How to dry vegetables at home. Drying vegetables at home How to dry vegetables properly

Drying fruits and berries at home is traditionally considered one of the most common ways to preserve the resulting crop. For long-term storage of fruits and berries, it is enough to remove water from them - microorganisms that cause food spoilage cannot live and develop in a dry environment.

Drying as a way to store crops

Properly dried products are well preserved, do not lose their aroma and taste. Drying is indispensable for harvesting spicy plants. To preserve the healing properties of some berries and fruits, it is recommended not to dry completely, but only to dry. Usually, for better preservation, such fruits and berries are first poured with sugar syrup (1 kg of sugar per 1 liter of water) for 6-8 hours, then brought to a boil and folded into a colander. A distinctive advantage of dried blanks is that they do not require special premises for storage and take up little space.

Drying methods

Dry fruits and vegetables in the air or in artificial dryers. For drying in air, sieves are usually used, which provide air to the products from below. The sieves can be placed one above the other at a distance of 5-10 cm. The greens are hung to dry in small bunches. Some fruits and vegetables are strung or tied on a string for drying.

For artificial drying of fruits, vegetables and berries at home, you can use the heat of an ordinary stove or a Russian oven. You can dry it on the outer surface of the oven or on a stove bench, which is covered with paper. Prepared fruits and vegetables are scattered on paper. For drying in the oven, it is better to dry raw foods first on a baking sheet set at a distance of 25-30 cm from the burners, then place the baking sheet in the oven. Keep the door open for air circulation.

How to dry fruits

For drying, the raw materials are pre-prepared: they are washed, cut into circles, columns, strips, etc. (due to this, the area of ​​​​evaporation of water increases and the drying process is accelerated). So that fruits and vegetables do not darken during drying, they are pre-soaked in a solution of salt or citric acid (5-10 g per 1 liter of water) and blanched. For uniform access of air, the raw materials prepared for drying are laid out in an even thin layer.


Here are some signs of properly dried products:

  • dried carrots retain their color and smell fresh;
  • dried beans in pods have a white or green color, overdried - light brown;
  • cabbage acquires a dark green color, and overdried turns black; cauliflower has a creamy hue;
  • apples should be light cream in color, elastic enough, but should not release liquid when bent;
  • plums turn black with a bluish tint;
  • apricots should retain their natural color, dark color indicates that the fruit is overdried. The pulp of dried plums and apricots is quite elastic, easily separated from the stone, the quality of dried cherries is determined by the same feature.

Home-dried fruits and berries are poured into one container for 1-2 days to equalize the humidity. After pouring into a container for storage (plastic bags, wooden and cardboard boxes, glass jars). It should be borne in mind that under the influence of light, dried products darken and lose their aroma.


The yield of dried products (in grams) from 1 kg of fresh raw materials:

  • apricots - 150
  • pitted cherries - 250
  • pitted cherries - 100
  • green peas - 200
  • pears - 180
  • greens (dill, parsley, celery) - 100
  • strawberries - 130
  • cabbage - 70-90
  • onion - 120-150
  • raspberries - 150
  • carrots - 120-180
  • parsley (root) - 120-140
  • beets - 120-170
  • plums with pits - 300
  • pitted plums - 160-200
  • currant - 140
  • asparagus beans - 100
  • apples - 130

Recipes for drying different crops

How to dry apricots

Dried apricots. Rinse ripe apricots, cut into halves, remove pits. Lay on a baking sheet in one row cut up and dry in an oven or oven at a temperature of 60-70 ° C for 10-12 hours.

Kais. Whole apricots first dry for 1-2 days in the oven, then cut from the side of the stalk and squeeze out the stone. Dry in the usual way.

Dried apricots. Put apricots in a saucepan, cover with sugar and leave overnight. The next day, bring the apricots to a boil, put them in a colander and let the juice drain. Arrange on baking sheets and dry at a temperature of 30-40 ° C.

How to dry barberry

Sort the fruits, rinse and dry in an oven or oven at a temperature of up to 45 ° C.

How to dry hawthorn

Ripe fruits to clear from stalks, to wash out. Tumble dry up to 60°C.

How to dry grapes

Sugar varieties are suitable for drying. Peel the bunches of defective berries and lower them for 3-5 seconds in a hot 0.5% solution of baking soda (to speed up the drying process). Rinse with cold water and put on a sieve. Dry in an oven or oven at a temperature of 65-70 ° C, turning the bunches as they dry.

How to dry cherries and cherries

Sort the fruits, rinse and lay in one layer on baking sheets. Dry in the oven for 2-3 hours at a temperature of 30 ° C, then increase the temperature to 60 ° C.

How to dry green peas

Put the peeled and sorted peas into boiling water and cook until softened. Cool boiled peas in water and dry first at a temperature of 80 ° C, then at 50 ° C. Drying time 2-4 hours.

How to dry pears

Peel fruits, cut into slices, remove seeds. Dry at a temperature of 65-70 °C.

How to dry strawberries

Sort the berries, but do not wash them, sprinkle them in a thin layer on a sieve and dry in an oven or oven at a temperature of 40 ° C, then increase to 60 ° C. Drying time 2-4 hours.

How to dry irgu

Pour the berries on a sieve with a layer of 2-3 cm. Dry in the oven at a temperature of 50 ° C, then increase to 80 ° C. Irgu can also be dried outdoors.

How to dry (dry) zucchini

For 1 kg of zucchini 300 g of sugar, 5 g of vanillin, 5 g of citric acid.

Peel the zucchini, remove the core, cut into equal pieces, sprinkle with sugar, add vanillin and citric acid. Put under oppression and keep in a cold place for 8-10 hours. Then dry the zucchini in the oven and put in jars.

How to dry white cabbage

Peel the cabbage from the outer contaminated green leaves, cut out the stalk, chop it into strips about 1 cm wide, spread it on sieves in a thin layer. Dry at a temperature of 60 ° C, stirring occasionally.

How to dry cauliflower

Divide the cabbage into separate inflorescences, cut large ones in half. Blanch the prepared cabbage in salted water (10 g of salt per 1 liter of water), cool with water and drain in a colander. Spread the cabbage on sieves and dry at a temperature of up to 40 ° C.

How to dry kohlrabi cabbage

Peel the stems and cut into thin strips. Blanch for 2-4 minutes, cool and pat dry. Arrange on sieves and dry at a temperature of 60-70 °C.

How to dry onions

Sharp (bitter) varieties are suitable for drying. Peel the onion from the husk, remove the root lobe and the upper pointed part, cut into circles 3-4 mm thick. Disassemble the resulting mugs into rings, spread out and dry at a temperature of 65 C.

How to dry raspberries

Hard, slightly unripe berries without stalks are laid out in one layer on a baking sheet and dried in the oven at a temperature of 60-70 C during the day.

How to dry carrots

Peel the carrots, remove the thin part of the root crop and the upper part with the remnants of the tops. Blanch for 10-15 minutes, cool, cut into noodles or circles 3-4 mm thick. Arrange on baking sheets and dry at a temperature of 75-80 ° C.

How to dry tomatoes

Tomatoes are dried in the sun. Cut the fruits across, leaving them connected at the top, lay on the sieve with the pulp up. Dry 4-5 days.

How to dry rowan

Remove the berries from the stalks, rinse, blanch for 2-3 minutes, cool and pour onto sieves. Dry in an oven or oven at a temperature of 70-75 ° C. Aronia is dried in the same way, but the temperature should not exceed 60 ° C.

How to dry beets

Clean the beets, chop the noodles. Blanch for 20 minutes, spread on baking sheets and dry at a temperature of 75-80 ° C.

How to dry (dry) sugar beets

Wash the beets well and bake in the oven together with the peel. Then peel, cut into pieces and dry in the oven until semi-soft.

