Uses for dried pumpkin. How to properly dry pumpkin in an electric dryer: our practical experience

Pumpkin is rich in vitamins, fiber, microelements and is also low in calories. Many tasty and nutritious dishes are prepared from the juicy orange pulp. It is boiled, fried, baked and stuffed. However, not everyone knows that pumpkin pulp is also dried. Sun-dried slices are a wonderful vitamin supplement to the diet, and children eat them with pleasure.

We'll tell you how to dry a pumpkin in an electric dryer correctly and how to create decorative items from this orange beauty.

Preparing pumpkin for drying

The taste of the finished product largely depends on the correct choice of pumpkins and the preparation of the fruit for drying.

Suitable varieties for drying

For drying, undamaged pumpkins without signs of rot are selected. It is important that the fruits are fully ripe. First of all, preference is given to table and nutmeg varieties rather than forage varieties of pumpkin.

The best option for drying are considered hard-bark pumpkins , which ripen later than others.

Important! For harvesting, those pumpkins are selected that have the stalk remaining after harvesting. Such fruits are protected from the entry of harmful microorganisms.

Late-ripening varieties include Sweet Table, Winter Sweet, Buttercup, and Blue Hubbard. Among the decorative varieties, Legendaria and Cucurbita are dried. Early ripening varieties are also dried and dried, but their moisture content is higher, and accordingly, they take longer to dry than late ripening ones.

Selection stages

Pumpkin selection is carried out in two stages . First, the appearance of the fruit is examined. Only ripe, whole pumpkins are selected, without dents or damage. There should be no suspicious plaque or stains on the crust.

Then the fruits are cut and the pulp is carefully examined. Pumpkins with uniformly colored, dense flesh produce a tasty and healthy starting product, which is also stored for a long time.

Preliminary processing

Selected specimens are thoroughly washed, peeled and seeds are separated from the pulp .

Advice. When cutting up pumpkins, do not throw away the seeds. They are very helpful.

Pumpkin pulp is cut into pieces 3-4 cm thick . Do not make the slices too small, because when dried, the pumpkin greatly decreases in size.

The blanks are laid out in a container in a thin layer . The slices are sprinkled with sugar at the rate of 200 g per 1 kg of pulp. Place a press on top and put the pumpkin in a cool place for 12-15 hours. Then the juice is drained, the pieces are again sprinkled with sugar and again put in a cool place for 12-15 hours.

The drained juice is mixed with a small amount of sugar and brought to a boil . When the juice has cooled slightly, the prepared pumpkin pieces are immersed in it for 15 minutes. After this, the slices are removed from the liquid and drying begins.

Preparing the vegetable

How to dry a pumpkin for decoration? But in order to use this undoubtedly creative vegetable to create interior items and interesting design solutions, you need to properly prepare the pumpkin.

The most important step for this is drying. It is this that makes the pumpkin so tough that it can serve its owners as a craft for many years.

In our article we will tell you in detail about how the drying process itself occurs. How to prepare pumpkin for drying? It is very important to properly prepare the pumpkin for the drying process, and we are not talking about preliminary work before the process itself.

You can learn how and when to remove pumpkins from the garden in our other article.

You need to be very careful when choosing the pumpkin itself - after all, this is the key to proper drying. Not every pumpkin variety is suitable for making crafts from.

In special greenhouses, hundreds of decorative pumpkins are grown annually, which are exactly suitable for the creations of masters.

Study information about varieties of decorative pumpkins and select them by appearance. As a rule, such a pumpkin has a more rounded shape and more pronounced bulges. The color of this pumpkin is even and brown.

Also, in addition to the fact that the pumpkin must be of a special variety, it must be completely healthy in order to adequately endure the drying process. First of all, such a pumpkin should have a uniform color, without obvious signs of rotting or mold.

Also, the pumpkin must have a stalk. Unfortunately, drying is impossible without it. From the hole where the stalk connects to the vegetable during drying, juice may leak out and the whole process will be done down the drain. You should also evaluate the pumpkin by touch. It should not be soft, but rather more hard.

There should be no damage to the vegetable. Also, do not take a pumpkin that is too large to dry at home. Most likely, such drying will be doomed to failure.

The next step in preparing the pumpkin is your own, but at home. At home, you must carefully prepare the pumpkin for the drying process. To do this, clean the pumpkin from visible dirt by gently wiping it with a cloth. Now put the pumpkin in the shower and rinse it on several sides with slightly warm water. Do not apply too much pressure as this may damage the skin of the vegetable.

After the pumpkin is washed, pat it thoroughly with a towel, removing any wet drops. Leave the pumpkin for an hour in a dark and dry room, and then pat it dry again with a towel and dry for another hour. When you feel that the top surface of the vegetable is completely dry, you can proceed to the next stage.

