Many housewives often prepare compotes from dried fruits, it is very tasty, children adore them, they are also useful in winter as a vitamin supplement. It is not always possible to find high-quality dried fruits in stores due to improper storage. Sometimes we bring a product home with bugs and moths and don't know how to get rid of them. We hope that our tips and tricks will help you with this, teach you what to do so that purchased or independently dried fruits are stored longer at home. In the photo you will see examples of fruit moth and its larvae, as well as damage caused by these voracious creatures.
Why are dried fruits useful?
Dried fruits retain up to 97% of nutrients. In the process of processing, mainly water and a certain amount of rapidly disintegrating vitamins leave the raw material. But trace elements remain in full volume - another valuable component of fruits and berries, as well as the "natural energetic" fructose and plant fibers.
The vitamin complex, which is contained in drying even after heat treatment and long-term storage, is much richer and more effective than that of frozen fruits. Therefore, having collected a generous harvest at their summer cottage, do not rush to send all of it to the refrigerator. Be sure to wither some of the fruits and berries or dry them in the sun to support the body in the cold season.
What gives the regular use of dried fruits:
- Natural immunity is stimulated, increased resistance to colds and viral diseases.
- Improves the condition of skin, hair and nails, regeneration processes are accelerated.
- The brain starts to work more actively, memory develops, learning is easier.
- The body is cleansed of toxins, metabolism is stabilized, as a result of which an influx of energy is felt, vigor appears, and the ability to work increases.
- Sweet dried fruits are the best substitute for confectionery or sweets, reliable protection against stress and depression.
Important!
Dried fruits are high in calories and are so rich in nutrients that they need to be consumed in small doses. Otherwise, there is a risk of earning a headache, indigestion and flatulence.
The benefits of dried fruits
Dried apples contain vitamins and minerals necessary for the human body. They contain:
Vitamins of group E and B.- Iodine.
- Zinc.
- Copper.
- Iron.
- Manganese.
- Magnesium.
- Ascorbic acid.
In addition to all of the above, these fruits contain:
- Phytoncides that slow down the growth of pathogenic bacteria.
- Tannins that have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.
- Various acids that regulate the acid-base balance in the body and help the immune system.
- Fructose - helps to quickly saturate the body, relieve it of hunger.
- Polysaccharides - lower bad cholesterol.
One hundred grams of apples contain only 230 Kcal, which allows them to be used as snacks all day. Dried apples are several times higher in calories.
Dried apples aid digestion as they are high in fiber and pectin. The acids, oils and vitamins contained in them help speed up the metabolism.
Dangerous beauty
The main criterion for the quality of purchased drying is its appearance. Seeing beautiful, shiny, appetizing fruits that just ask to be in your mouth, they should be ... bypassed.
Beauty in this case is not evidence of the exclusive benefits of the product, but chemical treatment result... It is they who make dried apricots and light raisins sunny yellow, give the fruits an elegant, glossy skin, complementing the effect produced on an inexperienced buyer with a truly heavenly aroma.
Naturally dried real dried fruits are plain looking, are devoid of bright colors and have a faint, natural odor. Only such fruits are a rare storehouse of vitamins and are really capable of maintaining health.
Advice
It is better to buy dried fruits from grandmothers in the market than in supermarkets that sell industrially processed products that have lost up to 60% of nutrients. Simple sets of apples, pears, plums, apricots and cherries are much more valuable than exotic fruit mixes.
Preparing dried fruits for storage
In properly dried dried fruits, the moisture content is reduced by 75 - 85%. It is not difficult to check the quality of the product: we squeeze a handful of fruits in our hand and rub a little with our fingers. If the drying crumbles, it is suitable for long-term storage, if it has formed a sticky lump, additional heat treatment will be required.
Damp fruits are brought to condition, first in the open air during the day, and then in the oven, at 60 ° C - 80 ° C for at least an hour.
Each type of fruit and berries has its own moisture index. Even after drying, this difference will persist, therefore joint storage of different fruits is undesirable... The exceptions are pears and apples - they get along quite peacefully with each other.
If you still want to make a mixture, all the components are pre-scattered in a thin layer on paper and left for several days so that the total moisture is evened out. Such mixes will need to be carefully monitored, since the risk of mold is much higher for them than for separately packaged fruits.
