It is very popular in cooking and is good for health. However, when buying dried fruits, there is no confidence in the absence of preservatives, pesticides and other chemicals, and they are not cheap. During the season, the price of fresh prunes is not so high, so let's figure out how to choose the right one, how to dry it properly and how to store prunes properly at home.
How to choose plums for drying
Not everyone makes good dried fruit. The fruits should be sweet, firm-fleshed and not watery. So the best varieties for the preparation of prunes - this is or "Renklod".
Important! Choose only whole ripe fruits without damage, bruising and wormholes.
It is advisable to divide them into several batches by size: larger ones will dry longer, smaller ones will dry out to a crunch during this time.
How to prepare fruit
Wash the fruits thoroughly and remove the stalks with leaves. The stone can be removed - then it will pass much faster, but the whole dried plum will have a richer taste and retain more nutrients.
In industrial conditions, fruits before drying blanched: dipped for a few minutes in a 0.1% solution baking soda. Due to this, cracks form on the skin, which accelerates the evaporation of moisture.
After blanching, plums are poured over cold water and dry with a paper towel or lay them out on a cloth.
Did you know? If you plan to use prunes for confectionery purposes, pour the plums sugar syrup(450 g of sugar per 1 kg of fruit) and bring to a boil.
How to dry plums at home
There are several ways: drying plums in the oven, in an electric dryer, in the sun and in microwave oven. Each of them has its limitations and advantages: availability, time, cost. Let's analyze them in more detail. 
In the oven
Lay the prepared fruit on a baking sheet (if you cut them, then the skin down to avoid dripping juice). Place in oven preheated to 45-50 °С and dry them there for 3-4 hours.
Then let them cool down room temperature and again put them in the oven, this time preheated to a temperature of 65-70 ° C. Keep it there for 4-5 hours and cool again. At the last stage, dry at a temperature of about 80 ° C until cooked.
Did you know? If you want prunes to be black and shiny, for the last 15 minutes of drying, raise the temperature to 100 - 105° C, then the fruit sugars on the surface of the plum caramelize, and it will acquire a characteristic sheen and a slight caramel flavor.
In an electric dryer
Spread the prepared plums evenly on the pallets of the electric dryer (if they are cut, then the skin down). Put the pallets in the dryer and process as described earlier: 3-4 hours at 45-50°C, let cool, 3-4 hours at 65-70°C, let cool again, and dry until cooked at 75-80 °C. To ensure even drying, periodically swap trays.
in the microwave
Without a doubt, with this method, it takes the least time to dry each individual batch, but load at the same time a large number of drain will not work.
So, lay the prepared fruits in one row on a flat dish that can be used in the microwave. Set the power level to 300 W and turn on the microwave for 5 minutes. After that, checking the readiness of the product every 30 seconds, continue to dry the prunes until cooked.
Important! When cooking prunes in the microwave, it is very easy to overdry them to embers. The process must be constantly monitored!
In the sun
This is the longest, but also the most cheap way harvesting prunes for the winter. Place the halved plums, cut side up, on a paper-lined wooden or metal tray and place in the sun.
To protect against flies and others, cover it with gauze on top. Stir the fruit occasionally for better drying. The process will take 4 to 7 days. At night, remove the pallet from the street so that dew does not fall on the drying prunes. 
How to determine the readiness of dried fruits
Ready prunes resilient, elastic, does not stick to hands, when bent, the skin should not crack. It should be soft, but not wet. Since it is difficult to achieve the same drying of fruits, to equalize the moisture content in the finished product, you can decompose it according to glass jars and close them hermetically with polyethylene lids for several days.
At the same time, moisture from slightly under-dried plums will be absorbed by over-dried ones. Banks must be shaken periodically. If drops of condensate form on the walls, then the prunes are not ready, and they must be dried.
How to store at home
Store dried fruits in paper or linen bags in a dark, dry, cool place out of direct sunlight, for example, in a pantry or refrigerator.
When buying dried plums, you may encounter a problem: it is either expensive or of poor quality. Therefore, it will be easier and more profitable to smoke on your own. Making prunes at home is not difficult: just know the recipe, stock up on plums, sugar and set aside a little time to prepare for drying.
Smoking plums in the oven
The recipe for drying plums in the oven is one of the simplest, as it requires minimal human intervention. You can make prunes in about a day, and when it is ready, feel free to add it to any dishes or eat it as an independent food. Smoked plums can be stored for a long time, and you don’t have to worry about them spoiling quickly.
Ingredients:
- plums - 1 kg;
- water - 0.5 l;
- sugar - 500 g.
