For the winter - this is a long but pleasant process. Drying is one of the simplest and cheapest types of preparation. You can dry almost anything your heart desires: herbs, fruits, vegetables, berries and others, other gifts of the rich Russian nature. Drying fruits has various advantages and benefits, which are revealed at various moments, from preparation to the enjoyment of consumption.
Let's talk about drying strawberries in the oven. Let's talk about the benefits and advantages of this berry. Let's talk about the most important thing - the preparation method. It’s worth starting with the fact that there are strawberries in almost every garden and dacha. Strawberry is beautiful berry, which does not require special care, and at the same time has a pleasant delicate taste, which is liked by both the smallest representatives of humanity and older people. Strawberries do not lose their amazing taste after drying in the oven, and the beneficial substances remain in them large quantities, thanks to which strawberries, after drying in the oven, have amazing taste and beneficial properties.
Before you start drying strawberries, you need to collect them, wash them, cut them into equal parts - slices, place them on a baking sheet so that the air can envelop large area fruits Many experienced housewives strawberries are dried in a microfiber, while all the taste and beneficial properties remain unchanged. Drying strawberries in the oven takes about 20 – 40 minutes, depending on the temperature. The recommended drying temperature for strawberries is 60 degrees Celsius. After drying in the oven, the strawberries can be laid out on a tray or special flooring on the windowsill, where the pleasant and healthy summer sun will fall on the strawberry pieces, which will give a fragrant tan and additional vitamins to this product. Sliced strawberries can be dried on the windowsill or placed in a storage place where the slices will dry completely, thereby protecting themselves from the influence of microbes.
You can store dried strawberries in a bag in a cool place where sunlight, dust and dirt. It is in this place that strawberries dried in the oven will be stored for more than one month. You can store strawberries for a very long time, but the best option would be to consume them within one year. At long-term storage vitamins and other beneficial substances are reduced, thereby making strawberries less healthy and tasty than before. Dried strawberry slices are best stored in a gauze bag, and the contents must be constantly checked. Even if all storage conditions are met, some slices may deteriorate and must be isolated from normal strawberry slices.
Various blanks, in in this case Oven-dried strawberry slices are a treat for moths. Moths are a pest for dried strawberries and many other different products. To prevent moths from causing harm, it must be placed in a place inaccessible to moths or special low-smelling moth repellents must be used. Moths are a vicious pest that eats not only woolen fabrics, but also various blanks for the winter.
Before eating, dried strawberry slices should be thoroughly washed under warm water, then soak for the required time in cold water, so that the slices become soft and pleasant to eat. Dried strawberries can be consumed separately from all foods, or they can be used in various recipes dishes. Many professional harvesters prefer dried strawberries with warm milk. This combination is very useful and pleasant to use. In addition, you can add various other berries and fruits to this dish. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the fact that many fruits do not combine, which may result in unexpected taste. But so much the better, changing the components of this simple to the point of madness, but delicious dish, you can get a taste that will bring a lot of positive emotions.
The best way to preserve strawberries for the winter is to dry them. This method allows you to preserve the maximum amount of useful substances and has virtually no effect on taste qualities. Dried strawberries can be used for preparing various desserts, baking, and also brewed into tea. But in order to properly dry strawberries at home, you need to know the features of drying them in various ways.
First of all, the collected strawberries need to be washed carefully in cool water. Then it is transferred to paper towels and allowed to dry thoroughly.
The next step is to separate the sepals from the berries.
The video from the “How to Do It” channel will tell you in detail how to quickly peel the stems from strawberries.
The peeled berries are cut into even slices. To make the slices the same thickness, you can use special device for slicing cheese.
Methods for drying strawberries
On air
Lay several layers of old newspapers on a flat surface, and cover them with a sheet of thick paper on top. For this purpose, for example, whatman paper is suitable. Place strawberry slices on top of the paper, not forgetting to leave a little space between the petals. You should not place strawberries on newspaper sheets, as stationery paint can easily be absorbed into the product.
Strawberry juice, released from the berries, will be absorbed into whatman paper and then soak into the newspapers. Therefore, the layers of newspapers are replaced with new ones every 4–6 hours, and the berries themselves are mixed.
After four days, the strawberries are completely dry.
In the oven
To make strawberry chips in the oven, place the sliced berries on trays lined with sheets of wax paper. In this form, the baking sheets are sent to the oven, heated to a temperature of no more than 60 degrees. After 1.5 hours, take out the trays, turn the berries over and let them cool completely. After this, drying is continued in the same mode. Total time cooking time 8 – 10 hours.
Remember to keep the door ajar while drying in the oven. This is necessary so that the humid air is replaced by dry air, and drying occurs faster.
