Surely not all of us are aware of the benefits of such a tasty and juicy fruit as pineapple. It contains a very large number of vitamins and nutrients that are simply necessary for the human body. It has a lot of useful properties that you should pay attention to when buying. But it is dried pineapple that can bring most benefits to a person. What is its use, and is it capable of harming the body? This we will discuss in the article.
Why is dried pineapple better than fresh?
Naturally, most people are used to eating pineapple in its natural form. But few understand the true benefits of dried pineapple. They have a very pleasant sweet taste that children like so much. They are often used to prepare a variety of delicious desserts. It is an excellent substitute for sweets, chocolate, cookies and other sweets.
If fresh fruits of pineapple due to the high content of organic acids can not be eaten by everyone, then dried fruits will not harm health.
Also, dried pineapples are often recommended to people who want to lose weight. Of course, for those who want to lose extra pounds and love sweets, it will be quite difficult to give up their temptation, so experienced nutritionists recommend replacing sweets with more useful and less harmful things to their customers.
Among other things, this dried fruit also contains magnesium, zinc, potassium, iron, which are very beneficial for human health.
The benefits of dried fruit
Dried pineapples, as mentioned above, are very beneficial for the human body. This dried fruit is also able to relieve swelling, which is also a lot of importance. He, like any other tasty food, is able to significantly raise a person’s mood and give strength and energy, while not harming, unlike a cake, chips or sweets.
Dried pineapples are high in fiber, which quickly dulls hunger and saturates the body with useful substances and vitamins.
Most of all, doctors recommend eating this dried fruit to people in old age, because they significantly speed up the digestion process, and also remove all toxins from the body. Frequent use of dried pineapples improves blood circulation well and normalizes the water-alkaline balance, which is also important.
Also, the use of dried pineapples is very useful for women. After all, the vitamins that this dried fruit contains in itself contribute to the improvement of skin and hair, which is so important for the fair sex.
Is there any harm from dried exotic fruits?
Since dried pineapples (candied fruits) are very healthy and tasty, they cannot be harmful to a person and his health as such. The only drawback of such a delicious dried fruit may be its calorie content. After all, dried pineapple is more caloric than fresh. But still, this dried fruit is less harmful than a variety of confectionery. Only excessive love for dried pineapples and their frequent use can threaten a person with obesity, damaged teeth, a stomach ulcer and diabetes. But for this, a person needs to sit a very large number of these wonderful dried fruits, and this must be done systematically.
If a person observes the established norm and does not abuse dried pineapples, there will be no harm to the body, this will only benefit him. Therefore, do not think about the dangers of these wonderful tropical dried fruits, as they are not only tasty, but also very useful. The main thing is to know the measure in dosing.
Dried Pineapples: Calories
The only drawback of the product is its calorie content. The most offensive is that the calorie content of dried pineapple is much higher than canned and fresh pineapple. The true reason for this lies in the drying process itself. First, fresh pineapples are soaked in sugar syrup, and only then they are dried. It is because of this that the fruit becomes 6 times the calorie of the usual one, and even more times, which is quite a lot. 100 g of dried pineapple contains 347 kcal. Therefore, it is not customary to use them in diet food. And you can only use it as rare additives, but no more. But in any case, a light snack with dried pineapples will bring your figure much less harm than sweets, crackers and other high-calorie and unhealthy foods.
How to choose the right one?
In fact, buying a good and tasty dried pineapple (cubes or rings) is pretty simple. Guided by the appearance of this dried fruit. It should have a bright yellow color and be neatly cut, and not be broken pieces. It is best to choose dried pineapples in a natural color, as with other colors, the product contains a lot of different, to put it mildly, not very useful colors and flavors.
What do these dried exotic fruits go with?
These dried fruits in themselves are very tasty. Therefore, they are a great addition to any dish. Although dried pineapples are significantly calorie fresh, but in any case they contain much less calories than any other dried fruit.
Naturally, most often they are used to prepare a variety of delicious desserts. They give an unusual and piquant taste to meat dishes. Especially often, such pineapples are used for chicken dishes, which is very tasty.
Contraindications to the use of this dried fruit
No matter how delicious dried pineapples may be, but, unfortunately, not everyone can eat them. There are contraindications to the use of these delicious fruits. They do not recommend eating pineapples in dried form for those who have problems with being overweight, as well as those who are prone to obesity. Only a minimal dose of these wonderful dried fruits is allowed. Also, you can’t use pineapples in dried form for people with diabetes.
Dried fruits in medicine
Few people know that these delicious dried fruits are also very often used in traditional medicine and cosmetology.
Very often, dried pineapples are used as a good diuretic. From its lobules, people prepare a decoction that treats ulcerative manifestations and wounds well, and helps fight bedsores and purulent dermatoses.
Also, decoctions from these dried fruits very often help with bronchitis, pneumonia, infectious diseases, and inflammation of the urinary tract.
In cosmetology, dried pineapple has its own special place. It is very often used to prepare a variety of anti-aging masks, which, in addition, also help relieve tension, fatigue, well relax and tone the skin.
A mask of fresh pineapples also helps very well from dark circles from fatigue and bags under the eyes. You just need to cut off two rings from the pineapple and put it on your eyes for 15-20 minutes.
How to dry pineapples?
Since dried pineapple, the benefits and harms of which we examined in this article, is very tasty and healthy, it is accordingly very popular, especially among lovers of sweets. But few people know the true secret of the process of drying these exotic fruits.
Naturally, the first thing you will need to do is to get some fresh pineapples in the supermarket or at the bazaar. Of course, it is best to buy fruits and vegetables exclusively in the market. Prices there are significantly lower, and the quality of the product itself is much better. You should carefully approach the choice of pineapple, as the fruit should be very ripe and sweet. If this is not so, then the slices of this dried fruit will be acidic and not very tasty.
Then you will need to get rid of the so-called green "tail" and "butt" of pineapple. Cut about 2.5 centimeters below the green top and about 1 centimeter from the bottom, this should be enough.
Then you will need to get rid of the pineapple peel. Cut it very carefully and try not to touch the pulp. Along with the peel, also remove the eyes that always remain on the fruit after cleaning.
The next step is to cut the pineapple into rings or slices. When doing this, you should only be guided by personal tastes, since this does not affect the original product itself.
Thoroughly heat the oven to a temperature of 66 degrees Celsius. Put sliced pineapple slices on a baking sheet with pre-prepared parchment paper and put in the oven for 24 hours. If possible, extend the time to 36 hours. Be sure to follow the drying process. Finished pieces of pineapple become resilient and flexible.
In general, drying pineapples on your own is not so difficult, the main thing is to have the desire and the ability.