Dried persimmon: properties and features of cooking

Among dried fruits, dried persimmon is far from the most famous product on Russian territory.At the same time, all those who are unfamiliar with its taste and benefits for the body, lose a lot without using it. Proper use of this product can bring a lot of joy and help solve a lot of health problems.

Although persimmon is often called a fruit, in fact it is a berry. In diameter, the fruit of a rich orange color can reach twelve centimeters and weigh up to two hundred grams.

It grows in areas with a subtropical climate in the form of shrubs or trees. These plants can be found not only in Asia, but also in Africa, and in South America.

Dried persimmon reminds dates. It is no coincidence that it is called wild dates or date plums. In Latin, the name of the berry is “the food of the gods”.

The history of persimmon has its origin in China, where it was noticed two thousand years ago on trees with such berries. From this region persimmon spread throughout Asia. In the eighth century, mentions of how to grow this crop and use its fruits appear in the Mediterranean.

In Europe, this product is seriously interested in relatively recently - only in the nineteenth century.

Today there are several of the most common varieties of berries. This, for example, "King", "Chocolate", "Eastern", "Sharon".

Persimmon varieties "King" is viscous in taste, and therefore the cheapest of all varieties. At the same time on the market the most berries of this particular variety. Fruits have a slightly elongated shape and dense skin, ensuring good preservation of berries that have reached maturity. The “Korolka” has tender pulp resembling marmalade in structure. In the dried form, the astringent taste effect in it is not as pronounced as in the fresh berry.

The "Chocolate Girl" "clothes", corresponding to the name of the color. This variety will be appreciated by lovers of sugary foods.

"Sharon" is a hybrid of persimmon and apple. The fruits of this berry are large and juicy, having a bright orange color. Inside it has no bones. And to the touch it is firm, even if it is quite mature.

Variety of persimmon "Eastern" tightly associated with Japan. This is the largest berry of all varieties. The mass of the fetus can reach five hundred grams. This variety is not suitable for drying. But from such a berry, you can immediately make jam.

With regard to the energy value of persimmon, per 100 grams of fresh calories have very few - only 67 kcal. In dried already all 274 kcal per 100 grams. Therefore, for people with diabetes, this is a reason to be wary. Moreover, the glycemic index is also high - 45 units.

The good news is that there is no cholesterol in the fruit at all. At the same time they have:

• minerals such as calcium, copper, manganese, potassium;
• vitamins;
• organic acids;
• antioxidants;
• pectins;
• polysaccharides.

Since persimmon is a seasonal crop, it is used to make blanks that allow it to use a valuable product for the body at any convenient time. The usefulness of the harvested product is preserved, and in some ways it even tastes better.

The tradition of drying persimmon has long roots that stretch from the countries of the East. Nowadays, homemade dried fruit harvesting is popular, for example, in Japan. This processed berry there is called "Hoshigaki." Eat it as a separate dish. Koreans, in turn, make punches out of this product.

Persimmon is a good addition to tea, being a great alternative to sweets. And also it is added to the tea itself or make a tea drink. Slices of dried persimmon dipped in a cup and pour hot boiled water. Ten minutes later, add sugar, stir and drink. The remaining sweet pieces can be eaten.

Prepare from such dried fruits and compotes. To do this, the persimmon is usually poured with boiling water, relieving it of dryness, then put into a cooking container, add water, pour sugar to taste and some citric acid, then boil for about thirty minutes.

It is possible to cook jam from a dry product.Such persimmon is included in fruit drinks based on juices, used as a filling in baked sugary dishes.

To appreciate the merits of such dishes, you only need to try to experiment with such dried fruit.

If in Russia now they don’t make cult of dried persimmon, in some countries they organize real holidays around this product. In the same South Korea, a special festival is held, where they pay homage to this sweet harvest. Participants of the holiday have the opportunity to learn how to clean the fruits and hang them on threads.

Praise to dried dried fruit translates into song contests and other creative entertainment.

Useful properties of dried persimmon are very diverse.

Berry helps regulate digestive processes. It is able to eliminate inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. It activates the appetite and prevents problems with the stool, and at the same time the consequences of irregularity in this matter.

Dried persimmon is useful for the body as a means to eliminate toxins. Eliminates spasms in the vessels, increases their elasticity and normalizes blood supply. Helps to reduce pressure.

In this berry, potassium even more than in bananas, which makes it a very valuable product for the heart. Available in dried persimmon substances prevent the development of cancer and fight against tumors. It is believed that if you eat this product every day, the likelihood of developing a brain tumor is reduced.

In pregnant women, such a dried fruit relieves swelling and supplies the body with essential vitamins and minerals.

And also the substances that are in persimmon, strengthen vision. This is due to the fact that normal blood circulation in the brain and in the fundus. Plus the effect of beta-carotene, which is part of the product.

When consuming a dried product, it is possible to restore the liver and remove sand and stones from the kidneys. Persimmon can defeat E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. To do this, it is enough to eat at least one hundred grams of berries every day.

