How to dry bananas at home. Sun-dried bananas: benefits, harms and cooking recipes

Tropical fruits bananas are incredibly popular and widespread in the world. They can be found in almost any store, on any counter. Today they surprise no one. But dried or dried bananas are less common, although they also have a pleasant taste and many useful qualities. Sun-dried bananas are essentially dehydrated fruits that have lost a lot of weight but are still soft. Dried fruits are most often cut into pieces and then dried to a crispy state. In the article, we will talk about the beneficial properties of dried bananas, and how to cook dried bananas at home.

Calorie content and chemical composition

The calorie content of dried bananas averages 345 kcal per 100 grams of product. Despite the delicious taste, it is undesirable to eat dried banana fruits when losing weight. Their glycemic index is very high. However, moderate consumption of this product contributes to proper metabolism due to the vitamin B6 contained in the dried fruit. It is difficult to overestimate the benefits of dried fruits, since this product contains many vitamins and minerals - these are phosphorus, calcium, potassium, iron and others.

Benefits of dried banana

Dried banana and fresh banana differ from each other in appearance and taste, but both are useful in that:

Improve brain function.
Strengthen the heart muscles.
Have a positive effect on the condition of the skin and hair.
They help with problems with gastritis, anemia and peptic ulcers.
They cleanse the body of harmful substances and salts.
Helps to remove excess moisture from the body.
Useful for people suffering from depression, stimulate the release of serotonin - the hormone of joy

In addition to the fact that eating dried fruits improves overall health, dried bananas are also hypoallergenic, so they are used as complementary foods even for the smallest children.

Selection and preparation of fruit

Earlier we answered the question: “how useful are dried bananas?” Now let's take a closer look at the process of how to dry bananas at home. The initial stage in processing is correctly selected fruits. Only ripe fruits are suitable for drying, with a smooth yellow peel without visible defects and with a minimum of black spots, and preferably without them.
Before drying, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the fruits under running water, then let them dry and only then remove the peel. Then you can cut the pulp the way you like best, most often the fruits are cut into slices up to 5 mm thick or into strips. To prevent cut bananas from becoming dark during drying, they are treated with a special lemon solution. Fresh lemon juice or a spoonful of citric acid is added to 200 ml of water. Then the blanks are soaked for about 30 seconds. Leave in a colander to drain excess moisture.

How to dry bananas

How to dry bananas at home - consider the main methods. Here kitchen equipment plays a role, with it you will save time and effort well. In this case, a special electric fruit dryer is suitable. But, with the right approach, everything will turn out without household appliances.

Natural drying

In order to enjoy dried banana fruits prepared by yourself, there is enough sunlight. Of course, this is the easiest way, but it will take a lot of time and attention. It will be possible to use this method of drying only under favorable weather conditions.

The pre-prepared fruit (cut into slices or circles) is laid out on a wide baking sheet, or a special tray, then covered with gauze to avoid the harmful effects of insects and exposed to open sunlight. A well-ventilated space is best for drying. The second option is to dry them outside, the main thing is to remove the fruits at night and put them back in the morning only when the dew has come down.
The readiness of dried fruits will be reported by a white powdery coating on the fruits. This method of drying takes about two to four days, it all depends on how good the weather is, but the result will meet expectations.

In the oven

Sliced blanks are laid out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Grease the parchment with vegetable oil, then place the baking sheet in the oven. Lay out the banana pieces so that the pieces do not touch. Set the temperature to no more than 40 degrees, because when dried at a higher temperature, the fruit risks losing its beneficial qualities, although it will cook faster.

The cooking time for dried banana fruits largely depends on the method of cutting the workpiece, the smaller the pieces of the fruit, the faster they dry. On average, the timer on the oven is set from five to ten hours. Also, if the oven has a ventilation function, use it, or open the oven door a little and keep it a little open. It is important to periodically monitor the drying process and turn the banana slices over for even cooking.

If you prepared the fruit for drying using lemon juice, then the finished dried fruit will differ in size compared to fresh fruit. But outwardly they will be just as attractive. If you do not use lemon juice, then dried fruits in the oven will acquire a brownish tint.

Electric dryer

The easiest way to dry bananas at home is with special electric dryers for vegetables and fruits. In such devices, bananas can also be easily dried.
In electric dryers, bananas are dried in much the same way as in ovens. Spread the workpiece on a special pallet, so that the pieces do not touch each other, load into the machine and set the timer for an average of 10 - 12 hours. Then the electric dryer will do everything by itself, you do not need to constantly monitor the process. After the expiration of the set period, it is recommended to set dried fruits for several hours in a well-ventilated area in order to get rid of excess moisture.

