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Fruits are an excellent source of essential nutrients. They are rich in fiber and provide a variety of antioxidants including flavonoids. Eating more fruits is a great way to reduce risk of heart disease, cancer, inflammation, and diabetes. Citrus fruits and berries may be especially powerful for boosting immunity and preventing diseases. Let’s look at the health benefits of some summer fruits and ways to preserve such fruits using the best pressure cooker.

The health benefits of summer fruits

Lemons:

This citrus fruit is part of many remedies because it contains antioxidants that neutralize free radicals in the body. The flavonoids in lemons and other citrus fruits have antibacterial, anticancer, and antidiabetic properties. It contains active components called phytochemicals that are good for health, like vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, and pectin. Lemons also contain thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, and vitamin A.

Strawberries:

These are juicy red fruits high in water content. They particularly contain anthocyanins, which are flavonoids that can help boost heart health. The fiber and potassium in strawberries can also aid heart health. They also contain another flavonoid called quercetin, which is a natural anti-inflammatory compound.

Oranges:

These sweet, round citrus fruits are among the richest sources of vitamin C – a powerful antioxidant. It boosts immune function by helping absorb iron from plant-based foods. The high levels of pectin in oranges keep the colon healthy by binding to chemicals that can cause cancer and removing them.

Grapefruit:

These can be pink, red, or white and are full of vitamins and minerals. The flavonoids in grapefruits can help protect against cancers, inflammation, and obesity. The compounds furanocoumarins in grapefruit can help protect against oxidative stress and these may be especially effective against breast cancer, skin cancer, and leukemia.

These and other fruits pack so many health benefits making them an essential part of your diet throughout the year. And the good thing is you can preserve them in the form of pickles, jams, compotes, fruit syrups and so on.

If you have the right pressure cooker, you can spend a little time in preserving them now and enjoy their goodness throughout the year. Read on to find out which one would be the best pressure cooker for this job.

The best pressure cooker for preserving fresh fruits for the whole year

For preserving these healthy and fresh fruits, you need a pressure cooker that is 100% non-toxic, and preserves the nutrients and natural flavors of fruits in the form of flavonoids.

The conventional pressure cookers are made from metals or ceramics. These materials leach toxins and contaminate whatever is cooking in them, because metals are innately reactive and ceramics are laden with chemicals. They also radiate harsh near infrared heat that destroys nutrients, especially the delicate ones like flavonoids and take away all the freshness and natural flavor of your fruits. Also, because of contaminants, they turn out sour very soon if no preservatives are used. Common preservatives are unhealthy and defy the whole purpose of preserving these healthy foods.

Miriams Earthen Cookware (MEC) is a pioneering US-based company that makes pots and pans from an all-natural and healthy raw material – lab tested primary clay. There are no additives, chemicals, glazes, or enamels are used in the manufacturing process, so the pots turn out as healthy as the raw material.

MEC pots and pans do not leach and therefore do not contaminate food. Clay is alkaline so it neutralizes the acidity of your jams, compotes, etc. And the freshness and flavors of your fruits last longer, even without preservatives.

They radiate unique far infrared heat that gently cooks food from inside out by penetrating deep into it. Your food cooks evenly and thoroughly at low heat and in less time. Also, this gentle heat keeps nutrients intact, even the most delicate flavonoids, so you get to enjoy the healthfulness of your fresh fruits for days without compromising on their nutritional value.

Interested in preserving your summer fruits while keeping their health value, nutrients, and natural flavors intact? Head over to our online store and order a pot today. Once you have your pot, here is a recipe to prepare jams and fruit compote in your healthy pressure cooker:

Jams and Fruit Compote:

Wash fruit and chop larger fruits like apples. Add to pot with sugar and some water. You need less water for jam than for compote. If making compote, you can also add spices such as cinnamon, cloves or pepper. Cook on medium low for 5 minutes, then turn up the heat to medium until the mixture boils. Reduce heat to simmer. The fruit concoction is done when it all sugar dissolves, and the blend thickens to desired consistency. You need to cook fruit jam for longer to break down the fruit into spreadable consistency, whereas compote is often cooked less, and whole fruit pieces remain intact. Fruit jam and compote should last 7-10 days (about 1 and a half weeks) in covered glass jar in your refrigerator.