How to dry currant berries at home

Drying currant berries at home is carried out in the open air or using household appliances. An electric dryer is best, but if one is not available, an oven can also be used, 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 necessary for a person in winter. Fruits of all varieties are suitable for drying – black, red, white currants. This harvesting method 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. Berries have a more interesting, rich taste and aroma.
3. If dried currants are placed 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 candied. Thanks to drying, the pulp retains vitamins 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 berry to take for drying

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

In order not to damage the skin, the berries are harvested immediately with brushes, and not individually. Before drying, you need to make sure that the ripeness and good taste. If the fruits are to be bought on the market, you should try a few berries and evaluate not only the taste, but also the aroma. If there are any extraneous shades in the smell, they are not recommended to be purchased.

For drying, choose dense, intact berries without foreign odors.

Preparing berries for drying

Preparation for drying includes several steps:

1. Fruits should be washed with a small pressure of running water.
2. Remove leaves, twigs and other debris.
3. Spread the berries in a single layer on a clean cloth and allow to dry from the water. It is desirable that they do not lie too tightly.

Primary drying (after washing) is best arranged outdoors – under a canopy or on a loggia (but not in direct sunlight). When the drops disappear, the berry can be sent for drying by 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 dry currant berries at home

You can dry currant berries at home in different ways: both in the open air and using household appliances. You can determine the readiness of the product by its appearance and weight: due to the loss of water, the mass decreases by 5 times, i.e. from 5 kg of fresh berries you get 1 kg of dried ones. You can also check it 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 berries directly under open rays, because many useful components are destroyed because of this. The optimal place is under a canopy, on a covered loggia, in a dry attic (with open windows). The technology is like this:

1. The berries, washed and dried from moisture, are laid out in one layer on wooden sheets, which can first be covered with parchment.
2. Top with clean gauze.
3. Lay under a canopy or in the attic (in any utility room).
4. Open the vents and dry for 5-7 days. Stir occasionally to keep the process going evenly.
5. The berries are laid out in the oven and kept at a temperature of 50–55 degrees for 5 hours.
6. Cool to room temperature and store.

For drying currants in the air, you can use floor or hanging nets.

How to dry in the microwave

Currant fruits can be dried in the microwave. The method allows you to get blanks in a small amount, but quickly and without much effort. The instruction is this:

1. You will need a flat plate with dry surfaces.
2. Spread a paper towel on the bottom.
3. Currant fruits are poured onto it in one layer.
4. Top with the same napkin.
5. Put in the microwave for 5 minutes (heating power 200 W).
6. After that, periodically (2 times per 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, the material of the plate. Therefore, periodically it is necessary to open the door and monitor the condition of the currant.

How to dry blackcurrants 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 a temperature of 45 ° C and kept for an hour.

Then they take it out, put the baking sheet on a stand and cool to room temperature (1 hour). After that, the oven is heated to 70 ° C and the baking sheet is kept 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 maintain the desired drying temperature in the oven, and the microwave oven is very small, it is easiest to purchase an electric dryer. The device allows you to set the optimal parameters. With it, you can dry currants in almost any volume. The process goes 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. Put currant berries in one layer on a pallet.
3. One minute after switching on the appliance, place the trays 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.

5-6 pallets can be placed in the dryer at the same time

How to store dried berries

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

1. In clean, carefully dried glass or tin jars with screw caps.
2. In bags made of natural breathable fabric (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 a balcony.

How long does a dried berry keep

The optimal shelf life is 1 year. If the temperature does not exceed 8-10 degrees, then drying can be kept for up to two years. Periodically, you should inspect the containers and make sure that the currants do not get moldy. If it has deteriorated a little, all damaged fruits must be removed, and a fruit drink or other dish should be prepared from the rest. It is also worth checking neighboring jars or bags, perhaps the fruits in them have also begun to deteriorate. In this case, they will need to be sorted again.

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 the oven or dryer. If there are no devices, the workpiece can be made under a canopy (without direct sunlight). When drying, periodically turn the fruits over so that the process runs evenly. If this is not done, the berries will begin to mold and the harvest will not last long.