If the open oven door creates discomfort, then you can use a more convenient electric dryer for vegetables and fruits.
In an electric dryer
Sliced strawberries are best placed on trays lined with nylon mesh. You can make such a mesh yourself by cutting it along the contour of your drying containers. It will be much more convenient to remove the finished berries from the mesh than to peel off the stuck pieces from the plastic dryer rack.
The berries are laid out tightly, but not overlapping. The temperature regime is set within 55 - 60 degrees. During the entire drying period, the trays are swapped several times for more uniform drying.
Watch the video from the channel “Ezidri Master” - Drying strawberries in the Ezidri dryer
In the microwave
Pieces of berries are placed on a flat plate lined with a paper napkin. The top of the slices is also covered with a thin sheet of paper. In this form, the strawberries are placed in the oven. The power on the unit is set to 600 W and the cooking time is set to 3 minutes.
After the specified time, the top napkin is removed and drying continues in the same mode for another 3 minutes.
After this, the slices are mixed and, if necessary, the drying process is continued. In this case, you will need to monitor readiness every 60 seconds.
How to dry strawberry tails
Strawberry tails should not be thrown away. They make delicious vitamin tea. For drying of this product All of the above methods will work. You can also dry the sepals simply on a sheet of paper in a dark and well-ventilated room.
How to dry strawberry marshmallows
Strawberry marshmallow is prepared using an oven or electric dryer. To do this, place crushed strawberries with sugar on a baking sheet or in special trays, greased vegetable oil or lard. The marshmallow should be dried at a temperature of 55 - 60 degrees.
A video from the “Ezidri Master” channel will tell you more about how to make strawberry marshmallow.
How and how long to store dried strawberries
Dry strawberry chips can be made into powder using a coffee grinder. Store the powder and dry strawberry pieces in tightly sealed glass jars in a dark, dry place. Shelf life – 2 years.
Pastila is best stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
Sweet and aromatic strawberries have a whole army of fans around the world. Moreover, this berry is not only very tasty, but also incredibly healthy, as it contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C), B vitamins, carotene, organic acids, sugars, pectin and tannins, mineral salts and many other chemical compounds , necessary for the body person.
Strawberries grow in sunny meadows, forest clearings, on slopes, hills and are a fairly common berry. It is also easily cultivated in garden plots. The berry ripening season does not last very long, so harvesting strawberries for future use is a pressing issue.
It is necessary to collect strawberries for drying when they are fully ripe, when they have become intensely red in color and have acquired maximum juiciness. Such fruits are easily separated from the stalks during harvesting. It is necessary to choose the right time of day for assembly; it is best to do it after the dew has dried, so that the strawberries have time to dry. Wet berries spoil easily: they become moldy and rot. That is why you should also not pick berries on a stormy rainy day. The collected fruits must be folded carefully so as not to be crushed or crushed during transportation. The best container for collecting strawberries - thick wicker baskets.
The collected raw materials must be sorted out as quickly as possible, freed from debris, unripe fruits, leaves and stalks, and prepared for drying. Wash berries only if they are heavily contaminated with soil. After washing it must be allowed to drain excess water, placing the berries in a sieve.
Drying strawberries at home is done in two stages. First, the berries are dried at a temperature of 25-30 degrees. This can be done outdoors by spreading the berries in a thin layer on clean surface under a canopy, or in a dryer or oven, setting the appropriate temperature regime. After this, the strawberries are dried at a temperature of 50-60 degrees.
Dried berries do not stick together and easily crumble and separate from each other. Dried strawberries are dark red in color and their grains become shiny.
It is best to store dried berries in tightly sealed dark glass containers. It is this kind of container that will best prevent damage to raw materials by codling moths and other pests. The shelf life of berries is no more than two years. At the same time, if the raw material begins to become damp, it is recommended to dry it again.
However, not only strawberries are harvested using the drying method. Healing properties Its dried leaves and roots also possess. These parts of the plant must be harvested during the strawberry flowering period, which usually occurs in May. When collecting leaves, it is unacceptable to tear them completely off the bush, which may negatively affect the future harvest of berries. The roots should be taken at a distance from each other so as not to destroy the thickets of the plant. Before drying, the roots are thoroughly washed in cold water.
Drying both leaves and roots is quite easy; to do this, they are laid out in a thin layer and left to dry completely in the open air, stirring occasionally. You can also dry these parts of the plant in dryers at a temperature of 45 degrees. The finished raw material is quite fragile, easily crumbles and breaks. It is best to store dried leaves and roots in linen bags in a dry place. The shelf life of leaves is 1 year, and roots - 3 years.
