Drying pears in the oven for the winter at home. How to dry pears in the oven and electric dryer? Rules for choosing pears for drying and their further storage
Step 1: prepare the pears.
First you need decide on the variety of pears! It is important to dry pears using fruit that can be stored for no more than two days. It is better to choose varieties with dense pulp. And it happens that in such pears you come across hardened areas, like pebbles. The ingredient should be very ripe and sweet. Varieties such as “Forest Beauty”, “Victoria”, “Ilyinka”, “Klapp’s Favorite” are excellent for drying.So, first of all, we rinse each pear well under running water and place it in a deep bowl. The ingredient must be peeled and cored using a knife. To do this, while holding it with your hand, cut off a thin layer of peel with a knife, then cut the fruit into two halves and remove the seeds in a circular motion.
Meanwhile, put a large saucepan of purified water on high heat and add sugar to taste, stirring occasionally with a tablespoon until it is completely dissolved. In order for our pears to dry faster and be sweeter, they need to be boiled in boiling water for some time. Due to this, we can gain a lot of time! When the water boils, turn the heat to medium and carefully place the main component into the container with your hands. You can boil the pears in parts up to 15 minutes, until they become soft. Check the degree of readiness with a fork. As soon as they are ready for further processing, immediately remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a deep bowl. You don’t have to drain the water; it’s perfect for fruit compote or jelly, because pear is so aromatic.
Place the ingredient on paper kitchen towels or fabric towels to cool and remove excess moisture.
And now, on a cutting board using a knife, cut the fruits into small pieces. There are several options for how to shape the pears. You can simply cut them into random pieces. You can also chop the ingredient across the fruit into small half-rings or lengthwise, thick no more than 5-7 millimeters. And relatively small-sized pears can generally be left unchanged, although they will dry much longer than pear pieces. In general, it’s up to you to decide what you like best and how much free time you have.
Step 2: dry the pears.
So, a pleasant sweet aroma of pears is heard in the kitchen and everything is ready for further preparation. Therefore, place the pears on a baking sheet in one layer and turn on the oven. We put the baking dish with our ingredient in the oven and dry it at a temperature no more than 55-60°С so that the pear pieces do not crack and bubbles do not appear on them. We prepare them in this mode about 2 hours. Afterwards, increase the temperature in the oven up to 80°С and continue to dry until, when pressing on the pear pieces with a wooden spatula, juice comes out. It may take about 8-12 hours. Therefore, be sure to stir the pears with a spatula every two hours. During the drying process, such a fruit will lose more than 70% of its moisture, therefore, from a quantity of 4 kilograms, we will only get 1 kilogram of dried pears. Another feature of the product’s readiness is that when you press on it, it is very soft, but at the same time it becomes very elastic! Attention: if you see the pears starting to darken prematurely in the oven, turn the heat back up at 55-60°С and dry the ingredient at this temperature, stirring it from time to time. After the allotted time for preparing such fruit has passed, turn off the heat and remove the baking sheet from the oven so that the pear pieces cool to room temperature. They can be left in this state for another two days in some quiet, dry place so that they dry completely. And only after that we transfer the dried pears into a clean, dry jar and close the lid tightly so that moisture does not enter it. Pear drying is complete!
Step 3: Serve dried pears.
The most interesting thing is that such an affordable and tasty fruit in ancient times saved people from various diseases thanks to its properties! The pear helps the heart and muscles work well, especially after physical exertion. And, if you apply a piece of fresh pear to the surface of the skin, it can relieve allergic inflammation. Simply put, this is a miracle fruit! Therefore, it can be served to the table in its natural form. For example, instead of candy, children can be given a piece of dried pear to chew. Uzvars made from this ingredient are very tasty for holidays such as Christmas or Easter. Dried apples and even prunes will go well with this compote along with the pear. It is especially useful to eat dried fruits during the cold season, as they give the body an additional supply of vitamins and nutrients! Bon appetit!
