How to dry pears in the oven and electric dryer? Rules for choosing pears for drying and their further storage. How to properly dry wild pears in the oven

Drying is one way. It’s worth mentioning right away that not all varieties of fruit are suitable for this. It is best if the selected fruits are at the same time sweet, juicy and dense. The following varieties fall under these characteristics:

• Zaporozhye;
• Forest beauty;
• Limonka;
• Victoria.

Limonka pear for drying

To dry pears, choose the fruits correctly: they should be ripe, but not overripe. It doesn’t matter whether you bought the fruit or picked it from the tree, they cannot be stored for more than two days - after this the pears become soft and unsuitable for drying. Also, do not use damaged or frostbitten fruits. Let's move on to the next step. First, boil the water, adding a little sugar if the fruits are unsweetened. After this, we sort the pears by degree of ripeness, cut off the damaged areas, rinse thoroughly and finally dry with a towel.

Place the pears in boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes; unripe fruits can be boiled longer, but not more than 15 minutes. As a result, the fruit should become soft. Let the fruits cool, then cut them into slices and place them in a bowl where the fruits will dry. Preparing large fruits looks a little different. They need to be cut into pieces about 1 cm thick, slightly smaller fruits are cut into several parts. To prevent them from darkening, they must be dipped in a solution of tartaric acid (1%). The slices are then blanched in water for five minutes. Now you can start drying.

In the warm season, it is much more convenient to dry fruits naturally, that is, in the open air. After placing the pears on a baking sheet, place the dishes in a quiet and well-lit place, away from wind and dust. Also try to place the tray with the slices at a slight angle to provide the fruit with as much light as possible. For residents of private houses, a good option would be the roof of the house, where there are all the conditions for high-quality drying.

Dried pear pieces

Drying should last about two days, but it is better to take the future dried fruits into the house at night, covering them with film. After that, we transfer the tray with pieces of fruit to the shade and dry it for about three more days. To ensure that the pears dry evenly, they need to be turned over occasionally. Some housewives press half-dried slices by squeezing them with boards. After which they are strung on a thread and dried, which is also considered a very good option. By the way, to prevent the slices from darkening, you can sprinkle them with lemon juice. This little trick will help preserve the natural color of dried fruits.

Since weather conditions do not always allow natural drying, you can use other devices that can replace sunlight - an oven, microwave oven and electric dryer. If you decide to dry the fruits in the oven, you need to arrange the pears cut into slices on a baking sheet in one layer. First, dry the fruit at a temperature of about +60 °C, which will avoid cracking and peeling of the peel. After two hours, the temperature should be increased to +80 °C. Keep an eye on the oven - after the slices begin to decrease in volume, the temperature should be reduced to +55 °C.

Drying pears in the oven

Now all that remains is to dry the pear, and the time depends on the size of the fruit:

• to dry whole fruits, you need to keep them in the oven for 20-24 hours;
• dried slices will be ready after a maximum of 15 hours.

You can use an electronic dryer. Due to the fact that it consists of several layers, you can load several portions of fruit at a time. Place the slices inside the device and turn on the device. There is no need to turn the fruit over - the device will do everything for you. But the fastest drying method is in a microwave oven, but it is also the most difficult, since it is important to always be on guard and prevent the fruit from drying out. We wash the fruit, cut it, remove the core, and place it on a plate covered with a cloth. Place them inside for 2.5 minutes at a power of 200 W. If the pears are a little short, you can put them in the microwave for another 30 seconds.

The slices should not break when compressed, they should be elastic and soft, “springy”. But if the fruit turns out to be hard, it means you did something wrong.

Saving slices - useful life hacks

Now you know how to dry pears, and we will tell you how to preserve dried fruits so that they do not spoil. Glass jars or wooden containers or a linen bag are ideal for this. It is best if you store everything in a dry place. At the same time, you should not forget about your reserves, since they can become damp or rot. Dried fruits are often attacked by various bugs, which will happily feed on the prepared delicacy. To prevent this from happening, you should inspect your supplies once a month.

