Drying eggplant in a fruit dryer. Dried eggplant outdoors

Eggplant is a vegetable that is useful and necessary for the human body. Rich in trace elements and vitamins. Eggplant dishes are an unusually tasty product.

The desire to eat eggplant fresh throughout the long winter is natural and justified. However, this wonderful vegetable does not keep as well as other vegetables. It cannot be attributed to vegetables with a long shelf life. Many people wonder how to store eggplant at home. If certain and important requirements are met, it is possible to preserve them for a long time.

Selection of eggplants for storage

Great attention must be paid to the selection of fruits so that they remain fresh for as long as possible.

You should choose the youngest eggplant, with a smooth and elastic skin. The fruits should have a deep purple color, be shiny in appearance, without damage and mold.

Size preference should be given to the heaviest fruits. In no case should overripe eggplants be laid for long-term storage, as they deteriorate faster. To check, just press a little finger on the fruit to check the ripeness. If the hole remains, you must immediately eat or process the vegetable.

Preparing for storage

Preparing eggplant for storage is a painstaking and troublesome process. The most suitable for long-term storage are late-ripening eggplant varieties. They are harvested before frost in dry weather.

This will protect the fruit from fungal infection. The fruits must be cut with a sharp knife, leaving about three centimeters at the stem.

With such a cut of the stalk, the fruit will not dry out for a long time, and will not be susceptible to infection. Eggplants are not washed before storage, but wiped with a dry cloth or paper towel. The fruits must be dried after harvest, but not under the sun, as their action leads to the formation of solanine, which is hazardous to health.

The temperature for storage should be from plus 3 to minus 5 degrees. The maximum temperature is plus 10 degrees. At the same time, it is necessary to monitor the humidity, which should not exceed 75 to 85 percent. It is very important to adhere to these conditions to ensure longer storage.

Different ways to store eggplant at home

dark place

A dark place for storing fruits is a cellar, basement and pantry.

Eggplant must be put in a cardboard box. At the same time, when laying, they must be separated from each other with paper partitions, you can also use hay or straw, if you have it. It is advisable to lay out from one to three layers, since insufficient air circulation can lead to the fact that the fruits begin to deteriorate, or mold will appear on them. After two weeks, the eggplants must be sorted and the litter changed. To do this, remove spoiled fruits, if any. Then re-shift, also separating them with partitions, and leave for long-term storage.

There is another unique storage method - it is to cover the fruits with wood ash. Before falling asleep, it is necessary to put eggplants in a deep box, preferably wooden, and store at a temperature of plus 7 degrees.

How to hang an eggplant- this is the most original storage option. For this, a regular mesh is used, in which the fruits are laid, then the mesh is stretched and fixed.

How to store fresh eggplant at home

After that, the eggplant must be arranged in one layer. The temperature with this option should be maintained up to plus 3 degrees. It is also necessary that the room has access to air.

Drying eggplant

There are two ways to dry eggplant: artificial and natural. In order to dry the fruits in a natural way, you need to wash them in advance. Then you can either whole, or cut into pieces, and dry in the open air. You can spread the eggplants at a distance from each other, on an oilcloth or baking sheet. The main thing is to make sure that the sun's rays do not fall. Also, another option is to string pieces of fruit on a fishing line or thread, and hang them in a well-ventilated place, you can even leave them outside.

Artificial way of storage is the fastest way. It consists in drying eggplants in the oven. The fruits, crushed into medium pieces, are laid out on a baking sheet, and dried at a temperature of plus 50 degrees for 6 hours. Then, the eggplants are taken out of the oven and allowed to cool for about one hour. Dry condition needs to be checked. if you still need to dry it, the fruits are sent back to the oven, but the cooking time is reduced to two hours. Dried fruits can be stored in a container or dry bag.

Freezing in the refrigerator

Freezing eggplant is the fastest and easiest way to store it. When frozen, the fruits do not lose their qualities, both useful and taste. At the same time, eggplants can be cut into any size. In the refrigerator, eggplants are in plastic bags.