- – To prevent the pear from darkening during the drying process, it can be dipped in a solution with citric acid. To do this, after processing in boiling water, transfer the pear pieces into a container with a previously prepared solution. For 1 liter of purified water we need 5-10 grams of citric acid. To do this, you need to mix the water with a tablespoon until the acid is completely dissolved in it and only then place it in the pear container. Keep the fruit for 10-20 minutes. Then transfer with a slotted spoon to the prepared surface to drain the liquid from the ingredient.
- – You can dry pears using grandma’s old method. To do this, we need a calm, quiet place in the sun, right outside. A dacha or a private yard with a garden is perfect for this. It's very simple! Immediately after we cut the ingredient into smaller pieces, we place them on a baking sheet or a large flat sieve and place them directly under the sun for the whole day. And only at night we bring the pears into the room, covering them with plastic wrap or a bag. We carry out such actions for 2-3 days and on the fourth day we move the baking sheet with pieces of pears into the shade outside and dry for another 2-3 days. Just don’t forget to bring the pears indoors at night anyway.
- There is another way to soften pears before drying! We rinse the ingredient well under running water and cut it into small pieces. Then carefully place the slices into boiling water and cook them for 5-7 minutes.
Dried pears, like fresh ones, are very beneficial for our body. However, you need to take into account that the calorie content of 100 grams of dried pears is much higher than the calorie content of fresh fruits. It is 270 kcal. Drying pears at home is not difficult, because they can easily be dried in the sun, using an oven or electric dryer. Even a microwave oven. Choose any of the methods and prepare dried pears for the winter. It won't take very long.
Drying pears at home
With any method, the initial step is the preparation of the fruits themselves. For drying, it is recommended to take ripe (but not overripe!) pears of summer and autumn varieties. Choose fruits with a small number of stony cells, juicy, dense, sweet pulp. Tart ones should not be used. After collection, they are not stored for more than 2 days. The collected fruits are thoroughly washed and dried. Small ones are dried whole, large ones are cut and the seeds are removed. Then cut into pieces or slices to dry faster.
Drying is stored in a dry, dark place, using fabric bags, as well as glass jars (tightly closed). Dried fruits do not lose their taste for a whole year.
Drying pears in an electric dryer - temperature and time
At home, the easiest way to dry fruit is with an electric dryer. This is convenient because:
- You can dry quite a large amount at once.
- It is possible to select the temperature mode.
- There is no need to closely monitor the process.
The prepared fruits are laid out on drying trays in such a way that there are small distances between the pieces. This way they are blown more evenly by air currents. It is preferable to use electric dryers with air supply from the sides rather than from the bottom. With this design, all tiers are heated equally, so the fruit dries more evenly.
Drying is carried out at a temperature of 60 - 70 degrees. Stir occasionally and swap trays to make the process go faster. Drying time for pears in an electric dryer is from 8 to 20 hours. Readiness is checked by touch - the pieces should not stick to your fingers. It is also important not to overdry - the slices should turn brown, but remain elastic and not brittle.
My favorite method is drying pears in the oven.
Unfortunately, I don't have an electric dryer. I don’t like to dry fruits in the sun because of insects, so I dry them, as well as other fruits and berries, using the oven. In this way, drying pears at home in the oven of a gas stove is simple. True, it takes quite a long time. But the result is excellent. The finished product retains all the beneficial substances. It tastes great!
Pears are dried in the oven with the door fully open at minimum heat
- I cut the washed and dried fruits into 4 parts. I cut out the centers with seeds. I remove broken, damaged pulp and wormholes to improve quality. Then I cut each quarter in half.
- I lay out the octopuses on baking sheets in one layer (skin side down).
- I turn on the gas and set the fire to the lowest setting, just so it doesn’t go out.
- I leave the oven door completely open so that the pears do not bake.
- Periodically I change the baking sheets. When the slices dry out a little, I stir them.
Of course, you can dry pears in the oven with the door closed. Consequently, the process (temperature, time) will have to be controlled more carefully:
- The first 2 hours are dried at a temperature of 50 - 60 degrees.
