How to cook prunes in the dryer. The perfect DIY product: how to dry prunes at home? Is there a difference between dried fruit and prunes?

To prepare good quality prunes, you need to take completely ripe fruits for drying, removing them from the tree in dry weather and clearing them of stems. In households, drying is most often done in a Russian oven, but it can also be done in an oven. Ripe, good quality plums of dark colors are cleaned of stems and dust and placed on baskets made of sticks intertwined with reeds, or sieves and dried for 1-2 days.

How to dry prunes correctly

Then the plums are dried in the oven in three steps, each of which lasts 5-6 hours: in the first, the oven temperature should not exceed 45 degrees, in the second, it can be higher. The drying time should be short at both times. After this, the plums are cooled in air and moved cold to the other side. In the third step, the plums are dried completely, and they become faded due to the fact that the sugar they contain, under the influence of high temperature, protrudes through invisible cracks - the pores of the outer skin of the fruit. According to all the rules, dried plums have a beautiful shine, are distinguished by their density and well-fried almonds in the pit.

How to properly store prunes

Prunes must be stored in a dry place. One pound of plums usually yields about 12-13 pounds of dried prunes. We will not dwell on the drying of plums in pits, common in peasant farms, since this method is very imperfect - such drying is done very slowly, due to which the fruits undergo fermentation, become tasteless and, in addition, acquire the smell of smoke.

Dry in the oven

Place the prepared fruits on a baking sheet (if you cut them, then skin side down to avoid juice dripping). Place the plums in the oven preheated to 45-50 °C and dry them there for 3-4 hours. After this, let them cool to room temperature and put them in the oven again, this time preheated to a temperature of 65-70 ° C. Leave there for 4-5 hours and cool again. At the last stage, dry at a temperature of about 80 ° C until ready.

In an electric dryer

Place the prepared plums evenly on the trays of the electric dryer (if they are cut, then skin side down). Place the trays in the dryer and carry out the process as described earlier: 3-4 hours at 45-50 ° C, let cool, 3-4 hours at 65-70 ° C, let cool again, and dry at a temperature of 75-80 until ready °C. To ensure uniform drying, periodically change the trays.

Adults and children love sweet prunes. Due to its excellent taste and pleasant aroma, dried fruit is used for making compotes, desserts, baked goods and salads. Having learned how to dry plums at home, you can prepare the delicacy yourself.

Knowing how to dry plums, you can prepare healthy dried fruit

Fruit preparation

You need to choose ripe, fleshy and strong plums with intact skins. The stalks must be removed.

• It is better to cut large plums into two parts and remove the pit. This way they will dry faster.
• Although most people like pitted prunes, small fruits that are dried whole retain more of the nutrients. In order for the moisture to evaporate, whole plums must first be blanched. You need to boil the fruits in a soda solution for 2 minutes: take 2 teaspoons of soda per liter of water. The appearance of shallow cracks on the skin of the mesh indicates that the procedure was carried out correctly. Finally, rinse the fruit with cold water and dry with a towel.

After all the fruits are prepared, you can start drying.

How to properly dry plums in an electric dryer

The technology is simple. Includes the following steps:

• the fruits need to be laid out on pallets and heated for 3.5 hours at a temperature of 50 degrees;
• Then the fruit must be cooled. To do this, the baking sheets must be removed from the appliance for several hours;
• then load the electric dryer again and increase the temperature to 65 degrees. Dry for another 4-6 hours;
• Cool the plums again. Then increase the temperature to 70 degrees and cook for another 6 hours.

During drying, it is advisable to change the trays every hour.

How to dry plums in the oven and microwave

If you don’t have an electric dryer, you can dry the fruits in the oven. Place the fruit, cut side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The process consists of several stages:

• place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 50 degrees for 5 hours;
• remove the baking sheet and cool the plums;
• return the fruits to the oven and increase the heating power to 70 degrees.

After an hour and a half, the prunes can be removed.

Drying plums

How to dry prunes?

The slices will dry faster and more evenly, but cutting them takes time.

