Prunes are very popular in cooking and good for health. However, when buying dried fruits, there is no certainty that there are no preservatives, pesticides and other chemicals, and they are not cheap. In season, the price of fresh plums is not so high, so we will figure out how to choose the right way to dry and how to properly store prunes at home.
How to choose a plum for drying
Not all varieties make good dried fruits. Fruits should be sweet, with strong pulp and not watery. therefore top grades Plums for cooking prunes - is "Hungarian" or "Renklod".
Important! Only whole whole fruits are selected without damage, dents and wormholes.It is desirable to divide them into several batches by size: the larger ones will dry longer, small ones during this time dry up to the crunch.
How to prepare fruit
Wash the fruits thoroughly and remove the stalk with leaves. The stone can be removed - drying will then take place much faster, but the whole dried plum will have a richer taste and retain more nutrients.
In industrial conditions, the fruit before drying blanched: Dip for a few minutes in a 0.1% solution of baking soda. Due to this cracks form on the skin, which accelerates the evaporation of moisture.
After blanching, plums are doused with cold water and dried with a paper towel or laid out on a cloth.
Did you know? If you plan to use prunes for confectionery purposes, pour plums with sugar syrup (450 g of sugar per 1 kg of fruit) and bring to a boil.
How to dry plums at home
There are several ways: drying the plums in the oven, in an electric dryer, in the sun and in the microwave. Each of them has its limitations and advantages: accessibility, time, cost. Let us examine them in more detail. 
In the oven
Put the prepared fruit on a baking sheet (if you cut them, then peel down to avoid dripping juice). Put the plums in the oven preheated to 45-50 ° C and dry them there for 3-4 hours.
After that, let them cool to room temperature and put them back in the oven, this time heated to a temperature of 65-70 ° C. Hold there for 4-5 hours and cool again. At the last stage, dry at a temperature of about 80 ° C until the dried fruit is ready.
Did you know? If you want prunes to be black and shiny, the last 15 minutes of drying, raise the temperature to 100 - 105 °Since then, the fruit sugars on the surface of the plum are caramelized, and it will acquire a characteristic luster and light caramel flavor.
In the electric dryer
Spread the prepared plums evenly on the driers of the electric dryers (if they are cut, then peel down). Put the pallets in the dryer and conduct the process as described earlier: 3-4 hours at 45-50 ° C, let it cool down, 3-4 hours at 65-70 ° C, let it cool again, and until ready, dry at 75-80 WITH. For uniform drying periodically swap pallets.
In the microwave
Without a doubt, with this method of time for drying each individual batch takes the least, but download a large number of plums at the same time will not work.
So, prepare the fruits lay in one row on a flat dish, which can be used in a microwave oven. Set the power level to 300 W and turn on the microwave for 5 minutes. After that, checking the readiness of the product every 30 seconds, continue to dry prunes until ready.
Important! When cooking prunes in the microwave, it is very easy to dry it to coals. The process must be constantly monitored!
In the sun
This is the longest, but at the same time the most cheap way prune blanks for the winter. Place the cut plums in half with the cut-up on a wooden or metal tray laid with paper and place it in the sun.
To protect against flies and other insects, cover it with gauze on top. Stir the fruit periodically for better drying. The process will take from 4 to 7 days. At night, remove the pan from the street so that dew does not fall on the drying prunes. 
How to determine the readiness of dried fruit
Ready prunes elastic, elastic, does not stick to hands, the skin should not crack when bending. It should be soft, but not wet. Since it is difficult to achieve the same drying of fruits, to level the moisture in the finished product, it can be laid out in glass jars and sealed with plastic covers for several days.
At the same time, moisture from slightly undried plums will be absorbed by overdried. Banks need to be shaken periodically. If condensate drops form on the walls, it means that prunes are not ready, and it must be dried.
Dried berries and fruits will help to saturate the body with nutrients in the winter. Try to dry for the winter cherries, wild rose, dogwood, gooseberry, blueberry, apples, pears, apricots.
How to store at home
Dried fruits are stored in paper or linen bags in a dark, dry, cool place, out of direct sunlight, for example, in a pantry or refrigerator.
You can also store them in glass or plastic jars with a tight-fitting lid to protect against kitchen moths and other insects. Properly cooked prunes with proper storage retains its taste and beneficial properties to 12 months.
Prunes cooked with your own hands will delight you until next summer in your little culinary masterpieces: in meat and poultry dishes, in cakes and pastries, in pies and pastries, in yogurts and ice cream. And even just to take a handful of dried fruit for tea on a winter evening is a little warm memory of summer.
