Dried melon

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 1 day 7 hr

1. STEP 1

   

   It is better to take one of the varieties of melon for drying: collective farmer, torpedo, pineapple, gulabi. These melons differ from others in their firm flesh and aroma. And you need to dry the melons that have hard flesh. In addition, the fruits should not be damaged or rotten. Wash the melon thoroughly. The crust, subcrust and seeds must be removed. Cut the pulp into slices no more than 0.5 centimeters thick.

2. STEP 2

   

   You can cut the melon into strips, slices or pieces. Depends on how the melon will be dried and stored. Dry the melon pieces on a paper towel so that the juice is absorbed into the paper. You can dry melon in the fresh air. Then the melon needs to be cut into slices in order to pull the thread through them. But this is a rather long and troublesome process. In modern conditions, it is easier to use electrical appliances, for example, an electric dryer or an oven.

3. STEP 3

   

   In an electric dryer, place the melon cut into pieces on racks, leaving space between them, and dry at a temperature of 75 degrees for about a day. But you need to dry the melon, taking breaks, checking the condition of the melon and periodically turning the pieces over. An electric dryer may not be as popular as an oven, which most likely is in every home, and in which many housewives dry fruits, berries and vegetables on winter.

4. STEP 4

   

   Place the melon pieces on a parchment-lined rack, leaving space between them. Turn on the oven at 60 degrees; if there is a fan, it is better to dry it by turning it on.

5. STEP 5

   

   Leave the melon in the oven for five hours. Then turn off the oven, open the door slightly, and leave the melon inside overnight. In the morning, set the temperature to 75 degrees, dry the melon for about two more hours. Turn it off again and open the door. Leave the melon for a couple of hours. We repeat the procedure three or four more times, looking at the appearance of the product.

6. STEP 6

   

   Slices of dried melon should be elastic, soft, sticky, light brown in color. Pieces of dried melon can be stored in a glass container in a dry place or braided from strips, wrapped in cling film and stored in the refrigerator. Bon appetit!