After about 12-18 hours, the dried plums are ready. They are good added to cereals or simply eaten as a snack.
Before drying, you can cut the plums in half with a knife to remove the pits (and then dry them in halves, skin side down). Or you can use a plum pit separator, which, in addition to removing the pit, he cuts the plums into slices.

Dried plums (prunes) are used in the preparation of: pies, desserts, salads, compotes, main courses, meat, etc. Be careful eating dried plums as a snack strongly stimulates digestion.

In fact, there is a difference between kiln-dried plums and store-bought prunes. Different cooking technologies create differences in appearance and taste.

In the food industry prunes: blanch for 20 seconds in a boiling water solution of 0.1% caustic soda (to cause cracks in the peel). After treatment, rinse thoroughly and cool in water. Dried in steam conveyor belt dryers. After drying, the prunes are cooled and once again immersed in boiling water for 1-2 minutes (in fact, they are partially reconstituted in water, but in some cases the prunes are under-dried instead). At the end they are treated with glycerin (this adds shine and increases shelf life).

Homemade prunes, as close as possible to industrial, can be prepared as follows: Wash the plums. Blanch for 20 seconds in a boiling solution of baking soda (in the proportion of 1/2 teaspoon of soda per 1 liter of water). Rinse the plums well with cold water. You can dry plums whole (you will get prunes with pits). You can also remove the seeds (this will speed up the drying process). Cut each plum in half, remove the pit and place it on drying trays, skin side down. Or we use a plum pitter to remove the pit and cut it into slices. To prepare prunes (and not just dried plums), it is important to under-dry the plum pieces(the residual amount of moisture in store-bought prunes is 20-25%).

Prunes should not be consumed by nursing mothers.

Home | cooking | canning | How to dry prunes

Drying plums at home is, of course, more difficult than thin slices of apples or pears. The difficulty comes from the prunes themselves, which contain a lot of moisture and a fairly dense skin. And this task is further complicated by damp autumn weather, precisely autumn, because a good prune (plum variety) is a September drupe. As a rule, there is no way to do without an oven or other forced heating. How to make prunes at home? After a device called the Hotter air fryer appeared in my house, I dry prunes in it. And I think the only negative is the small yield of dried plums. You can dry no more than a kilo of fresh fruit at a time. But unlike in the oven, the prunes turn out dried, fragrant and not overdried.

photo 1. Wash the plums, dry them with napkins and remove the seeds. Ripe, but not soft, prunes are more suitable for drying. In strong fruits, the seeds are better separated. Place the broken plums on 2-3 levels of the air fryer and dry in several stages. Most often, it is possible to completely dry prunes in a couple of days if you turn on the air fryer for 40-50 minutes, 2-3 times a day. Heating temperature 65 °C, fan at full power.

photo 2. This is what homemade prunes look like, dried in an air fryer. In this way, you can dry any type of plum from which the pit is separated. But only dried plums of dark prune varieties will have a unique aroma of light “smokedness”. About the benefits of dried prunes: It is believed that the healthiest plum is the prune. And dried prunes are simply a storehouse of usefulness. There is simply no point in writing about how this dried fruit has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract: it has a very good effect, especially if consumed in moderation, 3 to 5 pieces per day. The most surprising thing is that the consumption of prunes is indicated for both hypertensive patients and people with low blood pressure (hypotonics). However, if you consider that it contains a very large amount of iron and potassium, there is nothing surprising - both of these elements are necessary for the good functioning of the cardiovascular system. Another useful feature of prunes is that they satisfy hunger well. The calorie content of dried prunes is 250 - 280 kcal per 100 g. This is not much, especially since it is recommended to eat no more than 50 grams at a time. Dried prunes recipes. There are many recipes in which dried prunes are a very important ingredient. Compote made from dried fruits without prunes, according to many, has no right to exist. Just a couple of prunes and it’s a completely different drink. From dried apples and prunes you can make a very tasty fruit filling for pies made from yeast dough. In meat recipes of oriental cuisine, prunes are often used along with dried apricots. Sweet and sour sauces for meat acquire a very unique flavor note if a little of this dried fruit is added. In addition to raisins, you can also add prunes to the muffins. You can make a wonderful savory snack from this dried fruit - each fruit is stuffed with a mixture of walnuts, cheese, garlic and homemade mayonnaise. You can make a very tasty honey cake with prunes.

