Dried Lemon: Benefits and 4 Best Drying Methods
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Dried lemon is one of the healthy fruits that is rich in vitamins and minerals. Dried fruits are used for various purposes. Dried slices of this fruit can be a decoration for your home or office. Dried lemon zest is used in cooking, used for aroma in drinks. And also lemon is very effective for colds, urolithiasis and problems with the circulatory system.
Dried lemons: photo
Dried lemon: beneficial properties
Dried lemon contains many beneficial vitamins that are beneficial for the human body. Dried lemon peel and pulp contain healing fiber, pectin, mineral salts and organic acids. This citrus is involved in the metabolism, so dry several fruits at once.
Lemon is also used for preparations. To do this, you need to select only ripe and good fruits, because if the fruits are chosen correctly, then they will retain their beneficial properties after drying. When choosing fruit, lean towards ripe fruit. Ripeness can be determined by the color of the peel, as well as by the state of the inner pulp. Choose lemons by their bright yellow color so that they have a thick rind. The fruit should be large, without any damage. If fresh citrus smells rich, then sluggish fruits will be fragrant.
Before you start drying lemons, you need to rinse well in warm water and dry. Next, cut the fruit into slices and remove excess juice from them using napkins.
How to make dried lemon at home?
In total, there are 4 popular ways to dry lemon at home: drying using a special electric dryer, drying in the oven, drying on a battery and drying in the sun.
For drying, you need to select fruits that are whole without damage, which have a thick peel and are bright in color - yellow. Ripeness can also be determined by clicking on the lemon, if dents remain, it means that the lemon is ripe and juicy.
How to dry a lemon depends only on you. For example, if you want to quickly dry a lemon, then you will need to do it in the oven or electric dryer, and in other ways it will be slower.
Drying in a dryer
This method is by far the most modern method for drying fruit. It is recommended to use a device for drying the Volter 1000 Lux brand. This device has a fuse and a timer, which means that you do not need to worry about your fruits, they will not dry out.
After pre-cutting the slices, put them on the wire rack in the appliance. Place the slices so that they do not touch the neighboring ones.
Do not use green lemons to dry.
The disadvantage is that the slices of the fruit are deformed when they are dried and take on a distorted shape.
The advantages of this method are that the drying process is of a higher quality than compared to drying on a battery and in the oven. Dried fruits do not lose their properties and vitamins.
Oven dried lemons
Dried lemon tea is a pleasure. If you don't have a dryer, you can use an oven. Take a baking sheet and place parchment paper on top of it. Next, we lay out the fruit circles on a prepared baking sheet and put in a preheated oven. To prevent burning of the slices, turn them over. Also leave the oven ajar as excess moisture will evaporate faster. The amount of time spent on drying depends on the state of heating of the oven.Drying with this method takes four to eight hours.
The downside is that you will constantly need to take out the baking sheet and leave it for a while to cool the circles of dried fruit, and then put it back in the oven. Such manipulations will help to avoid overdrying, uneven drying, and the correct shape of the circles will also be observed.
The advantage of the method is that it is quick and easy.
How to make dried lemon on a battery
Culinary experts use not lemon in cooking, but only its zest, later they grind it into powder. Of course, this method is used only when the heating season is in progress. Battery drying is a budget option. It is necessary to prepare cardboard in advance and make holes in it, then the lemon circles are attached to the holes. This blank is placed on the battery and thus lasts for three or four days.
Pros: simplicity; natural cooking; there is no deformation of the lemon circles.
The disadvantages are that this takes a long time and you can use this method when there is heating.
Dried and powdered lemon can be added to skin masks to help whiten and deeply cleanse the skin.
Drying in the sun
Drying the lemon in the sun is one of the natural ways. In the sun, sliced lemon can dry for three to five days. In any pallet, you need to arrange the lemon circles so that they do not touch each other. A good drying temperature is thirty degrees if the humidity is low. During rainy weather and at night, bring the blanks home, so they will absorb less unnecessary moisture.
Of course, this method is used only in the summer. This method will save you energy costs.
The downside is that rain can interfere with drying.
Dried lemons: photo
Storing and using dried lemons
Dried lemon circles are placed in glass containers or paper bags. Store in a dark, not humid place. Observing these conditions, dried lemons will retain their properties for a long time.
Dried fruits are used as a cosmetic, adding them in a ground form to masks for hair, skin and body care. Pieces of dried lemons can be added to various dishes and desserts.
Also, dried lemon is used to strengthen the immune system and treat diseases. These dried fruits are also used as decoration and flavoring in the room.
