Glistening with their glossy sides, prunes lying on store shelves just beg to be bought and, of course, eaten. But we know what created this “gloss” and that’s why beautiful view dried fruits do not deceive us. After all, it is quite clear that, treated with glycerin, sulfur compounds, or liquid smoke, the “sparkling” prune has almost completely lost its beneficial features. And if the purchase of dried fruits is still planned, then it is better to purchase the product without a bright “color” or more natural look. And if the fear of buying is still strong, then there is, perhaps, the only way out - to prepare natural prunes at home. We will now advise you on how to make prunes with your own hands.
How to make prunes at home
Naturally, first of all we will deal with the selection and preparatory processing of fresh fruits. For the process of preparing dried prunes, we need to select very ripe, even better overripe, plums.
Of course, the selected fruits are first washed thoroughly and, if desired, the seeds are removed. It should be noted that prunes at home can be made both pitted and pitted. True, by leaving a seemingly unnecessary stone, we will preserve much more in dried prunes. large quantity useful substances.
After blanching, we immediately rinse our plums hot water and move on to the process of drying prunes.
We will, of course, dry our prepared plums in the oven! But we will monitor the temperature conditions of the process very carefully so that our prunes turn out not only tasty, but also healthy.
Since the procedure for drying fruits in the process of how to make prunes at home is the most significant, let’s, for convenience, divide it into three stages.
Stage one
Place the plums on a baking sheet and, placing it in an oven preheated to 50 degrees, dry the fruits for 3-4 hours.
Stage two
Take the baking sheet out of the oven. Stir the plums (carefully, they are hot) and cool. After the fruits have completely cooled, we preheat our oven to 70 degrees and place a baking sheet with plums there for another 5 hours.
Stage three
After removing the baking sheet from the oven, repeat the previously performed steps (stir and cool). We bring the temperature in the oven to 90 degrees and, placing a baking sheet in it, dry our homemade prunes until full readiness, spending another 4 hours on this.
That's all our advice on how to make prunes at home.
To obtain a shiny surface of dried fruits, it is not at all necessary to treat them with anything. If, shortly before drying the fruits in the oven, the temperature is increased to 120 degrees, the sugar released from the fruits will caramelize the dried fruits and give their surface a gloss without the use of any “chemicals.”
Naturally, having prepared prunes, it is also important to provide them with the necessary storage conditions. Cooked prunes should be stored either in paper bags, or placed in wooden boxes. You can, of course, store dried fruits in a closed glass container, but for this the prunes must be 100% dry. Some housewives use Bay leaf, not oversleeping big amount laurel dried fruits prepared for storage.
You can, of course, save yourself from unnecessary hassle, buy prunes at the market or in a store, but if you know how to make prunes at home, why expose yourself and your loved ones to possible danger. However, decide for yourself!
Prunes displayed on grocery store shelves look beautiful and shiny. But often there is no naturalness behind this shine. To give dried fruits a similar look, an unscrupulous manufacturer treats them with sulfur or liquid smoke and covers them with a thin layer of wax or glycerin. There is little benefit from such a product, and besides, it is not cheap. Therefore, good housewives have long learned to cook prunes on their own. After all, in the summer of a good year, plums can be bought very cheaply. Cooking does not take much time and effort. Therefore, with just a little effort, you can provide yourself and your family with useful and delicious product for the whole winter.
Prunes are very beneficial for the human body. It is actively used in the fight against constipation and other gastrointestinal diseases. Prunes cleanse the intestines effectively, but gently. In addition, after drying, prunes retain everything useful material and vitamins contained in plums. But how to prepare a product so that it remains healthy, safe, and lasts until spring?
Recipe for making natural prunes
There is nothing extra in this recipe, just plums. These prunes are suitable for people who adhere to the rules healthy eating. Let's start preparing the natural delicacy.
- It is best to dry prunes from the “Hungarian” plum variety. In this case, you will receive a product that is as close in appearance to the store product as possible. Although, in fact, prunes can be prepared from any plum, even round ones.
