Dried melon - a delicacy for adults and children
Summer is over. Now you can enjoy the fruits if you take care of canning. The best way to preserve the health benefits of melon is to dry it. But it is not possible to completely transform the melon into a dry, fragile slice. Due to the high sugar content, the melon slice is always elastic and is woven into a braid for better packaging, wrapped in a protective film. Dried melon, the photo of which is on the page, has retained its valuable properties, even vitamins.
Preparing melon for storage
- Collective farmer.
- Torpedo.
- Pineapple.
- Take a walk.
For harvesting for future use, choose only undamaged medium-sized fruits. Their preparation consists in drying as a whole for two days. After that, the damaged fruits are discarded, the rest are thoroughly washed and cut into slices. The crust and the green subcortical layer are removed.
How to dry melon at home
If the harvesting is done at home in the open air, in a natural way, then the melon slices are cut lengthwise, but at the end a jumper is left so that two slices can be hung on wires or ropes stretched out in a ventilated room. The thickness of the strips is 2-4 cm. Drying in the open air lasts about two weeks, while the slices are turned every day so that the moisture evaporates evenly. The decrease in weight relative to the initial one occurs by about 10 times.
After that, the elastic strips can be woven into braids, wrapped in foil so that the product does not stretch moisture, and left for storage. Another way of storing dried melon is in glass jars, in which the slices are placed vertically and sealed. Since drying a melon at home in the air for a long time, and bad weather can interfere, more and more often special devices, ovens, drying cabinets are used for drying.
How to dry melon with tools
Dry melon slices like sliced apples, eggplant, carrots and other fruits, you can in the oven or on an electric dryer. In any case, thin strips are cut to dry faster. The slices should be no more than 0.7 cm thick.When exposed to warm air in the oven, the temperature should not be higher than 75 0, it is better if there is a fan in the cabinet. Drying is carried out in two stages. The first 7 hours are dried at an elevated temperature. After a break of several hours, they are dried at 60 0... The total drying time is about a day, including a break to equalize the moisture inside the strips.
However, it is much more convenient to dry the melon on electric dryer like other juicy foods. In this case, no more than three grates are used to dry faster. The dryer is set at a temperature at first 55, then 45 degrees and periodically the slices are turned over. The process is carried out during the day.
The electric dryer is a housing with perforated trays installed inside, through which the installed fan blows air out through the holes in the cover. The air is heated and supplied from below or distributed to the trays from the side.
The device is quiet, takes up little space and energy consumption depends on the device's performance. For a household, you need to choose a medium power dryer.
Consumer properties of dried melon
Dried product has all the same properties as fresh melon, only in a higher concentration. The main energy component of the product is carbohydrates. Therefore, it is not recommended to feast on a dried slice for those who are losing weight and for diabetics. Like fresh melon, the dried slice should not be consumed with milk, alcohol, or honey. A sweet treat can be eaten with warm tea, but in small quantities, since 100 grams of the product contains 341 Kcal, of which 329 are quickly digestible sugar. Carbohydrates are represented by mono- and disaccharides.
The dried product has preserved the whole spectrum of vitamins of groups B, PP, E, A. Vitamin C is contained in large quantities. Mineral substances are present in all their diversity, making this product useful for everyone who benefits from fresh melon.
Melon Cooking and Storage Tips
If you bought an unsuccessful melon on the market, do not rush to throw it away. Cut into thin slices and slightly wither on the porous surface. Then hang the wedges to air dry. For two hours a day, she should be in the sun. When the plates become sluggish, twist them into a plait or weave a pigtail, air dry for three days. Store in linen bags or cling film.
If you cut the strips into small pieces and roll them into balls, you get a convenient form for use. And if you sprinkle sesame or poppy seeds on the sticky surface, the treat will become even more attractive. You can roll the melon into a nut-filled roll and cut into small pieces.
In an age of abundance, one cannot surprise at a festive table with factory-made sweets. But the delicacies made from dried melon and served for dessert will add a special charm to the hospitality of the hosts.