Fruit dryer photo: types of appliances, what criteria to look for when choosing.

Natural fruits and vegetables are one of the most delicious sources of vitamins and minerals. In order to maintain maximum benefit and to use the harvested crop not only in the summer, but throughout the winter, it is not necessary to boil or freeze. You can save the products almost in their original form by simply removing moisture from them during the drying process. In order to speed up drying, there is an electric dryer - a modern device for processing plant products, which allows you to save useful products for a long time.

What are the devices for drying vegetables and fruits

There is a wide range of devices with various technical indicators and additional functions.

According to the principle of exposure, electric dryers are of two main types:

1. With a convective mechanism - heating occurs by distributing the flow of hot air over the trays. This can affect the taste and appearance of products, at the same time taking away part of the vitamins.

1. With infrared heaters. For drying, infrared rays (waves 6-10 mm long) are used. This type of radiation is not harmful to humans, but it allows you to save the fruits in the most natural way, removing only water from the structure. Such food is not only tastier, but also stored for a long period - up to two years.

REFERENCE! To increase the shelf life of dried products, they should be stored in a sealed container, without access to moisture and air.

What criteria should I look for when choosing dryers for fruits and vegetables

When choosing a dryer, the following basic characteristics must be considered:

Spaciousness

The volume of blanks depends on the number and size of the internal tanks and trays. Most appliances have 3 to 8 bays. Roomy appliances are useful for those who need to harvest a significant harvest. If you need to dry only a small amount of food, then it is better to choose a device with a smaller capacity.

ATTENTION! With a large number of pallets, it may be necessary to interchange containers for uniform drying.

The characteristics of the trays themselves should be taken into account: low ones are suitable for greens and berries, and for large fruits, containers with a height of 2 cm or more are needed.

Power

The more thermoelectric heaters in the device, the higher the maximum permissible load on the mechanism. In most cases, an average power of 350 watts is sufficient for one family. More powerful devices are designed for processing on a large scale, for example, when harvesting a large crop for the winter.

Therefore, when choosing a dryer, you will first have to determine your own needs: an expensive industrial device for drying a small volume of products is waste of money, and vice versa - if necessary, drying a large volume of a weak device is not enough, drying takes more time, as a result, the mechanism is faster will fail.

Material

A plastic case has the following advantages over a metal case:

• overheat protection;
• uniform heat distribution during drying;
• optimal price;
• a light weight.

ATTENTION! In some cheap models, an unpleasant odor may appear when heating plastic parts - it is not recommended to use such a device due to harmful toxic additives in the composition of plastic.

Temperature

Modern electric dryers provide automatic programs for the most common products, as well as the function of manual temperature settings - for more features operation. Manual selection of temperature is convenient in that it allows you to choose the optimal drying mode for absolutely any type and size of the product.

Location of the heating element

The heater may be located above or below, depending on the model. The variant of its location in the upper part of the device allows to prevent moisture from the products during drying: due to this, the service life is much longer.

electrical safety

The safest models are those with the function to automatically turn off the appliance after completion of work.

More information about precautions when working with a specific model of the electric dryer is indicated in the instructions attached to it.

additional characteristics

Manufacturers often equip dryers with the following functions: timer, temperature sensor, protection against overheating, fan heater, cooking mode, and others.

How to use a fruit dryer

The correct operation of the electric dryer will allow not only the competent use of all accessible modes and get quality products, but also significantly extend the life of the instrument.

Key recommendations for using a fruit dryer:

1. Thin slices dry faster and have a longer shelf life. Therefore, it is best to cut them up to 0.5 cm thick.
2. One of the most popular preserves is dried apple slices. If before drying the pieces previously hold for a couple of hours in acidic water (add 1 tbsp. To 1 liter of water l lemon juice), then they will not darken during processing. Before placing them in the appliance, pre-dry the soaked wedges so that excess moisture does not interfere with the uniformity of drying.
3. To make sour fruits tastier, they can be candied before drying. To do this, hold the fruit slices for 8 hours in sweet syrup (sugar and water in equal proportions), then drain the remaining syrup and products into the device.
4. Very small pieces can fall through. In this case, you can cover the surface under them with paper, making small holes in it for air circulation.
5. If you choose the temperature yourself, it is advisable to observe the correct drying mode: at the beginning of processing the temperature indicator should be higher, and when dried, lower, so as not to dry almost ready products.
6. After finishing work, clean the dryer containers from food debris so that insects do not get into them. Dried parts are best stored in a box with the appliance in a dry, ventilated place. Avoid direct sunlight, excess moisture and sudden changes in temperature.
7. To prevent pieces of fruit from being exposed to moisture, mold or insects, it is recommended that they be packaged in a sealed container or film for long-term storage.

If you use the electric dryer correctly, you can get tasty and healthy products in which all the necessary vitamins are stored. In this way, you can make natural preparations and enjoy them all year round, make dried fruits or cook healthy homemade pastille.