How to dry currant berries at home

Drying of currant berries at home is carried out in the open air or using household appliances. An electric dryer works best, but if you don't have one, you can also use an oven, which should be set to a temperature of 50–55 ° C. In small quantities, the pulp can be dried in the microwave: this is the fastest way, which will take no more than 10-15 minutes.

Is it possible to dry currant berries

Drying currants, like other berries, is not only possible, but also necessary. This is a storehouse of vitamins that a person needs in winter. Fruits of all varieties are suitable for drying - black, red, white currants. This method of preparation has several advantages over traditional methods (cooking, grinding with sugar):

1. Many useful substances are preserved, including vitamin C, which is destroyed by boiling in 2-3 minutes.
2. The berries are distinguished by a more interesting, rich taste and aroma.
3. If you put dried currants in warm water, they will give the drink a bright color. This is due to the preservation of all pigments.

You can dry currant berries for tea, as well as for other purposes, for example, for making fruit drinks, pies, decorating cakes, and sugaring. Due to drying, the pulp retains vitamins of group B, C, K, E, P, folic acid and minerals.

Regular consumption of dried currants helps to strengthen the immune system, prevent diabetes, cancer, vascular problems

What kind of berry to take for drying

Fresh and whole berries are suitable for drying. They should be harvested on a sunny day (completely dry).

In order not to damage the skin, the berries are collected immediately with brushes, and not separately. Before starting drying, be sure to make sure of ripeness and good taste. If the fruits are to be bought on the market, you should try several berries and evaluate not only the taste, but also the aroma. If there are any extraneous shades in the smell, it is not recommended to purchase them.

For drying, choose dense, undamaged berries without foreign odors

Preparing berries for drying

Preparation for drying includes several steps:

1. The fruits should be rinsed with a slight pressure of running water.
2. Remove foliage, twigs and other debris.
3. Put the berries in one layer on a clean cloth and let dry from water. It is advisable that they do not lie too tightly.

It is better to arrange primary drying (after washing) in the open air - under a canopy or on a loggia (but not in direct sunlight). When the drops disappear, the berry can be sent for drying using any of the methods described below.

It is not recommended to mix black and red varieties, since the fruits differ in weight, that is, they will dry at different speeds.

How to properly dry currant berries at home

You can dry currant berries at home in different ways: both outdoors and using household appliances. The readiness of the product can be determined by its appearance and weight: due to the loss of water, the mass decreases by 5 times, i.e. 5 kg of fresh berries will make 1 kg of dried berries.You can also check manually by squeezing the pulp with your fingers: if the juice does not flow out, then the product is ready for further storage.

Air drying

Air drying is the simplest but most time consuming method. It is not worth keeping the berries directly under open rays, since this destroys many useful components. The optimal place is under a canopy, on a covered loggia, in a dry attic (with open windows). The technology is as follows:

1. The berries, washed and dried from moisture, are laid out in one layer on wooden sheets, which can be previously covered with parchment.
2. Cover with clean gauze on top.
3. They are laid under a canopy or in the attic (in any utility room).
4. Open the vents and dry for 5-7 days. Stir periodically so that the process runs evenly.
5. The berries are placed in the oven and kept at a temperature of 50–55 degrees for 5 hours.
6. Cool to room temperature and send for storage.

To air dry currants, you can use floor or hanging nets.

How to dry in the microwave

You can dry currant fruits in the microwave. The method allows you to get workpieces in small quantities, but quickly and effortlessly. The instruction is as follows:

1. A flat plate with dry surfaces is required.
2. A paper napkin is spread at the bottom.
3. Currant fruits are poured onto it in one layer.
4. Cover the top with the same napkin.
5. Put in the microwave for 5 minutes (heating power 200 W).
6. After that, periodically (2 times a minute), the heating is interrupted and the readiness of the fruits is checked.

The total cooking time takes 10-15 minutes, but it all depends on the size of the berries and the material of the plate. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically open the door and monitor the condition of the currants.

How to dry black currant berries in the oven

A simple way to dry currant berries is in the oven

To do this, take a baking sheet and cover with a layer of foil or parchment. Spread the fruits in one layer. The oven is heated to 45 ° C and held for an hour.

Then take out, put the baking sheet on a support and cool to room temperature (1 hour). After that, heat the oven to 70 ° C and hold the baking sheet for another 1.5-2 hours. The whole process will take a maximum of 4 hours.

How to dry currant berries in an electric dryer

Since it is not always possible to withstand the desired drying temperature in the oven, and the microwave is very small, the easiest way is to purchase an electric dryer. The device allows you to set the optimal parameters. With its help, currants can be dried in almost any volume. The process runs evenly and from all sides, which improves the quality of the final product and increases its shelf life.

The instruction is quite simple:

1. Set the dryer to 55 ° C.
2. Place currants in one layer on a pallet.
3. One minute after turning on the appliance, place the pallets and close the door.
4. Leave to dry for two days (48-50 hours). Almost all modern electric dryers have a timer that will automatically turn off the device. Therefore, it is not necessary to control its work.

The dryer can store 5-6 pallets at the same time

How to properly store dried berries

After drying, the product can be stored in two ways:

1. In clean, thoroughly dried glass or tin cans with screw caps.
2. In bags made of natural fabric, breathable (linen, cotton). It is enough to tie them with a rope.

Containers or bags are placed in a dry, protected from direct sun and ventilated place - in a niche on the balcony.

How long does dried berry last?

The optimal shelf life is 1 year.If the temperature does not exceed 8-10 degrees, then drying can be kept up to two years. The containers should be inspected periodically to ensure that the currants do not become moldy. If it has spoiled a little, all damaged fruits must be removed, and from the rest, prepare fruit drink or another dish. It is also worth checking the neighboring jars or bags, perhaps the fruits in them also began to deteriorate. In this case, you will need to re-sort them.

Conclusion

Drying currant berries at home is a fairly simple process. Winter harvesting does not require special skills. The main condition is to choose the right berry, rinse and dry it thoroughly, and then hold it in the open air, in an oven or dryer. If there are no instruments, the workpiece can be made under a canopy (without direct sunlight). When drying, the fruits should be periodically turned over so that the process runs evenly. If this is not done, the berries will begin to mold and the harvest will not stand for a long time.

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