Dried fruits remind of summer, even it is rather – about August when branches of fruit-trees bend from a plentiful harvest. You plan that it is best of all to prepare for the winter, then you understand – there is too much fruit and berries, they should be dried. The most correct and sparing way of dehydration (so in a different way call drying) – shadow. You get folding beds, you spread dense fabrics or special trays which bottoms are made of mesh materials, you place all this so that direct sunshine didn't get, and then in one layer you fill the cut apples, pears, peaches and apricots without stones, cherry and sweet cherry. In the winter you will be waited by excellent compote!
It is required to you
- - Dried fruits;
- - water;
- - sugar or fructose;
- - lemon or citric acid;
- - pan;
- - colander;
- - ware for laying.
Instruction
1. To make compote, decide of what dried fruits you want to make it. Perhaps, it will be apples or pears compote, it is possible – you will take for it dried fruits in assortment. On what the choice wouldn't stop, know: if you are going to cook from the dried fruits, compote will turn out tasty and saturated. And here if in the summer to prepare surplus of a harvest for the future it didn't turn out, and dried fruits should be bought in shop or in the market, it is necessary to approach process thoughtfully and responsibly.
2. Buy dried fruits in the checked places. Ask acquaintances, very much can be that they will hand over "passwords and appearances" of sellers in the market which proved from the best side, and their goods – didn't cause complaints either purity, or taste. If there are no such acquaintances, and nobody can advise you anything, look for either shop, or department, or the dealer (if is about the market) offering along with beautiful "glossy" dried apricots, prunes, pears and fruits that a look is more modest. Very much can be that before you those dried fruits which are necessary: drying in the shadows by the traditional sparing methods which weren't smoked by sulfur, not шприцевавшиеся subsequently water "for fleshiness" and not being exposed to other pre-sale preparation for "luster". There is one secret assessment method of market sellers. It is not the most characteristic, but too has the right for existence. It is visual inspection. As a rule, if sellers are accurate, they have clean clothes and footwear, and the workplace is kept clean – their products also have appropriate quality.
3. Irrespective of, you are going to use the or purchased dried fruits for cooking of compote, before washing attentively examine them regarding existence of larvae of insects. Most often dried fruits are surprised a fir seed moth which eggs are similar to melkomoloty coffee and subsequently turn into small light worms, and further – in similar on color of moths. At bank or a bag with dried fruits the fir seed moth can be present at infection all three age. By and large such fruits should be thrown out, and it is important not to open a container and not to pour contents. Otherwise adult insects can scatter on kitchen that can't be allowed in any way.
4. Wash fruits, especially carefully watching that in bends there was no element of vegetable garbage left or fine sand. Unfortunately, sand meets quite often, especially if for drying the fruit drop was used. It is desirable to use when washing a brush or even the special detergents intended just for such purposes. If it is supposed that compote will be drunk by children, rinse dried fruits with the water which is passed via the filter or bottled; as a last resort - use the cooled boiled water. In the majority of regions, unfortunately, it is impossible to use water from under the crane for washing of the foodstuff intended for baby food. Though there is no official ban on it, but it is better not to risk.
5. You cook compote in the glass or enameled ware, trying not to use ware from aluminum. Take 125 g of mix of dried fruits and 100 g of sugar on 1 l of the boiling water. In some cases, for example, if in mix sweet fruits of dried apricots prevail, it is possible to do without sugar or to use 30 g of fructose. But if you love the sweet concentrated drinks, the share of sugar can and be increased. Fans of light sourness can advise to lower a lemon half together with dried fruits. Only by all means remove stones – they almost for certain will give to drink unnecessary bitterness. As option – replace it with a dried peel or you will at all be limited to citric acid, it is necessary to take it in number of about 1 g on 1 l of liquid. Recommendations about use for filling of dried fruits of cold drinking water meet. Nevertheless our option is more preferable because due to reduction of time of heating provides more sparing heat treatment, as much as possible keeping vitamins and mineral substances in compote. In fact, you need only to bring it to the boil then to switch off and insist within 10-12 hours.
6. If you love drinks with notes of spicery, add a few buds of a carnation and boxes of cardamom. They will give hardly noticeable juicy shade. In the east, where are a good judge also of drying of fruits, and of their further use, spices are indispensable additive to dried fruits. So in dried apples compote, several sticks of cinnamon are good to add a quince or pears. Drink from berries of cherry or sweet cherry will play brighter notes at addition of nutmeg (and will even become a little similar to mulled wine). Compote from dried peaches will reveal in the presence of an anisetree stars.
7. Before giving to a table cool compote to 18-20 degrees. If desired you can filter it though nothing bad happens and if you leave as is. In this case it is necessary to put teaspoons or special bar spoons with long shanks to glasses, - it will be so more convenient to get fruit. Surely serve saucers where it would be possible to put the stones which are found at berries and fruits. The filtered compote doesn't need similar laying. To it it is possible to give an unsweetened long or sponge-type cookie, - and at your family the great afternoon snack will turn out.