How to make dried lemon? Useful properties and application of the product

For many years, lemon has been appreciated for its beneficial properties. One way to store lemons is by drying.

This method allows you to save unique taste and to use the product at any time.

This article describes in detail the steps for properly storing lemon by drying at home.

Can citrus be dried?

Lemon fruits are rich in vitamins, the main one is vitamin C, which has a good effect on the immune system, but there are also vitamins of groups B, A, E, D. And they are also very rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. Therefore, the question arises: does it make sense to dry this sunny fruit, will its beneficial properties be preserved?

How to choose and prepare a product?

In order for the harvesting result to satisfy you, you need to stock up with quality fruits - they must be fresh, bright, sunny yellow. If during the purchase you press a finger with a finger and dents remain, then it is better to refuse this product, since its freshness and safety will be in question.

In order for dried lemons to have a more intense aroma, you need to choose large, thick-skinned varieties, because if they are freshly fragrant, they will remain the same after drying.

To prepare the lemon for drying, you will need:

1. Rinse it well under running water.
2. Then dry or wipe with a paper towel.
3. You will need a wooden board and a sharp knife in order to cut the lemon into neat circles.

It must be remembered that during drying, citrus fruits are quite significantly reduced in sizetherefore, when cutting, you need to make them not quite thin, from 6 to 9 mm.

Step-by-step processing instruction

There are several ways that lemons can be dried.

Classic way

This is a way in which you do not need to use any additional devices or devices:

1. Gently cut the fruit into rings on a flat surface, whether it be a board or a tray.
2. Leave in a well-ventilated area until completely dry, usually this process takes up to 3 days.

But the disadvantages include the fact that it is difficult to accurately predict the timing of drying, time will depend on the conditions in which it occurs. And also disadvantages include the fact that you must not forget to periodically flip the slices so that they do not lose their aesthetic appearance.

Using the oven

Drying in the oven is a fairly simple way:

1. Lemon rings should be laid out on a baking dish.
2. Put in the oven for 60 minutes, periodically pulling out and letting cool. This must be done so as not to overdry the fruit.
3. The temperature to which you need to preheat the oven, 50-70 degrees, it must also be maintained throughout the process.
4. To lemons dry faster, it is better to leave the oven door ajar.

The advantages include the fact that there is no cost for additional equipment, and drying does not take much time.

But there is one drawback - you need to carefully monitor that the slices are not burnt.

With an electric dryer

Drying with a special appliance - an electric dryer is as follows:

1. Spread circles on pallets in even layers and turn on the device in the desired mode.
2. When the dryer finishes work, you will receive a finished product.

All this can be safely attributed to the advantages of the method, but there is one drawback - when drying, perfectly even circles can deform. Therefore, if you need impeccable, smooth "suns" of dried lemons, then it is worth considering the above methods of harvesting.

We suggest watching a video on how to dry a lemon in an electric dryer:

For decor

If you are going to use these dried fruits as a decoration, then pay attention to some tricks.

1. To maintain a bright saturated color, it is necessary to let the lemons lie in the water, adding their juice there.
2. To quickly remove excess liquid from the rings, it is worth a little "squeeze", folding one on top of the other.
3. Care must be taken to ensure that the slices are completely dry, otherwise you may encounter the development of mold on them.

How can I use fruit?

The range of application of these dried fruits is very wide. Here are a few areas where you can use it.

In cosmetology

With lemon, you can make wonderful cosmetics at home.by adding dried, powdered fruit to the bleaching and cleansing masks.

But, at the same time, it is always important to remember caution, and strictly follow the recipe and the sequence of preparation of cosmetic products in order to prevent burns from citric acid on the delicate skin of the face.

In medicine

Also, since ancient times, the fruits of lemon have been considered very useful, since they contain many vitamins, macrocells and microelements. Since the fruits of lemon are rich in citric acid and mineral salts, they become indispensable for gout and urolithiasis due to the ability of citric acid to dissolve uric acid deposits.

In the cold season, the fruit first appears in use to prevent disease. It also has a positive effect on digestion, with its help they even cleanse the body of toxins. And if you regularly add lemons to your diet, then the hematopoietic and circulatory systems begin to work better, the blood is cleansed.

In cooking

Naturally, dried lemon immediately comes to mind - as a dietary supplement. It is also a flavoring agent for almost any drink: drinking tea with lemon is already a tradition, it is added to cold water, to various cocktails. In many healthy lifestyles tips, it is believed that water with lemon, drunk in the morning on an empty stomach, helps the body "start up" and work better.

This is also a confectionery supplement in cooking - often the zest of lemons is used to make dough or toppings. Or with dried lemon slices decorate cakes and pastries.

These are the components of recipes for dishes of fish or meat - slices of lemon give a special taste and aroma to the cooked culinary work.

In the decor

Dried lemons can be used as decorations, now the trend is decoration with environmental materials. This technique is widely used, for example, in floristry. With the help of these bright citrus accessories, unique, original panels, flower arrangements, bouquets and other creative ideas are created.

therefore for florists, drying lemons at home is a great way to diversify your creations, as well as save on blanks, as they are already done with your own hands.

You can make a sachet filled with citrus slices, and arrange them around the apartment or give to loved ones. Then there will be wonderful aromas everywhere that can be diversified with notes of cinnamon or ginger, if you sprinkle lemon rings on them when dried.

There are many ways to use dried lemons, and everyone can find something for themselves. Therefore, if you consider yourself a health-conscious person, for those who value harmony of tastes, beauty, pleasant aromas in the air, then you just need to learn how to dry lemons. This will help not only to maintain health, but also to acquire a wonderful, interesting hobby. You only need fruit and a little inspiration.

Watch the video: Never Throw Away Lemon Peels, This Is How To Reuse Them Again (November 2024).