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Fruits for the winter are prepared in the form of preserves, jams or compotes. But there is a more useful and simpler way. Dried pears are best prepared this way. The product will retain maximum benefits and will not add extra calories in the form of sugar.
The benefits and harms of dried pears
The method of drying preserves all the vitamins and microelements contained in pears. The product is easy to prepare. In winter it will become a real vitamin bomb. In small quantities (no more than 50 g per day) it is also suitable for dietary nutrition.
Useful substances contained in dried fruits:
- glucose;
- fructose;
- alimentary fiber;
- tannins;
- magnesium;
- calcium;
- zinc.
In addition to useful microelements, pears contain vitamins: A, B1, B2, B5, PP. Thanks to such a rich composition, dried fruits can be used as a tonic, expectorant, antipyretic and fixative. Another useful property of this product is to improve digestion by increasing the acidity of gastric juice.
The product also improves the functioning of the heart muscle by strengthening blood vessels and increasing capillary permeability.
In winter, eating dried fruits improves immunity, improves mood, and relieves depression. By introducing this fruit into your diet, you can increase the performance and endurance of the entire body. For athletes, a pleasant bonus will be the accelerated growth of muscle mass. The benefits of dried pears for the body in winter are difficult to overestimate.
Dried fruits do not have any harmful properties for humans. The only contraindication may be allergies or individual intolerance to the product. Also, you should not overuse dried pears, as its calorie content is quite high. Eating more than 200 g of dried product per day can provoke weight gain and obesity.
Which pears are suitable for drying?
For drying for the winter, choose fruits with dense pulp and thin skin. These varieties include: “Fragrant”, “Bronze”, “Bergamot”, “Extravaganza”, “Forest Beauty”. It is important that the fruits are not overripe and not stored for more than 2 days. Too hard or soft, juicy varieties of pears are not suitable for drying.
It is important to carefully examine the fruits during preparation for drying. They should not have broken or crumpled places, wormholes or other damage.
Fruit preparation
Before drying, wash the pears thoroughly under the tap or in a saucepan, changing the water several times. The fruits are then left to dry. When the moisture has completely evaporated, cut the fruit into 4-6 pieces, remove the seeds and core.
The resulting pear slices are placed in a saucepan, sprinkled with sugar and left to sugar for 2-3 days. Afterwards, they are dried in the sun in a well-ventilated place for several days.Twice a day, the pear slices are turned over to the other side.
Such dried fruits look impressive on the holiday table and retain maximum benefits.
How to dry pears at home
Dried fruits can be made with the addition of wine or sugar, or they can be dried in their natural form. Pear slices are dried in the open air - in the summer, in the oven or electric dryer - in the fall.
How to make dried pears in the oven
With gentle heat treatment, such as drying, the juice from the fruit slowly evaporates, leaving only the pulp. You can create such conditions in a regular home gas or electric oven.
After the fruits have been thoroughly washed, dried, cored and the pulp cut into thin slices, you can begin drying.
Pear drying process:
- Preheat the oven to 60°C.
- Place pear slices in a thin layer on a baking sheet and place them in the oven.
- It is necessary to constantly monitor the temperature and condition of the fruit. As soon as the slices begin to decrease in size, the temperature is reduced to 55 ᵒC and simmered for another 3-4 hours.
If the dried wedges are too soft, they must be returned to the oven for 40 minutes. In this case, the oven is heated only to 40 ᵒC. In this way a dietary natural product is obtained.
If excess weight is not a problem, you can dry pears in sugar syrup. To do this, sugar and water are mixed in a 1:1 ratio and brought to a boil. As soon as bubbles appear, remove the liquid from the heat. Prepared pear slices are dipped in syrup and left for 10 minutes. Afterwards, the pear slices are placed in a colander and allowed to drain.Then the pears are dried in the oven, as described above.
Recipe for dried pears in an electric dryer
For this recipe, pears are taken unripe, with dense flesh. They can be kept in sugar syrup, or they can be dried without using sugar.
To prepare dried pears in sugar, take 2 kg of fruit and 700 g of sugar. The fruits are washed, peeled, cut into thin slices and sprinkled with sugar in layers. At room temperature, the fruits are allowed to sugar for 2-3 days.
Drying process:
- The candied slices are placed in a colander and the resulting juice is allowed to drain.
- At this time, prepare the syrup by mixing water and sugar in a 1:1 ratio and boil it.
- The dried slices are dipped in a sweet hot liquid for 5-10 minutes.
- Afterwards, the candied slices are placed in a colander and allowed to drain for 1 hour.
- Then the pears are transferred to an electric dryer on a tray and dried for approximately 14 hours at a temperature of 60 ᵒC.
These figures may vary depending on the device model. First, you need to read the instructions for preparing dried pears in each specific model of electric fruit dryer.
Recipe for dried pears for the winter in mulled wine
Drying pears soaked in wine is easy, but takes a long time. First, prepare an aromatic drink, and then proceed directly to the pears. The finished product tastes more like confectionery, and can be eaten as a dessert.
To prepare an aromatic alcoholic syrup, add the following ingredients to 1 glass of red wine:
- half a glass of sugar;
- half a lemon;
- 8 peas of allspice;
- a slice of ginger, cut into thin slices;
- a handful of raisins;
- star anise;
- 3-4 pcs. carnations;
- water – 50 ml.
The mixture is placed on the fire and brought to a boil.
Then the fragrant dried pears are prepared as follows:
- Prepared, slightly unripe fruits are cut into slices, no thinner than 0.5 cm.
- The slices are dipped into boiled aromatic syrup and left for a day.
- Afterwards, remove the pear slices and leave for an hour to drain excess liquid.
- The pillowed fruits are placed on a baking sheet and distributed in 1 layer.
- Preheat the oven to 80°C and place a baking sheet with slices there.
- The fruit is simmered for at least 10 hours at the specified temperature.
- Afterwards, the pear slices are distributed on parchment paper and left to dry for 3 days at room temperature.
Dried pears at home are stored in a jar at room temperature only if the slices are well dried. If the sweet slices contain a little moisture, it is better to put them in the refrigerator.
Calorie content of dried pears
Dried pear slices contain 60 g of carbohydrates. This is quite a high figure and a quarter of the daily carbohydrate requirement. The calorie content of such a product is 246 kcal, which in dietary nutrition is almost a quarter of the daily diet. Therefore, people who are losing weight are allowed to consume dried pears no more than 2-3 slices per day.
Terms and conditions of storage of dried pears
It is good to store dried pears in the refrigerator. So their shelf life can be extended to 1.5 years. At room temperature, the product is stored in a hermetically sealed jar or paper bag for no more than six months.
The air humidity in the room should not exceed 50%.Dryers are stored only in a dark place, away from direct sunlight. The product is kept without refrigeration only if it is well dried.
Store-bought dried pear slices are best eaten within a few days, as they contain a large amount of moisture and are a perishable product. It is better to purchase store-bought dried pears in sealed packaging rather than in bulk.
Conclusion
Dried pears are considered a healthy and aromatic dessert for the winter. They are easy to prepare. The ingredients and proportions for syrups can be varied to suit your own taste. If you can’t dry fruits using an oven or electric dryer, you can do it in the sun. To do this, place pears cut into thin slices on a baking sheet and leave them in the sun for several days, turning them regularly. The finished product will retain all its beneficial properties and will be prepared without the use of sugar.