- Then mix, raise the temperature to 80. Leave until the fruit begins to dry out and decrease in size.
- Mix again. Reduce the temperature to the original temperature and keep until ready.
In the oven of an electric stove, the process is carried out at the same temperature. An electric oven typically has bottom and top heat, so drying is a little more even and faster. The total drying time using an oven, as with any other method, directly depends on the size of the dried fruit. Whole pears (small ones) will take longer to dry, approximately 18 – 24 hours. Pieces or slices will dry faster, in 12 – 16 hours.
Drying pears in the sun
In stable sunny weather, you can dry it naturally. Trays or baking sheets with pieces laid out in one layer are exposed to the open sun for 2 - 3 days. Turn over periodically. In the evening they clean the room so that it doesn’t get damp overnight. Dry in the shade with good ventilation for another 2 - 3 days.
As you can see, drying pears at home is a simple matter. In winter, such a product is very useful as a treat. Dried fruits are also an excellent raw material for aromatic compotes, fillings for pies, muffins, and puddings.
How to dry pears at home? For this most suitable fruits are slightly unripe, not very juicy, having dense pulp with the presence of hard inclusions - “stony cells”. It is also desirable that pears have few seeds and have a small seed chamber.
Fruits with a viscous taste not worth using, it is recommended to dry sweet summer or early autumn varieties.
The most preferable choice is the fruit of the golden product of Fragrant, Ilyinka, Bergamot, Zaporozhye, Forest Beauty, Limonka, Victoria. It is better to take medium-sized fruits. In the process of making dried fruits you can use sugar.
First of all, fruit is a must wash. If you plan to chop them, first cut them into quarters, remove the seeds, and then cut them into thinner slices.
To prevent them from darkening, they need to be soaked in tartaric acid(1% solution). Before drying, the fruits are dipped in boiling water for 1-3 minutes.
The process usually lasts 2-3 days, after which the product is dried in the shade - in a ventilated area. If, then choose a starting temperature of 75°C...85°C, and a final temperature of no more than 65°C. Drying time – 5-6 hours.
Methods
How to dry pears at home? Let's look at how to dry pears in various ways. This can be done either naturally or using special drying devices:
- in the sun;
- in an electric or gas oven;
You can also find it on our website.
Pre-treatment
How to dry pears at home? Drying pears at home involves preliminary preparation of fruits.
Picked pears should not be stored over 2 days, this will lead to their softening and make them unsuitable for drying.
Preparing fruits for drying is the same for all methods. Firstly, you need boil water in a saucepan. Then, if desired, add there Sahara. Fruits are sorted by degree of ripeness, damage is cut out, and running water is used for washing.
Damaged by pests and rotten are discarded. After washing, the fruits are boiled in boiling water 10-15 minutes (depending on the degree of ripeness) until soft. After cooling, taking into account the size and type of pears, they are either cut into slices about 10 mm thick (large specimens), or into 4 parts, maybe in half (medium), or left whole (game).
Then they should be placed on the base in which they will be dry.
Treatment in tartaric or citric acid (1% solution) protects the product from darkening when drying.
To give them elasticity, the slices need to be blanched for 5 minutes in boiling water.
Natural Method
The method for drying pears at home naturally is as follows. Parts of the fruit are laid out on a sieve or baking sheet, tray, which are placed in a place with good solar lighting, windless and dust-free. The tilt of the base should be such that the pears are illuminated for as long as possible during the day.
In the private sector, to dry apples and pears, you can also use roofs of houses. In the evening, the fruits are covered with polyethylene and brought into the house. After 2 days they are laid out in a shaded place and finish drying within 2-3 days. For complete, uniform drying, the slices need to be turned over periodically.
Some people press the slices with two boards in the middle of drying, then put on a thread, hang and dry. Sometimes, when making dried fruit, it is fumigated with sulfur dioxide for better preservation.
However, due to the danger of gas, it is necessary to use special premises, observing safety rules.
