Sun-dried cherries can be seen on store shelves in the dried fruit department, but few people think about the fact that they are easy to prepare yourself. This recipe will help you out if you have so many fresh cherries that you simply don’t want to cook with them anymore, and your family doesn’t like jam, or there’s too much of it. Moreover, if the cherry is the simplest, smallest one. Namely, this kind of cherry is best suited for drying and drying.
Dried and dried cherries - what's the difference?
Strictly speaking, dried cherries and dried cherries are not the same thing. Cherries were always dried in the old fashioned way in the fresh air. It was made by itself, “as it turns out”, the seeds were not removed from it, it was dried until the moisture was completely lost, and used in winter mainly for compotes. As for dried cherries, this is a more elegant product, the preparation of which required the removal of seeds and the preservation of some plasticity. Even before the appearance of raisins in our latitudes, dried cherries were used instead, enhancing baked goods, and simply as a dessert. Today, dried cherries have returned, and some housewives value their sweet and sour taste more than the simply sweet taste of raisins. Another change has occurred since then. Since we all moved to the cities, and only visit our dachas and villages on short visits, we will dry and dry the cherries in our native city kitchen. If you do this on your own estate, as they say, good luck.
So, let's cook pitted dried cherries in the oven, and just dried cherries. Here is a detailed technology for preparing dried and dried cherries at home, a recipe with photos.
Recipe Features. Drying cherries doesn’t require much effort; the most difficult part is getting rid of the seeds, but it’s worth stocking up on time, because cherries are dried for a long time and at a low oven temperature. This technology ensures that the cherries will not burn, but will dry out evenly and gradually. And for the same reason, small but fleshy cherries, which do not have too much juice, are better suited - they will dry out faster.
Important. To make the process go even faster, the cherries are pre-boiled with sugar syrup. Thus, at the very beginning of cooking, it will release a certain amount of juice and become even sweeter.
How to use dried cherries. But there are no limits to the use of such cherries: just take a handful of this delicacy for tea - you will get a very healthy snack. Replace cherries with raisins in your favorite muffins or buns, add cherries to your morning porridge, or make homemade muesli with them. And how delicious! And, of course, in winter you can cook compote from it.
Cooking time: 7-8 hours.
Yield: 400-500 g dried cherries
Ingredients
To cook dried/dried cherries in the oven, you will need:
- 2 kg cherries
- 700 grams of sugar
- 700 ml water
How to cook dried cherries in the oven
Place the cherries in a bowl and cover with water. Remove excess leaves, petioles, and bad fruits that may have gotten into the harvest.
The most labor-intensive process is removing the seeds. Do this in the most convenient way for you: using a special machine, a regular pin or, as shown in the photo, a cocktail straw.
When all the cherries have been peeled, prepare the syrup. To do this, mix sugar and water in a saucepan and put it on fire.
When the syrup boils, add cherries to it in small portions.
Boil each portion for 5 minutes.
Then place the cherries in a sieve or colander to remove excess juice.
And then briefly lay the cherries on a paper towel to finally get rid of the juice.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and arrange the cherries.
Place the baking sheet with the cherries in the oven, heated to 70 degrees. Wither the fruits until they become dry and slightly elastic. You can stir the cherries from time to time.
If you want to cook dried cherries, then leave the fruits in the oven until they completely lose their elasticity.
You can store dried cherries at room temperature, in a tightly closed container or glass jar. Dried cherries are stored the same way.
Dried cherries are an extremely tasty delicacy that contains numerous microelements beneficial to our body. Let's tell you more about the benefits of dried cherries. It can be used to strengthen our body, to treat and prevent various diseases.
Beneficial features
The beneficial properties of dried cherries are determined by the chemical composition of the berries. All minerals and vitamins are preserved in dry berries. It contains a lot of calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and various antioxidants. It is the antioxidant content that helps prevent the aging process. And thanks to the presence of pectin substances, metabolic processes and intestinal motility improve. There is a natural cleansing of the intestines and body of toxins.
Dried cherries contain numerous vitamins, including vitamin C. The latter is responsible for human immunity, saving us from various colds and inflammatory diseases. Calcium and potassium contained in dried fruits have a positive effect on the functioning of the heart muscle and other internal organs of a person. Many experts call these berries perhaps the best product for improving immunity. They are equally useful for children, adults, and the elderly.
