Bananas top the ranking of the most popular imported fruits in Russia. This is explained by their taste, nutritional value, usefulness, and relatively low price. During the Soviet shortage, many will remember, bunches of fruits were brought from the capital and other large cities while still green, stuffed into cabinets, mezzanines between folded things for ripening! They also sold a delicious curiosity - dried bananas, which today, like banana chips, can be bought in supermarkets and specialized shops selling nuts and dried fruits. Now many lovers of “tropical potatoes” have adapted to drying bananas at home.
The dried product is perfect for a quick snack, adding to cereals and baked goods, desserts and drinks.
How to select and prepare bananas for drying
Only those bananas that are well ripened are suitable for drying. There is no need to choose green fruits, as they are completely tasteless. The hostess will only waste her time.
However, if you come across unripe fruits, you can wait until they reach the desired state at home, and only then harvest them. Do not store these fruits in the refrigerator as they will spoil.
The stalk is wrapped in foil and the bananas are placed in a dark place at room temperature to ripen. When choosing a product in a store, you should pay attention to its appearance.
A high-quality fruit has a uniformly colored peel. But the presence of dark dots and stripes in small quantities is acceptable. Typically, the flesh of a banana is light, there is no damage or darkening on it. The fruit is dense and fleshy.
It is believed that overripe bananas can also be used for drying. Most likely, thrifty housewives came up with this idea, because overripe fruits can be bought at a big discount.
But this is not the most suitable option. The pulp not only loses its aroma, but also its taste. It becomes loose. Accordingly, the result becomes worse than if fruits of normal ripeness were used.
To prepare, bananas are first washed well with running water. Next you need to remove excess moisture from them. To do this, use a paper or fabric towel.
When excess liquid is absorbed, the fruits are peeled. Now you need to cut the raw materials for drying. Here the desired result is determined. If you want to get dried pieces, then you need to cut the fruits larger.
Fans of dry banana chips should cut the fruit into thin slices. If it is necessary to obtain a dried product and at the same time small-sized fruits, bananas are dried whole.
Large fruits are cut crosswise into 2 parts, and then each part is cut into slices. The thickness of the pieces should be no more than 1 centimeter.
After cutting, bananas quickly darken due to the oxidation process. And if this does not affect the taste, then the appearance of the pieces becomes unpresentable. To preserve the color of the pulp, it is necessary to treat it with an acidic solution after cutting.
This will help stabilize the color. Lime or lemon juice is diluted in water. You can also use citric acid. The juice of one lemon or 1 teaspoon of citric acid is diluted in 200 milliliters of water.
Banana pieces must be kept in this solution for 10 minutes. Next, they take them out, wait until the water dries, and then immediately begin drying.
Preparatory stage
Bananas are dried whole or in pieces, depending on size. Before you start drying, they must be properly prepared:
- rinse under running water;
- to peel;
- Cut large fruits in half crosswise and lengthwise so that 4 parts are formed; small ones just need to be cut in half;
- place the slices in a sieve and lower them into acidified water for 30 seconds to prevent the pulp from darkening;
- remove from water and allow moisture to drain on paper towel.
How to dry
Bananas have fairly dense flesh. During drying, the fruit loses approximately 20%. Preparation takes several hours. There are several ways to dry bananas.
In the oven
When the pieces are prepared and cut, they are laid out on a baking sheet. You should put baking paper there in advance. The bananas will release liquid and it will be difficult to remove from the bottom of the pan.
The slices are laid out at a distance from each other. The oven is preheated to 70 degrees. If there is, the convection mode is activated. Drying will take 2-3 hours. The pieces are turned over every half hour.
The finished slices are removed, since the raw material dries unevenly. When the process is complete, the product is left to cool at room temperature.
Storage methods
There are several ways to store dried bananas:
- in the refrigerator , placed in a PET bag or in an airtight container (up to 6 months);
- in ordinary canvas bags , if the room is well ventilated and the humidity there is low (from 2 to 4 months);
- in a paper bag , if the fruits are well dried (about 2-3 months);
- in the freezer , sealed (no more than 12 months).