A few tips before freezing:

So that the eggplant does not taste bitter, you need to sprinkle it with salt for 20 minutes, and then rinse with water;

To preserve the rich taste, it is necessary to pour the sliced ​​\u200b\u200bfruits alternately first with boiling water and then with cold water.

Properly stored, you will get the most delicious and perfectly fresh eggplant.

Dried eggplant at home

But did you know that you can enjoy the delicious taste of dried eggplant even at home and it’s not at all necessary to go to Italy? Having prepared such a delicacy, you can surprise your guests with an original dish. We present you several recipes for dried eggplant at home. They can be added to various salads, snacks, and also served with rice and pasta.

Dried eggplant in the oven

Ingredients:

Cooking

Wash the eggplant, pat dry and cut into small pieces. Then put the vegetables in a saucepan, add salt and mix. Leave for exactly one hour so that all the bitterness comes out of the eggplant. Now we wash them again and dry them on a napkin. Preheat the oven to 100 degrees and put the vegetable on a baking sheet greased with olive oil. Sprinkle with spices, add oregano and thyme. We leave it in the oven for 4 hours, and then put it in sterilized jars, add a little oil and close the lids.

Dryer Dried Eggplant Recipe

Ingredients:

• eggplant - 1 kg;
• vegetable oil;
• spices;
• garlic - 2 cloves.

Cooking

Wash the eggplant, dry and cut into cubes. Place them in a deep bowl and season well. Stir and leave the vegetables for 1 hour so that all the bitterness comes out of them. Then rinse again with cold water and lay out on a clean napkin. After that, we send the vegetables to the dryer and leave for 9 hours. Drying time depends on the thickness of the sliced ​​eggplant. At the bottom of the jar, pour a little oil, put a few cloves of garlic and fill it with eggplant. Add more oil, close the lid and store in the refrigerator.

Korean Dried Eggplant

Ingredients:

Cooking

Dried eggplant pour boiling water and leave for 15 minutes. Heat the oil in a frying pan, throw in the chopped garlic, ground coriander and fry for 1 minute. Then add eggplant, onion, chopped in half rings and pepper. Saute everything for a few minutes, and then pour in the vinegar and soy sauce.

"Blue" in a new version: how to dry eggplant at home?

Remove from heat, cool, add carrots and stir.

Eggplant can be soaked before drying. To do this, you need to wash the berry, cut it into rings, sprinkle with salt, and after a while wash off the resulting juice, squeeze the eggplant and put it on the dryer trays. Another way is without soaking. The eggplant is washed, cut into rings or half rings and dried immediately. When such an already dried eggplant is prepared for further processing, it is poured with warm water, into which all the bitterness contained in it "falls out". It remains only to wring it out - and in appearance it becomes like freshly washed.

How to dry eggplant

Oven dried eggplant

Eggplant chips

Slice the eggplant into long thin strips. Prepare the marinade: 100 grams of olive oil 50 grams of soy sauce or apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons of honey cayenne pepper, paprika to taste. Dip the eggplants in the marinade and keep them at room temperature for at least 2 hours. After that, dry them with napkins and put them in an electric dryer.

How to keep the maximum amount of vitamins in eggplant

At a temperature of 40 degrees, eggplant chips are dried for about a day. This can be recognized by the characteristic crunch of the plates.

07/02/2017, 331 views.

Like it or not, but an electric dryer is a very useful thing in the house. With it, you can easily dry vegetables, fruits, herbs, berries and even mushrooms for the winter. And so that the process of preparing food for the winter gives you pleasure, let's figure out what how to dry in electric dryer.

The household electric dryer is suitable for drying various vegetables, fruits, berries, mushrooms, herbs, meat and fish. The result is an excellent preparation for the winter or a beer snack (if it is meat and fish). Ask what can be done with dried vegetables? From dried vegetables, you can cook borscht, soup and even cook stew. The taste of the dishes will be the same as with summer products.