Each housewife should take into account the fact that 1 kg of prunes is obtained from about 4 kg of plums. In the process of cooking, they dry out, lose their juice and, along with it, their mass. Based on this, you need to calculate the desired amount of product that can be obtained as a result of cooking.
Smoking a plum is easy
Plums need to be sorted out and discarded wormy, if any, and the remaining ones should be washed and cut into halves. Remove the bones and discard. Now we need to make syrup, the recipe of which is very simple. Boil water with sugar over high heat, then reduce the flame and add plums to the syrup. Bring everything together to a boil. Then turn off the heat, drain the syrup and place the fruits on a baking sheet next to each other. Sprinkle each half generously with sugar.
Smoked prunes can be cooked in the oven at the lowest temperature (40°C). It is necessary to dry in several passes: first, for 4 hours, keep the temperature at a level not higher than 45 ° C, then increase it to 60 ° C for 4 hours, and in the end increase it to 80-90 ° C. Every 4 hours you need to take the baking sheet out of the oven and let the fruits cool. If this is not done, then they may burst and lose juice.
Recipe calls for chilling finished product about 3 hours. When cooking at home, it is recommended to turn warm fruits over so that they dry evenly.
Smoked prunes will be ready when they darken, acquire a matte shade with a slight coating and become elastic. This will also mean that it is prepared without the use of chemicals. The finished ingredient should be stored in a dry place at a temperature of 0 to 20°C. So that it does not become damp, you can put it in paper bags.
Drying plums in the sun
by the most in a natural way cooking at home is considered to be smoking prunes in direct sunlight. The recipe is especially suitable for those who want to make it in the country, where they have their own plot, but no oven.
What will be required:
- plums;
- gauze;
- wooden sheets.
Fruits need to be washed, wormy and rotten areas removed, and then cut in half. The seeds from the fruit should be removed. You need to spread the halves on wooden sheets with the cut up, not right next to each other, so that it is possible to dry well. If you put the fruit cut down, then the juice will flow out, and the smoked prunes will not come out juicy enough.
dried plum
It is necessary to lay fruits in the open air only on hot days, in bright sun. Plums should be covered with gauze so that flies do not land on them. They will have to stand in the sun for about 6-7 days. At night they should be cleaned indoors. Every day, the halves need to be turned over so that they dry evenly. This recipe has the only drawback: insects can get under the gauze.
Drying plums in an electric dryer
This recipe is perfect for cooking at home. Fruit is cooked in an electric dryer in much the same way as in the oven. The fruits will need to be washed, sorted and cut into two equal parts. After that, you need to boil water with sugar and soda and boil plums in this syrup.
After that, they are laid out in one layer to dry well. If you put the halves in bulk, some may not be fully cooked, and it will take more time. You need to place them with the cut up to preserve the juiciness and useful elements. The electric dryer is turned on and the temperature is set to 50°C. It is necessary to dry in this mode for about 4 hours, then allow the fruits to cool and heat again (at a temperature of 60 ° C). After 5 hours, the dryer must be turned off again and the plums cooled. Then the temperature is increased to 80°C and the fruit is left for 6 hours. Now they should be ready. If everything is done correctly, then the taste of the product will turn out even better than the purchased one.
Drying plums in an electric dryer
Note to housewives: cutting plums is optional, although it is desirable to do so. Halves will dry faster and are easier to eat. Some claim that fruits with seeds retain more nutrients, but this has not been proven. Therefore, everyone decides for himself which recipe to choose and in what form to cook ripe plums.
Right make prunes at home - this means providing yourself with a large amount of vitamins for the whole winter. Prunes are not only delicious product It is also incredibly beneficial for our health. But its usefulness is questionable when you buy it at the store, where it looks like it's artificial. It is clear that dried fruit rubbed with all kinds of nitrates and glycerin beckons to buy it, but you can just as well gnaw on a plastic toy sprinkled with sugar. It would be best if you make prunes yourself, at home. This guarantees you that in the end you will get a healthy and natural product.
The benefits of prunes are undeniable: it contains a large set of B vitamins, as well as A, C, PP and E. In addition, these products contain a large number of iron, potassium, calcium, sodium and many other trace elements.
A very interesting fact is that prunes practically do not lose those beneficial properties that plums had. And storing such dried fruits is very simple and they slowly deteriorate.
If you include prunes in your daily diet, your gastrointestinal tract will be happy, because in This product contains substances that help improve the absorption of useful elements and normalize the digestive system.
Prunes are very often included in the menu of many popular diets, as they can quickly and easily saturate the body, while providing it with a minimum set of calories. That is why this product will be especially useful for those who carefully monitor their figure.
