In the world of food, the old adage "everything in moderation" rings true. Take dried apricots, for example. While they can be a helpful natural remedy for constipation due to their potent laxative effect, indulging in an entire bag mindlessly can lead to unexpected consequences. The drying process does not diminish their laxative power, making it crucial to exercise caution. This is a valuable reminder that even seemingly healthy fruits can become harmful when consumed excessively.
Dried fruits, in particular, present a challenge in portion control as they lack the high water content found in their fresh counterparts. The same goes for nuts, which can have various effects on your body when consumed in excess.
Apart from laxative concerns, dried fruits pack significant sugar and calories. Many fruits derive most of their calories from sugar, and mindlessly munching on dried fruit can lead to unintentional sugar and calorie overload.
In order to maintain a balanced diet, it's vital to be mindful of our food choices and portion sizes. While fruits are undoubtedly beneficial, let's remember that moderation is key to enjoying their health benefits without unwanted side effects.
Keep in Mind the Sugar Content
Understanding how sugar impacts weight gain is crucial to recognize and address potential problems. Being aware of the specific types of sugar they contain becomes essential when it comes to fruits. Take prunes, for instance; they contain sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that exhibits an osmotic effect during digestion. This means that sorbitol draws water from your body into your intestines, aiding digestion and softening stools. While prunes can help relieve constipation, overdoing it can lead to unwanted consequences.
A similar consideration applies to many other dried fruits that are rich in fructose, a naturally occurring sugar with a low glycemic index. This characteristic means that fructose doesn't cause significant spikes in blood sugar levels after consumption. However, caution is still necessary, as excessive fructose intake may contribute to increased weight gain.
In order to maintain a healthy balance, it's important not to overindulge in dried fruits or any foods containing high levels of fructose. While these fruits offer valuable nutrients, consuming them in moderation is key to reaping their benefits without risking potential weight gain. Striking the right balance ensures that you can enjoy the natural goodness of fruits while supporting your overall well-being.
Dried Pineapple
Dried pineapple rings contain a much-loved delicious taste that retains all its nutrients during dehydration.
Different varieties of pineapple will produce different tastes after drying, either slightly tart or slightly sweet. There is no restriction on the variety of pineapples; the only advice is to choose very ripe pineapples.
How to dehydrate pineapples?
Cutting pineapples
The first step is to cut the bottom of the pineapple, as well as the leaves that are on the top. Then, place the pineapple on a cutting board and remove the skin all around with a sharp knife.
The next step is to lay the pineapple on the board so that you can cut slices about 1 cm wide. Then, we remove the center of each washer. Generally, the whole rings are dried, but they can be cut into smaller pieces.
The dehydration process
Arrange the slices or pieces on the dehydrator's trays, ensuring enough space to circulate the air.
The device's temperature is programmed at 60 degrees, and it is left to operate for 12 to 16 hours.
Depending on the device, it may be necessary to turn each slice so that they are dried evenly.
Dried pineapple slices are ready when they can be bent but are not gooey. Let them cool for about 30 minutes before placing them in airtight containers.
Storing dried pineapples
Dried pineapples keep much longer than the fruit itself since they no longer contain flesh.
Dried pineapples can be stored for up to 1 year in an airtight container and in a dry place.
Some recipe ideas
You can taste the dried pineapples as they are or cut them into small pieces and incorporate them into cakes, salads, yogurts, cocktails, or even as a simple decoration for desserts.
Dried Star Fruit
Raw or dried star fruits are very low-calorie fruits but rich in fibre, vitamin C, antioxidants and minerals.
Eating it regularly helps to lower bad cholesterol levels, help the body fight against infectious agents and improve blood pressure.
How to dehydrate star fruits?
Carambola cutting
It is extremely simple to prepare dried star fruits. You must first wash them, then cut them into about 2-3 mm thin slices. Even if each slice of starfruit contains a harder heart and seeds, it is useless to remove them when you want to dry them because everything is edible. If really the pips are disturbing, they come out very easily once the slices have dried.
You can then place each slice on the trays of the food dehydrator, leaving a space between them.
The dehydration process
Once the trays are filled with starfruit slices, it will only take a few hours to dry them, as the slices are very thin.
Depending on the type of food dehydrator, it may be necessary to turn each star fruit slice so that each side is dried evenly.
Storing dried starfruit
Dried star fruit will be kept in an airtight container for up to 12 months after drying.
Some recipe ideas
When raw, Carambolas are generally used as decoration on cakes or cocktails. However, when they are dried, they have a completely different use. They can indeed be eaten as they are, but also incorporated into yogurts with honey, into breakfast granola or mixed with other dried fruits such as apricots, bananas or prunes, in order to form a healthy snack for the day's cravings.
Dried carambolas can also be incorporated into dishes with sauce, with fish, for example or poultry.
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