At the height of the ripening season of peppers, every housewife is puzzled by how to preserve his taste, aroma and maximum of beneficial properties until next summer. Dried peppers for the winter - one of the best ways to harvest along with freezing, preservation and drying. In this article we will talk about all the features of this method of preserving pepper. Indeed, for true gourmets it is no secret that dried peppers give dishes a special piquancy. And also such a delicacy will definitely diversify the home menu.
The advantages of this type of workpiece
If you have never cooked dried peppers at home for the winter, then after reading this section you will definitely want to do this. And it's not only the original taste, which can be saved much better than with any other method of preparation. Dried peppers convey taste and aroma much brighter than peppers after freezing. In addition, a frozen vegetable quickly loses its attractive appearance due to a large loss of water. Also, many housewives complain of an unpleasant odor in the freezer, which appears due to the long storage of pepper.
Dried pepper in dishes gives itself out as a hard and thick peel. It practically does not lend itself to heat treatment, and distracts attention from the dish itself.
The use of dried peppers
Another important advantage of these peppers, of course, is the benefit. After all, only the drying process allows you to save all the vitamins, macro- and microelements contained in large quantities in this juicy vegetable. By adding it to your daily diet, support the immune system, as well as establish the metabolic process in the body. All this, due to the high content of vitamins A, PP, C, B, as well as magnesium, manganese, calcium, phosphorus and sodium.
This combination of nutrients has a beneficial effect on the growth of hair and nails, improves the digestive system and helps accelerate the regeneration of the skin and mucous membranes.
The use of bell pepper is indicated for persons suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system. In general, pepper is an almost universal vegetable, which also saves arthritis, radiculitis and even neuralgia. Vegetables are recommended for those who want to strengthen their teeth and gums.
Like any product, pepper has its contraindications. Do not abuse such a delicacy if you suffer from high blood pressure, liver and kidney diseases, excessive acidity of the stomach and a tendency to epilepsy. Remember that pepper, like a sponge, absorbs various pesticides, so rinse it thoroughly before eating.
Vegetable preparation
The first step in a jerky pepper recipe for the winter is choosing vegetables. They should be sweet, fleshy with a bright yellow or red color. Make sure that the vegetable is not overripe and has not deteriorated - the pepper should be elastic, without wrinkled skin.
Wash and dry the vegetables thoroughly, clean the stalk and seeds. Large peppers are cut into quarters, smaller ones into halves.
To obtain a more delicate taste, you can peel it from the skin. To facilitate this process, hold the slices for a couple of minutes in boiling water, then as much in icy water. Such a temperature difference will allow you to easily remove the skin with just a few movements of the knife.
Next, each slice is smeared with sunflower or olive oil. If desired, you can leave the peppers without lubrication. If you want to enhance the taste and aroma of a vegetable, to give it originality and sophistication, then be sure to use spices. The best combination with pepper will be a mixture of basil, marjoram and ground black pepper.
Add salt, pepper with garlic and lightly sprinkle with sugar - this way the pepper is better to brown and gain an enchanting aroma.
Drying Methods
If you plan to cook dried peppers for the winter at home, it is best to use an oven. Electric ovens are famous for more even and faster heating. For those who are constantly engaged in drying vegetables for the winter, it is optimal to purchase a special electric dryer. But don’t be upset if the oven is gas-fired - you can also prepare delicious dried peppers in it.
Using a microwave oven is a slightly more difficult way of drying peppers. Firstly, the size of each batch of peppers is much smaller than when using the oven. Secondly, microwave ovens do not have the necessary ventilation.
Process features
Prepared vegetables are laid out on baking sheets covered with baking paper or parchment. If peppers were not peeled, then place them on a baking sheet in the form of boats so that the spices and garlic remain on the vegetables. In addition, with this layout, the skin will perfectly brown. Baking sheets are immersed in a preheated oven.
The most important parameter of drying is compliance with the temperature regime. The optimal temperature of the first hour is considered to be 70-80 degrees. Then it is increased to 100-110 degrees and the peppers are dried for about another hour. To remove excess moisture that will condense on the vegetables and oven walls, keep the door slightly ajar.
After one and a half to two hours of drying, peppers should be soft and flexible. If this does not happen, let them cool and repeat the baking process for another half hour.
The dried peppers in the electric dryer are cooked a little longer, but more correctly. Slices are located on special grills, where they are constantly blown. The hostess can only periodically stir up peppers so that they do not burn and stick together.
Peppers are dried in a microwave in several stages. Slices laid in a deep bowl, warm up at maximum power several times for five minutes. After each stage, drain the excess juice, otherwise you will get not dried peppers, but boiled ones. Repeat the five-minute regimen until the vegetables reach the desired appearance and consistency.
How to store?
The dried peppers recipe is pretty simple. But how to save them all winter? Vegetable oil will come to the rescue - sunflower or olive are equally suitable. Gently fold the slices into sterilized jars, fill with oil so that its level is a couple of centimeters higher than vegetables. In this way, ensure that the oxygen is completely shut off, which will keep the peppers as long as possible. Also, to increase the shelf life, you can add a spoonful of vinegar to the jar. Cans are stored in a cold place, best of all - in the refrigerator compartment.
Dried Pepper Recipes
Do you want to surprise your guests with a simple but at the same time elegant salad? Then mix the basil leaves, fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, slices of mozzarella and slices of dried peppers. As a dressing, you can use a combination of soy sauce, salt and oil, in which pepper was stored.
Tired of classic pasta with cream sauce? Just fry the slices of beef tenderloin with fresh onions, tomatoes and dried peppers. Add salt and your favorite spices to taste and season the boiled spaghetti with such a roast.
Finally
So, today readers have learned all about the proper drying of peppers, about the benefits of such a product, and also replenished the piggy bank of their recipes. Dried peppers are an indispensable component of various salads, pizza, pasta and many meat dishes. And also it can be safely used as an independent snack. Therefore, take care of the necessary volume of blanks so that they are enough for the whole winter.