The birthplace of the plum is Asia. In Europe, they began to cultivate it only in the 12th century. Plum fruits are tender, with a pleasant taste, have a whole range of acids and vitamins useful for human health. However, they are stored fresh for a very short time. But they retain their valuable qualities well during drying and are very widely used in dried form. You just need to learn how to dry them properly.
Instructions
Step 1
For drying (obtaining prunes), the most suitable variety is "Vengerka". Sort the collected plums. Use only ripe, undamaged fruits. Rinse them thoroughly and remove the stalks. Large and small plums are processed separately.
Step 2
The selected fruits are heat treated. First, a little experiment. Take a few plums and immerse them in a boiling soda solution (5-8 g per 1 liter of water) for 15-20 seconds. During processing, large cracks or peel should not appear on their surface. If this happens, it is necessary to reduce the concentration of the soda or shorten their residence time in the soda solution. If the concentration of the solution and the immersion time are selected correctly, then a slightly noticeable network of cracks will appear on the surface of the drain.
Step 3
All prepared plums can now be processed. Dip them in a baking soda solution and then immediately in cold water. When the plums have cooled down, rinse them well to remove the wax film that traps moisture evaporation.
Step 4
Arrange dried fruits on trays, grates or sieves in one layer and expose to the sun. Turn over periodically. They must lie in the sun for at least 5 days.
Step 5
Move the drain trays to a shaded, well-ventilated area. Dry in the shade for another 3-4 days.
Step 6
Examine the dried fruits, remove the underdried ones. Fold in paper-lined drawers and store in a dry place.
Step 7
You can also dry plums in the oven or a special drying cabinet. Large plums with a well-separated pit can be dried in halves. Whole plums are blanched, as mentioned above, and air-dried. Plums that you plan to dry in halves do not need to be processed in a soda solution.
Step 8
Arrange the plums in one layer, cut upside down. Dry for 3-4 hours at 45 degrees. Refrigerate in the air for 4-5 hours. Again 3-4 hours in the oven at 60 degrees and 4-5 hours in the air. And another 3-4 hours at a temperature of 75-80 degrees. Inspect and stir fruit periodically on the trays.
