Dried fruits from the store in most cases pass chemical treatment... This gives them a beautiful presentation or speeds up the drying process. Pears are no exception. At first glance, it is impossible to determine whether the product has been subject to additional manipulations. Therefore, it is better not to take risks and make preparations. dried fruit at home myself. And already on their basis you can cook delicious compotes or other sweets all year round.

5 options for drying pears and the correct preparation of fruits

Despite the many options for how you can dry pears at home, the pre-processing of the fruit is the same. Fruits are chosen not fully ripe and hard with a thickened rind.

• Medium-sized pears are cut in half, larger pears are cut into slices (1 cm wide), small pears can be dried whole. Cored if desired. If the fruit has small bruises, it is best to cut them out. After careful selection, the raw materials are washed and dried.
• In no case should you take spoiled, wormy, frozen or decaying fruits.
• To preserve the maximum vitamins, blanching is used. Prepared pears are dipped in boiling water for 2 minutes and chopped already chilled.
• There is one more processing option. From a liter of water, 400 g of sugar and 10 g citric acid boil the syrup. And after boiling, pears are poured into it. Cover the pan with a lid and turn off the gas. When the product has completely cooled down, put it in a colander and let the syrup drain.

Outdoors

The raw materials are placed on a sieve, tray or baking sheet and placed (tilted) in a sunny, dust-free and windless place. A balcony is well suited for this. In the private sector, you can dry fruits on the roof of buildings under the rays of the sun, and in the evening cover them with foil and bring them into the house.

After 2 days, the workpiece is laid out in a shaded place and continue to dry for another 2-3 days, periodically turning it over. And also in the middle of the drying process, you can flatten the slices between the boards, tie up with a thread and dry in an upright position.

Oven

It is important to constantly monitor the temperature, reduce and add it in time.

The raw materials are laid out in an even layer on a baking sheet and drying begins at 50 degrees. Due to the low heat, the pear halves and their skins will not crack. After 2 hours, the slices will dry out a little and you can add the temperature to 80 degrees.

After the fruit begins to decrease in size, the degrees are lowered again to 50. This heating is maintained until the very end of drying in the oven. Drying time depends on the size of the pear. Small slices dry within 12-14 hours, large ones - 24-26 hours.

Microwave

This is the fastest way to dry the product. But it has drawbacks - radiation harmful to health and the risk of overdrying the raw material (if there is a large amount of it). The surface is covered with a cotton cloth. Spread pears on it. Place in the microwave. Dry for 2.5 minutes on 200 watts. Check it out. If the fruit is not ready, repeat the procedure.

Convection oven

On each pallet, pear slices are laid out in one row. The heating is set to 65 degrees and the fan is turned on to maximum. The process is performed in 2-3 runs for half an hour. The workpiece is completely cooled between the drying stages. And periodically turn the fruits over for uniform convection. In total, you need to do the action 6 times in 3 passes. After 28-30 hours, the dried fruits will be ready.

Electric dryer

An electric dryer is perfect for large quantities of fruit. Temperature regime set at 70 degrees. Cooking time will be 15-30 hours, depending on the size and quantity of the product.

To better dry the fruits, they are periodically turned over. Readiness is checked by color, it will turn brown. Meanwhile, the pear will remain elastic and bend easily without breaking.

How to store dried fruit?

It is important to preserve the workpiece correctly, otherwise it will harden or mold.

1. 1. The shelf life is maximum 1 year. If there is anything left, they throw it away and prepare a new portion.
2. 2. The place must be dry and dark.
3. 3. The container can be cotton bags or jars with sealed lids.
4. 4. It is forbidden to place dried fruits near a heating system, electrical or gas stove and ovens. Otherwise, condensation may occur, and this will lead to product deterioration.
5. 5. It is necessary from time to time to check the blanks for the absence of insect larvae, mold, fruit moths and bugs.

Gradually pears darken and become tough. Therefore, you should not stretch the use of the preparation for 12 months, it is better to eat everything during the winter. But if solidification has occurred, you can heat the product in the oven on a baking sheet, under which a bowl of water is placed to steam.

With the advent of experience in harvesting from pears, there will be a use for a product that is too hard - you can make a face or body scrub out of it. Dried fruits are ground in a coffee grinder (blender) and mixed with thick sour cream.

If the hostess is seriously thinking about the supply of dried fruits for the family, it is worthwhile to take a responsible approach to their selection and preparation. It is worth stopping at a convenient processing option, based on the instruments at hand and the time that can be spent on the workpiece.

There is never a lot of reserves for the winter, every housewife will say this. Therefore, you need to think in advance about the preparation of drying in order to cook delicious compotes in winter. Step by step recipe with a photo of drying whole pears at home. Video recipe.

