How to dry cherries at home for the winter

Dried berries and fruits are a real boon for the hostess, because when properly dried, they retain useful substances. Another advantage is that you can cook a variety of dishes from dried fruits all year round. Drying cherries in an electric dryer, in a microwave oven, in an oven, in an airfryer and in the sun is quite simple, the main thing is to follow the basic rules.

Useful properties of dried cherries

With proper drying, all nutrients remain in the berries in almost the same amount as in fresh fruits. Cherry contains ascorbic acid, dietary fiber, vitamin B9, B6, PP, riboflavin, pantothenic acid. This berry has the following beneficial properties:

• helps to strengthen bones, therefore, experts recommend using it for adolescents and athletes;
• has a tonic effect on the body;
• strengthens the immune system;
• acts as a prophylactic agent against viral and respiratory diseases;
• thanks to the antioxidants that make up the fruits, the body is cleansed;
• vitamin A, which is part of the composition, is necessary to maintain good vision and elastic skin;
• normalizes blood pressure, so dried cherries are especially useful for hypertensive patients;
• the pectin contained in the product helps to eliminate toxins from the body and reduce the level of bad cholesterol;
• the use of dried fruits reduces the dependence on nicotine;
• they have a high concentration of B vitamins, due to which the use of such fruits allows you to relieve stress and improve the emotional state;
• the sour berry has the highest content of the hormone melatonin, which is a kind of relaxing agent that allows you to fall asleep faster.

What is the name of dried cherries

Dried cherries are dried fruits that can be obtained by drying fresh fruits. It has no other name, for example, like raisins. According to GOST, it is called so - dried cherry.

How to dry cherries at home

Dried cherries contain vitamin C, A, PP, as well as iron, potassium, zinc, phosphorus and calcium

Before drying the berries, they must be sorted and then rinsed. Spoiled cherries are not recommended for use. If the fruits are not large, then the drying process will take place much faster. Then they are laid out on a clean, dry gauze cloth. When the berries are dry, it is necessary to remove the seeds and stalks. You can dry cherries with inner parts, but in this case it will not be very convenient to eat them. The bones are easily removed with a special kitchen tool, but if you don't have one, you can arm yourself with a simple hairpin or tweezers.After going through all the above steps, the main ingredient is ready for the next stage - for drying in any convenient way.

There is another option for preparing berries - blanching. This procedure softens the skin of the fruit, which speeds up the drying process. The first step is to rinse the cherries, then prepare the solution. To do this, add baking soda to boiling water at the rate of 1 tsp. for 1 liter of water. The fruits are poured with the resulting hot liquid, then the broth is immediately drained. Next, you need to douse them with cold water, throw them in a colander. After the excess moisture is gone, you can start drying the berries.

At what temperature to dry cherries

You can set the temperature only after you have decided on the drying method. For example, fruits should be dried in an oven from 60 to 80 degrees, and in an electric dryer 60-70. As for the airfryer, the optimal temperature for drying berries is 45-60 degrees.

How much to dry cherries

Underdried berries are not suitable for long-term storage.

The drying time depends on the selected method:

1. Drying in the sun takes 2 to 4 days.
2. In an electric dryer, this process is much faster than in the first version, it takes about 8-12 hours.
3. Cooking dried cherries in the oven will take about 5 hours from the hostess, but no direct intervention in this process is required.
4. The fastest option is microwave drying, which takes just a few minutes.
5. Cooking time for cherries in the airfryer varies from half an hour to 2 hours.

It should be noted that the preparation of dried berries with seeds is much faster than without them.

How can you dry cherries in an electric dryer with sugar

During cooking, it is important to ensure that the fruits dry evenly

After the berries are washed and peeled from the stalks, they should be weighed, since sugar is added at the rate of 350 - 450 g per 1 kg of cherries. If the berries are very sour, then you can additionally put another 100 - 150 g. The next step is to add sugar, it must be poured in a thin layer over the fruit and left in this form in a warm room for several hours. After this time, the berries are discarded in a colander. The resulting juice is not useful, but it can be preserved or compote prepared. Next, you need to make a syrup from the specified amount of sugar and water in a volume of 3 liters. After boiling, add cherries to the broth, immediately remove from heat.

They must be left in the syrup until they cool completely, then drain the liquid, and put the fruits in a thin layer in an electric dryer. For the first two hours, the temperature of the device should be set at 55-60 degrees, and then reduced to 30-35, dried until fully cooked.

How to dry cherries in a sugar-free fruit dryer

Dried berries can be stored in glass containers in the refrigerator

The process of drying berries without sugar takes much less time, as it requires the least preparation. So, when the cherries are washed and peeled, they are transferred to a heat-resistant dish and put on fire. After a sufficient amount of juice has appeared, the berries are thrown in a colander for 2-3 hours. After the specified time has elapsed, the cherries are spread in a thin layer on the grid of an electric dryer. The drying process takes about 10-12 hours, provided that the temperature is set to about 60-70 degrees.