Choice of containers
Properly dried dried fruit well stored in hermetically sealed glass containers... You can use vacuum caps - the lack of oxygen will prevent putrefactive bacteria and pathogens from multiplying. Mold also does not threaten dried fruits with this storage method.
Vacuum can extend the shelf life of dried fruit up to several years.
Glass containers are shown primarily for fruits with a high sugar content: dates, prunes, peaches, dried apricots, raisins. It will protect the fruit not only from spoilage, but also from insects.
Convenient to store drying in vacuum bags. This is also an effective way. But plastic containers are acceptable, but undesirable - dried fruits in them can become damp and moldy.
Small portions of rose hips, barberry and apple-pear compote mix can be stored in tightly tied canvas bags or paper bags.
Important!
Drying should not be put in plastic bags. Condensation often forms in such packaging, which contributes to the appearance of mold and decay.
Determining the storage location
The main enemy of drying is heat and high humidity., which provoke the development of putrefactive processes and the appearance of mold. Industrial producers store dried fruits in dark, well-ventilated rooms with an air temperature of 2 ° C - 10 ° C. In residential premises, such a regime is hardly possible.
Dried apricots are dried pitted apricots Then where to store dried fruits so that they do not spoil?
- Fruits in hermetically sealed glass jars or canvas bags can be placed in the pantry or in that section of the kitchen cabinet that is used less often than others and is as far as possible from the stove or heating appliances.
- Many housewives think that low temperatures will be the best protection against mold and pests. A natural question arises: is it possible to store dried fruits in the refrigerator - will this not affect the useful qualities of the product? It turns out that it all depends on the type of fruit and the degree of their moisture.
For example, apple slices have no place in the refrigerator - they can become damp.Here is a detailed article on storing dried apples. At the same time, for drying with high importance, for example, dried apricots, raisins, prunes, dates, dried peaches or pears, the lower compartment is suitable, with a temperature from + 3 ° C to + 8 ° C. Here the fruits will stay soft for longer and will be protected from pests.
External characteristics
The fruit moth goes through several stages of development. In everyday life, it is customary to call a nondescript gray, brownish moth a moth. The size does not exceed 3 cm with the wings spread. Butterflies are active in the dark, but occasionally you can notice the fluttering of moths during the day.
Moth eggs are extremely small, it is almost impossible to notice them with the naked eye. One female for the entire life cycle - 3-14 days lays up to 100 pieces under favorable conditions.
The larvae are caterpillars or worms of white color with a dark "muzzle". Food inside is visible through the translucent body cover.
The larval phase of the moth ends with the formation of a cocoon, pupation. After 2-3 days, a moth is born. There are no significant differences in the appearance of females, males. The fruit moth in the photo is shown below.
If you have observed repeated appearance of butterflies for three weeks, then this is evidence that the infection is serious enough and you need to immediately take steps to eliminate the insects.
Adults are characterized by small size and wings of a bronze or gray hue, in a span that reaches 1.5 cm
The winged moth is no longer capable of causing any harm, since their oral organ is reduced upon reaching puberty. Parasites are their larvae, which, having powerful jaws, feed quite intensively and accumulate energy reserves so that, upon reaching the adult stage, they have the opportunity to reproduce.
Interesting fact! The absence of a proboscis is due to the fact that, reaching puberty, the moth loses not only the ability to eat, but also to digest food. Therefore, they simply do not need this organ.
The larvae of food moths are colored light pink or light yellow.
The caterpillar's head is brown. As a rule, small neat nests and a thin cobweb around them will indicate an infection of dried fruits and vegetables with this type of moth. The larva will be inside the nest.
Fruit moth
How to deal with mold on dried fruits
- Regularly - every two to three weeks you need to revise your stocks... Having found a piece covered with mold, it is instantly removed, and a compote is made from a drying nearby.
- Each time after inspecting the fruits, they are thoroughly mixed to equalize the moisture content.
- A small container with salt, soda or rice groats should be placed on the shelf of the cabinet where dried fruits are stored. All of these products are excellent adsorbents and will help reduce air humidity. The contents of the container must be changed a couple of times a month.
We provide protection against pests
Weevils and food moths are no less destructive to dried fruits than mold. Gradually capturing an appetizing product, they quickly multiply, rendering it completely unusable.