Using the oven
How to properly dry pears at home using an oven? Since weather conditions do not always provide an opportunity for drying fruits, this can be successfully done using an oven, in the kitchen. The fruits are laid out on a baking sheet in one layer and dried at a temperature of 55°C...60°C.
After 2 hours, the heat should be raised to 80°C. When the fruit decreases in size, it is reduced to 55°C, this temperature is finishing. The duration of the process depends on the size of the product used: for slices it takes 12-16 hours, for whole fruits – 18-24.
Using an electric dryer and microwave
How to properly dry pears at home using household appliances? Drying apples and pears using household appliances has its own peculiarities.
Electric dryer, equipped with several layer trays, allows you to dry a decent amount of product overnight.
The technology provides for complete autonomy of the process: uniform automatic circulation of warm air is ensured, the fruit does not need to be turned over.
The technique for drying 18 kilograms of pears in an electric dryer is in this video. Let's look:
Usage microwave oven– the fastest way to prepare drying: one portion is prepared in 2-3 minutes. However, not everyone accepts it, since here you can not calculate it accurately and dry out the fruits, turning them into coals. Before placing in the oven, the pears are washed and placed on a plate covered with a cotton cloth.
The device is set to 200 W and 2.5 minutes of operating time. If the pears are not dry enough, repeat the process for half a minute. Cooked dried fruits should be elastic, springy when pressed.
Tough will be for one reason: carrion or completely immature specimens were drying.
Drying whole fruits
The question also arises of how to dry whole pears at home. There are no special points here; the principles of drying them are almost identical to the rules for drying crushed fruits. For this they take small fruits and keep in the sun for 6-8 days.
For cooking in the oven, whole small fruits. They need to remove the sepals and stalks; there is no need to remove the skin. Dry for about 20 hours, turning often. The process speeds up 2-3 times in the presence of good ventilation. The color of properly dried pears is light and dark brown.
Wild pears: features of drying wild pears
Now about how to dry wild pears at home? During the drying process, wild game has its own specific features. It is not collected from trees, but awaits the natural fall of the fruit. Then they put them in a container - a box, a bucket, and let them sit until they darken and the skin turns brown.
Then their taste, instead of bitter and tart, will turn into aromatic sweet. Ignorant people often throw away such fruits, taking them for spoiled, but this is a mistake.
Then the game is washed, cut into halves (or left whole) and dried in the same way as cultivated varieties.
Their seed nest is not cut out, and they should not be fumigate and blanch.
When the process is performed correctly, the pears are elastic, soft, and do not break when compressed or bent.
They are pleasantly aromatic, their taste is sweet, and their color varies from light to dark brown.
Resume
Pear is one of the the most valuable products for health. It contains vital elements for the body, fiber, iron, and vitamins. Thanks to various antioxidants, it rejuvenates the skin, normalizes heart function, and is an excellent immunomodulator.
Its intake does not lead to the appearance of food allergies.
Of course, Homer was not mistaken when he called this fruit “a gift from the gods,” since its consumption prolongs youth. By preparing this sunny fruit for future use, you store on the shelves a divine gift that provides you healthy and fulfilling life.
Preface
If you get your hands on several kilograms of juicy ripe fruits or you are lucky enough to grow these gifts in the garden, prepare them for the winter using the method familiar to all housewives for pears - drying. The dried fruits you prepare retain the maximum amount of vitamins. Of course, you can buy dried fruits on the market, but to be sure of the quality, it is better to do the drying yourself. Let's find out together how to dry pears at home!
Properly selected varieties can play an important role in obtaining high-quality dried fruits. Experts say that the best options in this case will be fruits that contain a minimum number of stony cells, with a small number of seed chambers and moderate hardness of the pulp, without a strong astringent taste, sweet and ripe. These varieties, of course, include everyone’s favorite Forest beauty, Clapp's favorite, Lemonka, Talgar beauty, Bergamot, Summer Williams, as well as varieties Zaporozhye And Victoria.
