Food Alphabet
Dried sea buckthorn fruits: properties of dried sea buckthorn
To dry the sea buckthorn berries, you need to collect in September. The collection continues throughout October and until the frost. Later, the berries are not collected for drying, because their thin skin bursts in the cold and they become unsuitable for drying. After harvesting, the berries are carefully washed, choosing leaves and debris from them. Damaged berries are rejected.
Dried sea buckthorn fruits: properties of dried sea buckthorn
The first method of drying. Whole berries are dried in the air until the water droplets completely evaporate. Then they are laid out in one layer on baking sheets and dried in the shade. It should be noted that drying in the shade, and not in the sun, is a prerequisite for processing sea buckthorn, because under the influence of sunlight, carotene is destroyed in it. The sea buckthorn dried in this way is dried in the oven, at a temperature not exceeding 50 degrees. At the same time, it is important to make sure that the sea buckthorn does not dry out and does not burn!
The second method of drying. Sea buckthorn is sorted, washed in cold water. Dry the berries until the moisture evaporates from their surface, and then lay them in one row on a baking sheet. Sea buckthorn berries are dried at a temperature of 50-60 degrees for 5-6 hours. In general, at home, it is more expedient to dry the cake obtained after squeezing the juice and oil from fresh sea buckthorn berries. To do this, the cake is placed in gauze bags, hung in the shade and slightly dried in the air. Complete the drying, as in the previous case, in the oven.
In cooking, dried sea buckthorn is used to make the same dishes and drinks as fresh sea buckthorn: tinctures, wines, fruit drinks and jelly. To do this, dried berries are first soaked in boiling water, and then used according to the recipe. Ready-made dried sea buckthorn berries, as well as cake, are put in bags and stored in well-ventilated areas for 1 year.