How to dry plum and cherry plum

Rinse the fruits, dip them in a hot solution of 0.5% soda for 10-15 seconds, rinse again with cold water. Dry as follows: 3-4 hours at a temperature of 40-50 °C, then 5-6 hours at room temperature and 10-12 hours (until completely dry) at a temperature of 55-60 °C.

How to dry blackcurrant

Rinse ripe berries, scatter in a thin layer on a sieve and dry in an oven or oven at a temperature of 50-60 ° C for 2-4 hours.

How to dry pumpkin

Peel the pumpkin, cut it in half, remove the seeds and hold it in the air for 2-3 days. Then cut into long slices 1 cm thick and dry.

How to dry beans

Young pods with watery seeds are suitable for drying. Cut the pods obliquely into pieces of 2-3 cm. Blanch for 3-5 minutes, dry, spread on a sieve. Dry at a temperature of 60-70 °C.

How to dry horseradish root

Wash the roots, peel, chop into thin strips. Arrange on baking sheets and dry in the oven at a temperature of 75-80 "C. Dried horseradish can be ground into powder.

How to dry rose hips

Dry rose hips whole or in halves, removing seeds and hairs. First, 5-10 minutes at a temperature of 100 °C, then dry at a temperature of 70-75 °C.

Spread rosehip petals in a single layer on a sheet of clean paper and dry indoors.

How to dry sorrel

Rinse and dry the leaves in a drying cabinet or in the air in the shade.

How to dry apples

Peel the fruits, cut into slices or slices, remove the seeds. So that the apples do not darken during drying, they should be immersed in a 2% solution of salt or citric acid. Then spread the apples on sieves in one layer and dry in an oven or oven at a temperature of 70-75 °C at first, and 50-55 °C at the end. Drying lasts 6-10 hours.

Apples can also be dried in the sun. To do this, string the chopped fruits on threads or sticks and hang them in a sunny place protected from moisture. Dry 3-5 days.

In contact with

Properly dried fruits and vegetables should be beautiful, tasty and elastic, after swelling with water very similar to fresh fruits, and the loss of valuable nutrients should be minimal.

At home, drying fruits and vegetables in favorable weather in the sun, on a stove, in an oven, on central heating radiators or small dryers, which is not difficult to do. The most convenient for drying are lattices - wooden or metal frames, made of dense weaving of twigs, wire or plastic, so that air can flow to them from the bottom side. If the weaving is from ordinary wire, the gratings must be covered with a thin cloth so that the drying fruits do not touch the iron.

When drying in the oven, you can use plastic weaving only on the inside of the frame. Drying on tin is not very profitable, since the water from the drying fruits evaporates only from the upper side; tin should be covered with parchment paper. At the same time, there is a special sheet with small holes (perforated) for drying fruit on sale.

Drying in the sun.

Fruits and vegetables can be dried in the sun in warm and dry weather in a dust-free environment. At night, however, it is necessary to clean in places that are protected from dew. Drying in the sun is often combined with drying in the oven - the fruits are dried in the sun or dried.

Drying in the oven.

For drying in an oven, an electric oven or an oven in a solid fuel oven is suitable; a gas oven is suitable only on the assumption that the heated volume of the oven is completely separated from the burner, since the products of gas combustion contain a large amount of water vapor, which is undesirable during drying. When drying in the oven, it is important to remove air saturated with water vapor; To do this, in most cases, open the oven door.

When drying fruits in an electric oven, turn on the smallest heat; more heating is switched on after partial shrinkage of the fruit. During drying, the temperature in the oven is controlled with a thermometer and the required degree of heat supply is regulated, most often the heat is reduced by rearranging the grates to a different distance from the heat source.

Drying on central heating radiators.

Small pieces of fruit can also be dried during the heating season on radiators on grates, which are made according to the size of the radiators. Lattices are placed directly on radiators or under a spoon, for example, a corresponding layer of newspapers.

Drying in a home dryer.

If you dry a large number of fruits or vegetables each year, you can make a small home dryer to make drying easier and faster.

It can be heated with warm air over the stove or with its own infrared lamps, or if it has tall legs, with heat from a propane burner.

The drying box is made of metal plates (tin), the front wall of the dryer is made removable, it serves to install the grates in the grooves located on the two sides of the box. Holes are made in the bottom plate of the box with dampers to regulate the flow of heat. A hole is made in the top plate of the dryer to allow air and water vapor to escape.

If the dryer is heated by warm air from the stove, the heat input can be controlled by moving the dryer to different places on the stove.

The dryer, heated by infrared lamps, should be lined with aluminum foil on the inside, which reflects the rays and returns them to the dried fruit. Infra-red lamps are placed on the side walls of the dryer; infrared radiation leads to small losses of air and dry matter (dried parts of the fruit), but it absorbs moisture from the products - the middle of the fruit is also completely dried.

Fruits that have dried must be laid out on grates in a thin layer and turned over more often.

Preparation of fruits for drying.

Drying is based on the removal of water from fruits and vegetables so that the microbes in them, if not destroyed, then at least could not multiply. From the fruit, it is required to evaporate 80-90% of the initial water content.

Usually, some types of vegetables, green tops (parsley, dill, lovage) and some types of fruits are dried.

Fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables are well washed, cleaned, stones, core, remnants of inflorescences and stalks are removed. The tops are dried on a sieve or on a cloth, some types of vegetables (carrots, celery, parsley, kohlrabi, etc.) are chopped into small pieces or rubbed on a coarse grater and immersed in boiling water for a short time. Light-colored fruits are soaked in acidified water immediately after cleaning so that they do not darken. Fruits can be scalded in a sugar solution, such fruits will easily swell before use and retain their shape and color.

Drying temperature.

First, the fruits are dried at low temperatures; if dried quickly at high temperatures, the surface of the dried fruits would be ossified, vapors could not escape from the middle of the fruits, the fruits would be mostly cracked, and the juice would flow out. In the further phase of drying, the temperature can be increased, since after partial evaporation of water there are no prerequisites for cracking the fruits.

The fruits are dried at low temperatures (the grates are moved to the top of the dryer or, in favorable weather, in the sun). Fruits are dried at the beginning and at the end at a temperature of about 50-60 C, the main drying takes place at a temperature of 65-80 C. Boiled vegetables are dried first at 75-80 C, then at 65-70 C. Vegetable tops and aromatic plants dried at 55 C, so as not to lose aromatic substances.

Dried apples and pears are a taste from childhood. The delicacy that our grandmothers spoiled us with.

Do you remember how they harvested such fruits? They cut out the middle, cut the apples and pears into slices, sprinkled with cinnamon and strung the slices on a long thread. And then, these “beads” were hung by the stove so that the slices would dry out.

Our mothers improved the technology a little, and have already dried fruits, vegetables and mushrooms in the oven. But this process took a lot of time.

Read also:

Now it has become even easier to prepare such goodies for the winter, as special dryers (dehydrators).

If you have never prepared gifts of nature for the winter in this way before, but you really want to do it, then the following tips will definitely come in handy for you.

Drying fruits and vegetables at home

Cutting fruits and vegetables is better ceramic knife and rub on a plastic grater. Metal kills vitamins (especially vitamin C), so this measure will not be superfluous.

Some fruits (for example, apples, pears, bananas) darken during drying. To preserve the color, dip the workpieces in water for half an hour. lemon juice. And only after that proceed to drying.

It is important to remember that already dried fruits, vegetables and mushrooms need store in a dry, well-ventilated place. Such things are well stored in a tightly sealed container.

Cool the freshly dried products to room temperature, and only then put it in the container chosen for storage. It can be a glass jar or a linen bag.

During artificial drying of mushrooms, berries, fruits and vegetables, you need ensure free air circulation, and increase the temperature gradually, otherwise the products will not dry out, but will bake. In special dryers, this will allow you to make the design of the device itself. In the oven, a frame with a fine mesh, similar to a sieve, will help to circulate air.

Read also:

Where to dry?

