How to properly dry plums at home with your own hands, TOP ways to make prunes

Fragrant dried plums are an excellent preparation that allows you to prepare a delicious compote in winter, rich in vitamins and minerals. But not everyone knows how to properly dry plums at home or understand the peculiarities of choosing suitable fruits and their subsequent storage. The proposed material will answer these and other questions.

The best varieties of plums for drying and harvesting prunes

Not all varieties are suitable for preparing prunes. For this purpose use:

• Hungarian ordinary or Italian;
• Kyustendilskaya;
• Naroch;
• Altana;
• Greengage.

The fruits are pre-sorted - you should get rid of the wrinkled and damaged ones. Ripe plums of approximately the same size are selected, the stalks are removed, and they are washed thoroughly. But the fruit should not be overripe or damaged by pests, with cracked skin.

If the size is small, it is allowed to dry them whole, otherwise they should be divided into halves, removing the seeds.

Is there a difference between dried fruit and prunes?

There is a significant difference between dried fruit and prunes, which consists in the correct manufacturing technology. Prunes are prepared using a special technology that allows you to preserve the maximum amount of vitamins and beneficial minerals. In addition, not all varieties of plums are suitable for preparing this product.

Properly prepared prunes have the following beneficial properties:

• laxative effect;
• improves the digestion process, which has a particularly beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract of those suffering from stomach diseases;
• improves the quality of vision;
• Helps eliminate bad breath.

The beneficial qualities of the fruit are not lost after processing, but are significantly enhanced due to the increased concentration of vitamins and microelements.

With or without pits – choose the best option

Whether to leave or remove seeds depends on the preferences of family members, as well as the size of the fruit.If the plum is large, you should not leave the seeds, but they can be left in medium or small fruits.

Drying methods and technology

There are several ways to properly dry plums at home with your own hands. The choice of technology is determined by the capabilities of the housewife and the properties of the product. Below are the features of preparing prunes using various means and without them.

In the microwave

To cook in the microwave, in order not to end up with porridge, you need to select unripe fruits that remain sufficiently hard. A flat shallow container is covered with paper, the plums cut into slices are placed with the cut side up. The dishes are placed in the oven for three minutes, the heating intensity is medium.

Then the paper is removed and the process continues for another minute, but at maximum power. If, after sixty seconds, the plums have not reached the required condition, the procedure continues at short intervals until they are completely ready.

In an electric dryer

The fruits are laid out in a tray in a similar way, but without using a lining in the form of paper or a napkin. The process is performed in three stages, at different temperatures:

• for four hours at fifty-five degrees. Periodically, the trays are swapped (if prunes are prepared on several trays), the fruits are turned over;
• about six hours with higher heat - up to sixty degrees, the halves are mixed in the same way;
• about the same time, increasing the heat even more - up to eighty degrees, until the prunes are fully cooked.

Note! It is important to maintain the specified temperature increase sequence to ensure quality cooking.

After each stage, the pallets are removed, the fruits are cooled naturally, and only then the process continues.

In the sun

The easiest way is to dry plums in the sun. The fruits are laid out on wooden floors in an open place in sunny weather, divided in half and the seeds removed. The cut parts should be directed upward so that moisture is not lost.

It is necessary to protect the plums from insects by covering them with gauze. The drying process lasts about five days until the product is completely ready. At night, plums should be removed indoors to prevent morning dew from forming on them.

It is impossible to predict the exact duration of cooking using this method. It depends on the intensity of sunlight, the strength of the wind and the quality of the fruit. The readiness of prunes is periodically checked so as not to subject the plums to excessive processing.

In the oven

To cook prunes in the oven, the prepared fruits are first poured with boiling water with two teaspoons of soda dissolved for a couple of minutes. Then the plums are washed in running cool water and dried on a towel. As a result of this procedure, small cracks appear on the surface to ensure subsequent evaporation of moisture.

Blanching is not necessary if the fruit is cut in half and the seeds removed.

The technology is similar to the process used in the case of an electric dryer. But the duration of each stage is slightly longer - about five hours, and the temperature is slightly lower. Treatment begins at fifty degrees, later increasing to seventy and seventy-five. The duration of cooling after each stage is approximately equal to the duration of heating. The duration of the last stage depends on the readiness of the prunes.

In a convection oven

If you use an air fryer to cook prunes, the finished product will have a smoked flavor. But the output quantity will be very small - the volume of the finished product will decrease five times compared to the initial one.

The temperature is set to sixty-five degrees. The duration of the first stage is forty minutes. After that, it takes an hour to cool, then processing for the same amount of time and at the established settings is performed one more time, and the dish is left for a day.

The next day, the procedure is repeated three more times in a similar manner. The finished product is laid out on a paper napkin for another day, then placed in canvas bags for storage.

Features of drying yellow plums

It is impossible to make prunes from plums of yellow varieties due to the specific properties of the fruit. But the finished product turns out to be aromatic and very healthy in its own way. To make a dried product from plums of the specified variety, you can use all of the above methods, but the simplest is naturally, by placing it in the sun.

Determining the readiness and quality of dried fruits

The readiness and quality of the product during the cooking process is determined by pressing the fruit, according to the following criteria:

• the peel maintains its integrity;
• no juice is released;
• dried fruits retain elasticity and hardness and do not crumble when pressed;
• prunes do not stick to your fingers.

If juice continues to be released or the fruit sticks to your hands, the drying procedure must be continued.

How and where to store dried plums

Dried plums can be stored in several ways.The possible shelf life of prunes depends on how properly the finished product is stored.

In a refrigerator

Dried fruits are stored in the refrigerator, placed in a hermetically sealed plastic or glass container or in a plastic bag. It is necessary to place prunes away from foods that emit a strong odor. The shelf life in this way is about a year.

In the freezer

The freezer storage method is suitable for dried dried fruits. They are placed in a plastic bag, which allows you to preserve prunes for a year.

In paper bags and bags

The dried product can be stored in paper bags and bags, placed in a dry, dark room, away from sunlight. A constant temperature of no higher than twenty degrees must be maintained. Shelf life is similar.

To prepare this tasty and healthy preparation, no significant effort is required. But with prunes, the housewife can prepare a very tasty and healthy compote at any time of the year, delighting loved ones and guests. This product will also add a special twist to meat dishes, salads and desserts, and diversify the daily menu.