Hawthorn is a shrub or small tree from the Rosaceae family. Its fruits are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, which is why it is often used as a therapeutic and preventive remedy for many diseases.
Therefore, when preparing winter supplies, you need to know how to dry hawthorn fruits in order to preserve the useful product for as long as possible. There are several main methods for drying hawthorn at home, after familiarizing yourself with which you can choose the most optimal one for yourself.
Beneficial properties of dried hawthorn and contraindications
Hawthorn has a rich taste and extremely beneficial composition. Due to its natural origin, it is often used as a safer alternative to medications. Berries have a complex effect on the body. When dried at home, the amount of vitamins and minerals in the composition is practically not reduced. The positive effect on health is due to the content of the following elements:
- ascorbic acid;
- fructose;
- pectins;
- vitamins of groups K, C, A and E;
- flavonoids;
- minerals (zinc, iron, potassium, copper, manganese, magnesium, calcium);
- quercitrin;
- ursolic acid;
- vitexin;
- caffeic acid.
The fruits of the bush have a significant effect on the cardiovascular and nervous system. They improve blood circulation and strengthen blood vessels. That is why berries are widely used in alternative medicine. The beneficial properties of dried hawthorn are as follows:
- restoration of blood sugar levels;
- elimination of nervous disorders;
- normalization of metabolic processes;
- blood purification;
- prevention of atherosclerosis;
- removing toxins and free radicals from the body;
- restoration of liver cells;
- eliminating insomnia.
The main function of berries is to normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular system. They prevent the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels by removing harmful cholesterol from the body. Due to the large supply of vitamins and minerals, the fruits of the bush strengthen the vascular walls. All this together helps normalize blood circulation. When vital organs receive the required amount of oxygen, they begin to work better. This has a positive effect on a person’s overall well-being.
The fruits of the bush are extremely useful for the digestive tract. They help cope with constipation and flatulence. Dried fruits are often prescribed to people suffering from duodenitis and gastritis. In case of nervous disorders, they have a slight sedative effect on the body without causing drowsiness. In addition, hawthorn is able to regulate blood clotting. It is very useful for low immunity. Regular consumption of the product prevents the development of vitamin deficiency.
Attention! If you are prone to allergies, have low blood pressure and frequent dizziness, you should use hawthorn with caution.
Proper storage of the product
The drying process preserves all the vitamins and beneficial properties in any plant, but in order for it to be stored for a long time and consumed throughout the year, certain rules must be followed, including:
- The finished product should be left in paper bags only for a while so that the paper absorbs the remaining moisture. For storage you need to use glass, ceramic containers or plastic containers with attached lids. Under no circumstances should moisture or insects get inside.
- Containers should be kept in constantly ventilated, dry rooms with an air temperature of 10-18 C.
- Never use fabric bags for storage. This applies not only to hawthorn, but also to other dried products. They will quickly become damp and moths and other pests will get there.
Note!
Do not allow containers to come into contact with direct sunlight.
When is hawthorn harvested for drying?
The collection of berries for further fresh use begins in the first half of October and ends with the first frost. It is during this period that the fruits of the bush contain a maximum of vitamins. For drying at home, it is permissible to pick berries in early September. For these purposes, the most suitable option would be the Siberian variety of hawthorn. It is advisable to collect fruits in warm and dry weather. If you harvest hawthorn after rain or when there is dew, it will take a long time to dry, which can lead to rot or mold.
The inflorescences of the bush are usually collected in late May - early June. During this period, flowering is just beginning. When collecting, you need to pay attention to the buds that are still closed. Blooming inflorescences cannot be collected. It is advisable to cut flowers with special scissors. It is important not to damage the petals during the collection process. The leaves are collected at the same time as the inflorescences. From each branch it is necessary to cut no more than 1/3 of the total amount. Leaves should not be damaged by insects or mold.
Fruit preparation
After harvesting, hawthorn must be prepared for drying.
When carrying out the procedure, you can be guided by this algorithm:
- Rinse the berries well under running, cold water.
- Drain the fruits on waffle or paper towels.