Home-dried strawberries are used to make cakes, desserts, and drinks. IN folk medicine an infusion of dried berries and leaves is used internally for diseases gastrointestinal tract, urinary system and as a general tonic, as well as externally for the treatment of wounds, ulcers, acne. A decoction of the roots is prescribed as a lotion for hemorrhoids.
It is difficult to dry juicy berries. A person who decides to make supplies for the winter by drying faces many dangers. The slightest oversight - and the berries will rot or become moldy. At the same time, if artificially created too high temperature you can lose a lot valuable substances, for the sake of which reserves are produced.
- Preparatory stage. The main condition is not to wash, because berries soaked in additional moisture can become sour, ferment, rot or mold. For clean housewives, this condition often seems unacceptable. However, drying berries requires a special approach and look at the harvesting procedure.
This method requires the most time and attention. You have to constantly monitor the weather and transfer berries from outside to indoors and back. For this reason, it is better to lay them out on fabric or paper, which are placed on an easily portable wooden or metal base. Fabric and paper should not be dyed, as the dye may adversely affect the beneficial properties of strawberries or wild strawberries. It is better to use unbleached brown paper or gauze.
It's more simple and quick way production of dry berries. After the preparatory stage, the fruits are laid out on a baking sheet and placed in the oven. The process begins with a temperature of 40 degrees. In this mode, the berries are dried for 2-3 hours. Then you need to take out the baking sheet, turn the berries over and continue the process for another 2 hours, but at a temperature of 60 degrees.
The times given here are approximate. It all depends on the size and condition of the fruit. The degree of readiness can be judged by color and grains. Initially light red fruits change color to bright burgundy. At the same time, the grains become bright and shiny.
Dried strawberries are placed in a glass jar, cloth bag or paper bag. Don't forget that this delicious product Not only people like it. Various insects will definitely be interested in them, because dried strawberries, and especially wild strawberries, emit a strong smell. It can be visited by ants, cockroaches, moths - small butterflies like moths, which prefer to eat cereals, flour and dried fruits instead of fur coats. For this reason, the most reliable storage method fragrant berries are glass jars.
Harvesting leaves
Strawberry leaf is used for:
- flu;
- sore throat (rinsing);
- stomach cramps;
- gastritis;
- peptic ulcer;
- liver diseases;
- pancreatitis.
The leaf has a particularly beneficial effect on the digestive system.
It is usually recommended to harvest the leaf while the plants are flowering. However, this rule is not absolute. It’s just that during this period the plant is most active and filled with maximum beneficial properties. For strawberries and strawberries, the period of fruit ripening is not fundamentally different from flowering, so you can collect leaves both during flowering and during fruiting. But after the fruits are ripe, it is undesirable to collect the leaves, since they lose their beneficial properties.
To dry, you need to collect the leaves so that they do not need to be washed. After collecting, it is enough to place them somewhere in a dry place, but away from direct sunlight. It is better to store them in a closed glass jar. They are less popular with various insects. However, the moth may well lay eggs in them, and cockroaches may choose them as a refuge.
Where can dried strawberries be used?
Dried strawberries, despite following the drying regime, lose some of their beneficial properties. However, it retains the aroma and richness of taste.
Dried strawberries and strawberries can be used in:
- pies as a filling and part of the dough;
- making ice cream;
- formation of various cocktails;
- making homemade sweets with berry filling.
All these exquisite culinary masterpieces Can be combined with strawberry leaf tea. Since the leaves are useful but do not have bright aroma berries, you can add black currant, linden, lemongrass, and raspberry leaves to tea. Based on this tea, you can create a cocktail with dried berries and ice cream.
Strawberry leaves: beneficial properties (video)
Here are just a few examples of how small plants with fragrant fruits can be used. If you also prepare for the winter, for example, black currants pureed with sugar, then your ability to create culinary works of art will increase several times.
Strawberries are rich useful substances and vitamins, they are used in cooking and home medicine.
To please yourself and your loved ones even in winter delicious berries, many people dry them. In order to preserve as much as possible all the beneficial properties and durability of strawberries, you need to be able to dry them correctly.
Preparatory work before drying strawberries at home
The preparatory stage is the most important beginning of the work. After all, the future fate of the berries will depend on it. Before drying strawberries, you should carefully approach the collection of berries. When the harvest is harvested, careful selection follows the best berries. Unripe, green, overripe and rotten berries should be excluded so that the entire preparation does not deteriorate because of them. Berries with traces of impacts and other damage are also not suitable. The selected fruits must be thoroughly washed under running water and the tails or leaves removed.
How to dry strawberries outdoors
It is known that dried berries retain more useful components, rather than those processed into jam or jam.
There are several ways to dry strawberries: using an oven, fresh air and auxiliary appliances. How to dry strawberries at home is up to you, but first familiarize yourself with each method.