How to make prunes?

Prunes lying on the counters sparkle temptingly with their glossy sides, as if inviting them to quickly buy and eat them. But you can’t fool us, we know what prunes are treated with to get such a beautiful look - this is glycerin, sulfur compounds, and liquid smoke. It is clear that with such serious chemical treatment the beneficial properties of prunes are lost. Therefore, when buying dried fruits, you should not be deluded by the beautiful appearance, but choose something that looks natural, without unnecessary gloss or bright colors. If the fear of store-bought dried prunes is strong, then you can make it at home. Now we’ll figure out how to cook natural prunes.

How to make prunes?

To prepare dried prunes, you need very ripe, perhaps even overripe, plums. First, wash them and, if necessary, remove the pit. You can make prunes with or without pits, but with pits, prunes will retain more beneficial properties. Next, blanch the plums for 20-30 seconds in a soda solution at 90°C. Proportions for preparing the solution: 100 grams of baking soda per 10 liters of water. Immediately after blanching, rinse the plums with hot water. Now you can start drying the prunes. “How to dry it?” - you ask? Of course, in the oven, you just need to carefully monitor the temperature so that the prunes turn out tasty and healthy. For convenience, we will divide the whole process into 3 stages.

Stage I. Place the plums on a baking sheet and place it in the oven, preheated to 50-55°C. Leave to dry for 3-4 hours.

Stage II. Remove the pan from the oven, stir the plums and cool. Preheat the oven to 60-70°C, put the cooled plums in there and dry for another 5 hours.

Stage III. Remove the plums from the oven, stir and cool. Place the cooled plums in the oven at a temperature of 80-90°C and dry for 4-5 hours until fully cooked. If you want to make prunes shiny, then shortly before the end of drying, the temperature in the oven should be increased to 100-120°C. Then the sugar contained in the fruits will come to the surface and the dried fruits will caramelize.

How to store prunes?

It is just as important to make prunes correctly, to provide them with the necessary storage conditions. It is better to do this in a cool and dry place. Prunes should be packaged in paper bags or placed in wooden boxes. But you can preserve prunes in closed glass jars, but for this the dried fruits must be really dry, and even overdried. Because wet plums without ventilation quickly become moldy. Also, for better preservation, it is recommended to sprinkle prunes with a small amount of bay leaf.

Beneficial properties of prunes

Well, we learned how to make prunes, but is it possible to eat a lot of them and is this dried fruit healthy in general? Prunes also have considerable benefits, because they retain almost all the valuable qualities of the plum. Prunes contain glucose, fructose and sucrose, approximately 9-17% of the total volume. There are also organic acids: citric, malic, oxalic, salicylic. The composition of prunes includes pectin, nitrogenous and tannins. And the main thing that makes prunes so healthy is the vitamins and minerals they contain.

How to dry plums at home?

Of the vitamins, these are C, A, P, B1 and B2. And from mineral substances - a large amount of phosphorus, potassium, iron, sodium, calcium and magnesium. Thanks to this composition, the use of prunes is recommended for consumption in case of anemia and vitamin deficiencies. Prunes are also useful for the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. But you still shouldn’t abuse it, since prunes have a laxative effect. Therefore, 5-6 berries a day will be quite enough.

Prune lovers prefer to prepare this healthy and tasty product themselves. They know that even delicious-looking dried fruits on store shelves may turn out to be of poor quality: under-dried or treated with chemicals. How to properly dry plums at home?

Preparation

To make your preparations tasty and healthy, pay attention to the aspects presented below.

