Features of bird cherry flour, characteristics, manufacturing method. Caloric content of the product and chemical composition, impact on the human body. Variety of culinary uses, product history.
Bird cherry flour is a food product made from the berries of the plant of the same name after dehydration. Fraction - monodisperse, powdery; color - brownish, brownish, similar to cocoa; taste - sweetish, with bitterness and a hint of almond; the smell is weak, woody, with long-term storage, it is more saturated, like that of the berry of the same name. It is extremely rare on sale, in most cases it is made independently.
How is bird cherry flour made?
The fruits of a plant from the Plum family are not popular. The structure of the berry is a large stone, a thin layer of pulp and a glossy black crust. Size - up to 10 mm in diameter, usually smaller. The production problem of how to make bird cherry flour was solved relatively recently, by the end of the twentieth century. Prior to this, manufacturing was carried out by hand.
The berries are cut from the branches with special pruners. The crop is washed, dried, laid out on racks in convection drying chambers. Requirements for raw materials: moisture - up to 14%, damage - up to 3%; unripe fruits - up to 4%; impurities - the remains of twigs, organic matter - up to 2%.
Next, primary grinding is carried out: the intermediate raw materials are passed through a sieve or processed in a centrifuge to separate the branches and stalks. In some large factories, dehydration is carried out in a vacuum unit. A centrifugal mill is used for grinding. The grinding is sieved several times and packaged in woven bags (50 kg), which are shipped to a ventilated warehouse. Before delivery to stores, they are packaged in paper packages of 100-400 g.
How to make bird cherry flour at home
- The collected berries are manually separated from the stalks, twigs and debris are removed.
- Lay out to dry in the oven in one layer at a temperature of 40-45 ° C. If the stove is not equipped with convection, it is better to open the door a little. If there is a fruit-vegetable dryer, use it.
- Do not be afraid of the appearance of white bloom on the surface of the fruit. They are just sugar crystals. If you have a history of diabetes mellitus or a tendency to this disease, you can rinse the raw material again and repeat the heat treatment.
- Grind with a crush or hammer. The pits are so hard that if the preparation is neglected, the grinder knife could be damaged.
- Bring to the desired consistency using a food processor, blender or meat grinder.
- Brown powder is briefly dried in the oven at low temperatures (about 30 ° C), spread out in a thin layer on parchment, cooled and poured into an airtight container. Put away in a cool, dark place. The properties and taste are preserved for 1 year.
Dishes made from bird cherry flour will be tastier if, in addition to the powder from the seeds, particles of an acidic tart shell remain in the composition. But if long-term storage is planned, the grinding must be sieved to remove it.