On the street

Whatever products lose vitamin C, their color, taste and smell, do not dry them in the open sun. If you're drying nature's gifts outside, be sure to cover them with a light sheet to protect them from dust and insects. In any case, after drying on the street, you will have to dry everything in the oven, otherwise your workpiece will quickly deteriorate.

In the oven

It will take a long time to dry fruits, vegetables or mushrooms in the oven, because the process itself will need to be repeated several times. So, large fruits (for example, plums and apricots) will have to be put in the oven 3 times. And smaller berries - 1-2 times. But then they can be safely included in!

If your drying takes 3 stages, then first put the fruits or vegetables in the oven for 3-4 hours. Temperature should not exceed 40–45 °C. Then keep your workpiece 4-6 at room temperature, and put it back in the oven for 4-5 hours.

Now the temperature in the oven should reach 55-60 °C. Remove from oven again for 4-6 hours. At the last stage, dry in the oven for 12-16 hours at 75-80°C until the vegetables or fruits are completely dry.

If you are drying in two stages (for example, cherries or raspberries), first dry the fruits or berries at a temperature of 55–60 ° C until the fruits are wilted. After that, let it cool for several hours at room temperature and put it back in the oven until completely dry. At this stage, the temperature in the oven should be 60-80 °C.

Currants, blueberries and other small berries can be dried in one step. Do it at a temperature of 60–70 °C, until the berries are dry. During drying, do not forget to shake the mesh several times.

Dryers for fruits and vegetables

Drying berries, mushrooms, vegetables and fruits in special dryers is the easiest process, although it can take from several hours to a day. Now, this is a really tricky question.

Some expensive dehydrators have complex temperature control features. But most of them have only basic programs for drying fruits, berries, vegetables or mushrooms. The biggest plus in such dryers is that the products in them do not dry out, retain vitamins and other useful substances, as well as their taste and aroma.

The optimal drying time in such dryers is 10-15 hours. To help dry your workpieces faster and more evenly, swap trays every few hours.

Autumn is the season of vegetables, then they contain the highest amount of useful and nutritious substances. Drying vegetables is a harvesting process in which all moisture is removed, while nutrients, vitamins and trace elements remain almost unchanged. dry vegetables can be eaten like chips, some can be added to soups and main dishes as seasonings, and some can be used to prepare full-fledged dishes, after restoring them to normal.

Preparation of borscht from dried vegetables:

Advantages and disadvantages

Drying benefits:

  • Dehydrated vegetables take up little space;
  • When drying, useful substances are not lost;
  • You can dry even those products that are not suitable for pickling and salting.

Drying disadvantages:

  • Products have to be restored and it takes time;
  • At high temperatures, a lot of vitamin C is lost;
  • Dried vegetables must be stored properly.

Preparing vegetables for drying

Before drying, the products must be washed well so that there is no dirt and dust left, and dark spots and rotten areas, if any, are removed with a knife. Let the water drain and pat dry with a towel. Wet products are not recommended to be placed in the dryer. Then the vegetables need to be cut, making sure that the pieces are the same in thickness, then they will dry at about the same time and there will be no need to constantly monitor each individual piece.

Blanching and steaming

Blanching is necessary for some types of vegetables, but care must be taken not to overcook them. It is enough to lower the vegetables with a sieve into boiling water for 3-4 minutes, no more.

Instead of blanching, you can use a double boiler, steaming is also effective, but you need to hold the vegetables in the unit for 5-7 minutes.

Blanching and steaming are needed for vegetables such as:

  • Potato;
  • String beans;
  • Green peas;
  • Cauliflower;
  • Beans;
  • Beet.

Methods for drying fruits and vegetables

There are several popular drying methods.

Outdoors

Our grandparents dried summer fruits outdoors. With regard to vegetables, this method is less popular, because. often leads to moldy foods, especially if cut too thick and close together. So you can dry eggplant, which do not contain a lot of moisture and greens.

The temperature indoors or outdoors must be more than 27 degrees.

Vegetables should be cut very thinly, put on a tray and covered with gauze, which will save food from flies and other insects.

In the oven

Remove moisture from vegetables using the oven carefully, there is a risk of overdrying. If there is no thermostat in the oven, the oven opens during drying, but all the same, in most cases, baked-dried vegetables are obtained, which already have other qualities and taste.

Pieces of food need to be turned every hour.

in the microwave

A newly invented drying method. Microwaves act on the products, which heat them from the inside, the temperature rises and moisture is removed. The smaller the pieces of vegetables, the faster and more evenly the processing takes place. Cut for drying in the microwave should be uniform thin slices, which from time to time need to be shifted, swapping those in the center of the round plate and those outside, because. exposure to microwaves outside will be stronger and everything will dry faster there.

In an electric dryer

If you decide to seriously engage in harvesting vegetables by drying them, it is recommended to have a special electric dryer. Electric dryers operate on the principle of air heating and constant blowing of products. By following a few rules in an electric dryer, you can dehydrate almost all types of vegetables and not only them.

In more expensive models of dryers, there are several temperature and airflow modes and the possibility of additionally adding sections. These are important details and comparing vegetables processed in a cheap and expensive dryer, we can conclude that the uniformity of drying in expensive models is much higher.

In cheap electric dryers, thinly sliced ​​tomatoes and peppers sometimes burn to blackness, especially if you don’t keep track of time and don’t swap trays in time, which can be problematic to do, for example, at night.

IMPORTANT: Products that have become moldy during drying and emit an unpleasant sour smell must be thrown away. They already contain fungi and substances that should not be eaten.

Almost all vegetables can be dried, but some need to be processed first. For example, potatoes will darken due to the presence of starch if they are not blanched for five minutes first. String beans and peas should be processed in a double boiler before dehydration, otherwise the finished product will be difficult to use.

Tomatoes and other vegetables with a high water content should not be dried in the sun, they will definitely become moldy.

Drying zucchini, eggplant and cucumbers for the winter:

In the preparation of each vegetable there are nuances:

  • Tomatoes. Choose dense tomatoes, they should not flow much. Cut into rings or half rings centimeter thick;
  • Eggplant. Be sure to peel the eggplant before harvesting. Cut into centimeter circles;
  • Carrot. There are two ways to dry carrots: in pieces or grated on a coarse grater. In the second option, a fine sieve or gauze is used so that the carrots do not fall through during drying;
  • Beet. Before harvesting, beets can be cut and blanched for a minute. There is also the option of drying baked beets;
  • Potato. Cut the potatoes and be sure to rinse in cold water and only then blanch for at least three minutes. After drying in an electric dryer or oven;
  • Onion. When dried, the onion smells strongly, especially in the first two hours. At this time, the electric dryer can be taken out to the balcony or open the windows so that the smell is not so strong. Dried onions are good as a condiment;
  • Mushrooms. Dried mushrooms add an excellent taste and aroma to dishes, more refined than fresh ones. To properly dry the mushrooms, they need to be cut into plates and placed close to each other. Porcini mushrooms, aspen mushrooms, Polish mushroom and chanterelles lend themselves well to this method of processing.

How to store dried vegetables at home?

When storing dried vegetables, it is important to prevent moisture from entering. Also, all kinds of pests, such as bugs and moths, are very fond of eating dried foods.

Dried products can store in tightly closed jars or vacuum bags, also for not too long storage, zip bags are suitable. The shelf life in this form is 1-2 years from the date of preparation. Vacuum-packed dried products are stored for 3 years and do not deteriorate during this time.

Recovery of dried foods

When you need to use the dried product, soak it in cold water for 2-3 hours. After this time, the product will acquire almost its original shape and be saturated with moisture. After that, heat treatment or use in salads without any processing is possible.

REFERENCE: Vegetables that have been improperly stored and saturated with moisture can be put in order by drying them again for 2 hours in an electric dryer

vegetable chips

Everyone loves fruit chips, in supermarkets you can buy apple and pear eco chips. Vegetables also make delicious crispy chips, and most importantly, very healthy ones.