How to dry eggplant for the winter.

That is why many housewives like to dry food and store it until winter.

How to dry fruits and berries

In general, for drying fruits (apples, pears, peaches, bananas, nectarines, plums, apricots), there are such rules: clean and chopped fruits must be lay out in one layer on pallets and leave to dry at 60-70 degrees. Drying time depends on the juiciness of the fruit, in general it takes at least 8 hours. At the same time, we recommend that you turn off the dryer from time to time so that the fruit cools to room temperature. Since fruit dries the fastest on the bottom tray, it is necessary to swap tiers from time to time.

With berries it is a little more difficult than with fruits. If the fruit is cut into pieces enough, then berries must be dried whole and the result does not always live up to expectations. So, in an electric dryer, you can dry raspberries, blackberries, currants, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries. For drying berries, a temperature of 55 degrees is required.

Berries dry much longer than fruits due to the large amount of juice in them and the dense skin. For the same reason, you have to fiddle a lot with some berries during the drying process. So, currant is considered the most capricious, which literally boils in the dryer, and does not dry. Pitted cherries will also be capricious. Since the berries dry unevenly, from time to time you have to choose dry ones, and leave the rest to dry further.

Very tasty after drying watermelon and melon. Kids just love these treats! Peel the pulp of watermelons and melons from the peel, remove the seeds. Next, the pulp must be cut into pieces 5 mm thick and spread out on pallets. Tumble dry at 55 degrees. It will take about 10 hours for a melon to dry, and a day for a watermelon.

How to dry vegetables

Now let's talk about vegetables. There are also some drying rules that must be observed here, so we will divide all vegetables into roots and fleshy fruits. Roots (carrots, beets, parsnips, parsley, celery) are ideal for preparing dry dressing for borscht, soup, various sauces.

Peel the roots and grate them on a coarse grater.

Put different roots on each pallet and set to dry at 65 degrees. dry vegetables put in a jar and store until winter. Dried peppers and onions can be added to the roots to prepare an aromatic mixture.

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, zucchini, cucumbers have to be dried in different ways, since their flesh is different. So, Bulgarian pepper is dried at 50 degrees. Before drying, cut the tomatoes and remove the seeds with a spoon. Eggplant and zucchini must be cut into 6 mm slices, and cucumbers into 12 mm slices.

Very easy to prepare in an electric dryer greenery. It dries very quickly and retains its fragrance. For drying greens, dill, green onions, parsley, basil, celery, etc. are used. We recommend that you dry not only greens, but also garlic.

The electric dryer is good because you can not only dry it, but also dry it. They turn out great dried bananas, nectarines, figs, kiwi, pumpkin, pears, peaches. As a result, you will have something between dried fruits and candied fruits. For the preparation of dried fruits (except bananas), sugar syrup is needed, in which the selected fruits are either boiled or soaked. Drain the fruit in a colander, then transfer to the dryer and dry until tender.

Another preparation option - pastille in an electric dryer.

Marshmallow can be made from the puree of various fruits, and it dries very quickly. Using an electric dryer for marshmallows is ideal for housewives whose oven does not keep the temperature below 100 ° C. We advise you to prepare adjika in the same way as marshmallow. It turns out more delicate and spicy in taste. Perfect for making pasta and as an appetizer for beer.

In the fall, many people think about how to save eggplant for the winter. They are harvested in different ways: in the form of conservation, eggplant caviar, even frozen. A less rare way of harvesting eggplant is drying, although a large amount of useful substances is retained in the vegetable. In our country, this method of harvesting "blue ones" is not very common, but in Turkey or Italy, dried eggplants can always be found in stores.

Video: Eggplant Harvesting. I'm cooking

You can dry eggplants as well as carrots, dill and parsley in a city apartment. This process is not at all complicated and everyone can choose the most convenient method for drying the "blue ones" for themselves.

How to dry eggplant?