How to store at home

Banana dried fruits, unlike dried ones, do not need to be stored in the refrigerator, they are perfectly stored at room temperature. Place dried fruits in glass jars with lids, metal or plastic containers, or paper and plastic bags. Keep the packaging closed, this will not only increase the shelf life of the product, but also help to avoid unwanted contact with potential pests.

What can be cooked

Dried bananas are a ready-made dish that is suitable as a snack. They are comfortable to take with you on a trip or to work. They are hearty and perfect for snacking between the main breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Dried fruits are used as ingredients for preparing various dishes. The simplest and most useful way is to add dried bananas to oatmeal - why not muesli. In general, these dried fruits can be added to different cereals, it all depends on your culinary preferences.

Dried fruits are used as main ingredients in desserts and pastries. But there are also more exotic recipes, for example, dried banana fruits are added to salads, fish and meat dishes. And the preparation of fruit compotes, liqueurs, and even alcohol tinctures using dried bananas is suitable for internal use, and is used in folk medicine.

Contraindications and harm

Dried banana benefits and harms, which are obvious, have a very small list of contraindications. So, the use of these dried fruits is contraindicated for people suffering from obesity and diabetes. After all, the product contains a large amount of sugar, which is simply dangerous in diabetes, and will complicate the disease. Otherwise, it is a completely harmless and useful product.

Sometimes we all like to crunch on chips to an interesting movie or a football match. Did you know that there is a healthy and tasty alternative? Dried bananas will successfully replace a harmful snack. Of course, their health benefits directly depend on how they are made and processed. To be sure of the quality of the product, it is better to dry them at home. Below we have collected a couple of simple recipes, but first, let's find out what they are good for.

Banana chips: benefits and harms

The main advantage of dried bananas is that they are rich in fiber. Only 100 grams of this product contains about a third of the daily value. Due to this, they have a beneficial effect on the condition of the intestines and reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood. Remember to drink plenty of water with them.

In addition, these chips are rich in iron and potassium. This substance plays an important role in maintaining normal heart function, muscle tone and the distribution of water throughout the body. With a lack of potassium, you will deal with weakness, cramps, swelling, and an irregular heartbeat. If you buy dried bananas from the store, read the label carefully. Many manufacturers prepare them by deep-frying, while adding sugar. This method negates all of the above advantages, since the snack is too fatty.

How to dry bananas at home?

Now let's talk in more detail about how to make banana chips. The beauty is that we don't need any fancy ingredients. You and I will be preparing a healthy version of this snack, so forget about oil and other things for deep-frying. For all methods there is a single rule: bananas must be ripe and sweet. It will be better if brown dots have already appeared on the skin. This will make our chips sweeter without the use of additional sugar. Well, then the choice of recipe depends on which unit will be at your fingertips.

Banana chips in the oven

As practice shows, this is the most common way. I advise owners of gas ovens to refrain from it, as it will be difficult to maintain the required temperature. First, preheat the oven to 65 degrees. Peel bananas and cut into thin pieces, as shown in the photo. Dip them in lemon juice so they don't darken during the drying process. Place them on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with seasonings of your choice. I like to use coriander. Cook for an hour or two until completely dry. Dried bananas will be pliable while hot. Let them cool completely and then store in an airtight container.

How to dry bananas in an electric dryer?

If you are the proud owner of an electric dryer, it would be strange not to use it. Peel the bananas again and cut into thin slices. Dip them in lemon juice and lay them out to dry, leaving some space between them. Set the temperature to 65 degrees for the first two hours, then lower it to 55 degrees and leave our chips for another 6 hours. Turn them over halfway through cooking. Let the pieces cool completely with the dryer turned off, it takes me another couple of hours. Put them in a bag or airtight container. Store at room temperature.

banana chips in the microwave

Perhaps every home now has a microwave, so why not use it? Peel the banana and cut it into thin pieces. Put them in any suitable bowl and send them to the microwave. It is better to take a larger bowl so that the bananas do not lie too thick. Turn on the defrost mode for 10-15 minutes. Flip our chips about halfway through cooking. Transfer the finished bananas to a wire rack. Don't worry if they are slightly sticky to the touch. Let stand overnight and then store in a storage container.

Exotic fruits have always been of particular interest to the ordinary Russian citizen. But some overseas fruits have lost their mystery over time, becoming commonplace and familiar. A prime example is bananas. They are not just taken for granted by us - they have been successfully grown in Russia for a long time. But such a form of these wonderful fruits, like dried bananas, appeared relatively recently, and has already managed to find its fans. It is really very tasty and healthy. And in our material today, we want to talk about dried bananas, their calorie content, benefits and harms to our health.