How to dry a pumpkin for crafts? You can dry the pumpkin either whole or in parts. Depending on what purpose you are pursuing from drying, decide on the type of pumpkin. If you want to cut a vegetable, cut the pumpkin into arbitrary pieces, after removing the seeds.

It should be immediately noted that preparing pumpkins for crafts and for food has significant differences. In the first case, it is necessary to create as rigid a frame as possible, which will last for many years. And in the second - to preserve as much as possible the beneficial properties and vitamins contained in the vegetable. However, for both tasks there is a general rule that it is advisable to adhere to: try to choose only healthy fruits with an even skin color and without signs of spoilage and rotting.

For decoration

Now let's look at how to prepare and what to look for when choosing vegetables for decorative purposes. For crafts, experienced needlewomen recommend using two types of pumpkin: “cucurbita” and “lagenaria”. They come in bright yellow, orange and red colors and are perfect for making lanterns, pots, vases and bottles.

To properly dry decorative pumpkins, select specimens that have a stalk. Without it, drying will not proceed correctly, since moisture should evaporate from the fruit naturally. And the stalk and pores on the surface of the vegetable are best suited for these purposes.

Algorithm

Before drying, thoroughly wash the selected pumpkins with soapy water.
Dry with paper towels and store in a dark, dry place for several hours.
After the future decor has dried well, wipe it with alcohol.
Place the art material in a dark place again.
After 1-2 weeks, making sure that the shell has hardened sufficiently, you can begin to thoroughly dry it.

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For food

To properly dry pumpkins for eating:

Wash the fruits well and peel them. Then cut in half and remove the seeds.
Cut the pulp into voluminous pieces at least 3–5 cm wide: during drying, the pumpkin decreases greatly in size.
Place the prepared pieces in one layer at the bottom of a shallow container. Sprinkle them with sugar at the rate of 200 g per 1 kg of vegetables.
Place the treat in a cool, dark place and place a press on it for 15–17 hours.
After the specified time, drain the resulting juice and leave the vegetables for another 10–12 hours.
Transfer the fruits and juice into a saucepan, add a little more sugar and boil for 15 minutes. Then place the candied preparations in a colander.

Now the pumpkin is ready for further drying. All that remains is to choose the most suitable method.

Drying pumpkin in an electric dryer

It is preferable to dry the pumpkin using an electric dryer or oven . This significantly reduces drying time and reduces the likelihood of product spoilage during the process. In addition, the dryer greatly simplifies the process, since virtually no human intervention is required.

The prepared slices are laid out on racks at a short distance from each other. The temperature is set to at least 55-60 °C. To prevent the slices from sticking to the grates, they are periodically turned over.

The total cooking time for the delicacy depends on the size of the pumpkin pieces and the moisture content of the pulp . On average, the drying process lasts from 12 to 20 hours.

Candied fruit

To prepare candied fruits, small pieces of pulp are used . First, they are boiled several times in sweet syrup, and then laid out on wire racks and sent to the dryer or oven.

You can prepare candied fruits with different flavors. To do this, add lemon or orange juice, cinnamon, ginger, and honey to the sugar syrup.

Pumpkin chips

To prepare unusual chips, the pulp is first baked in the oven for 30-40 minutes and pureed . The resulting mass is spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Then the puree is dried in an oven or electric dryer until brittle.

Pumpkin powder

Another unusual option for preparing dried pumpkin. Pumpkin powder is made from dried puree , grinding it with a coffee grinder to a homogeneous consistency.

The crushed mass is stored in jars or paper bags in a dry, dark place . Pumpkin powder adds a beautiful color to baked goods and complements soups, side dishes and dessert dishes well. If you mix it with warm water, you get healthy pumpkin puree.

Drying pumpkins for decoration and crafts

For crafts or interior decoration, the pumpkin is dried whole . This is done in two ways: using the oven or in the fresh air. Drying such a large vegetable entirely is not an easy task. To ensure that the pumpkins dry well and do not spoil during drying, choose not too large specimens.

The selected fruits are washed and the seeds are removed. The oven is heated to 55-60 °C and the workpiece is placed there. To ensure even drying, the pumpkin is periodically turned over. The drying process takes from two to eight hours, depending on the size of the vegetable and the juiciness of the pulp.

Dried pumpkin: methods

You can dry the future dessert in the oven, electric dryer, microwave, or naturally.

In the sun

Place the cut pieces on a wire rack lined with parchment paper and place in a well-ventilated area.
After 2 days, mix the preparations and leave to dry for another 2-3 days. Make sure that they are not exposed to sunlight during this period.
After the fruits have dried, place them in the sun.
After 1–1.5 weeks, transfer the finished dessert into glass jars and put it in the refrigerator.