- Remove leaves, petioles, branches from the berry mass, and also eliminate possible impurities of other plants.
- Sort the remaining fruits. Remove damaged, rotten, empty berries. Inspect the fruit, make sure there is no darkening on the skin, traces of mold or damage to the shell.
- Sort through the berries, remove the stems. Rinse the fruits again to remove traces of contamination and drain on paper towels.
After removing the liquid from the surface of the berries, you can begin drying the raw material.
How to dry hawthorn at home
Dried hawthorn, the photo of which is presented above, has a lot of useful qualities. It is practically not inferior in value to fresh fruits. Moreover, it can be used in winter, when access to fresh berries and fruits is limited. Drying hawthorn at home must be carried out according to a certain algorithm. The benefit of the final product depends on how well the rules are followed. There are several options for drying hawthorn:
- oven;
- microwave;
- air fryer;
- electric dryer;
- on air.
How to dry hawthorn in the oven
Drying berries is permissible in any convenient way. One of them involves placing the fruits and leaves in an electric or gas oven. This method will allow the moisture to be distributed evenly. To do this, set moderate power. On average, leaves and inflorescences are dried for one and a half hours. Drying berries at home can take several hours.
How to dry hawthorn in an electric oven
Drying hawthorn at home, in the oven, is carried out at low temperatures. This ensures uniform release of moisture. Before placing the baking sheet with the raw materials inside, you should preheat the oven to the desired temperature. The door must be left slightly open. If the stove has a ventilation mode built in, it must be turned on. It is recommended to dry the berries at a temperature of 50-70°C. A temperature of 40°C is suitable for leaves and inflorescences. It is important to stir the raw materials periodically so that the moisture evaporates evenly. Readiness is determined by the appearance of the fruit. They shrink by half, become hard and darker. You can check readiness tactilely. You need to take several berries in your hand and squeeze them forcefully. Properly dried fruits should not stick together and release juice.
Comment! It is undesirable to collect the fruits of shrubs that have grown in close proximity to highways. The most successful place for collection will be a summer cottage or the edge of a forest.
How to dry hawthorn in a gas stove oven
Before drying, you need to preheat the oven to the desired temperature. Meanwhile, the prepared fruits, leaves or inflorescences are placed on a baking sheet in a thin layer. If there are too many raw materials, several baking trays may be needed. After loading the berries into the oven, reduce the gas supply to a minimum. The drying time in this case varies from 4 to 7 hours. The contents of the baking sheet must be stirred with a wooden spatula every hour.
How to dry hawthorn in an electric dryer
An electric dryer is a special device that has several trays. It is sold at any hardware store. Drying hawthorn in an electric dryer is considered the most convenient way to prepare raw materials. Berries are poured onto each of them. Pallets must be changed once a day. Each layer is raised one step higher. The top pallet is moved to the very bottom. This will allow the berries to dry as evenly as possible.
It is important to know the temperature and time for drying hawthorn in an electric dryer. First set the temperature to 60°C. After 2 hours it is reduced to 40°C. After another 2 hours it is returned to its previous level. In total, drying takes about 6 hours.
How to dry hawthorn in the microwave
Microwave drying is suitable if the raw materials are collected in small quantities. Considering that the berries must be placed in one layer, it will not be possible to make large reserves. The advantage of the procedure is its duration. It is 1.5 hours. If hawthorn is present in large quantities, the drying process at home may take 1-2 days. Berries should be dried at 300 W.
How to dry hawthorn in an air fryer
The advantages of an air fryer include the presence of a fan and a heater. The device is controlled using buttons located on the panel. The disadvantages of this drying method include the inability to load large portions. The total duration of the procedure is 8-9 hours.
How to air dry hawthorn correctly
Often the berries are dried in the sun or in a ventilated area. The duration of the process is 4-5 days. A large tray is covered with paper, and berries and bush leaves are laid out on top of it. To ensure uniform evaporation of moisture, it is recommended to stir the raw materials periodically. After sunset, the tray should be removed indoors. In cool weather, you can leave it in the attic.