- Fruits for drying should be ripe, but moderately hard and fleshy. If you buy plums, make sure that the pulp is easily separated from the pit. For drying, choose only strong fruits without wormholes. It is better to put limp and wrinkled plums aside.
- Some people try to get rid of the whitish coating on the surface of the fruit. In order for the plum to last long, it really should be washed off. However, this is not easy to do, so we will soak the fruits in alkaline water. Dissolve a little soda in a basin (a teaspoon per three liters of water) and dip the plum into the solution. After some time, it will be easy to clean and rinse under running water.
- It is better to dry the fruits without seeds. Small plums can be left with a pit, but in winter you will have to be very careful not to damage your tooth on an unnoticed pit.
- After removing the seeds, the fruits should be cut in half. It is much easier to dry them in halves.
- The next stage is blanching. Place a pot of water on the fire and bring it to a boil. Dip the plum halves into the water and wait 5-10 minutes. After this, remove the plums and immediately place them in cold (or ice-cold) water. Remember, the fruits should be soft, but elastic and not cooked.
- After this, place the halves on a baking sheet in one layer and dry for 2-3 hours at a temperature of 60-80 degrees. At the same time, open the oven slightly so as not to dry out the product. Turn over the plum halves several times throughout.
- When you take out the plums, leave them for another day in a ventilated place - on a windowsill or on a balcony. Cover the fruit with gauze to protect it from insects. After 24 hours, the plum can be stored.
This is a simple recipe natural plum. But there is one more that will definitely please those with a sweet tooth.
This is a recipe for sweet prunes that kids will love.
- We select and prepare the fruits as in the previous recipe. IN this recipe We remove the pit, but do not cut the plum in half. Let it remain intact.
- Fill the plums with sugar in a ratio of 3:1. That is, for three kilograms of fruit you will need one kilogram of sugar.
- Plums, unlike other fruits and berries, do not release juice well, so you will have to wait for the valuable syrup. Leave the plum and sugar under slight pressure for a day and stir the mixture regularly. Be careful not to damage the fruit.
- When the syrup appears, put the pan on the fire and bring to a boil. It is very important that as soon as the plum begins to boil, it should be turned off so that the fruits do not cook. Stir the plums thoroughly to ensure that all the fruits are coated with the sugar syrup.
- After this, the mass must cool down - at this time the fruits are even more actively saturated with the sugar composition. After cooling, place the mixture in a colander and let the plums drain. Then place the fruit halves on parchment and place in the oven. You need to dry the plum at a minimum temperature for about 3-4 hours. High temperature will speed up the process, but the fruits will lose vitamins and become useless.
- After drying, allow the cream to dry completely at room temperature.
- By the way, sugar syrup no need to pour out. It is very aromatic and tasty. It can be used for liqueurs, the syrup can be diluted with water and drunk as compote or used as a filling for pancakes.
- The finished prunes should be dried, but quite elastic.
These prunes can be used as a dessert or filling for pies. Sweet prunes can be added to meat marinades - it gives dishes a subtle sour taste and fruity aroma. Leave prunes in a vase on the table, and the children will happily gobble them up instead of sweets.
If the prunes are sufficiently dried, they can be stored in a canvas bag in the kitchen drawer. If you doubt whether prunes are well dried and assume it long-term storage, freeze dried fruits in the freezer. It is better to first divide the prunes into portions to make defrosting more convenient.
Summer is the time for preparing, drying, boiling and preparing marinades. Good hostess will not only provide for the family natural products, but will also save family budget. After all, the cost homemade prunes It turns out 10 times cheaper than the dubious product that we find on store shelves. Dry prunes, make preparations - and winter will pass for you without monetary and vitamin losses!
Video: how to cook prunes at home
For preparing prunes at home, plums of the “Hungarian” varieties are suitable - Italian Hungarian, Azhan, purple. These are large plums, easily separated from the stone, contain a lot of pulp and little juice, and have a sweet taste. Prunes are essentially dried plums. Eating them can improve digestion, normalize blood pressure, and strengthen the nervous system.