Pear variety Forest Beauty
Remember, the fruits you select for drying for the winter should not be stored longer than 48 hours; they must be immediately washed and thoroughly dried. Otherwise, they may lose their virtues. Rough, overripe fruits are absolutely not suitable for drying. They are best saved for cooking, jam or jam. Wild pears do not need to be picked from the tree; wait until they fall on their own. The fruits collected after falling to the ground must be given a little time for the peel to darken and acquire a brown tint. This is necessary so that the pears become fragrant and sweet. If you do not comply with these conditions, you risk getting tart and bitter fruits that are absolutely unsuitable for cooking delicious compote for the winter.
Now you know that such dark pears are not rotten or spoiled, but a means to obtain high-quality dried fruits. Subsequently, the game is prepared for drying, like all other fruits. They are cut into small slices, approximately 1 cm thick, and dried in any convenient way. You don’t even have to core the fruit with seeds, peel it, or blanch it in water. If everything was done correctly, at the end of the process you should have elastic and soft dried fruits that should not break when bent and squeezed. When drying wild pears in the sun, do not forget to first dip the slices in a 1% solution of citric or tartaric acid.
Today, there are many ways to dry pears at home. However, sun drying remains the most popular and familiar to most housewives. This method is especially ideal for those who live in private houses or have their own summer cottage, although this method will also work on a sunny balcony with good ventilation. The pears are cut into medium slices and laid out on parchment, newspaper or a baking sheet in an even layer. To prevent flies and other insects from landing on sweet fruits, cover everything with thin gauze. All that remains is to ensure that the sun constantly hits the pears, not forgetting to periodically turn them from one side to the other so that they dry evenly.
Drying pears outside
If you don’t have the opportunity to put pears outside to dry, or the sun’s rays rarely break through the clouds, then use another method - thread drying. This is done quite simply - the prepared slices are strung on a sewing thread, preferably dense enough so that it does not break, and hung in the form of a garland of fruit on both sides on nails or cabinet handles in the kitchen or attic. However, remember, the room for drying fruits for the winter must be warm and well ventilated. Tip - do not press the pear slices too tightly together, as they may stick.
As for the time it will take you to achieve the final result, at least 7-10 days should pass. For those who don't have that much time, you can use alternative, faster drying methods for the winter, such as an oven, microwave or electric dryer.
Compared to the previous method, drying fruits in the oven takes significantly less time. Housewives claim that this method allows you to make pears at home tasty and aromatic. In addition, pears dried in the oven last longer. They can be prepared at any home, both in a private house and apartment. To do this, you will need to cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and lay out the pears in a thin, even layer, after cutting them lengthwise into small slices, no more than 1 cm thick.
Pear pieces after drying
To prevent pears from turning into burnt, inedible pieces, they are dried at a minimum temperature in three main stages: withering, moisture evaporation and sterilization. To begin with, set the temperature in the oven to 50-60 degrees. At this temperature, the pears need to stay in the oven for at least 1 hour. Do not forget to open the oven several times to allow excess steam to escape.
This completes the first stage, let's move on to the second. If initially the oven door was opened only a few times during the entire period, now it should be open constantly, and raise the temperature to 75 degrees. Under such conditions, the pears will begin to actively lose water, which will come out in the form of steam. Don't forget to check the condition of your pears so that they don't burn, and to be safe, turn them over regularly. As for the time required to complete this step, it will depend on the variety you choose and the size of the cut fruit. On average, it can last up to 4-5 hours, but there are exceptions where it will take 8-10 hours to achieve the desired result.
The last stage (sterilization) is the least lengthy, it will take a maximum of 35-45 minutes. Raise the oven temperature again to 80-90 degrees and close the oven door. During this process, the pears will finally dry out and become similar to the dried fruits we are used to. Place dried pears prepared at home on a cotton towel and let them cool.
We answered the question of how to dry pears in the oven; now it remains to analyze the pros and cons of this method. An undoubted advantage is the fairly fast preparation time, compared to the natural method of drying for the winter, and this is important for modern housewives, as well as preserving the taste of the fruit. On the other hand, there are also disadvantages. The relatively high temperature reduces the content of vitamins, most of which are simply evaporated at the last stage. In addition, high temperature can damage the integrity of the fruit, as a result of which they lose their presentation and become unsuitable for consumption.
