Blueberries are considered one of the healthiest. They are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, are good for vision, lower cholesterol, and prevent urinary tract infections.
For the winter, dried blueberries can be put into pies and compotes, porridges and dry snack mixes, and brewed into tea. Therefore, as soon as the first berries appear, you should know how to dry blueberries at home correctly.
Before you start drying the berries, sort them out, leaving only ripe, whole, strong ones, and, of course, remove all twigs, leaves and debris.
How to properly dry blueberries
Ways to dry blueberries
It is best to do this outdoors, in the sun. For this purpose, special screens are used, consisting of gauze stretched over wooden frames. The berries are placed between the frames and dried in the sun, putting them in a warm, dry place at night. This method takes several days.
The easiest way to dry it at home is to use an oven. Preheat it to 30-40 degrees, cover a baking sheet with baking paper and place the berries on it in one layer. Place in the oven, leaving the door ajar a couple of centimeters to allow air to circulate. Then increase the temperature to 60-70 degrees. Depending on the size of the berries, you need to dry blueberries in the oven, from 4 to 12 hours.
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You can quickly dry blueberries at home in the microwave. Place the berries in small portions between two pieces of cotton or linen fabric and dry them at 200 W for 3-4 minutes. It is best to dry in several stages, checking readiness from time to time.
To dry blueberries in an air fryer, place the berries in an even layer on a streamer or other suitable mesh tray. A skewer or other thin, heat-resistant object must be inserted between the flask and the lid to drain hot, moist air. Set the temperature to 60 degrees and high blowing speed. Drying lasts from 30 minutes, depending on the size and number of berries. After drying, inspect the berries; if not dried, return them to the air fryer.
In an electric dryer, the berries need to be laid out in one layer in special trays. Dehydrate according to your dryer instructions, for 6-10 hours, depending on how dry you want them to be. The finished berries will wrinkle and decrease in size. Turn off the dryer and let the blueberries cool. This will take 2-3 hours.
To prevent blueberries from losing color from drying
1. Berries look the glossiest after treatment with pectin. To do this, dissolve pectin in warm water according to the instructions, pour it over the berries, and gently stir them with a spoon so that they are evenly coated. Place the blueberries in a sieve or colander to drain the liquid.
2. You can treat the berries with lemon juice. Put it in hot water for a couple of minutes to get more juice. Drizzle over blueberries and stir well.
3. You can blanch the berries in boiling water by holding them in boiling water for 2 minutes and then placing them in a bowl of ice water. Let it drain on a sieve.
It is best to store dried blueberries in paper or fabric bags or glass jars.
How to dry blueberries at home
Blueberries are one of the healthiest and most delicious berries. Housewives know many recipes using blueberries: they bake pies and pies, rolls and sweet casseroles with them. Jams, preserves and pastilles are made from it. It is added when preparing compotes, jelly and mousses.
Blueberries are ground raw with sugar. It is worth remembering that blueberries are not only tasty, but also very healthy. It is thanks to the substances it contains that blueberries have a positive effect on the entire body. Blueberries improve vision, have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, have anti-inflammatory properties, lower blood sugar levels, and improve skin condition.
Therefore, housewives try to prepare blueberries in different ways: they freeze them, grind them raw with sugar, and make jam. I suggest trying one of the ways to prepare blueberries for the winter - drying them. These blueberries can be added to tea, baked goods, and simply enjoyed in the winter with dry berries as natural candies.
Blueberries are considered to be one of the healthiest plant fruits in the world. Containing many essential vitamins and antioxidants, they are very beneficial for vision, and also reduce blood cholesterol and prevent urinary tract infections.
Dried blueberries are used as a filling for pies and added to compotes and porridges. How to dry blueberries at home in order to preserve the berries for the winter will be discussed below.
How to dry blueberries for the winter
To do this, you will need, in addition to blueberries, lemon juice or pectin (another option, which will also be discussed below: ice water and water brought to a boil) and, of course, an oven or a special electric dryer. Drying time is several hours. Berries should be stored in a dark place in paper or linen bags.
Preparatory stage
1. Place blueberries in a colander or sieve and rinse under cold running water. While washing, remove all leaves and twigs.
2. After washing, you need to sort through all the berries, discarding overripe, wrinkled and moldy fruits (those with a white coating).
3. Next we proceed to drying. There are several recipes for preparing blueberries for the winter. All methods perfectly help preserve the color of the berry. But the best color is present in those blueberries that were treated with pectin at the preparatory stage. How to prepare: First, dissolve the pectin in warm water, pour it over the blueberries and then gently stir the berries with a spoon to coat them evenly. Then drain the liquid by placing the blueberries in a sieve (colander).
4. Treatment of blueberry fruits with lemon juice. First of all, put the lemon in the microwave for just a couple of minutes - this way we will get the maximum amount of lemon liquid. Next, you need to sprinkle lemon juice over the blueberries and mix them thoroughly.