Only ripe eggplants are suitable for drying, without damage and signs of decay. It is advisable to choose fruits with a thin skin, and in overripe the flesh becomes hard, the seeds are large, so these eggplants are not suitable for drying for the winter.

Video: Harvest spicy eggplants for the winter - Everything will be good. Issue 663 dated 09/02/15

You can make dried eggplants with different tastes from eggplants, using special marinades and spices for this. If desired, gourmets can make bacon-flavoured dried eggplant and serve thin strips as a snack in winter.

Before cooking, dried eggplant should be soaked in water and then cooked like mushrooms.

Dried eggplant "meat"

4 small fruits or 2 large ones, peeled and cut into thin strips. For convenience, they use a sharp knife or use a special nozzle on a vegetable cutter. If the eggplant is very large, the strip can be further cut into 2 or 4 parts.

Video: The easiest way to dry eggplant at home

Now you need to prepare the marinade, for which, in a separate bowl, mix half a glass of olive oil, a third of a glass of soy sauce or apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of honey, a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper and a teaspoon of paprika.

Prepared eggplants are poured with marinade and left for 2 hours.

how to dry eggplant at home

Next, the strips are blotted with paper towels and laid out in an electric dryer. At a temperature of 40 degrees, eggplant strips are dried for about a day. Dried eggplants are ready when they have a characteristic crunch.

Dried eggplant "like mushrooms"

Eggplants cooked for the winter taste very much like mushrooms, and the appearance is sometimes misleading.

Video: Eggplant for future use

Drying eggplant in an electric dryer

Eggplant can be soaked before drying. To do this, you need to wash the berry, cut it into rings, sprinkle with salt, and after a while wash off the resulting juice, squeeze the eggplant and put it on the dryer trays.

How to store eggplant in the apartment and cellar

Another way is without soaking. The eggplant is washed, cut into rings or half rings and dried immediately. When such an already dried eggplant is prepared for further processing, it is poured with warm water, into which all the bitterness contained in it "falls out". It remains only to wring it out - and in appearance it becomes like freshly washed.

Dried eggplants can be boiled in salted water and added to carrots - it turns out very tasty: Or you can fry a little and make a salad with garlic and mayonnaise - the eggplant in this dish will resemble mushrooms. Dried eggplant is prepared very quickly, but it is stored for a long time and does not take up much space.

How to dry eggplant

To begin with, a thin layer of skin is removed from them. After that, the fruits are cut into such circles, then strung on a string. Now they are placed on a completely dry baking sheet and immediately put in the oven (160 gr.) For ten minutes. Then they are removed to dry in a dry place, but already in limbo. As soon as the fruits are thoroughly dry, they are cleaned in glass jars, it is possible in canvas bags.

And preparing dried eggplant is very easy. In winter, just pour eggplants in fresh water, and when they get wet, immediately stew with sour cream, as if you had ordinary mushrooms.

Outdoor dried eggplant

It is advisable to choose eggplants of the same size, and not very ripe, in which there are not so many seeds. Cut the eggplant into long strips, pierce with string, and hang them outside to dry. Eggplants dry quickly, and after 3-5 days they will be ready for long-term storage.

Oven dried eggplant

Eggplants are washed, cut into slices and sprinkled with salt. Now they need to be given time to rest and release bitterness. After an hour, the eggplant is washed, salted a little, sprinkled with spices, a little vegetable oil is added and mixed. Lay them out on a baking sheet, or on an electric dryer tray. In the oven, the temperature is set to 120 degrees, and when drying, the door is left slightly ajar. Drying will take about 3 hours.

For cooking meat dishes, caviar, baking, eggplants should be cooled and poured into a glass jar. In winter, all you need to do is soak dried eggplant for 2 hours in water, and they will return to almost their original appearance. In any case, this will be enough for making stews, or even stuffing eggplant.