In the oven

Arrange the pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet in a single layer.
Dry in the oven at 80°C for about half an hour.
Reduce the temperature to 70 °C and simmer the workpieces for another 40–50 minutes.
Remove the dried pieces from the oven and cool.
Repeat the drying process 2 more times.

In an electric dryer

Pre-dry the pumpkin for 50–60 minutes at maximum temperature.
Reduce it to 65 °C and bring the product until cooked.

In the microwave

When drying pumpkin in the microwave, be especially careful and careful, as the risk of spoiling the product is very high. Do not set the oven power to more than 600 W. To prevent vegetables from burning, remove them periodically and turn them over.

Typically, the drying process takes place outdoors or in an oven or electric dryer. You can learn how to dry a pumpkin for decoration and crafts in our other article.

On air

To dry in air, the prepared pieces must be placed on sieves in a place with good ventilation, where they will not be exposed to direct sunlight.

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After a few days, the pieces must be mixed and left for another 2 days. After this, you can take it out into the sun, leaving the pumpkin in such conditions for 2 days. Air drying usually lasts 5-7 days.

If at the preparation stage you chop the pumpkin not into cubes, but, for example, into strips, then they can be dried by hanging them on a nylon thread.

To dry pumpkins, use an oven, an electric dryer, a convection oven, and also dry them under natural conditions.

On air

To cook air-dried pumpkin, you need:

Place the prepared pieces in a sieve with good ventilation, in a place protected from direct sunlight;
After a few days, be sure to mix the pieces and leave for another two days;
After two days, take them out into the sun, leaving them for two days;
Typically, the air drying process takes 5 to 7 days.

In the oven

Before drying the pumpkin in the oven, it is blanched so that it becomes tasty and beautiful. The whole process will take about 8 hours:

Wash the vegetable and dry with a paper towel;
Peel the skin, remove the pulp and seeds;
Cut into strips of the same size (no more than a centimeter);
Bring salted water in a saucepan to a boil;
Cook the strips in boiling water for one to two minutes;
Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into ice water for two minutes;
Place in a colander to drain excess water;
Preheat the oven to 55 to 65 degrees;
Place pumpkin strips on a baking sheet, leaving spaces between them;
Place the baking sheet in the oven for five hours. Do not close the oven door tightly to allow condensation to evaporate;
After five hours, increase the temperature in the oven to 80-85 degrees, dry the pumpkin for about two to three hours;
Cool the pumpkin strips, put them in glass jars or canvas bags, and store them.

In an electric dryer

The process of drying in an electric dryer is practically no different from drying in an oven:

Place the prepared vegetable on a wire rack and set the dryer to the maximum temperature.
When the pumpkin begins to dry out a little, reduce the temperature to 65 degrees and dry until fully cooked.

How to determine if a pumpkin is ready

When preparing dried pulp, the main thing is not to overdry it . How can you tell when the treat is ready? Readiness is determined by the appearance of the slices, as well as by taste. Properly dried pieces are soft and flexible, but do not stick to your hands.

If in doubt, try it! Chew the slice for a while. If you feel like the pumpkin is melting in your mouth, it means it's ready . The dried pulp tastes sweet, because now it contains much more natural sugar than fresh pulp.

When dried, pumpkin slices decrease in size by 1.5-2 times. This also signals readiness.

Storage conditions for the finished product

How to store dried pumpkin slices? For storage, a cool, dry place with a temperature of +9 to +12 °C is best suited. Air humidity should be no more than 60%.

For long-term storage, choose glass or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. Line the bottom of the container well with dry parchment paper. The layers of slices are also covered with paper.

Advice. If you have prepared a large amount of treats, choose the freezer for long-term storage.

Uses of dried pumpkin

Dried pumpkin slices are a ready-to-eat product . But they are also used as an ingredient for a wide variety of dishes. Dried pumpkin is used to prepare pureed soups, porridges, sauces, and desserts. We offer several recipes.

Candied pumpkin with honey and spices

Spiced candied pumpkin with honey is a healthy and unusual dessert. To prepare it you will need one and a half kilograms of pumpkin pulp, a cinnamon stick, vanilla sugar, cloves, 4 tbsp. l. fructose, 4 tbsp. l. honey

The pulp is cut into cubes and boiled in water with a cinnamon stick for five minutes. Separately prepare a syrup from two glasses of water, honey, fructose and vanilla sugar. Add pumpkin cubes to the syrup and cook for 15 minutes.

The candied fruits are carefully removed from the cooled mass and dried in the oven at low temperature for at least 4-5 hours. The finished treat is transferred to a container and stored in the refrigerator.

