Content
Dried blueberries have long won the love of adults and children for their pleasant, sweet and sour taste. This is one of the healthiest berries that grows mainly in the north of Russia. In addition to its attractive shape, thanks to which it is often a decoration for birthday cakes, blueberries are rich in useful properties and are used in medicine. On its basis, alcoholic tinctures and essential oils are prepared. In home medicine, it has also garnered attention. Decoctions are prepared from it to prevent inflammation with angina.
The product contains 309 kcal per 100 g in dried form, as well as 0.9 g of protein, 0.8 g of fat and 72.3 g of carbohydrates. It includes vitamins P, A, B, C and the elements magnesium, iron and copper. Blueberries are rich in ascorbic acid, which is necessary to maintain immunity in the cold season and to strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Due to this, the iron contained in the berry is absorbed by the body by 100%.
Drying blueberries at home is one of the most rational ways to preserve berries for a long time. Due to the evaporation of water, its weight is reduced by 6 times, concentrating useful elements. The small weight of the finished product allows it to be stored compactly for a whole year.
The benefits of dried blueberries
Blueberries have long been used in medicine as a remedy for various diseases. It is used by:
- to restore vision;
- strengthening the cardiovascular system;
- normalization of the digestive tract;
- gargling with anginal inflammation (in the form of a decoction);
- as a remedy for fungus;
- for the treatment of rheumatism and gout;
- to saturate the blood with oxygen.
The berry does not contain sugar, but only fructose. Insulin is not required for its processing by the body, therefore, eating sweet blueberry dried fruit, you can enjoy the sweetness, at the same time, maintain health without overloading the pancreas.
Blueberries are used in cosmetology in the preparation of a cream. Its healing properties restore the damaged epithelial layer, protecting the skin from drying out and peeling. The antioxidants contained in the berry promote cell renewal, so it is advised to eat it for people with hereditary oncological diseases.
It is enough to eat 5-6 dried berries a day to be healthy and protected from viral diseases throughout the winter. However, people with kidney and pancreatic diseases should not overuse blueberries.
Preparing berries for drying
The first blueberry harvest begins in mid-July and continues until mid-September. When buying blueberries, you should take this information into account so that you do not cheat and do not sell an overripe or unripe product. Fresh blueberries are deep blue in color and have a dense texture. Overripe berry is softer, watery, it needs to be dried longer than usual, it is suitable only as a filling in pies or dumplings. You can pick blueberries on your own by looking for them in a coniferous forest, on bushes or growing in a vegetable garden.
After collecting the fruits, they should be washed, laid out on a kitchen towel and allowed to dry naturally, without rubbing them by hand, so as not to crush the berries. It should not be exposed to the sun; under ultraviolet light, blueberries lose their properties and are covered with burns. While the fruits are drying, you can begin to separate them from the twigs and leaves, so that each berry is separate from the other, without debris.
How to dry blueberries at home
To dry enough blueberries, keep in mind that 10 kg of fresh product will end up with approximately 1.7 kg of dry berries. The bottom line is to evaporate excess moisture from the fruit, while maintaining the basic structure. With any method, you should adhere to the following rules:
- do not overdo it with the temperature - the longer the drying process takes place, the better the berry will be;
- it is necessary to cook the fruits by spreading them on the dishes in one layer, without mixing with a homogeneous mass;
- do not leave blueberries in the sun and in a highly humid environment to avoid mold and sunburn.
There are several ways to prepare dry berries for the winter:
- using special drying equipment;
- grandmother's way - oven drying;
- a popular option is to spread the berries in the fresh air and let nature do its job.
Blueberries can be mixed with other berries with a similar structure, such as currants, and dried at the same time. With more watery fruits, such as raspberries or strawberries, blueberries should not be dried.
How to dry blueberries in an electric dryer
There is a special device for drying fruits and berries. To dry the harvested product using such a device, you should prepare the raw material, and then follow the instructions:
- Take a certain amount of blueberries, weigh them for control.
- Arrange the berries on trays in one layer.
- Collect the trays into the apparatus and set the temperature to +60 degrees.
- It is necessary to cook the blueberries in the dryer within 40 hours.
- Remove the prepared berry from the apparatus, carefully pour it onto a newspaper and pour it into a container for storage.