Vegetables suitable for cooking are:

  • tomatoes;
  • Beet;
  • Potato;
  • Carrot;
  • Pumpkin;
  • Zucchini;
  • Spinach;
  • Eggplant.

You can cook these healthy goodies in an electric dryer or in the oven. The main trick is to cut the vegetables into very thin slices so that they are translucent.

You can serve the delicacy with sour cream or without any dressing.

Dried vegetables are healthy, quick and tasty. Use as condiments, snacks, or to simmer entire meals. For example, when hiking, many tourists cook only from dehydrated vegetables, thus saving space in their backpack. Having prepared vegetables using an electric dryer, oven or microwave, you will always have tasty and healthy products that are easy to cook.

Zucchini for the winter:

Drying fruits and vegetables is an old way of preserving them. Previously, to preserve food, they used a lot of salt and dried them in the sun or on gas burners.

Now there are special dryers that help in this process.

Drying vegetables and fruits, as well as berries, is a safe method of preserving them because water is removed from them. And since there is no water, mold and bacteria will not grow on them, and thus they will not deteriorate.

Choosing the Right Drying Method

Drying in the sun
This is quite difficult to do, because it requires 3 sunny days in a row, at least with a temperature of 37 °C.

Drying in the oven
Oven drying is a suitable method, but it does not save energy and the food loses flavor as a result. If your oven does not reach 93°C, you can try another drying method. The oven door must be kept ajar to allow air to circulate during the entire process.

Electric dryer
This is the best way to dry food. Electric dryers are quite energy efficient and can operate at the low temperatures needed to preserve the nutritional value of food. In an electric dryer for products, there must be a heat control and a fan to create air circulation.

Drying process of fruits and vegetables

When drying food, do not keep the temperature too high or too low. Low temperatures can lead to bacterial growth on foods. Too high a temperature will cause the food to brown instead of drying.
Under-dried foods will spoil, and over-dried foods will lose their flavor and nutritional value. Food must be dried at 49-60°C. You can start drying at a high temperature, and after an hour reduce it. During the last hour of drying, the temperature must be set to a minimum. During the whole process, turn over the products and rotate the pallets.
You can find out about the completion of drying by touching the products, while they should be hard without pockets of moisture. When checking fruit, you can break a piece in half. Stripes of moisture along the break will indicate that the fruit is not yet dried. The flesh should be firm and not crunchy. Vegetables can be tough and crunchy.
When storing dried foods, remember that moisture must not get into the containers.
Dried foods absorb moisture from the air, so storage containers must be airtight. Some suitable storage containers are jars and plastic freezer bags.
Fruit marshmallow is placed in cling film and stored in an airtight container.
Store containers of dried foods in a cool, dark and dry place, preferably at 16°C.

Vegetable Drying Guide

All vegetables except onions, peppers and mushrooms should be washed, cut into slices and dipped in water for a while. The vegetables are laid out on a pallet in a single layer and dried. Drying time may take longer depending on conditions. Dry the vegetables at 55°C.

green beans
Clean and chop the beans into 2.5 cm pieces. Dip in hot water. Dry 6-12 hours until they become brittle.

Beet
Boil and clean the beets. Cut into pieces of 6 mm. Dry 3-10 hours until they become stiff. Broccoli. Cut and dry 4-10 hours.

Carrot
Peel, cut into slices or chop. Dry 6-12 hours until brittle.

Cauliflower
Cut and dry 6-14 hours. Corn. Clean the cobs after blanching and dry for 6-12 hours until brittle.

Mushrooms
Brush but do not wash. Dry at 32°C for 3 hours and then at 52°C for the remainder of the time. Dry 4-10 hours until brittle.

Onion
Cut the onion into 2.5 cm thick rings. Dry for 6-12 hours until crispy.

Peas
Dry 5-14 hours until brittle.

Bell pepper
Remove seeds and cut into pieces. Dry 5-12 hours until firm.

Potato
Cut into circles 3 mm thick. Dry 6-12 hours until crispy.

tomatoes
Dip in boiling water to separate the skin, peel, cut into circles or divide into 4 parts. Dry 6-12 hours until crispy.

Zucchini
Cut into circles 3 mm thick and dry for 5-10 hours until brittle.

Fruit Drying Guide

All fruits should be washed, pitted and cut into circles or slices. Place in one layer on pallets. Dry fruit at 57°C. You can pre-treat the fruit with lemon juice or ascorbic acid. They will not darken while you prepare them for drying. Cut the fruit into slices or circles and soak in water for 5 minutes.

Apples
Peel, remove the seed pod and cut into 9mm thick rounds or 6mm thick slices. Pre-treat and dry 6-12 hours until they are soft and pliable.

apricots
Cut in half and turn inside out. Pre-treat and dry 8-20 hours until soft and pliable.

Bananas
Peel, cut into 6 mm thick circles and pre-process. Dry 8-16 hours until soft and pliable or almost crispy.

Blueberry
Dry 10-20 hours until stiff. Cherry. Cut in half and dry for 18-26 hours until stiff and slightly sticky.

Peaches
Peel off the skin, cut in half or quarters. Pre-treat and dry 6-20 hours until soft and pliable.

Pears
Peel, cut into 6 mm thick pieces and pre-process. Dry 6-20 hours until stiff.

A pineapple
Remove the core and cut into circles 6 mm thick. Dry for 6-16 hours until it becomes hard and non-tacky.

Strawberry
Cut in half or slices 6 mm thick. Dry 6-16 hours until soft and pliable or almost crispy.

For more information on drying some vegetables, fruits and apples:

dried eggplant
In August, during the ripening season of vegetables, in Eastern countries you can almost everywhere hang garlands of eggplant and peppers, which are dried so that in winter you can cook a lot of tasty and healthy dishes without buying tasteless and expensive winter vegetables.
Depending on what the hostess plans to cook, eggplants are cut - in halves for dolma, strips or cubes, for soups, stews and pilaf.

In Eastern countries, as already mentioned above, vegetables are dried in the sun, because. firstly, gas or coal for stoves are not cheap, and secondly, it’s too hot outside to still heat the kitchen with gas or heat the stove. Thirdly, with such heat and sun, it’s somehow stupid to spend resources and make yourself unnecessary difficulties .

And so, for drying, the eggplants are washed and the stalks are removed.

For dolma, this is the most popular type of cutting.
Eggplants are cut in half, then the pulp is carefully cut out of them, while the walls of the resulting “glass” should not become thinner than 0.5 cm.
Then, with the help of a gypsy needle and a thick thread, the eggplant halves are strung on a thread at a small distance from each other, if you string too tightly, the eggplant will begin to rot.
Eggplants are dried either in a dry, ventilated room, or on the street under a canopy, or on a balcony, so that direct sunlight does not fall on them.
Otherwise, eggplants will burn out in the sun and lose their taste.
In rainy weather and at night, eggplant garlands are removed into the house.
If there are a lot of flies, eggplants are covered with gauze.
Dried eggplant for about 3 weeks. And then stored in a dry place.
Now eggplants are not bitter and almost no one bothers with pre-treatment of eggplants.
In addition, before use, dried eggplants are brewed in boiling water, so, in my opinion, preliminary heat treatment is not needed.
Sometimes, after drying, ready-made eggplants are put in a large pot or tank, or a bucket and covered with a lid, it is believed that in this way the moisture of dried and under-dried vegetables is distributed evenly.
In our conditions, you can dry eggplants in the same way - on the balcony or on the street, or in the oven (gas is not so expensive with us). To do this, eggplants are cut into halves, strips or small pieces.
Then they are laid out on a baking sheet, in one layer. The baking sheet is placed in the oven for 3-4 hours. Preheat the oven to 100 C and not higher than 150. The door should be ajar by about 5-10 cm.
During drying, the pieces must be turned over or mixed so that there is uniform drying.
Sometimes dried in several stages.
Drying time, then cool. Drying hour - cool until the eggplant is dry like mushrooms.
Store in boxes or jars. And garlands are hung in a dry room, or stored in a bag.