Delicious dried pears in the cold winter season will remind you of the warm summer gone by. But in order for the drying to be tasty, some simple rules should be followed.

• Best suited for workpieces small fruits, they are dried along with the stalks. Larger fruits are cut into halves, quarters or smaller pieces.
• Summer varieties are usually taken for drying. They will not work with an astringent taste and coarse pulp, i.e. will not provide good quality dried fruits. Ideal varieties are Bergamot, Talgar beauty, Forest beauty, Fragrant, etc.
• Select pears that are not quite ripe, with firm pulp and a small seed chamber. At the same time, they should already begin to turn yellow. Do not take overripe fruits for drying
• Pears are dried in the oven, in the sun, in the oven, and even in the microwave. With the right approach, pears dried in any way will be good.
• There is no need to peel or core the fruit. Only fruits with rough and tough skin are peeled. A hard pears first boil, and sometimes sugar.
• You can make pear powder from ready-made dried pears. To do this, the dried fruits are ground with a special mill or coffee grinder, 10-20% sugar and a pinch of cinnamon are added. Powder is used for sprinkling porridge, used for filling ...
• At long-term storage pears become hard and dry. Before using them, drying must be kept in the oven so that it is steamed, soft and tasty.

• Caloric content per 100 g - 249 kcal.
• Servings - any quantity
• Cooking time - 10 minutes of active work, plus 5-6 hours for drying

Ingredients:

• Pears - any quantity

Step-by-step preparation of dried pears for the winter whole for compote, recipe with photo:

1. Whole pears small size put in a sieve and wash under running water.

2. Spread the pears out on a clean cotton towel and leave to dry completely.

3. Put the pears on a baking sheet and send to dry in a preheated oven to 60 degrees. This temperature will help prevent cracking of the fruit and the formation of bubbles under the skin. Dry them for 5-10 hours with the door slightly open. Drying time depends on the size of the fruit. Turn them over from time to time to dry evenly. Dried pears for the winter as a whole for compote are considered ready when they do not stick to the hands, dry, while elastic.

Note: If you wish, you can dry the pears in the sun. Place a baking sheet with them in the sun, where they should stay for about 2-4 days, depending on the size of the fruit. Bring the fruit indoors at night. Choose a sunny time for drying, without rain. Finish drying in the shade with good ventilation.

See also a video recipe on how to cook dried pears at home.

Who does not like to feast in winter vitamin preparations summer fruits? The pear is very suitable for the role of a fruit that can be dried and put on long storage... In this article, we will look at how to properly prepare this fruit for the process, what methods can be used to dry pears and how to do it correctly.

REFERENCE: It is advisable not to take fruits that are viscous in taste and it is better to give preference to sweet varieties that ripen in summer.

Drying pears

For drying pears, choose the following fruits:

• Not overripe;
• Not juicy;
• With dense pulp;
• Fruit size is medium;
• WITH a small amount seeds.

The harvested fruits should not be stored for more than two days, otherwise they will become soft and not suitable for drying.

Suitable varieties for such a workpiece:

• Fragrant;
• Ilyinka;
• Bergamot;
• Forest beauty;
• Lemon;
• Victoria.

Drying pears:

Dried pear: ways

There are several methods for drying this fruit for the winter:

• In an electric dryer;
• In the oven;
• In the microwave;
• On outdoors.

Preliminary processing

Whichever method of drying is chosen, pears must be prepared for it. The process of processing the fetus consists of the following actions:

• The fruits are washed;
• Wipe thoroughly;
• If rotten or overripe, very soft specimens come across - they are removed, they will not be suitable for drying;
• Dip the fruits in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Add sugar if desired;
• Allow the fruit to cool;
• After that, the pears are cut, the bones are removed from them, the spoiled places are cut off;
• So that the workpiece does not darken during the procedure, it must be dipped in 1% tartaric or citric acid;

ATTENTION: Frozen, overripe, rotten fruits are not suitable for drying!

As for how to cut the pears, it depends on the size of the fruit. Small fruits can be cut in half or in slices, large ones are cut into slices, but not less than 1 cm thick (with this size, the pear will retain the proportions of aroma and taste). Drying of small fruits as a whole is also possible (for this you need to remember to remove the stalk).

Natural method

This method is longer than the others, but it remains maximum amount nutrients.

