Benefits of dried plums: A year-round addition to your kitchen

The aroma and taste of dried plums add depth to many dishes, but that's not the only reason to always have a few in your kitchen stash. They also help improve bowel function, assist with constipation, and make an excellent snack when energy levels are low. Prepare plums at home and enjoy their flavour year-round.

Dried plums are an excellent ingredient in many dishes and a healthy part of a varied diet. Thanks to their high fibre content, dried plums support bowel function, improving peristalsis and helping remove deposits. Although dried plums can be quite expensive, making them at home is not as difficult as it might seem.

First, start by sorting the plums: only ripe, healthy, undamaged ones are suitable for drying. Next, drop the plums into boiling water for several seconds, and then to stop the cooking process, transfer them to cold water. Blanching the plums or even scalding them with boiling water is essential, because it softens the skin and makes it easier to remove the waxy coating (necessary to allow the moisture to evaporate).

Next, dry the plums, remove the pits, and cut them into smaller pieces. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dry the plums in an oven at a temperature of about 130°F-140°F—this is the optimal range to prevent the plums from overheating and getting burned. You can use a convection oven to speed up the process. Ideally, they should spend about a day in the oven, or you can dry them in stages—first for 4 hours, then after cooling, for another 5-6 hours, but at a higher temperature than before. The plums are ready when they have flexible flesh, and no juice is leaking.

Dried plums primarily contain a significant amount of fibre, essential for proper digestive system function. Fibre supports regular bowel movements and prevents constipation, positively affecting digestion. Additionally, fibre contributes to lowering blood cholesterol levels, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Dried plums are quite caloric, so it's recommended to consume a few daily, even during a weight-loss diet. Six dried plums provide about 100 kcal and can offer significant health benefits. These fruits are a source of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, iron, and vitamin K. Potassium is crucial for the proper functioning of the nervous and muscular systems and helps regulate blood pressure. Vitamin K is responsible for proper blood clotting, and iron is essential for producing red blood cells.

Dried plums are rich in B vitamins, including B1, B2, B3, and B6, which play a key role in the body's metabolic processes. They also contain antioxidants that help fight free radicals and may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.