Experienced housewives preparing for the winter not only preserve but also the dried fruit. After all, it is not only vitamins and benefits, but also a delicious summer scent. Dried fruits can be added to cakes, dishes prepared in the winter and eaten as a dessert. However, to preserve this product during the long winter months, you need to know how to store dried fruit at home.
Before finding out how, where and in what to store dried fruits, you need to find out what dried fruits can and should be harvested for the winter. If you buy dried fruit in a store, you will have no problem with storage. Dried fruit production is processed with special agents to repel pests, protecting the product from mold and rot. In most cases, no matter how you store them, they will always have a shiny attractive look.
Of course, such dried fruits are meat and delicious, but, unfortunately, there is no use for them at all. Such products are treated with manufacturing reagents that do not retain their vitamins. Therefore, you can choose to buy your own dried fruit in the supermarket or cook it yourself.
If you are cooking dried fruit at home, you should know a rule. Dried fruits are only suitable for long-term storage if they contain no more than 25% moisture. How to test it? To do this, squeeze the dried fruit in your hand. If it has collapsed, it means that it can be stored, if it is cut into a piece, it must be dried.
What to host
It is best to store dried fruits in a tightly closed container. A sealed plastic container, glass jar or plastic bag can be used for storage. However, before placing dried fruit in an airtight container, check if all the pieces are properly dried? If you have at least one fruit, not completely dried, in an enclosed space, it can damage all other dried fruits. This can lead to cavities and mold.
Dried apples and pears are kept in the best cloth bag. Boil lychee bags in salt water first (this will protect dried fruit from insects), dry and fill with dried fruits. Periodically review the content so that the fruit does not rot. If you find rotten fruit pieces or molds in your bag, it’s best to throw them away, and you should immediately create a mixture from nearby fruit. Over time, arrange and mix dry fruits so that they dry evenly and don’t stick together. Before storing dried fruit for storage, double check that the bags are tight.
Storage location
Storage of dried fruit should be in a cool dark place. The best way is to keep the container of dried fruit on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator – it is cool enough there, allowing no harm. It is best to protect dried fruits from direct sunlight and keep them in a dark place.
If you don’t have enough space in your fridge to store dried fruits, you can place them on the top shelf of kitchen drawers, where you don’t often look. high. It is best to place a box of salt or soda next to a packet of dried fruit. These adsorbents completely absorb moisture, protecting the dried fruit from it.
How to protect dry fruits from pests
The most serious danger of preserving dried fruits is pests. In many dried fruits, midges, moths, cocoons and other animals like to live. If you find insects on fruit, you need to thoroughly wash the dried fruits and dry them in an oven at high temperature. Under such conditions, even insect larvae die. If you want to continue preserving, you should be careful to dry the fruit after washing, washing and ironing (especially in folds). After the incident, you should more often and carefully review and classify dried fruits.
If you’re afraid insects will appear in dried fruit, put a mint or basil in a bag. Pests do not tolerate this smell. Also, if you prepare a dried fruit mixture with the addition of dried mint stems, this will give the drinks a unique aroma.
If there are fresh, healthy and delicious products on the table all year round – this is a sign of a good housewife. Dried fruits should be stored at low temperatures, in a dark place and in an airtight container. These three rules will help you protect and conserve your food supply.