What is this product

Bananas are a delicacy whose sales are very successful. But still, as a commodity, it has one significant drawback: this fruit spoils easily and rather quickly. As a result, when transporting over long distances, there is a great risk of bringing fruits that have lost their presentable appearance to the store. The appearance of dried bananas on the domestic food market solves this problem. In our country, they are not yet very popular, which cannot be said about Asian states.

Calorie content and useful composition

Dried bananas are not a dietary product, because they have an impressive calorie content (from 270 to 400 kcal). For comparison, a fresh banana contains only 96 kcal. Such a spread of indicators takes place, because the energy value of a dried product is determined by many factors: the degree of ripeness of the fruit, the method of drying, the use of various additives. Dried bananas have a glycemic index of 70.

The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in dried exotic fruits is as follows: 3.89:1.81:88.28. The amount of fiber in dried bananas is almost 10 g. In addition to harmful saturated fats, these dried fruits also contain beneficial omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids. The herbal product is rich in vitamins C, K, E, A and group B, especially B6, B1 and B2. Dried bananas satisfy the daily requirement of the human body for manganese and magnesium by almost a third, and for copper by 40%. These fruits are also rich in iron, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, calcium. An important feature of the product is the presence, as in fresh bananas, of a large amount of tryptophan, without which the synthesis of the hormone serotonin in the body is impossible.

Benefits of dried bananas

Why are dried bananas so useful for our body? So, dried bananas have a wide range of effects on human health. They improve digestion by speeding up the work of the intestines. As a result, a person forgets about constipation. The increased content of dietary fiber in dried overseas fruits effectively cleanses the body of toxins and toxins.

The abundance of B vitamins, as well as magnesium and potassium, provides tremendous benefits of dried bananas for the heart and blood vessels. This delicacy reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood, makes the capillary walls stronger and more elastic at the same time, nourishes the heart muscle. The presence of iron in dried bananas allows you to increase the level of hemoglobin by eating the product.

Dried bananas are very beneficial for the human nervous system. The serotonin already mentioned above, which is formed with the participation of the amino acid tryptophan, belongs to the so-called “hormones of joy” and improves mood, provides a surge of strength and vigor, copes with depression. Dried bananas are recommended for women during PMS.

Dried bananas have well-defined cosmetic properties. So, if you include an alternative version of fresh fruits in the menu from time to time, you can significantly improve your appearance. Under the influence of the nutrients of dried bananas, the skin is smoothed, softened, moisturized, becomes more elastic, velvety and acquires a beautiful natural shade.

Despite significant calorie and glycemic index indicators, dried bananas also help in getting rid of extra pounds. The use of this fruit delicacy activates metabolism, removes excess fluid from the body. Dried bananas saturate quickly and for a long time, and for this you do not need to absorb them in large quantities.

Dried bananas are also beneficial for the functioning of the brain. Dried fruits improve memory, clarify thoughts, increase concentration. In addition, with dried bananas, your performance level will be at its best.

Harm and contraindications

For all its benefits for our body, dried bananas can also be harmful. Therefore, there are certain restrictions and contraindications for their use. Dried bananas should not be eaten every day, and even in large quantities. And, first of all, this warning concerns people who are overweight. Yes, the use of this type of dried fruit contributes to weight loss, but an excessive passion for dried bananas inevitably leads to an aggravation of the existing problem - due to the significant calorie content and impressive carbohydrate content.

Therefore, it is advisable to add dried fruit slices to cereal cereals and do so only in the morning.

The high glycemic index imposes a strict ban on the inclusion of dried bananas in the diet of diabetics and people with a high degree of obesity. If you have gastritis or stomach ulcers, dried bananas are also contraindicated for you, since insoluble fiber makes the product too coarse for the inflamed digestive mucosa.

Often, dried bananas contain harmful chemical compounds used by the manufacturer to improve the presentation and extend the shelf life of the product. To buy really healthy dried fruits, choose unattractive products that are slightly dark in color and lack luster, without foreign smells of smoke or, say, gasoline.

How to make at home

It is not at all necessary to go to the store for dried bananas - you can dry the plant product yourself at home. Now we will talk about how to make dried bananas at home. It's not hard, look.

First, prepare fresh bananas. They should be moderately ripe and dense, with a peel without spots and visible damage. Peel the fruit and cut into thin circles.

