How to dry pears at home: recommendations with photos and videos

In winter, it is not only pleasant, but also he althy to enjoy the wonderful taste of fragrant pears. There are many ways to preserve these fruits. One of the most popular is drying. Next, we will talk about how to properly dry pears in several ways at home.

Features of drying pears for the winter

It should be remembered that this fruit processing has some features:

Pears should not be overly juicy or overripe.
Dry medium-sized fruits. Too large for drying unsuitable.
It is desirable that these be the fruits of those varieties that do not contain a large number of seeds. Once harvested, fruits should not be stored for more than 2 days, as they become too soft and are not suitable for this storage method.
Pears should have a firm texture.
Viscosity has a bad effect on the taste of dried fruits, so it is better not to take viscous varieties.
The thickness of the cut slices should not exceed 1 cm. Small pears, including wild pears, can be dried whole.

Wild varieties can also be used, however the fruit must be ripe and fall from the tree by itself. Unripe fruits, as well as fruits that have been frozen, are not suitable for drying.

Preparing fruit for drying

Before drying, fruits should be pre-prepared. Do it like this:

remove unripe or spoiled fruits;
wash thoroughly;
towel dry or dry naturally;
dipped in boiling water for 15 minutes, then pulled out. If you have to dry the wild birds, then sugar is added to the water if desired.
let the fruit cool well.

After this procedure, the fruits are cut, the seeds are removed from them. Then cut into slices. The resulting workpiece is placed in a weak solution of citric acid.

Ways to dry pears at home

There are several ways to prepare dried fruit at home.

In the oven

For such drying, the prepared fruits are laid out on a baking sheet in one layer.The oven is preheated at 60 degrees. A baking sheet with pears is placed in it and dried for two hours. Then the temperature rises to 80 degrees. Further drying in a gas stove oven takes about 20 hours. If the fruits are cut large or dried whole, then up to 25.

The drying process needs to be checked every half an hour.

During the drying process, the weight of the product is significantly reduced. The disadvantage of this method is that some of the nutrients in pears are destroyed during heat treatment.

Microwave

This way is the fastest of all. In this case, a portion of fruit dries within 5-6 minutes, however, if the process is not controlled, then the batch can be very easily overdried.

For such drying, you need to take a flat dish suitable for microwave ovens, spread the pears in one layer and place in the microwave.

To properly dry the fruits, the power is set to 200-250 W, and the oven is turned on for two and a half minutes. Then you should check the condition of the pears. They should spring back slightly when pressed.

If necessary, fruits can be dried, but no more than 2-2.5 minutes.

In the electric dryer

This appliance is designed for drying fruits and vegetables. It is assembled according to the instructions, prepared pieces of pears are placed in it. They are dried at a temperature of 70 degrees.

In an electric dryer, processing lasts from 15 to 19 hours. Turn pear slices from time to time to dry evenly.

Properly dried pears do not crumble, have a pleasant light brown color. They are elastic to the touch.

Air dry

This method is quite laborious, but it preserves all the useful substances in pears. You can dry fruits naturally without laying them out, but piercing them with a needle and thread and hanging them to dry.

To begin with, you should choose the right place for the upcoming drying. It must meet the following requirements:

there should be no wind and no dust;
insects (mosquitoes, flies, midges) should not have access to the slices;
should cover threads with pears with gauze.

After such drying for 3-4 days, the fruits are removed from the threads and put into dry jars or containers for storage.

Make sure they are dry enough before putting them in a dry dish for storage. It is important to make sure that none of the pieces are moldy or the entire batch will be spoiled in storage.

In the drying cabinet

Such devices are also designed for drying fruits, fish, meat, mushrooms. Unlike an electric dryer, more fruits can be placed here for processing, since it fits several baking sheets.

Drying process occurs due to the circulation of hot air in the cabinet. Baking trays of prepared fruit load the cupboard, close it, and set the temperature to 70 degrees.

During drying in the cabinet, you can also periodically open it and turn the slices over. This procedure takes 12-15 hours.

Drying cabinets can be used not only on an industrial scale, but also if there are a large number of fruit trees.

In the sun

The place for this drying method should be sufficiently lit. Insects should not land on fruit.

Pears are dried in one layer on a flat dish or baking sheet. Drying is carried out during the day in the sun, in the evening they are covered with gauze and removed into the room. In this way, the fruits are processed for 3-4 days, then they are stored in glassware.

Storage of dried fruits

To prevent the fruits from becoming moldy and spoiled, not only drying rules, but also storage conditions should be observed:

Storing too long makes fruit hard and unsightly. Therefore, dried fruits should be used whenever possible and should not be stored for more than a year.
Do not store dryer near heating systems or various heaters.
Check stored product periodically to make sure there is no mold.
Do not store them near the electric stove to avoid condensation in the containers, which will later cause damage to the product.

It is best to store drying in glass jars with an airtight lid or in fabric bags.

Properly dried and stored fruits will pleasantly surprise you with taste and aroma in the cold season.