Calorie content and chemical composition of dried melon. Useful and harmful properties of the product, contraindications for use. How dried fruits are prepared, stored and eaten. Recipes for dishes with a healthy delicacy and interesting facts about it. Dried melon is a popular type of dried fruit made from the fruit of the plant of the same name (Cucumis melo) by drying. The annual melon crop belongs to the Pumpkin family. Asia is called her homeland. Most varieties are cultivated there. It is a light-loving and heat-loving plant, resistant to drought, does not like high air humidity. A healthy, properly cultivated shoot can form from one to 10 fruits, weighing from 1.5 kg to 10 kg each. Most often they are oval, less often - round, green, yellow, brown or white. Ripen from 2 to 6 months. They are used in cooking and cosmetology. There are more than a hundred varieties, the most suitable for drying are such as Kolkhoznaya, Torpedo, Pineapple, Gulyabi.
Composition and calorie content of dried melon
The calorie content of dried melon is 341 kcal per 100 g of product, of which:
- Proteins - 0.7 g;
- Fat - 0.1 g;
- Carbohydrates - 82, 2 g;
- Water - 9 g.
Vitamin composition per 100 g of product:
- Vitamin A - 67 mcg;
- Beta-carotene - 0.4 mg;
- Vitamin B2 - 0.04 mg;
- Vitamin B5 - 0.2 mg;
- Vitamin B6 - 0.06 mg;
- Vitamin B9 - 6 mcg;
- Vitamin C - 20 mg;
- Vitamin E - 0.1 mg;
- Vitamin PP - 0.5 mg.
The record holder for the content in the product is vitamin C. It is a vital vitamin necessary for the growth and regeneration of cells, gums, blood vessels, dental and bone tissues. Helps to absorb iron, accelerates recovery. Plays a critical role in protecting against infections by triggering processes in the immune system. It also synthesizes hormones, participates in hematopoiesis, starts metabolism, helps to normalize the exocrine function of the thyroid and pancreas. It is a very powerful antioxidant.
Of the sugars in the composition of dried melon, mono- and disaccharides are present - 7, 3 g.
Minerals per 100 g of product:
- Cobalt - 2 mcg;
- Fluorine - 20 mcg;
- Manganese - 0.035 mg;
- Copper - 47 mcg;
- Iodine - 2 mcg;
- Zinc - 0.09 mg;
- Iron - 1 mg;
- Sulfur - 10 mg;
- Phosphorus - 12 mg;
- Potassium - 118 mg;
- Sodium - 32 mg;
- Magnesium - 13 mg;
- Calcium - 16 mg
It is in micro and macro elements that all the benefits of dried melon are concentrated. The increased potassium content helps to normalize the body's water balance and improve heart function, heal nerves and strengthen muscles. Half of all salts in the body are potassium salts. They remove excess water, reduce swelling and restore strength after fatigue and serious physical exertion.
Thanks to sodium, the passage of nerve impulses occurs. The element is part of the intercellular fluid and blood. Helps in regulating water balance, preventing dehydration. Its deficiency leads to convulsions, neuralgia, vomiting, deterioration of the state of the gastrointestinal tract, poor absorption of monosaccharides and amino acids.
Surely everyone knows that the calcium that is present in the melon is the basis for the normal state of bones and teeth. However, not everyone knows that it is practically not absorbed without vitamin D. Therefore, it makes sense to use foods with calcium with medications containing cholicalciferol.
Magnesium is the foundation of a healthy person's mental health. Many anti-stress drugs are based on it. In addition, this component supports the full functioning of the connective tissue. The lack of an element leads to varicose veins, myopia, hernias, curvature of the spine, poor joint flexibility, permanent dislocations.
Phosphorus is good not only for bones and teeth, but also for vision. Its deficiency leads to fatigue and weakness, loss of appetite, decreased concentration, frequent colds, anxiety and fear.
Benefits of Dried Melon
It is good when a product not only satisfies our gastronomic needs, but also has a positive effect on the body. Despite the fact that the calorie content of dried melon is quite high, it managed to preserve almost all the useful components contained in the fresh product.
Regular consumption of these dried fruits will help achieve the following positive effect:
- Improving heart function … Recharging the heart muscle is especially important after 40 years. But even before this age, one should not forget about the main motor of the body. Unfortunately, many cardiovascular diagnoses have become significantly younger in recent years. The fast pace of modern life leads to deterioration of the heart muscle, problems with blood pressure, narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels due to improper nutrition. Therefore, you need to grab every opportunity to support the heart. Moreover, if this is such a pleasant way to eat a delicious product.
- Cleansing the liver from toxins … Even those who follow the diet, trying to eat only useful components, are not immune from the use of poor-quality water and bad ecology. Toxins are deposited in the liver and have a detrimental effect on the entire body. The substances contained in dried melon will help to gently remove toxins and thereby heal the entire body.