After completing these simple preparations, proceed to drying the fruit. There are several ways to turn a fresh banana into a dried one:

How to make dried bananas in the oven

Take a baking sheet and place banana slices on it. Send the product to the oven preheated to 150ºС for 15 minutes. After that, you need to reduce the temperature by 30º and continue drying for another 15 minutes. The last stage is drying bananas for about an hour at 80ºС. Eat dried fruit chilled.

Dried bananas in the microwave

Lay out parchment paper and place slices of fresh bananas on it. Send the fruit to the microwave, turn on the maximum power for 7 minutes. If necessary, you can extend the drying time by another couple of minutes.

How to dry bananas in an electric dryer

Lightly drizzle the banana slices with lemon juice to keep their color. Place the product in an electric dryer and evaporate moisture from it for 12 hours at a temperature of 40º. As a result, you will get dried fruits with a practically unchanged composition.

The easiest, but summer way to get homemade dried bananas is: place the pieces of fruit on a baking sheet, and leave the latter in a well-ventilated room so that the sun's rays fall on it.

Choose the option that suits you best and enjoy natural and healthy dried bananas at home for health!

Due to their geographic location, bananas do not grow on the territory of the former CIS (they prefer to grow closer to the equator), so they have to be purchased in all sorts of "friendly countries" like African and South American republics.

In the USSR, there were three types of bananas: green, dried and ... rag - so they called fashionable pants, wide at the hips and narrow at the ankles. Bananas were sold for 1 rub. 10 kopecks, then they began to cost 2 rubles.

Dried bananas. The benefits and harms of a popular delicacy from childhood

Surely, among the current young generation there are many people who have never tried dried bananas in their lives. But those whose childhood and youth were spent in the Soviet Union know firsthand about such a delicacy. In those years, dried bananas were often easier to buy than fresh ones. And in the absence of other delicacies, this type of dried fruit occupied a special place in the hearts of lovers of all kinds of goodies.

Today, dried bananas can be bought in almost any store, they lie freely on the shelves. Now they are not as popular as they used to be. But this does not make them any less useful and tasty. Sometimes eating dried bananas is definitely worth it. Let's figure out what dried bananas are, how they are prepared, and what are their useful and harmful properties.

How dried bananas are made

dried bananas(sometimes called banana figs) are made without the use of any chemicals. The whole process consists of three stages:

First, bananas are peeled.
Then they are dried for several days in special greenhouses with low humidity.
In the end, bananas are packaged in bags, the air is pumped out of them and sealed.

The moisture content of dried bananas is only about 18%. Shelf life - at least one year. An opened pack should be stored in the refrigerator and it is best to try to eat it a few weeks in advance.

Why are dried bananas so small

Once, as a child, the guys in the yard told me that dried ones are made from ordinary large fresh bananas. With bulging eyes, they added that the fruits shrink so much in size due to the evaporation of water. There is, of course, little truth in this story. Yes, indeed, when dried, bananas significantly decrease in size, but certainly not several times.

Indeed, large companies make dried bananas from special small varieties fruits. Now they can often be found on the shelves of Russian stores. So, initially they are slightly larger than later in the dried state. This is clearly seen in the video below.

Technology for the production of dried bananas. Video

The benefits and harms of dried bananas

Let's start with the health benefits of dried bananas. This product has much more of them than possible contraindications and potential harm:

Content of vitamins and minerals dried bananas are no less than fresh ones. They contain vitamins C, A, PP, E, K, group B, as well as phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium, fluorine, zinc, selenium, manganese, sodium, saturated acids and organic acids.
Like fresh bananas, their dried counterparts are an excellent source of potassium, which is vital for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system, is good for skin and hair.
dried bananas even used for medicinal purposes.: in the treatment of anemia, constipation and hemorrhoids, stomach ulcers and gastritis. This product promotes the removal of salts and fluids from the body, and also helps to cope with high fatigue.
It is best to eat dried bananas for breakfast or an afternoon snack. This product is a great natural supplement for porridge, yogurt, cottage cheese, muesli. You can also cook delicious compote from it or cut it into small pieces and add it to pastries, but it’s still better to use dried bananas in their natural form and not process them at high temperatures. So the body will get much more benefit from them.

Needless to say, dried bananas as a snack are much more healthier and more natural than popular chocolate bars, pies and other fast food. In terms of their nutritional properties, content of nutrients and price, they are able to give odds to any popular fast food.

