Fresh cranberries are sour and quite tart, but dried fruits have a much milder and sweeter taste. Just like the fresh berries, dried cranberries also contain a large number of vitamins, minerals and other valuable ingredients. Drying the red fruits yourself, which is related to the local cranberries, takes a little time but is worth it.

Which is why drying yourself is better than buying already dried fruit

Anyone who has cranberries in the garden will probably not think of buying ready-dried berries in the supermarket. On the contrary, you probably don't know what to do with all those beautiful, bright red fruits. Since cranberries are only partially edible in their raw state, drying and preserving them yourself is a good idea. Especially gently dried fruits retain almost all of their healthy ingredients and can also be used in many different ways. But even dried fruits have other health benefits compared to the ready-made ones from the supermarket: Dried fruits from the supermarket often contain a lot of sugar - and also chemical preservatives such as sulphur. These are necessary because commercially available dried fruits are only dried, which is why they have to be preserved in another way.

How to dry cranberries

First of all, sort out the freshly harvested fruit: Only fully ripe and undamaged berries can be dried (they also say “to dry”). Now wash the cranberries thoroughly and briefly immerse them in boiling water. The skin of the berries should burst open as this reduces the drying time considerably. Briefly dry the fruit, e.g. B. on kitchen paper, and spread them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. The fruits should not be on top of each other, but spread out well. Now you can dry the prepared cranberries at 60 °C. They're done as soon as they contract and shrivel. However, this can take up to 24 hours. If you select circulating air, the time will be reduced accordingly. Don't be fooled though: Dried cranberries don't feel dry at all, they're rather sticky. Well sealed, of course, the dried fruit can be kept at room temperature for up to 24 months or in the freezer for up to five years.

Tasty ideas with dried cranberries

  • as an ingredient in muesli
  • as an ingredient in cakes, tarts or, particularly delicious, in Christmas stollen
  • in homemade bread
  • as part of colorful salad, e.g. B. with rocket, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar
  • as a cranberry smoothie
  • Ice cream with hot cranberries
  • and much more m.

tips and tricks

When drying the berries, slide a wooden spoon between the oven and the oven door so that the door does not close completely. This way the moisture can escape better.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden