How to Dry Plums at Home

Plum is a fruit rich in vitamins. Housekeepers not only prepare from it compotes and jams, but also dry it. The result is a natural and useful prunes. But the process of drying plums is quite labor-intensive, so it is important to know all its nuances.

What sorts of plums are suitable for drying

For drying, take fleshy and dense fruits with a sugar content of at least 10%. It is important that the plums are not too watery. Since this can only be checked by laboratory analysis, it is better to choose sweet fruits.

The most suitable varieties for drying are Węgierka and Renklod. But if you can not find them, you should choose not overripe, not wormy and not wrinkled fruits, giving preference to dark blue plums, as yellow ones are sour.

How to prepare the fruits for drying

Before drying, plums can be stored for no more than 3 days. Then you need to start preparing for drying:

1. First, wash the fruit.
2. Take away the fruit that is not suitable for drying.
3. Allow the plums to dry. If necessary, wipe them with tissues.
4. Boil the plums in syrup, so that the pulp has a nice consistency and a strong flavor.
5. Blanch the plums before drying.

What is blanching fruit and what is it for
Blanching is the treatment of plums with boiling water or steam. This removes excess air from the fruit. In this case, the fruit will retain all the nutritional properties.

To blanch plums, you need to:

1. Fill a deep container with water, boil and turn down the heat.
2. Pour water and dissolved in it soda in the ratio of 100 to 1 into a second container.
3. Blanch the fruit in batches. First put in the first container for a maximum of 10 minutes. Then for 10 seconds in the second container. The solution will remove the waxy residue from the fruit. Then rinse the fruit once more to finally remove the soda.

How to Dry Plums Properly

Fruits can be dried using different methods.

In the oven

To dry the fruit in the oven, you need:

1. Cover a mold with parchment to prevent the fruit from sticking. Lay out away from each other.
2. Preheat the oven to 50 degrees and bake for 5 hours.
3. Keep fruit for 6 hours at 60 degrees.
4. Finish at 76 to 82 degrees. Take 10 to 12 hours to complete the process. To check the readiness of the plums, you need to taste them. Between increases in temperature, take the fruit out, cool and turn it over.
5. Place the plums cut in half so that the skin is at the bottom and the pulp is on top. This way the juice won't run off.

In an electric dryer

Drying in an electric dryer takes three steps:

1. Drying at 50-55 degrees for 6 hours.
2. Repeating the first step, but at 55-65 degrees.
3. Finishing at 75-82 degrees.

For the dryer, cut plums in half, slices or circles. In an electric dryer, lay out the fruit pulp side up. In order for dried plums to dry evenly, it is important to periodically change trays with each other.

In an air dryer

Drying fruits in an air dryer is simple enough:

1. Preheat the appliance to 80 degrees and hold for 2 hours.
2. Finish drying at 95 degrees.

Note! Before this, the plums should be washed, sliced and treated with boiling water and placed on the grate of the air grill.

This is one of the fast ways to dry fruits, but prunes will not be of the highest quality.

In the microwave.

This is the fastest method of drying plums. It is enough to put the fruits on a plate and dry them in the microwave until completely dry. It is important to monitor the process, so that the prunes do not turn out too dry.

In the sun

Drying plums in the sun is an old method. It takes a long time. But if the fruits are dried for winter, this method is quite suitable. It is enough to cut plums in half, cover a tray with parchment, lay out the fruit and cover with gauze against insects. Then choose a sunny place and leave it there to dry.

Stir the fruit about every hour so that it dries evenly. The drying process can take up to a week.

How to determine whether the product is ready

Ready prunes should be:

• soft, but not raw;
• elastic;
• not sticky;
• With a dense skin that does not crack when bent.

How to store dried plums properly

It is important to store dried product properly. So it will retain its useful qualities and remain tasty. It is recommended to store prunes:

• in containers;
• bags;
• bags.

It is necessary to spread dried plums, close tightly and keep in a dark, dry place. If you need to protect prunes from insects, it is better to use jars.

