Dried fruits are an excellent source of nutrients in the winter. Such blanks contain a more concentrated amount of elements than the crude product. In the article, we consider whether it is possible to dry the melon and how to do it, as well as whether the dried melon will be useful and whether there are contraindications to its consumption.

Benefits and harm to the body

When dried at low temperatures, this fruit retains a lot of vitamin and mineral substances in its composition.

• Due to this, the dried product has the following useful properties:
• It helps to combat the negative impact of the environment;
• positively affects the nervous system, improves mood;
• gives a charge of energy;
• stimulates the gastrointestinal tract;
• helps with constipation;
• supports the cardiovascular system;
• beneficial effect on the urinary system;
• helps to maintain the necessary hormonal level for women during pregnancy, as well as during menopause;
• improves the appearance of skin and hair;
• normalizes metabolic processes;
• useful for vitamin deficiency.

Despite its beneficial qualities, melon dried fruits can be harmful in some cases.

Did you know? The number of calories in 100 g of dried melon is 341 kcal. Such a melon fruit contains vitamins necessary for the body (A, C, D, PP), as well as amino acids.

• The following contraindications for taking this product are:
• diabetes;
• diarrhea;
• should not be given to children under 1 year old;
• when breastfeeding, women need to refrain from consuming this fruit, as it can cause an allergic reaction in the baby.

Do not eat these dried fruits with dairy products, honey and alcoholic beverages: this combination can lead to an upset bowel. Those who want to lose weight should be careful with this product - it contains a lot of calories. Also, do not eat too much dried melon to avoid gastrointestinal problems.

Melon selection and preparation

You should choose fruits with sweet, but hard flesh. For the preparation of dried fruits from melon, such varieties as Kolkhoznitsa, Torpeda, Persian, Pineapple, Gulyabi are suitable. Before drying, the selected fruits must be peeled and sunflower seeds, and then cut into slices 5-7 mm thick.

Recipe number 1

How to dry melon in an electric dryer

It is best to dry the melon in a special dryer for fruits and vegetables.

Did you know? Melon is considered to be from Central and Asia Minor. There they make dried fruit, just withering it in the sun for about 10-14 days - just as their distant ancestors did.

Step-by-step instruction

Steps 1 ingredient Video recipe

• Melon (already prepared)

  5 kg

1. On the first tier, where we will lay out the melon slices, we need to put a plastic insert for drying the pastille to protect the dryer from juice that will drip from the fruit. To prevent the pieces from sticking to the insert, put a grid on top of it.
2. Put chopped melon slices around the opening of the electric dryer, gradually filling all the tiers.
3. Cover the dryer with a lid and place in a ventilated area.
4. Turn on the dryer and select a mode for drying fruits and vegetables (approximately 45 ° C).
5. After a day, check how the pieces are dried. Drying time in many respects depends on their juiciness and can make 1-2 days.

Video recipe

From 5 kg of the starting product, 600 g of dried fruit is obtained.

How to store dried melon at home

After removal from the electric dryer, the melon plates must be stored in a container separate from other dried fruits. Dried pieces can be folded into flagella, and then into pigtails. Then they should be placed in glass jars. Pre-jars should be covered with parchment to prevent mold.

You will also be interested to learn how to freeze melon for the winter and how to make candied fruit from melon.

Fabric bags (cotton or linen) as well as paper bags are still suitable for storage.

You can also store the product in transparent containers or plastic bags. For this purpose, it is necessary to choose a transparent container in order to timely notice the appearance of insect pests that can ruin the dried fruit.

When storing in boxes, care should be taken to ensure that there are no holes or slots through which pests can crawl. It is best that the storage container is airtight.

Periodically, every 2-3 weeks, you should inspect containers, storage bags for pests or spoilage of the product. If damaged places in the workpiece are found, it is necessary to sort out the entire stock in the container and discard unusable pieces.

The temperature for storage should not be higher than + 30 ° C, and air humidity - more than 70%. The recommended temperature regime for storage is 0 ... + 10 ° С. Under such conditions, dried fruits can be stored for no more than a year without access to sunlight.

Important! When a package is depressurized, pests can enter it. Then, in order to preserve the product, it is necessary to sort it out and dry the remaining pieces for half an hour in the oven at 75 ° C.

At home, it is best to dry the melon in a special electric dryer, as this will save the maximum amount of vitamins in the product: it will be a tasty and healthy treat in the winter.