How to dry cherries in a pitted electric dryer

Berries with seeds dry much faster than without them

The drying process begins with processing the fruits: they must be washed, the stalks and seeds removed. Then the berries should be thrown into a colander, after which the cherries are poured into one layer on the grate of the electric dryer. During this procedure, it is necessary to change the temperature regime from high to low at least 3 times. Pitted cherries will take much longer to dry - about 13-15 hours.

How to dry cherries in an electric dryer with seeds

The workpiece can be stored at room temperature for about 1 year.

The process of drying cherries with pits is not much different from the above recipe, but there are differences:

• it is not necessary to remove seeds from the fruit, it is enough just to remove the stalks;
• Rinse the prepared berries, then put them in a colander to glass unnecessary liquid;
• put the raw materials on the grid of an electric dryer, dry the first 2 hours at the maximum temperature, then reduce to 35 degrees;
• this procedure takes about 10 - 12 hours.

How to dry cherries in the oven

In folk medicine, dried cherries are used to treat colds.

It is imperative to dry cherries in the oven with the door ajar, this will speed up the process of moisture evaporation. In addition, the preliminary processing of raw materials is also important. To speed up the drying process, you can use any method presented: scald the fruits with boiling water or rinse with a weak soda solution, then rinse thoroughly in cold water. You can dry the berries as follows:

• rinse fruits;
• spread parchment paper or foil on a baking sheet;
• lay out the raw materials in a thin layer;
• set the temperature to 45 degrees for 2 hours;
• after the time has elapsed, set 60 degrees and leave until fully cooked.

If you plan to dry pitted cherries, you will need:

• remove internal elements from the fruit;
• put the raw materials on a baking sheet covered with foil or parchment paper;
• initially, cherries should be dried at a temperature of 45 degrees, after a couple of hours set 60;
• change the specified temperature regime every 3 hours until complete readiness.

Drying cherries for the winter in an airfryer

From 1.2 kg of raw materials, approximately 0.5 kg of the finished product is obtained

You can dry berries in an airfryer as follows:

• remove the stalks from the fruit, and the seeds as desired;
• rinse under cool water, then discard in a colander;
• after the unnecessary liquid has drained, lay the raw materials on the grid in one layer;
• cover the airfryer, select the drying mode and the required temperature from 45 to 60 degrees.

How to dry cherries in the microwave

Dried cherries can be used as a filling in baked goods

For this procedure, you will need 2 cuts of linen or cotton fabric, on one of which part of the prepared raw material is laid out, and the other is covered. Next, the workpiece is placed on a microwave plate, dried for up to 5 minutes at 200 W, if necessary, the time can be increased. The cooking time depends on the juiciness of the berries, as well as on the presence of seeds.

How to dry cherries in the sun

Dried cherries are contraindicated for children under 2 years of age, as well as for people suffering from allergies, gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes mellitus

This method is one of the most troublesome and time consuming, but on the other hand, it is the most natural.

In order to dry the berries in the fresh air, you will need a baking sheet or tray lined with parchment paper. Cherries must be selected, washed and slightly dried. Put the prepared raw materials on a board, then cover with a cloth from all sides so that pests do not penetrate. Dry in a well-ventilated place with maximum access to direct sunlight.

How to dry cherry pits

Plastic bags are not suitable for storing fruits, since the product deteriorates in them much faster

You can dry the bones as follows:

• rinse, place in boiling water for 10 minutes, adding 1 tsp. vinegar essence;
• after a specified time, drain the liquid, and rinse the raw materials thoroughly;
• dry in any convenient way: in the sun, in the oven, in the microwave, in an electric dryer. The finished product should be lighter.

How to store dried cherries at home

It is not recommended to place containers with the workpiece next to batteries or pipes. Dried cherries should be stored in glass containers or cotton bags. The place where dried berries are stored should be dark and well ventilated. For these purposes, a shelf on the kitchen cabinet is suitable. Such a dried product is stored for no more than a year, moreover, during this time the cherries must be ventilated and regularly checked for midges.

What can be made from dried cherries

In addition to the fact that dried cherries can be eaten as an independent delicacy, it goes well with other products. For example, the preparation can be added to salads, baked goods, main courses, as well as to prepare jelly or marmalade. In addition, dried cherries can be used as a base for wine, liqueurs, fruit drinks or compotes.

Conclusion

Drying cherries in an electric dryer, in a multicooker, in the oven and in the sun is quite simple. It is only important to observe the temperature regime and cook until the juice ceases to stand out from the fruit.

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