It would be a good idea to dry the dried fruits again at least once a season: just put them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for an hour at +50 °C. Dried pears may become hard as a result of prolonged storage. To soften the fruits, before eating they need to be placed in the oven along with a container of water, kept in a “steam bath” for 15-20 minutes. If you decide to use pears for cosmetic purposes, they should be ground in a coffee grinder, poured into a jar and stored in a dark place. To do this, just take dried fruits and follow the recipe.

There are never enough supplies for the winter, as every housewife will say. Therefore, you need to think in advance about preparing drying ingredients in order to cook delicious compotes in winter. Step-by-step recipe with photos of drying whole pears at home. Video recipe.

Delicious dried pears in the cold winter season will remind you of the bygone warm summer. But in order for the drying to be tasty, you should follow some simple rules.

• Small fruits are best suited for whole harvesting; they are dried together with the stalks. Larger fruits are cut into halves, quarters or smaller pieces.
• Summer varieties are usually used for drying. Those with an astringent taste and coarse pulp are not suitable, i.e. will not ensure good quality of dried fruits. Ideal varieties are Bergamot, Talgar Beauty, Forest Beauty, Fragrant, etc.
• Select pears that are not quite ripe, with firm flesh and a small seed chamber. At the same time, they should already begin to turn yellow. Do not take overripe fruits for drying.
• Pears are dried in the oven, in the sun, in the oven, and even in the microwave. With the right approach, pears dried by any method will be good.
• There is no need to peel or core the fruit. Only fruits with rough and hard skin are peeled. And hard pears are first boiled and sometimes sugared.
• You can make pear powder from ready-made dried pears. To do this, the dried fruits are ground with a special mill or coffee grinder, 10-20% sugar and a pinch of cinnamon are added. Powder is used to sprinkle porridge, used for filling...
• When stored for a long time, pears become hard and dry. Before using them, they must be dried in the oven so that they steam, become soft and tasty.

• Calorie content per 100 g - 249 kcal.
• Number of servings - any quantity
• Cooking time - 10 minutes of active work, plus 5-6 hours for drying

Ingredients:

• Pears - any quantity

Step-by-step preparation of dried whole pears for the winter for compote, recipe with photo:

1. Place whole small pears in a sieve and wash under running water.

2. Place the pears on a clean cotton towel and leave to dry completely.

3. Place the pears on a baking sheet and place them in a preheated oven to dry at 60 degrees. This temperature will prevent the fruit from cracking and bubbles forming under the skin. Dry them for 5-10 hours with the door slightly open. Drying time depends on the size of the fruit. Turn them over periodically so that the fruits dry evenly. Whole winter dried pears for compote are considered ready when they do not stick to your hands, are dry, and at the same time elastic.

Note: If desired, you can dry the pears in the sun. Place the baking tray with them in the sun, where they should remain for about 2-4 days, depending on the size of the fruit. Bring fruit indoors at night. Choose a sunny time for drying, without rain. Finish drying in the shade with good ventilation.

Watch also the video recipe on how to prepare dried pears at home.

Agree, on cold winter evenings you really want summer warmth and aroma. Dried fruits can remind you of delicious summer. Today we will start preparing pears.

The pear is saturated with sugars, enzymes, organic acids, fiber, nitrogen, tannins and pectin substances. This fruit contains a lot of vitamins B1, C, P, PP, carotene (provitamin A), as well as flavonoids and phytoncides. In addition, most varieties of pears are rich in microelements, including iodine, which is necessary for normal life. You may be surprised, but when properly dried, the pear does not lose its beneficial properties. You will learn how to dry pears correctly right now.

Preparing pears for drying

If you decide to treat yourself to dried fruits in winter, then remember that for drying you need to take ripened, but at the same time hard pears with dense flesh, with stony cells, and a small seed chamber. The following varieties are considered ideal for drying: “limonka”, “forest beauty”, “Victoria”, “Clapp’s favorite”, “Zaporozhye”.