The shelf life of the dried product - a year, but in the freezer it is extended up to 2 years.

How to choose a useful prunes

1. Many people think that it is easier to buy dried plums. In this case, you need to be careful when choosing fruits. Dried plums should be black, have a light gloss. When pressed, it is soft, loose and firm.
2. If the gloss of the prunes looks unnatural - it means it has been treated with glycerin.
3. The brown color indicates scalding with boiling water. Such dried fruits are bitter, and they have very few vitamins.
4. You can soak the prunes for 30 minutes. Treated dried fruits will not change in any way, and untreated ones will give themselves away with white spots.
5. It is better to buy prunes with bones. It is more rich in vitamins than the peeled fruit.

What are the benefits of dried plums

General benefits

Prunes are a treasure trove of vitamins that the body needs. Useful properties:

1. Contains calcium and phosphorus, which strengthen tooth enamel, prevent the development of cavities and oral lesions.
2. Has a composition of plant fibers, phenol complexes and sorbitol. They contribute to the purification of the body, have a laxative effect (that is why it is recommended to use dried plums with stool problems).
3. Promotes weight loss by speeding up metabolism and withdrawal of excess fat.
4. It contains magnesium and potassium, which improve the cardiovascular system. Prevent the occurrence of heart attacks and strokes.
5. Prevents cholesterol accumulation due to omega-3 and omega-6.
6. Improves sleep quality, eliminates anxiety and aggression, normalizes the psychological and emotional state.
7. Prevents avitaminosis.
8. Normalizes blood pressure.
9. Helps maintain a balance of microflora.
10. Prevents the risk of cancer.
11. Slows down the aging process.

For women

1. The useful qualities of dried fruits eliminate depression, irritability, anxiety and insomnia.
2. The systematic use of prunes leads to getting rid of extra pounds, improving the skin and prevents the development of cancer.
3. It is also recommended to eat dried fruits to prevent osteoporosis during menopause.

For men

Men who regularly consume dried plums are less likely to experience loss of strength and avitaminosis. Dried fruits also improve potency.

For children

1. For a child, prunes are especially useful. He helps to accelerate metabolism, improve the quality of the immune system, intensive growth.
2. Dried fruits normalize blood circulation.

It is recommended to eat dried prunes during pregnancy, but it is better to avoid eating them while breastfeeding.

It is inadmissible to eat dried fruit for patients with diabetes and hypotension, with pathologies associated with the gastrointestinal tract and liver.

For weight loss

Despite the high caloric content, prunes help in weight loss. For sweet eaters, dried plums are a natural substitute for sugar. It is enough to eat a couple of pieces to make the desire to fill up on unhealthy dessert fall away.

Prunes are also useful because:

• improves digestion;
• normalizes blood pressure;
• strengthens the immune system;
• improves your appearance;
• provides stability of acid-base balance;
• restores microflora;
• saturates with antioxidants;
• prevents heart disease;
• satisfies hunger;
• removes excess fluid from the body;
• Has a diuretic effect;
• eliminates depression.

The most important thing is not to abuse prunes. Otherwise, all its useful properties will come to naught, and it will cause harm to the body.

If you neglect this rule, it is easy to encounter

• with allergies;
• changes in blood sugar levels;
• stool abnormalities;
• hypotension;
• weight gain;
• worsening of chronic diseases.

Do not use prunes for diarrhea, gout, diabetes, weight problems, allergies to the product and a number of other diseases.

In order for dried prunes to help lose weight, it is important to adhere to the rules of admission:

1. The daily norm - no more than 100 g.
2. It is best to consume it in the daytime.
3. Do not combine with laxatives and other dried fruits.

Optimal options for consuming prunes for weight loss:

1. Add it to porridge.
2. Drink with fermented milk drinks during a late dinner.
3. Prepare cheesecakes, replacing sugar with dried plums.
4. Make a sugar-free compote with added fruit.
5. Make a prune broth.

