Content
- 1 How to make dried sweet pumpkin
- 2 How to dry pumpkin in the oven
- 3 How to dry pumpkin in an electric dryer
- 4 Pumpkin dried in the oven with sugar
- 5 Dried pumpkin in the oven without sugar
- 6 How to make cinnamon pumpkin jerky
- 7 Dried pumpkin like mango
- 8 How to make oven-dried pumpkin with garlic, rosemary and thyme
- 9 How to dry pumpkin with oranges and cinnamon at home
- 10 How to store dried pumpkin
- 11 Conclusion
Dried pumpkin is a product that is widely used in children's and dietary nutrition. Drying is one of the most popular methods that allows you to preserve all the useful and nutrients in a vegetable until spring. When fresh, the shelf life is also long, but the large size makes it difficult to prepare large quantities. In dried form, it is used as an ingredient for salads, meats and desserts.
How to make dried sweet pumpkin
You should select autumn pumpkin varieties that are fully ripe, have no spots indicating spoilage, and have a thick skin. Before starting preparation, the fruits must be thoroughly washed, divided in half and the seeds and entrails removed. Only then can you remove the peel using a sharp knife and cut into the necessary pieces.
Many pumpkins are simply cut and dried in the open air. But this method has some disadvantages:
- a lot of time is wasted;
- a large amount of space is required;
- dry sunny weather will be required, which is difficult to wait for in the autumn;
- it is impossible to ensure that insects do not land on the fruit, that is, the level of sterility may suffer.
To obtain a high-quality product, dried pumpkin is prepared in a special dryer, gas or electric oven. Temperatures can vary from 50 to 85 degrees. The main factors influencing this indicator are the pumpkin variety, the size of the pieces and the model of the unit.
Before drying, a prerequisite is blanching, which helps to slightly soften the product and fill it with moisture. Depending on the method, the water is either salted or sugar is added. The vegetable is immersed in boiling liquid for a maximum of 10 minutes. The finished product should not stick to your hands, but should remain elastic.
Dried pumpkin is a completely ready-made dish that can be used without additional heat treatment.
How to dry pumpkin in the oven
There are two popular ways to cook dried pumpkin in the oven. It is worth studying each and making your choice:
- After blanching, immediately transfer the vegetable pieces into ice water for a couple of minutes. Let the liquid drain and pour into a colander. Place a sheet in a preheated oven to 60 degrees, on which to place the prepared pumpkin strips. Do not close the door tightly, leave for 5 hours. Then increase the temperature to 80 degrees. After a couple of hours, remove and cool.
- The second method is faster. Prepare the pieces, scatter them on a baking sheet. This time, heat the stove to 85 degrees and set it for 30 minutes. Take it out and keep it in room conditions for the same time. Make the next run, but at a lower temperature - 65 degrees for 40 minutes.After cooling, repeat the procedure.
In any case, the baking sheet must be covered with baking paper to avoid sticking.
How to dry pumpkin in an electric dryer
The quality of the finished product, dried pumpkin in an electric dryer, is not much different from using an oven.
The vegetable must first be prepared, placed on trays and turned on at maximum temperature. Wait until the pieces begin to dry out. Only after this lower the temperature to 65 degrees and leave until fully cooked.
Pumpkin dried in the oven with sugar
Preparing the product for this process is very important. You should study all the nuances necessary to obtain sweet dried pumpkin pieces in the oven.
Ingredients:
- 300 g sugar;
- 1 kg pumpkin.
Prepare according to instructions:
- Peel a clean vegetable, separate it and remove all the insides.
- Cut into large strips and place in a large bowl (preferably an enamel bowl or pan).
- Cover the pieces with granulated sugar, observing the proportions.
- Place a weight on top and keep in a cool place for approximately 15 hours.
- Drain the resulting liquid and repeat the procedure, reducing the time by 3 hours.
- All that remains is to cook the pumpkin juice syrup by adding a little sugar.
- Blanch for a quarter of an hour and drain in a colander.
Next, use the oven.
Dried pumpkin in the oven without sugar
For those who do not like sweet foods or do not require the use of sugar in the future, this method is suitable. The calorie content of dried pumpkin will be much less.
Product calculation:
- 10 g salt;
- 2 kg of vegetables.
For excellent results, you should follow the algorithm of actions:
- First of all, prepare the vegetable itself and cut it.
- Place 2 pans on the stove. One of them should contain ice water.
- Boil the second one and add salt.
- First blanch the slices in a hot mixture for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a very cold mixture for a couple of minutes.
- Drain in a colander and wait for all the liquid to drain.
You can cook dried pumpkin without sugar in an electric dryer or oven.
