Apples - the most common and healthy fruit. Most grow them in their summer cottages and in the summer period enjoy tasty and juicy fruits.
And what to do in the winter? You can buy apples in the store, but you can not always be sure of their quality. Because fruits are delivered from other countries, and in order to preserve freshness, they are treated with various chemical compounds.
What should the lovers of this delicacy do in this case? The answer is very simple - you can prepare dried apples in summer. You get pretty tasty and vitamins-filled dried fruits that will delight the whole family in the winter.
Table of contents
- The benefits and harms of dried apples for human health, calorie
- Useful for weight loss dried fruits
- What varieties of apples to choose for drying?
- How to dry: basic requirements
- Preparation of a fresh crop for drying and storage
- How and where to store at home: apartment, basement or cellar
- Basic rules on how to preserve dried fruit in a long winter
- Ways to fight insects
The benefits and harms of dried apples for human health, calorie
These dried fruits consist from a large number of macro and micronutrients, various vitamins that the body needs for proper activity:
- vitamins K, E and B regulate blood circulation;
- ascorbic and other acids contribute to the proper functioning of the brain;
- selenium, copper, magnesium, iodine, copper, zinc, manganese, iron and other elements saturating the body, increase immunity.
Dried apples contain the following substances:
- Mineral - magnesium, iron, iodine (improves blood quality, cardiovascular system, metabolism and supports the functioning of the hormonal system).
- Phytoncides (stop the growth of pathogenic bacteria and fungi).
- Tanning (have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial qualities).
- Organic acids - chlorogenic, malic, tartaric, arabic acids (resist infections, regulate acid-base balance).
- Sugar - sucrose, fructose, glucose (restore strength, contribute to the rapid saturation of the body).
- Polysaccharide pectin components (lower cholesterol).
- Flavanoids (resist cell damage by blocking free radicals).
The calorie content of dried fruit is 231 kcal per 100 grams of product.
Using dried apples, a person fills his body with lots of useful elements, but there are some contraindications.
With diabetes or obesity eating dried apples can negatively affect human health. With such pathologies, it is better to refuse to take dried fruits.
Apple drying promotes good digestion due to the content of pectin, dietary fiber and fiber.The components of these fruits proteins, acids, essential oils and phytoncides improve metabolism and have a beneficial effect on the formation of microflora in the intestine.
Dried apples - useful properties and vitamins:
Useful for weight loss dried fruits
Various dried fruits consumed during the diet in small quantities. This contributes to the increased calorie apple drying.
The dried product loses moisture, but nutritional value remains in it. Because of this, the dry look of the product becomes several times more caloric than fresh.
Use diet on dried apples with caution. A complex of dried fruits and nuts should be consumed. within 5 days. On the day you need to use 200 g of drying and the same amount of nuts.
The mixture is divided into 10 parts and take every hour.. In addition, you should drink plenty of fluids. Apple drying is recommended for weight loss purposes, but you need to replace the evening meal with them.
Dried fruits will bring harm and are contraindicated for people with a diagnosis of obesity and diabetes mellitus in the last stage.
What varieties of apples to choose for drying?
We select large or medium-sized fruits. with a thin skin and a small seed box. With this selection will be less residue and more finished product.
It is better harvest autumn sweet and sour varieties. Sweet fruits after drying often have a weak taste that most consumers do not like. For drying it is recommended to take varieties Aport, Antonovka, Pepin.
How to dry: basic requirements
Many mistresses dried apples in the oven in the apartment. Ready slices need to be laid in 1 row on a baking sheet, but better on the grid. We expose a weak fire (75 ° C) and leave the door slightly open.
For the best result, before the end of drying the temperature is reduced to 50-55 ° C. Every hour and a half you need to mix the apples. The whole process is long, lasts about 7 hours, after which the fruits become pale.
The very first and widely used method - dry apples in the sun. It is used in hot areas with a predominant amount of hot days.
In the autumn period, it is unlikely that dry apples on the street will work out, the air should warm up well so that the product does not spoil, but quickly fades.Therefore, this option is used for drying summer varieties.
The finished fruit is laid out on a grid or baking sheet and mixed daily.
You can also string the sliced fruits on a string and hang. To protect against various pests, cover the product with gauze folded 1-2 times (but this is not a 100% guarantee of protection). Be sure to save from rain.
When performing all the points, the apples will turn into drying within 3-4 days.
The next option is drying in an electric dryer.. With this device you can dry apples in a very short time and in large quantities. This is the most basic method of drying.
Apples are cut to a thickness of no more than 5 mm, settled in one row in an electric dryer and after 2-3 hours the product reaches readiness.
Microwave Drying. The fruits are well washed and cut into slices with a thickness of 1 to 2 cm. Prepared apples are dipped in a weak salt solution (4 liters of salt per 1 liter of water) to preserve color.
The product is placed evenly on a baking sheet and put in a microwave.Drying is performed at a power of 300 watts for 2 minutes. Turning off and looking, if damp, then return another 30 seconds in the oven.
The process requires care. Drying should get dried and supple. Time is approximate. Perhaps it will take 3 minutes, or 2 minutes and 45 seconds.
Drying apples and an unusual storage method:
Preparation of a fresh crop for drying and storage
Selected apples are well washed out, cut out rotten places and a box with seeds. Peel on the fruit is desirable to leave, because it contains a higher percentage of vitamins.
After that, the fruits are cut into thin slices or cups and placed in saline for better results. Apples are dried in a manner that suits every housewife.
The main rule of high-quality preservation of apples for a long period is the correct process of drying.
How and where to store at home: apartment, basement or cellar
In whatever conditions the drying is kept, need to remember the basic requirements for this process:
- ventilated room;
- dryness;
- freshness;
- darkness.
It must be remembered that storing dried fruits near heat sources leads to product damage. If the drying is packaged correctly, then oxygen will flow to it, which will prevent the appearance of mold and further damage.
Never store dried fruits. in plastic bags or plastic containers. They close tightly and prevent access of oxygen, from which apples can spoil.
The most suitable container for storing dried apples are small bags of dense material. They will not get through the mole and other insects for the deposition of eggs.
Also cardboard boxes, hermetically closing baskets, and wooden packaging can be used, which does not penetrate pests. At the bottom of the selected container should put a sheet of thick or wax paper.
Basic rules on how to preserve dried fruit in a long winter
To preserve dried apples, remember:
- lining the bottom and top with waxed or heavy paper;
- to pack dried fruits tightly;
- when choosing a glass container, be sure to follow the density of the cover;
- drying should be far from other products with a pronounced smell (apples absorb odors);
- often check the product so that insects do not appear there;
- look through slices, and get rid of spoiled ones.
Ways to fight insects
There are several options for the fight:
- The first - put the drying in the oven and dry them for half an hour at a temperature of 60 degrees. This method can be applied with the appearance of mold.
- Second - dried apples are placed in a freezer for a certain time.
After processing the drying, it is necessary to clean the container where the apples were stored and replace the paper.
Properly dried apples may be stored for several years. They are an indispensable source of most vitamins and minerals, which is so important in the winter. They prepare various delicacies and cook compotes.
Storing drying is a fairly simple process, and when fulfilling all requirements, allows constantly use a useful product in cooking.