Figs are a tasty and healthy treat. It can be bought ready-made, because this product is in almost every store. Better yet, cook it yourself. How to dry figs at home? For this, several proven methods are used, which will be discussed in the article.
Preparation
There are several drying options. With each of them you can save a lot of vitamins and valuable substances. Before you familiarize yourself with how to dry figs, you should prepare it for the procedure. For drying, you need to choose ripe fruits. It is important that they themselves fall from the tree. Then the figs must be washed, remove the damage. It is necessary to determine whether it will be sweet or with a natural taste.
If you like the sweet taste, then you should prepare the fruits for drying. Pour water into the pan (3 cups), bring it to a boil. Then add sugar (1 cup), boil the figs for 7-10 minutes. When boiling, gently mix the fruits. Then they should be thrown into a colander and dried. After that, the product is ready for processing. How to dry figs at home is described below.
In the sun
How to dry figs at home in their natural form? Clean and dried fruits must be laid out on a wire rack. When dried, figs attract insects, so the grid should be wrapped with gauze, which will also protect from dust.
The product must be installed so that the air enters the fruit from all sides. To speed up the process, the figs are cut in half with a sharp knife and placed on top of the grate with a cut top. The drying time is 4-6 days. Then the fruits are strung on a strong thread and carried in the shade for drying.
Oven
How to dry figs in the oven? To perform this procedure correctly, you must follow some recommendations. Dry fruits must be placed on a rack. Do not use a pan for this. In order for the figs to dry, the air must come from all directions. If the lattice has large holes, it is covered with gauze.
The oven must be turned on to a minimum, and the door should be left ajar. Every 2 hours, you need to turn the fruit over. The duration of the procedure is 2-3 days. This is the answer to the question of how to dry figs in the oven.
Electric dryer
This device shortens the drying process, while the product retains juiciness and acquires a golden hue. How to dry figs in the dryer? This work is performed according to the following instructions:
- Cut the fruits into 2 even parts and put on a towel, which will allow you to remove the liquid after blanching.
- Halves must be laid out on the pallets of the appliance.
- If the figs are not large, then the processing time is not more than 10 hours.
- Large berries are dried for a long time.
Drying figs at home in a dryer is very convenient. The fruits are no less tasty and healthy.
Storage
Mistresses need to know not only how to dry figs at home, but also how to store it. To do this, you need bags made of thick material or paper. This will preserve the juiciness and taste, as well as prevent the appearance of mold.
If a white coating forms on the dryers, this indicates the presence of crystallized glucose, due to which the product has a sweet taste. Do not leave the fruits in a humid place so that they remain for a long time.
Benefit
Figs have other names: fig or wine berry. The fetus is medicinal, so it is used in the treatment of various ailments. Leaves serve as raw materials for the remedy "Psoberan" from baldness and vitiligo. And the fruits are used in the manufacture of the drug "Kafiol" for the treatment of constipation. Collapse is used to get rid of cough, diseases of the nasopharynx.
The fruits are treated:
- anemia
- fever
- bronchial asthma;
- muscle rheumatism;
- constipation
- gastritis;
- urolithiasis;
- catarrhal diseases of the genitals of women;
- skin diseases.
Figs have an antipyretic, laxative, diaphoretic effect. It is also known for its nourishing, softening, healing and antioxidant effects. The fruits have pectin, which restores connective tissue. This property is indispensable for the treatment of injuries, fractures, joint diseases.
With the regular use of figs, the blood is purified, the vascular system strengthens, and the elasticity of the veins and capillaries improves. The dried fruit has ficin, which reduces blood coagulability, protects against blood clots, and reduces atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels. Dried figs regain strength during exhaustion, vitamin deficiency. It improves brain function, improves tone and performance. Fruits treat a protracted cough, facilitate breathing. There are special recipes for preparing remedies to eliminate the symptoms of a cold.
Who doesn’t need to eat a berry?
Fruits should not be consumed with:
- diabetes mellitus;
- obesity;
- acute gastrointestinal disease;
- diarrhea
- pancreatitis;
- gout.
Individuals with allergies should also not include dried figs in their food. In case of contraindications, it is advisable to consult a doctor.
Calorie content
In 100 g of product contains 248 kcal. This delicious, sweet dessert will be suitable for those who follow the figure. When choosing dried fruits, you need to pay attention to:
- color - light brown;
- shape is a bit flattened;
- size is the same.
Dried figs should not have a smell of mold, acidity. This indicates a low-quality product. It is better to throw away such berries than to poison. If the fruits have saccharines, then the product is prepared with syrup. There should not be dark spots on the surface.
How to use?
Figs come in many dishes. Dried berries are eaten:
- as an independent product;
- as an additive to sauces, desserts, compotes;
- with honey, cream, cheese.
Just keep in mind that with the addition of other products, the calorie content of the dish increases.
How else can you prepare?
Figs can be prepared in the form of jam. It will take 1 kg of fruit, 0.5 kg of sugar and 1 liter of water. The berries must be pierced with a toothpick. Syrup is made on the basis of sugar and water. When it boils, figs are added to it. Boil for just 5 minutes. If the fruits remain at the top, they should be immersed in syrup with a wooden spatula. Then remove the workpiece from the heat and leave it for 12 hours.
Then the jam is boiled again for 5 minutes. Then the gas must be turned off and the product left for 12 hours. The third time you should boil it again, after which the dessert is laid out in jars. The result is a tasty and healthy jam.
Another method of harvesting is considered to be freezing. It is advisable to take dark figs, which must first be washed. The fruits should be dried, and then laid out in bags, remove air and place in the freezer. In winter, a tasty and healthy treat will be ready.
Thus, figs can be prepared in various ways. Drying is a common method of harvesting berries. They retain the taste, aroma and benefits. Using any suitable method, you will be able to procure valuable dried fruit.