Fruits prepared for drying should be washed and dried thoroughly.

Small pears can be dried whole, larger fruits should be divided into slices about 1 centimeter thick, and the seed pods can also be removed if desired.
Now you can proceed directly to drying the pears.

Drying pears in the fresh air

Place the prepared pears on a baking sheet or tray. We place it in a sunny place and dry it for two days. At night, pears should be brought indoors and covered with plastic. After two days of drying, the pears should be moved to a well-ventilated, shady place and cooked for another two to three days.

Drying pears in the oven

Place the pears prepared for drying in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and dry at approximately 60 degrees for a couple of hours. After the specified time has elapsed, the temperature should be increased to 80 degrees and drying continued. The exact drying time of a pear depends on its variety; it often takes a day for the fruit to reach readiness.

Drying pears in an electric dryer

Pears prepared for drying should be immersed in boiling water for a few seconds and then immediately cooled in cold water. This procedure is necessary to ensure that the pears do not darken during drying. After such a “contrast shower,” the pears are laid out on a tray, allowing all excess liquid to drain, and sent to an electric dryer. Pears should be dried at a temperature no higher than 70 degrees, pieces of fruit should be turned over periodically. The drying process of pears can take from 15 to 30 hours. Fruits are considered ready when they acquire a brownish tint, are soft and elastic when pressed, and do not break when bent.

Drying pears in the microwave

Place the pears cut into slices in one row on a plate. We set the power on the microwave to about 300 W and send the fruit to dry for a couple of minutes. After this time, the fruit should be turned over and drying continued at the same power. About every half minute you need to check the readiness of the fruit. Typically, drying pears in the microwave takes no more than 5 minutes.

Today, drying fruits is not a very common procedure, since huge freezers have appeared, and it has become possible to store fruits frozen. Dear visitors to our portal, how do you prefer to preserve the fruits of summer until winter? We would be grateful if you would tell us in the comments to this article how you dry pears.

The desire to feel warmth on winter days and feel the aroma of summer again is not alien to everyone. Modern methods of preparing fruits and vegetables for the winter period are limited by housewives to the preparation of jams, compotes, pickles, and “freezes.” Such an old harvesting method as drying is extremely rarely used, but in vain. A large number of useful microelements are better preserved in dried fruits. We suggest you remember today how to properly dry pears at home for the winter.

Selection and preparation of pears for drying

The decision to provide yourself with dried fruits for the winter requires some knowledge. For harvesting, choose ripe, slightly tough fruits with thick skin. The permissible number of seeds in a pear is moderate. Careful carrying out of all stages of processing and drying, as well as choosing the appropriate variety, will allow you to obtain a high-quality product. When drying, some housewives add sugar. In this case, the result will be sweet dried fruits that can be used as a dessert.

The following varieties are considered suitable for dry harvesting:

• Victoria;
• Limonka;
• Forest beauty;
• Clapp's favorite;
• Zaporozhye;
• Ilyinka;
• Bergamot;
• Fragrant.

Important! The use of frozen, worm-eaten, rotten or damaged fruits is prohibited. Discard such fruits immediately.

After cutting out unsightly places, use them for food (cook compote, make fruit puree).

Selected fruits are washed well with water and wiped dry.

Small fruits can be dried whole. Cut the largest ones into slices no larger than 1 centimeter, removing the seeds.

There is a method when, before drying, the processed fruits are immersed in boiling water for 15 minutes, cooled, then cut and dried.

Forest wild pear. Nuances of preparation

Forest pears, commonly known as wild pears, are somewhat different in taste from garden varieties. The fruits have a small appearance and may be slightly bitter. The processing of wild pears is similar to the processing of garden pears. They are often dried whole. To preserve its presentation during drying, it is treated with a solution of tartaric or citric acid. Blanch the pear in boiling water for about five minutes. The drying process is the same, the only difference is in the harvesting process.

