TOP 4 simple recipes for making dried pears at home
Delicious sun-dried pears are a great and healthier alternative to the classic fruit preparations that use a lot of sugar. The fruits prepared in this way retain most of the beneficial properties, which cannot be said about conservation. Several recipes for dried pears are widespread at once, the main difference of which is the method of drying fruits.
Cooking specifics
Drying is one of the ways to heat food. During it, the pulp gradually dries out under the influence of a low temperature with simultaneous blowing with air currents.
Dried pears are easy to make at your typical home. In the process, they use household kitchen appliances (electric dryer, oven) or cook right on the street, under the sun.
Which varieties to choose and how to prepare the fruit?
Any varieties are suitable for drying. However, the denser their pulp is, the faster and better the cooking process will go. The ideal option would be varieties:
- Kabardinka;
- Krasulia;
- Extravaganza;
- Bergamot;
- Forest beauty.
Too soft, overripe and spoiled specimens will not work due to the fact that their pulp contains a lot of juices and, during processing, will not be able to maintain a dense structure.
Important! When preparing fruit, special attention should be paid to sorting. The presence of damage of any kind is not allowed, such fruits are immediately discarded.
Fruit preparation consists of the following steps:
- The washed fruit is cut in half lengthwise and the seeds and stalk are removed.
- Divide each half into 2-4 more fragments so that their final thickness is no more than 2.5 centimeters (the minimum size is 1.5).
- Pour sugar over the pears at the rate of 350 grams of sweetener per kilogram of fruit.
In this form, the slices should spend 1.5 days at a temperature of plus 20 degrees.
How to cook dried pear at home?
The technology for preparing dried pears directly depends on the chosen method of drying the product. The classic version of drying in the sun will take the longest. The use of kitchen appliances significantly reduces time spent.
In the sun
The task of drying is to remove all juices from the pears. Therefore, the process begins with the fact that the prepared pears are thrown onto a sieve. So the liquid released from them in 1.5 days can safely drain.
Ingredient composition:
- pears - 1 kilogram;
- sugar - 350 grams;
- water - 350 milliliters.
Cooking technique:
- Boil syrup from water with sugar. After boiling, throw pears into it, turn off the stove.
- Leave the fruit slices to stand for 10 minutes with the lid open.
- Transfer the slices to a sieve and leave for an hour to drain off all moisture.
- Put cooled fruits in one layer and hang in a well-ventilated place.
After 2 days, each half-withered pear must be turned over and left for another week.
In the oven
The next most affordable way to make a jerky dessert is with a stove. By setting it to a minimum temperature, you can provide ideal conditions for the slow evaporation of moisture. In this recipe, no other foods are required besides pears.
If desired, you can add some zest by sprinkling the wedges with vanilla or cinnamon powder. In a similar way, you can prepare fruits pre-soaked in sugar syrup.
Cooking technique:
- Set the mode on the stove to 60 degrees.
- Place the pear in one layer on a baking sheet and place in the oven.
- When the fruits begin to visually lose volume, lower the temperature to 55 degrees and keep the slices there for another 4 hours. In this case, the hob door can be left slightly ajar. This will allow air to circulate. On modern stoves, the "convection" mode is simply set.
The resulting dried pears should be firm and dry. Otherwise, heat treatment must be continued (already at 40 degrees).
In an electric dryer
A special device, an electric dryer, will significantly increase the amount of processed products and simplify the preparation of dried slices.
Ingredient composition:
- pear slices - 2 kilograms;
- syrup - 900 milliliters;
- sugar - 700 grams.
Cooking technique:
- Cover the fruit wedges with sugar and leave for 3 days.
- Let the liquid drain, then dip the slices into the boiled syrup.
- After 10 minutes, discard the pears in a colander, where they should spend another 1 hour.
- Put the fruits in an electric dryer, set the temperature to 60 degrees and dry them for about 14 hours (depending on the recommendations of the device manufacturer).
If desired, your favorite spices can be added at the drying stage, then the dried product will acquire a special aroma and taste.
Mulled wine recipe
To soak pears, you can use not only syrup, but also an alcohol base.
Ingredient composition:
- aromatic alcoholic mulled wine - 500 milliliters;
- unripe pears, cut into 7 millimeter slices - 2 kilograms.
Cooking technique:
- Dip fruits in boiling mulled wine and leave for a day.
- Transfer the slices to a sieve and let the moisture drain for an hour.
- Wither the fruit in a convenient way (in the oven or in an electric dryer).
After the pear has dried up, transfer everything to parchment and leave at room temperature for 3 days.
Storage features
If you follow the rules of preparation, dried pears are suitable for consumption for 6 months - 1 year (depending on the degree of dryness of the product). The refrigerator will help to extend the storage period to 1.5 years.
General requirements for product placement conditions:
- low air humidity (maximum 50%);
- protection from direct sunlight;
- lack of air access.
Suitable containers for storage are paper rolls or airtight containers. If in doubt about the dryness of dried pears, it is best to keep them cold..
Even a child can cope with the preparation of such a delicious and healthy dessert. After spending a little time on the preparation of fruits, at the exit you can get a first-class preparation that will remind you of a sunny summer on winter evenings.