Important! During air drying, you should change the paper on the tray daily.
Step-by-step instruction
Preparation
Before drying of hawthorn begins, it must be prepared for the procedure.
The preparation process includes:
- Inspection of raw materials for the presence of rotten and spoiled berries;
- The tails and shields are torn off from the fruits;
- Wash and dry the hawthorn on a paper towel;
- If the berries are to be dried without seeds, then they must be removed.
What to dry in?
Electric dryer
This method is quite time-consuming, but its advantage is the ability to monitor the process and completely control it.
Place the prepared berries on a tray, which is placed in the center of the electric dryer so that the fruits dry evenly. This will also help avoid drying out and, conversely, the hawthorn will not remain damp.
How to freeze and dry:
Microwave
This method is good because you can check the readiness of the hawthorn at any moment, but a lot of electricity is consumed. It is also worth considering that the harm caused by microwaves to food is not known for certain and whether the fruit remains beneficial with this cooking method.
With this method, you need to place the hawthorn in the middle between two cotton layers of fabric.
Oven
The simplest and most popular method is oven drying. For this method, you simply place the hawthorn in a single layer on a baking sheet. Stir the berries periodically.
Video tutorial:
How much time?
Each method differs in its duration.
Fruit drying time:
- In an electric dryer, the hawthorn should be dried for five to eight hours; if the process lasts longer, the berries will dry out;
- In an air fryer, the duration will be slightly longer (at least eight hours, but no more than ten).
- In a microwave oven, the process usually takes several days due to the small capacity, but if the amount of hawthorn is small, it will be more convenient to dry it this way.
Temperature
Temperature values when drying hawthorn:
- First, place a tray with raw materials in the electric dryer, and then turn it on to a temperature of sixty degrees. After a couple of hours, reduce it to forty degrees, and at the end of drying, raise it again to 60C;
- In an air fryer, they are also initially heated to 60C, but due to the small capacity of the device, the berries can burn, so you need to gradually periodically lower the temperature, and sometimes increase the already reduced temperature;
- In the microwave, they do not adjust the degrees, but set the mode to 300 Watt, and then you should switch the regulator to 600 Watt. At the end of the process, you need to return the indicator to 300 watts.
- To dry it in an oven, it is first heated to a temperature of sixty degrees, and then a baking sheet with fruits is placed. This temperature regime must be maintained throughout the entire process.
Determining readiness
The readiness of hawthorn, when cooked in all these kitchen appliances, is determined the same way. At the end of the approximate drying time, look at the following indicators:
- The berries must be dry and no juice should be released from them;
- They are also wrinkled;
- They are difficult to tear apart with your fingers;
- Readiness can also be determined by the color, which should be red or copper in color.
When the hawthorn is ready, it needs to be allowed to cool, and then consumed or poured into a storage container.
How to use dried hawthorn
Dried hawthorn has a wide range of uses. It is often used to prepare various traditional medicines. The beneficial effect on the body is due to its rich vitamin composition. Thanks to this, the fruits of the bush strengthen the immune system, increasing the body's resistance to viruses and infections. They also have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, improving blood circulation. Berries increase the effectiveness of traditional therapy and can be used as a prophylactic agent. Indications for use are as follows:
- atherosclerosis;
- diseases of the nervous system;
- impaired metabolism;
- prostatitis;
- heart failure;
- vascular pathologies;
- high blood pressure;
- vascular pathologies.
Based on dried hawthorn, a tincture, decoction, vitamin tea or infusion is prepared. For each disease there is a specific recipe for preparing a medicine. The benefits of berries include their gentle effect on the body. Unlike medications, they rarely cause side effects. Sweet lovers replenish the supply of vitamins in the body by eating jam or hawthorn jam.
Recipes
Hawthorn can be dried with the addition of various spices . For example, cinnamon, bergamot or almond. Ginger is also sometimes added to hawthorn. It will come with a spicy aroma. This berry is good for tea and mulled wine.
Hawthorn is also dried for flavor with apples and pears. The smell of compote made from these ingredients is simply divine. Add citrus peels to suit your taste.