Because of the laxative effect of dried fruit, it is recommended to eat no later than 3-4 hours before bedtime. Otherwise, there may be problems with sleep.

The composition of dried plums
To determine the usefulness of the product, you need to know what is in its composition. Prunes contain such useful components such as various organic and inorganic acids, carotenes, fiber. Dried plums contain macro- and microelements: iodine, zinc, copper, potassium and others.

The caloric value of dried fruit - 231 kcal in 100 g of product.

Prune diets

The first version of the diet is designed for 3 days. The diet includes kefir and prunes. You can eat no more than 100 g of dried plums and drink no more than 1.5 liters of kefir. This type of diet is extreme. The weight melts rapidly, but also quickly returns. It is not recommended to stick to such a diet for people who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

The second type of diet is designed for a week. A sample menu is as follows:

1. Breakfast - porridge and green tea.
2. A snack - kefir and dried fruits.
3. For lunch - low-fat soup. For the second course there are vegetables and meat. For a drink there is a compote made of dried fruit.
4. Repeat the morning snack.
5. For dinner, a light prune salad, with lemon juice or olive oil as dressing.

The diet is easy and pleasant. It is advised by doctors, even prescribing children with obesity.

The Uglov Diet

Lose weight by eating dried plums, you can adhere to the diet of Academician F.G. Uglov. Its duration - 10 days. The scientist suggests:

1. Eat 5 meals on time.
2. Eat 8 dried fruits every day.
3. Give up destructive habits.
4. Drink plenty of water.
5. Not to overeat, eat in small portions.
6. Stew, boil or steam food.
7. Get regular sleep.
8. Be active and lead a healthy lifestyle.

You can eat anything except:

• baked goods;
• sweets;
• sodas;
• fatty foods;
• alcohol.

Prune unloading

Helps to cleanse the body. To unload enough to eat prunes, pre-soaked, during the day and drink water, herbal decoctions and unsweetened drinks such as tea.

What else to eat prunes on a diet

Dried fruits go well with these foods:

1. Porridge. Boil porridge in water, without adding sugar, salt or oil. Five minutes before cooking, add chopped prunes, but no more than 40 g.
2. Cottage cheese. Whisk in a blender 150 g of cottage cheese and 4 dried prunes. Have breakfast, lunch or dinner with it.
3. Kefir. If you want, make decoctions from prunes. They cleanse the body and reduce weight.

How to include prunes in your diet.

To make dried fruit part of your regular diet, follow the rules:

1. Eat a little at a time.
2. Do not add to dishes with easily digestible carbohydrates. For example, in instant porridge.
3. Make dried fruit a complete snack. Do not eat them as a dessert after a heavy meal.
4. Prepare light vegetable salads with prunes. Do not consume it with fruit, or there will be an overabundance of fructose.

If you are exercising to lose weight, do not eat prunes before exercising. It will reduce fat burning. It is recommended to eat dried fruit before training for people who gain muscle mass.

The use of prunes

The wide application of prunes is due to its usefulness.

In medicine.

1. Dried prunes is a preventive product. It is recommended to eat it in case of stool problems, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Prunes are an antimicrobial agent. It fights bacteria.
3. Even dried prunes are useful for atherosclerosis, hypertension and thrombophlebitis. It strengthens blood vessels and capillaries, and normalizes blood pressure.
4. Prunes are recommended for pregnant women with a lack of vitamins and anemia.

In cosmetology

Cosmetic products with the addition of homemade prunes have an organic composition. They are the most useful for the skin, body and hair.

From dried plums are made masks that are applied to the body. Such masks make the skin firm, give it a healthy glow and smooth out wrinkles.