Candied pumpkin with lemon

Candied pumpkin with lemon is very tasty. To prepare this unusual dessert you will need: 2 kg of pulp, 600 g of sugar, half a glass of powdered sugar, two lemons and water.

The pulp is cut into cubes, covered with sugar and left overnight. In the morning, the released juice is drained and mixed with grated lemons. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for five minutes. Then the syrup is filtered, pumpkin pieces are added and boiled until thickened.

Dry the candied fruits in the oven or dryer, spreading them out on paper. The finished dessert is sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Candied pumpkin does not harm your figure - the calorie content of the finished product is about 150 kcal.

Georgian dish pkhali made from dried or sun-dried pumpkin

An unusual dish called pkhali is also prepared from dried pumpkin pulp. To prepare it you will need: 500 g of dried or dried pumpkin, 3 cups of walnuts, 1 tsp. saffron and utskho-suneli, 2-3 cloves of garlic, cilantro, celery and dill, 2-3 tbsp. l. vinegar, ground pepper and onions (optional).

First, prepare the nut mass. Walnut kernels are ground in a meat grinder. The greens are finely chopped. Garlic is crushed into a paste. Greens, onions, garlic, spices, hot peppers, vinegar, and salt are added to the walnuts. Mix thoroughly.

Pieces of dried pumpkin are mixed with nut mass. It is better to prepare pkhali in advance so that the ingredients are soaked. Vinegar is sometimes replaced with pomegranate juice.

Candied pumpkin: recipes

Dried pumpkin

Dried pumpkin requires quite a lot of time to prepare, but during storage it takes up little space, because... When dried, it loses most of its volume. It is best to dry the vegetable in an electric dryer or in the oven at 60-80 degrees for up to 8 hours. First cut the fruit with the skin and seeds removed into slices of centimeter thickness.

A very unusual product is pumpkin powder. It is useful for problems of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. In this case, the prepared pieces of vegetable are first boiled in salted water for about twenty minutes, then ground and dried at a temperature of 135 degrees in the oven for 5-10 minutes. The resulting yellow sweet powder must be diluted with water to prepare pumpkin puree.

The easiest way is to pickle the pumpkin in a concentrated solution, where up to 3 kg of salt is needed per 10 kg of vegetable. Half of it is diluted with boiling water and its prepared slices, tightly folded in containers, are completely poured. Then simply sprinkle the remaining salt on top.

This preparation is suitable for winter marinades. Excess salt is soaked by keeping the pumpkin in cold water for a day and a half, changing it several times.

The easiest recipe for pickled pumpkin:

diced vegetables are blanched and cooled;
then put the pieces into prepared jars and fill them with marinade;
The marinade should be made in the following proportions: half a glass of 9% vinegar per liter of water, and a tablespoon of salt (with a heap) and sugar (without a heap), black pepper, cinnamon and cloves - to taste.

It will be no less tasty if you marinate a healthy vegetable in this infusion:

For 5 liters of water take 20 g of chopped horseradish;
the same amount of celery leaves;
twice as much dill;
one hot pepper;
2-3 bay leaves;
a glass of vinegar and salt.

This is enough to pickle 3-4 large pumpkins. Of course, they need to be cut into cubes, blanched, cooled, and placed in three-liter containers. Then fill them with hot brine and sterilize each jar at 85 degrees for half an hour. Then quickly close the lid.

Dried pumpkin

To prepare a delicious product at home, dessert pumpkin is cut into medium cubes. And then laid out on baking sheets in the air. When it is slightly wilted, the baking sheets are exposed to the sun. Then they are placed in the oven, where at 60 degrees and the door is open, drying continues until ready.

Pumpkin puree

This type of vegetable canning can be used as an independent dish for children and adults or as a filling for pies. You can make it with apples or plums:

Pre-clean the ingredients from seeds and peels.
Grind in a blender and add sugar to taste.
Cook over low heat for 2 hours.
At the end of the process, add a little citric acid or juice.
Close in prepared jars.

Frozen pumpkin is one of the longest shelf-stable types of canned vegetables. When frozen, it retains its properties for up to 10 months. But it’s better to freeze not fresh vegetables, because... After defrosting, such a workpiece becomes watery. It must be pre-processed in one way or another, while the taste, aroma and texture of the vegetable are well preserved. Freezing methods:

Boiled pumpkin. The skin is not removed before cooking. Slices of the vitamin vegetable can be boiled for 10-15 minutes in a saucepan, in the microwave, or in a steam bath. Then place in a colander to drain the water, cool and grind to a puree. Then fill the bags, cups with the resulting mass and place them in the freezer.
Baked pumpkin. You can bake in slices without first removing the peel. Then this process will take 1 hour. If you bake it in cubes, you need to peel the skin. The product will be ready in 40 minutes. It should be ground to a puree and placed in silicone molds or ice containers. Keep in the freezer for a day. Place in a large bag and place in the freezer.

