CEBU, Philippines - The search for healthy food alternatives has never been as persistent as in this age. From juices, ice creams, breads and even meats, health advocates have one thing in mind - organic and no preservatives!
Unfortunately, not every Filipino household can sustain an organic diet for long. Most organic produce are priced higher and, thus, heavy on the pockets. On the other hand, most regular supermarket items are heavy on additives.
The Filipinos of old, like past generations everywhere, raised their own produce for their needs. That way they didn't have to buy anything, and they were sure the food they ate was free of harmful chemical. And they had a way of making their harvested crops stand longer.
Preserving farm produce is an age-old, simple technology - drying. In the Philippines, drying has long been practiced, especially in fishing villages. The extra catch of fishermen is dried under the sun to extend its usability.
Aside from fish, the country is abundant with other natural produce. Fruit trees easily grow on Philippine soil. And so fruits come aplenty at harvest time; the supply is much more than people can consume before it begins to spoil. Again, drying is the solution.
Incidentally, many fruits are in season at summer. And the intense summer heat serves very well in drying the surplus fruits. Besides, the Philippines being a tropical country where the sunny season lasts for most part of the year, the family can enjoy fruits, dried fruits, even outside of the harvest season.
Drying is the process of removing moisture from crops and other produce. Summer also being a travel season, dried fruits provide a handy nutritious snack to bring along. There are different ways to dry: in the sun, in the oven and using a food dehydrator. Drying under the sun remains the most inexpensive process.
Since coconuts, bananas, papayas, pineapples and mangoes are abundant in the country, it is common to see these in dried form. The fruits used are the ripe and of good quality. In preparation for drying, the fruits are first rinsed under cold water and cleaned of bruises, fibrous portion, seeds and stems, after which these are sliced thinly.
According to the Virginia Cooperative Extension, before drying, certain fruits undergo pretreatment such as blanching (immersing briefly in boiling water). Blanching is helpful in cleansing the surface of fruits and in retaining their vitamins. Bananas, for example, are to be blanched for 3 to 4 minutes.
When the fruits have been prepared, these are then lined on clean trays, arranged properly, with no slices overlapping. If dried outside, the trays should be positioned in an area where the sun can reach it without being obscured by trees or buildings. Sun-drying though is not advisable during cloudy days because of the humidity.
Apart from the shade and moisture, another thing to watch out for are creeping crawlers - which are not limited to insects alone; impatient hands may wander around. Some fruits take longer to dry than others. The thinner the fruits are sliced, the faster it dries. Thick fruits like pineapple can take as long as 36 hours to fully dry.
Drying fruits requires effort and patience. But it's all worth it. It's always a nice experience to have some fruits lying around, ready to be enjoyed anytime! (FREEMAN)