Suitable for owners of private yards, summer cottages, etc. But in the apartment, you can also dry in this way, for example, in the kitchen or on the balcony. The main thing for this method is a clean, not dusty, well-ventilated place that has access to sunlight.
This technique is not complicated and includes the following actions:

• Put pears on a baking sheet, newspaper, parchment;
• Put them in the selected place;
• Cover with gauze at night and bring it into the room;
• Once every few days, the pears must be turned over to the other side so that they dry evenly;
• After three days, put to dry in the shade;

IMPORTANT: To protect the fruit from insects, you can cover it with a thin layer of gauze.

If this method is not suitable, then a natural drying option would be if you stretch a thread through the pieces of pears and hang them to dry on it in a suitable place.

Using the oven

This method is good for its speed and convenience, after which the dried fruit remains wonderful taste and aroma, but the amount of vitamins and other substances will decrease. Also good for drying in adverse weather conditions.

The essence of this method:

• Cover the baking sheet with foil or parchment;
• Put pears on it;
• Preheat the oven to a temperature of 50 degrees;
• Put a baking sheet with fruits in it and dry them for about two hours, periodically opening the door to release the moisture released by the fruits and checking if they burn;
• To completely evaporate excess moisture, you need to raise the oven temperature to 80 degrees and leave the door ajar. We must not forget to check the condition of the fruit. Drying at this temperature should be done for at least 4 hours, but it all depends on the type and size of the pieces, so it may take 8-10 hours;
• When will it pass the right amount time and the pear will decrease in size, the temperature is reduced to 55 degrees and the fetus is sterilized for another 40 minutes;
• Place on a cloth and let cool.

Dry in the oven:

Using an electric dryer and microwave

The easiest way to dry pears is with an electric dryer, because they don't even need to be turned over in this special device.

Algorithm of actions for drying in an electric dryer:

• Put fruits in one layer on special trays and place them in the device;
• Turn on the kitchen appliance at 70 degrees and wait 30-40 minutes.

Dried fruits acquire a brownish tint, become elastic and do not crumble when bent.

Drying in an electric dryer:

The fastest method is microwave drying, but its disadvantages are the ability to dry out fruits and with large volumes of raw materials is not convenient. You also need to take into account the harm of microwave radiation. But if this drying method is chosen, then you need to perform the following actions:

• Put a pear on a surface covered with a cotton cloth;
• Set the power to 200W and leave for 2.5 minutes. If the fruits are not completely dry, repeat the procedure.

Drying whole fruit

If you decide to dry whole pears, then there are no special rules for this. In this form, pears are dried in the open air for 8-10 days, and in the oven for about a day.

A few points to pay attention to:

• The fruits should not be large;
• Remove sepals and tails;
• The peel is not removed;

This drying time is different.

Wild game pears: features of wild game drying

Features of wild game drying:

• These types of fruits are not harvested, but wait until they fall on their own;
• They are allowed to lie down until the skin darkens;
• Wash, dry and cut the fruit;
• Do not cut the seed nest;
• Do not blanch in boiling water.

Dried pears will have a brownish tint, pleasant aroma and sweet taste... They also need to be flexible and not crumble when bent.

Dried pear for decoration:

There is nothing difficult when drying pears for the winter. To do this, you need to choose suitable fruits, prepare them correctly, and then choose a convenient way, based on the capabilities and availability kitchen appliances, and just follow the recommendations. And then this delicious summer beauty will saturate your body with vitamins all year round.

And to give them presentation make additional (and not always healthy) processing, and even tint.

One of the oldest proven ways to prepare winter fruit supplies is by drying. This is a simple matter, quite accessible to everyone.

You can dry pears outdoors in the sun, in a gas or electric oven, electric dryer and even in a microwave oven.

At the same time, in order to get quality result, it is necessary to carry out all the stages of drying correctly.

The most suitable drying pears are firm and slightly unripe. Their flesh should be firm, not very juicy; it is good if there are "stony cells" in it, ie. solid blotches.

It is better if there are few seeds in the pear, and the seed chamber itself takes up little space. It is not recommended to dry fruits that are viscous in taste, you will not like their taste.

Preferred are sweet summer or early autumn varieties with medium-sized fruits. Although to obtain sweet drying in the process of its preparation, the addition of sugar is allowed.

Pear varieties such as “Lyubimitsa Klappa”, “Limonka”, “Forest Beauty”, “Victoria”, “Zaporozhskaya”, “Ilyinka”, “Bergamot”, “Aromatnaya” are very suitable for preparing dried fruits.

Pretreating pears before drying

If you decide to dry pears, try to do it without delaying long box... Harvested pears should not be stored for more than two days, because they gradually soften and become unsuitable for drying.

The process of preparing pears for drying is the same, regardless of the chosen drying method (open air, oven, electric oven with airfryer, etc.).