Recipes of prune mask for facial skin:

1. Take 2 fruits, rinse and pour boiling water. Wait for the dried fruit to soften. Then mash and combine with 1 tbsp of oat flour. If you are not allergic, add a little honey. The resulting paste is applied to the face for 20 minutes. Remove the remains with a cotton pad soaked in herbal tea or broth. Mask to do twice a week in conjunction with other care. Before applying, make sure that there are no allergies by dabbing the paste on the bend of the elbow and wait an hour. If there is no reaction, it is acceptable to use a mask.
2. To smooth the skin and tighten pores, leave the dried fruit to swell in boiling water. Grind it. Combine with potato starch. Apply the paste and leave on for 25 minutes. Rinse off with cool boiled water.
3. To tone and soothe the skin, soak prunes. Grind. Combine with 1 tsp. natural yoghurt and mashed muesli. Apply for 20 minutes and remove with a cotton pad dipped in mineral water.

Prune rinse prevents hair loss and prevents hair breakage. To prepare it is enough to soak 100 grams of prunes in 500 ml of boiling water. Then strain and use.

What you can make from dried plums

A huge number of dishes can be prepared from prunes, from cakes to salads. Some recipes with the addition of prunes are presented below.

Honey cake with sour cream and prunes

Ingredients for the batter:

• 120 g of butter;
• 3 eggs;
• 1/2 cup sugar;
• 2 tbsp. honey;
• 1 tsp. soda;
• pinch of salt;
• flour.

Ingredients for the cream:

• 500 g sour cream;
• prunes;
• vanillin;
• sugar.

Preparation:

1. Mix eggs, honey, sugar and softened butter in a saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the baking soda. The batter should have swollen.
2. Cool the contents of the pan and gradually add the flour. Place the dough on a surface with a sprinkle of flour. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll out the tortillas. Cut the edges evenly and bake the cakes until ready to serve.
3. Prepare the cream. Spread the crusts with it and the prunes. Bake what is left of the edges, crumble and use as a sprinkle for the cake. Place in fridge for several hours.

Chicken roll with tangerines

Ingredients:

• 100 g walnuts;
• 7 pitted prunes;
• 4 chicken fillets;
• 3 tangerines;
• spices.

Preparation:

1. Fill dried plums with hot water and leave to swell for 60-90 minutes. Peel the citrus, divide into slices. Cut fillet in half, baste. Use spices.
2. Chop peeled nuts. Use half of it for dusting the meat. Then put prunes, mandarins and at the end - the rest of the nuts. Roll in clingfilm and wrap tightly.
3. Transfer the product to a bowl with boiling water. Cover with a lid, cook for 35-40 minutes. After cooking, cool and slice. Serve warm if desired.

"Count's Salad

Ingredients:

• 100 g walnuts;
• 100g of prunes;
• 4 eggs;
• 3 potatoes;
• 1 beet;
• mayonnaise;
• salt.

Preparation:

1. Boil the vegetables. Peel and chop. Boil eggs. Dice egg yolks. Pour prunes in boiling water for 10-15 minutes.
2. Assemble the salad - potatoes, beets, yolks, prunes, whites. Soak the layers in mayonnaise.
3. Sprinkle nuts on top and put in the fridge.

Prune Pork.

Ingredients:

• pork;
• 3 tbsp. mayonnaise;
• 12 pcs. of apricots and prunes;
• 20 g ginger;
• 1.5 teaspoon mustard;
• 2 tbsp. brandy;
• 1/3 cup water;
• 130g cheese;
• spices: nutmeg.

Preparation:

1. Wash the pork, dry it, cut into slices, but not all the way through.
2. Dip the dried fruit in water and cognac, and mix with finely chopped ginger. Boil the liquid on the fire and bring the dried fruit to softness, stirring occasionally.
3. Coat the pork completely with 1 tbsp mayonnaise.
4. Combine the remaining mayonnaise and spices. Place cheese and dried fruit between the slices, pour the sauce on them. Cover with foil, put it in the fridge for several hours.
5. Preheat the oven and bake until tender. Near the end, remove the foil for a ruddy crust.

Cake with prunes.