How to make cinnamon pumpkin jerky
This option will help you prepare a fragrant product and be saturated with vitamin pieces of a bright vegetable all winter.
Ingredients:
- granulated sugar – 0.6 kg;
- pumpkin – 3 kg;
- water – 3 tbsp.;
- cinnamon – 3 tsp.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Pumpkin requires a different method of preparation. It is necessary to wash the vegetable and cut it into several pieces. Place on a baking sheet, skin side down, and bake at 180 degrees for 1 hour.
- After it cools, get rid of the seeds and top layer. Grind into slices no thicker than 2 cm.
- Place on a parchment-lined sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Place in a still hot oven overnight.
- Boil syrup from water and sugar, pour the pieces into a fireproof container. Mix.
- Heat at 100 degrees for 10 minutes in the oven, drain the sweet liquid. Place again on a baking sheet and dry at the same temperature.
- Reduce the temperature to 60 degrees and dry for another 6 hours, but sprinkled with cinnamon.
The process will be considered complete after 3 days of being in a ventilated area without sunlight.
Dried pumpkin like mango
With this recipe, dried delicious pumpkin in the oven will turn out like a real mango. You can use a detailed description of the preparation.
In addition to 1.5 kg of pumpkin, you will need 400 g of granulated sugar.
All manufacturing steps:
- Prepare the vegetable, peel, remove seeds and cut into strips.
- Place in a convenient bowl and sprinkle with 1 cup of sugar.
- Leave at room temperature overnight.
- Pour 350 ml of water into a saucepan, add a glass of sugar and bring to a boil.
- Pour the pumpkin pieces along with the juice into a deep baking tray and place in the oven at 85 degrees.
- Pour in hot syrup.
- Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Drain the syrup.
- Place the pumpkin evenly on a non-stick sheet again.
- Dry at the same temperature for another half hour.
- Reduce temperature to 65 degrees and hold for another 35 minutes.
- The next barrier will be 35 degrees, you need to leave the door ajar.
It will take a few more days for the pieces to dry.
How to make oven-dried pumpkin with garlic, rosemary and thyme
Dried pumpkin at home using this recipe is incredibly tasty and aromatic.
Product composition for 1 kg of product:
- dried thyme, rosemary (needles) - 1 tbsp. l.;
- garlic – 3 cloves;
- oil (preferably olive) – 1 tbsp.;
- black pepper, salt.
Cooking steps:
- Prepare the pumpkin. To do this, wash, peel and remove the inner pulp with seeds. Cut into large cubes (approximate thickness 2.5 cm).
- Place on a sheet covered with parchment paper and greased with oil.
- Each piece must be salted, sprinkled with thyme, pepper and sprinkled with a small amount of olive oil.
- Place on the very top of the oven, preheated to 100 degrees, and dry for 3 hours. Make sure that the cubes do not burn.
- Remove and cool.
- Wash the jar thoroughly using baking soda and dry.
- Place peeled and sliced garlic on the bottom and sprinkle with rosemary.
- Place the pumpkin in this bowl, press it down a little and pour in the rest of the oil until it completely covers all the pieces.
All that remains is to close the lid and move it to a cool place. The product is completely ready for use.
How to dry pumpkin with oranges and cinnamon at home
According to this recipe, dried pumpkin turns out to be a ready-made vitamin dessert that you can treat your family to.
Ingredients:
- prepared vegetable – 700 g;
- orange – 2 pcs.;
- granulated sugar – 100 g;
- cinnamon - on the tip of a knife;
- lemon.
Necessary actions:
- Place the pumpkin pieces first on a greased baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with sugar previously mixed with cinnamon.
- Place peeled and chopped oranges on top.
- Grind the lemon on a coarse grater and transfer to a sheet.
- Cover the pan with a large piece of foil.
- Bake at 180 degrees for a quarter of an hour, then remove the foil and leave to dry for another 20 minutes.
- Mix everything on a sheet and leave in the switched off oven for another 5 minutes.
- Cool the dried pumpkin at home at room temperature.
You can serve this dish garnished with whipped cream.
How to store dried pumpkin
It is recommended to store the finished product in glass jars, which must be thoroughly washed and dried in advance. The pieces should not be pressed down unless the recipe calls for it. The container should be tightly closed with a lid and placed in a cool and dark place.
They also often choose bags made of natural fabrics (canvas) for storage, into which vegetable strips are folded and placed in a dry place. In rare cases, a freezer is used.
Conclusion
Dried pumpkin will become a favorite dessert that will help you get the necessary vitamins during the winter. From a large number of methods, you can choose the optimal one, which is suitable for preparing vegetables for future use, and use as an additive in other recipes.