How to dry figs

1. Material selection and slitting

Select ripe figs, remove rotten fruits, residual fruits and other impurities, rinse with clean water, and cut off the fruit stalks. Small fruit varieties do not need to be cut, and large fruit varieties can be cut into two, or cut into strips or pieces. This can increase the contact surface between the material and the drying medium, improve the air permeability and water permeability of the material, save drying time, and reduce energy consumption.

2. Paving and Drying

For both natural and artificial drying, the raw materials should be spread evenly and not too thick. For natural drying, the fruits are spread on drying trays, drying curtains, and drying mats to dry. When the climate is dry, they can be spread out to dry day and night. For drying yards with damp ground, wooden sticks, stones, etc. should be used to pad the drying curtains, which can prevent moisture and improve the permeability. The fruits should be turned over frequently during drying. For artificial drying, attention should be paid to ventilation and exhaust while heating to facilitate water evaporation. The baking temperature should be higher at the beginning, 80-85℃, and the temperature should be lower at the later stage, 50-55℃. The drying time is generally 6-12 hours, depending on the moisture content of the fruit to meet the requirements. The moisture content of dried figs is generally about 20%.

3. Softening and Packaging

Pile the dried figs on the plastic film, cover it with plastic film, let it soften for 2-3 days, then put it into plastic food bags, seal it, put it into cartons, store it in the warehouse, and you have the dried figs.

4. 7 major benefits and functions of figs

1. Strengthen the spleen and aid digestion, moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements: Figs contain malic acid, citric acid, lipase, protease, hydrolase, etc., which can help the body digest food and promote appetite. Because they contain a variety of lipids, they have the effect of moisturizing the intestines and promoting bowel movements.

2. Lowering blood lipids and blood pressure: The lipase, hydrolase, etc. contained in figs have the function of lowering blood lipids and decomposing blood lipids. Therefore, they can lower blood lipids and reduce the deposition of fat in blood vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure and preventing coronary heart disease.

3. Hypoglycemic: Fig water extract has the effect of lowering blood sugar. Recipe: 15 grams of figs and 10 grams of Ningxia wolfberry, add water and boil. Drink as tea, 1 dose per day, and chew figs and wolfberries at the end. You can also use 50 grams of figs and 100 grams of bitter gourd, cut them into slices, add water to boil soup, season it and eat it, take it for 7 to 10 days.

4. Relieve sore throat and reduce swelling: Figs contain citric acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, malic acid, propionic acid, oxalic acid, quinic acid and other substances, which have anti-inflammatory and swelling-reducing effects, and can relieve sore throat and reduce swelling.

5. Nutritional supplement: Figs contain a large amount of sugars, lipids, proteins, cellulose, vitamins, inorganic salts and essential amino acids for the human body, which can effectively supplement the body's nutrients and enhance the body's disease resistance.

6. Anti-cancer and anti-tumor: The serum of unripe fruits contains active ingredients such as psoralen and bergapten. The juice of ripe fruits can extract an aromatic substance "benzaldehyde". Both have anti-cancer and anti-tumor effects, can prevent the occurrence of liver cancer, lung cancer, and gastric cancer, delay the development of transplanted adenocarcinoma and lymphosarcoma, and promote their degeneration.

7. Regulating menstruation and promoting lactation: In addition to the functions of strengthening the spleen and stopping diarrhea, clearing the intestines and removing heat, regulating qi and digestion, relieving cough and removing phlegm, reducing swelling and detoxifying, figs are also a good medicine for regulating menstruation and promoting lactation. Therefore, patients with irregular menstruation or postpartum milk deficiency may wish to try fig medicinal diet.