Dried berries: benefits and harms, how to properly dry and consume

Dried berries are a product that has long been common in many countries. Harvesting fruits for the winter by drying allows you to preserve their beneficial properties and make a delicious treat. They can be used in any form: add to pastries, make compotes and desserts, make jam and eat without pre-treatment. The healing properties of decoctions of dried berries will help prevent many diseases. A variety of fruits that are dried for storage allows you to get almost the entire range of these delicious gifts of nature in winter.

Dried berries are specially dried fruits of shrubs and trees. It can be cherry, barberry, wild rose, hawthorn, cranberry, dogwood, grapes, blueberries, strawberries and many others. They are harvested in slightly different ways, as a result of which they can be dried or dried, their taste and texture vary.

The richness of nutrients in dried fruits from berries is very high, they have anti-cold, bactericidal, expectorant and tonic properties. Different varieties may contain additional antioxidants, minerals, essential oils. The properties of these substances can hardly be overestimated: they improve the functioning of the heart, the central nervous system, and have a calming effect.

In dried form, it is very good to store dogwood. These are red berries growing on a small shrub.Too sour fresh, it retains a slight sourness when dried, along with all its richness of vitamins and organic acids, iron, potassium, magnesium and calcium. It tones, helps to cope with colds, strengthens the immune system, supports blood vessels and heart muscle.

Dried goji berries, representatives of the nightshade family, are also popular. They are shipped from China. They are confident that their impact on the body will help cure almost all known diseases and restore strength. Their taste is very sweet, they are sold both whole and ground.

Juniper fruits have been known since ancient times for their bactericidal properties. They are harvested in early autumn and dried without thermal heating. At the same time, organic acids are preserved: malic, formic, ascorbic, and also essential oil, which contains about 2%.

The benefits of rose hips and sea buckthorn for people with weakened immune systems are obvious, even children are prescribed decoctions from these dried fruits during the period of frequent illnesses. The content of fat, protein in dried berries is low. They are loaded with carbohydrates. The total calorie content is about 300 kcal, depending on the type of product.

The benefits of any fruit with proper drying retain almost fully. They can be used for restorative, therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, making decoctions and tinctures.

The high content of fructose in dried fruits allows you to satisfy the need for fast carbohydrates. The anti-cold and immunomodulatory properties of dried berries are widely known, they are used to prevent seasonal diseases.

The high content of potassium and magnesium is preserved during drying, with their help the work of the cardiovascular system is supported.

The high carbohydrate content of dried berries can be a problem for those who have a tendency to be overweight or have diabetes. During drying, fruits lose water, and their weight becomes less, while the content of glucose and fructose remains the same. When eating them as a dessert, you should take this into account, especially for people with high blood sugar.

But also avoid excessive consumption of dried berries should be people with diseases of the intestines and pancreas, pancreatitis, stomach ulcers.

The natural pigments they contain can cause allergic reactions. Therefore, allergy sufferers and children should definitely start using them with one or two berries to identify possible allergies.

For industrial and commercial production, food GOSTs apply, which determine the quality indicators of dried products of different varieties. They indicate the size, color, density of the finished product, which helps the consumer to obtain high-quality berries.

At home, these wonderful gifts are dried for personal use. By collecting and drying the berries yourself, you can be sure of the quality of the berries themselves and their proper processing and storage.

For drying, whole ripened fruits are harvested without signs of overripeness. Sepals are left on all berries, with the exception of raspberries and blackberries. They are harvested unripe to avoid souring.

Berries can be dried in several ways. Harvested in dry weather, the fruits can simply be laid out on a flat surface covered with paper. The drying place should be well ventilated, access to direct sunlight should be limited.Every day, the layer is turned upside down. With this method of drying, the fruits lose a fairly large amount of vitamins due to their oxidation with oxygen.

It is possible to dry the berries in the oven. A baking sheet is lined with parchment paper, berries are laid out in a thin even layer. The oven temperature is first set at 45°C and gradually raised to 75°C. The oven door must remain ajar. The drying process takes about 2-4 hours, you can check the readiness by checking the presence of juice in the berry. Dried berries should not contain juice.

In the microwave, you can get dried berries pretty quickly. To do this, they are laid out between the cloth, and dried until cooked in small portions.

To dry the berries, you can use a special electric dryer. The parameters are set on it according to the instructions, and the fruits are dried automatically.

After drying and cooling the berries, they are laid out in a glass dish with an airtight lid. And you can also store them in a cloth bag. The fabric should be light and without a pattern. The shelf life of dried berries is 2 years.

Rosehip infusion or decoction is recommended for colds, as well as for their prevention and immunity.

The use of dried berries for health purposes is extensive. They make decoctions, make a mixture with nuts and honey to improve the functioning of the heart.

People who are overweight should use such fruits carefully. On the one hand, it is a healthy and tasty substitute for sweets; for weight loss and maintaining carbohydrate levels, it is better to eat a couple of dried berries instead of sweets and flour for tea.On the other hand, their excessive consumption can lead to the deposition of excess fat.

For information on how to dry berries outdoors, see the following video.