Composition and energy value of dried fruit. Benefit, perceived harm. How is the process of drying pears, what methods can be used for this. A place in cooking. In addition, dried pears have a diuretic effect, so their consumption will relieve swelling and normalize the outflow of lymphoid fluid. Although the dried fruit is very sweet in taste, its calorie content is much lower than chocolate and sweets, so this product can be eaten as a delicacy during the period of weight loss.
Contraindications and harm of dried pears
Despite a number of useful properties, this product still has its own contraindications and can harm the body. This dried fruit contains a lot of sugar and has a high calorie content, so you need to eat it in moderation, you should not abuse it for people with diabetes, obesity and who want to lose weight.
Who should refrain from consuming dried pears:
- Patients with stomach ulcers … People in this category should not eat foods containing fiber.
- People with individual intolerance … Although these fruits are hypoallergenic (allergies to them are very rare), nevertheless, in case of allergic reactions to alder and birch, such a reaction can also occur to dried pears.
It is important to remember that you should not combine this dried fruit with natural milk, it can cause intestinal upset. But its use with cottage cheese, sour cream or yogurt will not cause any consequences.
How to dry pears properly
First you need to choose the right fruit to dry. Ripe, but firm, medium-sized pears are best. Although large, cut into two halves are fine too. You can dry fruits with or without seeds. So, the choice was made, after that we rinse the pears and dry them with a towel.
You can cook dried fruits outdoors … We lay out the fruits on a clean baking sheet and set it in the open sun, this place should be well ventilated. We take the dishes into the house at night. We will repeat the procedure the next day. Then we bring the product to readiness for 3 days in the shade.
You can cook dried fruit and in the oven … This will take 7 hours. Put a baking sheet with fruits in an oven preheated to a temperature of 70 degrees and let stand for 1 hour. Then we will reduce the temperature to 60 degrees and continue the drying process.
Using electric dryers we get a very high quality product. First, you need to scald the fruits with boiling water and then immerse them in cold water (this will help preserve the product's light golden hue). Drying temperature - 70 degrees, time - from 14 to 29 hours. The advantage of processing in this way is that you do not need to constantly monitor the process. You just need to turn the fruit a couple of times and that's it.
But the quickest way to make dried pears is to dry in the microwave … The only downside is that you won't be able to cook a lot of pears in one go. So, at a power of 300 W, you can process a small portion of the fruit on one side and, turning it over, on the other side, for 2-3 minutes each.
Dried pear recipes
The product has an unsurpassed aroma and wonderful taste, and is quite in demand in cooking. This dried fruit is used in many cuisines of the world for making pastries and desserts, sauces and first courses, drinks and jams. It can be used in place of fresh fruit or various snacks at lunchtime.
Dried pear recipes:
- Aromatic dried fruit sauce with spices … Pour water into a saucepan, which will need 2 cups, add sugar (half a glass), ground cloves (0.25 tsp.l.), ground cinnamon (0.5 tsp) and salt (0.25 tsp). Bring to a boil, stir until sugar and salt dissolve. We wash 120 g of dried apricots, pitted prunes and dried pears. Put dried fruits in a saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid closed. Remove it and cook again for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. We refrigerate, and can be served.
- Dried pear compote … First, wash 200 g of dried pears with hot water. Then pour them 1 liter of water and cook the drink for 30 minutes over low heat, covering the pan with a lid. Add sugar, which you need 100 grams, and 1 g of citric acid.
- Herculean pie with dried pears … We heat 100 g of molasses with butter, of which we take 85 g, and cane sugar in the amount of 2 tbsp. l. We mix all these components well. Add vanilla extract (2 tsp), rolled oats (150 g), dried apricots (85 g). You also need to add 50 g of dried pears and the same amount of raisins. Mix everything again. We spread the dough in a mold and bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven to 180 degrees. We take out the cake after it has cooled completely.
- Lean borsch with sprat … Rinse 0.5 cups of white beans, fill it with water and leave overnight. In the morning we drain the water and cook until half cooked. After that, cut 3 large potatoes into cubes, put in a saucepan and pour 4 liters of water. We put the dishes on the fire. Rub coarsely 1 red beet, sprinkle 1 tbsp. l. vinegar and leave for 10 minutes. Add to potatoes, salt to taste and cook. Grate 1 carrot on a coarse grater, chop 2 onions and fry in a frying pan in vegetable oil until half cooked. Add tomato sauce (about 2 tablespoons) and beans. We simmer our dressing for a couple of minutes and put it in a saucepan. We wash 2 dried pears, pour boiling water and set aside. We shred 0, 5 cabbage, send it and pears to the pan. 5 minutes before cooking add 1 can of sprat in tomato sauce. Pepper to taste, add 1 bay leaf and herbs. You can eat both hot and cold. Bon Appetit!
- Dried Pear Pie … Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. We wash 8 large dried pears and cut them into halves. Grease the form with butter, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of flour and lay out the dried fruits. Beat 2 eggs, add sugar in the amount of 2 tbsp. l. and beat again until the mass doubles. Pour in 3/4 cup of milk and 200 ml of cream, without stopping to work as a mixer. Pour in 100 g of flour and knead the dough with a wooden spoon. Pour pears with it and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Dried Pear Jam … First, we wash the dried pears, which will need 1 kilogram, fill them with hot water to soak. We do the same with fresh fruits (it is better to take soft fruits), cut into slices. After we drain the liquid from the dried fruit, fill it with water until it completely covers them. Add fresh pears and cook until tender. Add ingredients such as sugar (1 cup), citric acid (3-5 g) and continue the cooking process. Instead of acid, you can add pitted cherry plum berries. They will give the jam not only sourness, but also a wonderful aroma.
- Dried pear tincture … We wash the dried pears (200 g), grind them and put them in the dishes in which we will prepare the drink. Add 50 g of raisins, 5 currant leaves and fill with 1 liter of vodka. We insist in a dark place for 2-3 weeks. We filter and pour into containers.
Interesting facts about pears
Both Roman and Greek goddesses treated the pear as a sacred fruit given to them by God.
The Chinese began cultivating pears in the 12th century BC, calling the fruits of this plant "li". The people of China treated this fruit as a symbol of immortality. Splitting or cutting it was a bad sign: this led to the separation of friends and lovers. Before the advent of tobacco, Europeans smoked pear leaves. In 1620, the first pear tree was planted in North America, in the Colony of Massachusetts Bay.95% of the fruits Americans grow and sell on the west coast of the country, in Washington, Northern California.
The Bartlett variety is very popular in this country and other parts of the world. Once a resident of Boston with that name bought a pear orchard and began to sell the fruits as Bartlett, since he did not know that this type of fruit already had its own name.
In the 1700s, the pear was called the "buttery fruit" because of its soft texture, which resembled butter. In Russia, in the Moscow region, this fruit has been grown since the 16th century. Peter I paid great attention to the cultivation of the plant. It was during his reign that pear varieties were bred, which bore fruit in the European part of the country.
IV Michurin also bred many species, both early and late. Thanks to the fruitful work of scientists from France and Belgium, we can enjoy the amazing taste of different varieties of pears.
Cultivated trees grow in gardens and dachas, but wild trees grow in forests, be they deciduous or coniferous.
Watch a video about dried pears:
So, dried pear is truly a pantry of useful substances and an excellent component of many dishes. Nowadays, it will not be difficult to buy this dried fruit in a supermarket or on the market. But, if you really want to get a healthy product, then you'd better cook it yourself. The drying process is not so time consuming. How to store dried pears? Hermetically sealed glassware or linen bags are perfect. And you need to place them in a dry, well-ventilated area.