• For future dried fruits, choose only ripe fruits. Make sure there is no damage or rot on them.
• Give preference to varieties such as “Hungarian” or “Renklod”. They are meatier and juicier. However, if these varieties are not available for sale, use any other.
• Remove the selected fruits from the stalk and leaves, rinse thoroughly and dry.
• Cut large fruits in half; small ones can be dried whole. To remove the pit, make a cut along one side and turn the halves in opposite directions. There will be a bone on one of the parts, which will not be difficult to remove.

After the preparation is left behind, you can begin choosing drying.

In the oven

Before sending plums to dry, they need to be blanched. To do this, pour water into a saucepan, bring it to a boil, add 2 tsp. soda and prepared fruits. Boil for 1-2 minutes, drain in a colander and rinse well under running water. After blanching, cracks will appear on the surface of the plum, through which moisture will subsequently evaporate. Fruits cut in half do not need to be blanched.

Drying prunes in the oven takes place in several stages. Place the plums on a baking sheet and place it in an oven preheated to +50 °C for 4–5 hours. After the specified period, remove the dried fruits and let them cool.

At the next stage, the oven is preheated to +70 °C. Dry the workpieces again for 4–5 hours. Remove from the cabinet, cool, turn the prunes on the other side and send to dry at a temperature of +75 ... +80 ° C.

In an electric dryer

Fruit preparation also begins with blanching. Then arrange the fruits on the sheet in one layer.

How to make prunes at home

Place plums, cut in half, cut side up. Next, dry the prunes as follows: first 3-4 hours at a temperature of +45 ... +55 ° C, then increase the temperature to +60 ° C and dry the fruits for another 3-6 hours. At the final stage, dry the fruit at a temperature of +75 ... +80 ° C for about 4-6 hours. Be sure to change the trays every hour. At the end of each stage, remove the future prunes from the dryer and let them cool at room temperature.

In the microwave

If you're looking for a faster way to dry plums, use the microwave. However, remember that in this case you need to be especially careful not to dry out the prunes and turn them into coals. The optimal power for drying is set to +250 ... +300 °C.

Arrange the prepared fruit on a plate. Turn on the oven for 1-2 minutes. Remove the dried plums and let them cool. Next, turn on the oven for 10–20 seconds. Don't go far and constantly monitor the condition of the fruit. Repeat the procedure until completely dry. You can determine the readiness of prunes by touch. It is soft and elastic, but does not release juice when pressed.

In the sun

Proponents of the natural method recommend drying plums on planks. Place the fruits, cut in half, on a wooden surface, cut side up. Make sure they don't touch. To protect fruits from annoying insects, cover them with gauze on top.

After sun drying is complete, keep the plums in the shade for another 3-4 days.

The most favorable weather for drying prunes is sunny, clear and hot. Under such conditions, dried fruits will be ready in 4–5 days. Do not forget to put the preparations in the house at night, as under the influence of dew they can become damp.

During the drying process, turn the fruit over from time to time to ensure even drying. At the end of the process, do not immediately put the prunes into storage containers; let them stand for another 3-4 days in the shade.

Drying prunes at home is a pleasant and not troublesome task. Whatever drying method you choose, the main thing is to do it correctly. Then dried fruits will be stored for a long time, and their taste properties will be in no way inferior to fresh fruits.

It has long been known that black plum is endowed with laxative and restorative properties. So, a decoction of prunes for infants is useful for the reason that it contains a large number of important microelements necessary for the normal development of the child. It also helps with vitamin deficiency in a nursing mother. But more often it is used to normalize intestinal function.

Benefits of decoction

This dried berry can relieve the symptoms of colds and acute respiratory diseases. When using a medicinal decoction, the condition of the skin improves and the hair roots become stronger. Prunes help improve the functioning of the digestive organs; they will help cope with constipation in infants. When consuming prune decoction, toxins and other harmful substances are removed from the body. The product helps a person lose weight.

The dried fruit is endowed with antioxidant properties. It reduces the feeling of hunger and saturates the body with the necessary vital energy.

It is recommended to drink prune decoction for high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, kidney pathologies, liver diseases, and deterioration of the immune system. Dried fruit stops the process of reproduction of pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavity.

