Dried fruit compote: proportions, cooking tips
Dried fruit compote: proportions, cooking tips
Anonim

Dried fruits are a source of vitamins and nutrients in the winter season. They are often consumed as an independent dish, used in cooking as fillings for various confectionery products. Many housewives cook dried fruit compote, while the proportions of the components play an important role in preparing the drink. The benefits of compote also depend on the time of heat treatment of dried fruits.

Useful properties of the drink

With the advent of cold weather, the human body needs an increased amount of vitamins. Vegetables and fruits are sources of nutrients. However, in most stores in the winter on the shelves you can find imported products, the benefits of which seem doubtful to many. Special treatment of fruits with chemicals that increase their shelf life can harm human he alth. In this case, dried fruit compote comes to the rescue.

dried fruits compote
dried fruits compote

The proportions of water and dried fruits, as well as the brewing time of a drink, can significantly affect its beneficial properties. The high vitamin content helps provide:

  • normalization of a full-fledged metabolism;
  • strengthening immunity;
  • excellent condition of skin, hair, nails;
  • better vision;
  • increasing mental alertness.

It is important to remember that a long brewing process will make the drink richer and more aromatic, but less he althy.

Correct proportion

Many inexperienced housewives often wonder how to properly maintain proportions. Dried fruit compote is easy to cook, it is much more difficult to determine the amount of ingredients. In fact, a lot depends on personal taste preferences. There is an average rate of dried fruits for a certain volume of water, however, if you like a rich and pronounced taste, you can increase the amount of the dried component.

dried fruits for compote
dried fruits for compote

According to the recipe, classic dried fruit compote should be boiled at the rate of 80 g of dried fruit per 1 liter of water. A he althy drink can be prepared from one type of dried fruit, or using assorted. It should not be forgotten that prunes, apricots and cherries stand out with a more intense taste, while apples, pears, raisins have more neutral flavor notes. Therefore, if we cook dried fruit compote, the proportions of the components can be changed.

Selection of dried fruits

The quality and taste of a drink loved by many depends to a large extent on the rightselection of components. It is important not only to combine dried fruits that suit your taste, but also to pay attention to their quality. A good product has an even characteristic shape, without visible flaws and defects.

Unscrupulous harvesters often use fruits with signs of decay for drying. Such a product, as a rule, has an unpleasant color, it can be determined visually. High-quality drying, dense to the touch, has a pleasant aroma characteristic of the type of fruit, without foreign odors.

selection of dried fruits
selection of dried fruits

Preparation of ingredients

Properly cooked compote will delight you with excellent taste and useful properties at any time of the year. However, it is important to carefully consider the preparation of dried fruits. First of all, they must be washed several times under running cold water, remove spoiled fruits, small specks.

Next, the drying is poured with cold boiled water and left for half an hour to swell. After the time has elapsed, the water must be drained, rinse the dried fruits again under running water using a colander. The presence of seeds in dried fruits can affect the taste of compote after infusion. It is better to remove the bone from the swollen drying.

How to cook compote properly

For a drink to be he althy, its taste must be natural. Do not add sugar, honey or citric acid to it. Dried fruits must be cooked taking into account the cooking time of each component. So, for example, raisins and dried apricots will cook much faster than an apple or pear. A component such as prunes has a laxative effect, becauseit is better to add it to the broth in small portions.

After calculating the amount of ingredients needed, pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. If several types of dried fruits are used for compote, they must be laid gradually. First of all, apples, pears, cherries are lowered into boiling water. After 4-5 minutes of boiling, add dried apricots, prunes, at the last stage, you can add raisins, dried fruits.

how to cook compote
how to cook compote

The average boiling time of compote is no more than 15 minutes, after which you need to remove it from the stove and leave for 2-3 hours. The finished drink is filtered, if desired, brought to taste with sugar or natural honey. Compote can be drunk chilled as a tonic drink or warm in the cold season. To get unusual flavor notes, spices or spices are added to the drink. Dried fruit compote with cinnamon, anise, cardamom goes very well.

Compote for children

He althy dry fruit drink made at home can replace factory-made baby drinks. It not only perfectly quenches thirst, but also helps to strengthen the baby's body, increase immunity, and provide a supply of useful substances. Experts recommend giving children a decoction of dried fruits from the age of six months. However, you should not get carried away with components that can cause allergic reactions.

The proportions of dried fruit compote for a child must be observed in order to get a drink that will not harm the he alth of the baby. To prepare a useful decoction,you should take 200 g of pre-prepared drying. In a saucepan, bring 750 ml of water to a boil, then put dried fruits into it and boil over low heat for 20-30 minutes.

soaking dried fruits
soaking dried fruits

5 minutes before readiness, you can add a few raisins, then remove the broth from the heat and leave for 3-4 hours. The finished compote is filtered through a sieve, natural honey is added to taste. A he althy drink is introduced into the diet of crumbs by 1-2 teaspoons, while you need to carefully monitor the reaction of the child's body. Also, a child from one year old can be given boiled fruits from compote. It is undesirable to make the decoction too sweet, experts recommend leaving the natural taste of fruits without drowning it out with additional components.

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