Drying strawberries on fresh air - This is a labor-intensive process that requires a significant investment of time. Overall, not the lightest or most convenient, but natural way. Selected and peeled fruits must be spread in a loose layer on a clean surface, for example, on cloth or paper. The place where they will be located should be well ventilated. The sun should get there, but in such a way that its rays are not directed directly at the berries.
Once the location has been chosen, you can safely leave the strawberries to dry all day until dark. At dusk, the berries are brought indoors. In the morning next day The berries will need to be taken outside again and a convenient place chosen for them. This way the strawberries will dry for about 2-3 weeks. You can determine the degree of readiness of the berries by their appearance. Properly dried strawberries have a burgundy color saturated color, shiny grains, it is easily separated from each other.
It is best to store dried berries in fabric bags. The fabric should be chosen natural so that the berries can breathe. The bags themselves are placed in a dark, dry place. The shelf life of dried strawberries is 2 years. They can be consumed later if they were stored correctly, but the taste and beneficial properties of the fruit will begin to fade. Therefore, it is better not to delay and use strawberries within the specified expiration date.
How to dry strawberries at home: choosing a convenient method
It is much easier and faster to dry strawberries if you have the means at hand. How to dry strawberries at home:
1. Using an oven- This is one of the most common methods of drying berries. To do this, preheat the oven to 35 °C. While the oven is heating, the berries are carefully laid out on a baking sheet in an even layer. Then the baking sheet must be placed in the oven and left there for approximately 1 hour. During this time, the berries will begin to dry. When the time is up, without removing the berries from the oven, the temperature will need to be increased to 60 °C and continue to dry them for a few more hours (2–2.5). Regardless of the drying method, the finished berries look the same. As soon as the color of yours becomes rich and dark, and the berries themselves stop sticking together, then drying can be considered complete.
2. Using an air fryer – easy way shift responsibility to the device. For drying, a special mode is set in which there is airflow and the temperature reaches 45–60 °C. By placing the harvest of berries in such a device, you don’t have to worry about their fate and can calmly go about your business. Due to active air circulation in the convection oven, the drying time for berries is reduced several times compared to the oven. The only feature that should be taken into account when using a convection oven is that the machine does not take into account the outflow of moisture. Required by anyone possible way you need to ensure it by leaving the lid slightly open. Air fryer minutes - small surface area. A large supply of berries will have to be dried in several passes. In total, depending on its characteristics, the unit will fit from 0.8 to 1.2 kg of strawberries, and the output dried berries it will be 0.3–0.5 kg. Well, the advantages include the speed of work and the absence of heat from the drying process.
3. How to dry strawberries in an electric dryer. Today you can choose all kinds of dryers from a huge range. They may differ in cost, characteristics, operating principle. Therefore, the drying time for strawberries can vary between 6–12 hours. But each model is individual, so it is better to read the instructions for a particular unit in advance. The berries must be placed on clean trays so that they do not touch each other. The temperature in the dryer should be set to 50–55 °C. You will have to keep an eye on the berries in the electric dryer, checking their readiness. You will notice by the berries that they are ready. Then you can put them into bags or glass containers and store them in the right place. Glass containers will better protect drying from pests.
To the forest to pick berries: how to dry strawberries for tea
To drink fragrant and healthy strawberry tea in winter, which saves you from many troubles, you need to take care of preparing the berries in a timely manner.
You should go collecting them in the summer, at the end of June, possible all July depending on climatic conditions. There are many varieties of berries, so you can find them growing both in the field and in the forest. Fruits should be collected in dry weather, preferably warm. You should not go searching early in the morning, as the dew will not have time to disappear.
When drying strawberries, take care of a good, ventilated place. Check the berries periodically for mold. As soon as they darken and become crumbly, you can collect them in a container.
When it's time to make tea, add 1-2 tablespoons of dried berries to black or green tea to give a refined taste, aroma, and also improve immunity. You can diversify your drink with strawberry decoctions, as well as with the leaves of the plant.
Useful leaves: how to dry strawberries for tea
Not only the fruits, but also the leaves of strawberries are rich beneficial properties. They produce aromatic and healing tea provided that it is prepared correctly.
1. The collected strawberry leaves should be laid out in the shade and dried.
2. Each leaf is rolled into a tube between the palms so that the juice begins to stand out.
3. Ready-made straws Place on a baking sheet in a 5 cm layer, cover natural fabric slightly damp and leave in a room with a temperature of about 27 °C for 6–8 hours. In this position, fermentation should begin.
4. When bright appears berry aroma, means what chemical reaction ended. The leaves will need to be dried in the oven at 90 °C for an hour.
5. Ready leaves dried in the same way as berries in a cool, dry place.
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