Apples

The best for drying are the fruits of the varieties Pouring white, Breading, Borovinka pineapple, Melba, Autumn striped, Pepin saffron. Of the new varieties, scab-immune varieties obtained at the All-Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding are recommended, since almost all of them have a high content of dry matter: Bolotovskoe, Solnyshko, Stroevskoe, Venyaminovskoe, Start, etc.

Apples should have firm flesh, darkening little in air, and thin skin.

The fruits are sorted, washed, allowed to drain, the apples are cut into circles 0.5-0.6 cm thick, while removing damaged areas and the seed chamber, and immediately immerse for 3-5 minutes in a solution of citric acid (2 g per 1 liter water) or table salt (1 tsp per 1 liter of water) so that they do not darken (they do the same with pears). Then the water is drained, the apple mugs are air-dried for 2-3 minutes, placed in a single layer on a sieve or baking sheet covered with white paper, or strung on twine. The initial temperature in the dryer should be 70-85°C.
To speed up the drying, the mugs of apples (if the apples are small, they are cut into halves, quarters or used whole) are turned over after 2-3 hours.

When the fruits lose about 2/3 of moisture, the temperature is reduced to 50-55°C. The whole drying lasts about 5-6 hours and is considered complete if the mugs or slices are not crushed with strong pressure with a finger. Undry Apples are removed from the pan or sieve and re-dried. Ready Apples are kept in a box or box for a week to even out the humidity. Well-dried Apples should be elastic, light cream to light brown in color.

Pears

Summer and autumn varieties containing at least 12% dry matter are suitable for drying. The fruits should be mature, with a small content of stony cells. It is recommended to use Bessemyanka, Tonkovetka, Autumn Bergamot, William Summer and others, as well as wild pears.

Fruits, depending on the size, are cut into halves or quarters (small ones are dried whole) and dipped in acidified or salted water. After the water drains, the slices are laid out on sieves or baking sheets and dried for 10-12 hours, first at 70-80°C, and finally at 50-55°C. Ready pears are kept in a box or box for 5-6 days to equalize moisture.

plums

The best varieties for drying are Hungarian plums and other large-fruited dark purple plums. It is from them that prunes are obtained. In the middle lane, unfortunately, there are no such varieties. However, you can dry plum and other varieties.

Plum fruits, however, like cherries, should be large, fleshy, with a small bone that easily separates from the pulp. Fruits damaged by the codling moth are not suitable for drying. Before drying, the plums are sorted by size, the stalks are removed, then they are washed and be sure to blanched, dipping for a few seconds in a boiling solution of baking soda (5-8 g per 1 liter of water). After that, the plums are immediately cooled in water and washed under running water. Thanks to these actions, the wax coating is removed, and a network appears on the skin of the plum, which speeds up drying.

Blanched plums are placed in one layer on a baking sheet and dried in three steps. First, 3-4 hours at 40-45°C, after which they are removed from the dryer or oven and kept for 4-6 hours. The second drying at a temperature of 60-65°C lasts 6-8 hours, the plums are turned over on a baking sheet and cooled again 4- 5 hours The third, final drying lasts 4-5 hours (until ready) at a temperature of 70-75°C. Ready plums do not release juice when pressed, they have dry pulp near the pits. Dried plums are also kept in a box for 5-6 days to equalize the humidity.

Cherry

The best varieties for drying are Vladimirskaya, Griot Ostheimsky, Black consumer goods, Zhukovskaya, Turgenevka, etc. The fruits must be fully ripe, dark red in color. They are sorted out, damaged or diseased, as well as the stalks are removed, washed, laid in one layer on baking sheets and dried in one step for 10-12 hours, first at 50-55°C, then at 70-75°C. Cherries, like plums, can be blanched.

Rose hip

Ripe, firm to the touch rose hips of bright red color are suitable for drying. It is sorted, overripe, damaged and soft fruits, stalks and inflorescences are removed, washed, allowed to drain, laid out on a baking sheet and placed in an oven heated to 100 ° C for 8-10 minutes. After that, they are poured onto another baking sheet or sieve and dried at 65-70 ° C. Rosehips dried in this way contain a large amount of vitamin C.

different berries

They also dry raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries, black currants and other berries. They are sorted out, rotten and damaged are removed, cleaned of twigs, leaves, stalks. Berries with a thick, dense skin (cranberries, black currants) are blanched before drying. Prepared berries are laid out on a sieve in a thin layer and dried in the sun for one day, then 2-4 hours in a drying cabinet, depending on the type and size of the berries. The temperature in the oven is 45-50°C. Dried berries are laid out in an open box, kept for two days.

Preparing dried food for meals

Dried foods must be soaked or boiled before being used in recipes. Some foods need to be soaked and boiled. Vegetables are usually soaked for ½–1 ½ hours and then stewed. Some vegetables can be regenerated during cooking.

The fruits are soaked and then boiled in the same water. Don't add more sugar until the fruit is cooked, otherwise it will be tough. The fruit is sometimes consumed dried as a snack. It must be remembered that after the products are restored, they quickly deteriorate, so they need to be consumed quickly.

To prepare dried foods, use the following information and simmer until softened.

Apples: Add 1 ½ cups of warm water to 1 cup of apples and soak for ½ hour.

green beans: 2 ¼ cups boiling water per 1 cup beans and soak 1 ½ hours.

Beet: 2 ¾ cups boiling water to 1 cup beets and soak 1 ½ hours.

Carrot: Add 2 ¼ cups boiling water to 1 cup carrots and soak for 1 hour.

Corn: Add 2 ¼ cups boiling water to 1 cup carrots and soak for ½ hour.

Onion: Add 2 cups boiling water to 1 cup onion and soak for 1 hour.

Peaches: Add 2 cups warm water to 1 cup peaches and soak for 1 ¼ hours.

Pears: Add 1 ¾ cups of warm water to 1 cup of pears and soak for 1 hour.

Peas: Add 2 ½ cups boiling water to 1 cup peas and soak for ½ hour.

Potato: Add 1 ½ cups boiling water to 1 cup potatoes and soak for ½ hour.

RECIPES:

Dried tomatoes are something unimaginable: plain at first glance, they perfectly retain the concentrated taste and aroma of summer tomatoes, acquiring new, unexpected and slightly spicy notes along the way.
In Italy, whose San Marzano tomatoes are considered some of the best in the world, tomatoes are dried in the summer, under the scorching Mediterranean sun. However, in the absence of the Mediterranean sun, the most ordinary oven can come to the rescue - well, sun-dried tomatoes, which will be stored without problems for at least a year, can be used in dozens of ways: add to bread, salads, pasta, sauces, and just eat as very tasty snack, remembering summer.

Ingredients:
1 kg. plum tomatoes; olive oil; garlic; dried herbs; hot pepper; salt

Wash the tomatoes well and cut each one lengthwise. You can remove the seeds and all the liquid to make the tomatoes dry faster and more evenly, but you don't have to do this to retain the maximum flavor of the summer tomatoes (however, the place where the tomato is attached to the branch and the white flesh around it is better to remove in any case ). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, so that they do not touch each other.
In order not to guard the readiness of the tomatoes, you can dry them with an open oven. (See above “drying eggplant”). Then dry it in the sun, let's say on a towel, covered with gauze.

Please note that the time indicated above is a guideline, and readiness must be determined by the appearance of the tomatoes. If the tomatoes are shriveled, have acquired a darker shade, and the moisture has “gone” - then they are ready. In order not to miss this moment, you need to periodically look into the oven, and some time before the end, turn the baking sheet 360g so that all the tomatoes are dried evenly.

