In the cold season, dried fruits are simply irreplaceable for health and good mood. Dried fruits - a real find for sweet tooth: both tasty and useful!
In the cold season, especially in winter, when the street is constant monotonous weather, besides not always pleasant, so you want to treat yourself to something tasty and beneficial to the body. It's time to remember dried fruits.
Dried fruits, as a kind of procurement of products, are known since primitive times. Preservation of fruits was possible only by drying them in the sun. Since that time many hundreds of years have passed and in each house there were refrigerators, electric stoves, microwave ovens and much more. But, in spite of all this, dried fruits have not gone down in history, but continue to exist in cooking. Many ways of making dried fruits were invented: they were sugaried, evaporated, marinated, etc.
Why are dried fruits still popular and for what they are so fond of?
Of course, for the useful properties of dried fruits. They are able to enrich the human body with the necessary vitamins, even in the cold season, when fresh fruits and vegetables, unfortunately, are not always available. Dried fruits contain calcium (necessary for hair, teeth, bones), magnesium (stabilizing blood pressure), potassium (necessary for the cardiovascular system), sodium and iron, fiber (an integral part of proper digestion), vitamins A, B1, B3, B2 , P, B5, B6, and so on.
It is accepted to distinguish several varieties of dried fruits on different grounds:
- whole - the fruit is dried without mechanical intervention, i.e., the bones are not removed and division into parts does not take place;
- divided in half - in the process of cooking, they are divided in half to extract the stone.
And also dried in a natural way - without preservatives and chemicals, and candied - prepared by adding syrup.
The following types of dried fruits are best known :
- raisins - a high-calorie product, contains vitamins B5, B1, B2, as well as magnesium, potassium, manganese, boron, iron and potassium;
- dried apricots - a product containing many acids necessary for health, including apple, ascorbic lemon; In addition, it contains potassium, pectin, iron and many vitamins;
- prunes - rich in potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, copper, chromium, zinc, iodine, vitamins and antioxidants;
- dates - a source of sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins B1, PP, B5, E, B6, etc .;
- cherry - a product rich in vitamin C, carotene, antioxidants, as well as calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and potassium;
- cranberry - contains vitamin C, citric and benzoic acid, potassium, sodium, iron, phosphorus, zinc and manganese;
- apple - rich in fiber, vitamins C, B2, A, B1, PP, fructose, boron and minerals;
- pear - contains sucrose, glucose, fructose, vitamins B1, A, B2, P, E, PP, C, carotene, acids and minerals;
- figs - contains vitamins B1, B, B3, C, PP, sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, etc .;
- bananas (dried) - a source of ascorbic and malic acid, potassium salts, endorphins, vitamins A, B2, E, PP;
- melon (dried) - rich in cellulose, mineral salts and proteins, iron, nicotinic and folic acid, vitamins A, C, B;
- candied fruit - this kind of dried fruit practically does not contain any useful substances, since the process of preparation involves the addition of sugar syrup and preservatives. Nevertheless, candied fruits remain a delicious dessert.
In cooking, dried fruits are included in the recipes of many dishes of various national cuisines. And the recipes are so varied that you can meet soup with dried bananas, melon with salted fish, and even candied fruits with roast chicken.
A few simple recipes using dried fruits
- Honey with dried fruits. Honey is no less useful for immunity, the work of the brain and the whole organism than dried fruits. Therefore, mixing it with various kinds of dried fruits, you will get a delicious dessert that will be invaluable for your health.
- Pilaf with pieces of dried fruits. Cook rice for 30 minutes over low heat, then, drain excess water, add chopped dried fruits and put in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Such fruit pilaf will be to the taste of adults and children.
- Oatmeal with dried fruits. Everyone knows about the benefits of oatmeal porridge, but if you add your favorite dried fruits to this porridge, the benefits will increase several times.
Dried fruits - a real find for sweet tooth: both tasty and useful!