- Removal of kidney and bladder stones … All products with a diuretic effect help to achieve this positive effect. They remove sand and small stones from the kidneys and bladder, without provoking the onset of colic or other pain syndromes.
- Normalization of the gallbladder … A slight choleretic effect will help to solve the problem of stagnation of bile, removing its excess from the bladder and its ducts. This will serve as an excellent prevention of gallstone disease. And for those who already have small stones, the product will try to remove them. In modern medicine, cholecystectomy - an operation to remove the gallbladder - is one of the most common procedures on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, and dried fruits will help not to become part of this unpleasant statistics.
- Fight stress and insomnia … Micro- and macroelements contained in the product will help not to react sharply to external stimuli, not to take everything to heart and to relate more calmly to unpleasant situations. Normalization of the nervous system will help solve problems with anxiety, overcome insomnia and anxiety, get rid of tearfulness and depression.
- Recovery after overwork and illness … High energy value will come in handy after past illnesses (especially influenza and ARVI), heavy physical exertion, nervous exhaustion.
- Prevention of vitamin deficiency … The components of the product will help to retain useful substances in the tissues, thereby preventing the body from feeling the harmful effects of vitamin deficiency. It's all about the diuretic effect: the melon acts very gently, removing only excess fluid, but not letting the salts come out with it.
- Strengthening bones … The joints become more mobile, the prevention of dislocations, sprains, fractures is carried out.
- Relief from constipation … A mild laxative effect will help defecation, prevent stagnation of feces, thereby preventing poisoning of the body. It will also serve as the prevention of hemorrhoids and neoplasms. In this case, the intestinal microflora will not be disturbed.
- Reducing menopause symptoms … The changes that occur with age in the body of women hit both the well-being and the appearance of the fair sex. The folic acid contained in dried melon and the normalization of hormonal levels that occurs with its use will always help to stay excellent.
- Increased male strength … It turns out that this product is useful not only for women, but also for men. It will help you stay strong not only during the day but also at night.
- Pregnancy support … Pregnant women are prohibited from eating a huge amount of super-healthy foods due to the risk of allergies. Dried melon, on the contrary, is even recommended to be consumed by those in a position. Its health-improving effect most favorably affects the condition of the woman and the development of the fetus.
- Rejuvenation of the body … Strengthening blood vessels and capillaries, bones and muscle tissue, systems and organs leads to a general rejuvenation of the body. Along with this, immunity is strengthened, the resistance to viral and bacterial infections is enhanced, vitality is increased, mood improves, and a feeling of cheerfulness appears.
- Improving the condition of skin, hair, nails … The beneficial substances contained in the delicacy will help solve skin problems - make it cleaner, get rid of acne, smooth out fine wrinkles. Also, hair will become thicker and shinier, nails will become stronger.
- Tanning preservation … Yes, this is such an interesting effect. Dried cantaloupe is one of the foods that help you get a more intense tan, and then even keep it longer. And this regardless of whether you are sunbathing in the open sun or in a solarium. This is done by influencing the pigment responsible for skin color.
Contraindications and harm of dried melon
Contraindications for dried fruit relate to two important features - the difficulty of digestion and the high sugar content, so it can be argued that there is a fine line between the benefits and harms of dried melon.
Since it is a rather heavy product, it is not recommended for people with gastrointestinal diseases. In a state of remission, you can try a small amount and see the reaction. If there is no discomfort, use this type of dried fruit. If, after eating, you feel discomfort, it is better not to risk it.
But who is categorically prohibited from dried melon, it is diabetics. The high sugar content can lead to dangerous consequences. Even if non-sweet varieties were used for drying, they should not be consumed due to the content of hidden sugar.
How to eat dried melon
Fresh melon is not recommended to be consumed with alcohol, honey and dairy products. When combined, it acts as a very powerful laxative. Long and prolonged diarrhea leads to dehydration and dysbiosis. The melon transferred this peculiarity to dried fruits. For this reason, they are rarely added to dishes so that there are no "surprises" after gastronomic delights.
There are such serving options:
- Sprinkle a strip of melon with finely crushed or grated nuts, roll into a roll, cut into pieces. You will get very tasty and original curls.
- Finely chop the melon, roll into balls, roll in poppy seeds. This option will especially appeal to children.
- Sprinkle the pieces with water, dry on a towel and sprinkle with sesame seeds. The seeds enhance the flavor of the melon and make it spicy and oily.
This product is stored for a long time - up to a year. Most likely, you can do this longer, but there is no need for this - in a year a new crop ripens and the housewives stock up on fresh dried fruits.
If we talk about how to store dried melon, then there are several options. The easiest way is to put it in a glass, tin or plastic jar, cover it and put it away in a dry, dark place. The lid is definitely needed, because not only boys and girls, but also their parents, but also many bugs and spiders love to feast on melon. In order not to share dried fruits, and most importantly - not to get infected with their waste products, store the treat in a hermetically sealed container.