Ingredients:

• 1 large packet of cookies;
• 250g of cottage cheese;
• 100 g of butter;
• 5 tbsp. sour cream;
• 3 tbsp. powdered sugar;
• Cocoa, coffee and prunes.

Preparation:

1. Beat with a mixer the cottage cheese, powdered sugar, butter and prune pieces.
2. Line the tray with clingfilm, spread the cookies, having previously dipped them in coffee, spread the mass and so on one after another.
3. Cover the baking tray with a dish, turn it over and take away the foil. Allow to stand for a couple of hours.

Canadian buns.

Ingredients:

• 260 g flour;
• 1 tsp dry yeast;
• 60 ml milk;
• 1 egg;
• 60 g of butter;
• 2.5 tbsp. sugar;
• pinch of salt;
• prunes, apricots, raisins.

Preparation:

1. Leave the dried fruit in water overnight. In the morning dry it.
2. Combine flour, yeast, oil, egg, salt, sugar and milk.
3. Let the dough rest for 2 hours.
4. Then we divide the dough into three parts. Roll out thinly, smear with butter and sprinkle with sugar. We begin with dried fruit. One layer with raisins, the second with apricots, the third with prunes. We put layers one on top of the other.
5. Roll up, cut into buns. Sprinkle with sugar. Let to rest an hour.
6. Line our baking tin with parchment. Bake at 190 degrees.

Minutki

Ingredients:

• flour;
• 7 grams of dry yeast;
• 250 g sour cream;
• 200 g of melted margarine;
• prunes, apples, raisins.

Preparation:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water until it forms a pulp. Combine with sour cream, margarine and flour.
2. Divide the resulting dough into three balls. Roll out into a tortilla, cut into pieces. Fill with apples, prunes and raisins.
3. Roll up into rolls, crumble the tops in sugar and place in the preheated oven.

Sea element

Ingredients:

• 1 can of canned fish;
• 2 melted cheeses;
• 4 eggs;
• 3 cucumbers;
• 1 handful of nuts;
• 100 g prunes;
• 1 jar of olives;
• 1 apple;
• 1 onion;
• 250 g mayonnaise;
• 1 tsp. lemon juice.

Preparation:

1. Lay out the salad in layers - grated cheese, fried onions, mashed fish with a fork. Pre steamed dried plums, cut into straws, chop nuts. Place on the fish, then add finely chopped cucumber, grated apple.
2. Finish with grated whites and olives.
3. Chop yolks on a fine grater, combine with mayonnaise and garlic. Leave in fridge to soak.

Glazed Cheesecakes.

Ingredients:

• 500 g cottage cheese;
• 4 tbsp. sugar;
• 4 tbsp. sour cream;
• 70g butter;
• 10 pcs. prunes;
• 2 tbsp. cocoa;
• 100g cookies and chocolate;
• 2 tbsp. condensed milk.

Preparation:

1. Grind the cottage cheese to a curd mass. Combine with sour cream, sugar and butter.
2. Divide the mass into two parts. Crush cookies. Mix with half of the cottage cheese. Add cocoa and prunes. Soak the dried fruit and chop it.
3. Shape the cheesecakes with wet hands.
4. Lay out the remaining cottage cheese in a layer, fill with condensed milk and lay out a second layer of cottage cheese. You will get the second type of cheesecake.
5. Melt the chocolate and coat the dessert. Store in fridge.

Prune Pate.

Ingredients:

• 400 g chicken liver;
• 1 onion;
• 1 carrot;
• 8 pcs. prunes;
• 0.5 cup walnuts;
• 3 tbsp. butter;
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil;
• spices.

Preparation:

1. Melt butter and vegetable oil. Fry onion and carrot.
2. Combine with chopped liver and prunes. Add spices.
3. Mix ready mass with nuts. Shred.

Prune mussels

Ingredients:

• 300 g dried prunes;
• 2 yolks;
• 100 g cheese;
• 50 g walnuts;
• 2 tbsp. mayonnaise;
• clove of garlic;
• bunch of parsley.