With all this, dried bananas have some contraindications for use. Neglecting them can lead to the fact that this product will turn from useful to harmful:

A significant disadvantage of dried bananas is high calorie content. It is 5 times higher than that of fresh fruits. There are about 350-400 kcal per 100 grams of this product. At the same time, the content of proteins is 6%, fats - 5%, carbohydrates - 88%. It is carefully recommended to use this type of product for overweight people, as well as those suffering from dyspepsia and flatulence. Suffering diabetes dried bananas can also be harmful, they can be consumed only with the permission of the attending physician.
Bananas can increase blood viscosity. They should be used with caution by people who have recently had a heart attack or stroke, as well as those suffering from thrombophlebitis.

How to make dried bananas at home

With inexpensive dried bananas available in almost any fruit and vegetable store or department, it is quite difficult for me to imagine why it would be necessary to dry these tropical fruits at home. Unless, the number of fruits in the house was not calculated and they bought too much. To prevent bananas from spoiling, they can really be dried. Semi-green and unsweetened fruits can also be dried. During the heat treatment, the taste properties of unripe bananas are significantly improved.

Steps for drying bananas at home:

First you need to peel the fruit and cut into circles 3-4 centimeters thick.
Then put them on a baking sheet (non-stick or lined with baking paper).
Pierce each piece with a fork.
And then dry in the oven for about 4-4.5 hours at a temperature of 40-60 degrees.

Keep the oven door ajar during cooking so that the bananas do not start to bake. Periodically, the pieces need to be turned over.

In many countries of the world, bananas are the basis of the diet. For example, in Burundi, the annual consumption of this fruit per capita is 189 kilograms, in Samoa - 85, in the Camoros - about 78 kg, in Ecuador - almost 74, in the Philippines - over 40 kg. For comparison, in Russia this figure is just over 7 kg.

An interesting dish - dried bananas will delight supporters of a healthy diet and all lovers of sweets, which can be very difficult to combine. A special cooking method helps to preserve all the vitamins and nutrients in exotic fruits.

Few people know exactly how the drying process differs from drying, so dried bananas are often called dried bananas and vice versa. The main difference is in the quality of the finished product and the temperature during dehydration.

Dried fruits contain more moisture and retain all useful substances, they are resilient and elastic, can be stored for a long time, dried at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees. Dried ones are more dehydrated, brittle and not as healthy, the drying temperature does not really matter, it is inversely proportional to the cooking time.

You can dry bananas in many ways, you will learn the two most popular. Become an expert in choosing bananas and learn how to properly store dried fruit.

How to choose and prepare bananas

Ripe bananas are suitable for cooking, which have dense white flesh, with no signs of spoilage and decay. The rind may have slight black dots. The size of bananas matters for slicing before cooking.

Small Baby bananas can be dried whole, peeled. Large bananas must be cut into 4 parts: once along and once across

Bananas contain a large amount of useful vitamins and minerals, including iron, so the peeled pulp darkens in the air. To slow down the oxidation process and keep dried fruits light in color, they are recommended to be dipped for 30 seconds in a glass of cold water mixed with the juice of 1 lemon or 5 grams of citric acid. After processing in acidified water, the slices are laid out on a sieve or colander and allowed to dry.

Drying in the sun

Traditional curing has always been done in the sun. Even fish and meat products are cooked this way. Interestingly, for drying, the product must be in limbo, in the sun, high from the ground, in a place well ventilated by the wind. You can hang bananas by wrapping them in gauze (each banana separately). Where to hang them depends on your capabilities. If you are a happy owner of a summer cottage, then you can do this on a rope stretched in a summer cottage.

Please note that for successful cooking in this way, certain conditions must be met:

the rope with fruit should be at a height slightly more than human height, in a well-ventilated place;
fruits should be hung on the south side, where the sun shines most brightly;
the weather during drying should be dry and sunny, if rain is planned, the fruit must be removed from the street and hung in the house.

Depending on weather conditions, drying should last from 3 to 14 days, its completion will be indicated by an increase in the density of the fruit and a decrease in its size.

This method is quite laborious and may not be suitable for those who do not have a summer house or a sunny balcony. Modern electric dryers allow you to cook dried bananas in an easier way.

Drying in an electric dryer

Prepared banana slices are laid out on an electric dryer grate. The appliance must have a good fan so that the food does not deteriorate during prolonged cooking.

The temperature in the dryer is set to 45 degrees and the cooking time is about 16 hours.

Ready bananas are laid out in plastic bags and put in the refrigerator. They can be stored for several months if you are willing to endure that much. You can put bananas in clean glass jars with tight-fitting lids, pour sugar and water syrup (1 glass of water per 1 kg of sugar), but this will already be more like banana jam.

We wish you successful preparation of dried bananas, the benefits of which will help maintain health, and the taste will please you as a dessert or a wonderful addition to porridge and sweet pastries.