The forest pear is harvested when it begins to fall from the trees. The fruits are placed in containers and wait until they turn brown. When stored, pears of this color lose their astringency and bitter taste and become aromatic and sweet. The dried fruits of their forest pears have a more interesting taste and strong aroma.

Drying pears at home for the winter

Dried fruits from garden or wild pears are a storehouse of easily digestible carbohydrates, vitamins and microelements. Their peel contains a lot of useful substances necessary to maintain immunity in winter and spring. You just have to stock up on the gifts of nature, and then no diseases are scary. The thing is that, compared to fresh ones, these dried fruits have a long shelf life and “survive” until spring without problems. The pear fruit is rich in glucose, sucrose, fiber, acids, and pectin. A large amount of vitamins B1, C, P, PP, carotene make the fruit unique. Proper drying of the pear does not allow it to lose its beneficial properties.

How to dry pears at home

Several options are used:

• naturally - in the fresh air;
• in an electric dryer;
• in the microwave;
• in the oven.

The natural drying method is less expensive and preferable. There is no energy consumption, no need to waste time monitoring the temperature. All your labor costs come down to moving the pallet of chopped fruit indoors in the evening, and outside in the morning. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to take advantage of natural sources of heat and ventilation, use this method.

Tip: to prevent chopped fruits from losing color during drying, you can sprinkle them with lemon juice.

Drying pears in the fresh air

Place the prepared fruit in a thin layer on a baking sheet or spread out. Place the container in a place where the sun's rays fall. In the evening, bring the pear indoors, since the humidity of the street air increases significantly at night. Cover the fruit container with plastic wrap. Perform this manipulation for two days. Then move the pear to the shade. The place should be well ventilated. The pear is kept in the shade for four days.

Some owners use a modified natural drying method. The pear slices, dried until half cooked, are pressed into a thin layer using two boards, then strung on a thread with a distance of 1 millimeter. The thread is suspended, and the pear is dried in this form.

Oven drying

When choosing this drying method, expect that the minimum operating time for the oven will be about fourteen hours. The principle of laying out sliced ​​fruits on a baking sheet remains the same as in the first case. It is necessary to select the correct operating mode for the oven - drying. The maximum temperature should be set to 60 degrees. At this temperature, the fruit is in the oven for about 2 hours. After this time, the temperature can be increased by 10-20 degrees and drying can continue. As the fruit begins to shrink in volume, the temperature should be reduced to 50 degrees. At this temperature, dried fruits are brought to full readiness. The time spent on drying is affected by the type of pear and size. Drying whole fruits will take about a day, slices – about eighteen hours.

Drying pears in an electric dryer

Immerse the pears prepared for drying in boiling water for a few seconds, remove the pear with a slotted spoon and quickly cool it in cold water. Such a shock bath is necessary for the fruit to prevent darkening. After the excess liquid has drained, the pear is placed on a tray and sent to an electric dryer. The temperature in the dryer is set to about 70 degrees. The pieces should be turned over to the reverse side from time to time. The drying process takes from fifteen hours to the meshes. Dried fruits can be considered ready when they acquire a golden color. When bent, they should not break; when pressed, the structure will be soft and elastic.

Drying pears in the microwave

Drying pears in the microwave is considered one of the fastest cooking methods. The whole process takes no more than 4 minutes per serving. It is important for this method to ensure that the pears cut into slices or cubes do not dry out.

So, place the prepared fruits on a plate previously covered with linen or cotton cloth. Select oven program for 2 minutes and 200 W. After the time has passed, turn the fruit over and repeat drying at the same parameters. Repeat the process until the product is completely ready. When dried, the moisture in the fruit evaporates and it acquires a beautiful golden hue.

In winter, sometimes you really want something summery, reminiscent of vacation, sun, greenery! Therefore, every jar of jam or pickled cucumbers, compote or jam becomes a precious drop that brightens up cold winter days.