Eggplant chips

Slice the eggplant into long thin strips. Prepare the marinade: 100 grams of olive oil 50 grams of soy sauce or apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons of honey cayenne pepper, paprika to taste. Dip the eggplants in the marinade and keep them at room temperature for at least 2 hours. After that, dry them with napkins and put them in an electric dryer. At a temperature of 40 degrees, eggplant chips are dried for about a day. This can be recognized by the characteristic crunch of the plates.

This dried vegetable can be given a completely different taste, depending on how it is harvested. Any are suitable for drying. You can make imitation bacon and enjoy thin crispy slices in winter, which will be a great snack. Here's how it's done.

2 large or 4 small eggplants are peeled and cut into very thin strips. This can be done with a vegetable cutter or a sharp knife. Depending on the size of the vegetable, you can pre-cut it in half or into 4 parts. Next, prepare the marinade:

You need to mix the marinade with chopped vegetables and leave for 2 hours. Then all this is laid out in a dryer, where the future snack should spend about a day at a temperature of 40 ° C. In winter, crispy spicy stripes will perfectly decorate a sandwich, or go as an independent dish. In the classic American version of the BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato) sandwich, they are a great substitute for bacon.

How to dry eggplant for the winter

If the house has a special gadget for drying vegetables, the instructions for it have detailed instructions for both drying time and temperature. Those who have not yet acquired such a device will have to use the oven or dry vegetables naturally. The latter, of course, takes more time, but for those who have a dacha or a spacious loggia, this method is quite affordable.

• The vegetables are pre-washed, the stalks are removed and cut into pieces of the same thickness. The latter is important for uniform drying.
• Eggplant spread on a spacious surface (if dried in the oven, then on a baking sheet) in one layer. There should be free space between the pieces.
• The oven is heated to a temperature of 200 ° C and chopped vegetables are left there for about an hour.
• After that, the temperature is halved, and the fruits are dried for another 4 hours.

When drying in a natural way, a tray with chopped blanks is placed in a calm place, protected from direct sunlight. The process will end no earlier than in 5 days, and you must not forget to periodically turn the pieces on the tray.

Eggplant-mushrooms

Another way to stock up on dried eggplant will end up with a product that is very reminiscent of mushrooms, both in taste (if you add the appropriate seasoning) and in appearance.

Ready-made drying is stored in cloth bags or glass jars. To cook a delicious dish in winter, it is enough to soak them in water for a while, and then cook them in the same way as mushrooms - fry, stew with sour cream, etc. And if you take white varieties of vegetables, or, which, even when fresh, resemble mushrooms in taste, then no one will actually figure out that these are eggplants.

The cure for hypertension

Dried eggplants can be harvested not only to enjoy them in winter, but also to alleviate the condition in certain diseases, such as hypertension and gout.

Powder from dried eggplant skin helps well against hypertension. It is taken before meals, 1 teaspoon. The same powder will be useful for rinsing weak gums. Make a solution - 1 tbsp will go to 1 glass of hot water. powder and 1 tsp. sea ​​salt.

If desired, even residents of small apartments may well prepare an impressive amount of their favorite vegetable for the winter. Drying eggplant is not at all a difficult process, but how much fun it will be with the onset of cold weather to try dishes that are usually available only in summer.

Eggplant is a vegetable beloved by many housewives, from which you can cook a large number of incredibly tasty and mouth-watering dishes. Eggplants are stewed, fried, added to soup, sautéed and casseroles, and they are also used to make Italian pizza. But, unfortunately, this fruit is seasonal and cannot be stored for a long time. Therefore, in order to treat yourself and your loved ones to all kinds of dishes with the addition of this delicious vegetable, they should stock up for future use. You can prepare dried eggplant for the winter, from which it is easy to cook various casseroles, vegetable "mixes" and even pizza - this is just a small list of what can be prepared from dried eggplant. They can also be added to, stewed with mushrooms, added to roasts, made from them,.

Drying is one of the most successful ways to store blue vegetables. As a result of this process, the fruits lose moisture and significantly decrease in size, which makes it possible to harvest a large number of them. It is important that this uses a little space for storing them. In addition, dried eggplants retain their useful and gustatory qualities for a long time.