→ Banana chips at home - step by step recipe
Video: Banana chips with cinnamon in the oven
In an electric dryer
Drying bananas in an electric dryer is very convenient. This device helps out many modern housewives. Dryers use energy sparingly.
In many appliances, the volume of fruit that can be prepared exceeds the volume of food prepared in the oven.
The slices are laid out on drying racks. Be sure to leave space between the pieces. The tiers are installed, the temperature should be no more than 70 degrees.
The grates are periodically swapped and the slices are mixed. The process takes 10-12 hours. If ready-made dried fruits appear earlier, they are removed.
Overdried bananas become tasteless. After the process is completed, the bananas are allowed to rest. Next, they are placed in a container and stored.
In the microwave
Drying bananas in the microwave is very quick. But in this way it is impossible to prepare a large volume of product. Place the slices on a plate and leave space between them.
The plate is placed in the microwave chamber. The “defrost” mode is also set for 15 minutes. After completing it, you should not open the door of the device immediately.
The bananas should stand there for 10 minutes and cool. Then they are laid out on the table and allowed to lie for another 3-5 hours.
In a dehydrator
A dehydrator is an improved version of a dryer. To prepare, place banana slices on a wire rack. Leave a gap between the pieces.
Set the temperature to 70 degrees. Drying takes 14-16 hours. It is not necessary to control the process. You can only occasionally look through the pieces to get the finished product.
Dried Banana Recipes
Once the drying process is complete, the fruit can be consumed as a snack throughout the day. However, their use is not limited to this. Many people like to add dried bananas to porridge, use them in baking, and prepare a salad based on them.
Dried bananas fit well into a salad recipe. To do this you need to do the following:
- Place shredded crab sticks on a plate.
- Cut the cucumbers and add to the main mass.
- Then add avocado, mango and dried bananas.
- Prepare a sauce from orange juice and soy sauce in a 3:1 ratio. Beat the mixture thoroughly and add to the salad.
A tasty and satisfying salad is ready.
The use of dried bananas for preparing the main dish is also possible. To do this you need:
- Prepare any meat at the hostess's discretion. The product must be cut and fried in hot oil.
- Then add chopped carrot slices and onion rings to the frying pan.
- The resulting preparation is simmered for several minutes.
- Then pour in half a glass of dry white wine and add pieces of dried bananas.
- This whole mass is poured with water and simmered for another 40 minutes.
At the end, just add salt and spices to taste, and the dish is ready.
Thus, dried bananas are an amazing treat for those with a sweet tooth who care about their health, as well as those who prefer to add something new and unusual to their dishes. The advantage of the process of drying bananas is that the product does not lose its properties, and all the beneficial substances contained in it do not disappear anywhere.
Video: 7 ways! How to Easily Dry and Dry Bananas in a Dehydrator
In the sun
To dry the product in the sun, hot weather is required for 2-4 days. The optimal air temperature is from 25 to 33 degrees. High humidity and precipitation can ruin the entire batch of raw materials.
At night, pallets with pieces of bananas are brought into a dry, warm place, and taken back in the morning. You can protect a banana from insects using a piece of gauze. The drying process is monitored every 2 hours.
The slices should be turned over. After 2-3 days, the dried fruits are collected in a bowl, allowed to stand for 2-3 hours, and then placed in storage containers.
What are the benefits and harms of dried fruits?
Bananas have many valuable properties. The fruits contain a significant amount of potassium. The microelement takes care of the health of the heart, blood vessels, and nervous system. It helps get rid of swelling, cramps, symptoms of chronic fatigue, etc. An equally important banana component is magnesium. Increases the absorption of certain vitamins and rids the body of harmful substances.
Fiber improves intestinal function and removes bad cholesterol. B vitamins improve the condition of the skin, nails and curls, and are also useful for cataracts and nervous strain. Bananas also contain iron, phosphorus, vitamin A, ascorbic acid, etc. The vitamin and mineral set strengthens the immune system, stimulates brain activity, helps fight anemia, etc.
Attention! Properly prepared dried or sun-dried bananas fully retain the benefits of fresh fruits.