5. The option using ice and boiling water is called blanching. This recipe will allow the berries to retain their brightness and richness after drying. To do this, prepare a large saucepan in which you need to boil water, as well as a deep bowl with ice and cold water.
The secret of preparation is that you first dip the berries in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, and then transfer them to a bowl of water and ice, after collecting the blueberries from the pan in a sieve (to drain the hot water).
Drying in an electric dryer
You must first spread the berries in one layer in special dryer trays. Then proceed to dehydrogenate the fruits (dry for 6-9 hours). Drying time will depend on how dry you want your blueberries to be. The finished berries will wrinkle and be reduced in size.
After checking the product is ready, turn off the electric dryer and let the blueberries cool. Cooling time will take two to three hours. Drying in the oven Preheat the oven to 60-70 degrees, and then place a baking sheet in it, which must first be covered with a sheet of baking paper and lay out the berries in one layer. It is better to keep the oven door slightly open to allow air circulation. It is advisable to dry for 4 to 10-12 hours.
How to prepare dried blueberry leaves for the winter
Blueberry leaves contain vitamin C, essential oils and beneficial organic acids, so an infusion of them is a good antiseptic. Collecting blueberry leaves and drying them is carried out as follows: only the cleanest leaves are collected, then they are laid out on paper in a dark, ventilated place. Dry for about 7-9 days. You can store it in paper bags or in tea or coffee jars.
Dried blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) are no less healthy than fresh ones. They are low in sodium and calories, have no cholesterol, but are rich in nutrients important for health. And most importantly, they are available all year round.
You guessed it right - there are differences.
Why is it useful?
Blueberries contain many beneficial compounds. These include: antioxidants, anthocyanins, bacterial inhibitors, folic acid, vitamins A and C, carotenoids, ellagic acid, dietary fiber and much more.
Dried and fresh fruits have many similar beneficial properties, confirmed by scientific research:
The product has a number of useful benefits associated with the content of vitamin K, which has a beneficial effect on blood clotting and also helps the body absorb calcium. The result is strengthening of bone structures.
Recent studies suggest a reduction in the risk of fractures, especially in postmenopausal women (at increased risk for osteoporosis).
Another equally important nutrient that dried blueberries are rich in is vitamin C. Its main beneficial properties are:
- promotes bone growth in children;
- strengthens the immune system;
- accelerates wound healing;
- maintains dental health;
- participates in the formation of collagen.
Collagen is an important protein in the human body, involved in the construction of ligaments, skin, blood vessels, tendons and cartilage. Being an antioxidant, it also limits the harmful effects of free radicals on the cells of our body.
Medical studies of the therapeutic effects of dried blueberries showed noticeable improvements in subjects in terms of metabolic risk factors, such as:
- glucose metabolism;
- lipid peroxidation;
- total antioxidant activity of plasma;
- degree of oxidation of low-density lipoproteins.
Harm and contraindications
There is no doubt more sugar and calories in the dried product than in fresh berries. Therefore, dehydrated blueberries should be consumed in moderation, especially if you suffer from diabetes or are overweight.
Direct contraindications are:
- pancreatic diseases;
- sluggish intestinal motility;
- disturbances in the functioning of the biliary tract.
Traditional medicine recipes
Teas, infusions, compotes, jelly and decoctions are not a complete list of medicinal products with dried blueberries. Here are two of the simplest and therefore popular recipes.
- Cold infusion. 2-3 tbsp. l. pour a glass of cold but boiled water, leave for 8 hours, then strain. Take half a glass 3-4 times a day.
- Classic infusion. 3-4 tsp. dried raw materials, pour 400 ml of boiling water, let it brew for 2 hours and strain. Take 1/4 cup 5-6 times a day.
How to dry blueberries at home
First of all, you should sort out the blueberries. It is necessary to get rid of the stalks, as well as berries with traces of mold and damage (including from insects and birds). The best choice is large, ripe fruits.
- Rinse the selected blueberries.
- Place in an electric dryer for several hours and turn on the mode specified in the instructions for the device.
- It is not difficult to check readiness: the fruits should not stick together and “stain” the skin when squeezed in the palm of your hand. If the berries are elastic and hard, you succeeded!
You can dry blueberries the old fashioned way, by laying them out in the open air on a thin layer of cloth or paper. But such berries require additional heat treatment at a temperature not exceeding 60 °C.
It is not difficult to find dried fruits for sale - they are available in many city pharmacies, both separately and as part of gastric preparations.
Shelf life: 2 years.
How to use
In addition to delicious compotes and jelly, you can prepare your own vitamin cocktail from dried berries, banana and skim milk. And the simplest and most obvious solution is to add blueberries to your favorite porridge, corn flakes or muesli. And no one forbids using this product in recipes for homemade muffins and pastries.
¹ Lyophilization is a gentle drying method, according to which the product is first frozen and then sent to a vacuum chamber to sublimate the liquid.
² The corresponding study was carried out back in 1976 by Swedish scientists (see works by Kovalchuk).
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