Dry Cranberries
Cranberries make a delicious addition to pretty much everything--salads, yogurt, stuffing, trail mix...the list goes on. They have historically been used for food, medicine, and even fabric dye. Save some money and make your own dried version of these cool berries by following the steps listed in this article.
Contents
Steps
Preparing the Cranberries
- Put 2 qt. (63.9 oz.) of water into a large pot. Bring the water to a boil and then remove the pot from the heat. You do not want to place cranberries in water that is boiling too hard because you are actually Blanch Fruit rather than cooking them.
- Place 12 oz. (340 g) of fresh cranberries into a colander. Rinse them with cool water and then pat them dry. Lay them out on some paper towels and pick out any that are old or damaged in some way.
- Place the cranberries into the pot of hot water. Let the cranberries soak in the water but keep an eye on them. There skins will start to break open because of their contact with the heat. Once all of the cranberry skins have cracked, removed them from the water. Pour the cranberries into a strainer. Drain them thoroughly, making sure to remove as much excess water as possible.
- Do not allow the cranberries to get too hot or stay in the water too long after their skins have cracked. Doing either of these things will cause the skins to become mushy.
- Turn the oven on to 200ºF (93.3ºC). While the oven is heating, line a baking sheet with paper towels. Pour the cranberries onto the paper towels. The paper towels will absorb extra water that might still be clinging to the cranberries.
Drying the Cranberries
Method One: Using the Oven
- Place another layer of paper towels over the berries. Pat them dry as well as you can--getting rid of any moisture will shorten the drying time. If you are planning on sweetening the berries, now is the time to do so. Sprinkle one to three tablespoons of sugar or corn syrup onto the berries, depending on how sweet you would like your cranberries to be. If you are not sweetening your cranberries, disregard the latter half of this step.
- Prepare another baking sheet. This is the one you will be placing in the oven. Line it with a layer of paper towels and then place a sheet of parchment paper on top. Spread the cranberries evenly over the surface of the parchment paper.
- Lower the oven temperature to 150ºF (65.5ºC). Place the cranberries in the oven and wait. The drying process can take between six and ten hours, depending on the strength of your oven and the dryness of the cranberries. It also depends on if you prefer your cranberries dry or crunchy. If you want them chewier, take them out at around six hours.
- Rotate the baking sheet every couple of hours. Air circulation is part of the drying process so you will need to rotate the baking sheet several times while the cranberries are drying. Keep an eye on your cranberries throughout the drying process--some ovens will dry cranberries out more quickly than others. If you notice your cranberries getting very dry before the six hour mark, take them out of the oven.
- Remove your cranberries from the oven. Let them berries cool down before you do anything with them. To store dried cranberries, place them in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator. You can also place them in the freezer and keep them there until you want to use them at a future date.
Method Two: Using a Dehydrator
- Coat the cranberries with 1/4 cup (2 oz.) of granulated sugar (optional.) You can also use corn syrup to sweeten your cranberries. You should mix the cranberries with the sugar or syrup in a bowl, making sure that the berries are evenly coated. Cranberries can sometimes have a bitter or sour flavor so adding the sugar guarantees sweetness. For unsweetened cranberries, skip this step.
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Lay the berries evenly on the baking sheet, making sure that none of them are overlapping. If they overlap, they could freeze together, making large cranberry chunks.
- Place the berries in the freezer. Freeze the cranberries for two hours. Placing the cranberries in the freezer dries them out quickly because it breaks down the berries’ cell structure.
- Transfer the frozen berries to the dehydrator. You should place the berries on a mesh sheet and place it in the dehydrator. Turn the dehydrator on and leave the berries in there for 10 to 16 hours.
- Before taking them out, check to make sure that all of the moisture has been removed from the berries. Test one out to see if it is has a good chewiness. If it’s too chewy, place them back in the dehydrator.
- Store your dried cranberries in the freezer. Place your cranberries in an airtight container and either place them in the freezer for later use or in the refrigerator if you plan on eating them in the near future.
Tips
- Cranberries are high in vitamin C and contain important antioxidants that are shown to prevent heart disease. Cranberries are also believed to help prevent cancer, ulcers and gum disease and have long been proven to promote urinary tract health.
- Dried cranberries can be used in recipes in place of raisins. They make great additions to salads, sauces and baked goods.
- Fresh cranberries are only available from October to January but can be frozen for use all year long. If you buy the berries to freeze, choose the ones with deep-red color and shiny skins. Be sure to wash and drain them well. This dried cranberry recipe can be made with frozen cranberries that have been thawed.
Things You'll Need
- 2 qt. (63.9 oz.) of water
- Large pot
- 12 oz. (340 g) of fresh cranberries
- Strainer
- 1/4 cup (2 oz.) of granulated sugar or corn syrup (optional)
- Large baking sheet (2)
- Food dehydrator
- Oven
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