Let's start with how to dry pears in an electric dryer. If you have such a device at home, then nothing is simpler - proceed according to our instructions. Immerse thin slices in boiling water for a few seconds and then quickly cool them. This is necessary to avoid darkening of the fruit while drying it for the winter. Place the slices on a baking sheet and let them dry slightly, then place them on the rack of an electric dryer. This device has several grates, which makes it possible to dry a large number of pears at the same time. Using this method, you don’t even have to turn the slices over, since a uniform supply of warm air is created in the tray.
Using an electric dryer to dry pears
The cooking temperature should not exceed 70-80 degrees at low air speed. Adjust the cooking time yourself; it usually takes from 30 minutes to an hour. It all depends on the model and the temperature mode you choose. Ultimately, the pears should acquire a pleasant brown tint, become quite elastic and not break when bent. However, if this method is also time-consuming for you, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the simplest and fastest method - how to dry pears in the microwave. Although such drying did not deserve a barrage of positive criticism, it still has a right to exist.
The entire drying process in the microwave will take you a maximum of 5 minutes, but the main thing is not to overdry by selecting the desired power. Otherwise, you risk getting overdried, unappetizing fruit. Place the sliced pears in an even layer on a dish and send them to dry in the microwave, setting the power to no more than 200-300 W for a couple of minutes. When the timer beeps, turn the fruit over and continue drying them at the same power for another 2-3 minutes. If you notice that at the end of this period of time your fruits are not dry enough, leave them in the microwave for a few more minutes, remembering to turn them over. The finished pears are elastic and elastic. If they turn out hard, it means you overdried them or used unripe fruits.
In order to be suitable for preparing fortifying drinks for the winter and other culinary dishes for as long as possible, it is necessary to choose the optimal place and container for them. The ideal option for storing at home would be wooden or glass containers or fabric bags. Moreover, it is necessary to compact dried fruits into storage containers quite tightly. As for the room, it must be dry, with good ventilation, so that the pears do not become moldy or damp.
Storing dried fruits in a jar
Inspect dried fruit regularly for bugs and other insects. And as a preventive measure, you can dry the pears in the oven or microwave at a temperature of no more than 50 degrees or 200-300 W. If you find that your fruits, after a long time, have become too hard and have begun to dry out, this problem can also be easily eliminated by heating them in the oven or microwave, placing an additional container of water in them, or simply hold the dried fruits briefly over a saucepan of boiling water. water. Steam will make them elastic, soft and tasty again.
A very tasty and healthy fruit that can be consumed not only in its natural form or in the form of preserves, jellies, marmalades, compotes, etc., but also as an ingredient that gives a completely new taste to both desserts and salads, soups and main courses. meat and fish.
Some varieties of pears can be stored well until the coldest weather, but the question of how to properly prepare pears for the winter remains relevant for many housewives.
What are the benefits of dried pears?
Using a pear as a dried fruit allows you to preserve the main vitamins it contains, as well as pectin and minerals that pears are rich in - iron, zinc, iodine, potassium, calcium, copper, carotene, etc.
Dried pears improve heart function and are also good for the lungs, liver and kidneys. The benefits of dried pear are also manifested in its ability to calm the nervous system, minimize the effects of stress and depression, tone and improve overall well-being.
This dried fruit removes toxins from the body, which is why it is used for colds. Compote made from dried pears has diuretic, antiseptic and even analgesic properties.
Dried pears are one of those rare types of dried fruits that are not contraindicated for pancreatitis.
Did you know? Pear - both fresh and dried - is an excellent component in various diets aimed at losing excess weight. This fruit not only contains little sugar in itself, but is also capable of lowering human blood sugar levels, which is why dried pear is a favorite product for people suffering from diabetes.
The fact that dried pear is called the queen among fruits will be best appreciated by men, since this product has been used for prostatitis since ancient times.
