Content
Many people like to buy candied fruits obtained from exotic fruits. This is a great treat not only for kids, but also for adults. Candied papaya is easy to cook on your own and it is important to know why they are so useful.
The benefits and harms of candied papaya
Papaya is a useful and healing berry with a powerful biologically active composition and the resulting properties. Exotic fruits contain the following substances:
- vitamins (B1, B2, B5, C, D, E, carotene) in large quantities;
- minerals (Ca, P, Fe, Cl, K, Na, Zn);
- papain, a plant enzyme similar in composition and action to digestive juice;
- natural sugars;
- antioxidants;
- various enzymes, for example, improving the rhythm of heart contractions, restoring the cartilaginous tissue of intervertebral discs, others;
- a lot of fiber.
Once inside the digestive tube, papain begins to actively participate in the breakdown of nutrients that come with food, primarily proteins. Therefore, the introduction of papaya into the daily diet is indicated for patients whose body does not cope well with the digestion and assimilation of food of animal origin. Papain is made up of pepsin and protease, digestive enzymes that break down proteins into amino acids. It is active in an acidic environment, and in a neutral, and in an alkaline environment, in contrast to those enzymes that our body produces.
The presence of plant fibers allows you to cleanse the bloodstream from "bad" cholesterol, prevents the formation of blood clots, and also heals and improves the functioning of the digestive tract. Papaya has anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties, reduces the intensity of pain in arthritis and osteoporosis. Fresh and dried, it is an excellent anthelmintic, antiparasitic agent. Papaya is recommended to be included in the menu for those patients who are prone to frequent colds, since the fruits strengthen the immune system well.
Papaya has antipyretic properties because it contains salicylic acid, which has an antiviral effect. Papaya is also a good antidepressant. Helps to eliminate problems with the skin, makes it elastic, velvety to the touch, and also promotes the quickest healing of injuries, microtraumas. It has a beneficial effect on the female body in the premenstrual period. The low calorie and fat-burning properties of papaya will benefit anyone who wants to lose weight, especially when combined with pineapple. The berry is indispensable for getting out of fasting, for fasting days, for adhering to low-calorie diets.
The beneficial properties of candied papaya fruits differ depending on the degree of ripening. Green fruits contain a lot of alkaloids, which is why they become poisonous, and there is little glucose, fructose, for which ripe berries are so rich. Indian women used to use unripe fruits for unwanted pregnancies. When the papaya ripens, it is completely safe.
Candied papaya recipes
You rarely find candied papaya on sale (as you can see in the photo) Pineapple or other exotic fruits are more common. Therefore, if you want to feast on dried papaya slices, you should cook them yourself. This is much safer and ensures that the product comes out natural, without chemical additives and dyes.
How to choose
First, you need to choose the right berry.It is grown mainly in Mexico, and the way from there is long. Therefore, papaya fruits are usually harvested unripe. They contain a lot of alkaloids, toxic substances, the use of which can adversely affect the state of the body. And this is the main danger to be avoided when choosing berries. The papaya should be deep yellow or have bright orange barrels on the green skin, indicating that it is ripe.
How to clean
Papaya comes in a variety of sizes: small and large, like a melon. Scientists consider it a berry, although the weight of the fruit often reaches 5-7 kg. In the first case, you must first peel the fruit, and then cut it in half, remove the seeds and then cut into small pieces for withering, drying or cooking candied candied fruits.
If the fruit is large, it should first be divided into two longitudinal parts and from there scoop out all the seeds with a spoon. Then, when the papaya is quite impressive in size, cut it into several pieces to make it easier to remove the skin with a knife. Then also grind into pieces convenient for further processing.
How to cook in sugar syrup
When preparing candied fruits from papaya, the same technology is followed as when candying other fruits.
Ingredients:
- papaya - 1 kg;
- sugar - ½ kg;
- water - ½ l;
- lemon - 1 pc.
Mix sugar and water, bring to a boil, place diced papaya in syrup. Cook for 5 minutes, then set aside. When the whole mass has cooled, reheat to +100 degrees and boil for the same amount of time. Two times will be enough. Dip the lemon cut into rings in a hot solution and wait until it cools completely.
Gently transfer the fruit mass to a sieve and let it dry, which can take several hours. Then put the pieces of papaya on the wire rack of the electric dryer and turn on the +50 degrees mode. If candied fruits will be cooked in the oven (<+60 C), the door should be slightly opened to ensure air circulation.
After 4-6 hours, you can check the degree of readiness and remove. Under the influence of hot air, the pieces of fruit will be covered with a film on top, but inside they will remain soft and rather juicy. Candied papaya fruits turn out to be red, very appetizing in appearance.
How to cook in an electric dryer
Papaya contains a lot of glucose, fructose, it is an extremely sweet berry. Candied fruits can be prepared without the use of sugar syrup, using a modern electric dryer. The device has a heating element that provides a flow of hot air, as well as a fan that increases the intensity of its distribution.
Peel the fruit, cut into wedges or slices so that they fit easily on the wire rack. Dry berries at a temperature not higher than +50 degrees. Trays in an electric dryer are usually removable. Therefore, for uniform treatment with warm air, the lower and upper tiers should be interchanged from time to time. It will take about 6-8 hours to cook candied fruits. When using an electric dryer, the maximum benefit of the candied papaya fruit is preserved during the cooking process.
other methods
After soaking with sugar syrup, candied fruits can be dried not in an oven or electric dryer, but can be done in the traditional way, in the air. Place the fruit pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and leave in a well-ventilated dry place. Within a few days, they will dry out, weathered by a stream of air, and excess moisture will evaporate.
You can also dry pieces of candied fruit in the microwave.Microwave radiation penetrates the pulp and interact with water molecules, thereby forcing it to evaporate very quickly. Here the drying process is much more intensive than in all other cases. The largest candied fruits must be placed along the edges of the pallet, since it is in this place that the interaction takes place stronger.
Calorie content of candied papaya
Candied papaya fruits can have different energy values depending on the cooking method. If they were made without additional ingredients, first of all, sugar, then the calorie content in this case will be low - 57 kcal per 100 g. Such candied fruits are more suitable for people suffering from obesity, prediabetes and diabetes, as well as some other diseases in which it is necessary to observe a low-carb diet.
How much candied papaya can you eat per day
It is not recommended to introduce candied papaya candied fruits into the diet more than 50 g per day, since their calorie content is quite high. You need to start with one or more cubes in order to avoid manifestations of an allergic nature.
Dried papaya slices cooked in an electric dryer are lower in calories, so they are good for snacks between meals as a substitute for pastry sweets. The daily portion can be 100 g of product or a little more.
Conclusion
Candied papaya is the perfect food for those looking to lose weight. Low calorie content, useful and healing properties - all this makes the product an important component of dietary nutrition. Candied fruits are easy to make at home and use as a rich source of natural sugars, vitamins and other essential nutrients.