Dried Pineapple Rings Seven tips on how to properly store dried fruits at home and not "give" them to pests.
- The refrigerator will keep insects out of the grocery store.... Here drying will be reliably protected from bugs and moths. Unfortunately, not all types of fruits and berries are suitable for storage at low temperatures.
- Hermetically sealed containers will also protect dried fruits from pests. If the fruits have not previously been infected. To ensure the suitability of the product, the jars should be periodically checked for cobwebs, larvae and insect excrement.
- In containers or bags with dried fruits, you need to put a few leaves of mint or basil, and place a bunch of lavender next to it. Other strong-smelling spices or dried citrus rind will work as well. Periodically, the supply of aromatic plants needs to be renewed.
- Before drying, it is recommended to rinse glass or ceramic dishes with vinegar solution, at the rate of: 1 tbsp. spoon of essence for 3 liters. water. After the containers have dried naturally, fruits and berries can be safely placed in them.
- The moth repels the smell of laundry soap. The detergent can be placed on the shelf where the dried fruit is stored. It is important that the bags or jars of fruit are tightly closed at the same time, since the smell of soap is very strong and corrosive.
- Salt is a good protection against any insects. The canvas bags should be boiled in a concentrated saline solution, dried thoroughly and ironed, and then the dried fruits should be folded there.
- You can treat the inner surfaces of cabinets where dried fruits will be stored with special aerosols.
How to store dried apples indoors - rules
Simple steps help preserve dried fruit for several months without losing quality. Fundamental rules:
- Storage conditions - dry, cool air (up to +15 degrees). It is better to choose packaging that does not let in the sun or store fruits in a cabinet with doors.
- Dry apples are stored separately from other dried fruits, even if everything is combined in the compote.
- Selection of utensils for storage - glass, wood, textiles.
- On the packaging, you must indicate the name and date of harvesting the fruit.
- It is important to check the inventory regularly (spoiled or expired - throw away).
- It is necessary to take preventive measures (protect dried fruits from moths and other insects).
Advice!
Apples can be stored for no longer than 12 months, following all recommendations.
What to do if dried fruit is contaminated
Even with knowledge, it is not always possible to protect dried fruits from harmful insects. For example, buying a product at a discount in a store, housewives run the risk of eventually discovering an unpleasant surprise in the form of moth larvae.
What if the infection has already occurred? Is there a chance to save at least some of the tasty and healthy preparations?
With a weak defeat, you can try to correct the situation. Dried fruits are thoroughly washed and kept for at least half an hour in the oven at 75 ° C. This temperature is enough to kill the larvae of the pests. The bags in which the dried fruit were stored are washed and ironed, paying particular attention to the folds where moth eggs may remain.
As an alternative to heating, freezing damaged fruits at -15 ° C is suitable. Of course, their nutritional and gustatory value after such a procedure will decrease.
It is better to treat the cabinet where the affected dried fruits were stored with a solution of vinegar.
Destruction of moths
Ways to kill moths
The moth does not have a quick reaction, strong flying abilities. It is easy to slam it. But there is no guarantee that this is the only or the last butterfly in the room, so you should play it safe and use effective remedies for moths in the apartment and in the kitchen in particular.
- Sticky tapes are hung around the kitchen, anti-moth tablets and special traps are used in cupboards.
- From folk remedies, herbs will help scare off the pest - lavender, peppermint, chamomile, geranium. These plants scare off moths with their smell. As well as orange peels, garlic are excellent repellents.
- Airing the kitchen for 20 minutes every evening during a cold period of time reduces the activity of moths, creates unfavorable living conditions for them.
- In case of severe contamination of the premises, aerosols, moth sprays are used. Initially, they carry out cleaning with the destruction of larvae, wipe the lockers, hide the products in an airtight container. Pest control is carried out.Use any insecticidal agent - Raptor, Reid, Antimol, Clean House, Dichlorvos. After 20 minutes, ventilate, carry out wet cleaning with the addition of baking soda and laundry soap to the water. The alkaline environment finally neutralizes the effect of the insecticide.
Not only does the dry fruit attract moths into the home, any food supplies can become contaminated if the insect gains access to them. Preventive measures are extremely important to prevent infection.