This dried fruit has quite strong antiseptic and antibacterial properties: with its help, you can help the body cope with viruses and pathogenic bacteria that penetrate it and develop diseases. Prunes help the immune system fight harmful substances that come to us from the external environment. With the help of this, you can protect your body, it will be especially useful in the winter season, when all kinds of viruses strive to stick to a person.
The use of prunes is not recommended for those who are prone to obesity and have diabetes. Pregnant and lactating women should also use this product with caution. Otherwise, prunes cannot cause serious harm if they are not abused.
Making prunes
In order to properly and usefully make prunes at home, first you need to select the fruits that will be processed. For prunes, the most ripe plums are perfect, you can even slightly overripe. But by no means rotten! The collected fruits must be thoroughly washed so that there is no indigestion, and the seeds must be removed. You don't have to, but eating prunes whole without picking out the pits is much more enjoyable. Then you need to take 10 liters of water, bring to a boil and dissolve 100 grams of soda. After that, using a colander, dip the plums into this solution, and after 30 seconds, take it out.
Now wash the plums warm water and then they need to be dried. This must be done using the oven. We heat it up to a temperature of 50 degrees, after which we take a baking sheet and put our fruits on it. Then we send them to the oven and wait about three hours. After that, remove the plums from the oven, let them cool and mix well.
When the plums have cooled, turn on the oven again, only this time it will need to be heated to a temperature of 70 degrees. We again send the plums to dry and go about our business for about five hours.
We take out the plums again, cool, mix, and return to the oven, which has already been heated to 90 degrees. We are waiting for four hours, we take out a baking sheet with ready-made prunes from the oven, let it cool and enjoy the unsurpassed taste.
You need to store prunes in a dry, dark place, after decomposing them into bags. And if you want to make it look glossy, then at the last stage of drying the drain, about 10 minutes before the end of the process, increase the temperature in the oven to 120 degrees. In this case, the plums will release juice, which, under the influence of temperature, will turn into caramel, cover your prunes and give them a very beautiful look.
There are three options for the actual drying process:
- natural drying on fresh air, in the shade, at a sufficiently high ambient temperature and low humidity;
- using an air grill or electric dryer;
- oven use.
How to dry prunes at home: the best harvesting methods
Each of the methods has its own subtleties of the drying process. So, for a natural option, a longer cooking period is needed, in addition, it is necessary to regularly turn the fruits over to evenly remove moisture.
The oven noticeably speeds up the process, but here it is important to clearly monitor the temperature - 45-50 degrees for the first 3-4 hours of the process and about 80 degrees for final drying. It is also necessary to give a “rest” to the product: arrange four to five hour breaks for the plums to cool completely. The easiest drying method for a cook is to use a special dryer. Thanks to uniform ventilation, it is not necessary to turn the fruit over and constantly monitor the heating of the containers.
How to dry prunes: preparing plums for processing
Regardless of how the hostess plans to dry prunes, certain rules should be followed for choosing and preparing fruits for the drying process.
So, the use of rotten, frozen or wormy fruits is unacceptable.
If the fruits are large enough, it is better to remove the stone from them either by incision or with the help of a special device.
It is desirable to dry especially large plums in the form of separate pieces. For drying, fleshy varieties are selected.
To speed up the process, you can pre-blanch the fruits in a boiling soda solution - 15 g per liter of water for 20-30 seconds, after which the plums are immediately washed with cold water. The result will be a fine mesh of cracks through which moisture will evaporate faster during drying. Before unfolding for drying, the fruit must be dried.
Little subtleties: how to dry prunes in the oven to a shine
If, by the end of drying, the temperature in the oven is raised to over 100 degrees Celsius for a few minutes, the plums will release sugar. Its caramelization will give the surface of dried fruits a shiny appearance and improve the further preservation of the product. This operation requires careful control: prolonged high heat will damage the fruit.
How to dry prunes
Dried fruits are a delicacy that is valued in the East. In Russia, its extraordinary taste and beneficial features also liked it. Are you worried about the heart or do not give life extra pounds? Then prunes should replace sweets for you. You can simply eat it instead of sweets, drink it with tea instead of sugar and add it to any salads. Tasty and healthy! You can buy ready-made prunes, and if you wish, dry them yourself. How to do it?
Ingredients
- plums (fresh);
- water;
- soda.
Cooking method
First way
Second way
- This recipe is much less expensive to make. Rinse the fruits thoroughly and place in a colander.
- Soda - 1 tablespoon dissolved in 1 liter of water. Dip a colander with fruits into this solution and put on fire. The soda solution should boil.
- Remove plums from heat and rinse with cold water. Arrange the plums on a baking sheet or spacing. Can be dried in the oven temperature regime- 50 degrees. In summer, in sunny weather, it can be dried in the sun.