Dried pumpkin without sugar in the oven

If you want to prepare pumpkin without adding sugar, thus maintaining the low calorie content of the product, it is better to use dessert varieties of pumpkin, such as Almond 35, Stolovaya A-5, Melonen Risen.

We suggest you read: Instructions: how to get rid of the smell of garlic and onions from your mouth

The prepared and chopped pumpkin is placed in the open air in the shade, laid out on sieves. Periodically, the workpiece must be stirred so that air is exposed to each piece.

After 4-5 days, the dried slices should be placed in the oven and dried at a temperature of 50-60 degrees with the door ajar for 20 minutes.

Sesame chips

Slightly salty thin pumpkin plastics will be an excellent alternative to potato chips. For pumpkin chips, you should choose dense varieties with unsweetened pulp. They are prepared in an electric dryer.

REFERENCE: Drying time and temperature conditions are different for each model of electric dryer. It is better to read the instructions for the electrical appliance.

Ingredients:

Two kilograms of pumpkin;
A tablespoon of any seasonings (paprika, black pepper, cumin, coriander, etc.);
Salt - a tablespoon;
Sesame - tablespoon;
Water - two liters.

Cooking method:

Peel the pumpkin and cut into thin slices no more than three millimeters wide;
Bring water to a boil, add salt and place the plastics in boiling water for a minute;
Once blanched, quickly plunge squash into ice water;
Then take it out and put it on a towel or in a colander.
Place slightly damp, fresh plastics on the tray of an electric dryer, add seasonings to taste, sprinkle with sesame seeds;
Turn on the dryer and dry the pumpkin for about six hours at a temperature of 60 degrees;
Dry for two hours at 80 degrees.

The pumpkin chips will be fully cooked in eight hours. Store them in a glass container with an airtight lid.

Secrets and tricks of cooking dried pumpkin

So, dried pumpkin is a tasty and healthy dish that is easy to prepare at home . Let's add a few secrets of experienced chefs that will help you stock up on bright slices for the whole winter:

to preserve the bright orange color, the pumpkin pieces are dipped in boiling water for two minutes before drying (if this is not done, the pumpkin will darken when dried);
to remove harmful microbes and insects, the pumpkin is soaked in salt water before drying;
during the drying process, turn the pumpkin slices several times to prevent the pieces from sticking to the grill;
If, at the end of the process, the pieces remain too wet and sticky, they are left to dry for another one or two hours.

Dried pumpkin in cooking

Dried pumpkin after cooking is completely ready to eat in its pure form. But it can be used as an ingredient for various dishes, and pumpkin can also be dried according to one recipe or another to make healthy chips or powder and other dishes. Ready-made dried pieces can be added to puree soups after boiling them in salted water.

For lovers of savory snacks, you will love this recipe for making pumpkin chips. You can cook them in the oven or in the same dryer.

First, the vegetable is cut into large pieces, the insides are removed and baked in the oven at a temperature of 170 degrees, right with the peel. Depending on the size of the pieces, baking time is about half an hour.

When the vegetable is cooked, cool it and remove the pulp with a spoon to the skin. One pumpkin weighing about 2 kilograms will yield 2 cups of pulp. It is laid out on a tray in a thin layer, about a glass comes out on one baking sheet. Drying time is 16 hours and temperature is 55 degrees. The end result will be thin sheets of orange color, they are very fragile and break easily. Chips can be stored for a long time in a glass container.

Such leaves can be consumed in pure form or made into a powder based on them. To do this, they are ground in a meat grinder or coffee grinder. When you combine it with water, you get a very tasty pumpkin puree, and various products are also added to it to generally strengthen the body, lower cholesterol levels and stabilize the functioning of the intestines and kidneys. For this purpose, it is soaked in water in the proportion of a quarter of the powder per glass of water, then added to meat or soup. The powder can be used to bread meat or fish or add it to flour when preparing flour products.

How to make candied fruits

Candied pumpkin can be prepared in an electric dehydrator. To give them an original taste, you can add spices in the form of ginger or cinnamon, as well as oranges or lemons. For 500 g of pumpkin, take a glass of sugar and the peel of one orange, spices to taste.

The preparation is as follows:

cut the pumpkin into pieces, add sugar and let sit for several hours until it releases juice;
add spices and chopped orange peel;
transfer the contents to a saucepan, put on fire and cook for five minutes;
remove from heat and leave for 6 hours;
boil the contents again for five minutes and leave for three hours;
place the pieces on a tray lined with parchment;
place in the dryer for 6 hours.