Preparation:

1. Wash prunes and parsley. Roast the walnuts for 5 minutes.
2. Soak dried prunes in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain and chop. Chop nuts and parsley, mash yolks. Shred the cheese and garlic, combine with mayonnaise.
3. Fill prunes with stuffing. Serve with lettuce leaves.

Use of prunes in traditional medicine

Prunes are popular in folk medicine. It is widely used as a cure for various ailments.

Prune tincture with kagorom

Ingredients:

• 250 g of prunes;
• 0.5 liters of cahor;
• 5 pcs. black pepper;
• 1 bay leaf;
• cloves.

Preparation:

1. Pour in a container of cagorne, add dried fruits. Cover with a lid, heat until you see transparent drops.
2. Season with the pepper, cloves and bay leaf.
3. Let it cool. Drink in the morning after a meal, 2-3 tbsp. The drink will strengthen the immune system and give energy.

Hippocratic paste

Ingredients:

• 1 part apricots, seedless prunes, figs, walnuts;
• 1/3 part honey.

Preparation:

1. Rinse and dry the dried fruits. If they are dense, soak for some time additionally.
2. Then combine with nuts, honey and chop. Keep in the refrigerator.

Other recipes:

1. Eating 1 tsp of the paste 3 times a day is enough to keep your heart working.
2. For a healthy gastrointestinal tract, you should eat 1 tbsp of the paste in the morning on an empty stomach, drinking water.
3. To cleanse the stomach, you need to boil dried fruit and bark under a lid for 25 minutes. Then add the syrup, boil for 5-10 minutes. Allow to infuse for 6 hours. Drink half a glass daily for 12 days at the same time.
4. To raise hemoglobin through a meat grinder to pass 100 grams of prunes, apricots, raisins, walnuts and a medium lemon. Combine with 100 g of honey. Take on an empty stomach, 1 tsp. a day.
5. For constipation it is advised to drink prune decoction. Pour 200 grams of dried fruit with a glass of boiling water for a few minutes. Tom on the stove for 30 minutes. Cool, strain and take 1 tbsp. before meals.

Also as a medicine use prune tinctures, teas, compotes. Drinks made of dried fruit allow you to forget about ailments for a long time.

Interesting things about prunes

1. Homeland of dried plums - the area near the Caucasus mountains. From there the dried fruits were exported to Europe and Asia. To America, prunes came from France in the middle of the 20th century. Plum plantations then sprang up in California.
2. 1,000 g of plums equals 200-220 g of prunes.
3. In ancient times the antibacterial properties of dried fruits were used to preserve meat.
4. In Tsarist Russia dried fruit was considered a luxury.
5. It is still unknown who invented prunes.

Do you know what to dream about prunes? It turns out that such a dream has many interpretations. According to Miller, prunes speaks of the inner fortitude of the dreamer. If you ate it in a dream, it means that you have made a commitment, which can turn out in an unexpected way.

The interpretation depends on what dish the prunes were in:

• In ice cream - to obstacles.
• In baked goods - to success.
• In candy - for fun.
• In meat - family obligations will weigh on you.
• In compote - to easy leisure.
• In pilaf - to moving out.

According to Freud, eating prunes to the dreamer's musings and indecision. And according to the common dreamer, the consumption of dried fruit symbolizes future debts.

In one of the sleepwalkers the purchase of prunes - to a new acquaintance. If the fruit was with other dried fruits, there is a threat of missing your happiness. To eat rotten prunes - to betrayal. Trying to eat fake dried fruit - to the need to think through your decisions.

Prunes contain many useful vitamins that the body needs. Moderate consumption of dried plums improves health, gives energy and promotes weight loss. Doctors recommend eating the fruit for various diseases. Dried plums are used for cooking dishes, cooking compotes, decoctions. The fruit is widely used everywhere. Therefore, prunes are called a unique dried fruit.

Photo of dried plums