With proper drying - prunes will be hard. When cooking, it is enough to soak it in water.
Prunes and granulated sugar compote
The taste of fruit compote will be more fragrant if prunes are added to it. It gives not only an unusual aroma, but a large number of vitamins and trace elements that are beneficial to health.
Useful properties of prunes
In the composition of prunes:
- several types of sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose);
- organic acids (salicylic, oxalic, citric and malic);
- cellulose;
- iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus and calcium;
- a significant composition of vitamins - P, B2, B1, C, A;
- nitrogenous and tannins;
- pectin.
If you have beriberi or anemia due to iron deficiency, then prune compote is the best medicine. In order not to have such health problems, for prevention purposes, include this healing compote in your diet.
Prunes have a positive effect on the functioning of the stomach and intestines. Who suffers from constipation - it is necessary to replace drugs with prunes.
Prunes are an excellent antibacterial agent. When used, it can slow down the growth of bacteria and lead to their death, which contribute to many lesions in the oral cavity.
Read more about the beneficial properties of prunes
Prunes can be used in various forms. It's tasty and fresh. In no way inferior in taste and nutritional qualities- dried, boiled or steamed prunes. Its taste does not change - sweet - sour. The aroma is just as irresistible.
Do you want to achieve piquant taste meat dishes and baking to make more fragrant - add prunes. Chicken salads are very tasty if prunes are added to them. Great combination!
Many gourmets will love this flavored drink. Compote made from prunes is delicious in any form - both hot and cold.
Ingredients
- water - 750 ml;
- granulated sugar - 1/2 cup,
- prunes - 200 grams.
Cooking method
For the preparation of prunes compote, you can use fruits, both with and without seeds. Of course, pitted the best way, since the berries can be freely eaten - no need to choose the bones.
Fruits should be carefully sorted and discarded unsuitable for consumption. Soak the prunes if they are dried. First, it must be washed 2 or 3 times in clean warm water.
Compote is cooked only in pans with an enamel coating.
Put the prunes in a saucepan, add sugar, add water (hot). Mix and put on fire to cook. Let it boil and reduce the fire to a minimum.
Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes.
The drink can be served hot or cold.
Delicious, unique and extraordinary fragrant compote from prunes.
Composition and useful properties of prunes
The attitude to prunes, this rather well-known dried fruit, is very contradictory for many. Some fanatically adore him for the fragrant, smoky aroma and indescribable taste. Others cannot stand its appearance, since black, shriveled fruits do not contribute to popular love. So what is he - prunes? What is useful in it?
Beneficial features
Dried prunes are made from fresh plums by drying and pumping fruits in special ovens. Thanks to heat treatment prunes acquire not only a "smoky" flavor, but also retain to the fullest extent all useful material fresh product. At correct use, prunes can turn into a real medicine that will save you not only from beriberi or anemia, but also from complex chronic diseases.
Biochemical composition
Prunes are rich in almost all trace elements contained in fruits: these are pectins, polysaccharides, fiber, as well as phosphorus, potassium, iron, iodine and many others. Of the vitamins, prunes contain the most vitamin PP, there are also beta-carotenes, vitamins of groups B, E, A, C. It also contains organic acids: oxalic, salicylic, citric - all this makes prunes the most valuable food product, since, unlike chemical drugs, prunes do not have side effects and does not destroy the gastric mucosa.
Prunes are quite high in calories: about 231 kcal per 100 g of sweet prunes, of which: 57.5 g of carbohydrates and 2.3 g various proteins, water, also a lot of fructose and sucrose. So abuse prunes to those who want to have slim figure or obese - not worth it. However, eating 3-4 pieces a day will even be useful, as prunes effectively cleanse the intestines.
Prunes will also be useful for dysbacteriosis, as it prevents the development of putrefactive bacteria in the intestine and contributes to the settlement of its beneficial microflora. And this dried fruit is a real panacea for hypertensive patients - even a small amount of prunes compote, can effectively reduce pressure. It is also a diuretic, flushing out waste and toxins from genitourinary system, cleans blood vessels, and thanks to high content vitamin A - quickly restores vision.
Modern scientists have proven that the systematic use of prunes and decoctions from it, you can strengthen your immune system. It also has antitumor properties, therefore it serves as an excellent prevention of the formation of benign and malignant tumors, as it neutralizes free radicals in cells.
Cautions
It is not recommended to use prunes for nursing mothers, since the active enzymes from it cause colic in infants, and patients with colitis should not eat it, especially in the exacerbation phase. In limited quantities, it can be consumed by those suffering from diabetes, obesity and functional bowel disorders.
Before use, prunes must be washed and the pit removed, if present in the product.
