Many people may have heard about prunes, but do not know what they are. In this article we will cover what they are, how to make them and what are their benefits.
Dried plums are plum fruits that are made by dehydrating and drying. They are also called Prunes. The term ‘Prune’ is very uncommon for fresh plums.
Dried plums can help to protect you from various chronic diseases. It is a powerhouse of nutrition and if you consume them regularly, they provide many health benefits.
Before you make dried plums
The first step should be sourcing good plums. When I say good I mean that you should buy fresh and organic fruit. Make sure that the plums that you’re buying satisfy your quality standards.
Buying good quality, fresh and plums that are not bruised should be your priority. You can also grow plums in your garden which is more beneficial for you.
Apart from these, you need a good food dehydrator to dry the fruit. You should choose a high-quality food dehydrator that comes with good features to make dried plums in a very short time.
If you dont own a dehydrator yet, check out our 10 best food dehydrators and buyer’s guide!
What to Pay Attention to When Making Dried Plums
As we mentioned earlier, it is very important to get good quality plums for drying. Also, at the time for drying them, you have to set the correct temperature on the food dehydrator so that the plums should be properly dried and set a timer on the appliance if it’s available. If not, it’s a good practice to set up a timer on your phone to remind you to stop the drying process.
Here are some more things you should pay attention to:
The Type of Plums You Use
There are varieties of Plums available in the global market. A few of them are Black Plums, Yellow Plums, Red Plums, Plucots, Greengage Plums, Moyer Plums, Mirabelle Plums, Pluots.
You can choose your favorite one but make sure, it has a standard size and the fruit is fresh. However, choosing the Italian Plums is usually the preferred option.
Plums Must Be Dried Enough Before Storing
When using a dehydrator, you need to make sure that plums are properly ventilated on ambient temperature before storage. If you remove the tray before completing the dehydration process properly, the plums may contain more moisture and then they may spoil sooner.
Still, if you have any doubts about whether the prunes are properly dried or not, the best judging factor would be simply tasting them. If you feel some moisture in your hand or mouth, it means, you need to keep it in the machine for a bit more time. When dried properly, they shouldn’t spoil for at least a several months.
Proper Storing After Drying
After fully dried, you need to have proper storage for storing the dried plums. Here are some options for storing them:
- You can keep them in a cool or damp area at room temperature. You can also store your dried plums in your kitchen cupboards and never have a problem with mold.
- You can also keep the dried plums in the freezer. Before consuming them, take them out and leave them at room temperature and the dried plums will return to their normal state.
How To Dry Plums Properly
Things You Need: A knife & a dehydrator
Ingredients You Need: Fresh Italian Plums or your favorite
The Process:
- You need a bowl and fill it with warm water and then wash all the plums properly to get rid of bacteria. After that, you can rub them a bit and remove the debris.
- Take your washed plums and cut them in half lengthwise by using a knife. If your plums are not that big, then you don’t need to cut them.
- Once you are done with cutting, arrange them into trays one by one. Now put them inside the dehydrator and set the temperature to 135 degrees. It will take up to 6 hours to dry the plums. If you have smaller plums then it may take less than 6 hours. And some bigger plums can take longer as well.
- During the process, the plums will release a lot of juice. Hold the juice in a single layer of foil at the bottom to avoid making a mess. For that, you can use a baking tray lined with the given foil and set it at the bottom of the rack.
- You want your plums to look darker and wrinkled then keep them longer inside. Remove the dried plums from the oven as soon as you reveal the dryness level of your choice.
- After the process complete, take the trays out of the dehydrator or oven and leave them at room temperature to cool the dried plums.
- You can easily store plums for 12 months once they are properly dried.
Drying duration depends on how much juice the plums is releasing inside the machine. So you should check your plums regularly while drying.
How to Make Prunes Using a Food Dehydrator?
The best way to make Dried Plums it to use a professional food dehydrator. This food dehydrator can dehydrate a variety of vegetables, meats and fruit. The food dehydrator provides constant flow of warm air which evaporates water from the food.
Looking for professional dehydrator? See our 5 best commercial dehydrators picks
Plum recipe with a Commercial Food Dehydrator
- First, rinse the plums well with hot water to remove all the dirt and cut it in half with a sharp knife.
- Then arrange the plums in the trays of the food dehydrator. If the quantity is not higher, you can set the oven between 175’ to 200’ Fahrenheit. Check that the plums are dry within the specified time.
- Then, you can take out the tray of dried plums from the dehydrator, and you can see that it is much darker than before. If still, it contains some juice inside, you need to change the temperature of your machine and again put it for another hour.
By removing moisture, food dehydrators can prevent all kinds of germs that are in fruits and make them suitable for you to eat. During the drying process, all water gets released from the plum to make it well dried.
It probably takes around eight hours for the plums to become properly dehydrated. And then, you can preserve your dried plums for a long time and eat them later.
What Are The Health Benefits Do Dried Plums Offer
Dried plums are rich in vitamins and minerals and are also a rich source of fibre and antioxidants. They have an amazing sour-sweet taste, and everyone can consume them. They are a great source of energy and they don’t raise blood sugar levels quickly. Its reached that the fibre helps you to control your bowel and bladder. And also, its high sugar content allows it to dry without fermenting.
Here are some benefits of eating dried plums:
- Dried plums help to protect our body by boosting our imunity.
- We all know that chronic constipation is a very common and painful problem. It helps to cure that as well.
- Dried plums are very effective in helping to rebuild bones and muscles.
FAQs AboutDried Plums
Apart from the above information, you may have many questions regarding which food dehydrator can be best for you, and the benefits of dried fruits and why you need to take this, etc.
To solve your queries, we have mentioned some questions and answers below that will help you to know more. Please read them all out.
What Food Dehydrator is the Best For Making Dried Plums?
You may find many types of food dehydrator in the market, but Excalibur is one of the best food dehydrator brands that comes with many features and best performance. We will highly recommend this food dehydrator especially for preserving plums.
What is the Difference Between Dried Plums and Prunes?
They are the same thing. Prunes are the dehydrated version of plum fruits.
Do Dried Plums Make You Poop?
Dried Plums help you to get rid of constipation. It has natural neo chlorogenic and chlorogenic acids which help you to easily release the wastage from the body, in the morning.
What is the Nutritional Value of Dried Plums?
Dried Plums have extensive nutritional value. Every 100 grams of plums contains –
Dietary energy – 69 kcal, Sugar – 20.23g, Fat – 0.2g, Vitamin A – 40 IU, Thiamine – 0.02mg,
Vitamin B – 0.061MG, Vitamin C – 69 mg, Magnesium -10mg, Manganese – 0.084mg, Phosphorus – 23mg, Potassium – 250mg, Sodium – 3mg. In addition to its nutritional value, plums can resist many diseases.