A tight-knot fabric pouch will also work. It is better to choose natural fabric, since synthetics can emit harmful components. This method is good if you cook the melon yourself. With self-drying, you can skip slightly underdried areas, because it is difficult to cut perfectly evenly - there are thinner and thicker plates. The access of air, which will provide the fabric, will help not to ferment and not become moldy to such a product, but to dry completely.
How to dry melon
Dried fruits do not belong to the category of fabulously expensive food products, but if you eat them regularly, and this is what doctors insist on, then such therapy can cost a pretty penny. To reduce the cost of the product, as well as to guarantee to get a treat without preservatives, self-preparation of dried breath will help.
How to cook dried melon in an electric dryer
This type of household appliance is a versatile device for preparing any kind of fruit and vegetable. No special options or programs are needed, any, even the primitive model itself, will do.
Ripe fruits of medium size are worth choosing. To make your dried melon tasty, be sure to opt for sweet varieties. Rinse the fruit, pat dry with a towel. Cut in half, remove seeds, peel. It is better to cut off the unsweetened part, as it will be completely tasteless.
Let the dryer warm up for at least 5 minutes. To do this, remove the pallets and cover the unit with a lid. In the meantime, the technique is warming up, creating a favorable environment for jigging the melon, it is necessary to cut it as thinly as possible - a maximum of half a centimeter. The length of the pieces should also not be long so that the product fits in the drier tray.
When it's warmed up, lay out the melon so that the pieces don't touch each other. It is very important that not only warm air blows over it from above and below, but also good aeration from the side. The temperature regime is set at 70 ° C. Drying time - 10-12 hours, depending on the variety and juiciness of the product from which you decided to cook dried fruits.
Periodically change the pallets in places, and also let the equipment take a break, turn it off for 5-10 minutes every couple of hours.
How to cook dried melon in the oven
If you are a supporter of classical methods of processing products, then use the method that our grandmothers used to dry melon. Dried melon in the oven is in no way inferior to its sisters cooked in an electric dryer.
Preparation for the process is the same as for an electric dryer - choose a ripe fruit, rinse, dry, peel and seed, cut into pieces. Then the melon must be placed on a baking sheet, previously covered with parchment, and sent to an oven preheated to 70 ° C.
The fruit will give a lot of liquid, so there are two important points here. First, be sure to leave the oven door ajar (if there is a fan mode, turn it on without hesitation) so that the moisture evaporates. Second - for the first 3-5 hours, constantly change the parchment, since the melon should not be in the water, then it will bake and not dry out. The parchment can be dried immediately on the wire rack and reused.
This process will take you at least 10 hours. Everything will depend on the juiciness of the melon. Some fruits can "reach" for about a day. Of course, at night no one invites you to be on duty at the stove. You can turn it off and continue the process in the morning. But what you definitely shouldn't do is leave the oven unattended. Do not risk the lives of loved ones to speed up the process.
How to make dried melon in the wind and sun
However, both the first and second options are considered by the greatest connoisseurs of this product, the Kazakhs, to be almost blasphemy. Even a child knows how to make dried melon in this hot country. Some cut it into small pieces, lay it out on plywood, and flip it periodically until it dries, but most use the following method.
The melon cut through the priests is cut along with thin plates, but not reaching the end a couple of centimeters. They stretch it as much as possible, like a fan, while trying to prevent the pieces from coming off, and they stick it on the grate for a day or two indoors, constantly turning it over. Then it is hung on ropes stretched between the plates and left in the open sun. Well, if the weather is windy, then the melon dries faster, and when not, the whole process takes up to two weeks.
This recipe for dried melon is interesting in that after drying, the strips are braided into a braid. This is both very beautiful, and so it is easier to store the delicacy. By the way, this type of packaging is more expensive than pieces of melon, and testifies to the status of a company that sells the product.
Interesting Melon Facts
The first mentions of the melon are found in the Holy Scriptures - in the Bible.
Information about the cultivation of aromatic fruits in Russia dates back to the 16th century. Under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, melons and watermelons were so prized that they were grown in special greenhouses on the site of the present-day Moscow district of Izmailovo. Later, their cultivation in greenhouses was practically not used. But in dried form, melon was consumed.
Melon is so loved in Asia that in Turkmenistan there is even a special day in her honor, it is called the Day of the Turkmen Melon. Falls on the second Sunday in August - the date when the sweet and aromatic fruit ripens. Then they begin to dry it in order to prepare only the most delicious and sweet dried fruits for a year. Throughout the country, festivities, exhibitions, fairs, competitions are held - whose fragrant beauty is larger and sweeter. Particular attention is paid to conferences of scientists involved in the development of new varieties resistant to diseases and pests. Prayers are even held in churches - the priests bless the new harvest.
How to dry melon - watch the video:
