A unique recipe for the winter: how to make dried strawberries at home

The best way to preserve strawberries for the winter is to dry them. This method allows you to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients and has almost no effect on the taste of strawberries.

Dried strawberries can be used to make a variety of desserts, baked goods, or brewed tea. However, for proper strawberry drying at home, it is necessary to take into account some features of different drying methods.

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Preparing berries for drying

First, rinse the harvested strawberries gently in cool water. Then put the berries on paper towels and let them dry well. After that, separate the sepals from the berries.

You can cut the peeled strawberries into even slices. To get slices of the same thickness, you can use a special cheese slicer.

Methods of drying strawberries

Drying outside. Put some old newspapers under a flat surface covered with several layers of thick paper. Put the sliced strawberries on this paper, leaving some space between them. It is not recommended to place the strawberries directly on the newspaper sheets, as the product may be colored by the printing ink. The layers of newspaper should be replaced with new ones every 4-6 hours and the berries should be mixed. After four days, the strawberries are completely dry.

Drying in the oven. To make strawberry crisps in the oven, spread the sliced berries on wax paper covered trays. Place the trays in an oven preheated to no more than 60 degrees. After 1.5 hours, remove the trays, turn the berries and let them cool completely. Then continue drying in the same mode. The total cooking time is 8-10 hours.

It is important to ensure constant air circulation by keeping the oven door slightly ajar. This will help replace moist air with dry air and speed up the drying process. If the open door is a source of discomfort, you can use a special electric dryer for fruits and vegetables.

Drying in an electric dryer. It is best to place the sliced strawberries on trays covered with nylon mesh. You can make it yourself by cutting the mesh along the contour of the drying trays. Spread the berries out tightly, but without tilting. Set the temperature between 55-60 degrees. To ensure even drying, move the trays several times throughout the process.

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Drying in the microwave. Arrange the strawberry pieces on a flat plate covered with a paper towel. Cover them with a thin sheet of paper and place them in the microwave. Set the power to 600 watts and continue drying for 3 minutes.

Then remove the top napkin and continue drying on the same setting for another 3 minutes. During the process, mix the pieces and check for doneness every 60 seconds.

Drying the strawberry tails. Do not throw away the strawberry tails, they can be used to make delicious vitamin tea. Strawberry tails can be dried using any of the methods described above. You can also simply put the sepals on paper in a dark and well-ventilated area.

Making strawberry pastille. Strawberry pastille can be cooked in the oven or an electric dryer. To do this, spread the chopped strawberries and sugar on a baking sheet or in trays greased with oil or lard. Dry the pastille at a temperature of 55-60 degrees.

Storage of dried strawberries

Strawberry chips can be made into a powder by grinding them in a coffee grinder. Store the powder and dried strawberry pieces in tightly closed glass jars in a cool, dry place. The shelf life is 2 years. The pastille is best stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

Earlier, we wrote about how to properly preserve sorrel for green borscht. We also advise you to pay attention to the recipe for broken cucumbers.

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