There are several recipes for drying this unique vegetable, which makes it possible to prepare various dishes. For example, if you plan to cook stew from blue fruits, then it is better to dry them in small cubes. Eggplant, cut into strips, can be used to prepare various salads. Vegetables cut in half and dried in this form are stuffed with meat stuffing.

To use dried blanks in any dish, they must first be poured with purified (cool) water and left for 2-3 hours. The enlarged blue fruits can be used at your discretion.

Taste Info How to dry…

Ingredients

• eggplant.

How to cook dried eggplant for the winter

We choose blue fruits without flaws and flaws. We clean them from the skin (using a thin blade of a knife).


Shred eggplant in circles or small bars. The second shaping option allows you to dry the fruits faster.


We spread the pieces of "blue" on the grill, set the temperature to 70 degrees.


We cook vegetables in an electric dryer for 3-5 hours, until the fruits decrease in size and weight. At the same time, they should also become dry and elastic. If we cook fruits in the oven, then set the "Convection" mode or open the oven door.

We store dried eggplant in a glass or plastic container (with a closed lid). You can also use a canvas bag for this. Vegetables preserved in this way will retain their taste and aroma properties for a long time.


Drying naturally

Eggplants can also be properly dried in a natural way at room temperature for 4-5 days. However, the natural method of drying in the sun is quite long. Chopped vegetables should be turned regularly. It is also important to limit direct sunlight and strong winds.

This vegetable is very popular in cooking. It can be cooked in a hundred different ways - marinated, fried, boiled, as well as canned and even dried. Blue ones, as they are called in the common people, or eggplants, contain many nutrients and vitamins. Even after drying, they retain a useful composition. Therefore, we suggest that readers of the site “Popular about Health” prepare dishes from dried eggplant, the recipes of which are quite simple, but it will still work out to surprise gourmets.

Preparing blue ones is very simple: cut a few kilograms of vegetables into rings or slices along, without removing the peel. Place on a dry baking sheet and send to the oven. We get a deliciously delicious component, from which you can come up with culinary masterpieces in any weather!

Korean-style dried eggplant salad

This eggplant dish can be served both for a regular dinner and for a festive celebration as an original snack. To prepare the salad, we need:

300 g dried eggplant;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 2-3 pieces of sweet bell pepper;
- 2 medium tomatoes;
- mayonnaise;
- seasoning for dishes in Korean;
- greens to taste.

The actual recipe. The technology of preparation is very simple. To begin with, we put the little blue ones in boiling, slightly salted water, leave to cook for 15 minutes. Drain the vegetables in a colander and let cool to room temperature. At this time, you can do the marinade.

Mix chopped garlic with Korean seasoning, add coarsely chopped greens (ideally parsley, cilantro, green onions). Add blue to the resulting mixture, let it brew for 2 hours. Then add chopped tomatoes and bell peppers. Season all components with mayonnaise, add salt if desired.

Dried eggplant fried with vegetables

This dish can be served both as a cold salad appetizer and as a hot dish. We will need the following ingredients:

150 g dried eggplant;
- 1 large onion;
- 2 bell peppers;
- 2 tomatoes;
- garlic;
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce;
- ground black and red pepper;
- dill, parsley and cilantro.

Soak the little blue ones in salted cold water for 2-3 hours, or throw them into boiling water for 15 minutes. We throw the vegetables into a colander. In vegetable oil, fry the onion rings along with the bell pepper, cut into large pieces (strips or half rings). Fry vegetables for 2-3 minutes, send eggplant to them. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes. At the end, cut the tomato, put the chopped garlic and pour over everything with soy sauce. Simmer another 5 minutes.

Lastly, sprinkle the dish with red and black pepper, add chopped herbs, after 2 minutes turn off the stove. The dish turns out surprisingly fragrant, satisfying, it can be used as a gravy for spaghetti or rice. Many argue that the taste of blue is reminiscent of mushrooms.

