Many loved the melon for its delicious unique taste and versatility in use - in the summer it can be eaten fresh or added to a variety of dishes. Another no less interesting option is the preparation of candied fruits, which will not be difficult and will serve as an excellent alternative to purchased sweets. This article discusses whether it is possible to cook candied fruit from a melon in an electric dryer, methods for their preparation, as well as storage features.
Melon selection and preparation
For this procedure, an immature melon with hard, dense pulp is best suited, otherwise instead of tidbits there is a risk of getting a shapeless liquid mass. Do not worry if the fruit suddenly turns out to be unsweetened - in the process of cooking enough sugar will be used to give the delicacy the necessary taste.
Did you know? The ancient Arabs had a legend about the origin of the melon: they considered it a paradise rejuvenating fruit, which an angel brought from heaven. She was popular among poets of the Ancient East — they sang her, revered as a symbol of female beauty and fertility.
Melon preparation consists in thorough cleaning under running water and removing peels and seeds from it. The pulp must be cut into small cubes with a thickness of not more than 1 cm.
How to make candied melon at home
Despite the length of the preparation, the process itself will not be difficult.
600-700 grams 2 days
medium sized melon about (2 kg of pulp)
1 PC.
lemon and orange zest
half of each
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- Pour 1 cup of water into a deep pan, then pour sugar. Boil the syrup, stirring occasionally, until it is completely dissolved.
- Pour the diced melon into hot syrup and leave it at room temperature for 12 hours.
- After the specified amount of time (but not earlier than the pieces let the juice) it will need to be boiled. To do this, pour the entire contents of the container into a saucepan and put on a slow fire.
- Add the previously prepared zest of lemon and orange and squeeze a little juice from the same fruit into the pan. This will give candied fruits a slight acidity in taste and a very pleasant and rich aroma.
- Bring the resulting mass to a boil, then boil over medium heat for another 15–20 minutes.
- After the specified time, remove the pan from the stove and in this form leave the melon for another 12 hours.
- As soon as time runs out, pour everything into a colander and wait 10-15 minutes until all the liquid drains.
- Then candied fruit must be dried. This procedure is possible in several ways: outdoors, in the oven and in the dryer. You can simply lay them out on a plate and set it for two days in the open air. You can also use the oven by laying out pieces of fruit on a baking sheet, and dry at a temperature of no more than + 70 ° C (always with the door ajar!) For 1–1.5 hours. The last, but no less effective option is an electric dryer. For drying in this way, lay the cubes on pallets and dry at a temperature of +50 ... + 55 ° C for 1 hour.
- Ready dried candied fruits can be stored or eaten in this form, or you can decorate with powdered sugar, which will also make them less sticky, because because of the large amount of sugar, candied fruits have an unpleasant property of sticking together. To do this, pour candied fruit into a small plastic bag, then add a glass of powdered sugar there and mix well.
Video recipe
How to make candied melon at home
Important! If desired, in the process of preparing candied fruits, in addition to the zest, various natural dyes can be added to the syrup — juice of strawberries, blueberries, currants, carrots or turmeric. This will give candied fruit a rich bright color and a unique spicy aroma.
Duration and storage conditions
As a rule, the shelf life of candied melons is on average no more than a year. However, candied fruits can lie so long only if all the necessary storage requirements are met.
The most important of them are as follows:Did you know? Only 2,000 years ago, melon was grown as a delicacy only in Egypt, and today in the world there are more than 300 varieties of this treat.
- Store the product exclusively in a dry place;
- the temperature in the room should not exceed + 15 ° C;
- candied fruit should be carefully protected from direct sunlight.
Based on these characteristics, the best place to store candied fruit is a refrigerator or any cool, dry place - a cellar, pantry or balcony.
It is equally important to choose the right container for storing oriental sweets - it must necessarily protect them from moisture.
The most suitable containers for storing the product are:
- glass jar with a lid;
- vacuum container;
- vacuum seal bags.
Important! For storage of candied fruit, it is necessary to choose a room with low humidity — not higher than 50%, otherwise the sweets will quickly stick together, lose their taste and presentable appearance.
Candied fruits that are popular today are widely used as a decorative decoration for various confectionery products or filler for dough. You can make such peculiar sweets from melon at home and enjoy a tasty and healthy treat for a whole year.