However, this product also has contraindications. Due to the high sugar content, dried banana fruits can disrupt metabolism. People with diabetes and pancreatitis require a doctor's approval. Still fresh or dried fruits increase blood clotting. They are not recommended for thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, as well as after heart attacks and strokes.
Bananas deprived of moisture become more caloric. 100 g of fresh fruit provides the body with 80-90 calories. In dried fruits this figure is almost 4 times higher. The treat can be harmful to people who are on a diet, struggling with excess weight, or simply watching their figure with special care.
How to determine readiness
If you want to get dried slices, like candied fruits, then the bananas should remain soft. They are moist, chewy and slightly sticky. If you break such a piece, it will resemble toffee. But the pulp does not remain loose.
When the goal is to obtain crispy chips, the slices should be drier. They are hard to the touch. If you press on a piece, it will crumble in your hands.
When dried in the microwave, the pieces do not dry completely. They should be dried at room temperature for a few more hours. If the product is not completely dried, it will not be stored well and will quickly spoil.
And overdried bananas lose their properties. You should focus on your feelings.
Benefit
1. Dried bananas contain a lot of potassium. For this reason, when consuming dried fruit, excess liquid is removed.
2. The product contains vitamin B6. It has a positive effect on metabolic processes.
3. You should definitely eat bananas if you are depressed.
4. The product is useful for the stomach and intestines. In particular, doctors advise including the product in the menu for ulcers, intestinal obstruction, and gastritis.
5. Thanks to ascorbic acid in bananas, the product improves immunity.
6. The product also makes the skin more elastic and fresh.
Fruit preparation
To make dried slices tasty, you need to choose fresh fruits with high taste qualities. Spoiled and overripe fruits should not be used.
To obtain a good quality product you need:
- wash the fruit;
- remove the peel;
- cut the pulp into slices of any shape, no more than 0.5 cm thick.
To prevent the pieces from darkening, you need to pour lemon juice on them before drying. It is not necessary to include lemon in the recipe; the benefits of dried bananas will not change.
What to cook
Dried bananas can be eaten plain. But, this dried fruit can make any dish incredibly tasty.
Chocolate with nuts and dried fruits
Both children and adults will definitely love this delicacy. It can be eaten on holidays or every day.
You will need:
- 400 grams - milk chocolate
- 30 grams - raisins
- 20 grams - dried bananas
- 20 grams - dried papaya
- 20 grams - coconut flakes
- 50 grams - pecans
- 50 grams - hazelnuts
- 1 tablespoon - rum
- 15 grams - sunflower seeds
- 50 grams - halva
- 1 pinch - ground chili pepper
How to cook:
1. The chocolate should be broken into pieces and melted in a water bath. Fry nuts and seeds in a dry frying pan for 2 minutes. Dried fruits are cut into small pieces.
2. Next, add nuts, fruits, peppers to the chocolate, and crumble halva into it. You can add rum. All ingredients are mixed.
3. Now the shallow pan is covered with baking paper. Chocolate is distributed in it. Place the mold in the refrigerator overnight. The product is broken into portioned pieces and served.
Bon appetit!
Homemade muesli
This recipe will be useful for ladies who love delicious diet food.
You will need:
- 130 grams - walnuts
- 160 grams - almonds
- 8 glasses - rolled oats
- 230 grams - butter
- 1/3 cup - linden honey
- 1/2 teaspoon - salt
- 190 grams – peeled pumpkin seeds
- 160 grams – small seedless raisins
- 120 grams - dried strawberries
- 190 grams - dried dates
- 50 grams - dried bananas
How to cook:
1. The oven is heated to 190 degrees. The baking sheets are covered with foil. Place almonds and walnuts on one baking sheet and set to cook. The oven is turned off after 10 minutes. The nuts are cooled and crushed.
2. The oven temperature is set to 150 degrees. Hercules is laid out on 2 baking sheets. Mix softened butter, salt and honey in a bowl. Sprinkle the honey mixture onto the rolled oats and mix it. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.
3. The oatmeal will become golden and crispy. It is cooled and the remaining ingredients are added to it.
Bon appetit!