Dried eggplant sauce

Eggplants are pre-soaked or thrown into boiling water. In butter, fry the onion, cut into half rings. We send blue ones to it, salt and pepper to taste, and if desired, you can add seasoning or herbs. Simmer over low heat with the lid closed, stirring regularly.

When the vegetables are well softened, they need to be crushed or beat with a blender until smooth. In another pan, brown the flour, then add a little butter and add warm water. Mix everything well and quickly remove from heat after boiling.

While stirring the flour mixture, add the eggplant puree and mix everything. You can serve this sauce with pasta or simply with bread.

Recipes with eggplant meat casserole

This dish is very filling and nutritious. We restore dried vegetables in water, then fry them in vegetable or butter.

In a separate pan, fry the minced meat with onions, add chopped garlic to taste. Chop the greens, add medium-sized strips of bell pepper, salt and mix everything with mayonnaise. Now let's start laying the casserole.

Lightly grease the form with oil, lay a layer of tomato rings. The second layer is minced meat, then tomatoes again, then eggplant. Pour everything with green sauce with mayonnaise, and sprinkle with cheese on top. As soon as a golden crust forms, the dish is ready!

Useful properties of dried eggplant

This product is used not only in cooking. It is recommended to eat it as often as possible with gout, with diseases of the cardiovascular system. Useful components of dried blue are an effective prevention of the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of our blood vessels.

Blue ones help reduce swelling by removing fluid from the body, from tissues. At the same time, the kidneys are well cleansed, and the risk of urolithiasis is reduced. it is useful to eat only one tablespoon of eggplant powder a day so as not to encounter liver diseases.

Dried blue helps smokers who decide to quit a bad habit. Their daily use in food promotes weaning from tobacco and makes it easier to endure quitting cigarettes. This is explained simply: the product contains nicotinic acid, which neutralizes the feeling of withdrawal in the body without smoking.

Try it and you are sure to find a dish that will become a favorite for your entire family.

Not every freezer allows you to prepare enough vegetables for the winter so that they retain their beneficial properties. At the same time, traditional preservation, although tasty, does not at all guarantee such benefits and taste. Drying is a great alternative to freezing vegetables. Therefore, it is worth figuring out how to dry eggplants at home on your own and provide yourself and your family with an excellent treat.

How to dry eggplant for the winter: basic principles and drying time

Medium-sized, ripe fruits with small seeds should be chosen as raw materials. Varieties "Helios", "Almaz", "Czech Early", "Black Beauty" are very convenient due to the tender pulp and a small amount of seeds.

Peeling vegetables before drying is mandatory, and it is advisable to cut the skin as thinly as possible, using a special vegetable peeler: this will preserve the greatest amount of nutrients. As for the slicing option, it all depends on the further purpose of the product - for soups, stews, caviar, it is better to choose slicing into cubes or straws, for frying and casseroles - in circles.

How to dry eggplant at home: choose a variety of vegetables

• on open air. The product is located in the shade, with the possibility of ventilation, the process continues for several days depending on the weather;
• in the oven - at a temperature of 50-80 degrees, until the pieces are completely dry;
• in an electric dryer - the best way in terms of labor costs.

In all options, except for the dryer, slices or pieces should be turned over to dry the eggplant more evenly.

How to dry eggplants: and then how to restore them for cooking?

Having figured out how to dry eggplants, let's think about preparing them for first or second courses. In order for dried vegetables to give the maximum taste, they must be soaked in warm water for 30-40 minutes before preparing the planned recipe. Further, the recipe does not differ from frying, stewing or baking fresh eggplant.

If already dried vegetables are ground into flour, the cooking process will be simplified: the powder is added at the stage of laying potatoes or cereals; cutting, soaking and other procedures are not required. Adjustments may require only the amount of liquid; It should be noted that the dried product absorbs moisture during the swelling process.

Dried eggplant for healing and beauty