A good wife adds slices of dried pears to her husband’s tea in winter, especially if he is over forty, to prevent this unpleasant disease, and it is generally impossible to imagine a Ukrainian compote without dried pears.
How to dry pears for the winter
Medium-sized pears that are not yet fully ripe, but not quite green, are best suited for drying. It is preferable to use summer varieties.
Pears such as “Bergamot”, “Forest Beauty”, “Aromatic” are good in dried form. It is important that the pear has firm, but not rough, flesh.
Important! Overripe fruits are not suitable for drying. However, they can be successfully used in other preparations - compotes, marmalades or jams.
Drying pears at home can be done in two ways - with or without preliminary temperature treatment.
In the first case, the fruit does not darken directly during drying, but the second allows you to retain more vitamins and nutrients in the finished product.
Regardless of the method chosen, pears picked from the tree no more than two days ago should be washed under running water.
If you choose a method with preliminary temperature treatment, blanch the pears in boiling water for several minutes (depending on the sweetness of the pears, you can add a little sugar or citric acid to the water).
As soon as the pears become soft, they are thrown into a colander, the water is allowed to drain, and the pears are allowed to dry completely.
Further steps are the same for both methods. The pears are cored and cut into slices or slices about a centimeter thick. If the pear is very small, you don’t have to cut it.
The preparatory work is completed, let's move on to the drying procedure.
Pears can be dried naturally - in the open air, on a balcony, terrace, etc., or in an accelerated mode - in an oven, electric dryer, grill or microwave. Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages.
This is the cheapest and most natural drying method. However, it requires much more time and space - a well-lit area. Optimal for those who have a dacha, their own home, or at least a spacious sunny balcony.
When choosing this method, it is also necessary to take into account weather conditions: if fruits are dried outdoors, they should not get wet in unexpected rain - at the first sign of precipitation, the pears should be immediately moved under a canopy, otherwise the whole procedure can be considered a failure.
Evenly sliced pears are carefully laid out on a flat surface, juicy side up. The top of the fruit should be covered with gauze to protect it from insects (when drying on a closed balcony, this precaution is unnecessary) and left for several days.
The drying process must be constantly monitored; if necessary, pieces of fruit should be turned over to ensure even drying. Depending on the temperature and amount of sunlight, drying can take from two to seven days, after which the fruit is removed from the light to a more shaded place and left for another two days.
A properly dried pear should not crumble or break. Most of the moisture is removed from the fruit, but the pieces should remain soft and elastic.
Dried pears can be cooked fairly quickly in the oven. The entire procedure will take approximately 12-14 hours.
The pears cut into pieces should be laid out on a baking sheet so that they do not overlap each other, and placed in an oven heated to 50-55 degrees. It is best to leave the oven door ajar to provide sufficient ventilation to the pears.
The process must be constantly monitored, adjusting the temperature depending on the condition of the fruit.
Approximately in the middle of the procedure, when the pears have already dried, but are not yet completely ready, you can slightly increase the temperature to speed up the process, but you need to complete the drying again at the minimum temperature.
Important! If the pears in the oven begin to darken, this means that the temperature is too high, you must immediately reduce the heat and, if necessary, cool and turn the pieces over to the other side!
After complete drying (it is determined in the same way as when drying in the sun), the oven is turned off, the pears are removed and left to dry for two days at room temperature, after which they are laid out in clean jars or paper bags for storage in a place protected from moisture until winter.
Drying in the oven is not suitable for whole fruits, as it will take too much time - sometimes more than a day.
This is the most convenient way to prepare dried fruits. Its only drawback is the need to purchase a special electric dryer and spend a certain amount of money on electricity bills.
The prepared pieces of fruit are laid out on a tray in an electric dryer and dried at a temperature of 70 degrees with occasional stirring. Drying pears in an electric dryer takes 15-20 hours, depending on the type of pear and the size of the pieces.
As with oven-drying, don't leave the pears unattended to prevent them from drying out—the slices may turn brown, but they shouldn't darken too much or start to break.