You just need to remember that you should not eat such berries if you have chronic lung diseases. It has also been established that in the presence of high acidity of the stomach, regular consumption of dried cherries can lead to worsening problems with the intestines and stomach. Dried berries do not have any significant contraindications or harm.
When including dried cherries in your diet, you should remember that this product should be consumed in moderation. If you overeat, you may experience stomach problems, allergic reactions or other problems with the body.
That is why you should observe moderation when consuming such a delicacy and do not eat several kilograms of dried cherries at a time. This will avoid any harm to our body.
Calorie content of cherries and their culinary significance
The calorie content of dried cherries is 286 kilocalories per 100 grams of product. Specialist nutritionists recommend consuming such dried berries to those people who follow a diet, eat right and would like to strengthen their body while losing excess weight. There are various diets based on fruits and berries, which are easy, effective and easy to follow.
Due to its excellent taste, this cherry is widely used in cooking. It is used in various desserts; pies and cakes are made using these berries. A variety of compotes, which are easy to prepare, are very popular. You can prepare a delicious compote in literally twenty minutes at home.
– A fruit beloved by many, however, not everyone appreciates the beneficial properties of this familiar berry. This article will tell you how you can use the berry for treatment and what exactly cherries are good for the body. We will also consider the issue of cherry pits, their harms and benefits.
Calorie content and composition of cherries
– a representative of the Rosaceae family, with grey-brown colored bark and a rather spreading crown. The cherry blossom is especially beautiful – small white flowers cover the entire branch. The berries have a sweet and sour taste. Depending on the type, cherry berries may vary in size, but the medicinal properties and contraindications are specific to each tree. This berry has been known to people since ancient times. Our ancestors knew not only about the taste, but also about the benefits of cherries.
Did you know?Cherries were brought to Europe in the 1st century AD. e. from Rome.
If you have already decided to use cherries for the treatment and prevention of possible diseases, you should know exactly what chemicals cherries contain.
Cherry composition:
- glucose and fructose – 11.3%;
- organic acid – 1.3%;
- vegetable fiber – 0.5%.
Mineral components:
- phosphorus – 30 mg;
- manganese – 26 mg;
- calcium – 37 mg;
- sodium – 20 mg;
- iron – 1.4 mg;
- potassium – 256 mg.
Calorie content of cherries: 100 g of fresh berries contain 52 kcal.
Useful properties of cherries
Cherries bring more benefits than harm to the human body. Using it can not only make you healthier, but also improve your mood thanks to the wonderful taste of the berry. The functioning of almost all parts of the body can be “corrected” by eating cherries.
What are the benefits of cherries?
First of all, cherries are useful for those who, as prescribed by a doctor, need dietary nutrition, as well as for those who have no appetite - cherries make you want to eat. Cherries have a very good effect on metabolic processes in the body, which is due to the inositol content in the berry.
Important!The healthiest varieties of cherries are Stepnaya and Griot Pobeda cherries.
– An antioxidant berry that can dull the aging process of the body. By and large, cherries strengthen the vascular-circulatory system, the digestive system, the genitourinary system, and can also reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. Cherry fruits are beneficial for both men and women and are often used not only in medicine, but also in cosmetology, perfumery and pharmacology.
Another important factor is that cherries, despite their calorie content, saturate the body with all necessary substances. The berry is very useful for people suffering from diabetes, because the glycemic index of this berry is much lower than that of others.
Are there any benefits from dried, dried and frozen cherries?
Dried, dried and frozen cherries, as well as cherry pits, are just as beneficial as fresh berries, but they can also be harmful. Dried cherries are a wonderful bonus for compotes and tea in winter, when the body especially needs a summer accent, as well as additional protection.
As part of compote or simply steamed dried cherries can help fight colds. As for frozen cherries, they are just as healthy as fresh berries, and retain all their characteristics - from calorie content to beneficial properties.
Did you know?In order to preserve all the benefits of cherries during processing, they must be frozen correctly: either by flash freezing or by exposure to “shock” temperature. You can freeze berries with or without seeds.
Dried cherries contain the same microelements as fresh ones and bring both benefits and harm in equal amounts. Dried cherries are good for diseases of the cardiovascular system, for the prevention of strokes and heart attacks, as well as for pregnant women, to replenish folic acid reserves. Cherries in any form are a tasty and healthy fruit that brings not only culinary pleasure, but also benefits the body.
