Cooking candied pumpkin

Delicious and healthy sweets that will not spoil the shape - is it not the dream of every hostess? Making such sweets is quite simple, it does not require any special knowledge or skills. There is nothing easier than to cook delicious, healthy candied slices - candied fruits at home. This natural delicacy can be easily prepared from apples, plums, carrots, but candied pumpkin is especially good, because the benefits of this product are simply invaluable.

In order to cook excellent candied fruits at home, it is very important to choose the right vegetable. Knowing a few simple secrets, you can minimize the effort and significantly improve the quality of the final product.

• The first thing you should pay attention to is the pumpkin variety. A truly candied pumpkin should not be large-fruited: the larger the fruit, the larger and coarser the fibers in it, the worse the taste of candied fruits will be. In addition, a large pumpkin contains a huge amount of liquid, which significantly slows down the process of drying it.
• Do not take the fruit with visible damage: scratches, browning, dents on the surface of the peel - these are sure signs of a spoiled, over-ripe or too old pumpkin.
• If, when tapping on a pumpkin, a deaf sound comes from it, it means that the fruit has ripened. When pressing on the surface of the fetus should not be formed dents - this indicates that the fruit is green.
• In order not to buy a fruit soaked in nitrates, you need to carefully consider the pattern on its skin. Strips must be straight, the color of the peel wavy stripes indicates that the product contains nitrates.
• A ripe pumpkin should have a bright orange color, a very firm skin and a dry stem.
• For the manufacture of candied fruit is better to choose the pear-shaped fruit. Varieties with this shape of the fruit contain more sugars, and their pulp is more suitable for drying.
• When buying an already chopped and peeled pumpkin, you need to pay attention to the color of the pulp: it should be bright orange - this means that the fruit is ripe. In addition, it is important that the pieces are elastic and dry. Slippery and soft pieces - this is the first sign that the pumpkin began to deteriorate.
• The most suitable for candied fruit is considered to be pumpkin varieties "Muscat". The flesh of this pumpkin is tender, not fibrous, has a pear flavor and lends itself well to all types of processing.

The benefits and harms of candied fruits depend solely on the product from which they are made. Absolutely all candied fruits contain a huge amount of fiber, sugar (glucose, sucrose), simple carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals: magnesium, calcium, fluorine, phosphorus, ascorbic acid, vitamins of group B. Candied fruits are the only way of preparation in which Practically all useful components of products remain.

Candied pumpkin is distinguished by the following beneficial qualities.

• They contain a large amount of vitamin A carotenes, which helps maintain good vision. The high content of zinc in the composition helps carotenes to be absorbed faster in the body.
• High alkali content will help to normalize the acid-base balance, so candied pumpkin will be useful for heartburn.
• A large amount of fiber improves digestion. Pumpkin is perfect for the diet of patients with gastritis and ulcers, people suffering from flatulence or constipation.

• In the process of digestion, the fibers of the pulp of the pumpkin, from which candied fruits are made, are capable of absorbing and removing a huge amount of slags from the body.
• 100 grams of candied pumpkin contains only 86 kcal, so this sweetness is permissible when dieting.
• A high potassium content will help remove excess water from the body and reduce swelling.
• High zinc content helps in the formation of sperm and improves metabolic processes in the body of men.
• Vitamin C, contained in pumpkin candied fruits, will markedly increase immunity.
• Regular use of candied pumpkin will slow down the aging of the skin, improve the condition of nails and hair.
• In addition, the regular use of such sweets will help to clean the liver and gall bladder from the results of unhealthy diet and bad habits.

There are a number of rules that will help to make very tasty and healthy candied fruits. At the stage of preparation of the pulp is very important to pay attention to the method of cutting the fruit. It is necessary that the slices are as close to each other as possible - this will avoid such problems as non-simultaneous drying. There are three main types of slicing pumpkin for candied fruits.

1. Cubes. Diced candied fruits are very convenient, because they almost completely fill the entire storage tank, the gaps between them are minimal. The ideal cube for candied fruit has a face length of 1 cm, the larger cubes risk not drying out completely and deteriorating, and the smaller one - to dry out.
2. Straw. Candied straws can be of almost any length. However, the thickness of the straw should also not exceed 1 cm, but it can be less.
3. Slices You can make candied fruits in the form of small flat slices - plates. The thickness of the plates should not exceed 5 mm, otherwise they will not dry out.

In order to cook delicious candied fruits at home, you need to choose the right dish. For drying candied fruit, the use of metal baking trays is not recommended, since pumpkin pulp abundantly produces juice, it can burn on the surface of such a sheet and make the dessert taste bitter. It is better to opt for a container of tempered glass. Due to the thick walls of such dishes, the juice will evaporate, and not burn.

It is important to carefully read the recipe. Today, there are a huge number of methods for making candied pumpkin.

Among the huge variety of recipes for making pumpkin candied fruits, it is very difficult to choose really simple, proven and reliable. Based on the experience of many housewives, it is possible to identify several 100% reliable methods of cooking pumpkin candied fruits.