First, boil water in a saucepan or basin. If the pears are unsweetened, add some sugar to the water.

Sort the fruits according to the degree of ripeness, remove the damaged areas, rinse them with running water.

Rotten fruits, frozen or damaged by diseases or pests, are not suitable for drying, so reject them resolutely.

Dip clean and dried fruits in boiling water and cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on whether they are ripe or green, but only until they are soft.

Let the pears cool completely. Then cut them into slices and place them on the container in which they will be dried.

Large pears and wild game have their own nuances in cooking

Large-sized fruits are usually cut into slices about 1 cm in thickness, medium-sized ones are cut in half or into four parts. So that they do not darken outdoors, they are immersed in a 1% solution of lemon or tartaric acid... The slices are blanched in boiling water for 5-7 minutes.

Wildlife is harvested when it falls from the trees, put in a box or bucket and wait for the fruits to darken and their skin turns brown. In this case, the pears become sweeter and more aromatic, and some of their astringency and bitterness disappears.

The skins of pears are usually not peeled (except for a particularly hard cover) and the core is not removed. These pears are believed to have a more interesting flavor. But if you plan to use the fruits as cosmetic product, like a scrub or mask for the face and body, they must be cleaned of peels and seeds.

Natural drying of pears

A baking sheet, a tray with pear wedges or a sieve should be placed in a quiet, windless place, well lit by the sun, away from roads and dust.

Try to tilt the bowl of pears so that they can be illuminated for as long as possible. A good way out for residents of the private sector is the roofs of houses.

Pears should be dried in the sun within two days. At night, the "semi-finished product" is removed into the house, previously covered with plastic wrap.

After two days, the fruits are transferred to the shade and dried for another 2-3 days. To dry evenly, pears should be turned over periodically.

Some owners press half-dried pear slices into a thin layer, squeezing them with two boards. Then strung on a thread and dried in this form.

In order for the dried product to have a good color and better storage, sometimes a solution of sulphurous acid or fumigation with sulphurous gas is used during the drying process. But this requires special rooms and safety precautions, because you cannot inhale this gas.

How to dry pears in the oven

Because the weather does not always allow drying fruits in the fresh air, sunlight can be successfully replaced with the units available on each modern kitchen, whether it be an oven, electric dryer or microwave oven.

In the oven, pears are dried on a baking sheet, in one layer, first at a temperature of 55-60 degrees.

This avoids cracking of the slices and peeling of the peel. After two hours, the temperature is brought to 80 degrees.

Then, when the fruit begins to shrink in volume, the temperature is again lowered to 55. This is the final drying temperature.

The time of this procedure depends on the size of the starting material: it takes 18-24 hours to dry whole pears, and the slices are ready after 12-16 hours.

How to dry pears in an electric dryer and microwave

V electric dryer, which consists of several grid layers, you can dry a significant portion of pears overnight.

In this case, the fruits or pieces do not even need to be turned over, everything is provided for by the technology: the trays are evenly blown with warm air.

Drying pears in the microwave is one of the most quick ways their preparation. But not approved by everyone. This process takes no more than two to three minutes per serving.

The main thing here is to prevent the fruits from overdrying or even turning them into unsuitable coals. Place the washed and diced pears, without a core, on a plate previously covered with a piece of cotton or linen.

Program the microwave for 2.5 minutes and 200 watts. If you find that the pears have not dried up during this time, put them in the microwave for another half a minute.

Properly dried fruit does not break when bent or squeezed; they are soft and elastic; when pressed with a finger, they spring. Pears are tough only in one case: if you dried completely unripe fruits or carrion.

Until the next harvest ...

You can store dried fruits in a glass or wooden container tightly tamped and closed, or you can pour it into a linen bag and put it in a dry cabinet. Of course, you shouldn't forget about winter supplies: they can get damp, moldy or even rot.

There is also the danger of bugs or fruit moth larvae that can spoil the tasty treat.

To prevent this from happening, at least once a month inspect the drying, it will not be superfluous to shake it out on a baking sheet someday and dry it again in the oven at a temperature of 50 degrees.

When stored for a long time, pears dry and harden. Before using, put them in a heated oven saturated with steam (you can put a container with water) or hold them for a little steam bath... The dried fruit will steam and become soft and tasty again.

For cosmetic purposes, dried fruits are ground in a coffee grinder and stored in a dry, dark place. Pear "powder" with sugar and cinnamon is used to add to porridge or pie fillings.

You can dry pears in different ways, the main thing is to decide and choose the most acceptable way for yourself. And if you do it, adhering to the above tips, the result will be worth the effort. Your winter table will be much richer, tastier and healthier, and the body will survive the harsh time much easier.