Dried berries: the benefits and harm how to properly dry and use

Dried berries - a product that has long been common in many countries.Harvesting fruits for the winter by drying allows you to preserve their beneficial properties and make a delicious delicacy. They can be used in any form: add to baked goods, make compotes and desserts, make jam and eat without pre-processing. The healing properties of decoctions of dried berries will help prevent many diseases. A variety of fruits that are dried for storage, allows in winter to receive almost the entire range of these delicious gifts of nature.

Dried berries are specially dried fruits of bushes and trees. It can be cherry, barberry, dog rose, hawthorn, cranberry, dogwood, grapes, blueberries, strawberries and many others. They are harvested in slightly different ways, as a result of which they can be dried or dried, their taste and texture differ.

The richness of nutrients in dried fruit from the berries is very high, they have anti-cold, bactericidal, expectorant and tonic properties. Different varieties may additionally contain antioxidants, minerals, essential oils. The properties of these substances are difficult to overestimate: they improve the functioning of the heart, the central nervous system, and have a calming effect.

In dried form it is very good to store dogwood. These are red berries growing on a small bush. Too sour fresh, it retains a little acidity when dried, along with all its richness of vitamins and organic acids, iron, potassium, magnesium and calcium. It tones up, helps to cope with a cold, strengthens the immune system, supports blood vessels and heart muscle.

Popular and dried Goji berries, members of the nightshade family. They are delivered from China. They are confident that their impact on the body will help cure almost all known diseases and restore power. Their taste is very sweet, they are sold both whole and in the form of a hammer.

Fruits of a juniper since ancient times are known for their bactericidal properties. They are collected in early autumn and dried without heat. At the same time, organic acids are preserved: malic, formic, ascorbic, and also essential oil, which contains about 2%.

The benefits of rose hips and sea buckthorn for people with weakened immunity is obvious, even the children are prescribed in the period of frequent diseases decoctions of these dried fruits. The fat content of proteins in dried berries is low. They are saturated with carbohydrates. The total caloric content is about 300 kcal, depending on the type of product.

Benefit any fruit with proper drying retain almost to the full. They can be used for restorative, therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, making decoctions and tinctures.

The high content of fructose in dried fruits can satisfy the need for fast carbohydrates. Anti-cold and immunomodulating properties of dried berries are widely known, they are used for the prevention of seasonal diseases.

A high content of potassium and magnesium is maintained during drying, with their help, the work of the cardiovascular system is maintained.

High carbohydrate content in dried berries can cause trouble for those who have a tendency to be overweight or diabetes. When dried, fruits lose water and their weight becomes less, while the content of glucose and fructose remains the same. Eating them as a dessert should take this into account, especially for people with high blood sugar.

But also to avoid excessive consumption of dried berries should be people with diseases of the intestine and pancreas, pancreatitis, a stomach ulcer.

The natural pigments contained in them can cause allergic reactions. Therefore, allergy sufferers and children should always begin their use with one or two berries to identify possible allergies.

For industrial and commercial production are food GOSTs, which determine the quality indicators of dried products of different varieties. They indicate the size, color, density of the finished product, which helps the consumer to get high-quality berries.

At home, these wonderful gifts are dried for personal use. Collecting and drying the berries yourself, you can be sure of the quality of the berries themselves and their proper processing and storage.

For drying, they collect whole ripe fruits without signs of overripe. Sepals are left in all berries, with the exception of raspberries and blackberries. They are collected in the immature form to avoid souring.

Berries can be dried in several ways. Collected in dry weather, the fruit can simply be spread out on a flat surface, covered with paper. The place of drying should be well ventilated, access to direct sunlight should be limited. Every day the layer is turned upside down. With this method of drying, fruits lose quite a large amount of vitamins due to their oxidation with oxygen.

It is possible to dry the berries in the oven. The baking sheet is lined with parchment paper, the berries are laid out in a thin even layer. The oven temperature is first set at 45 ° C and gradually rises to 75 ° C. The oven door should remain ajar. The drying process takes about 2-4 hours, you can check the readiness by checking the presence of juice in the berry. Dried berry juice should not contain.

In the microwave, you can quickly get dried berries. To do this, they lay out between the cloth, and dried to readiness in small portions.

For drying berries, you can use a special electric dryer. It sets the parameters according to the instructions, and the fruits are dried automatically.

After drying and cooling the berries are laid out in a glass dish with an airtight lid. And you can also store them in a tissue bag. The fabric should be light and without a pattern. The shelf life of dried berries - 2 years.

Infusion or decoction of wild rose is recommended to take for colds, as well as for their prevention and increase immunity.

The use of dried berries for health purposes is extensive. They make broths, make a mixture with nuts and honey to improve the work of the heart.

People who are overweight should eat such fruits carefully. On the one hand, it is a useful and tasty replacement for sweets; for slimming and maintaining carbohydrate levels, it’s better to eat a couple of dried berries instead of sweets and flour for tea. On the other hand, their excessive consumption can lead to the deposition of excess fat.

On how to dry the berries in the open air, see the following video.