Ripe pumpkin must be carefully peeled and cut into plates no thicker than 5 mm. The length and shape of the plates do not matter. Prepared slices should be decomposed into paper or waffle towels, lightly sprinkled with sugar and left for several hours. During this time, the pulp will excrete excess liquid and will have time to dry well. Then you need to put the slices on a baking sheet and put in the oven.

If the container for baking does not have sides, then it is advisable to put another one under it - with the sides, since the juice from the pumpkin will drain, drip onto the surface of the oven and burn. The finished product can get a bitter taste. Dry the candied fruit in a well-heated oven with the door open.

This recipe for candied fruit is more time consuming and laborious. Ripe pumpkin must be cleaned, cut into small cubes and put them in a pan with a wide bottom. In order to give the candied fruit a more fresh or spicy flavor, you can put lemon, orange, vanilla or cinnamon sticks in a saucepan.Next, you need to fill the pumpkin with sugar at the rate of 1 cup per 400 g of product, mix slightly and leave overnight at room temperature.

During this time, pieces of pumpkin will empty the juice, and the sugar will completely dissolve. The resulting mass should be put on the stove and bring to a boil over low heat, then cool and bring to a boil again. This process must be repeated at least 4 times. At the end of cooking, the syrup should thicken to the consistency of honey. From the still warm mass, remove the pumpkin and spread it out on a plate, let the remaining syrup drain.

After that, you need to shift the cubes on the parchment and leave for the night in a warm, well-ventilated place. It is advisable to cover them with a special umbrella to protect products from insects. Drying such candied fruits takes about 12 hours on average.

For the preparation of candied fruit in a dryer, it is important to prepare high-quality syrup. 2 liters of water should be brought to a boil, add 500 g of sugar, stir until dissolved, and boil again. In this mass you need to pour 500 g of diced pumpkin pulp and boil it for 10-15 minutes. Then the pulp must be removed and put into the tank of the drying apparatus with a thin layer.

Syrup is necessary to continue cooking, stirring, until its volume is halved. This syrup is necessary to lubricate the pieces of pumpkin and send it to the dryer. During drying, the candied fruit should be lubricated with syrup no less than once per hour until the syrup is complete, and then continue drying without it. The whole drying process will take 20-40 hours.

Despite the fact that honey is an expensive product, candied honey will come out, perhaps, the most economical. For candied honey, you will need only 4 tablespoons of honey per 500 g of pumpkin pulp. In a saucepan with a wide bottom, you need to boil half a glass of water, put pumpkin pulp into it and boil for 3-5 minutes. Then the pulp must be removed with a slotted spoon and left to drain. In the remaining water you need to pour out the honey, add a pinch of vanilla sugar and boil again.

In the resulting syrup, you need to pour the cooled pumpkin, mix and leave warm for 3 hours. The resulting mass must be cooked: bring to a boil and cool, then repeat this process 2-3 more times. Boiled slices need to drain, then they can be laid out on a baking sheet and dried in an oven preheated to 80-100 degrees until cooked.

On how to cook pumpkin with lemon, you will learn from the following video.

Candied fruit is a versatile dessert that can be served as a separate dish or as an addition to others. Few people know, but in eastern countries, such as Turkey, candied fruit is a classic addition to coffee. In the east, it is customary to serve strong, non-sweet coffee with a large dish filled with candied fruit from a variety of fruits and vegetables. In our latitudes, it is customary to do this, rather, with tea or milk.

Pumpkin candied fruits will be not only tasty, but also a very useful addition to ice cream or yogurt. The fats contained in milk and the carotene of vitamin A contained in the pumpkin interrelate and bring tremendous benefits to the body.

You can use candied fruits as an addition to a children's breakfast: add them to milk porridge or muesli. You can add pumpkin candied fruits in a fruit salad, it will make it more useful, satisfying and rich. Original bright yellow candied fruit and as a decoration on the cake or cupcakes.

There are several useful tricks associated with the manufacture, storage and use of candied fruit, which will certainly come in handy to every hostess.

• In order to keep candied fruits longer, they should be plentifully sprinkled with powdered sugar, put in a dry glass or plastic jar and put in a dry warm place.
• Candied fruits can be preserved. To do this, pour them with honey or thick hot sugar syrup and close the lid tight.
• It is recommended to add candied fruits to pastries both as an independent filling, and as an additive to cottage cheese or other fillings.
• From thin slices it is very easy to collect rosebuds. If such products are folded into a beautiful jar and covered with a lid with a bright design - this can be a wonderful decorative element of any kitchen. At the same time, this element of the decor will not cease to be a wonderful dessert.
• In order to make candied fruits as natural and useful as possible, in the process of making them, you can replace all the sugar with honey.

• Finished candied fruits can be added to oatmeal and cooked cereal in this way.
• Pumpkin candied fruits have positive feedback from nutritionists. They help to avoid serious breakdowns while keeping a diet. 100 g of pumpkin candied fruits contain 80-100 kcal - the permissible rate for diet.
• Pumpkin candied fruits are a great option for a quick snack. This product creates the illusion of saturation, enriches the body with minerals and vitamins.
• You can eat a small amount of such candied fruits before an exam or an important meeting - antioxidants and large amounts of vitamin C will invigorate well and tone the nervous system. This will help focus and solve important tasks.