The drying process is elementary, anyone can handle it. The main thing is to remember about the drying time, not to rush, speeding up the process. Let the blueberries dry slowly but evenly.
How to dry blueberries in the oven
Cooking dry blueberries using a conventional oven requires a delicate approach and consideration of important details. After preparing the berries, you must first clean them of twigs and debris. Next, you should follow the instructions:
- Spread the blueberries in a thin layer on the oven pan, or in 2 layers.
- Set the temperature to 40 degrees and leave for 3 hours.
- All this time, the blueberries must be stirred with a wooden spatula.
- After 3 hours, raise the temperature to 60 degrees and dry until dried.
- The finished berry will stick to your fingers, releasing fructose.
You should not overdry blueberries to the state of raisins, they will be hard and tasteless, like dry rose hips, which can only be thrown into tea or boiled into a decoction.
How to air dry blueberries
To harvest berries naturally in the fresh air, there are many ways and tricks that people resort to. The classic air drying method is as follows:
- Choose a place suitable for the process, protected from direct sunlight. The main presence of hot air, which will blow and evaporate moisture at the same time.
- Spread cheesecloth on a table or other horizontal surface.
- Arrange the blueberries in one layer.
- Air dry for 3 days, putting it indoors at night.
Some tricksters come up with air drying devices using hanging nets to protect the berries from flies and dust. Hot air freely penetrates them, while the fruits are protected. This method is convenient in that the berries can be mixed by shaking the net, they do not stale, they are dried separately from each other.
How can you use
The use of dried blueberries in cooking is widespread, despite their appearance. The berry harmoniously complements pastries, serves as a decoration on cakes. It can be used in the following ways:
- add as a filling to pies, rolls, dumplings;
- mix with whipped cocktails;
- add to sweet cereals;
- cook jelly;
- sprinkle on cookies or ice cream;
- brew delicious blueberry tea;
- prepare medicinal decoctions;
- make jelly with blueberries;
- cook compotes with the addition of other fruits and berries.
Vegetarian dried fruit berry soup is a common dish. It is cooked for 35 minutes. Calorie content per 100 g - 335 kcal. Ingredients for 6 servings:
- cranberries - 60 g;
- raspberries - 100 g;
- lingonberry - 100 g;
- blueberries - 100 g;
- potato flour ½ cup;
- sugar - 200 g;
- water - 3 l.
Cooking method:
- Put the berries in a saucepan, add water.
- Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add potato flour and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve hot.
Blueberry jelly is another interesting dish. It will take 30 minutes to cook, the calorie content of the product is 203 kcal per 100 g. The dish is designed for 4 servings.
Ingredients:
- sugar - 150 g;
- potato flour - 2 tablespoons;
- dried blueberries - 50 g;
- water - 500 ml.
Cooking method:
- Pour blueberries with water and cook for 20 minutes.
- Crush the softened fruits with a spoon or a crush and strain, preserving the broth.
- Discard the cake, boil the water again, add sugar.
- Add potato flour and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Serve hot or cold.
You can add dry blueberries to any sweet dish, sweets and dried fruits are harmoniously combined.
Terms and conditions of storage
When stored properly, blueberries can retain their qualities for up to two years. After this period, it begins to lose its medicinal properties and becomes unusable. The finished product must be placed in boxes lined with paper, but not with newspapers, so that the ink does not print on the fruit. Better to use tracing paper or parchment. You can use cloth bags or wrap in gauze. The main thing is that the air passes through the container or packaging.
Do not store the dryer in plastic containers, bottles or other air-tight containers. There is a risk of mold and kitchen moth loving dried fruits. If a mole starts up, you can get rid of it by putting the food in the refrigerator, but not in the freezer. The temperature should be kept above zero. After a while, remove from the refrigerator and sort out the fruits. Moths and larvae die at this temperature.
Conclusion
Using dried blueberries at any time of the year is like eating a live vitamin. It is safe to give to children and the elderly due to the lack of sugar. The fructose in blueberries does not affect tooth decay or blood sugar. Dry blueberries are an exquisite tea treat instead of sweets. Harvesting dry berries for the winter is the best option for year-round vitamins for the whole family.
