How to dry strawberries in the oven. How to dry strawberries in an electric dryer

The variety of berries makes you so happy in the summer that you want to preserve their aroma and taste for a long time. Someone makes jam from them, freezes berries, prepares marshmallow or candied fruit. However, the berries can be dried. It is very easy to do this at home.

Preparation of berries

Dried strawberries are an excellent vitamin preparation for the winter. Such berries can be consumed on their own, you can add them to tea or compotes or to a variety of pastries. Separately, it should be mentioned that in dried form, the berry retains many beneficial features... Dried strawberries contain numerous vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances.

First you need to choose high-quality berries and prepare them for the further process. Exceptionally ripe specimens without a single flaw are suitable for drying. Try to choose varieties that are sweet and dense. Soft and watery varieties lose their shape already during washing and become completely unsuitable for drying.

Ripe berries gently rinse with running water and remove the leaves. Then we spread it in one layer on paper towels so that the strawberries dry out a little. Then we cut each berry into thin plates 5 mm thick. Try to keep the plates the same thickness. You can cut it both lengthwise and across. After the berries are prepared, you can proceed to the drying process.

Drying methods

Prepared strawberries can simply be dried outdoors. Perhaps this is the simplest and most proven drying method. It is quite possible to use the method of our grandmothers: you need to string each plate on a thread and hang it up to dry. It is advisable to dry outside, if possible. As a rule, the berries are dried in this way within 3-4 days.

You can also air dry the strawberries in another way. To do this, you need a flat surface, which must be covered with several layers of newspapers. It is better to put white thick paper on top of newspapers. This is necessary so that the paint from the newspapers is not absorbed into the pieces of berries. We spread strawberry plates in one layer. If you use this recipe, then remember that periodically the plates need to be turned over so that the strawberries dry evenly on both sides. After 3-4 days, the berries will be ready.

By the way, on the first day you will need to replace the paper soaked in juice.

If you want to speed up the process, you can dry the berries in the oven. Strawberries cut into plates should be laid in one layer on a baking sheet, which must first be covered baking paper.Dry the fruits at a temperature of 50-60 ° C. At a higher temperature, they will begin to brown. Therefore, if you have a gas oven, it is recommended to constantly monitor the temperature.

After an hour and a half, we get the berries out of oven, turn over and let cool completely. After that, put the baking sheet in the oven again and dry the strawberry plates on the other side for another hour and a half. For better drying, open the oven door slightly.

Nowadays, you can use more modern and fast way... For example, dry berries in an electric dryer. Put the prepared pieces in one layer on special pallets of the apparatus. We set the temperature to 55 ° C and turn on the electric dryer.

If the house does not have an electric dryer for berries and vegetables, then it is quite possible to use the usual microwave oven... Put the prepared pieces on a flat dish. It is recommended to pre-cover the dish with baking paper or a thick paper napkin. We also cover the berries on top with thin paper. We set the power to 600 W and turn on the timer for exactly 3 minutes. After that, open the door and remove the top paper.

It is quite possible to use an airfryer to dry strawberries. Place the prepared pieces on a pallet and set the temperature to 45 ° C. During drying, open the lid slightly to evaporate excess moisture. The drying process in such a unit will take a maximum of two hours. After one hour of this drying, the temperature should be increased to 60 ° C. Moreover, during the process itself, you do not need to turn the strawberries.

Small strawberries can be dried whole. Peeled and washed berries must first be dried a little in the sun. It is advisable to dry them in the sun during the day. Then they can be placed in the oven and dried at a temperature of no more than 50 ° C. A well-dried berry is reduced in size and does not stick to hands at all.

Storage and use

Dried strawberries need to be stored properly, otherwise they may become moldy. An ideal storage place is a glass container with a tight lid. In this form, the berries can be stored for up to two years.

Dried strawberry slices can be ground in a coffee grinder and added to baked goods. As a result, muffins or pies will have a pleasant pink color and an extraordinary aroma. Strawberry powder goes very well with classic charlotte... Dried strawberry infusion is used for seasonal colds. This drink strengthens the immune system and has a positive effect on health.

For information on how to dry strawberries, see the next video.

Ripe but strong strawberries are suitable for drying. The berries should not be overripe or watery. Large strawberries are easier to cut, but small ones are fine too. Before starting drying, the strawberries must be thoroughly rinsed and peeled from the stalks. Spread the strawberries on a towel and let dry. Wet strawberries take longer to dry and tolerate slicing worse.

You need to cut the strawberries into slices. The thickness of the plates depends on where you plan to use the berries. For tea, it is best to cut into thin slices, about 3 mm. The slicing knife must be sharp, otherwise the strawberries will let the juice out. I use a paring knife or a thin serrated knife.

In order to cut strawberries a little thicker (5 mm), you can use not only a knife, but also various devices, for example, an egg cutter or such a knife for slicing tomatoes. All the plates are the same thickness, which means they will dry out the same way.

Don't cut all the strawberries at once. It is better to cut and spread some of the berries, then cut some more. The amount of strawberries you need will depend on the thickness of the plates and the number of trays in your dryer.

Arrange the chopped strawberries in trays in one layer, so that the plates do not stick together. Dry the strawberries for about 12 hours. Exact time difficult to indicate, because each dryer has its own characteristics. During the drying process, it is recommended to change the trays in places several times, so the berries will dry more evenly, and you will be able to control the process.

Dried strawberries are widely used in folk medicine and cooking, and not only berries, but also leaves have useful properties. Properly dried strawberries retain their healing power and aroma for two years.