Now a few words about the storage of sun-dried tomatoes. Traditionally, tomatoes are placed in a jar and poured with olive oil. A little finely chopped garlic, dried herbs, hot chili, wine vinegar, salt, pepper and other spices can be added to the oil so that the sun-dried tomatoes gradually acquire an additional dimension of taste and aroma during storage. On the other hand, you can do it easier - put the tomatoes in a container with a lid (or the same jar) and close tightly: this way they are also stored well, and, importantly, retain their original taste.
On a note! In the East, tomatoes are dried in the sun, and stored strung on them.on an oiled thread (like garlands) hanging in a pantry or in a paper bag. So, if you do not want to store in oil, then choose this method. Before use, dried tomatoes should be kept in warm water and cut into a dish as you like. On shurpa (oriental soup with potatoes and vegetables) or roast, it is better to put tomatoes without slicing.

The meat is dried at a temperature of 63–66 °C. The meat is dried for 6-20 hours until it becomes soft and bendable. It shouldn't be brittle. Remove the layer of fat from the jerky while drying. Cured meat should not be stored for as long as fruits and vegetables. For long-term storage (more than a month), it should be stored in the freezer or refrigerator.

To age dried meat, it can be marinated with salt and spices. I used to use 1 ½ cups of marinade salt per 4 liters of water and soak strips of meat in it for two days.
As an alternative to soaking, the meat was also rubbed with salt and spices (garlic and pepper) before drying.

You can use one of the following marinade recipes: Leave the strips of meat in the marinade overnight.

Marinade for drying No. 1: 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce ¼ cup soy sauce ½ tsp ground garlic ½ tsp pepper 1 tsp salt 1 tsp liquid smoke

Marinade for drying No. 2: 1 tsp pepper 4 tsp salt 1 tsp ground garlic 1 tsp ground chili ½ cup water 1 tsp liquid smoke Curing Marinade #3 ½ cup vinegar 1 cup ketchup 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce ¼ cup brown sugar 1 tsp salt 2 tsp dry mustard ½ tsp pepper.

Dried fruits and vegetables recipes

Apple pie

Ingredients: 3 ½ cups dried apples; 2 cups of water; ¾ cup sugar; 1 tsp cinnamon

Boil apples until softened. Apples will recover during cooking and baking. Add sugar and cinnamon. Fill the mold, cover the top of the cake and bake for 30 minutes at 177°C.

cherry pie

Ingredients: 3 cups dried cherries; 3 cups of boiling water; ½ cup flour; 1 cup sugar.

Cover the cherries with water and soak for 30 minutes. Simmer and add sugar and flour to thicken. Pour into a mold and bake until crusty. Bake at 204°C for 35 minutes.

peach pie

Ingredients: 3 cups dried peaches; 3 cups of boiling water; 2/3 cup flour; 1 cup sugar; 2 tsp cinnamon; ¼ tsp nutmeg

Pour the fruit with water and soak for 30 minutes. Simmer and add sugar and flour to thicken. Pour into an oiled baking dish and decorate on top. Bake at 204°C for 30 minutes.

Corn puree

Ingredients: 1 cup dried corn; 4 cups of boiling water; 2h / l sugar; ½ cup milk; 1st / l flour; 1st / l margarine; Salt and pepper to taste

Dip the corn in water and leave for 30 minutes. Simmer until corn is soft. This may take 1 hour. Drain the water and add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Mushroom soup with green beans

2 cups of boiling water; 1 cup dried beans; 1 can of canned mushroom soup

Dip beans in water and cook until softened. Add puree soup and stir.

Tomato puree soup

Ingredients: 1 tsp dried crushed tomatoes; ½ cup boiling water; 1st / l flour; ½ cup milk

Grind dried tomatoes with a blender or food processor. Add this powder to water and stir. Combine flour with milk and stir. Add this mixture to water with tomatoes. Simmer, stirring to prevent burning.

boiled fruits

3 cups dried fruit of your choice 2 cups of boiling water; 1 tsp cinnamon; Sugar to taste

Soak fruit in boiling water for 20 minutes. Allow 20 minutes, then add cinnamon and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves and serve.

Vegetable soup

1 cup cooked meat, diced 3 cups dried vegetable mix Salt and pepper

Pour boiling water over dried vegetables and soak for 1 hour, then simmer for 2 hours until they become soft. You can add fresh vegetables if you don't have the ones you need.

Apple dessert: pastille

- this is not a plasticine mass, packaged in cardboard boxes, but a delicate, soft old Russian dessert, which our ancestors owned back in the 15th century. Marshmallow was common wherever sour varieties of apples were found. "Branded" cities: Rzhev, Tula, Belev, but the best was produced in the city of Kolomna. At least, that's what the inhabitants of this city, where the marshmallow museum is located, think. As part of the tour, they not only talk about the features of its preparation, generously flavoring the story with legends, but also give you a chance to try different types of marshmallow. So if you are a real fan, then you should visit the sweet Mecca.
You should not think that marshmallow was kneaded in every yard. It was a very complex and time-consuming process: pastilers in artels beat it for two or three days without stopping in several shifts. And it was very expensive: about 1.50 rubles per 1 kg. For comparison: a loaf weighing 400 g cost 4 kopecks, and a kilogram of chicken - 80 kopecks (average prices in the country).
The basis of marshmallow is sour apples: antonovka, titovka, wild species. They were poorly distributed in the warm climate of Western Europe, so there was no native marshmallow there. The idea of ​​the recipe rests on the fact that fruit raw materials, rich in natural pectins, which have the ability to gel quickly and efficiently, are brewed until puree is formed, and then honey is added to it. This ingredient was replaced with sugar in the 19th century, and as a result, marshmallow became much more affordable, and it even began to be exported to the West. An important component of marshmallow is egg whites, it is they that give the sweets a white color. The classic marshmallow was red, so when Kolomna confectioners received white marshmallow, it remained a curiosity for some time.
To prepare the marshmallow, all these ingredients are mixed and whipped until the mass doubles in volume. Then they pour it into a mold, and in the old days they simply smeared it with a thin layer on a fabric stretched over a wooden frame according to the hoop principle. That is why it was called "bed" - what needs to be "bed". Pastille should be dried for two days at a low temperature. Of course, this was much easier to do in a Russian oven than in a modern apartment, but there are housewives who still cook marshmallow at home, although more often the choice is made in favor of the factory version. The last stage - the marshmallow is cut into even pieces and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Apple pastille without sugar

Peel apples of any degree of ripeness, cut into slices, put in a saucepan, add a little water to the bottom, cover and boil over low heat, then cool and wipe through a colander. Lubricate the surface of the kitchen board with a very thin layer of vegetable oil and rub it thoroughly with a dry gauze swab. Put applesauce on the board in an even layer (not thicker than 0.8 mm - otherwise it will dry for a long time) and put in the sun or a draft. On the second day, when the puree dries a little, the board can be placed at an angle.
After three days, pry off the dry marshmallow with a knife and remove it from the board. This "apple napkin" should then be hung on a rope for 2 days. For long-term storage, fold the marshmallow in a pile, sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar, twist tightly into a roll, put in a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator.

(in the oven)

For 1 kg of apples - 200 g of sugar.

Wash the apples, remove the core with seeds, cut into small pieces, mix with granulated sugar, lay in a thick layer on a baking sheet. Do not add water. Place the tray in the hot oven. After boiling, lower the temperature in the oven. To prevent the mass from burning, periodically stir it with a spoon or spatula and cook until the mass becomes elastic and does not stick to the spoon. This usually takes 20 minutes after boiling.
Place the boiled mass on a sheet of foil or on a cold baking sheet sprinkled with granulated sugar, dry it at room temperature, sprinkle with granulated sugar and store in ordinary cardboard candy boxes in a cool, dry place.

For 1 kg of apple mass - 100 g of sugar.