Drying pears in the microwave
You can dry pears in the microwave quite quickly - in just a few minutes. The pieces laid out on a flat plate are placed in the oven. The mode depends on the household appliance.
If the oven is powerful, it is better to set it to the weakest mode, for a less powerful one - medium. Using a high level will not reduce drying time and will simply burn the fruit.
After 2-3 minutes, the pear should be ready, but if you see that the pieces are still too wet, you need to restart the oven for half a minute and check the result again.
You can also dry pears in the microwave using the “defrost” mode. This is a more gentle option; it allows you to extend the procedure for 30 minutes and does not require such careful monitoring of the process.
However, it is still better to check the pears 2-3 times for readiness to prevent overdrying.
How to properly store dried pears
In order for the pear to retain all its beneficial properties, it must not only be properly dried, but also properly preserved.
Dried fruits are well stored in an airtight form so that moisture does not get into them. Tin or glass vessels with tight lids, as well as special plastic bags equipped with fasteners, are suitable for this.
If you don't have a cellar, you should try to find a cool, dark place for dried pears. If possible, they should be isolated from spices, herbs and other aromatic products, since drying has the property of absorbing foreign odors.
Dried fruits should be periodically ventilated and checked for fungal growths. The first signs of mold are a direct command to throw away the product without regret.
If all conditions are met, dried pears can be stored until next spring.
Candied pears
Candied fruits are a less dietary product than dried fruits, however, they are lower in calories and, accordingly, more healthy than other sweets.
Just like dried pears, candied fruits from this fruit are rich in fiber and retain vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
According to the method of preparation, candied fruits are pieces of fruit boiled in concentrated sugar syrup and subsequently dried.
Pears, ideally not fully ripened, are washed, cored and cut into fairly large slices, dipped in sugar syrup (the amount of sugar should correspond to the weight of the sliced pears) and cooked over low heat until the syrup has almost completely evaporated.
The finished pears are laid out on parchment, sprinkled with sugar and dried in the sun or in the oven over low heat.
Candied fruits should be stored in the same way as dried fruits.
Dried pear recipe
Drying, like drying, involves separating the pulp from the juice under prolonged exposure to air and a relatively low temperature. In essence, drying – This is a type of cold drying.
The pear for drying is selected and processed in the same way as for drying, but the slices can be made somewhat thicker.
The prepared pieces are placed in an enamel bowl and covered with sugar (in a ratio of approximately 1 part sugar to three parts pear). In this form, the pear should be left for 2.5 days at room temperature.
The steeped pears are placed in a colander, allowing the syrup and juice to drain, after which they are placed in boiling 50% sugar syrup (0.7 ml of syrup per 1 kg of pears), stirred and removed from the heat without covering. After 8-10 minutes, the pears are discarded again and allowed to drain completely for an hour.
Then the fruits are laid out in one layer on a mesh and left for a week in a well-ventilated place (as the pears dry, you need to turn them over several times) or, to speed up the process, place them in an oven preheated to 60 ° C for 40 minutes, after which cool and repeat the procedure again, sometimes up to three times. You can also dry the pear in an electric dryer.
Dried pears should be firm and elastic.
How to freeze pears for the winter
Freezing a pear is an ideal way to not only preserve all its nutrients, but also to obtain a product that can be used in cooking in the same way as a fresh pear.
Before freezing, pears should be washed and dried thoroughly with a paper towel.
Did you know? The amount of vitamins in a properly frozen pear is almost the same as in a fresh one, provided that the fruit was frozen at a temperature no higher than -16°C , and was stored at a temperature no higher than -8°C . Thawed pears cannot be re-frozen!
Properly frozen pears can be stored for a whole year.
Freezing in slices or pieces
Peel the pears and cut them into slices or pieces of the desired size. To prevent the pear from darkening, you can lightly sprinkle it with lemon juice.
The pieces are placed on a flat surface covered with cling film or foil and placed in the freezer for a day.
After complete freezing, the pears are placed in plastic bags specially designed for this purpose (the air must be released from them and tied tightly) or in containers and placed in the freezer for subsequent storage.
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