The use of cherries in folk medicine
Cherries have been known to mankind for two decades, and for the same amount of time people have been using them not only in cooking, but also to improve their health. Let's talk about this in more detail.
Eating cherries to boost immunity
Cherries are primarily important for immunity because they contain the hormone melatonin, which helps improve sleep. A small amount of this enzyme can cause migraines and even disrupt the functioning of the central nervous system. For this Cherries can be consumed not only fresh, but also dried and dried. Also, to increase immunity, the presence of vitamin C in cherries is useful, which has a particularly beneficial effect on the body in winter.
Beneficial properties of cherries for the circulatory system
Often when discussing the beneficial properties of cherries, the question arises: do cherries increase blood pressure? There is only one answer: on the contrary, cherries help normalize blood pressure due to their high content of oxycoumarins and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. The only thing that cherries can increase is hemoglobin, but this also has a beneficial effect on the body.
Important!Cherry-infused tea or fresh cherry juice may be particularly beneficial for athletes who engage in frequent cardiovascular exercise.
Benefits of cherries for the kidneys
Cherries contain a large amount of pectin, which helps the body cope with toxins and prevents the formation of stones and sand in the kidneys. Cherry decoction can help remove urea and urates from the body, which also helps prevent and treat kidney diseases. Preparing this decoction is simple: 10 g of dry crushed berries need to be poured with 200 ml of boiling water and boiled for 30 minutes. Then the broth is removed from the heat and filtered, boiled water is added. As a result, at least 250 ml of liquid should remain. You need to drink this decoction throughout the day in small portions.
The effect of cherries on the digestive system
Cherry increases appetite and affects the production of food hormones, which already has a good effect on the digestive system. The pectin content helps in the fight against constipation and diarrhea. Organic acids contained in cherries activate the production of gastric juice and create favorable microflora for faster food processing. Inositol contained in cherries also helps normalize digestion and reduces the risk of obesity or dystrophy.
Did you know?To prevent diseases of the digestive system, it is enough to eat only 20 cherries a day.
Cherry for weight loss
In questions about losing weight, the question arises: is cherry compote healthy? Of course, it is useful, because it is better to consume cherries in processed form - compotes or juices. It does an excellent job of quenching thirst and replaces any carbonated drinks. Chlorogenic acid, which is found in large quantities in cherries, accelerates carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, which promotes weight loss and lowering blood sugar.
The use of cherries for stomach diseases
Decoctions from cherry branches are used for stomach diseases, due to the fact that they normalize the digestion process. To relieve general stomach pain and inflammatory processes, tea is well suited; it can be prepared not only from berries, but also from stalks and leaves. For medicinal purposes, you can use an infusion of tree bark, which is good for stomach ulcers.
How cherries are used for cosmetic purposes
Cherry is popular in cosmetology primarily due to its subtle, enchanting aroma. Most often, professional cosmetologists recommend the use of cherry masks for those with oily skin, because cherries will help cope with acne and open pores. Cherry juice is often used in hair and scalp care, preventing such a hated problem as premature “pollution” of hair.
Preparing cherry hair masks is as easy as shelling pears; just peel the berry from the pit and apply the resulting paste to your face. If you decide to use cherries in the fight against acne, then the recipe for such a mask is as follows:2 tbsp. Mix tablespoons of cherry pulp with 1 tbsp. a spoonful of potato flour, a spoonful of orange juice and 1 tsp. aloe. For hair, you can use cherry juice or cherry infusion. Cherry juice is used in combination with potato starch: the starch is gradually added to the juice and stirred until the consistency of thick sour cream. If you use this mask regularly, your hair will gain healthy shine and silkiness.
Cherries and cooking
Cherries are one of the most popular berries in cooking due to their availability. It can be used in any form in preparing dishes and drinks, which makes cherries a universal product. Since childhood, we have known several dishes using cherries, but in fact the variety of delicacies with cherries is amazing.
Dried fruits are a real salvation during the long winter. When properly dried, they retain vitamins and minerals. They are easier to store than frozen, as they shrink in volume and do not take up space in the refrigerator. Today the subject of our conversation is dried cherries and different ways of drying them.