Preparing 1 kg of prunes requires 4-4.5 kg of plums.
We take ripe, large fruits, but not soft ones. The larger they are, the tastier the prunes.
We sort out the plums, wash them, and tear off the stems.
You can dry it with the pits, or you can remove them.
To dry the plums faster, immerse them in boiling water for half a minute. baking soda. For the solution, take 1 liter of water and 1 tbsp. spoon of soda.
Place blanched plums in cold water and rinse. If we do everything correctly, then appearance The drain should have cracks, so the moisture will evaporate faster.
How to dry plums for the winter.
After the manipulations have been completed, dry the fruits a little in the air, lay them out in one layer on a flat surface and place them in the sun. We choose a place without shade so that the sun shines for as long as possible. We dry the plums in the sun for 5 days, stirring them every day to prevent them from molding.
After the plums have dried, place them in the shade and dry for another 3-4 days.
You can also dry plums in the oven, electric dryer, or Russian oven. This way they dry faster - 12 hours and the prunes are ready.
The readiness of dried plums is determined visually. It should not be dried out, but soft and elastic.
How to store prunes at home.
Prunes should be stored in a dry, ventilated area in tightly sealed jars or tin boxes in the pantry or even on the balcony if it does not rain.
Prunes add to food unique taste haze. It goes well with meat stuffed chicken and duck, it is added to salads. Desserts, ice cream, pies, too, cannot be done without dried plums. I'm looking forward to your feedback on your experience in drying prunes.
To prepare prunes good quality It is necessary to take completely ripe fruits for drying, removing them from the tree in dry weather and clearing them of stems. IN household Most often, drying is done in a Russian oven, but it can also be done in an oven. Ripe good quality plums dark colors cleaned of stems and dust and placed on braids made of sticks intertwined with reeds, or sieves and dried for 1-2 days.
How to dry prunes correctly
Then the plums are dried in the oven in three steps, each of which lasts 5-6 hours: in the first, the oven temperature should not exceed 45 degrees, in the second, it can be higher. The drying time should be short at both times. After this, the plums are cooled in air and moved cold to the other side. In the third step, the plums are dried completely, and they become faded due to the fact that the sugar they contain is under the influence of high temperature protrudes through invisible cracks - the pores of the outer skin of the fruit. According to all the rules, dried plums have a beautiful shine, are distinguished by their density and well-fried almonds in the pit.
How to properly store prunes
Prunes must be stored in a dry place. One pound of plums usually yields about 12-13 pounds of dried prunes. We will not go into detail about drying plums in pits, which is common in peasant farms, since this method is very imperfect - such drying occurs very slowly, due to which the fruits undergo fermentation, become tasteless and, in addition, acquire the smell of smoke.
Dry in the oven
Place the prepared fruits on a baking sheet (if you cut them, then skin side down to avoid juice dripping). Place the plums in the oven preheated to 45-50 °C and dry them there for 3-4 hours. After this, let them cool until room temperature and put them in the oven again, this time preheated to a temperature of 65-70 °C. Leave there for 4-5 hours and cool again. At the last stage, dry at a temperature of about 80 ° C until ready.
In an electric dryer
Place the prepared plums evenly on the trays of the electric dryer (if they are cut, then skin side down). Place the trays in the dryer and carry out the 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 at a temperature of 75-80 until ready °C. To ensure uniform drying, periodically change the trays.
How to dry prunes
Dried fruits are a delicacy that is valued in the East. In Russia, its extraordinary taste and beneficial properties were also enjoyed. Are you worried about your heart or not giving life? overweight? 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 requires much less cost to prepare. Rinse the fruits thoroughly and place in a colander.
- Soda - dissolve 1 tablespoon 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 cold water. Arrange the plums on a baking sheet or spread. You can dry it in the oven at temperature conditions– 50 degrees. In summer, when the weather is sunny, it can be dried in the sun.
At proper drying– the prunes will be hard. When preparing it, just soak it in water.