The importance of age restrictions

If a child is fed breast milk, it is not advisable to give him a decoction of prunes. A nursing mother just needs to eat 3 prunes a day, and digestive problems will bypass the baby. After all, all useful microelements enter the child’s body through mother’s milk. In this case, a woman is allowed to eat various dried fruits 10 days after giving birth.

If the mother does not breastfeed the child, he is allowed to give a decoction of prunes for constipation in small quantities. This drink can be introduced into a child’s diet starting from the age of two months. The recommended daily dose is 15 ml of decoction per day, drink twice a day. When the baby turns 6 months old, you can prepare him not only a decoction, but also puree with dried berries.

Brewing rules

Many inexperienced mothers do not know how to brew prunes for babies. To prepare the drink, you need to use high-quality products. If prunes are dried correctly, their skin will acquire a black tint, and the fruit itself will be elastic and fleshy. Such prunes contain a huge amount of useful substances; they have a beneficial effect on the baby’s body.

If the berries are not processed correctly, their skin turns brown. These prunes look overdried. It is not recommended to prepare decoctions and compotes from it. People who eat improperly processed prunes may experience food poisoning. It is recommended to try the dried fruit before purchasing. If prunes have a rancid taste, you should not buy them.

Preparation of the decoction: basic recipe

It is advisable to buy prunes that do not have seeds. Before preparing the drink, you must rinse the dried fruit with warm water.

Compound

• 20 g sugar;
• 0.1 kg prunes;
• 0.4 liters of water.

Let's take a closer look at how to brew prunes for constipation in a baby.

Preparation

1. 100 g of prunes are placed in an enamel bowl.
2. Dried fruit is poured into 0.4 liters of cold water. Drain after 10 minutes. Then it is poured again.
3. Sugar (if not sweet) is added to these ingredients.
4. Place the pan on low heat.
5. The drink must be brought to a boil, then it is boiled for 15 minutes.
6. Then the fire is turned off, the enamel container is covered with a lid.

Before drinking, the drink must be purified by filtration. It is recommended to give a decoction of prunes for constipation to infants on an empty stomach. You need to start with a small dose: 5 ml of drink per day.

Decoction for adults

To get rid of excess weight, it is recommended to drink a decoction of dried fruit for a long time. Above was a detailed recipe showing how to brew prunes for a baby. For adults, you can prepare another, very effective remedy.

Compound

• 300 g prunes;
• 2 liters of water;
• 100 g rose hips;
• 20 g buckthorn bark.

Preparation

1. 300 g of dried fruit is poured into 2 liters of water.
2. Buckthorn bark is added to these ingredients.
3. The mixture should be simmered over low heat for 30 minutes.
4. Then rose hips are added to the product, after 45 minutes the fire is turned off.
5. It is recommended to infuse the decoction for at least 9 hours. The duration of the course is at least 14 days.

Many people trying to lose weight are desperate for sweets. To compensate for the lack of nutrients in the body, you can prepare a delicious mixture of prunes and nuts. Nuts and dried fruits must be passed through a meat grinder. Then honey is added to the nutritional mixture. A small spoon of a sweet treat will help cope with the feeling of hunger.

Nutritionists believe that this dried fruit should be used wisely. The best option would be to spend fasting days on prunes. It can be added to dietary salads or desserts.

There is also a mono-diet based on prunes. It lasts no more than three days. But experts do not recommend using it for a long time due to the strong laxative effect of prunes. Diet plan:

• 1 day 1.5 liters of water per day with consumption of 50 grams of prunes during the day;
• Day 2: 1.5 liters of water per day while consuming 80 grams of prunes;
• Day 3: 1.5 liters of water per day while consuming 100 grams of prunes.

An infusion of rosehip with prunes is also useful (2 tablespoons of raw material per 1 liter of water). It helps remove excess fluid and reduce tissue swelling. The product also normalizes water-salt metabolism in the body. It is recommended to take it for at least a month. Caution should only be exercised by those suffering from kidney disease.

