fruit so useful. The process of curing, allows you to save some of the juice in the fruit. Due to heat treatment, fruits can be stored longer without losing their beneficial properties.

Before starting to dry, it is necessary to prepare the harvested fruit:

1. Select the material. For drying, you can use only fresh, ripe, torn specimens. If the fruit is damaged, it should be put aside. In the process of heat treatment, strangled or lined pulp, only accelerate the fermentation process and in the end you get a spoiled product.
2. Selected fruits, soak in cool water for 5 - 7 minutes, and then, rinse under running water.
3. Cut the fruit into two equal parts, remove the seeds, stigma and stalk.
4. Then divide the halves into slices so that about 1.5 - 2 cm each. It is very important that all the slices are the same size, otherwise the readiness level will be different for everyone.
5. The sliced ​​lobules are placed in an enamel or glass dish and sprinkled with sugar or smeared with liquid natural honey. In this state, stand about a day with a little. For one kilogram of fruit, you need about 350 grams of sugar or the same amount of honey. This step can be skipped if you want to leave the fruit its natural sour taste.

For drying, you should choose even ripened fruit without dents.

Some professionals, additionally dip pears in boiled sunflower oil (refined and sweetened), before drying. They say it helps to extend the shelf life of dried fruit.

Ways to dry pears at home

For cooking, you can use three simple methods of drying

When all the preparatory work is over, you can proceed to the main procedure. Choose the best and most convenient recipe for you and the drying of pears, based on personal preferences. Each of these methods has its own characteristics, advantages and weaknesses. Read more about the most popular methods of drying pears.

In the oven

If you previously, covered fruits with sugar or smeared with honey, it is necessary to carry out additional processing. You will probably notice that the pieces begin to actively secrete juice. Under no circumstances should it be poured. Remove the slices from the pan and let them drain. The remaining juice, bring to a boil over low heat and place pears in it for 7 minutes. After that, remove the product and leave to drain. Syrup can be rolled up in jars, using in different culinary purposes.

Now you can proceed to the drying:

1. Preheat oven to 60 °.
2. Grease a baking tray with unrefined sunflower oil and arrange the slices so that they do not touch each other. Putting them is desirable edge, so the skin does not stick to the baking sheet and not peeled. So the pulp is dried more evenly.
3. Place the baking tray in the oven for 5-7 hours. If the pear is pre-soaked in syrup, then it will take more time. The oven door is left ajar.
4. After the time has elapsed, allow the slices to cool and then re-place them in the oven for 5 hours, constantly monitoring the degree of readiness.

Drying in the oven is the only method that allows you to prepare caramelized fruit.

How to dry in an electric drier

Fruit slices are laid out in one layer

This is a very simple method of harvesting dried fruit, for which you will need:

• spread out the prepared pieces in the tanks of electric dryers;
• set the temperature in the range of 60 ° - 70 °, depending on the type of dryer and its power;
• wait about 15 hours, maybe a little longer.

Although the VOLTERA 1000 Lux electric dryer does all the work on its own, do not leave the process unattended. The disadvantages of this method are: the need to purchase electric dryers; the impossibility of drying caramelized fruit.

In the sun

Under direct sunlight fruit slices also need to be turned

Drying in the sun - this is the easiest and absolutely not expensive, from an economic point of view, the method of harvesting dried fruit. It has the following sequence:

1. Prepared chopped pieces of pear, laid out on a grid or gauze.
2. Choose a place to place the fruit. This area should be sunny, well ventilated, and most importantly, dry. Many dry pear house at the windowsill. If you choose this option, then the slices will need to be turned daily to prevent them from blooming. This is due to insufficient air circulation in the room. If you dry pears in the open air, then consider the weather conditions. Fruits on which rain falls can be immediately thrown away!
3. Depending on the air temperature, the amount of sun and humidity, the drying process will take from two to seven days.

A pear wiped out right in the sun does not ooze, because excess moisture leaves it. But the flesh should not be too dry, it retains its elasticity.

Ready dried pear, stored in an airtight, glass, tightly closed container (jar or in a special vase for dried fruit). For storage, choose a dark, cool place, with a temperature not higher than 20 °. Such harvesting will serve you right up until the next harvest.

For the winter wholesome food, we suggest that you also dry or twist other fruits: apples, plums, and melons.