Those who want to lose weight use dried persimmon for a diet. Given the large number of calories in the product, it is consumed in the first half of the day in an amount of not more than fifty grams. This sweetness will completely replace other sweet foods such as candy, gingerbread or cookies, which, unlike persimmon, contribute to weight gain.

There is a benefit from this dried fruit and after a feast with a large number of alcoholic beverages drunk, because the substances in dried persimmon are removed from the body of the bad that lingered in it after heavy liquor.

The use of this harvested berry helps to strengthen the nervous system, relieves the effects of stress, improves mood.

From this dried fruit, you can make a special ointment that can act as an antiseptic for wounds. Crushed and soaked persimmon is used in the manufacture of masks for the face. Especially they are beneficial for damaged or sensitive skin.

With all the benefits of dried persimmon, there are contraindications for its use.

So, you can not eat these fruits with chronic low pressure. Drinking dried fruit with milk can trigger digestive upset, which can lead to constipation and hemorrhoids. For people who have trouble with this, it is better to stop using persimmon in any form at all.

In children up to three years from the dried berries may clog the intestines.This is due to the fact that the baby’s not very developed digestive system cannot properly process the product.

Some people are allergic to persimmon, which causes them to refuse to use it for food. You can not eat it with people with anemia, because the substances in the dried berries do not allow the body to absorb iron.

For drying suitable varieties of persimmon with a dense and solid structure of the fruit. You need to choose those berries that do not have traces of dents and scratches. The stem must be dry and tight to the base of the fruit. If they are green and soft, it is better to put such "applicants for drying" aside.

The color of the berry itself should not be pale. Such berries usually after drying become tasteless or deteriorate along the way. Although, if not quite ripe berries got into the kitchen, they can be “brought to mind”, leaving them warm for a few days.

Not suitable for drying and overripe fruits, the skin of which sprawls under the arms.

Dry persimmon at home can be different methods. This can be done simply by hanging the berries on strings, or use various technical means.

To dry naturally, they remove the skin from ripe berries, pierce the stalks and thread a strong thread through them. Hang out in a dry room that is well ventilated, not illuminated by the direct sun. If you do not follow these rules, during storage dried persimmon will not last long and will rot.

In the room selected for the preparation of persimmon, should be denied access to flies and other insects. If they put the larvae in the fruit, the case will be ruined. Dried berries will have to throw.

In preparation for drying can not be strung on one thread at once all the fruits. This is inconvenient, and the thread can not stand the masses.

Fruits are left in limbo for two weeks. After a week you can see a whitish layer on their surface. This is the sugar coming out. His appearance on the outer part of future dried fruit is the norm in this situation.

When the persimmon reaches readiness, it will be almost ready-to-eat sweet product with a wonderful aroma and tender, juicy gut.

If there are only unripe and pale berries at hand, they can remove the sepals. Fill the fruit with hot water at a temperature close to one hundred degrees, remove the skin from them. Hang on a string in ten to fifteen centimeters, eight pieces each. Spacious saucepan pour water half or a little higher, add sugar and bring to a boil. After this, batches of berries should be lowered into this water for five to seven seconds and immediately sent for drying in the correct place. As in the previous case.

Drying such fruits can take a month and a half. On the berries, too, sugar should appear and wrinkles appear. Before harvesting the fruit on the dryer for fruit, you need to wash well and wipe their skin with a towel. Then cut into thin rounds. After that, put on the grid and set the temperature at sixty degrees. The mark should not fall below this level. When the dried fruit is ready, a crisp will appear on it.

In the oven, persimmon can be dried in slices. Slices should be no larger than three centimeters. They are spread on a baking sheet on top of a layer of parchment paper. To the color of the fruit has not changed, you can sprinkle them with lemon juice. Dry at ninety degrees for about three hours. As in the first case, an indicator of product availability will be a crust that forms on the surface.

Suitable for drying and microwave. The persimmon needs to be cut into thin slices and put there for twenty minutes at minimum power. When the timer turns off, open the microwave. The persimmon itself is left in place before cooling. In this case, excess moisture should come out of the oven.

At one time, dryness of the product cannot be achieved, so the drying process in the microwave must be repeated several times. The process of preparing semi-finished products from persimmon in a microwave oven can take several hours.

To store dried fruits of persimmon, too, need wisely. If they faded on a string or string, after completion of the drying, the stem must be separated from the berries. This will allow the dried fruit for a long time not to deteriorate. Although a simple and reliable way is to simply put the semi-finished products in bags and put them in the freezer. Presets can be stored for up to six months if the temperature in the freezer is below -5 degrees.

Some put the blanks in jars with tightly screwed lids so that insects do not penetrate under them. Dried blanks can be wrapped in a fabric of natural threads, as well as in baking paper. Suitable for storage of ceramic or plastic utensils, having a reliable insulation from moisture. The room itself, in which the dried fruits are stored, must also be dark and dry.

How to dry a persimmon, see the following video.