You can also prepare candied fruits with lemon. They take a long time to prepare, but they turn out to be very original and tasty. For 2 kg of pumpkin take 600 grams of sugar, half a glass of powdered sugar, two lemons and water.

cut the pumpkin pulp into small 2 cm cubes;
cover it with sugar and adjust overnight. When the pumpkin releases juice, it needs to be poured into a separate container;
Peel the lemons, remove the seeds and grate them. Pour the mixture into pumpkin juice and mix everything and put on fire;
Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes;
strain the liquid, add to the pumpkin and put everything on the fire. Cook for about an hour and a half until thickened;
drain the remaining liquid and strain the contents;
place on wax paper;
dry in a dryer at 50 degrees in convection mode for 12 hours;
let the vegetables cool;
Sprinkle them with powdered sugar and place them in a glass container for storage.

Candied fruits can be given to children instead of store-bought sweets. They are not only very tasty, but contain a large number of healthy ingredients.

Pumpkin candies and chocolate

Another option for making sweets based on dried pumpkin is banana-flavored candies. For them you need to take half a kilogram of pumpkin pulp, baked in the oven. Then add banana, sugar and beat everything using a blender. The puree is placed on a tray with a spoon and processed in the dryer for 12 hours. The pumpkin pieces will end up being plastic and soft; they will need to be rolled into a tube and cut into portions.

And to make regular dark chocolate healthier, you can supplement it with candied pumpkin, dried seeds, as well as raisins and dried apricots.

Raisins and dried apricots in an amount of 50 grams are soaked in warm water for several minutes, then dried on a paper towel. Pumpkin seeds are dried in the oven for half an hour at a temperature of 160 degrees with constant stirring.

200 grams of chocolate are melted in a water bath, poured onto prepared parchment, sprinkled with dried apricots, raisins, candied fruits and pumpkin seeds. Cool it for two hours, then cut it into pieces and put it in the refrigerator.

Dried pumpkin has an unusual taste, so when drying sweet varieties of vegetables there is no need to add sugar, so it will be as healthy as possible. You can take chips or sweet pieces with you to work or school as a snack, and you can cook them at home, even in a regular oven.

Preparing pumpkin for drying

The taste of the finished product largely depends on the correct choice of pumpkins and the preparation of the fruit for drying.

Suitable varieties for drying

The best option for drying are considered hard-bark pumpkins , which ripen later than others.

Important! For harvesting, those pumpkins are selected that have the stalk remaining after harvesting. Such fruits are protected from the entry of harmful microorganisms.

How to dry pumpkin for crafts in the oven

Pumpkins are not only used to make delicious delicacies, but also interesting themed or interior crafts. Having found out how to dry candied pumpkin in the oven, we will learn how to dry a whole pumpkin for future crafts.

How to dry pumpkin for crafts in the oven

Not every fruit is suitable for this, but only small, decorative varieties with pronounced protuberances, healthy and undamaged, with stalks and a very hard surface.

Preparing a whole pumpkin for drying

We rinse the fruit to remove all contaminants and wipe it dry, eliminating unnecessary moisture.
Keep it for an hour in a dry, dark corner.
Wipe again with a dry cloth.
Again we send it to a dry, dark place for an hour.

As soon as the surface of the fruit is completely dry, you can start drying the pumpkin in the oven.

Drying pumpkin

Drying a whole pumpkin in the oven is not an easy task, but it can be done, the main thing is to strictly follow the instructions:

Preheat the oven to 60 degrees.
Place baking paper on a baking sheet.
We place the prepared fruit on the paper and send it to the oven.
Turn the pumpkin regularly to dry all sides.

Whole pumpkins dry in about 8 hours, but they can dry earlier: the larger the fruit, the longer the drying takes. After we have stopped drying the pumpkin in the oven for future crafts, take it out and cool it at room temperature.

Drying pumpkin in an electric dryer

The total cooking time for the delicacy depends on the size of the pumpkin pieces and the moisture content of the pulp . On average, the drying process lasts from 12 to 20 hours.

Candied fruit

To prepare candied fruits, small pieces of pulp are used . First, they are boiled several times in sweet syrup, and then laid out on wire racks and sent to the dryer or oven.

You can prepare candied fruits with different flavors. To do this, add lemon or orange juice, cinnamon, ginger, and honey to the sugar syrup.

Pumpkin chips

Pumpkin powder

Another unusual option for preparing dried pumpkin. Pumpkin powder is made from dried puree , grinding it with a coffee grinder to a homogeneous consistency.