Berry drying methods

Drying strawberries is a rather complex and specific process. At the slightest oversight, the fruits become moldy and rot, and when the fruits are placed in conditions of high temperatures, they lose most of their useful properties and become nothing more than a delicacy. The drying procedure begins with a preparatory process, in which the main key to success is a strict ban on washing the fruit. If this condition is not met, the berries will quickly ferment and rot. To ensure that the fruits are relatively clean, they should be picked with clean hands and in a clean, dry container.

After the berries are selected, you can start choosing a drying method. At home, wild strawberries can be dried in several ways, each of which requires certain knowledge and patience.

In the oven

This option is the most common method of harvesting berries and takes place in two stages. First, the oven warms up to + 30– + 35 degrees, the berries are evenly distributed on the baking sheet and placed in the oven. Drying of fruits is carried out within an hour, after which the temperature rises to +60 degrees. With this temperature regime, the berries are in the cabinet for several more hours, after which the baking sheet is removed. After such drying, the berries change their color to maroon, the grains begin to shine and become clearly visible, and the fruits are freely separated from each other and do not stick together.

After the berries have cooled, they are poured into dark glass jars and stored. Some housewives prefer to store dried strawberries in rag bags or paper bags.

However, this storage method has some drawbacks. The fact is that dried strawberries exude a pleasant aroma that attracts ants, cockroaches and moths, who happily devour delicious fruits. Therefore, glass jars are the most reliable way to preserve berries.

Outdoors

Drying outside is much more time and effort than oven drying and can be done in two ways. In the first case, the berries are laid out in a thin layer on a dense fabric and taken out into the street. The place where the fruit tray is located should be well lit by the sun's rays and blown out. After sunset, the berries are brought home, and in the morning they are again brought out into the sun. Duration of drying strawberries in this way is from 2 to 3 weeks.

The second method is to hang the berries along with twigs and leaves. This should be done in a well-ventilated and fairly shaded area. To dry strawberries in this way, the stems with berries are collected in bouquets and tied in several pieces. Some housewives recommend lightly rinsing the bushes in cool water, and then hanging them on a stretched rope with the berries down. If the air temperature does not drop below +25 degrees, then in a week the bouquets will dry out.

The disadvantage of this method is the need to monitor the weather. So, at the slightest rain, bring the berry into the house. In addition, flies and other insects constantly land on plants, therefore, strawberries dried in this way can only be used for making tea or dishes, during the preparation of which boiling is used.

In the airfryer

Drying in an airfryer is the simplest and least labor-intensive way of harvesting berries. The airfryer is set to +60 degrees mode and an average blowing speed. In this case, the drying time of the fruits will take much less time compared to the oven. This is due to active air circulation and moisture outflow, which can be ensured by leaving a small gap in the lid. For these purposes, a toothpick or skewer inserted under the lid is suitable. The disadvantage of this method is the small size of the airfryer, which is why the berry will have to be dried in several batches. The capacity of an average airfryer is 0.8-1.2 kg of fruits, but the output is only 300-400 grams.

In an electric dryer

Drying in an electric dryer can take 6 to 12 hours. The berries are laid out in one layer so that they do not touch each other, and are dried at a temperature of +30 degrees for 5 hours. Then the temperature in the dryer increases to + 60– + 65 degrees and the fruits are dried until tender. The pallets should be checked periodically and replaced if necessary. Dried fruits do not stick together, separate well from the pallet and do not get your hands dirty. After the berries are dry, they are cooled and put into jars for storage.

Harvesting leaves

Methods of use

In the process of drying, strawberries, of course, lose a significant part of their healing properties, but fully retain their unique taste and aroma. Dried berries are often used as pie fillings, cocktail additives, and ice cream. Berries are indispensable for making jelly, drinks and desserts, and are also often mentioned in traditional medicine recipes. For example, a tincture of dried fruits can be used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and urinary tract, as well as a tonic and tonic. When applied externally, an infusion of berries is used to treat wounds, ulcers and acne.

The dried leaves are used to brew vitamin teas, which are a source of nutrients and are excellent thirst quenchers. In folk medicine, with the help of a decoction of strawberry leaves, gargle with sore throats is performed. The use of a decoction inside is useful for gastritis, liver diseases, stomach ulcers and pancreatitis. In addition, strawberry tea has a beneficial effect on intestinal motility and improves the condition of the entire digestive system.

This video tells about a unique way to dry strawberries.

The berries must be carefully sorted out (remove crumpled, withered, overripe or, on the contrary, unripe fruits), cleaned of leaves, rinse under running water. Then you need to let the excess liquid drain, dry the berries in a colander or on paper towels.

Strawberries can be dried whole, but they will work better if you cut them into slices about 2-3 mm thick.

Read the instructions for your dryer carefully. Much depends on the model of the device and in most cases the drying process is described in detail. Most often, the recommendation is as follows: you do not need to lay the slices tightly on pallets, since there must be a certain space for unhindered air circulation. I laid out my strawberries like in the photo. I installed the first pallet, then another, after which I decided to make apple chips as well.

You should also pay attention to the difference between drying with the device and drying in natural conditions. If in the second case fresh slices are reported to the already dried ones, then this should not be done with an electric dryer.

When all the strawberry sieves are installed, you need to start the electric dryer. Set the temperature to no higher than 45 ° C, in this case more benefits will be saved. Don't forget to swap pallets. That is, rearrange the lower ones to the upper position, and lower those that are on top to the bottom. Such actions are necessary for uniform drying of the berry slices.

Dried strawberries should be soft and supple without any trace of juice.

And these are apples.)

You can store it for the winter in glass jars or plastic containers with lids.

Such berry and fruit chips can be eaten without a twinge of conscience for