Preparing the berries
Sort the cherries, sort them, remove the stems. Small cherries are preferred as they dry faster.
Rinse the berries. Boil water, adding soda at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 1 liter of liquid. Prepare a large saucepan or bowl of cold water
Pour boiling water and soda over the cherries and immediately place them in cold water. Place in a colander and let the liquid drain. This procedure is called blanching. It helps soften the skins of the berries, which will speed up the drying process.
After this, you can remove the seeds. This is not necessary if you plan to use the berries only for making compotes. In other cases, it is more convenient to use pitted cherries, which can be removed with a special device, a juice straw, a stick, a knitting needle, or a hairpin.
Sun drying
Line a tray or baking sheet with thick paper. Place the berries on the surface. Place the tray outside in a sunny location. During the day, let the berries dry under the rays, and at night put the cherries under the roof.
If you dry whole berries, the process will take four days. The dried cherries should be elastic, not release juice when pressed, and have a slightly glossy surface.
If you cut the fruits into halves, then after this time they need to be placed in an oven preheated to 55-60 degrees and kept there for 10 hours. In this case, 2-3 hours before the end of drying, the temperature should be increased to 70-75 degrees.
From 1 kilogram of fresh berries you get about 200 grams of dried ones.
Oven drying
If you don't want to wait for the berries to dry naturally, you can use the oven. You will get exactly the same dried cherries. We offer the following recipe.
Prepare sugar syrup: pour 1 liter of water into a saucepan, wait until it boils and gradually (one spoon at a time) add 800 grams of sugar. Stir thoroughly until it is completely dissolved.
Set the heat to medium. Place the berries in the water and cook for 5-8 minutes. Then scoop them out using a large spoon or ladle and transfer to a colander. It is advisable to do this over a large, clean bowl so that the delicious cherry syrup does not disappear. If there are a lot of cherries, then process in batches in the same way, using the same water.
When the liquid has completely drained from the berries, place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place it on the top rack of the oven, set the temperature to 165 degrees and keep the berries inside for 3 hours. Then lower the temperature to 135 degrees and let them dry further. This can take from 12 hours to a day.
During drying, the oven door should be kept ajar at all times.
Tumble Drying
The berries are prepared as described above. The only subtlety is that when using a dryer, the seeds will have to be removed, since the protective shell must be broken. Otherwise, hot air will not penetrate inside, and instead of dried cherries you will get boiled cherries. You can simply damage (crush, cut) each berry, leaving the seeds in place, but this is irrational.
The rest of the process is simple: the cherries are placed in the dryer, and the medium mode is set (55-60 degrees). If the berries are placed close to each other, then they need to be stirred periodically.
Cherries dried in the dryer should be slightly soft and sticky when ready. If it becomes hard, it means you overdid it.
Dried cherries, method one
There are not only dried cherries, but also dried cherries.
Prepare cherries as usual. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. For 1 kilogram of cherries you will need 250 grams of sugar and 300 ml of water.
Place half of the berries in the pan. When the water boils again, cover the container and cook for 7 minutes, then place the berries in a colander. Process the remaining cherries in the same way. Remove seeds if necessary.
After the liquid has drained, place the berries on a baking sheet or tray to dry. You can do this with your hands or tweezers - whichever is more convenient for you. It is not necessary to place paper or lubricate the surface.
The next day or every other day, turn the cherries.
Dry to the degree of softness you require. Depending on the temperature and humidity in the room, the process will take one to two weeks. If it is possible to place it in the sun, then quickly.
From 1 kilogram of fresh berries you get about 300 grams of dried ones.
Dried cherries, method two
Prepare the cherries, place them in an enamel pan and sprinkle with sugar. You can take 400-500 grams of sugar per 1 kilogram of cherries - depending on how sweet the berries themselves are.
After this, leave the cherries at room temperature for a day to release their juice. After this time, drain the berries in a colander. Cook sugar syrup from 300 ml of water and 300 grams of sugar. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the berries to it and leave for 5 minutes.
Place the cherries removed from the sweet water on a baking sheet in one layer and place in an oven preheated to 80 degrees for half an hour.
Remove the berries from the oven and let them cool completely at room temperature. After this, carefully turn them over with a wooden spatula and put them in the oven again for half an hour, but at a temperature of 70 degrees.