Drying pumpkins for decoration and crafts

If there is a need to dry a large fruit , this can be done by leaving the prepared pumpkin in a dry, dark place. During natural drying, the workpieces are periodically checked in order to notice signs of spoilage in time. Under natural conditions, pumpkin is dried for two to three months.

Seeds

When cutting pumpkin fruits, the seeds are often thrown away. But in vain - it is a valuable source of zinc, vitamin E and other useful substances. Pumpkin seeds can also be dried .

Before drying, the seeds are thoroughly washed in warm water, freeing them from fibers. Then excess water is removed and the seeds are laid out on clean paper or cloth to dry. Dry naturally at room temperature.

After the seed shell becomes brittle and dry , the seeds are considered ready and removed for storage.

Dried pumpkin: benefits and harm, calorie content, how to dry it in a dryer, in the oven

The benefits of vegetables and fruits have been known for a long time. To preserve their beneficial properties for the winter, housewives resort to various methods of preservation. Dried pumpkin stands out among vegetables due to its ease of preparation and beneficial properties.

The benefits and harms of dried pumpkin

The benefits of dried pumpkin have been known for several centuries. Pumpkin was used by doctors and healers in the manufacture of medicines, ointments and tinctures. It is rich in beta-carotene, pectin and easily digestible sugars.

The chemical composition is also amazing - calcium, phosphorus, fluorine, zinc, copper, iron, magnesium, sodium and potassium. In addition, pumpkin fruits are rich in vitamins A, C, E, Pp, as well as rare vitamins K and T, and these substances are responsible for the rejuvenation of the body.

With such an excellent composition, dried pumpkin can have a magical effect on the human body. Regular consumption helps fight depression and insomnia. Dried pumpkin also has a positive effect on the body’s immune system and helps with spring vitamin deficiency. Other positive properties of this product include:

Eye protection from acute inflammatory diseases, vision support.
Strengthening the walls of blood vessels and normalizing blood pressure.
Removing toxins and waste from the digestive system.
Cleanses the kidneys due to its diuretic properties. Dissolution of kidney and bladder stones.
Relieving pain in cardiovascular diseases. Stabilization of heart rate.
Tissue regeneration and natural rejuvenation of the body.

Despite all its usefulness, there are several restrictions when using this product. Doctors advise avoiding it for people suffering from acid-base imbalance or diabetes. Also, do not forget that with increased acidity of gastric juice, dried pumpkin can cause gastritis and other stomach damage.

Calorie content of dried pumpkin

When dried, pumpkin loses most of its water, so the sugar content in its composition increases. The table of energy value of dried pumpkin per 100 g of product is as follows:

proteins - 1.8 g;
fats - 0 g;
carbohydrates - 8.4 g.

The total calorie content of the product is 41 kcal. Such low values make pumpkin an excellent assistant for weight loss. Its inclusion in the diet allows you to achieve impressive results in a short time.

How to dry a pumpkin

The key to an excellent dried product is choosing the right variety. Forage species should not be used. The best choice would be late-ripening and hard-barked varieties - “Stolovaya Sweet”, “Buttercup”, “Winter Sweet” and “Blue Hubbard”. It is possible to use early-ripening Acorn, but due to its greater water content, the drying process will take a long time.

Pumpkin fruits must be intact, without visible damage. There should be no plaque or suspicious spots on them. A prerequisite is the integrity of the tail - this is a kind of guarantee of maintaining the juiciness of the fruit and the absence of internal damage.

Attention! For a brighter color of the finished product, you can perform a blanching procedure. To do this, cut the prepared pieces into boiling water for a couple of minutes.

Preparing pumpkin for drying takes place in several stages. Initially, the fruits are washed in running water and wiped dry. Then they are cut in half and the fibrous core with seeds is removed. After that, peel it and cut it into small slices about 3-4 cm.

Drying pumpkins in the fresh air

The easiest method for preparing dried pumpkin is air drying. The only condition for this is sunny weather and constant supervision. In this case, the process takes up to 2 weeks.

Attention! Don't forget about insects - to avoid possible harm, it is better to cover the pumpkin with gauze.

First, you need to place the pre-cut pieces of pulp on a baking sheet and cover them with parchment paper - this will avoid direct sunlight and provide excellent ventilation. The pieces must be turned over once a day. After a week of such drying, you can remove the parchment and continue drying in direct sunlight. In a week the product will be ready.

Recipe for dried pumpkin in the oven

Drying in the oven is a fairly common method of preparing vegetables. To do this, you need to arrange the pieces on a baking sheet in one layer, leaving a small space between them. During cooking, keep the oven door slightly open to allow excess moisture to evaporate.

Initially, the oven is preheated to 60 degrees, after which a baking sheet is placed in it. 5 hours pass in this mode, then the baking sheet is taken out and the pieces are turned over. Next, the oven is heated to 80 degrees, and the vegetable is heated for about 2 or 3 hours until fully cooked.