Prune decoction is also actively consumed during pregnancy. It helps cope with constipation and helps fight anemia. Prunes saturate the expectant mother’s body with iron and help increase hemoglobin.

How to properly cook prunes at home?

It can also be used as a choleretic agent. The vitamins in its composition improve complexion, give the skin smoothness and softness.

Contraindications to the use of prune decoction

It is not recommended to brew prune decoction for babies with constipation and if the baby has allergies. The drink is also contraindicated in case of increased sensitivity to the components of the product. If you have diabetes and chronic diseases of the digestive system, prune decoction should be consumed with caution. This dried fruit rarely causes an allergic reaction. If redness or irritation appears on your baby's body, you should choose another remedy for constipation.

In old age, it is not recommended to drink prune decoction in large quantities: this can lead to serious digestive upset. The dried fruit contains quite a lot of calories (about 230 kcal per 100 g of product), so before using prunes for weight loss, you should consult with your doctor on how to properly unload the intestines with its help.

Prunes are not allowed to be consumed if there are stones in the gallbladder area or urolithiasis. A person may experience a pathology such as blockage of the ureters: in this case, he will need urgent surgical intervention.

How to properly dry garden plums in the best way at home - my tips with videos, photos and recommendations will help. It is preferable to eat delicious plums fresh.
Most vitamins are concentrated in juicy fruits, are perfectly absorbed by the body, and in general, fresh plums are much tastier.

If there is an abundance of fruit, then what you immediately want to do is make jam for the winter, marmalade, jam and the like. The fruits are used to make plum wine with amazing taste and aroma. Ripe plums are also dried. The best simple and affordable method of preparation preserves most of the vitamins, unlike heat treatment.

Fruits according to their ripening periods are divided into early, middle and late, and those, in turn, are divided into many types. “Hungarian” is the best plum variety for drying. In addition to it, other species are also used, including sloe and cherry plum. Only ripe fruits are suitable for processing.

To properly preserve overripe plums, we need:

• ripe plums;
• drinking water;
• baking soda.

The best option for properly drying garden fruit would be to use an electric dryer. In the absence of special equipment, you can use a conventional oven. The main thing is to follow proven recommendations.

How to dry dried plums at home: the best way

1. First, the fruits are blanched in a boiling solution of baking soda - 15 g of powder per 1 liter of water, and then washed. After this procedure, cracks should appear on the skin of the fruit. During drying of the drain, unnecessary moisture evaporates from the surface through a fine mesh. If large tears occur in the skin or it slips, the soda solution should be diluted or the time of immersion of the fruit in boiling water should be reduced.

2. After blanching, the plums are allowed to dry and then laid out in a single layer, cut side up, on a baking sheet covered with polished paper. At a temperature of 50 degrees, plums are dried for three to four hours. At this stage, the fruits begin to shrink. Next, the temperature is increased to 75 degrees.

3. To obtain high-quality dried fruits, it is recommended to take breaks for several hours. This improved measure will prevent the fruit juice from leaking out. In total, the entire process of heat treatment in the oven will take at least 12 hours and it is better to dry the plums for two to three days.

4. Ready prunes should be elastic and soft to the touch and at the same time elastic. Check dried fruits by pressing on the fruits - plum juice should not stand out. This quality can be achieved if, at the last stage of drying, the fruit is kept in an oven for several minutes at a temperature of 100 degrees.

You won't find a better way, plum. Amazing-tasting and healthy dried fruits help treat heart disease, stomach ailments and fight excess weight. Prunes successfully replace sugar.

• When purchasing prunes on the market, you should pay attention to their appearance. A high-quality dried plum should have a black color with a slight shine and elastic fleshiness. The brown tint of prunes and rancid taste indicate irregularities in fruit processing. In this case, the fruits lose their beneficial properties and vitamin and mineral composition.
• The healthiest prunes are those dried naturally without treatment with glycerin. Juicy and ripe plums are collected, washed and dried in the sun for several days. Since ancient times, prunes with pits have been considered the healthiest dried plum.
• The calorie content of prunes is determined by the high content of sugar and carbohydrates - 231 kcal per 100 g. In dried dehydrated plums there are 339 kcal per 100 g. The calorie content of canned prunes is significantly lower - 105 kcal for every 100 g of fruit. Due to the high calorie content of dried plums, obese people should not consume them excessively.