After the second drying, cool the berries again and repeat the drying “session” at a temperature of 65-70 degrees for 30 minutes.
Storing dried berries
It is advisable to store dried cherries at home in an airtight container or glass jar with a lid. It’s even better if you pre-sterilize the jars. It’s acceptable to use a cotton bag, but this will shorten the shelf life of the dried fruit. Plastic bags should not be used, as the cherries in them will become moldy after a while.
You can make small cloth bags of salt and place them in a container with berries to increase shelf life.
Make sure the cherries dry evenly. Select under-dried berries and dry them completely, otherwise during storage they may become infected with pests that will ruin the entire batch.
The optimal temperature is from 0 to 10 degrees, so it is preferable to place dried fruits in the refrigerator. In such conditions, dried cherries will “live” for about a year and a half.
When stored, the shelf life is reduced to a year. In this case, it is better to choose the top shelves of kitchen cabinets for placement, since the air is drier there.
If you place the berries in a fabric bag, then let it lie as far as possible from products with a strong odor.
During storage, especially when using unsealed containers, periodically check to see if there are any bugs in the berries.
The benefits and harms of dried cherries
Which is very simple, will not only diversify the winter menu, but also make it useful. It contains vitamins C, A, PP, as well as calcium, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, iron, and antioxidants.
Pectins remove harmful substances from the body, improve intestinal motility, and normalize metabolism.
So we figured out how to make and how to store dried cherries. Bon appetit!
Cherry is a very valuable product that helps increase appetite. This is a very popular berry not only fresh, but also dried. Dried cherries is very much in demand in the confectionery industry, it is used to prepare delicious cakes, pastries, jelly, marshmallows, marmalade, and pastries. Of particular value to these berries is the content of coumarins with a predominance of oxycoumarins, which normalize the blood clotting process. Therefore, many doctors recommend consuming cherries to prevent heart disease, as well as to prevent blood clots. It is also very important that in dried cherries contains pectin substances, thanks to which all harmful substances in the human intestines are removed from the body.
Dried cherries- This is a healthy and flavorful delicacy. You can simply eat them, or you can add them to baked goods, muffins, and cookies. Doctors say that by eating a handful a day dried cherries, a person receives the daily norm of magnesium and colbate. Thanks to this, scientists call the cherry “female berry”, since magnesium is one of the most important minerals in bone tissue. This mineral normalizes metabolism, improves mood, reduces menstrual pain, improves blood circulation, and also helps prevent anemia. This berry also has a mild laxative effect, which helps keep your figure in shape. Also use dried cherries has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, normalizes blood pressure and increases the body's resistance.
Dried cherries are very useful to add to porridges, teas, and compotes. This healthy treat is very easy to make at home. There are several ways to do this. The simplest is natural drying in the sun. To do this, you need to collect large dark berries, wash them well, sort them (carefully to ensure that there are no spoiled berries), and then spread them in a thin layer on a tray covered with white paper. Take it out into the sun in the morning and bring it into the house in the evening. When the cherries are dry, you need to remove the pits and dry them in the sun. Then collect them in a cloth bag and store them in a cool, dry place. If it is not possible to dry the cherries in the sun, then you can use a technical invention -. The drying principle is the same. We just lay out the cherries on pallets and dry them for about ten hours, not forgetting to periodically change the pallets. Remember dry cherries Can be done with or without seeds. Dried berries with seeds are widely used in folk medicine. They make decoctions, medicinal and aromatic teas. Basically, decoctions are drunk in the treatment of chronic bronchitis, arthritis and are widely used as an antipyretic for young children. But pitted cherries are mainly consumed as food, used in desserts and sweet baked goods. And if the dried pulp is passed through a meat grinder, you get aromatic cherry powder, which can be used to decorate sweet dishes.
Cherries contain a lot of useful substances, vitamins, fructose and glucose, and folic acid. All these substances are preserved when valuable berries are dried. That’s why it’s so healthy and tasty to drink tea from it and enjoy a delicious dessert with pieces of dried fruit. In addition to all of the above, cherry berries have an amazing sleeping effect, and the vitamin B6 it contains will support and calm your nervous system. The only drawback of this healthy delicacy is that it cannot be consumed on an empty stomach. Whatever you say, cherries should only be consumed for dessert.
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