Sweet pumpkin pieces dried in the oven

Even though the finished dish itself contains enough sugar, some people strive to achieve maximum sugar content. The end result is a dessert dish. To do this, boil the pumpkin pieces in sugar syrup for 5 minutes and then roll in sugar or powdered sugar.

When it comes to oven temperature, keep in mind that excessive heat will cause the sugar to caramelize quickly. The maximum possible temperature for this procedure will be 50 degrees. In this case, the total drying time, taking into account one turning of the pieces, increases to 9-10 hours.

How to dry pumpkin in the dryer

The use of modern methods of drying vegetables and fruits greatly facilitates the work of housewives. An automatic electric dryer allows you to get a high-quality product without much hassle. Moreover, its several levels allow you to prepare a large amount of delicacy at one time.

First of all, place pumpkin slices on each of the drying racks. There should be empty spaces between the slices for better air circulation.

After installing all the grates in place, close the dryer lid, turn on the device for 2 hours, after which each of the pieces should be turned over.

The temperature in the device is automatically maintained at 50-60 degrees. Total cooking time is up to 12 hours.

What can you make from dried pumpkin?

The finished product has a sweet taste and retains all the beneficial properties of the fresh product, therefore it is often used in combination with other dried fruits to prepare various vitamin mixtures. The most popular recipe for a dish with dried pumpkin is:

100 g prepared pumpkin;
100 g dried apricots;
100 g walnuts;
zest of one lemon;
100 g liquid honey.

All ingredients are ground through a meat grinder and mixed. The finished mixture is placed in a jar. Daily use 1 tbsp. l. Such a product allows you to forget about the lack of vitamins and improves overall well-being.

How to store dried pumpkin

Compliance with the correct storage conditions allows you to extend the shelf life of the finished product by an order of magnitude. The best option for pumpkins is a room with a relative humidity of no more than 60% and an air temperature of 10-15 degrees. A prerequisite is the absence of direct sunlight. The finished product is stored in fabric bags or tightly sealed glass jars.

Protected from harmful insects, pumpkin can be stored for up to one and a half to two years. Violation of storage conditions leads to the rapid appearance of mold and spoilage of the product. There is a secret that can extend the shelf life by a couple of months. At the bottom of the jar where dried vegetables are stored, you need to put a couple of leaves of parchment paper - this will absorb excess moisture.

How to determine if a pumpkin is ready

When dried, pumpkin slices decrease in size by 1.5-2 times. This also signals readiness.

Storage conditions for the finished product

How to store dried pumpkin slices? For storage, a cool, dry place with a temperature of +9 to +12 °C is best suited. Air humidity should be no more than 60%.

Advice. If you have prepared a large amount of treats, choose the freezer for long-term storage.

Uses of dried pumpkin

Candied pumpkin with honey and spices

Candied pumpkin with lemon

Candied pumpkin with lemon is very tasty. To prepare this unusual dessert you will need: 2 kg of pulp, 600 g of sugar, half a glass of powdered sugar, two lemons and water.

How to store dried pumpkin

The finished product should be stored in glass jars, with tightly closed lids, in a dry, dark place. Candied fruits are stored in the refrigerator, and if a large quantity of sweets is made, then some can be put in the freezer.

Pumpkin is a healthy, valuable vegetable containing a huge amount of vitamins and microelements. Pumpkin contains more iron than other vegetables. It also contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc salts, fiber and vegetable protein, vitamins B, C, D, E, PP and a rather rare vitamin T. All these substances are capable of meeting the body’s daily needs. This is especially important for those who are on a diet.

It is undeniable in dietary nutrition, since this vegetable is a healthy low-calorie product, and its pulp is considered light food for the gastrointestinal tract. Dried pumpkin is also a healthy nutritious product.

Drying is drying, but with preliminary separation of the juice, not to the point of crunch. The crust sets on top of the pumpkin, but the inside of the vegetable remains soft. For this purpose, any varieties are used. You can also dry pumpkin in the oven.

Secrets and tricks of cooking dried pumpkin

So, dried pumpkin is a tasty and healthy dish that is easy to prepare at home . Let's add a few secrets of experienced chefs that will help you stock up on bright slices for the whole winter:

to preserve the bright orange color, the pumpkin pieces are dipped in boiling water for two minutes before drying (if this is not done, the pumpkin will darken when dried);
to remove harmful microbes and insects, the pumpkin is soaked in salt water before drying;
during the drying process, turn the pumpkin slices several times to prevent the pieces from sticking to the grill;
If, at the end of the process, the pieces remain too wet and sticky, they are left to dry for another one or two hours.