Wash the apples, remove the core with seeds, cut into slices or circles, sprinkle with sugar, mix, put in an enamel pan, cover with a clean cloth, set the oppression and hold until the juice is released. Drain the resulting juice, spread the slices on a baking sheet and place in the oven for drying. The oven must be heated to 65°C. Transfer the dried apple slices to dry glass jars or linen bags. Store them in a dry place at room temperature. Separated apple juice can be used to make compotes, or preserved by boiling beforehand. Boiling pour the juice into jars and roll up the lids. Dried apples can be served with tea, used as a filling for pies or cooked from them compote.

Everyone knows what candied fruits are. They are pleasant to cook and then store, like jewelry, in boxes and jars.
Today, candied fruits and vegetables are used everywhere: they are added to pastries, jelly, ice cream and other dairy desserts, including cottage cheese, they decorate various confectionery products, in addition, fruit slices boiled in syrup are sometimes served as an independent sweet dish for tea or coffee instead of sweets. Candied fruits serve as an excellent filling for muffins, rolls, puffs.

In Russia, candied fruit has also been loved for a long time. Only they were called Kyiv dry jam or "balabushki". The first mention of Kiev dry jam dates back to the 14th century. It was brought from Kyiv and served at the wedding feast of the Lithuanian prince Jagiello. In 1777, Catherine II issued a decree according to which dry jam from apricots, strawberries, strawberries, pears, dogwood, cherries, Hungarian plums, rose hips and pink, which she loved so much, was delivered to the court. Every autumn, stagecoaches with boxes and crates of Russian candied fruits went from Kyiv to St. Petersburg. In the middle of the 18th century, there was even a separate position - "candy apprentice of the Kyiv imperial court."

The process of making candied fruits has not changed significantly since then. Fruits are pre-washed and dried well. Then they are dipped in saturated sugar syrup and boiled for a long time. At the next stage, the fruits, well soaked in syrup, are dried, after which they become similar to what we can see in the store. There is nothing difficult in making candied fruits yourself. All fruits, berries, citrus peels and zest are suitable for this, as well as some vegetables, such as pumpkin, carrots and zucchini.

It is worth noting that candied fruits and vegetables also have a number of useful properties that many other confectionery products do not have.

Very tasty are candied fruits from oranges and watermelons, more precisely, from their peels, which we usually throw away.

Candied watermelon rinds

Ingredients:
1 kg of watermelon peels, 1 kg of sugar, 200 ml of water, 5 g of citric acid, orange peel, almonds, lemon peel, vanilla - to taste.

Cooking:
For the preparation of candied fruit, use watermelons with a thick rind, as well as unripe melons, which are usually thrown away as inedible products, but they will be very useful to you in this case. Peel the watermelon rinds from the dense peel and soft part, cut into pieces of the same size, considering that they will boil down in the future, cover with water and cook for 3 minutes. Then drain the water, rinse the boiled pieces with cold water, pour boiling syrup made from sugar, water and citric acid. For flavoring, you can also add lemon or orange zest, almonds there. Boil watermelon peels until transparent, remove with a slotted spoon, dry and roll in powdered sugar.

Candied zucchini with honey and lemon

Ingredients:
1 kg of zucchini, 200 g of honey, 1 lemon, 500 g of sugar.

Cooking:
Wash the zucchini, peel and seeds, cut into rectangular pieces or cubes, sprinkle with sugar (200 g), put in the cold until the juice is released, then drain the juice. Wash the lemon, pour over boiling water, cut into small pieces along with the peel, remove the seeds, pour a glass of zucchini juice, heat and boil for 10 minutes, then pour the rest of the sugar (300 g) over it, cook the syrup over low heat (until the sugar is completely dissolved ). Pour the boiling syrup over the zucchini, add honey, put on a slow fire and cook until tender (until the zucchini becomes transparent and the syrup is thick like honey). Remove zucchini from syrup, dry and roll in powdered sugar. Place the finished candied fruits in candy boxes for storage, and use the remaining syrup with lemon slices as regular jam.

candied plums

Ingredients:
1 kg of plums, 1 kg of sugar, 1 g of ascorbic acid.

Cooking:
For the preparation of candied fruits, the bones can not be removed. If you are preparing candied pitted plums, cut the fruit across, not lengthwise - in this case, the skin does not twist during cooking. Place the prepared plums in a wide-bottomed saucepan, sprinkle with sugar and leave to separate the juice. After that, boil the fruits until the juice turns into a thick syrup. Remove the plums from the syrup and lay them out on foil or parchment paper to dry. If dried plums are dipped in hot syrup two or three more times, drying them each time, you get a very tasty plum in caramel.

Candied sugar beets

Ingredients:
1 kg of sugar beets, 3 g of citric acid, 100 g of sugar, 500 ml of water, lemon peel, vanillin or other flavoring of your choice.

Cooking:
Wash the beets, peel and cut into pieces of the same size (cubes or slices), add water, add sugar, citric acid and boil over low heat until all the liquid has evaporated. For flavoring, beets can be boiled together with lemon or orange zest, honey, cardamom or vanilla. As in previous recipes, dry the beets and roll in powdered sugar.

Candied pumpkin with orange

Ingredients:
1 kg pumpkin, 1 orange, 200 ml water, 800 g sugar.

Cooking:
Wash the pumpkin, remove the peel and seeds, cut into cubes or cubes, sprinkle with a little sugar. When the juice comes out of the pumpkin, drain it. Wash the orange, pour over boiling water, cut into small pieces along with the peel, remove the seeds, cover with boiling water and cook for 10 minutes.
Pour sugar with orange broth (along with orange slices), put on a slow fire and cook until sugar is completely dissolved.
Pour the prepared pumpkin pieces with boiling syrup. Put the cooled mass on a slow fire and cook until tender (pumpkin pieces are transparent, and the syrup is thick). Remove the boiled pumpkin pieces from the syrup, dry them, roll in powdered sugar and place in a confectionery box.
Use the remaining syrup with orange slices as jam, and the remaining fresh pumpkin juice can be brought to a boil, immediately poured into sterilized jars and rolled up. This juice will be especially useful for children, and adults are unlikely to refuse it when they try it.
No wonder they say that "carrots polish the blood." This is a very useful and valuable vegetable containing many useful substances. If you want to eat not only tasty, but also healthy sweets, prepare candied carrots. To prepare this delicacy, it is better to choose young, fresh carrots - it will provide the most pleasant taste and benefits.

Candied carrots

Ingredients:
1 kg of carrots, 1.2 kg of sugar, 1.5 stack. water, citric acid (at the tip of a knife).

Cooking:
Wash and clean carrots. Cut into medium-sized pieces or thin strips. Boil the water and boil the carrots in it for 10 minutes, then cool the slice in cold water. Boil the syrup: add sugar to the water, boil and wait until the sugar has completely melted. Dip the carrot pieces into the boiling syrup and boil for 15 minutes.
After that, leave the carrots to infuse in syrup for 10 hours. Repeat this procedure 3 times. At the end of cooking, add citric acid and cool. Strain the carrot pieces through a colander and place them on parchment-lined plates or baking sheets.
The syrup can be closed in sterile jars - it will come in handy for impregnation or the preparation of icing for baking.
Dry the carrots in the oven at the lowest temperature or with the door open until tender, or for several days at room temperature in a well-ventilated area. You can use an electric dryer.
Roll candied fruits in powdered sugar and place in jars with airtight lids.
You can cook very tasty fragrant candied fruits from any berries. For example, take the berries of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, red and black currants, cherries and place them on a clean baking sheet in one row, sprinkle with sugar (200 g of sugar is required for 1 kg of berries) and put in an oven preheated to 200 ° C, for 20 minutes. As soon as the berries boil over the entire surface, make sure that they do not burn and warm evenly. Then pour the hot berries onto foil and dry, and pour the thick juice remaining on the baking sheet into a jar and use, for example, as a sweet sauce or an additive to jelly and compotes.
When serving, add any nuts to the candied berry mixture.

Candied orange peels

Ingredients:
1 kg of orange peels, 1 kg of sugar, 200 ml of water, 5 g of citric acid.

