Drying aronia fruits in a dehydrator

Name: Drying aronia fruits in a dehydrator
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 h 40 min
Yield: 50
Cuisine: Natural remedy
Ingredients: - 1 kg of aronia (chokeberry) with bunches

Teas Very easy 50 servings

Preparation time10 min

Waiting time30 min

Cooking time10 hours

Ready in10 h 40 m

Dehydrating aronia fruits - a method of preservation as effective as freezing

Drying aronia in a dehydrator: a method to preserve aronia, as good and effective as freezing. It can be consumed as such, rehydrated, in teas or powder (ground). The still high content of antioxidants / flavonoids, trace elements, vitamins and minerals will give us a general tonic effect, increase the body's vitality and improve metabolism.

Video

Ingredients

- 1 kg of aronia (chokeberry) with bunches

Estimated cost: 5.0 €

Materials

- fruit dehydrator

Preparation

We wash the aronia with all the bunches in 2-3 waters. We shake off the excess water, possibly placing the aronia on kitchen towels for 30 minutes - an hour.
We place the bunches of aronia fruits on the trays of the dehydrator as airy as possible.
We set a drying temperature between 40 º C and 50 º C.
Depending on the temperature chosen, drying time will be between 10 and 16 hours. At 40 ºC the drying time will be longer, around 16 hours, and at 50 ºC, the drying time will be around 10 hours.
⚠ The drying time also varies depending on the state of the fruit. If the aronia was picked early, the amount of water contained is higher, and if they are picked late in autumn, they automatically start to raisin on the cuttings and the amount of water contained is lower.
At the end, we turn off the dehydrator and leave the fruit in it until it cools down completely.
Dehydrated aronia berries will store best in paper bags in the following ways:
- only chokeberry fruits (berries) without the woody part of the bunch;
- chokeberry fruits with bunches;
- chokeberry fruits with tails (a piece of the bunch);
Dehydrated aronia fruits can be consumed in 3 ways:
- as such or rehydrated in water,
- powder,
- tea.
⚠ The variant with bunches is only used to prepare teas or powder.

Observations

Drying aronia / chokeberry fruits in a dehydrator

Approximate nutritional values per 100 g:

Calories: 300 kcal
Protein: 2,2 g
Carbohydrates: 70,8 g
Sugars: 27,5 g
Total fat: 2,4 g
Saturated fat: 0,2 g
Fibr: 20,5 g
Sodium: 0,004 g

Storage:
- it is recommended to store in paper bags, closed.
- keep in a dry, cool, ventilated place, protected from light.

Validity:
- consumption is recommended within maximum 1 year from the date of dehydration, if they are kept in optimal conditions.

⚠ For dehydration, it is recommended to pick the fruits in autumn, as late as possible, when they are almost dry on the cuttings (they already look like raisins).

⚠ We recommend dehydrating/drying the fruits at temperatures as low as possible and with ventilation (40ºC - 50ºC). This way we ensure that the main nutrients in the fruit will not be destroyed. The downside is that the lower the drying temperature, the longer the drying time.

Other methods of dehydrating/drying chokeberry fruits:
- in the oven, at temperatures as low as possible, now most ovens also have a dehydration function
- natural drying: the fruits are laid out on flat surfaces, in airy/ventilated places, slightly heated and left for long periods of time. Care must be taken to turn them periodically...

Administration

Dehydrated aronia fruits, whether with whole bunches, with pieces of bunches or just the fruit, can be consumed in 3 ways:

as such or rehydrated in water: for rehydration, it is left in the water from the evening until the morning. They can be consumed as such, in smoothies, with muesli, in cakes, ...
powder: they will be put through the coffee grinder and a fine powder results, which is consumed one teaspoon 3-5 times a day with ~200 ml of water, preferably 30 minutes before meals;
crushed, in teas, infusion for 10 minutes: before being used in making teas, the dried chokeberry seeds will be crushed / crushed with a spoon on the bottom. Use 1-2 spoons of dried and crushed chokeberry in ~250 ml of hot water. If they are not crushed, the 10 minutes of infusion is not enough to soften the fruit, even if the water is hot..

⚠ We recommend the consumption of 20g – 40g/day of dried aronia fruits, either in their natural state, or rehydrated, or powder.
⚠ The variant with bunches is only used to prepare teas or powder.

Effects and benefits

antioxidant effect;
tonic/energizing effect;
anti-inflammatory effect;
antibacterial effect;
detoxification effect;
fiber source;
strengthens the immune system;
prevents cold and flu;
protects the heart;
regulates blood pressure;
helps in detoxification;
helps regulate blood sugar;
prevents sudden increases in blood sugar;
supports metabolism;
improves the cognitive system;
helps vision;
fights fatigue;
improves well-being;
reduces stress, lowers the level of anti-stress hormones;

Contraindications

for pregnant or breastfeeding women only with the doctor's consent;
it is contraindicated for those with kidney stone problems, as chokeberry contains oxalic acid;
attention for those with a high degree of coagulation, especially if they are going to have surgical interventions;

Another information

Aronia contains the highest level of anthocyanins (the pigment that gives them their black-purple color) and proanthocyanidins. They fight against free radicals, basically protecting the cells in the body from the harmful effects of oxidation.