I suggest watching a video on the topic “Drying apples, pears and plums.” Subscribe to updates Food tips and recipes

Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers made preparations from plums that were unusual for us, but also very tasty; they knew how to wilt, soak and dry plums and how to use these products in winter to prepare various dishes.

These are old, proven recipes that you can use to make preparations that are new to you: soaked and dried plums (prunes). You can also learn how to dry plums without a Russian stove.

Prunes (dried plum)

Prunes - dried plums, contain a lot of fiber and vitamins, replenish the lack of carbohydrates in the body, improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

The best prunes are obtained from the Hungarian plum variety, but other varieties with dense pulp can also be dried.

Choose healthy, ripe fruits; it is not necessary to remove the pit; blanch the plums in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then cool in cold water, and dry with a napkin to remove excess moisture.

To give plums a characteristic black shine, the plums need to be soaked in honey syrup (dissolve 1 part honey in 2 parts boiling water).

Place a baking sheet with plums placed in 1 row in an oven preheated to 60°C; do not close the door for better air circulation and better evaporation of water from the fruit.

Turn the plums over every hour. Drying plums takes an average of 10 hours.

Prunes are ready to eat when they have acquired black color, elasticity and a sweet-sour taste.

Balance between dry and wet fruits

Place the prunes in jars and seal them for a week. The containers need to be shaken every day. Pay attention to the glass: if heavy condensation accumulates on them (a few drops are acceptable), you need to repeat the drying process.

Once the balance between too dry and too wet fruits is restored, pour the prunes into fabric bags.

Soaked plums

Pickled plums can be consumed as an independent product, as well as as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.

Hungarian plums are good for soaking.

50 kg plums
20-25 liters of water,
0.8-1 kg sugar
400-500 g salt
500g malt
50-70 g mustard powder (optional)
leaves of mint, cherry, black currant, you can add celery, parsnips and oregano

Malt can be replaced with kvass extract or use rye flour instead: 0.5 kg per 5 liters of water.
Some of the sugar can be replaced with honey (one and a half weight). This will give the plums a piquant taste and honey aroma.

It is better to soak the plums in an oak barrel, but enamel, ceramic or glass dishes are also suitable.
For aroma, add mint, cherry, black currant leaves; you can add celery, parsnips and oregano.

Select and wash healthy fruits with dense pulp and place the plums in a bowl for soaking.

After filling the drain with the solution, cover the surface of the fruit with a linen or cotton napkin, place a circle and a bend so that there is 4 cm of filling above the circle.

For 6-8 days, keep the barrel with fruits at a temperature of 18-20°C for preliminary fermentation, then it should be taken to a cold place.

After a month, the plums are ready to eat. They can be used as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.

Dried plums

For drying, choose ripe (maybe slightly overripe) fruits.

Before drying, the plums are blanched by immersing them for 1 minute in a boiling solution of baking soda (10-15 g of soda per 1 liter of water), then washed in cold water.

You can dry plums in 3 steps in an oven or stove with the door ajar; it is convenient to use an electric fruit dryer with a temperature controller.

Dry the plums in three steps over 24-48 hours:

- first, dry for 3-4 hours at a temperature of 40-45°C.
- cool for 3-5 hours,
- then for 4-5 hours at 55-60°C,
- cool,
- then dried for 12-15 hours at 70-80°C.

Dried plums should be firm, not sticky, and should not smear. Store dried plums in a dry, ventilated area.

In order for the resulting product to acquire a shiny black color, drying is completed at a temperature above 100°C. At the same time, the sugar in the pulp burns (caramelizes), forming a shiny black coating (it turns white over time), like a real prune.

These culinary recipes will help you preserve vitamins, beneficial and healing properties, dry, wet And dry plums- it's a little troublesome, but very tasty.