Vitamins for the winter

Another piece of summer can be dried fruits and vegetables. Our distant ancestors knew how to dry pears, apples, and apricots. They used the most accessible method - using the sun. Preparations from pears, fruits, berries, and vegetables retain a significant part of the nutrients of the original product and do not require special equipment during the preparation process or special storage containers.

Choosing the right pears

How to implement it? Harvesting pears for the winter requires thoughtful selection of the starting material in compliance with the following rules.

1. Summer and early autumn varieties of pears are used, winter varieties are not suitable.
2. It is undesirable to use varieties with an astringent taste - they hardly tolerate heat treatment.
3. Fruits should not be overripe; you need ripe, juicy, sweet fruits with a dense core.
4. You can also use wild pears, but please note that the fruits should fall from the tree on their own; you should not pick them. Before drying, wild pears need to be dried as a whole in air and processing should begin after they turn brown - this will rid the wild pears of the bitter aftertaste.

Preparing pears for drying

Before drying pears, they need to be prepared. The fruits are thoroughly washed, wiped dry, cut in half, after which the core is removed and cut into pieces of approximately the same thickness. When slicing fruit, keep in mind that the thinner the slices, the less time it will take to dry them. If you want to get dried fruits from quarters or halves of pears, you will have to use the oven, since it is almost impossible to guarantee complete drying of large pieces under the sun. Pear preparations for the winter usually have a thickness of about one centimeter before drying.

Air drying

The prepared fruits are laid out in one layer on a flat surface, both in an open place and in any fairly hot room (for example, an attic, an attic, a summer kitchen). When drying pears outdoors, you need to make sure that the chosen location is away from parking lots, trash cans, animals and other environmentally unfavorable factors.

The process itself takes from several days to a week, since the pears need to be dried until they are completely dry, otherwise mold will appear on them over time. The first days of the pear must be in direct sunlight, later this is no longer so important. During the entire cooking time, dried fruits need to be turned over periodically to achieve uniform drying.

Drying pears in the oven

The sliced ​​pears are laid out in one layer on a baking sheet, which is placed in a preheated (60 degrees) oven. In this mode and with the oven door tightly closed, the pears are dried for 2 hours, after which the temperature increases (80 degrees). Subsequently, the fruits are checked for readiness every half hour to hour. Sometimes (with coarsely chopped fruits) the complete process can take up to 24-25 hours of continuous drying.

Whether to use an oven when making dried fruits or not is up to everyone to decide for themselves. On the one hand, the preparation time of the final product is reduced significantly, on the other hand, most of the vitamins are destroyed at the last stage of drying, and due to too high a temperature, the integrity and appearance of the dried pear pieces are often damaged.

Drying pears in an oven

You can purchase a drying cabinet ready-made or make it yourself. In the latter case, the walls of the future cabinet are formed from two sheets of roofing iron, to which iron shelves for installing sieves are attached with slats and screws. The floor of the dryer is made of the same material as the walls, with at least eight holes approximately 10 x 5 cm for access to hot air. Smaller holes are also drilled in the lower part of the cabinet walls - for fresh air access. From the inside, a U-shaped cartridge (with holes) with a hole in the side wall is attached to the back wall of the cabinet under the two topmost shelves - a thermometer is inserted here to monitor the temperature during drying. A lid is attached to the top of the drying cabinet, which can be removed if necessary. Most often, cabinets are found (and made) 1 meter high and 70 cm wide, designed to accommodate 7 sieves with vegetables or fruits.

The drying cabinet is installed on a gas or electric stove (in principle, any heating installations can be used) on horizontally laid bricks with spaces between them necessary for air flow.

During the drying process, monitor the temperature: it should not exceed 40 degrees; if the product on the upper sieves is too wet, reduce the number of pears on all sieves or the number of sieves itself. In terms of time, this process is comparable to oven drying.

And lastly, no matter how you dry pears, you need to store them in a warm place, preferably near heat sources (this will prevent the appearance of pests) and always in fabric bags. Polyethylene is absolutely not suitable for storing dried fruits. Let dried vegetables and fruits delight you in the cold winter.