Compote of prunes and granulated sugar
The taste of fruit compote will be more aromatic if prunes are added to it. It gives not only an extraordinary aroma, but a large number of vitamins and microelements beneficial to health.
Beneficial properties of prunes
Prunes contain:
- several types of sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose);
- organic acids (salicylic, oxalic, citric and malic);
- cellulose;
- iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus and calcium;
- significant composition of vitamins - P, B2, B1, C, A;
- nitrogenous and tannins;
- pectin.
If you have vitamin deficiency or anemia due to iron deficiency, then prune compote is the best best medicine. To avoid 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. Those who suffer from constipation should replace their medications with prunes.
Prunes are an excellent antibacterial agent. When consumed, 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 consumed in in various forms. It's delicious fresh. In terms of taste and nutritional qualities, it is in no way inferior to dried, boiled or steamed prunes. Its taste does not change - sweet and sour. The aroma is just as unsurpassed.
Do you want to achieve spicy taste meat dishes and make baked goods more fragrant - add prunes. Chicken salads turn out very tasty if you add prunes to them. Great combination!
Many gourmets will like this aromatic 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
To prepare prune compote, you can use the fruits, both with and without pits. Of course, seedless the best option, since the berries can be eaten freely - there is no need to pick out the seeds.
Fruits should be carefully sorted and those unsuitable for consumption should be removed. Soak the prunes if they are dried. It must first be rinsed 2 or 3 times in clean warm water.
Compote is cooked only in pans with an enamel coating.
Place the prunes in a saucepan, add sugar, add water (hot). Stir and put on fire to cook. Let it boil and reduce the heat to low.
Cooking time: from 15 to 20 minutes.
The drink can be served hot or cold.
Delicious, unique and extraordinary aromatic compote from prunes.
Composition and beneficial properties of prunes
Many people have a very contradictory attitude towards prunes, this fairly well-known dried fruit. Some people fanatically adore it for its fragrant, smoky aroma and indescribable taste. Others cannot stand its appearance, since black, wrinkled fruits do not contribute to popular love. So what is it, a prune? What's useful in it?
Beneficial features
Dried prunes are made from fresh plums by drying and smoking the fruits in special ovens. Thanks to heat treatment prunes acquire not only a “smoky” aroma, but also retain all the beneficial substances in full fresh product. At correct use, prunes can turn into a real medicine that will save you not only from vitamin deficiency or anemia, but also from complex chronic diseases.
Biochemical composition
Prunes are rich in almost all microelements contained in fruits: pectins, polysaccharides, fiber, as well as phosphorus, potassium, iron, iodine and many others. Of the vitamins, prunes contain the most vitamin PP; they also contain beta-carotenes, vitamins B, E, A, C. They also contain 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: per 100 g of sweet prunes there are about 231 kcal, of which: 57.5 g of carbohydrates and 2.3 g of various proteins, water, and also a lot of fructose and sucrose. So abuse prunes for those who want to have slim figure or is obese – it’s not worth it. However, eating 3-4 pieces a day will even be beneficial, since prunes effectively cleanse the intestines.
Prunes will also be useful for dysbiosis, as it prevents the development of putrefactive bacteria in the intestines and promotes the colonization of it with beneficial microflora. And this dried fruit is a real panacea for hypertensive patients - even a small amount of Prune compote can effectively reduce blood pressure. It is also a diuretic drug, washing away waste and toxins from genitourinary system, cleans blood vessels, and thanks to high content Vitamin A - quickly restores vision.
Modern scientists have proven that by systematically consuming prunes and decoctions from them, you can strengthen your health. immune system. It also has antitumor properties, so it serves excellent prevention the formation of benign and malignant tumors, as it neutralizes free radicals in cells.
Cautions
It is not recommended to eat prunes for nursing mothers, since the active enzymes from them cause colic in infants; those with colitis should not eat them, especially in the acute phase. It can be consumed in limited quantities by those suffering from diabetes, obesity and functional intestinal disorders.
Before eating, prunes must be washed and pitted, if present in the product.
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