Cooking:
Rinse the orange peels, cut into cubes, fill with water so that they are completely covered with it, and cook for 5 minutes, then pour the broth. From sugar and water, boil the syrup by adding citric acid to it. Dip the boiled orange peels into the syrup and simmer until they are translucent. Remove them from the syrup with a slotted spoon and dry them by spreading them on parchment paper or foil.
Dried candied fruits roll in powdered sugar and put in a box (can be from under sweets or cookies). Store at room temperature. Use the remaining syrup to flavor confectionery or for further preparation of candied fruits.
Take in the palm of your hand some multi-colored candied fruits prepared by you and admire: a scattering of sunny, like amber, and transparent candied fruits in the palm of your hand is like precious stones - each of them seems to have caught a sunbeam.
It is impossible to resist tasting at least a small piece - feel the sweetness and aroma, reminiscent of honey and flower nectar, melting and taking you to the world of dreams and hot summer.

Candied apples

The process of preparing candied fruits from apples is not at all complicated. Having prepared such candied fruits, you will stock up on a tasty and healthy delicacy for the whole winter.

Ingredients: 1 kg. apples 1.2 kg. Sahara; 2 glasses of water

Preparation of candied fruits:
* Apples cut into slices or halves, depending on the size. Small apples can be cooked whole by piercing them on several sides with a hairpin.
* Boil water in a large saucepan and dip the apples into it for 5-7 minutes.
* Take out the apples and immediately put them in cold water and cool them.
* In the water where the apples were boiled, add sugar and, stirring constantly, wait until it dissolves, forming a syrup.
* Remove apples from cold water, transfer to a bowl and pour over hot syrup.
* Leave for 6 hours, then boil again and cool. In general, the procedure must be repeated 2-3 times - the apples should become transparent.
* After that, put the apples in a colander and let drain as much syrup as possible.
* Put the apples on a sheet lined with parchment and dry in the oven or in the open air.
* Sprinkle dried candied fruit with sugar or powdered sugar and store in a tightly closed container in a dark place. The syrup can be closed in sterile jars and used for baking and sweet desserts.

Candied apples can be stored for a year, until the next harvest, while retaining all the beneficial properties of the fruit. After all, apples are a real storehouse of vitamins and minerals. They contain a lot of iron and pectin, which slow down the aging process, remove cholesterol, improve the functioning of the stomach and prevent the occurrence of tumors.

Eating 2 apples a day, preferably on an empty stomach or separately from other food, you bring great benefits to your body. Due to the large amount of iron contained in apples, they help strengthen the immune system, help with anemia and ailments. Apples are good for indigestion and indigestion as a mild fixative. Fresh apples are recommended as the first food for children, because they absolutely do not cause allergic reactions.

Candied apples undergo minimal heat treatment and therefore retain all the valuable properties of apples. Candied apples can be served as a separate treat, and can also be used as a filling for cakes, pies, pancakes, casseroles and other dishes.

Candied pear

For them, it is best to choose hard winter varieties, you can also use unripe pears or fruits that have lost their “marketable appearance”. Properly prepared candied pears will retain all the beneficial properties of these fruits and their excellent aroma and taste.

Candied pears can be prepared by cutting the pears into slices and removing the middle from them, or you can make candied fruits from whole pears. After all, it is believed that the dense middle and seeds of pears contain the greatest amount of useful substances and it is recommended to eat a pear “to the tail”. So let's get started.

Ingredients: 1.5kg. pears; 3 glasses of water; 0.5-0.7kg. Sahara; powdered sugar or sand for dusting

Preparation of candied fruits:
* Wash the pears, pierce them in several places with a hairpin (if you are making candied fruits from whole fruits), or peel them from the seeds, cut into small pieces of any shape.
* Place in a large saucepan and cover with boiling water.
* Strain, draining the water into a separate pan.
* Boil the syrup on this water: add sugar, boil and wait until the sugar has completely melted.
* Dip the pieces of pears in boiling syrup, boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat and cool at room temperature. Repeat this procedure 4 times.
* After the 4th cooking, the pears will become glassy-transparent. They are filtered, allowing the syrup to drain completely.
* Spread the pears on parchment and dry for several days.

On the 2nd day, you can sprinkle them with powdered sugar and, if necessary, repeat this procedure several more times during the drying process.

candied pumpkin

It turns out that candied fruits can be prepared not only from fruits, but also from vegetables. Delicious candied fruits can be obtained from a pumpkin. For them, you need to choose sweet varieties of pumpkin for making cereals.

Pumpkin is a very useful vegetable, indispensable in the cold season. She pleases us with her great taste and aroma, when many other fruits have already departed. Candied pumpkins make a wonderful treat that can be eaten alone or used in baked goods or sweet desserts.
The procedure for preparing candied fruits is somewhat reminiscent of cooking jam, but with some features and subtleties. So let's get started...

Ingredients: 1 kg. pumpkins; 400 g of sugar; 200 ml. water; 1 lemon or orange; a little ground cinnamon; powdered sugar

Preparation of candied fruits:
* Wash the pumpkin, remove the peel and seeds and cut into small cubes or stripes. Cut the lemon or orange into slices.
* Pour sugar in a saucepan with water and bring to a boil over medium heat with constant stirring. When the sugar is completely dissolved in boiling water, the syrup is ready.
* Put chopped pumpkin and lemon (orange) into the syrup. Boil for about 5 minutes, cool and boil again for 5 minutes. Pumpkin should be soft.
* Throw the pumpkin in a colander and put it on a baking sheet covered with parchment.
* Dry for about 1 hour in the oven at a temperature of 130 degrees, or in the open air for 2-3 days.
* Roll the finished candied fruits in powdered sugar mixed with cinnamon.

ABOUT CANDIED

It is best to store candied fruits in glass, tightly closed. There is another way to store: do not dry, and do not cover candied fruits with sugar, but hot, put them together with syrup in sterile jars and seal hermetically, like regular jam.

In the future, they can be used for layering cakes, decorating cakes and adding to pastries.

The name of this appetizing delicacy comes from the Latin "sucus" - "juice". In Italian, it sounds like "succada", in German - "zukkade", and the Russians simply borrowed it, replacing the voiced "d" with a soft "t".

This event took place in the 14th century, when “dry jam” was first brewed in Kyiv, as candied fruit was then called, and brought to the wedding feast of the Lithuanian prince Jagiello in 1386. But candied fruits gained wide popularity and fame in Russia much later. In the 18th century, Catherine II, who was very fond of candied fruits, issued a decree on the supply of candied fruits to the court.

At the same time, the first dry jam store appeared in Kyiv, opened by the merchant S.S. Balabukha. His products subsequently received many awards.

Now the market offers a huge number of different sweets, but not all of them are good for health. Candied fruits are made from natural raw materials and are a very good solution for a holiday or an occasion when you just want to eat something sweet. The best candied fruits are homemade candied fruits. But if you still decide to buy candied fruits in the store, you should pay attention to some features.

On the shelves you can see a large number of candied fruits, which are full of all the colors of the rainbow. They attract attention, they immediately want to buy. But do not rush to do this - most likely, there are dyes in these colorful candied fruits. It is easy to check the presence of the dye: you need to dip a piece of candied fruit into boiling water - if the water turns colored, then the dye is definitely there.

Natural candied fruits, without any additives, look very unattractive compared to their “chemical neighbors”, but these sweets are worth buying if you care about your healthy diet. Often sellers can convince you, for example, that bright red candied fruits are dried pieces of mango or other exotic fruits. But most often it's just colored pineapples, which are boiled in sugar syrup with dye. In this way, you can prepare candied fruits of different colors and, supposedly, from different tropical fruits.

Good, quality candied fruits should not be too wet and sticky, but at the same time should not be too hard. It is easy to check this - just press your fingers on the candied fruit in plastic packaging - it should be moderately elastic and should not release juice when pressed.